Every claw mark in the long tunnel had reminded her of the sheer strength of the dragon. Every claw mark had brought a shudder.
But she persevered, forcing away her own guilt and pointedly telling herself of that gain Agradeleous had brought. Her people were free; they were not only finding again the old ways of the To-gai-ru, but because of Dharyan-Dharielle, they were reaching further, examining the more modern world and allowing it to slip quietly into their rich culture. To-gai-ru children in Dharyan-Dharielle were even learning to read in the great new library Brynn had assembled from the remains of the formerly glorious Library of Pruda.
Coming to retrieve Agradeleous, however, brought her always back to the notion that those gains had not been realized without cost.
"You cannot raise an army sufficient to keep Yatol Bardoh from conquering Jacintha, should he move against that city," Pagonel reminded her, as if sensing her doubts. "You would have to rouse all of To-gai. Would they heed such a call to go to the defense of Behren? And should you ask that of them?"
Brynn looked at him, standing quietly in the flickering torchlight. They had gone over this before, of course, when Pagonel and Pechter Dan Turk had arrived in Dharyan-Dharielle with the news of Bardoh's mounting power. Setting the defenses of Dharyan-Dharielle in place, Brynn and the mystic had quickly raced off to the west and north, to the entrance of the Path of Starless Nights. She had left Tanalk Grenk, her trusted advisor, to see to the defense of the city and the rousing of the To-gai- ru riders, though she wasn't sure yet what she might do with that army.
"I am confident that we can hold our city against Bardoh," she replied, though that wasn't really answering the mystic's question, because she really had no answer to the mystic's question.
"Your people have found freedom again, and nothing short of a complete and united Behrenese invasion will truly threaten that," Pagonel agreed.
"And I do not think that Yatol Bardoh will go against Dharyan-Dharielle at this time. And should he make that error, yes, all of To-gai will rise against him. He knows that. He has too much to lose, since his real prize lies in the east, along the coast.
"If you wish to go to the aid of Yatol Mado Wadon, as we implied in the truce, and as would obviously be to the longer-term benefit of your own people, you will need Agradeleous," the mystic finished bluntly.
"Longer-term benefit?"
"You cannot deny that if Tohen Bardoh wins in Jacintha, he will soon enough turn his sights upon Dharyan-Dharielle."
Brynn started to respond, to argue, but she bit back the retort. Pagonel was right. Of course he was right, and as much as she hated to admit it, the suffering that Agradeleous might soon bring to the land would pale beside the tragedy of allowing the wicked Tohen Bardoh to take control of Behren and unite the kingdom under his imperialistic designs.
The woman pressed on, telling herself determinedly that time was running short. For all she knew, the fight for Jacintha might already be on in full.
Later that same day, the pair heard the rhythmic rumbling sound of a sleeping dragon.
Soon after, they came out of the narrowing tunnel into a wider chamber stacked with coins and assorted items that glittered in the torchlight.
It wasn't the main chamber of the dragon, Brynn knew, for that one, where she had first encountered Agradeleous beside Juraviel and Cazzira, was much larger and much more treasure-filled. This area was barely large enough to admit the dragon. No other exits were apparent, though the chamber's sheer walls climbed high and straight, and there seemed to be a ledge far overhead.
Brynn looked to her companion, to see him studying the piles of glittering objects intently. Following his lead, she quickly figured out what had so caught his interest. There was little of real value here - even the coins were of silver or copper, mostly.
"Aha!" came a sudden roar above them, and then a sliding sound from the tunnel they had just exited, a portcullis or stone block, perhaps, told them that they had walked into a trap.
Instinctively, Brynn spun back toward the tunnel, to see that it was indeed blocked by a solid piece of stone. She swung back and drew out Flamedancer, her elven sword, setting its blade afire with but a thought to the ruby embedded in its hilt. Her