Trilos nodded with a smile. “Yes, yes, I’ve heard that, too. And Mawyndulë learned all about it during his visits to the meetings under the bridge.”
“I do believe that’s what he said, yes.”
“Odd, don’t you think? How is it that the son of the leader of the Instarya, who hadn’t set foot in Estramnadon for centuries, had so many friends here, and in the Miralyith tribe, no less? You would think, given his father was killed by one, they wouldn’t exactly travel in the same social circles. But what do I know?”
What indeed, Imaly thought.
“Oh, well, circumstances can make odd bedfellows. Isn’t there a saying like that? Still, we should be grateful, I suppose. Everything worked out in the end, unexpected, but very convenient, very tidy.”
“Who are you? And what is this really about?”
Trilos gave her a surprised, innocent look, one she didn’t believe in the slightest, even though it was excellently played.
“I told you. I’m Trilos, and as I said, I’m pleased to meet you, Imaly. Anyway, where was I…oh, yes, as I was saying, I don’t think the war will be.”
“Will be what?” she asked, confused.
“Tidy,” he said. “Wars never are. Wars are chaotic and full of surprises, most of them unpleasant.”
“I suspect it won’t be much of a war, more of a hunt, really. And I don’t expect it will last long,” she said. “The Miralyith have ways to locate who they are looking for, and they can be very efficient in getting what they want. Now, who are you? Who are you really? I know almost everyone in Estramnadon, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”
Trilos stood up. “No…no, you haven’t. A pity, I think. But I’m so glad we were able to bump into each other this fine day. And I do believe that from now on I’ll be watching you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
The Nature of Dwarfs
I have already mentioned my disgust for the vile creature that is Gronbach. If given the opportunity, he will lie, cheat, and deceive to get what he wants. He is everything that is evil in the world condensed into a despicable little fraction of a person.
—THE BOOK OF BRIN
They never found any trace of the raow. While no one had actually seen it happen, the consensus was that the dragon had eaten it. Persephone liked to believe it was so and that the dragon had started with the raow’s face.
From that point on, the dragon followed the party. Large as it was, it had no trouble doing so. The stairs of Neith, while built by a diminutive race, were wide and the ceilings high. The passages were big enough to accommodate giants, a pretension the dwarfs likely regretted after the appearance of Balgargarath. The raow attack put newfound energy into the group, and they pushed on without pause, climbing flight after flight until they reached the remains of their first camp. Their shields, blankets, and food bags were still there. Starved, they paused to eat and rest, but little was said. Moya found energy to practice once more with the bow and the arrows they had salvaged. With a dragon escort, Persephone didn’t think Moya was concerned for their safety. The woman had simply taken a liking to the device, and she reveled in her own ability to use it.
Once done, Persephone called for them to push on. Nobody wanted to tempt fate by sleeping there again. When they reached the top of the final stairway, Suri and the dragon hung back. Persephone stopped the group, returning to find out why. The others followed.
“What’s wrong?” Persephone asked.
“I don’t know,” Suri replied, looking at the dragon, who sat on her haunches. “She won’t go any farther.” She addressed the beast. “Come. That’s a good girl, come on.”
The dragon put her head down.
Suri stared, confused.
“She can’t go any farther,” Roan said.
“Why?” Persephone asked.
Roan looked ahead of them. “We’re almost out. She can’t leave Neith. Suri used the table spell from the Old One.” She looked at the mystic. “Did you change anything?”
Suri shook her head. “Just the name.”
“Balgargarath couldn’t leave, either.”
“That’s right,” Brin said. “The creature would live forever, denying the dwarfs access to this place and preventing anyone from entering. He gave it rein to roam Neith, to punish the dwarfs, but denied it the freedom to go beyond so it couldn’t become a curse on the rest of the world.”
Moya pointed at Frost, Flood, and Rain. “How come she didn’t eat them? Wouldn’t she have to? I mean, if she was following the same rules?”
“The rules apply to the nature of its existence, not its actions: what it was, not what it did. Or maybe she would if Suri wasn’t around,” Brin said.
Frost tugged on his beard, pulling harder than usual, his face twisted in frustration. “So we destroyed one monster just to make another?”
“She’s not a monster!” Suri raised her voice. Her harsh tone caused Frost to retreat a step.
Moya sent Frost a big-eyed glare—silently shouting at him. The others stood by, waiting and watching the mystic.
Just a fourteen-year-old girl, Persephone reminded herself. Maybe fifteen by now. Sometimes it was easy to lose track of that fact, hard to believe that Suri was so young. Even harder now. The mystic hadn’t grown an inch. Physically she was the same girl who had come with them into Neith. But in every other way, she was different. Her eyes were no longer as bright, not as sunny. The same with Brin. Both of them had lost their brilliant bounce of childhood innocence. In its place, Persephone saw the hard-won maturity of two people who understood that dreams came with a price. Survival meant learning to live with setbacks, disappointments, and heartache. She had no doubt that when the need arose, these two would be willing to push on, to overcome, and to help those around them do the same. Persephone was looking at women, and she couldn’t be prouder of them.
Suri petted the dragon on the nose. “She’s not a monster, and she would never hurt anyone.”
“Made short work of the raow,” Moya said. After a sharp look from Suri, she added, “Given half a chance, I would’ve done the same. Well, maybe not eaten it, but you know what I mean.”
Persephone said, “But what will she do? I mean, if Suri’s not here? Would she hurt the dwarfs if they tried to return to Neith? I don’t think we can be certain. We don’t really know, do we?”
“I do.” Suri ran her knuckles up and down the bridge of the dragon’s nose. “She killed the raow to save me, because that’s what Minna would have done, and Minna never had a problem with the little people.”
“Maybe you should tell her to go back down anyway,” Persephone said. “Just to be safe.”
“No.” Suri shook her head, and when she turned around they could see she was crying. “I can’t leave her alone… forever in the dark. I can’t do that to her. Minna hates being alone. I won’t leave her that way. I can’t. I just can’t.”
“You can’t stay with her,” Brin said as she, too, started crying. “She’ll live forever, but you won’t. Eventually she will be alone.”