Dragonmage of Mystara

CHAPTER TEN

Less than a score of gemstone dragons were gathered either above or below the escarpment of the city of Dengar, and yet i hey seemed determined to stand their ground, even though whole companies of dragons, several hundred strong, were approaching swiftly from the north and east. At least the assault on the walls of the city had faltered while the invading army was left without direction, unable to decide on their own whether to continue with their assault or stand by their Masters.

Leading the advance of the dragons, Thelvyn, once more wearing the Collar of the Dragons, made use of his sharp eyes to search out the scene of battle ahead. Making his decision quickly, he turned his head toward Marthaen, flying a short distance away to his right, and nodded. The First Speaker nodded in response and then turned to head swiftly over the mountains to the west. The largest part of the combined force followed him, some eight hundred dragons in all, leaving Thelvyn with only two hundred. Marthaen would lead his forces quickly against the invaders in western Rockhome; Jherdar was leading an army of a thousand more dragons into

Rockhome from the east. Thelvyn's first concern was to liberate Dengar and help the dwarves to begin to restore order to their land.

The attacking dragons circled out over the valley before turning again so that they could descend in a rapid glide toward the escarpment, soaring on stiff wings with the sails of their tails dropped slightly to reduce their speed. Kharendaen began to drift to one side, prepared to lead a contingent of dragons against four Masters in the valley below. Thelvyn led the remaining forces against the rest of the Masters on the escarpment above, selecting as his own target the largest of the amber dragons, a proud warrior easily his own size who stood just before the ruined gate.

Thelvyn dived down to land at the very top of the ramp, intending to turn the remaining speed of his flight into a swift run that would carry him into battle. For the first time in weeks, he was betrayed by his lack of experience. Dragons were not quite as agile on the ground as he had anticipated. Because his forelegs were shorter than his powerful hind legs, he slipped on his second stride and collapsed heavily onto his deep chest. The amber dragon stepped forward to catch him, tossing him backward with such force that Thelvyn was almost tumbled backward off the escarpment. Even while he was struggling to rise, he lifted his head to see two of the younger gold dragons in his company hurtle themselves upon the amber dragon, who caught them with astonishing ease and easily tossed them aside.

That was enough to make Thelvyn pause, crouching low in a menacing gesture and hackling to discourage his opponent from an immediate attack. He needed an instant to think. Something seemed very wrong. When he had fought them in their own world, the Masters had seemed no more powerful than his world's dragons, either in their magic or in their native strength and speed. Yet now they were easily three times stronger. He reminded himself that Mystara was in fact their true home, the world where their kind had originated centuries before. Whether it was because they were home, or perhaps because of some enchantment, the gemstone dragons were suddenly far stronger, and far more dangerous.

Thelvyn began to wonder if he had come to trust too much in his fighting abilities as a dragon, forgetting his inexperience. Still crouching low in a menacing pose, he began to circle slowly around the amber dragon to buy a few moments more to consider his next move. The first thing that came to his mind was a trick that Kharendaen used successfully to put a dragon on his back. Suddenly he sprang forward toward his opponent. At the very last moment, he ducked his head low, driving his neck and shoulders under the chest of the amber dragon and then thrusting himself upward.

He had no idea what happened next, except that he was abruptly hurtled to the ground with such force that his breath was torn from his chest and his sight turned dark for a long moment. He hardly even recalled what he had been doing until the amber dragon's jaws suddenly fastened tight about his throat, seeking a death grip. For now, he could do nothing more than struggle weakly, still fighting for breath. At that moment, he could not have saved himself.

A pair of gold dragons in Thelvyn's bodyguard suddenly leapt upon the amber dragon from either side, desperate to protect the Dragonking. They should have been able to overwhelm the gemstone dragon easily, even though it was somewhat larger than either of them. As the golds ripped into its folded wings, it reluctantly released its death grip and arched its long neck to roar in pain and fury. Then it shook free from the two attacking dragons and tossed them aside easily, hurtling them across the plain before the gate of Dengar. Finally the gemstone dragon turned back to the Dragonking, determined to destroy its principal enemy while it could.

