Mary Herbert: Legacy of Steel

"But how will you escape the city again? You yourself said the fortress is heavily guarded," Tika pointed out.

Caramon jabbed a thick finger at Sara before she had the opportunity to reply. "And how would you keep the ones who do not join from betraying you?"

Tika nodded vigorously and added her own protests. "And how do you know the lord knights have not already learned of your treason? You could be arrested the instant you stepped foot in the city."

"I know, I know!" Sara held up her hands to ward off the barrage of questions. "Or, rather, I don't really know. I am aware of the danger. I've spent more than three months in Neraka! But this is something I have to do. For them. For me. To prove to them that I did not deceive them, that honor can be one's life."

Caramon slowly pulled his lips up in a smile. "Sturm would have liked you."

Tika looked from one to the other and knew the argument was lost. She had rarely known anyone with Sara's persistence, and if Caramon was ready to back down this quickly, there wasn't much point in continuing alone.

"Well," she said, rummaging briskly around the bar, "if you are going, you'd better take some food with you. Don't worry about Derrick. We'll get him back on his feet. Just keep that dragon close to you. I've never seen a blue as devoted as that one." She shouted the last sentence as she walked into the kitchen and returned carrying a small loaf of bread.

Sara watched, bemused, as she packed the bread, a bottle of ale, cheese, and some dried apples in a bag and walked across the floor. "What do you want to do with that pile of boxes from the giant's hoard?"

Taking the bag with a word of thanks, Sara said, "Let Derrick decide." She pulled on her fur-lined cloak. She was about to walk out the door, then hesitated and stopped in front of Caramon. "Caramon… if something happens so I don't make it back… will you take my information about General Abrena and the knights to the remnants of the Solamnics?"

He regarded her gravely before moving aside. "There are some I know in Sancrist. I will tell them."

"Thank you, my friends," Sara said and left before either Caramon or Tika had another chance to change her mind.

Sara and Cobalt returned to Neraka shortly after noon the next day. Little had changed in the sprawling fortress. The filthy snow still clogged the streets, smoke still rose in grayish pall from hundreds of stoves and campfires, and the population of ogres, goblins, draconians, and humans still eked out an existence like maggots in a corpse. Despite Sara's fondest wish, the city had not been swallowed whole by a bottomless chasm while she was gone.

The winged guards still flew above the city as well, and they were quick to escort Cobalt to the open court next to the governor-general's palace.

Sara patted the big blue's shoulder after dismounting. "You may go feed if you wish."

"I wish to stay close by," he rumbled softly, his head close to hers. "Only a crazy human would walk back into a trap like this." Cobalt had not approved of Sara's plan to fly back to Neraka, but when she threatened to take a boat back across the New Sea, he reluctantly agreed. On his back, at least she wouldn't drown.

"I will be as quick as I can," she promised.

"Humph," he snorted and settled down to wait.

Governor-General Abrena had received word from her guards of Sara's arrival and waited for her in the map room. Her sleek blond hair gleamed in the light of a roaring fire, and her body moved sensuously in tight, pale-gold leather.

Sara rarely disturbed herself with matters of appearance, but the lithe general always made her feel plain and rather dumpy, especially when she had to wear that hideous black uniform.

Stifling a chuckle at herself, Sara saluted the general.

Mirielle stood at her table, staring down at the map model. She paid no attention to Sara's salute. "You're back quickly. Did you have success?"

Sara had plenty of time to concoct an explanation. "We reached the tomb with no difficulty and stayed close by for several days. We saw nothing more than plain walls and some names on the stone. There is little there for you, General, beyond the reminder of what it is to live with honor."

Mirielle shot a swift, hard glance at Sara. "And they died with it," she snapped. "Now we take what they left for us and move on. So Takhisis did not deign to give us a sign… ." She smacked her palm on the edge of the table and began to pace irritably in front of the fire. "You are not the first to fail. I have sent others to places of importance to our cause, and they all report the same- silence. Perhaps our goddess is gone for good after all." She glared balefully at the fire. "Why did you not stay longer? Where is the knight who went with you?"

"He was killed," replied Sara without emotion. "A party of elves came to the tomb and discovered who we were. They drove us away." She thought elves would be a good choice, since the Dark Knights hated them with a passion and would accept any sort of hinted elven villainy.

Mirielle curled her lip. "Elves." The word was a curse on her lips. She waved Sara away. "You may go. Report to Lord Knight Cadrel for a new assignment."

Sara made a mental apology to elves everywhere for maligning their reputation, turned smartly on her heel, and exited the room before the general thought of something else for her to do. She hurried back to Cobalt.

"Do we leave now?" the blue asked when he saw her coming.

"Not yet. I'm supposed to report to Lord Cadrel."

"That festering old grump?"

"Fortunately the general did not say when, so let's go find the talon and see if we can talk to them now."

Cobalt was off the ground and winging into the air so fast he nearly blew Sara out of the saddle. Soaring over Neraka, he spotted Squall and Howl out beyond the practice fields near the Red Quarter and flew to join them.

Marika, Kelena, and Argathon were there with the dragons and several others practicing the use of the lance. Sara was disappointed to notice the others were not present.

The girls came running to meet her, their pleasure clear on their unguarded faces. Argathon followed more slowly, as if hesitant of his welcome. Sara made sure to include him in her warm greetings. She liked the fair youth and had a suspicion that he, like Saunder and the girls, did not have the brutal core or the drive necessary to be a devout follower of Takhisis.

"How was your journey?" Kelena asked.

Marika said at the same time, "Where's Derrick?"

"Are you here to stay for a while?" Argathon inquired.

"I will answer all of your questions as soon as everyone is all together. Where are the others?"

Marika told her, "Saunder and Kazar are on patrol with Knight Officer Treb."

Sara's eyes narrowed. She didn't like the sound of that. "Knight Officer?" she repeated.

Kelena grimaced. "We heard she slept with Lord Cadrel to get the position."

Sara was shocked. "Oh, even Treb wouldn't do that."

"Sure she would," Argathon said with a cheerful smirk. "Treb plans to be a lord knight someday. She'd do anything to accomplish her goal."

Sara shook her head, her eyes thoughtfully on the afternoon sun. "I need to talk to all of you. Is there somewhere to meet… while Treb is busy?"

Marika and Kelena thought a moment, then Marika shoved a strand of brown hair out of her face and replied, "Treb has guard duty at the main gate tonight at sunset. The rest of us have a break then before we start our shifts. How about then?"

"Good. Tell Kazar and Saunder for me."

From Cobalt's back, Sara waved to the three knights and watched them dwindle to small figures as the dragon flew up over the city.

"Now what?" grumbled Cobalt.

"There's no help for it. I'll have to report to Lord Cadrel," Sara said. She did not want to. The less involved she became in this routine of the knighthood, the easier it would be for her to escape again. On the other hand, Cadrel was probably expecting her by now and would grow suspicious if she did not obey the general's orders.