ago agreed on a decidedly more gentle approach to heal the ancient breach between our peoples. Such a meeting cannot be forced, we agreed."
"If Aydrian is king of the humans, then I fear for my people," Juraviel admitted. "And I ask King Eltiraaz to aid us in this, what may be our time of need."
"And so doing, endanger his own people?" the Doc'alfar king asked without hesitation, his tone growing more grave.
Juraviel conceded the point with a nod. "I must go," he said. "And I pray you do not hinder me."
"Then you must tell me more of this Aydrian," King Eltiraaz insisted.
Juraviel considered the question for just a moment; he could not deny that it was a reasonable request.
"I will tell you all that I know, of Aydrian and his parents," he agreed.
"And of your fears," the Doc'alfar king added, and Juraviel nodded.
"And we will tell you of our travels to the south, through the Path of Starless Night, through the lair of the dragon, Agradeleous, and across the wild grasslands south of the mountains," Cazzira put in. She looked at Juraviel, whose expression showed less patience with that prospect.
But then Cazzira added, "And we will tell you of other developments that may sway your decision concerning Belli'mar Juraviel's journey home, and what role I, and others of our people, might play in that journey."
Juraviel understood her reasoning then, and he knew it was sound. Cazzira was going to leverage their love and their coming child, to try to force her king's hand in opening up the dialogue between Touel'alfar and Doc'alfar.
"Yes," Juraviel agreed. "We have much to share with you. And I beg of you to send your scouts out wider while we speak, to learn all that they can learn of King Aydrian and the affairs of the humans."
"Which humans, Belli'mar Juraviel?" King Eltiraaz asked. "Those to the east, or those to the south?"
Juraviel, who had considered himself out of the tales of Brynn Dharielle, took a long moment to ponder that question, for he realized that if the Aydrian he knew was indeed the new king of Honce-the-Bear, the implications might prove far-reaching indeed. "Perhaps both," he replied.
"But for now, let us learn of the dramatic changes within the kingdom to the east."
Chapter 3 Amidst the Fires
He never made it back to the Mountains of Fire and the Walk of Clouds, his beloved home, the monastery of the mystical Jhesta Tu. Pagonel, weary and battered and feeling every bit the four decades of life he had known, had left the northern city of Dharyan-Dharielle in the spring, intending to return to the monastery in the distant southland. He had much to report, after all, given the momentous events that had literally reshaped the region of Behren and To-gai. The Jhesta Tu had a friend now in Brynn, who led the To-gai-ru, and with the often antagonistic Behrenese in disarray, the Walk of Clouds seemed poised to prosper and grow in peace.
But it was precisely that disarray in Behren that quickly turned Pagonel's path. In the reclaimed Behrenese city of Pruda, before he had even reached the halfway point of his journey home, Pagonel had heard rumors of war. All the southern coast of Behren had erupted in battle, with Yatols Peridan and De Hamman resuming their old feud now that the overseeing power of the Chezru Chieftain was no more. That news alone was troubling enough to Pagonel, though certainly not unexpected. But the second rumors of mounting conflict sounded even more ominous.
Apparently, the Yatol of Avrou Eesa, a most unpleasant imperialist named Tohen Bardoh, was gathering strength. At the truce between To-gai and Behren - between Brynn and Yatol Mado Wadon, who spoke for the great Behrenese city of Jacintha - Yatol Bardoh had led the prime opposition.
Bardoh had left the field outside of Dharyan-Dharielle a bitter man, and one whom all the parties involved in the truce agreed might prove to be troublesome.
Rumors now seemed to support that very speculation. If Bardoh was indeed gathering a great army, then likely they would soon be fighting for the city of Jacintha, for the heart of Behren itself, and the fate of the Jhesta Tu and of Brynn and her To-gai-ru kinsmen was surely involved.
Yatol Mado Wadon, the logical successor to the dead Chezru Chieftain as Yatol of Jacintha, might soon be challenged, forcefully so, by Yatol Tohen Bardoh.
Bardoh hated the Jhesta Tu, and more than anything in the entire world, Yatol Bardoh hated Brynn Dharielle, known