Thelvyn had been struggling to regain his breath and rise to a standing position, but suddenly he relaxed and lifted himself purposefully. For the first time since he had taken possession of it, the Collar of the Dragons began to surge with power, filling him in turn with renewed energy. He recalled that the collar was said to enhance the powers of its wearer, but no one had been able to tell him just what it could do or how he might command it. Now he understood that the collar had been created in anticipation of this very need, enhancing his abilities to make him more than an equal to the greatest of the Masters.

The amber dragon paused, as if puzzled by Thelvyn's sudden confidence. Then it elected to attack immediately, hoping perhaps to catch him off his guard, leaping forward with its head down in a tactic intended to strike him in the chest and sweep him backward over the edge of the escarpment. In response, Thelvyn rose abruptly to his hind legs and struck the amber dragon with a backhand smash against the side of its head. The blow had force enough to halt the creature's lunge and send it tumbling heavily onto its back, stunned by the impact.

The amber dragon struggled feebly for a moment, then shook its head and tried to rise. But even as it turned back to face him, Thelvyn struck the alien dragon a second blow that left it almost senseless. This time Thelvyn did not wait for his enemy to recover, but stepped forward to grab the amber dragon by the tail. Half-dragging the alien dragon, he carried it to the edge of the escarpment, its weak struggles unable to break his crushing hold. Commanding all his enhanced strength, Thelvyn tossed the amber dragon well out over the edge of the steep cliff, then drew a sharp breath to release a blast of dragonfire. The amber dragon disappeared in a tremendous explosion of fire, and its broken form fell in a fiery trail into the forest far below.

Thelvyn turned quickly, fearful for the safety of his fellow dragons, but he saw that he had little reason to be concerned. The other gemstone dragons seemed to lack the tremendous power of their leader, and the dragons had them vastly outnumbered. The Masters were getting the worst of it, and the death of their leader convinced them that they had had enough. Fighting to break free from the packs of dragons harassing them relentlessly, they leapt into flight and retreated to the north. But the dragons were not about to give up the battle so easily, and a dozen of them pursued the fleeing gemstone dragons into the sky.

For a moment, Thelvyn watched the retreating aliens and wondered whether he should follow them. His plan was to catch the Masters by surprise, which he seemed to have done, and drive them not only from Rockhome but from his world before they could summon forces to organize a counterattack. He decided instead that he could spare a minute more to speak with the dwarves. The dwarven defenders looked as if they needed some reassurance, still struggling to throw the last of the invaders from the wall.

When he turned back to face the city, he was surprised to see Korinn Bear Slayer waving to him from the north wall of the ruined gate. Dwarves built the highest walls in the world, and Thelvyn had to stretch his hind legs to lift his head level with the young dwarf. The soldiers along the wall cheered loudly.

"Everyone seems happy to see me," he commented wryly. "Did they perchance think I would not come?"

"Not for a moment," Korinn declared. "Not to complain, but you might have arrived just a bit sooner."

"Not really," Thelvyn replied. "I had to wait until I had gathered the numbers necessary to destroy the Masters or drive them from our world before they can get organized to strike back against us. I must go after the Masters as soon as possible, but you still have a large army to deal with here. Do you think you can handle the problem if I leave a few dragons behind with you?"

"Of course," Korinn said without hesitation, realizing that the dragons would be doing most of the work. "Your dragons do understand that the dwarves are now their allies, don't they?"

"I think so."

Korinn laughed to himself; he had asked the question in jest, and he hoped Thelvyn had been jesting in turn. Then he turned to see his brother, who had made his way through the tower where the gatehouse joined the main wall. Dorinn was moving with even more difficulty than usual, obviously near-ing the end of his strength, and his abused armor was mute testimony that he had seen his own share of fighting. He paused, a bit shaken to see the head of a gold dragon only a few yards away.

