Shuddering, Tanis stepped back. Raistlin gave the drawstring on the top of the bag a quick jerk, snapping it shut. Then, glancing at them distrustfully, he slipped the bag within his robes, secreting it in one of his numerous hidden pockets, and began to turn away. But Tanis stopped him.
"Things can never again be the same between us, can they?" the half-elf asked quietly.
Raistlin looked at him for a moment, and Tanis saw a brief flicker of regret in the young mage's eyes, a longing for trust and friendship and a return to the days of youth.
"No;" Raistlin whispered. "But such was the price I paid:" He began to cough.
"Price? To whom? For what?"
"Do not question, Half-Elf:" The mage's thin shoulders bent with coughing. Caramon put his strong arm around his brother and Raistlin leaned weakly against his twin. When he recovered from the spasm, he lifted his golden eyes. "I cannot tell you the answer, Tanis, because I do not know it myself:'
Then, bowing his head, he let Caramon lead him away to I
find what rest he could before their journey.
"I wish you would reconsider and let us assist you in the funeral rites for your father;" Tanis said to Alhana as she stood in the door of the Tower of the Stars to bid them farewell. "A day will not make a difference to us:"
"Yes, let us;' Goldmoon entreated earnestly. "I know much about this from our people, for our burial customs are similar to yours, if Tanis has told me correctly. I was priestess in my tribe, and I presided over the wrapping of the body in the spiced cloths that will preserve it-"
"No, my friends;" Alhana said firmly, her face pale. "It was my father's wish that I-I do this alone:"
I40
THE DRAGONS OF WINTER NIGHT
This was not quite true, but Alhana knew how shocked these people would be at the sight of her father's body being consigned to the ground-a custom practiced only by goblins and other evil creatures. The thought appalled her. Involuntarily her gaze was drawn to the tortured and twisted tree that was to mark his grave, standing over it like some fearful carrion bird. Quickly she looked away, her voice faltered.
"His tomb is-is long prepared and I have some experience of these things myself. Do not worry about me, please:'
Tanis saw the agony in her face, but he could not refuse to honor her request.
"We understand;' Goldmoon said. Then, on impulse, the Que-shu Plainswoman put her arms around the elven princess and held her as she might have held a lost and frightened child. Alhana stiffened at first, then relaxed in Goldmoon's compassionate embrace.
"Be at peace;' Goldmoon whispered, stroking back Alhana's dark hair from her face. Then the Plainswoman left.
"After you bury your father, what then?" Tanis asked as he and Alhana stood alone together on the steps of the Tower.
"I will return to my people;' Alhana replied gravely. "The griffons will come to me, now that the evil in this land is gone, and they will take me to Ergoth. We will do what we can to help defeat this evil, then we will come home:"
Tanis glanced around Silvanesti. Horrifying as it was in the daytime, its terrors at night were beyond description.
"I know;" Alhana said in answer to his unspoken thoughts. "This will be our penance."
Tanis raised his eyebrows skeptically, knowing the fight she had ahead of her to get her people to return. Then he saw the conviction on Alhana's face. He gave her even odds.
Smiling, he changed the subject. "And will you find time to go to Sancrist?" he asked. "The knights would be honored by your presence. Particularly one of them:'
Alhana's pale face flushed. "Perhaps;" she said, barely speaking above a whisper. "I cannot say yet. I have learned many things about myself. But it will take me a long lime to make these things a part of me:' She shook her head, sighing. "It may be I can never truly be comfortable with them:'
"Like learning to love a human?"
Alhana lifted her head, her clear eyes looked into Tanis's.
"Would he be happy, Tanis? Away from his homeland, for I
must return to Silvanesti? And could I be happy, knowing that
I must watch him age and die while I am still in my youth?"
"I asked myself these same questions, Alhana," Tanis said,
thinking with pain of the decision he had reached concerning
Kitiara. "If we deny love that is given to us, if we refuse to give
love because we fear the pain of loss, then our lives will be
empty, our loss greater:"
I wondered, when first we met, why these people follow
you, Tanis Half-Elven," Alhana said softly. "Now I understand.
I will consider your words. Farewell, until your life's journey's
end:"
"Farewell, Alhana;' Tanis answered, taking the hand she
extended to him. He could find nothing more to say, and so
turned and left her.
But he could not help wondering, as he did, that if he was so
damn wise, why was his life in such a mess?
Tanis joined the companions at the edge of the forest. For a
moment they stood there, reluctant to enter the woods of
Silvanesti. Although they knew the evil was gone, the thought f
of traveling for days among the twisted, tortured forest was a
somber one. But they had no choice. Already they felt the sense
of urgency that had driven them this far. Time was sifting
through the hourglass, and they knew they could not let the sands run out, although they had no idea why.
"Come, my brother;' said Raistlin finally. The mage led the way into the woods, the Staff of Magius shedding its pale light as he walked. Caramon followed, with a sigh. One by one the others trailed after. Tanis alone turned to look back. They would not see the moons tonight. The land was covered with a heavy darkness as if it too mourned Lorac's death.
Alhana stood in the doorway to the Tower of the Stars, her body framed by the Tower, which glimmered in the light of
moonrays captured ages ago. Only Alhana's face was visible in the shadows, like the ghost of the silver moon. Tanis caught a glimpse of movement. She raised her hand and there was a brief, clear flash of pure white light-the Starjewel. And then she was gone.
Book 2
The story of the companions' journey to Ice Wall Castle and their defeat of the evil Dragon Highlord, Feal-thas, became legend among the Ice Barbarians who inhabit that desolate land. It is still told by the village cleric on long winter nights when heroic deeds are remembered and songs are sung.
SONG OF THE ICE REAVER
I am the one who brought them back. I am Raggart I am telling you this. Snow upon snow cancels the signals of ice Over the snow the sun bleeds whiteness In cold light forever unbearable. And if I do not tell you this The snow descends on the deeds of heroes And their strength in my singing Lies down in a core of frost rising no more No more as the lost breath crumbles.
Seven they were from the hot lands (I am the one who brought them back) Four swordsmen sworn in the North The elf-woman Laurana The dwarf from the floes of stone The kender small-boned as a hawk. Riding three blades they came to the tunnel To the throat of the only castle.
Down among Thanoi the old guardians Where their swordsmen carved hot air Finding tendon finding bone As the tunnels melted red. Down upon minotaur upon ice bear And the swords whistled again Bright on the corner of madness The tunnel knee-high in arms In claws in unspeakable things As the swordsmen descended Bright steam freezing behind them.
Then to the chambers at the castle heart Where Feal-thas awaited lord of dragons and wolves Armored in white that is nothing That covers the ice as the sun bleeds whiteness. And he called on the wolves the baby-stealers Who suckled on murder in the lairs of ancestors. Around the heroes a circle of knives of craving As the wolves stalked in their master's eye.