He finished and turned to face the pair, then planted the sword, tip-down to the floor, and leaned on it heavily.
"And so ends my tale for this day, ?he announced.
To Juraviel's surprise, Cazzira voiced her outrage before Agradeleous had the chance. But Juraviel remained adamant. ?In bits and pieces," he ex-plained, tossing the sword to the nearest pile of treasure. ?Let your minds linger on that which I have told you this day, that tomorrow's tale might be stronger still."
Agradeleous roared with laughter and jumped up and down, shaking the whole of the chamber and rattling coins.
"Go to your sleep," the dragon bade, and he gathered up Cazzira, and then Juraviel, and carried them back to the pit.
The next day was much the same, as was the next, and in both plays, Ju-raviel found at least one moment where he could slip away from the others for an extended period of time.
After the third such ploy, Cazzira caught on.
"You are leaving," she said to him much later on, when they heard Agradeleous snoring in the room above them. ?That is why you keep run-ning out of sight."
Juraviel put his finger over her lips to silence her. ?I am bound by my word and by my duty," he explained.
"And bound not at all by your time with me?"
"More than you can understand," Belli'mar Juraviel replied, and he moved near to her suddenly and unexpectedly, kissing her gently on the lips. Cazzira started to talk again, but Juraviel cut her short with another kiss, and then another, pressing her closer each time, and finding, to his de-light, that she was not pushing him back.
They made love that night, in a barren pit in the lair of a dragon, and to Belli'mar Juraviel, it was more beautiful a place than under the stars of the night sky in Andur'Blough Inninness.
Much later on, when Cazzira awoke, she found Juraviel lying beside her, propped on one elbow so that he was looking down at her.
I am bound to you more than you can know," he said softly, running his hand from her chin, up the side of her face, and along her silken hair. ?I am bound by love to exclude you from my desperate plan. I will not lead you to death, Cazzira, though I fear that death will catch up to me in the halls out-side of Agradeleous' lair."
She is only human," Cazzira reminded.
"She is a ranger, and I am bound to aid her, and so I must try."
"And when you are done?"
Juraviel looked away, considering the question honestly, then looked back to her, staring her in the eye, showing her his sincerity. ?When I am done, I will return to finish my tale to Agradeleous. If Cazzira is here, then I will remain. If you are not, if you have found your escape, then I will return to Tymwyvenne to be beside you again."
The Doc'alfar smiled and reached up to stroke Juraviel's face. ?If you do not, I will lead my people to war against Caer'alfar," she promised. ?Battle has been joined for less a reason than this!"
Juraviel bent low and kissed her again, gently, but Cazzira grabbed him tightly and pulled him right over, coming to rest atop him and kissing him with urgency.
A long while later, Belli'mar Juraviel called to Agradeleous to begin what he considered his final performance.
Cazzira watched the dragon leaning forward, every inch of Agradeleous' sinewy, muscular, scaled frame tensed as the dragon awaited Belli'mar Ju-raviel's reappearance from behind the mound of coins at the back of the large mound. The elf had been reenacting Nightbird and Pony's escape from Mount Aida atop the mighty stallion Symphony. He had buried him-self in the coins, thrusting his arm, holding a sword, skyward to represent the mummified arm of Brother Avelyn.
And then he had rushed off to the back of the huge chamber, scrambling over the furthest mound of coins.
The moments continued to slip away.
Cazzira sat back and relaxed, reflecting on the loss. She was surprised at the size of the hole in her heart, the sense of profound loneliness. She knew that Juraviel had acted in what he believed to be her best interest; they didn't expect that Agradeleous would hurt her, after all, though Ju-raviel had just certainly placed himself in dire jeopardy.
Still, had she realized how painful this separation would be, Cazzira would have found a way to get out with him, to make that desperate run to the south.