The Shadow Isle - Katharine Kerr [153]
“I have, and an even nastier country called Lloegr. Alban’s a few miles north of it. Them and their wretched Lord Yaysoo! I never want to see either place again. Don’t you try to order me to go there, either, because it would mean my death.”
“I have no intention of ordering you to do anything of the sort if the island really is back, so you’d better hope it is.” Dallandra’s curiosity fought with her anger, then won. “Yaysoo? Is he their king or suchlike?”
“No, their god. He’s a sheep. The Lamb of God, they call him, so I assume his father’s a sacred ram. Yaysoo’s mother was a human woman called Miriam, and the ram got her with child somehow or other. It’s a very complicated story, and I only heard bits of it. The high priest carries a shepherd’s crook, probably to summon Yaysoo with.” Arzosah paused for a snort. “They weren’t particularly sheeplike themselves, those worshipers, persecuting poor innocent dragons, chasing us with spears and trying to kill us for no particular reason.”
“No particular reason, hmm?”
“Well, perhaps a few small ones.” Arzosah flattened her ears like an angry cat. “Now, once I figured out that these people worshiped sheep, I tried to parley with them. I was quite willing to never kill a sheep again. There’s not much meat on them, anyway, for a dragon, and that nasty wool gets stuck in your teeth. Unfortunately, the only language we had in common was the Rhwman tongue, and they spoke it very badly. I’m not sure they understood what I was offering. They started throwing stones at me, and the high priest actually hit me on the nose with his stupid crook.”
“What did you do?”
“I ate him, of course. What would you have done in my situation? ”
“I certainly wouldn’t have eaten the high priest.”
“Probably not.” Arzosah considered this for a moment. “He was awfully tough. But after that, the persecutions only got worse. So we dragons left the sheep to Yaysoo and came here.”
“Let me see if I understand you.” Dallandra made herself speak calmly. “You can travel back and forth between these two worlds, ours and the sheep people’s. That’s why you think Haen Marn may have been able to do the same.”
“I could once. Not now. Evandar’s dead, and his lands destroyed, and I wouldn’t care to get lost in what remains, thank you very much.”
“Well, to be honest, no more would I. So you knew about Evandar’s lands back then, did you?”
“We knew Evandar. He and his people used to go back and forth twixt here and Lloegr, probably to cause as much trouble as possible in both worlds. I will say one good thing about that nasty little clot of ectoplasm. When he realized that we dragons were in danger, he offered to bring us to a new home. Little did I know that he’d someday trick me out of my true name! How like him!”
Dallandra had heard her complain about Evandar so often that she saw no need to defend him, especially with more pressing matters in hand.
“But surely Rori told you we were trying to find Haen Marn,” Dalla said. “You might have told him. Why didn’t you?”
Arzosah squirmed, slapping her tail this way and that so viciously that cut grass sprayed up around it. Sidro took a few cautious steps back.
“Why?” Dallandra repeated. “Tell me!”
“Because of Angmar, of course. Do you think I don’t know that she’s my rival for Rori’s heart?” Arzosah’s tail arched up over her back, and she rose on her forefeet.
Sidro screamed. Arzosah flopped back, then swung her head around to look at her.
“Oh, do stop making that noise!” Arzosah returned to speaking with Dallandra. “I’m tempted to eat Angmar and put an end to her.”
Dallandra drew herself up to full height. “Arzosah Sothy Lorez oh Haz!” She intoned the name with dweomer power behind every syllable. “By the power of your true name, I forbid you to do any such thing. I forbid you from bringing the least harm to Angmar, to her kin, to those who befriend her, to her island. I forbid you from threatening, frightening, or harassing them in any manner.”
Arzosah whined like a kicked dog. Her head drooped almost to her paws. “So be it,” Arzosah said.