Solveig had settled down and had recently married Darius Glantri, who came to live with her in Braejr in the house that had once belonged to Thelvyn. Kharendaen's lair was still kept ready to serve the needs of dragons visiting Braejr. Sir George believed that the newlyweds were likely to return to Thyatis sooner or later. Solveig had often spoken of returning to her family home in Thyatis.
"What about the dragons?" Sir George asked at last.
"Time passes slowly for the dragons," Thelvyn answered. "To them, it is as if the war has just ended, and their lives are only now beginning to get back to normal."
"Do you think they'll remember the lessons that the Great One wanted them to learn?"
"Oh, they'll remember," Thelvyn said emphatically. "It just might take some time to notice anything. Changes that would take years in some lands might take centuries with the dragons. But some things will never be the same. They've discovered their hidden nobility, and they're finding it harder to act like beasts than they once did. It should be interesting to see what becomes of the Nation of Dragons a thousand years from now."
"If we weren't talking about dragons, I'd be tempted to say that sounds like an awfully long time," Sir George remarked philosophically. "What about the two of you? Have you hatched any eggs yet?"
"Two years ago," Kharendaen said, obviously proud. "Thelvyn always knew that it was a female, but he kept that news to himself. Her name is Therandael. Marthaen and Daresha are watching her now that Thelvyn and I have more to do here in the mortal world."
"I think I'd like to see a little dragon," Sir George mused. "Are you likely to have any more?"
Thelvyn shook his head. "I would have to surrender my Immortality to sire any more children, and that's not practical."
"Then what have the two of you been doing lately?"
Thelvyn glanced briefly at Kharendaen before he continued. "We have been very busy, and we expect to stay busy for a long time to come. That's the real reason why we came. Would you care to make a short journey with us into the wilds tonight? It's been a long time since you've flown on the back of a dragon."
"It has indeed," Sir George said, obviously intrigued. "I look forward to it."
They had a small dinner that night at Sir George's town-house, then returned to the den to talk of old times while they waited for night to fall. Sir George spoke more about his travels and adventures since the end of the war, and Thelvyn listened in quiet satisfaction. While the old knight had made the choice to leave Windreach to return to his old life in the outside world, he had gotten used to the company of dragons and obviously missed them. Once night had fallen, they walked together through the streets of Braejr until they came to the city park. They quickly found a quiet place where Thelvyn and Kharendaen could revert to their forms as gold dragons. Sir George noticed that Thelvyn was already wearing a dragon saddle when he changed form.
The old knight climbed into the saddle, and the two dragons ascended into the night sky as silently as they could, rising unseen out of the city. They turned east toward the Colossus Mountains, flying swiftly over the deeply wooded foothills and then climbing into the heights. At last the dragons found the place they seemed to have been looking for and circled down to land in a small meadow surrounded by the tall pine forest that covered the lower slopes of the mountain.
"You asked what we've been doing," Thelvyn said as soon as Sir George dismounted from the saddle. "Aside from guiding the dragons, I have found a great deal to do. Lately we've spent much of our time traveling secretly around the world watching the growth of civilization and doing what we can to make certain that the future has a place for dragons."
"That's a fairly tall order," Sir George remarked. "I admit that the war against the Overlord taught the world something about trusting dragons, just as it taught the dragons something important about trusting each other. But they still have a lot to learn about acting in a civilized manner. Even if they do, the rest of the world is going to need a long time to learn to accept dragons."
"I expect the task of finding a place in the world for dragons will occupy me for centuries," Thelvyn admitted. "I'm going to need all the help I can get. That's why we're here. I was wondering if you've possibly had enough of being comfortable and are ready for a little adventure."
"Me?" Sir George protested, surprised at the suggestion. "I'm not a gold dragon, remember? I'm just a wayward drake, and therefore not a suitable companion for the Immortal Diamond."
"There are some things only you can do for me," Thelvyn assured him. "And if you still think that only a dragon is worthy of serving me, then keep one thing in mind. Even that is something within my power to grant."
Sir George jumped in sudden alarm, realizing that something had happened to him. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was now a gold dragon. His first reaction seemed to be one of profound confusion. The change had happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that he didn't know what to make of it. At least a dragon form was vaguely familiar to him, after his many years as a drake. He bent his head around, trying to get a better look at himself, and ended up going around in a complete circle like a dog chasing its tail.
"Do I have your interest?" Thelvyn asked, careful to hide his amusement.
Sir George looked up. "Well, yes. I don't want to seem overly critical, but I think you've set a worthy task for us, if a rather difficult one."
Thelvyn did not answer. He did not want to admit that the task that lay ahead for him and his companions would be far more important and more difficult than Sir George could ever guess. Even the Immortals could not clearly see what the future would bring, but some events were inevitable. He could not guess why or when, but he knew that someday in the centuries to come, the dragons would be forced to go war once again.