"Thelvyn Fox-Eyes, you recall my older brother, Dorinn," Korinn said quickly, to remind Dorinn that this dragon was an old friend. "I take it the city is secure once again?"

"We're rounding up the last of the invaders who made it over the wall," Dorinn explained, still somewhat hesitant. "I was coming to look for you. I was concerned for your safety

when the gate wall collapsed."

"I need to gather a large force of fighters and lead them down through the secret ways," Korinn explained quickly. "The dragons are helping to destroy our enemies, but we must still help them in any way we can."

"Yes, of course," Dorinn agreed without hesitation. Dwarves always wanted to play as large a part in any fight as they could. "I must begin to set things in order here, especially the repair of the road. And I should send a message to the lower city so that father will know that the danger is over. It is over, isn't it?"

"It should be over by nightfall," Thelvyn answered. "We still have to hunt down the remaining Masters and either slay them or drive them from this world. They seem to have entered our world somewhere in the mountains north of the steppes. We might have to chase them all the way back there. If you can manage things here yourself, I'd like to take Korinn with me."

"Me?" Korinn asked, confused.

"Every city in Rockhome has been under siege. They might be pleased to see the dragons destroying their enemies, but they might need to be reassured about their new allies."

Dorinn was obviously pleased to continue his duties as the leader of the defenders of Dengar, even if it meant going into battle once again with his warriors. Making himself useful at such a time of need was very important to him, important enough that he was able to overcome his physical limitations by will alone. Aside from the ruined gate, the upper city had suffered little damage during the battle, although the gemstone dragons had once again inflicted damage on a number of the highest towers.

As it happened, the battle in the valley below was well on its way to being over. The dragons had already destroyed or driven away the Masters, and Kharendaen had led a score of red dragons against the invading army. By surrounding the invaders, the dragons were steadily driving them into a trap in a blind canyon a few miles north of Dengar. So far, Kharen-daen's chief concern had been struggling to prevent the red dragons from being needlessly cruel. All the gold dragons except for Thelvyn's bodyguards had left in pursuit of the Musters, since their greater size, speed, and magic were needed to fight the gemstone dragons.

Thelvyn selected one of the gold dragon clerics among his bodyguards to take command of the young reds. Then Korinn Hear Slayer mounted Kharendaen's saddle, which she had brought along in anticipation of this very need. Flying as itwiftly as they could, Thelvyn and Kharendaen made a complete circuit of the cities of Rockhome, beginning in the east with Kurdal and Smaggeft on the shores of Lake Klintest, then crossing the mountains to Evemur and on to Stahl. The dragons had already driven the Masters from all the cities, leaving behind a small force to deal with the invading forces abandoned by the gemstone dragons. Korinn spoke briefly with the leaders of each city and the local commanders, and then they hurried on.

By late afternoon, they arrived at Fort Denwarf. Korinn had been concerned about the safety of the fortress he had been forced to abandon, but the invaders had done no great damage in their haste to push on into Rockhome. Korinn planned to summon a small force under General Balar from Stahl in a couple of days to secure the fortress and begin necessary repairs. The dwarves would feel better once their borders were secure once more. The dragons had already slain more than twoscore of the Masters. The rest had fled across the steppes back toward their base somewhere in the Wendarian Range to the north, with over a thousand dragons in close pursuit.

The Ethengar were in a worse situation, scattered in the forests of the foothills of the mountains of Rockhome. They had witnessed the flight of the Masters and the pursuit of the dragons, but they didn't understand what was happening. They remained as fearful of the dragons as they were of any other enemy, and so they were unwilling to come out of hiding to speak with Thelvyn and Korinn. There seemed to be no way to get news to them until the dwarves returned to Fort Denwarf, and Korinn knew that they would have to remain in the lower mountains of Rockhome for some time to come. The steppes had been completely destroyed from north to south and across its full width from the Northern Reaches in the east to the Highlands in the west. Weeks or even months would pass before the deep grass and the herds would return to the blackened hills of the plains.

