The Dragon's Doom - Ed Greenwood [154]
"Four once more," Craer murmured, looking around the room. "Your turn in the Band of Four, my lady."
"I know." Tshamarra's voice was low. "I'll try not to fail you."
Embra shook her head. "Don't let your sly-tongued lord upset you, Tash; you earned your welcome long ago. My father's better placed guarding the King-and running Aglirta for all of us. We need your spells and your… ah, fire."
Tshamarra smiled. "Thanks. I think."
Craer put an arm around her-and for once, she didn't slap it away. Thus emboldened, he asked, ''Em, why exactly are we here? An empty chamber, quite secluded… is this another of your rend-the-sky-with-spells sessions?"
The Lady of Jewels smiled as she guided Hawkril to stand in a particular spot in the large, bare, and dusty hall. "Ah, so perceptive, Lord Longfingers. 'Tis time to try another Dwaer-tracing. We're back to one Stone, yes, but here, with the doors barred to keep out guards and the like, we can also use any spells Tash and I cast-and the Living Castle enchantments."
"Do yon locks and bars keep out Koglaur and bats?" Craer's voice was skeptical.
"Craer Delnbone, will you stop crying gloom for once? I can't think of any other way to avoid rambling around the Vale just waiting for trouble to find us, so…"
"Well said," Hawkril rumbled. "Raise your magic."
Embra nodded, laid a hand on his forehead, and carefully announced, "Lamarantha!"
Hawkril acquired a frown. "What're you doing, my lady? This feels… strange."
She stared into his eyes. "Did you hear the word I just spoke? Can you recall it? Don't say it aloud! You remember it?"
The mountainous armaragor nodded. "Aye."
"Can you hold it in your mind?"
He nodded again.
"Good. Say that word later, when I wave my hand at you thus, hey?"
"And doing so will-?"
"Unleash the spell I just stored in you. It's what you feel in your head right now."
" 'Tis moving… like a worm come up after rain, questing back and forth," the armaragor complained.
"Good. Mages know that feeling well."
"Hmmph. No wonder your tempers are often short."
Craer chuckled and shot a swift, warning look at Tshamarra. "Don't you be trying that on me, now!"
"No." The Lady Talasorn's smile was sweet. "We've something else in mind for you."
Craer took a swift, suspicious step back, away from them all. "And what would that be, precisely?"
Something curved and bright and familiar suddenly glowed in the air right in front of his nose-and then fell. Without thinking he caught it… and found himself staring down at the Dwaer, bright and slightly warm in his hands.
"Look into it, and feel its flows," Embra called from across the chamber.
The procurer gave her a wild look. "You tricked me!"
"And will again. Yet you'll wed yon Stone soon enough, and want to have it always in your hand; the hard task will be yielding it up to me again." The Lady of Jewels reached into her bodice and held up a small pendant. "See you this?"
Craer glanced and then grinned. "Closely seen already, Lady; 'tis a professional weakness we procurers have. A few tiny belzorels, the central stone some mountain rock or other, polished smooth-of no great worth, probably a family jewel."
"Indeed, and yet worn because it bears a minor enchantment against maggots and crawling worms and mites, to keep my hair free of such things-and to be drained in a moment for a spell, should I have need. Now look you into the Dwaer, and try to feel and see this pendant through it. Other magics here in this chamber will have their own glows, but try to find just this one."
Obediently, Craer stared into the Stone. Silence hung around him for some breaths ere he murmured, " Well, now. A procurer could get very used to having such as this. I see it."
"Good. I'm casting a spell that will make this pendant seem as a Dwaer to you, just for a moment. It won't be like a Dwaer, but 'twill have the right radiance to your scrutiny."
"Aha," Craer commented,