Elfsong - Elaine Cunningham [119]
Vartain smiled broadly, vastly increasing his resemblance to a buzzard. "The answer to the question, 'Why was King Khalzol buried in a copper coffin?' is far simpler that you would make it, and I regret that it has nothing to do with the site of his grave. They buried him because he was dead."
Garnet snatched up the harp. She struck a single ringing note and flung a hand toward the sky. Instantly the clouds began to gather, and a familiar rumbling sounded over the arena. The people nearest the exits fled at once in search of cover.
Suddenly a vast, green form burst from the roiling purple clouds. With a roar, a full-grown green dragon swooped down upon the city. Pandemonium struck the arena. People shrieked, shoving and pushing for the exits.
In the confusion that followed, Danilo caught sight of the rogue elf. Elaith was at the head of a band of rough-looking fighters. The mercenaries pushed toward the platform where the bard stood. Piergeiron's personal guard moved forward to protect the First Lord. Within moments, a nasty gutter-fight melee surrounded the platform, obscuring the bard and her harp from view.
"Now this is a proper fight," the dwarf announced with relish. She bared her spear and charged into the fray. Dan and Wyn exchanged a dismayed glance and then drew their swords, guarding the dwarf's back as she plowed a path toward the center of the battle. Morgalla worked her way forward, yelling colorful dwarven insults as she clobbered a brawling tough with the blunt end of her spear.
Before they could reach the platform, the sorceress mounted her steed and urged it into the sky. With a roar of rage, the dragon bore down. The asperii darted to the side like a huge white hummingbird, barely evading the dragon's lunge. The horse rose straight up into the air, away from the dragon, but into the midst of the gathering storm.
A streak of lightning flashed past the wind steed. The horse went into a panic-stricken dive, with the half-elf dinging to its neck. Hail began to pelt the frightened wind steed, and the horse's whinny of fear and protest shrilled through the screams of the people and the regular, thump-lag whoosh of the dragon's beating wings.
The asperii reared in midair, sending the sorceress and her harp falling toward the crowd. As she tumbled toward death, Garnet flailed helplessly in a futile attempt to regain the enchanted instrument.
With the precision of a bat snatching a flying insect from the air, Grimnosh swooped down and grabbed the sorceress in his talons. The dragon's laughter rolled over the city like thunder as he flapped off toward the east with his prey. The harp plummeted to the ground and was lost into the brawl beside the dais.
Garnet was gone, but her spell raged on. Hail bounced off the platform and pelted those who still remained in the arena.
"We've got to get the harp!" Danilo said, pressing toward the dais. Their process was easier now, for the crowd was rapidly dissipating. Clerics and healers carried off those who had been trampled in the first rush to escape. Most of Elaith's ruffians had been subdued, and members of the guard were dragging off those who still showed an inclination to fight. Vartain remained near the platform his hands folded over his paunch in a triumphant pose and a smile on his bronze face.
Morgalla shoved her way through and leveled her spear at Vartain's throat. "Where's the harp, you over-growed halfling sneak-thief?" she demanded.
"It's not Vartain this time," Danilo said. "Elaith has the harp."
Seventeen
The sun was setting as Danilo raced toward the elven temple. Wyn and Morgalla followed close on his heels. Huge gray and indigo clouds continued to rove the sky, pelting parts of the city with rain and hail. The western horizon was streaked with