Douglas Niles: Kagonesti

"Claim as well that he invented tood or sleep," Kagonos had muttered on hearing these tales, and that opinion had not shifted in the years since. Perhaps he wasn't being entirely fair-after all, Silvanos was undeniably a leader who was wise and just. His feat in uniting the squabbling houses of elvendom-all the tribes save the Elderwild- was certainly no little accomplishment, though Kagonos still could not understand the benefits of this great melding. After all, why would any chieftain choose to subordinate himself to a greater chief?

Yet another thing about Silvanos he respected very much. The elven leader was strong, both in his own physical presence and in the use of his mighty army. Strength was a thing Kagonos understood and valued. Indeed, it seemed possible that Silvanos's strength might be the hammer that finally smashed dragons down from their cruel mastery of the world. That was a result the Elder- wild could only embrace.

Wriggling back from the ridge, the elf tucked his moccasins into the bindings of his skis and once again started along the icy crust. He continued to work his way steadily upward, poling strongly toward a steep-sided dome crowning the end of this winding elevation. A quick glance at the sun showed him that he still had plenty of time, but now there was a new urgency to Kagonos's rhythmic strides.

Soon he reached the base of the great summit, and- still gliding smoothly among the trees-checked the encircling woods for signs of a potential trap. Not only did he see no evidence of a current trespasser, but the snow hadn't been disturbed since long before the crust had formed. This place would work well.

At the base of the precipitous slope, the Elderwild removed his skis, lashing the boards and poles to his back-they would be of no use on the steep climb, but they would greatly speed his descent. He started upward with the same grace and fluidity that had marked his progress across the snow. Even when he was forced to grip an outcrop crusted over with glare ice, his fingers and toes were firm, his attachment to the mountainside never wavering.

In an hour, Kagonos had reached the rounded summit, and here he walked carefully across the windswept, rocky ground. To three sides the soaring peaks of the Khalkists challenged the sky. In the fourth direction sprawled the barren plains of Vingaard, where it was left to the mortal armies of elf and ogre to do the challenging.

The Elderwild circled the promontory, confirming that no marks had been made in the snow anywhere atop the mountain. On the lofty slopes overlooking the plain Kagonos moved from barren rock to patches of stony ground, ensuring that he never silhouetted himself against the snow for the benefit of a distant watcher below.

Returning to the point of his original ascent, Kagonos at last raised the horn to his lips. Closing his eyes, turning the mouth of the instrument toward the highest peaks of the range, he blew a long, clamorous blast. The wind took his song, carried it upward and away-but only to those ears sensitive enough to hear it. Patiently the elf stared eastward, visually tracing the long, twisting valley leading toward the heights.

The Pathfinder's hazel eyes darkened as he squinted across the miles. Raising a hand to his forehead, he shaded his vision against the bright sunlight, his focus extending far, far into the distance.

Minutes passed, and then silver glinted, blinking the reflection of sunlight with each powerful stroke. Darlan- tan's mighty wingspan stretched outward in a broad embrace of the air, shimmering even across a score of miles. The silver dragon flew low, ensuring that he was not visible to anyone beyond the confines of this high valley.

Kagonos smiled tightly as he watched the gleaming serpent glide along the curve of the descending vale. Flying, he thought, must be the only type of movement more serene, more fluid than skiing As always, the majesty of the airborne serpent all but took his breath away. ТЪе elf's throat tightened with the familiar, warm emotion as Darlantan drew nearer to the mountain and gamed speed.

Finally those wings hooked outward, rigid sails in the wind, as the momentum of the dragon's flight swept him upward. Always Darlantan kept the bulk of the mountain between himself and the ogre armv-the monstrous troops would not observe his presence on their flank.

Nearly stalled in the air, the dragon reached out with huge paws, driving his wings powerfully downward for one last stroke as he settled gently to the rocks of the domed mountaintop. He shook his head and snorted a blast of frigid air, as if clearing the reverie of flight from his ancient, wise brain.

"Greetings, Pathfinder." Darlantan nodded elegantly, dipping his head as the silver scales rippled along his serpentine neck. "I am glad that you summon me."

Darlantan's body shimmered and twisted, shrinking more quickly than the elven eye could follow, and in a blink Kagonos was looking at a long-bearded, spry old human, who wore a bright cotton tunic that matched the pure white of his flowing beard. His eyebrows and the thick mane of his hair were tinted with silver, and his eyes-gleaming from deep-set sockets-were a vibrant, fiery yellow. Though the wrinkles across his forehead showed a visage that could be stern, now Darlantan's face beamed as he reached out to clasp his friend's hand.

'Tell me," Kagonos asked. "Why do you take the shape of a man when you could be something so much more handsome-an elf, perhaps?" He was used to Darlantan's shapeshifting by now-during previous meetings the silver dragon had appeared as a man, an ogre, an elf, a bear, an eagle, and a host of other creatures. Still, the Elderwild knew that Darlantan favored the shape of this human sage, and had never figured out why.

Darlantan laughed, a sound that was kind and compassionate as well as heartily amused. "I am whichever serves me best at the time," he replied-his typical evasion. "As to this body, there may come a time when your people develop an appreciation of human wizardry!"

'The House Elves, perhaps-but the Elderwild have no need of humans, nor any desire to learn from them."

Darlantan nodded, a noncommittal glitter in his eye.

"Have you flown over the plains?" asked Kagonos, with a look toward the flatland and the distant ogre horde.

"Aye-in the guise of an eagle, so as not to alarm the ogres. The two armies vie for position on the field. If Talonian is not careful, he will find that Silvanos has him trapped against the Vingaard." "

"Good. Perhaps the House Elves can win their victory, even without the power of the Bluestone."

"That is the hope of us all," the human sage replied. "But I fear that the blue dragons will arrive any day-and when they do, it will take more than an army to defend Silvanos and the elven houses." He looked shrewdly at the wild elf, as if he had a premonition of Kagonos's secret news.

"There is a reason I asked you here," said the Pathfinder slowly. He continued, as Darlantan made no reply. "I believe I have located the Bluestone."

"This is very good news-if you are right. You have not seen the stone itself?"

"No-but I have discovered an encampment of ogres near here. They have selected a defensible hilltop, but it is not a place they would normally choose to make a camp. 1 believe they guard something there."

"That makes a great deal of sense. The Bluestone is the last of the Five Talismans-they will go to every length to ensure that it remains in their hands. The entire army of Talonian, on the plains before us, maneuvers only to divert attention from the real object."

"And what word of the blue dragons?"

'They departed inland several days ago. Even if they do not fly at top speed, they will reach the central plain within the next three days. Unless Silvanos has the stone by then, his army is doomed." Darlantan looked to the north, as if he sought a sign of those serpents against the horizon. Then he turned back to the elf.