Margaret Weis - Dragons of The Dwarven Depths

Hederick gave a sour smile. “Of course, Elistan. We all are eager to hear what you have to say.”

“Mistress Maritta has stated our dilemma quite clearly and concisely. We face danger if we stay and do nothing but even more danger if we rush off in haste without taking proper care or knowing where we are going. Here is what I propose.

“We send representatives south to seek out the dwarven kingdom to see if we can find the gate, and if we do, ask the dwarves for their aid.”

Flint snorted and opened his mouth. Tanis trod on his boot, and the dwarf kept quiet.

“If the dwarves are willing to shelter us,” Elistan continued, “we can make the journey to Thorbardin before the harshest months of winter set in. Such a journey should be undertaken immediately,” Elistan added gravely. “I agree with Tanis and the others that the danger we face here grows greater with every day that passes. That being said, despite the mage’s suggestion—” Elistan bowed to Raistlin—“I do not think there would be time to make a side trip to Skullcap.”

“You will think differently when you stand knocking on the side of a mountain that will not open,” Raistlin said, his eyes narrow slits.

Before Elistan could reply, Hederick spoke up.

“That is an excellent idea, Revered Son. I propose that we send Tanis Half-Elven on this expedition, along with his friend, the dwarf. Set a dwarf to catch a dwarf, I always say.” Hederick laughed at his little joke.

Tanis was amazed at this sudden acquiescence and immediately suspicious. He’d expected Hederick to take a firm stand against any suggestion of leaving and here he was forwarding the plan. Tanis glanced around the assembly to see what the others thought. Elistan shrugged, as though to say he didn’t understand either, but they should take advantage of the High Theocrat’s sudden shift in position to gain their objective. Riverwind was silent and impassive. He didn’t like the idea of going to Thorbardin. He and his people might still decide to set off on their own. That gave Tanis an idea.

“I agree to go,” said Tanis, “and Flint will go with me—”

“He will?” Flint reared up his head in astonishment.

“He will,” Tanis said, trodding again on the dwarf’s boot and saying quietly, “I’ll explain later.” He raised his voice. “In my absence, the High Theocrat and Elistan can handle the spiritual needs of the people. I propose that Riverwind of the Que-shu, take command of their safety.” Now it was Riverwind who looked astonished.

“An excellent idea,” said Elistan. “All of us witnessed Riverwind’s bravery in the battle at Pax Tharkas. Only today, we saw that he and his people overcame their terror of the dragon to attack the beast.”

Hederick was thinking so hard that Tanis could see the man’s thought process written on his face. First his brows came together and lips tightened. The High Theocrat wasn’t sure he liked the idea now, even though he himself had proposed that Tanis and Flint go to Thorbardin. The Theocrat was certain the half-elf must have some nefarious scheme to put Riverwind in charge. Hederick’s narrow-eyed gaze went to the Plainsman, went to the buckskin tunic and breeches, and then his face cleared. Riverwind was a savage, a bar-barian. Untaught, unschooled, he would be easy to manipulate—or so Hederick figured. Things could be worse. Tanis might have picked that insufferable Solamnic knight, Sturm Brightblade, to be the leader in his absence. Such were Hederick’s thoughts.

Tanis had almost chosen Sturm. The words had been on his lips, when he’d reconsidered. Not only did Tanis hope by this to persuade Riverwind and his people to stay, Tanis was convinced that Riverwind would be a better leader. Sturm saw everything as either black or white, nothing in shades of gray. He was too strict, unbending, unyielding. Riverwind was the better choice. The High Theocrat smiled expansively. “If the Plainsman will accept the task, I have no objection.”

Riverwind was about to reject it. Goldmoon put her hands over his arm and looked up at him. She said nothing in words, but he understood.

“I will think about it,” Riverwind said, after a pause.

Goldmoon smiled at him. He clasped her hands with his own. Hederick’s supporters gathered around him to discuss matters. Maritta joined Laurana and both began talking to Elistan. The meeting was breaking up.

“What is this about me going to Thorbardin?” Flint demanded. “I’ll not set foot beneath the mountain!”

“Later,” said Tanis.

Right now, he had to talk to Sturm, explain why he’d chosen Riverwind over the knight, when Sturm must feel that he was better qualified by education and lineage. Sturm was touchy about such things, easily offended.

Tanis made his way through the crowd. Flint was still going on about Thorbardin, dogging Tanis so closely that the dwarf kept tripping on Tanis’s heels. As he tried to avoid falling in the fire pit, Tanis drew near Hederick. The Theocrat had his back turned, talking to one of his cronies.

“There is no way out of this valley except over the mountains,” Hederick was explaining in a low voice. “It will take the half-elf and the dwarf weeks to make the crossing, and weeks more will pass while they search for this nonexistent dwarf kingdom. Thus we are rid of the meddlesome half-breed—”

Tanis walked on, his lips pressed tight. So that is Hederick’s reason for supporting the plan to go to Thorbardin. He gets rid of me.

Once I’m gone, he thinks he can walk over Elistan and Riverwind. I wouldn’t be so sure of that. All the same, Tanis wondered uneasily if Hederick was right. He and Flint might well spend weeks trying to cross the mountains.

“Don’t worry about what that windbag says, lad,” Flint said, his gruff voice sounding at Tanis’s elbow. “There’s a way.”

Tanis glanced down at his friend. “Does that mean you’ve had a change of heart?”

“No,” the dwarf retorted grimly. “It means I can tell you how to find the path.” Tanis shook his head. He’d talk the dwarf around. Right now, he was worried that he’d offended Sturm.

The knight stood near the fire, staring into the flames. He did not look offended. Indeed, he did not look as if he was aware of what was going on around him. Tanis spoke his name several times before Sturm heard him.

Sturm turned to him. The knight’s blue eyes glowed in the light. His face, generally set in stern and unbending lines, was animated and expressive.

“Your plan is brilliant, Tanis!” Sturm exclaimed. He grabbed Tanis’s hand and gripped it tight. Tanis regarded his friend in astonishment. “What plan?”

“Traveling to Thorbardin, of course. You can find it and bring it back.”

“Find what?” Tanis was growing more confused.

“The Hammer of Kharas! That is the real reason you’re going, isn’t it?”

“I’m going to Thorbardin to try to find safe haven for the refugees. I don’t know anything about a hammer—”

“Have you forgotten the legends?” Sturm asked, shocked. “We were speaking of it only the other night. The sacred and magical Hammer of Kharas—used to forge dragonlances!”

“Oh, yes, right. Dragonlances.”

Sturm, hearing his skeptical tone, regarded him in disappointment. “The dragonlance is the only weapon capable of felling a dragon, Tanis. We need them to fight the Dark Queen and her minions. You saw what happened when arrows struck that red beast. They bounced off! A dragonlance, on the other hand, is a weapon blessed by the gods. The great Huma used a dragonlance to defeat Takhisis—”

“I remember,” said Tanis hastily. “Hammer of Kharas. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“You should remember. This is important, Tanis,” Sturm insisted, and he was grimly serious.