Маргарет Уэйс - Dragons of Spring Dawning

Laurana’s head drooped. Bakaris laid a hand on her arm in mocking sympathy. Angrily Laurana shook free, turning to keep her face hidden.

“I don’t believe you!” Flint growled. “Tanis would never allow Kitiara do this—”

“Oh, you’re right there, dwarf,” Bakaris said, realizing quickly just how far his lies would be believed. “He knows nothing of this. The Dark Lady sent him to Neraka weeks ago, to prepare for our audience with the Queen.”

“You know, Flint,” Tas said solemnly. “Tanis was really fond of Kitiara. Do you remember that party at the Inn of the Last Home? It was Tanis’s Day of Life Gift party. He’d just ‘come of age’ by elven standards and—boy! Was that some party! Do you remember? Caramon got a tankard of ale dumped over his head when he grabbed Dezra. And Raistlin drank too much wine and one of his spells misfired and burned up Otik’s apron, and Kit and Tanis were together in that corner next to the fire-pit, and they were—”

Bakaris glanced at Tas in annoyance. The commander disliked being reminded of how close Kitiara really was to the half-elf.

“Tell the kender to keep quiet, General,” Bakaris growled, “or I’ll let the wyvern have him. Two hostages would suit the Dark Lady just as well as three.”

“So it is a trap,” Laurana said softly, looking around in a daze. “Tanis isn’t dying. . . he’s not even there! I’ve been a fool—”

“We’re not going anywhere with you!” Flint stated, planting his feet on the ground firmly.

Bakaris regarded him coolly. “Have you ever seen a wyvern sting anyone to death?”

“No,” said Tas with interest, “but I saw a scorpion once. Is it like that? Not that I’d want to try it, mind you,” the kender faltered, seeing Bakaris’s face darken.

“The guards on the walls of the city might well hear your screams,” Bakaris said to Laurana, who stared at him as if he were speaking a language she didn’t comprehend. “But, by then, it would be too late.”

“I’ve been a fool,” Laurana repeated softly.

“Say the word, Laurana!” Flint said stubbornly. “We’ll fight—”

“No,” she said in a small voice, like a child’s. “No. I won’t risk your lives, not you and Tas. It was my folly. I will pay. Bakaris, take me—Let my friends go—”

“Enough of this!” Bakaris said impatiently. “I’m not letting anyone go!” Climbing onto the back of a wyvern, he extended his hand to Laurana. “There’s only two, so we’ll have to double up.”

Her face expressionless, Laurana accepted Bakaris’s help and climbed onto the wyvern. Putting his good arm around her, he held her close, grinning.

At his touch, Laurana’s face regained some of its color. Angrily, she tried to free herself from his grip.

“You are much safer this way, General,” Bakaris said harshly in her ear. “I would not want you to fall.”

Laurana bit her lip and stared straight ahead, forcing herself not to cry.

“Do these creatures always smell so awful,” Tas said, regarding the wyvern with disgust as he helped Flint mount. “I think you should convince them to bathe—”

“Watch the tail,” Bakaris said coldly. “The wyvern will generally not kill unless I give them the command, but they are high-strung. Little things upset them.”

“Oh.” Tas gulped. “I’m sure I didn’t mean to be insulting. Actually, I suppose one could get used to the smell, after a bit—”

At a signal from Bakaris, the wyvern spread their leathery wings and soared into the air, flying slowly under the unaccustomed burden. Flint gripped Tasslehoff tightly and kept his eyes on Laurana, flying ahead of them with Bakaris. Occasionally the dwarf saw Bakaris lean close to Laurana and he saw Laurana pull away from him. The dwarf’s face grew grim.

“That Bakaris is up to no good!” the dwarf muttered to Tas.

“What?” said Tas, turning around.

“I said that Bakaris is up to no good!” the dwarf shouted. “And I’ll wager he’s acting on his own and not following orders, either. That Gakhan—character wasn’t at all pleased about being ordered off.”

“What?” Tas yelled. “I can’t hear! All this wind—”

“Oh, never mind!” The dwarf felt dizzy all of a sudden. He was finding it hard to breathe. Trying to take his mind off himself, he stared gloomily down at the treetops emerging from the shadows as the sun began to rise.

After flying for about an hour, Bakaris made a motion with his hand and the wyvern began slowly circling, searching for a clear place to land on the heavily forested mountainside. Pointing at a small clearing just barely visible among the trees, Bakaris shouted instructions to the lead beast. The wyvern landed as ordered and Bakaris climbed down.

Flint glanced around, his fears growing. There was no sign of any fortress. No sign of life of any kind. They were in a small cleared area, surrounded by tall pine trees whose ancient limbs were so thick and tangled that they effectively shut out most of the sun’s light. Around them, the forest was dark and filled with moving shadows. At one end of the clearing Flint saw a small cave, carved out of the cliff face.

“Where are we?” Laurana asked sternly. “This can’t possibly be Dargaard Keep. Why are we stopping?”

“Astute observation, ‘general,’ ” Bakaris said pleasantly. “Dargaard Keep is about a mile farther up the mountain. They’re not expecting us yet. The Dark Lady probably hasn’t even had her breakfast. We wouldn’t want to be impolite and disturb her, would we?” He glanced over at Tas and Flint. “You two—stay put,” he instructed, as the kender seemed about to jump down. Tas froze.

Moving to stand near Laurana, Bakaris placed his hand on the neck of the wyvern. The beast’s lidless eyes followed his every move as expectantly as a dog waiting to be fed.

“You get down, Lady Laurana,” Bakaris said with lethal softness, coming quite near her as she sat upon the wyvern’s back, regarding him scornfully. “We’ve time for a little... breakfast ourselves...”

Laurana’s eyes flashed. Her hand moved to her sword with such conviction she almost convinced herself it was there. “Stand away from me!” she commanded with such presence that, for a moment, Bakaris halted. Then, grinning, he reached up and grabbed hold of her wrist.

“No, lady, I wouldn’t struggle. Remember the wyvern—and your friends over there. One word from me, and they will die very nasty deaths!”

Cringing, Laurana looked over to see the wyvern’s scorpion tail poised above Flint’s back. The beast quivered with anticipation of the kill.

“No! Laurana—” Flint began in agony, but she cast a sharp glance at him, reminding him that she was still the general. Her face drained of life, she allowed Bakaris to help her down.

“There, I thought you looked hungry,” Bakaris said, grinning.

“Let them go!” Laurana demanded. “It’s me you want—”

“You’re right there,” Bakaris said, grabbing hold of her around her waist. “But their presence seems to insure your good behavior.”

“Don’t you worry about us, Laurana!” Flint roared.

“Shut up, dwarf!” Bakaris cried in a rage. Shoving Laurana back against the body of the wyvern, he turned to stare at the dwarf and the kender. Flint’s blood chilled as he saw the wild madness in the man’s eyes.

“I—I think we’d better do as he says, Flint,” Tas said, swallowing. “He’ll hurt Laurana—”

“Hurt her? Oh, not much,” Bakaris said, laughing. “She will still be useful to Kitiara for whatever purpose she may have in mind. But don’t move, dwarf. I may forget myself!” Bakaris warned, hearing Flint choke in anger. He turned back to Laurana. “As it is, Kitiara won’t mind if I have a little fun with the lady first. No, don’t faint—”