Margaret Weis - The War of the Lance

Tanis turned to Caramon, saying something about tying someone's hands and head up in a sack. That sounded extremely interesting, but I didn't hear who it was they were talking about because I suddenly saw someone I wasn't expecting to see.

Someone I didn't want to see.

Someone I wasn't supposed to see.

I felt very strange for a moment, kind of like you feel right after you've been clunked in the head and right before you see all the stars and bright lights, then everything goes dark.

I looked at him very closely. And then I realized it couldn't have been him because he was too young. I mean, I hadn't seen this knight for ten years and I guess he must have aged during that time. So I was feeling a little better, when I saw the other knight. He was standing a little ways behind the first man I'd seen. Then I realized that the younger man must be his son. I still hoped I might be wrong. It had been ten years, after all.

I tugged on Tanis's sleeve.

"Is that Owen Glendower over there?" I asked, pointing.

Tanis looked. "No, that's Owen's son, Gwynfor. Owen Glendower is the one standing in back, over by the lances." Then he looked at me and he frowned. "How do you know Owen Glendower? I didn't meet him until after the war was over."

"I don't know him," I said, feeling sicker than ever.

"But you just said his name and asked me if that was him."

Tanis is thick-headed, sometimes.

"Whose name?" I asked, truly miserable.

"Owen Glendower's!"

I didn't think Tanis should shout on a Formal Occasion and I told him so.

"Never heard of him," I added. And then, to make matters worse, in walked Theros Ironfeld!

Do you know who Theros Ironfeld is? I'm sure you do, but I think I should mention it, in case you've forgotten. Theros is the blacksmith with the silver arm who forged the dragonlances from the magical pool of dragonmetal that some people think is under the Silver Dragon Mountain.

"Theros, tool" I was having trouble breathing.

"Yes, of course," Tanis said. "It is the tenth anniversary of the Forging of the Lance. Didn't you know that? It says so right on your invitation. We're meeting here to honor Sir Owen Glendower, the first knight who ever used the dragonlance against a dragon."

It didn't say that on MY invitation! I fished it out of my pouch and looked at it again. My invitation said we were honoring SIR (Splot)OWER.

Well, let me tell you it was a wonder I didn't fall down on the spot in a state of nervous prostration. (I'm not certain what that is, but it describes the way I felt.)

"I'm not feeling very good, Tanis," I said, putting one hand to my forehead and the other to my stomach, for they both were acting very queer. "I think I'll go lie down."

I meant to leave, truly. I was going to get as far from that Silver Dragon Mountain as possible. Only I didn't tell Tanis that, because he and Laurana and Caramon had all been so glad to see me and were so nice about wanting me around. I didn't want to hurt their feelings.

But Tanis took hold of my arm and said, "No, you're staying with me, at least until after the ceremony."

That was awfully good of him, if inconvenient and uncomfortable for me. I decided maybe I could get through the ceremony, especially if Owen Glendower didn't talk to me, and I suspected that he wouldn't want to talk to me anymore than I wanted to talk to him. Tanis said all I would have to do was go up with him when my name was called out by Lord Gunthar as one of the Heroes of the Lance. I wasn't to say anything, just bow and look honored.

Then the knights would sing and go off to pray at Huma's Tomb and, since I wasn't permitted to go there (which I don't know why since I was there several times before, as you'll hear), I could leave and maybe we'd go have dinner.

I didn't feel at all hungry, but I told Tanis that would be fine with me. And I hid behind Caramon (six kender could hide behind him), so that Owen wouldn't see me, and I hoped it would all be over soon. I was so nervous I'd forgotten to ask Lord Gunthar about Fizban, who hadn't come anyhow.

The ceremony started. Lord Gunthar and all the dignitaries lined up in front of the dragonlances that stand all around the front end Upper Gallery. I heard the beginning of Lord Gunthar's speech. This was it:

"We knights come to rededicate ourselves to continue the fight against the evil that exists still in the world.

"For the Queen of Darkness wages unceasing eternal war against the powers of good. Though her dragons have retreated to hidden places, they continue to ravage the land. Her armies of goblins and draconians and ogres and other wicked creatures rise up from dark places to slaughter and burn and plunder."

This was interesting and I began to breathe easier, but right then he started going on about the magic of the dragonlances that had been blessed by Paladine himself and how the magic dragonlances had been responsible for defeating the Dark Queen's dragons. The more Lord Gunthar talked like this, the worse the queer feeling in my stomach grew.

Then I was hot and cold, both at the same time, which might sound entertaining to you, but I can assure you it isn't. Take my word. It's very uncomfortable. Then the room began to bulge in and out.

Lord Gunthar introduced Theros Ironfeld and talked about how he forged the magical lance. Then Lord Gunthar brought forth Sir Owen Glendower.

"The first knight ever to use the dragonlance in battle."

And someone gave a kind of strangled choke and tumbled down on the floor in what Tanis said was a fit, but which I think was a state of nervous prostration. At first I thought it was me, but I realized it wasn't, because I was on my feet.

It was Sir Owen Glendower.

That put an end to the ceremony real quick.

I could have left then, because Tanis let loose of me and ran over to Owen. Everyone was running over to Owen — to see him having his fit, I suppose. I'm sure it must have been exciting, to judge by the sounds he was making — gurgling and thrashing about on the floor — and I would have liked to have seen it myself, except I wasn't certain that I wouldn't be having a fit of my own any minute.

"Stand back!" cried Caramon. "Give him air."

Poor Caramon. As if he thought we'd suck up all the air in that big chamber and not leave any for Owen to have his fit with. But everyone did what Caramon said (they generally do, I've noticed, especially when he flexes his arm muscles) and they all backed up, except for Owen's son, who was kneeling beside his father and looking terribly worried and anxious.

Lady Crysania… (Did I mention she was there now?) Anyway, Lady Crysania (she was there) knelt down and put her hands on the knight's head and she prayed to Paladine and Owen Glendower quit flopping around. But I couldn't see that he'd improved much. He was lying still as death and his breathing sounded real funny — when he remembered to breathe at all.

"He needs rest and quiet," said Lady Crysania. "No, it would be better not to move him. We must keep him warm. Make a pallet for him here."

They all piled up cloaks and furs and Theros and Caramon lifted the knight very, very gently and laid him on the pallet. Laurana covered him up with her own fur cape. Gwynfor sat down beside his father and held his hand.

Tanis said something in a low voice to Lord Gunthar. Lord Gunthar nodded his head and announced that this might be a convenient time for the knights to all go down to the tomb and pray and rededicate themselves to fighting evil. The knights thought so, too, and off they went. That cleared a lot of people out of the room.

Lord Gunthar next said that he thought all the other guests should go to dinner, and Caramon saw to it that the other guests did, whether they wanted to or not. That cleared out about everyone else. I couldn't go to the Tomb and I wasn't hungry and my legs felt wobbly, so I stayed.