Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol II - By Richard A. Knaak Page 0,325

of the fact that, while it was true the woman before her had been born an outsider, she had spent countless centuries as the bride of the dragonlord and the mother of most of his arrogant children. Sharissa could no more trust her visitor than she could Lochivan.

“What does that mean?”

Rising, the Lady Tezerenee took hold of Sharissa’s arm and guided her up. Rest and food were already working their wonders. The sorceress found she could walk with only the slightest difficulty. Something else in the food besides meat and vegetables, she decided.

Sharissa had not forgotten her question. She repeated it the moment she was certain her legs would not collapse.

The matriarch sighed. “That is something Barakas or Lochivan could explain better—”

“Lochivan!” Sharissa spat on the floor. “If he comes within sight of me—”

“He lives to serve his father,” Alcia said, taking her charge by the shoulders and massaging some of the muscles. “Would you do any different?”

“My father is a good man!”

“By your standards. Tezerenee have different standards. Most Vraad have different standards. You look fit enough for a walk, I think.” As she said the last, the Lady Tezerenee snapped her fingers. One of her shadows stepped to the door and opened it. The other moved until she stood behind her mistress and the outsider. Sharissa was reminded of lithe hunting wyverns as she observed their movements. These were women born to the clan, not adopted like many newer Tezerenee. Barakas had allowed newcomers to swell his ranks over the last decade and a half, but evidently still reserved the most vital roles for those of his blood. Guarding his mate was likely a position open only to the most skilled.

“What about my questions? You said you’d answer them.”

“Some of them will answer themselves when we get outside. At the very least, showing you what my husband has achieved will aid any explanation. You should get some walking in, too. Judging by your back, I would have to say that every muscle in your body needs to be loosened. Come along.”

With Lady Alcia guiding her, Sharissa made her way to the corridor. Each step seemed easier than the last. “You seem to have a magical touch when it comes to cooking, my lady.”

Her regal companion smiled politely. “It is a wonder what one can do with the proper ingredients and skills.”

They spoke no more for quite some time, Sharissa, knowing she would receive no useful answers from her host, being satisfied with inspecting the domicile of the clan. She found the endless gray corridors and windowless chambers disturbing, their appearance more reminiscent of the unsightly citadel the Tezerenee had abandoned back in Nimth. Yet, these had to be some of the deeper levels in the eastern sector, didn’t they? Where else could Barakas bring her? Had he spent the last fifteen years so greatly redesigning his tiny domain into a miniature version of the one he had lost? It seemed a futile and outrageous project even for the patriarch.

More and more she felt as if she were back in mad Nimth. The dragon banner hung on every wall. Armored warriors, male and female, stood guard everywhere. A drake patrol, the two beasts straining at their leashes, passed them just before they reached a staircase leading downward. Sharissa lost all interest in the toothy hunters as she paused to stare at the steps. The sorceress had come to assume that she was in some lower level, possibly beneath the surface, but this staircase spiraled down at what first appeared to be forever.

“We have five levels to descend to the surface. Is that too much for you? Do you feel weak?” Alcia put a hand on her shoulder, but Sharissa was not taken in by the concern. If the matriarch had thought it would serve her people’s interests, she would have been just as willing to push her down the steps.

“I can make it.” There was no attempt to hide the edge in her voice. It was best to remind the Tezerenee that she did not consider herself the guest they wanted her to believe she was.

“Do not let your defiance make you foolish. You could hardly plot any escapes if you collapsed on the staircase and fell to your death, could you?”

Sharissa looked up at the Lady Tezerenee, but the latter’s visage was unreadable. Unfortunate as it was, Sharissa saw much in what Lady Alcia had said. While the food had aided greatly in restoring her strength, her control