The Dragon Prophecy 03: Deliverance of Dragons by Mercedes Lackey

Author:Mercedes Lackey [Lackey, Mercedes]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Rade Moon in the Tenth Year of the High King’s Reign: Memory, Tradition, and Dreams

A war is not a warrior, and no commander can force the world to follow their whim as if they wear the cloak of the Starry Huntsman.

—Arilcarion War-Maker, The Way of the Sword

I thought that becoming one of the Lords Komen would be more fun than this, Isilla thought. But there was nothing about this that was fun: not surviving the fall of Daroldan, not losing Rondithiel to some horrible Beastling sorcery, and not the split of the survivors along partisan lines: the Daroldanders choosing to seek refuge at the Sanctuary of the Star, and the Warhunt Mages intending to cross the Mystrals in search of the High King.

And no matter how small the party, someone had to make the decisions. Isilla sighed. She’d long since given up wondering why that someone had to be her. She had leaves in her hair, they’d run out of tea a fortnight ago, they’d covered less than a third of the distance to the Dragon’s Gate, in a sennight or two they were going to have to find a safe place to overwinter, and the others had anointed her komentai.

Taking a circuitous route through Domain Rolumienion would add another two days of travel before they could double back to enter Arevethmonion Flower Forest, but if they stayed on the road they would reach the Sanctuary of the Star by midmorning. Everyone had agreed that they must avoid being seen by the Sanctuary at all costs, but of course an argument about raiding the Sanctuary village for supplies had been inevitable. Lightborn would argue about anything.

“I say we sneak in and loot them,” Pendray Lightsister said.

“There won’t be much sneaking involved with the Daroldanders having already warned them about us,” Isilla said.

“Maybe we all died on the road,” Dinias argued. “Or they did. Or they didn’t mention us.”

“Why raid with Arevethmonion right there?” Tangisen objected.

“Arevethmonion won’t have new boots—and I need some,” Dinias said promptly.

“And when you’re caught?” Isilla demanded. “They know we’re out here. Harwing went to the Sanctuary. And he never came out.”

“That was ten years ago,” Dinias protested, but more slowly. “A lot can change in ten Wheelturns.”

“At the Sanctuary?” Isilla demanded.

“Who can say what normal is—especially in these dark times?” Alasneh Lightsister said piously. She clutched her remaining rolls of vellum protectively to her chest—her stores had been drawn upon by the others to make everything from tea bowls to skinning knives in the three moonturns since Daroldan had fallen.

“If they already know we’re here, we should definitely raid them,” Pendray Lightsister said immediately.

Isilla stopped and flung her hands in the air. “Enough!” she said. “Who has Overshadow—besides me?” Isilla’s Keystone Gift was Overshadow, but that didn’t mean she was the only one who could use the spell. It only meant her Casting of it was strongest, and a strong instance wouldn’t be needed today.

“I do! I do!” Pendray sounded positively gleeful.

“Oh good,” Tangisen said. “You can find out what the goats and chickens are thinking.

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