Brother of the Dragon by Paul B. Thompson & Tonya C. Cook

Author:Paul B. Thompson & Tonya C. Cook [Thompson, Paul B. & Cook, Tonya C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Barbarians Volume Two
Publisher: TSR WotC
Published: 2001-08-03T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

A crimson sunset brought stillness to the Valley of the Falls. It also brought a well-deserved rest to those working in the gardens and orchards. Tired villagers swung their tools onto their shoulders, put the dying light of day at their backs, and headed home.

Atop the wall, Amero watched them stream in. Their voices were happy and their pace casual as they talked of the day’s work and the evening meal to come. Threats from unknown human raiders didn’t seem real on a mild, rose-tinted evening like this.

Villagers waved and called greetings to the Arkuden. After welcoming everyone, Amero picked up his spear, water gourd, and provisions bag, and descended to ground level. Four young men waited for him there. The one Amero knew best was Udi, Tepa’s son.

“We did as you bid, Arkuden,” Udi said. “We have food and water for four days, and every man has spear and knife.”

“Good. Remember this is not a war party. If we meet any raiders, we’ll hide rather than fight. Understood?”

“Aye, Arkuden.”

The other young men nodded their agreement.

They set out, girded by the long shadows of dusk. There was no need for stealth in the valley, so one boy produced a reed pipe and blew a tuneful air as they crossed Amero’s bridge and ascended the broad gravel path into the western pass.

Night was well in place by the time they reached the mouth of the pass. Here a fork of the Plains River meandered away to the northwest, and the rugged peaks smoothed into a series of low, steep hills, fringed with small stands of trees.

Amero sent the best tracker in the group, Paharo, Huru’s son, ahead to look for traces of Duranix. When the dragon flew, he left no tracks on the ground, so Paharo searched for any accidental signs – broken treetops, swirls of dust laid down by the sweep of Duranix’s wings – but found none. He returned and told Amero the trail would not be easy to follow, especially by moonlight.

“We’ll go a while longer,” Amero said, “then camp when Soli is highest. Agreed?”

The young men readily assented, and the search party headed southwest.

The night was filled with the usual sounds: the click and whir of insects, the soft flutter of bats, an occasional owl hoot or far-off panther wail. Periodically, Amero sent out a silent mental call to the dragon. He received no answer.

The full moon climbed among the stars and cast a bright light on the countryside. When Soli peaked in the vault of heaven, Amero called for rest. Paharo chose a convenient hilltop for their campsite. Amero had forbidden a fire, so they ate cold rations. The Arkuden and Udi took the first watch, and the other three bedded down.

Amero left the crown of the hill and settled against a locust tree. Sipping water from a gourd bottle, he sat and studied the stars.

The two great constellations – Matat, the dragon, and Pala, the winged serpent – faced each other on the eternal plain of the sky.

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