Кейт Новак - Song of the Saurials

Give me the sword, but put your robes back on over the armor. You may need its protection , Dragonbait signed.

“How much protection can it possibly offer?” Zhara asked, unstrapping the sword’s sheath from the metal girdle about her waist. “There’s nothing to it. Besides, what will Alias wear?”

Don’t be fooled by the chain mail’s looks. It’s heavily enchanted , Dragonbait explained. Alias can wear her spare armor. Remember what I told you , he warned as she donned her robes, once you are across the bridge, hide in the woods until you see us pass. Wait awhile longer before you follow. Look for strips of white or blue cloth. Here, take this cloak , he ordered, handing her one of Alias’s old cloaks. Cover your head with the hood—a veil will attract too much attention .

Handing her a small sack of dry rations, he signed, This is all the food I could collect, but we will pass several farm fields. The farmers will not object if you glean from them. Take care, lady, until we meet again .

Zhara grabbed Dragonbait’s tunic. “All those things you said about Alias in the tower … I am not like her. I’m not nearly so brave or so talented or so beautiful. I do not think I can do this,” she whispered anxiously.

Dragonbait stroked Zhara’s arm, and the priestess felt the blue brand on her arm tingle just as it had when he had touched it before. It was an oddly comforting feeling.

You are different from Alias , the paladin signed, but you can do this. You must and you will . The smell of garlic surrounded them, the scent of the saurial’s determination. Without another word, Dragonbait gave Zhara a light shove toward the road. The woman hurried toward the bridge and passed by the sentries stationed on the near side. In the drizzling rain, they didn’t find it unusual that a traveler should keep her face covered under the hood of her cloak. When Zhara had reached the opposite side, the lizard strode back to the tower, carrying his and Alias’s packs and the sack containing the swordswoman’s spare armor.

The guards at the gate exchanged confused looks as Dragonbait returned to the tower. “Forget something, Dragonbait?” one of them asked.

The saurial nodded and strode past quickly.

The guards shrugged as Dragonbait raced down the hall toward the tower storerooms.

The paladin followed the trail of Alias’s scent until he found her standing beside Mourngrym in the armory, examining longbows. Dragonbait shook the sack of armor to attract her attention.

“Just a minute, Dragonbait,” Alias said, choosing a hornwood bow and handing it to Mourngrym.

“You change,” Mourngrym said, picking up a quiver of arrows. “I’ll take this out to your horse and make sure Breck doesn’t bolt off without you.” His lordship left the storeroom.

When they were alone, Alias asked the saurial, “What took you so long?”

Dragonbait set the sack of armor down and signed, I went to say good-bye to Zhara and to try to reassure her about Akabar .

“Tymora! You are so naive,” Alias chided. “Zhara doesn’t need any comforting. That woman doesn’t care anything about Akabar. As far as priests are concerned, gods come first; husbands and wives place a poor second,” she declared.

You are wrong , Dragonbait signed. She is a good woman .

“She’s a fanatic,” Alias countered.

So are you , the paladin signed. You denied everything she and Akabar said without considering it carefully .

“Moander is not coming back,” Alias snapped.

You argue from emotion, not reason , Dragonbait signed. You cannot change the truth by denying it. Moander is returning, Alias, and Akabar must destroy him .

“Why Akabar?” the swordswoman cried. “Why should he have to fight Moander again? Why not someone else?”

I don’t know , the paladin signed, but you are not helping him by insulting his wife and his faith .

Alias lowered her eyes, realizing uneasily that Dragonbait could be right but unwilling to admit it. “We have to hurry or Breck will try to leave without us,” she said, bending over and dumping out the contents of her sack of armor. “Where’s my other chain shirt?” she asked.

Dragonbait shrugged and signed that he hadn’t been able to find it.

“Dragonbait!” the swordswoman cried with annoyance. “It was lying across the chair. Are you certain you didn’t just choose not to bring it?”

Dragonbait shrugged.

For months the paladin had tried to talk Alias out of wearing the chain shirt she’d gotten from the evil sorceress Cassana. The piece of armor was exceedingly immodest and consequently earned Alias a good deal of unlooked-for attention from men, but it also carried powerful enchantments that protected her far more than a full breastplate could. After she’d worn it for over a year, Dragonbait had ceased objecting to it. Alias thought that he had finally surrendered to her logic. Until now.

“You are such a stick-in-the-mud!” Alias grumbled. “Next thing I know, you’ll try to get me to wear a veil like Zhara.”

It would be easier to get Zhara into Cassana’s armor , the paladin signed.

Alias laughed. “There’s no time to argue about it now.” She picked up her old chain shirt and slipped it over her tunic, then picked up the breastplate. “Well, now that I have no choice but to wear this awful, bulky plate, you could at least help me get into it.”

Dragonbait helped the swordswoman attach the breast and back plates of her old armor about her torso and fastened the shoulder plates to the chain.

“Forget the rest of the pieces,” Alias said. “I’m not used to that much weight. Leave them here.” She strapped on her sword and shouldered her pack as Dragonbait placed the rest of her armor on an empty shelf.

The swordswoman stepped up behind the saurial. When he turned around, she lowered her head meekly and said, “I’m sorry I was so rude to Zhara. Forgive me?”

Dragonbait looked very stern and signed, It is Zhara you need to apologize to .

“I will,” Alias promised. “Later. The next time I see her. Don’t be angry with me now … please?”

Dragonbait ran his claw along her sleeve, so that her brand tingled comfortingly.

Alias could sense from the saurial’s smell that he was still disturbed by something. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Grypht isn’t from the Nine Hells , the paladin signed.

“I know that,” Alias agreed. “He couldn’t be, but there’s no sense arguing with Breck about it. Kyre said he was, and Breck worshiped Kyre.”

Grypht is a friend , Dragonbait signed. He is one of my people .

Alias’s jaw dropped. “You mean he’s a saurial?”

Dragonbait nodded.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Alias asked.

Breck wouldn’t trust Zhara because she was Akabar’s wife. He would not trust me if he knew I was Grypht’s friend. Breck is too angry , Dragonbait signed.

“Of course he’s angry. Wouldn’t you be if you found me in ashes like Kyre?” Alias asked.

Breck’s anger is dangerous. He cannot be trusted. Grypht and Akabar could not have murdered Kyre, but Breck is too angry to consider any other possibility .

“He’ll cool off on the trail,” Alias replied.

Only bloodshed will cool him off , the paladin signed, but Alias was distracted by the sound of Heth calling her name.

The page appeared in the armory door all out of breath. “Lord Mourngrym asks that you hurry,” the boy said. “He says it would be easier to hold back the tide than to keep the ranger waiting any longer.”