to Dharyan- Dharielle in a single day," Pagonel put in. "The speed of Agradeleous alone will allow us to better determine our next moves, and will give us the power to communicate quickly with Yatol Wadon to coordinate our efforts against Yatol Bardoh."
Whether the shaken man was even registering that claim was impossible to say, for Pechter Dan Turk stood there shaking his head and waving his arms, and saying "Agradeleous," under his breath.
"Agradeleous?" he asked more firmly a moment later. "You mean that... that beast, has a name?"
Agradeleous narrowed his reptilian eyes and issued a low growl that reverberated like a small avalanche.
"In To-gai, we have many sayings that echo the wisdom of not insulting a dragon," Brynn commented.
"I would guess that to be a common sentiment through all the lands of men," Pagonel agreed. "And a common sentiment among all the races of creatures who are not yet gone from the world."
"Can I eat him?" Agradeleous asked, and the poor emissary from Jacintha seemed as if he would melt where he stood.
"Enough of this," Brynn demanded a moment later. She strode forward, past the lowered head of Agradeleous to the dragon's shoulders, where she grabbed a leather strap. With a fluid movement, she pulled herself up into her riding position atop the beast's great shoulders. "Come along,"
she bade the other two. "The day is yet young. Let us go and see how far Tohen Bardoh has progressed."
After practically pulling the reluctant and terrified Pechter Dan Turk into place in the third seat of the saddle, they set off at a great pace, Agradeleous sweeping past Dharyan-Dharielle, where half the people who noticed the wurm cowered and the other half cheered. Straight as an arrow's flight, the dragon moved down the eastern road.
The very next day, the foursome came upon Dahdah Oasis, and to their surprise, there remained absolutely no sign of Yatol Bardoh's forces, not even the renegade Jacintha legions that Pagonel and Pechter Dan Turk had encountered when they had first come out from Yatol Wadon's city. Fearing the worst, Brynn prodded the dragon in close to the great Behrenese city that same night, settling him down under cover of darkness on the lower foothills to the north of Jacintha.
Pagonel and Pechter Dan Turk left immediately, but Brynn did not go, explaining that she and the dragon would continue to scout the region, and would rejoin them at the appointed place.
The mystic gave Brynn a knowing look and an approving smile before he departed. He understood indeed. Brynn would not accompany them and had taken that option away without discussion, because doing so would mean that she would have to let Agradeleous roam free while they were busy in Jacintha.
There were too many innocent people in the region for Brynn to allow that.
"The city is still in the hands of Yatol Mado Wadon," Pagonel reported upon his return to Brynn and Agradeleous. The mystic had not returned alone, and had even added a second representative, Paroud, to accompany him and Pechter Dan Turk. While Pagonel came in to explain to Brynn, Pechter Dan Turk stood on the edge of the small clearing, coaxing his obviously nervous companion to come forward, telling him that it was all right, that the dragon, the great Agradeleous, was a friend and no enemy.
Finally, the justifiably frightened Paroud moved forward, extending a series of low and ridiculously polite bows to Brynn and the dragon.
"The turmoil within Behren has settled then," Brynn reasoned. "And we can send Agradeleous home."
The dragon rumbled, seeming none too happy with that notion.
"The situation has only worsened," Paroud blurted, finding his voice in a sudden and explosive burst. "Yatol Bardoh has joined ranks with Yatol Peridan of the Cosinnida region, my homeland, far to the south. He... they, threaten Yatol De Hamman, and once they have overrun him, there is nothing to stop their march to Jacintha!"
"That Yatol Peridan has willingly joined with Yatol Bardoh does not bode well for Yatol Wadon and Jacintha," Pagonel agreed. "Their combined forces will prove considerable, I fear."
Brynn stared hard at the mystic, silently asking him for guidance here.
What was she to do? Could she go to Dharyan-Dharielle and round up a force to throw in with Mado Wadon and his struggles? How could she ask that of her people after the oppression the Behrenese had laid upon To- gai for more than a decade? "We must not move prematurely," Pagonel said to the two nervous emissaries, though in truth, he was