Dragons of the Autumn Twilight - Margaret Weis [151]
Gilthanas stiffened at this, his face darkening as he looked at Tanis. The half-elf felt his own face flush. He bowed low before the Speaker, unable to say a word.
“I welcome the rest of you and hope to learn more of you later. We shall not keep you long, but it is right that you learn in this room what is happening in the world. Then you will be allowed to rest and refresh yourselves. Now, my son—” The Speaker turned to Gilthanas, obviously thankful to end the formalities. “The raid on Pax Tharkas?”
Gilthanas stepped forward, his head bowed. “I have failed, Speaker of the Suns.”
A murmur passed among the elves like the wind among the aspens. The Speaker’s face bore no expression. He simply sighed and stared unseeing out a tall window. “Tell your story,” he said quietly.
Gilthanas swallowed, then spoke, his voice so low many in the back of the room leaned forward to hear.
“I traveled south with my warriors in secrecy, as was planned. All went well. We found a group of human resistance fighters, refugees from Gateway, who joined us, adding to our numbers. Then, by the cruelest mischance, we stumbled into the advance patrols of the dragonarmy. We fought valiantly, elves and humans together, but for naught. I was struck on the head and remember nothing more. When I awoke, I was lying in a ravine, surrounded by the bodies of my comrades. Apparently, the foul dragonmen shoved the wounded over the cliff, leaving us for dead.” Gilthanas paused, clearing his throat. “Druids in the woods tended my injuries. From them, I learned that many of my warriors were still alive and had been taken prisoner. Leaving the druids to bury the dead, I followed the tracks of the dragonarmy and eventually came to Solace.”
Gilthanas stopped. His face glistened with sweat and his hands twitched nervously. He cleared his throat again, tried to speak and failed. His father watched him with growing concern.
Gilthanas spoke. “Solace is destroyed.”
There was a gasp from the audience.
“The mighty vallenwoods have been cut and burned, few now stand.”
The elves wailed and cried out in dismay and anger. The Speaker held up his hand for order. “This is grievous news,” he said sternly. “We mourn the passing of trees old even to us. But continue—what of our people?”
“I found my men tied to stakes in the center of the town square along with the humans who had helped us,” Gilthanas said, his voice breaking. “They were surrounded by draconian guards. I hoped to be able to free them at night. Then—” His voice failed completely and he bowed his head as his older brother came over and laid a hand on his shoulder. Gilthanas straightened. “A red dragon appeared in the sky—”
Sounds of shock and dismay came from the assembled elves. The Speaker shook his head in sorrow.
“Yes, Speaker,” Gilthanas said and his voice was loud, unnaturally loud and jarring. “It is true. These monsters have returned to Krynn. The red dragon circled above Solace and all who saw him fled in terror. He flew lower and lower and then landed in the town square. His great gleaming red reptile body filled the clearing, his wings spread destruction, his tail toppled trees. Yellow fangs glistened, green saliva dripped from his massive jaws, his huge talons tore the ground … and riding upon his back was a human male.
“Powerfully built, he was dressed in the black robes of a cleric of the Queen of Darkness. A black and gold cape fluttered around him. His face was hidden by a hideous horned mask fashioned in black and gold to resemble the face of a dragon. The dragonmen fell to their knees in worship as the dragon landed. The goblins and hobgoblins and foul humans who fight with the