Night had long since fallen by the time they had returned to Dengar. The upper city seemed to glow under the golden light of hundreds of lamps and flickering torches, for the dwarves were already hard at work on repairs. Their first concern was with restoring the damaged portion of the gate ramp and the gate itself, since there was no way to carry goods in and out of the city while that access was blocked. Dragons had already lifted the body of the amber dragon out of the trap in the gate fort and were helping to fix the collapsed platform.

"Now, there's something I never expected to see," Korinn said as they circled down to land. "Dragons working alongside dwarves. How were you able to manage that?"

"I told them the dwarves would pay them a hundred gold crowns each for their trouble," Thelvyn said, staring straight ahead as he spoke. Finally he couldn't help smiling, and he turned his head to see if the dwarf was taking him seriously. "Actually, the dragons are genuinely concerned about the Masters. And being helpful to someone else is such a novelty to them that it piques their interest."

Kharendaen glanced at him briefly, as if she wanted to dispute his last remark about dragons, but she found that she could not. The gold dragons would, on rare occasions, offer some help to adventurers of other races if their quest and their motives seemed worthwhile. But for the most part, dragons were seldom helpful, even to each other.

Thelvyn circled wide, giving Kharendaen a moment to drop down quickly and settle onto the paving stones of the market square before the entrance to the lower city, a scene of great activity as the dwarves worked to restore Dengar. Everyone hurried out of the way as the two dragons approached, giving them far more room than they actually needed. Thelvyn dropped to the ground just as Korinn was climbing down from his saddle. The dwarves cheered loudly, and most of them rushed forward as soon as both of the dragons had folded their wings, but others paused to stare in awe and mutter among themselves when they saw that Thelvyn wore the Collar of the Dragons. He was pri-vntely amused to wonder if their admiration was for him or for the wealth of gold and jewels in the collar.

Korinn lifted his fist to the crowd in a triumphant salute. " The Masters are gone, their armies scattered. Rockhome once more belongs to the dwarves. The dragons have brought us victory!"

The dwarves cheered again, then began to chant his name rhythmically. Thelvyn was grateful that dragons lacked the capacity to blush. Kharendaen poked him gently with her nose, reminding him to sit up straight.

Then the crowd parted, and King Daroban himself stepped out to greet the dragons, together with his eldest son. Daroban still wore his armor, but Dorinn had changed to more casual dress and appeared to have rested some, possibly against his will. He was leaning on a cane and walking stiffly. The crowd fell silent as Daroban came to stand before Thelvyn.

"Greetings, Dragonking, lord of the winds," he declared.

"Greetings, Daroban, lord of the caverns," Thelvyn responded. "I have no wish to speak dark words at a time of celebration, but I cannot forget that we have won only the first battle in what will be a desperate war. Now that the Masters have seen what the dragons can do, they will be far better prepared for us next time. We have to be ready for them."

King Daroban nodded gravely, while the dwarves listened in silence. "I appreciate your warning, and I pledge to you all the assistance the dwarves have to give. We know now that if the dragons fall, then Rockhome must also fall in time. What can we do?"

"I have already called a council from all the nations of our world to meet with me in Braejr," Thelvyn explained. "I need for you to select a representative to attend that council, someone you trust well enough to vote on important matters and whose judgment must be binding. You must be prepared to set aside all past differences with those who must now become your allies, at least until our common enemy is defeated. We must all stand together, dwarves and elves, men and dragons, or we will surely be defeated."

Daroban nodded grimly. "So be it. I understand that the Immortals themselves have selected you to be our leader. You have proven yourself devoted to your duty, and I defer to your authority in matters of our common defense. I hereby appoint my son Korinn to be our representative to your council, and to serve you in any way he can as your companion and advisor."

