Margaret Weis - Dragons of The Dwarven Depths

“Whether we see them or not, they’re up there. Make the people ready, Riverwind. If trouble does come, you won’t have much time to escape.”

Tanis stood a moment more, searching for some word of hope or comfort. He couldn’t find any to give. Hefting his pack, he and the dwarf started off down the path.

Flint paused to shout back over his shoulder. “Bring pick-axes!”

“Pick-axes!” Riverwind repeated, frowning. “Does he mean for us to hack our way through the mountains? I don’t like this. I begin to think I made the wrong decision. Our people should have gone off on their own.”

“Your reasons for making this decision were sound, my husband. Not even the Que-Kiri warriors challenged you when you told them your decision. They are sensible enough to realize that there is safety in numbers. Do not start second guessing yourself. The chieftain who looks behind while he walks forward will stumble and fall. That is what my father always said.”

“Damn your father!” Riverwind said angrily. “His decisions were not always right! He was the one who ordered the people to stone me, or have you forgotten that, Chieftain’s Daughter?” He stalked off, leaving Goldmoon to stare after him in astonishment.

“He didn’t mean it,” said Laurana, coming up the hillside to stand beside her. “Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing. He is worried, that is all. He bears a great responsibility.”

“ 1 know.” Goldmoon sighed bleakly. “I am no help, I fear. He is right. I should not keep comparing him to my father. I meant to offer advice; that is all. My father was a wise man and a good chief. He made a mistake, but it was because he did not understand.” She looked after her husband and sighed again. “I love him so much, yet it seems I hurt him more than I would hurt my worst enemy.”

“Love gives us a power to hurt that hate cannot match,” Laurana said softly. She looked after Flint and Tanis, who were shapeless forms in the gray dawn, descending into the valley.

“Did you come to say good-bye to Tanis?” Goldmoon asked, seeing the young woman watching them.

“I thought he might want to say good-bye to me,” Laurana replied. “I waited, but he didn’t come.” She shrugged. “Apparently he doesn’t care.”

“He does, Laurana,” said Goldmoon. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. It’s just…” She hesitated.

“I can’t compete with a memory of a rival,” Laurana bitterly. “Kitiara will always be perfect to him. Her kisses will always taste sweeter. She is not here to say or do the wrong thing. I cannot win.”

Goldmoon was struck by what Laurana had said. Competing with a memory. That was what she was forcing Riverwind to do. Small wonder he resented it. She went to find him to make her apology, which, since they were newlyweds, she knew her tender “I am sorry” would be well received.

Laurana stood looking after Tanis.

“Hullo, Tika!” Tas shoved open the screen to the cave and bounded inside, remembering at the last moment to knock. “Did you go shivery all over just a few moments ago? I did. It was a dragon! I thought I’d better hurry over to protect you! Ouch!” he said loudly, tumbling over a lump in the darkness.

“Tika?” Tas reached out his hand. “Is that lump you?”

“Yes, it’s me.” She didn’t sound pleased about it.

“What are you doing sitting in the dark?”

“Thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“That Caramon Majere is the biggest numbskull in the whole wide world.” There was a pause, then she said, “He went to Skullcap with his brother, didn’t he?”

“I guess so. Tanis said he did.”

Tika glared at him. “I sent Sturm to Tanis to stop him from going! Why didn’t he?”

“Tanis thinks there might be something important in Skullcap. I don’t know about Sturm,” Tas said, settling himself in the darkness beside Tika. He sighed longingly. “Skullcap. Doesn’t that sound like a perfectly wonderful place to you?”

“It sounds horrid. It’s a trap,” said Tika.

“A trap? Now I wish I’d gone! I love traps!” Tas was disconsolate.

“Not those kind of traps,” Tika said scornfully. “I mean Raistlin’s leading Caramon into a trap. I’ve been up all night thinking through it. Raistlin’s going because of that awful old dead wizard, that Fistandoodle or whatever his name is. Caramon told me all about him and about that wicked book of his—the book Raistlin sneaked out of Xak Tsaroth. That wizard was an evil man, and that place is an evil place. Raistlin knows that and he doesn’t care. He’s going to get Caramon killed.”

“An evil place that belonged to an evil wizard, and it’s filled with traps!” Tas sighed longingly.

“If I hadn’t given Tanis my solemn promise that I’d stay here to protect you, Tika, I’d go there in a minute.”

“Protect me!” Tika was indignant. “You don’t need to protect me. No one does. Caramon’s the one who needs protecting. He’s got about as much sense as a goatsucker bird. He has to be warned about that brother of his. Tanis won’t do it, so I guess it’s up to me.” Tika threw off the blanket she’d had draped over her shoulders. The cave was growing lighter by the minute, and Tas could now see that she was dressed for travel in men’s trousers and a man’s shirt and a leather vest that Tas thought looked rather like one that Flint had once owned. Tas remembered the dwarf complaining about it being missing. He’d actually accused the kender of walking off with it!

Tika’s sword that she didn’t know how to use very well lay on the table, next to her shield, which she did know how to use, though not in quite the way the shield’s maker had intended. The shield had a dent in it from where she’d bashed a draconian over the head.

Tas leapt up in excitement. “Tanis made me promise solemnly that I’d protect you, so if you go to Skullcap, then I have to go with you!”

“I’m not going to Skullcap. I’m going to find Caramon and keep him from going. I plan to talk some sense into him.”

Tas offered his opinion. “I think it might be easier to fight an evil wizard in Skullcap than talk sense into Caramon.”

“You’re probably right. But I have to try.” Tika picked up the sword, intending to buckle it around her waist. “Have they been gone long?”

“Since before dawn, but Raistlin walks pretty slowly. We can catch up—”

“Shush!” Tika cautioned.

Someone was outside the screen. Sunlight glinted on blonde hair.

“Laurana!” Tika groaned softly and hurriedly laid the sword back on the table. “Not a word, Tas! She’ll try to stop us!”

“You’re awake!” Laurana said, entering the cave. She stopped to stare in amazement at Tika’s garb. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“I… uh… am going to wash my clothes,” said Tika. “All my clothes.”

“Were you going to wash your sword, too?” asked Laurana, teasing.

Tika was spared the need to tell another lie, for Laurana kept on talking. “You’re in luck. You’ll have company. Maritta has deemed this laundry day. All the women are going to take their clothes and bedding down to the stream. Tas, you can help. Grab those blankets…” Tas flashed Tika an agonized glance.

Tika shrugged, helpless. She couldn’t think of any way out of this.

Tas, staggering beneath a mound of blankets, was leaving the cave when Tika grabbed hold of him. “We’ll sneak away when the women go to lunch,” she whispered. “Watch me! When I signal, you come running!”

“Don’t worry about getting a late start,” Tas whispered. “Caramon’s big feet will be easy to track, and Raistlin walks really, really slow.”

Tika trudged after Tas and Laurana down to the stream. She could only hope the kender was right.