their assigned course, fleeing north and south, apparently deserting Bardoh's army.
That was her strength, the ranger realized, the strength of To-gai, for she and her leaders would never have left so many behind in pursuit of a goal. Yatol Bardoh cared nothing for his warriors, beyond the goals he desired; Brynn knew that her own warriors recognized that she did not subscribe to that losing philosophy.
PART 4 THE DRAGON OF TO-GAI Chapter 33 The Dragon Ruse
Brynn stood on the western wall of Avrou Eesa, staring out over the desert to a distant cloud of stirred sands.
She questioned herself re-peatedly, her decision to remain there, to try to sting again before disappearing into the open desert. Was it her hatred of Yatol Bardoh that was driving her? Was she hoping for a chance to avenge her parents' mur-der? And if so, was she risking too much to find that chance?
She took heart that Pagonel and her larger army would arrive on time, as arranged. Given that, the plan didn't seem so desperate, as long as her guess concerning Yatol Bardoh's reaction to the loss of Avrou Eesa proved correct.
She was standing there, mulling it all over, when an unexpected compan-ion walked up beside her. Brynn turned, startled, for she had not seen Agradeleous in his lizardman form in some time. She noted, too, that the dragon was limping a little bit.
"Their arrows sting you," she remarked.
"It will take more than arrows to bring down Agradeleous," the dragon assured her.
Brynn nodded and looked back to the sandstorm. ?Our enemies," she said.
"Our?"
The woman turned and studied the dragon, surprised by the comment, though when she thought about it, it made perfect sense. Agradeleous, it seemed, didn't really care who or what he was destroying.
"I must soon ask you to go out through a hail of arrows again," she said. ?I will need you to convince Yatol Bardoh that we are attempting to flee to the east."
The dragon nodded, seeming unconcerned.
"I plan to draw his line about the city," Brynn started to explain, but her voice trailed off as she realized that the dragon wasn't paying her any heed. ?None of this matters to you, does it?"
Agradeleous' eyes narrowed as he regarded her more closely. ?There is no difference between us - me and my people, and rh Behrenese - is there? ?
The dragon blinked, but did not otherwise respond.
"And if a Behrenese ally had found you in your lair and brought you you would be fighting for them, as you are now fighting for me. Correct?" ' Another blink.
"Or is it that you are not fighting for me?" Brynn reasoned it throu h ?You are fighting for Agradeleous, and nothing more. I offered you a de 1 that you thought acceptable, and so your fires char the Behrenese soldiers " She paused and stared at the dragon hard, waiting until she had his full ar tendon. ?Do you not understand why I wage this war? ?
"I do not understand the wars of humans, nor do I wish to," the dragon finally replied. ?You fight for your freedom." He shrugged, his great mus-cled shoulders rising up almost over his head. ?It all makes so little sense to me, that humans would enslave humans in the first place. You are a curious race, and a lesser race, from all that I see."
Then it was Brynns turn to narrow her eyes.
"You think me a creature of wanton destruction, and to an extent, you are correct," the dragon went on.
"When I care not at all about the crea-tures in the line of my flames, I find it exciting to breathe forth the fire.
And I care not at all about humans."
Brynn noted that there was something less than convincing in that state-ment, some subtle hint from the dragon s tone.
"Behrenese, To-gai-ru... you are all the same. No dragon would think to enslave another dragon."
"So if a Behrenese agent had found you, you might well be flying against me now," Brynn reasoned, and again the dragon shrugged, as if it did not matter.
"Then thank your good fortune," he said. ?Or call it the ultimate justice of fate, the gods themselves shining upon your cause for freedom, if that brings you comfort."
Brynn turned away sharply. ?There is a difference," she stated through gritted teeth. ?A difference between what they have done to us, and what we now try to accomplish."
"Indeed."
"The To-gai-ru have never tried to conquer Behren," Brynn remarked against that sarcasm.
"Because they have never been able to," Agradeleous was