"Good," Thelvyn answered. "I will leave behind a small force of dragons until all the invaders have been hunted down. A couple of dragons will remain here at all times, to carry important messages and patrol your mountains for any sign of the invaders. I must now divide my force of dragons into equal parts and garrison them in different parts of the world so that we are ready to move quickly in response to the next attack, wherever it might come. But enough of grim words. It is time for a little more celebration and a great deal more work."

The dwarves cheered once again, and then the crowd began to break apart as they hurried back to their tasks. Thelvyn felt a great sense of relief. If dwarves could work side by side with dragons and even defer to his authority, there was good reason to hope for the success of the alliance.

"Will you be coming below?" Korinn asked.

Thelvyn shook his head. "As Dragonking, it befits my new station to remain in dragon form. I must seek my chief advisors, and then I will leave for Braejr at dawn. Will you be ready?"

"You will find me here."

The dwarves drew back, cheering once again as the two dragons leapt into flight. Thelvyn led the way, climbing quickly into the night sky above the lights of the city before he turned to glide slowly beyond the edge of the escarpment. During his approach, he had seen in the valley the lights of large fires, where the dragons remaining at Dengar were making their camp for the night. He hoped to find Marthaen or Jherdar there, although he had to be satisfied to wait when he did not find them. While he waited, young dragons eagerly brought roasted meat for both him and Kharendaen.

Marthaen arrived several hours later, near the middle of the night. Kharendaen had been lying curled in sleep, but Thelvyn had been sitting up on his haunches staring at the moon, lost in thought about the challenges he still faced. He moved quickly aside so that the older dragon would have room to land in the clearing.

"The Masters are gone," Marthaen reported simply as he folded away his wings. "They are swift and gave us quite a chase, but we had a force of a hundred dragons waiting in the Wendarian Range to intercept them. Only seven of them escaped us in the end, destroying their worldgate behind them. Apparently they were using only that one gate, since rhey had a large supply base hidden in a deep valley nearby. There was evidence of tens of thousands of soldiers spreading out from that one base to establish lesser camps in the foothills before they pushed into the steppes in a single line more than three hundred miles wide."

Thelvyn nodded slowly. "The dwarves thought there were a couple hundred of the gemstone dragons, but they had to admit that they had no way of knowing for certain."

"I would say they overestimated the number in their excitement. We found no more than some fourscore in all. As long as we have them completely outnumbered, we have no cause for concern."

"We don't dare count on that," Thelvyn said. "How many dragons did we lose?"

"We suffered a couple of hundred injuries, but few of them were serious," Marthaen answered, obviously pleased. "But I don't believe we lost a single dragon. As I say, we overwhelmed them with our numbers and caught them off guard. I am curious about one thing, however. When you and Kharendaen fought them in their own world, did you find them so strong? If you did, then I've underestimated not only you but my little sister as well."

Thelvyn laughed quietly, but Kharendaen looked fierce as she puffed out her chest proudly. "You must not forget that the clerics of the Great One are trained warriors. But to satisfy your curiosity, I found the Masters as swift and powerful in a fight as any mature gold dragon, but no more so."

"They seem to be stronger here in this world," Thelvyn said. "Their leader was at least three times as powerful as he should have been, although the others didn't seem as strong. And I would very much like to know why they are stronger here-if it is the result of some enchantment, or if they draw power in battle from the one who is called the Overlord. I also wonder if their enhanced strength is somehow due to their return to their true home world. Remember that the gemstone dragons came into existence when they tried to raise themselves to the level of the Immortals. They failed, but we don't know just what they might have done to themselves yet."

He paused a moment, then glanced at Marthaen. "At least I know now what the Collar of the Dragons is supposed to do for me. It enhanced my strength and powers tremendously when I faced the Masters."

