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Tanalasta smiled and draped her arm over her mother's shoulder. "And you have not seen half of it-which reminds me, I have only heard half the news. What of Father?"

"And Dauneth, perhaps?"

Tanalasta rolled her eyes. "If you must, but I warn you, I have less reason than ever to interest myself in the good warden."

"What a pity. You'd make such a handsome couple." Though the pout Filfaeril feigned was playful, there was a serious element to it. The queen and king had yet to hear of Tanalasta's marriage to Rowen Cormaeril-or her pregnancy. Filfaeril raised her hands as though to forestall her daughter's ire. "I'm not goading-"

"Only 'handling,' perhaps?"

"Perhaps." Filfaeril smiled briefly, then grew more serious. "The last I heard, your father and Alusair-"

"Alusair?" Tanalasta gasped. "Then she is safe?"

"Yes," Filfaeril said. "Your father came across her in the Stonelands. As I was saying, they were to meet Dauneth and his army in Gnoll Pass-"

"Was Alusair alone?" Tanalasta demanded. After Vangerdahast's disappearance at the battle of the Farsea Marsh, Rowen Cormaeril had somehow come into possession of the royal magician's horse and set off to warn King Azoun about the ghazneths. Unfortunately, Tanalasta and Alusair had come across his trail a few days later, heading north into the Stonelands for some reason they could not understand. Alusair had set out alone to track Rowen down, and that had been the last Tanalasta heard of either one. "Did she find Vangerdahast's horse?"

"As a matter of fact, Alusair did send a message for you-how silly of me to forget." The queen's sly smile made clear that she had not forgotten. "She said to tell you 'the king has Cadimus, but your favorite scout is still on the prowl.'"

Tanalasta retreated to the bed and sank down, suddenly feeling weary and weak.

The queen came and pulled the cover up around her shoulders. "Tanalasta, I'm sorry," she said. "I had no idea this would upset you."

"It shouldn't, I suppose," Tanalasta replied. "The mountains have grown so dangerous, and I was hoping for something a little more… certain."

Filfaeril leaned down and embraced her daughter. "I know. If I could even count the times I have wondered after your father's safety… and often as not he was off with the daughter of some minor noble."

Tanalasta shook her head. "Rowen wouldn't do that-even if there were noble daughters in the Stonelands."

"Rowen?" Filfaeril stood up again and frowned. "The only scout named Rowen I know is Rowen Cormaeril."

Tanalasta nodded, then patted the bed beside her. "You'd better sit down, Mother. I have something to tell you."

6

"They'll draw off now," Alusair said with some satisfaction, "and wait for the dark. Just make sure we've gathered brush enough for a good, big ring of fires."

The royal army stood wearily leaning on well-used swords, atop three hilltops somewhere in the northern marches of the realm. They watched orcs beyond counting growl and hiss and snarl their way down the hillsides, leaving their dead heaped in spilled gore behind them.

The fray had been long and bloody, the tuskers rightly not believing that such a paltry few humans could stand their ground-even high ground-against charge after charge of tested and eager warrior orcs. The slaughter had been frightful, awing even gray-haired veterans among the Purple Dragons. If the orcs had been able to muster just a little more boldness, they might have forced their way past tired human sword arms and cleared the hilltops of human life, reaping a king and a princess among their kills.

The ghazneth had exhorted them with harsh Orcish cries and barked orders, shaking its iron cage in its eager fury, but to no avail. The attacking orcs, so far as Alusair's experienced eye could tell, had mounted no special effort to reach the imprisoned creature.

In the eerie silence that had fallen on the heels of the retreating orcs, the Steel Princess and her father watched the first cautious forays of dragoneers and noble blades move out to gather