"Legend always said the collar would enhance the powers of the Dragonking," Kharendaen pointed out.

"Yes, but no one could ever tell me how it works," he insisted, then frowned. "Tomorrow I must fly to Braejr to try to convince a group of people who normally do not get along that they must work together. I also must convince them to allow several hundred dragons to be garrisoned in their countries."

"Let Korinn Bear Slayer tell them about the invasion of Rockhome," Marthaen suggested. "That should improve their opinion of dragons."

*****

Thelvyn and Kharendaen left early the next morning, flying directly across the mountains of the Altan Tepes and the northern Broken Lands to Braejr. All during the flight, Thelvyn was concerned that this journey might be a waste of time. When he had left Braejr days before, Darius Glantri had been trying to use the considerable influence of Thyatis to arrange for a first meeting of parties to join in an alliance. Unfortunately, he had no idea of how much success the Thyatians had. He could only hope that a number of representatives had gathered and begun to work through their differences, setting aside past rivalries and complaints.

It was possible that the invasion of Rockhome had given them something to think about. Thelvyn now had the almost unquestioned support of the dwarves, and he had expected them to be among the hardest to convince. Of course, they now had experienced the danger of the Masters firsthand, and they had reason to be grateful. Thelvyn expected most of the other delegates to be far more reserved in their support. He wondered if he were beginning to think too much like a dragon, but he had to admit that it was far simpler to slay an enemy than to argue with an ally.

Their appearance over the city failed to raise any cries of alarm. That worried him, since he knew the generally bad opinion that the Flaem had of dragons. He had yet to prove that his armor was heavy enough to turn aside an arrow. He was apprehensive as he descended toward the yard of Solveig's house, waiting for the shrill challenge from a griffon. When he had landed in the yard and folded away his wings without hearing so much as a squawk, he began to hope that the griffon stables really had been moved to another part of the city.

Thelvyn moved aside quickly so that Kharendaen could land as well. They were both surprised when the door of the warehouse opened and a young gold dragon poked his head outside to stare at them. Thelvyn needed a moment before he recognized the young male as an old friend, the cleric, Sel-daek, who had journeyed with Sir George the previous year in search of the Collar of the Dragons. Sir George himself emerged from the front door of the house a moment later, followed by Solveig White-Gold and Darius Glantri.

"Korinn!" Solveig called when she saw the dwarf climbing down from his saddle. "Then the invasion of Rockhome is over?"

"Aye, thanks to the Dragonking," he declared. "The Masters were nearly all destroyed, and their armies are broken and scattered. But our good dragon here is quick to remind me that the war is far from over and the worst still ahead."

"It seems I have no need to remind you," Thelvyn commented, watching while Kharendaen slipped out of her saddle. He turned to Darius Glantri. "We have indeed won a battle, mostly because I was able to trick the Overlord into believing that the dragons had refused to follow me. Now he knows better, and I expect that his next attack will come very soon and with far greater strength. We must be ready. I hope you can tell me you've had some luck in calling together a council to discuss an alliance."

"Then I can indeed contribute something to your good mood," Darius replied. "If Korinn Bear Slayer is here to represent the dwarves, then we now have delegates from all the major nations and a few minor ones. Even the Alphatians have sent a delegate-an affable chap, very eager to please, if a bit nervous at finding himself in the Flaemish realm."

"I want to talk to them as soon as I can. . within the hour, if possible," Thelvyn said, turning to the door of the old warehouse where Seldaek still sat. "I assume you moved the griffons somewhere else."

"We have them in the stables near the north gate," Solveig explained. "We had reached the point where we had too many griffons on hand to stable them all here. I've had the lair restored to the way it was when you left last year. The bed might be a little small for the two of you."

"We don't need a great deal of room," Kharendaen said succinctly. "But there is most certainly not room for three. Sir George, you will have to do something else with your friend."

"We've been preparing some lairs for dragon messengers in a warehouse near the palace," Solveig explained. "This place has been reserved for the private abode of the Dragonking and his consort. Do you need anything? A moose for lunch? A couple of virgins, perhaps?"

Thelvyn looked surprised. "What would I want with a pair of virgins?"

"To eat them, of course," Kharendaen said eagerly, licking her chops.

Thelvyn looked even more alarmed for a moment before he realized that Kharendaen was making a jest at his expense. He looked disgruntled over the matter, which only amused the others even more.

"You've never heard that old legend about dragons and virgins?" Darius asked.

"There aren't many virgins to be found around here, I assure you," Thelvyn replied, then paused at the entrance to the lair to glance back at Kharendaen. "I don't say that from personal experience, mind you."

The light banter matched Thelvyn's positive mood. Things were progressing better than he had dared to hope. Most of the delegates of the proposed alliance were not only gathered but apparently in a mood to talk. Only a year before, King

Jherridan had striven desperately to organize an alliance against the Alphatians, and later against the dragons. Now both Alphatia and the dragons were a part of a new alliance against an unexpected enemy. Thelvyn himself had been more or less run out of civilized lands the year before, and now the world was ready to defer to his leadership. He was not so surprised at how much things had changed but at how quickly it had all happened.

A short time later, he and Kharendaen walked through the streets of Braejr to the palace, where the representatives were housed in the guest chambers. This was the first time he had seen the palace since the previous summer, when the extensive damage from his battle with the traitor wizards had not yet been repaired. The restoration was nearly complete, although Thelvyn was only able to enter as far as the main hall for a quick look about. So much of his past had been spent in this place, as the advisor to King Jherridan during his time as the Dragonlord, and then later when he had served as king. He had to resist the urge to change form so that he could take a more complete tour of the building.

Solveig had gone to the palace ahead of them to summon the representatives. Since the dragons couldn't enter any of the meeting rooms within the palace, they had elected to meet in the garden near the main gate. Thelvyn sat in the center of the paved court, like a broad patio outside the doors of the reception hall, with stone benches for the other delegates. Kharendaen lay beneath the trees near the wall. Once the meeting was assembled, they all spoke together for some time, although it was more accurate to say that Thelvyn explained everything he knew about the invaders to the representatives and answered their questions.

For his own part, Thelvyn watched the representatives closely and weighed their words with care. He was trying to judge the extent of the commitment their nations were able or willing to make. He also wanted to determine just how much the various nations would comply with the decisions made by their own delegates. The only representatives he could be certain of were Solveig and Darius Glantri, who already had broad authority to make binding decisions in this council.

Korinn seemed to have that same authority, but Thelvyn was not yet certain that the dwarves would continue to be so willing to cooperate once their memory of the invasion had faded.

Of the others, King Celedril of Alfheim could decide his own counsels without challenge at home, and he was obviously supportive of the alliance. Lord Derrick of Darokin was also supportive, as Darokin had been during the previous summer. The Traladaran representative didn't seem to understand all of what he heard, but he was willing to vote with the majority, perhaps to spare himself the strain of making decisions in matters that were mostly beyond him. The delegates from the Emirates of Ylaruam and the Jarldoms of the Northern Reaches were still alarmed that the burning of the steppes and the invasion of Rockhome had occurred so near their own lands. Their lands were controlled by loosely allied factions that were often at odds over old feuds and rivalries, and Thelvyn wondered how much of an organized defense they were capable of assembling.

The Heldannic Freeholds had failed to send a representative, giving the Thyatian messenger a rather haughty reply about their confidence in their ability to defend themselves. The Ierendi representative was cautious in his support, believing that his island kingdom was far from the actual danger. The delegate from the Minrothad Guilds was also disinterested, but he followed the Thyatian vote as a matter of politics.

Which was all very much just as Thelvyn had expected. The only unpredictable element in all of this was Ambassador Ser-ran, the Alphatian representative. Thelvyn found his position on the alliance to be most surprising. As he had been warned earlier, Ambassador Serran was very friendly and eager to please, and insisted that his people were willing to follow the Dragonking without hesitation. Thelvyn wondered if the Alphatians simply found it easier than most of the others to understand just how desperate the situation really was. They had fought the dragons the year before, provoking a long war that they had no hope of winning. Thus they saw any enemy the dragons feared as being very fearsome indeed.

Under the circumstances, Thelvyn had no problem convincing the council to follow his plans for the defense of their world. They had already known that they would have to arrange for their own defense as much as they could. That meant they needed to be ready to endure a sudden invasion at any time and hold out long enough for the dragons to gather an army and respond. The places where Thelvyn wanted to establish garrisons of hundreds of dragons were in the very lands where they would be most welcome. The northeast garrison was the city of Windreach itself. The garrison in the forgotten city of Darmouk was also convenient, and another garrison in the mountains of western Thyatis was no problem. Only a couple of hundred dragons could be spared to give Alphatia some peace of mind.

Thelvyn felt certain that the next attack would come in the west. The Masters had been active in the Highlands in the years since the Flaem had first come into this world. He was suspicious that the Flaem would once more play some key part in the Masters' plans for a major invasion. For that reason, he planned to move several hundred dragons into the mountains of the Highland Frontier and southern Wendar. Yet another garrison would be located in the wilds of northern Darokin, near Lake Amsorak. The delegate from Darokin said that he would try to have soldiers from his own country moved into their northern forts, to aid the Highlands when the invasion came. King Celedril of Alfheim promised a couple thousand elvish rangers, to be stationed in the elvish holdings in the southern Highlands.

"Then you really do believe that the Masters will attack here next?" Solveig asked quietly after the council concluded and the other delegates were left to speak among themselves.

"Perhaps not next," Thelvyn explained. "They could make other, lesser attacks in other parts of the world, to draw away our strength and throw us off our guard. But I feel certain that the Masters will invade the Highlands soon. The Highlands have been central to their plans for more than a hundred years, even before they sent the Flaem into this world. And the Highlands have been central in my own destiny since before I was born. The Masters have to deal with me before they can secure any conquests in this world, and this is where they will find me."

"That's very reassuring," Solveig commented sarcastically. "The Highlands seem to be your chosen battlefield. Now I remember why we threw you out a year ago."

"The Flaem need me," he insisted. "They remain especially vulnerable to the control of the Masters. They can't escape deep involvement in this conflict, and only the dragons and I can protect them. Even if I leave, the Masters will use the Flaem to draw me back. I feel sure of that."

"Then I know what I have to prepare for as well," Solveig added. She glanced up at the dragon. "Considering how we've seen the Masters operate, I have good reason to suspect that we have at least one traitor in our midst-probably not in our company, but near enough to report any plans we begin to implement."

Thelvyn nodded. "I agree. In fact, I'm counting on it. I'm playing the same trap that has worked for us once already, saying things I want the Masters to hear whenever I suspect the presence of any possible spy. I am baiting them to attack here in the Highlands. Why subject other lands to needless destruction when the final battle must be here anyway? I want the Masters to know that I am waiting for them."

"Do you have any idea who the traitor could be?"

He glanced around at the delegates, talking together in small clusters near the open outer doors of the reception hall. "I suspect Ambassador Serran, or at least someone of high authority in Alphatia. Remember that, like the Flaem, they are not originally of this world. Many of their policies of conquest can now be interpreted as a prelude to the invasion of the Masters. Have you asked yourself why they were so determined to wage a hopeless war against the dragons last year, even to the point of launching a doomed invasion fleet after they had been forced to surrender once before? They drew the dragons out of hiding. The dragons have always kept to themselves, and their gathering places have always been closely guarded secrets. Because of their war with the Alphatians, most of those secrets were betrayed."