the west, and Pagonel and Merwan Ma beginning their long walk down the eastern road, some two weeks from Jacintha.
PART 4 THE DRAGON OF TO-GAI Chapter 36 Defensive Position
She has turned west," Shauntil informed Yatol Bardoh when the news arrived from Jacintha in the morning.
"The mountains were her last refuge," the Yatol reasoned. ?Now that we have found her once more, she is out of room. She runs for home."
The Yatol turned to face the warrior and chuckled wickedly. ?Swing the line to block all passes into To-gai."
The Chezhou-Lei warrior put on a confused expression. ?We cannot hope to pace the To-gai-ru, with their fine steeds."
"We will trail," the Yatol explained. ?Send those we already have in the west to block the passes.
Have them set their great ballistae in defensible positions in case the dragon makes an appearance."
Shauntil's expression did not change. ?The only forces we have close enough to the plateau divide are those you sent north to Dharyan, Yatol."
The man nodded.
"If they swing east, it will leave the city undefended."
"And so the Dragon of To-gai may get her last victory," Yatol Bardoh said. ?And then we will have her, and all of her forces, bottled up and wait-ing to be destroyed. Do not consider me in such a manner!" he scolded when Shauntil's expression grew even more doubting. ?We must look upon that which will achieve the greater good. If Dharyan is sacked once more, it will be rebuilt, but once we destroy the Dragon of To-gai, there will be no one to replace her."
The Chezhou-Lei warrior snapped to attention. ?Yes, Yatol," he said, and he found that he was beginning to see the wisdom of Bardoh's thinking. Indeed, if they could finally be rid of the Dragon of To-gai, then the price of Dharyan would not seem so great a thing.
"If they catch me with a Ru servant, they will tear the flesh from my body," Merwan Ma said excitedly, addressing a group of soldiers at Dahdah Oasis. The place was crawling with the Jacintha garrison, another several thousand marching down the western road to link up with Yatol Bardoh and Shauntil for the final defeat of the Dragon of To-gai.
Behind the Shepherd, Pagonel kept his head bowed and his hands, f bound much more loosely than they appeared, in close to his torso. [ ?You should give your servant over to us, here and now,"
one of the guards remarked, and he turned to his friends, laughing, then continued, ?that we might launch him by catapult into the midst of our enemies!"
They all broke out in laughter then, including Merwan Ma, though the Shepherd certainly wasn't pleased at the grim reminder of that horrible sight.
A couple of the soldiers moved toward Pagonel.
"No!" Merwan Ma shouted at them, and they did stop, and turned to stare at him hard.
"He is needed for the service of the Chezru Chieftain," the soldier stand-ing before the Shepherd declared angrily. ?You would deny us?"
"I am a Chezru Shepherd!" Merwan Ma replied. ?Once attendant to Chezru Yakim Douan."
"So you say!"
"Would you dare to guess that I am wrong?" Merwan Ma shot back, not backing down a bit. ?I can name for you every member of Chezru within Chom Deiru! I am only now returned from the retaking of Dharyan, with word from Governor Carwan Pestle, my peer and my friend. So would you challenge my word, soldier? Would you risk the wrath of Chezru Douan and his Chezhou-Lei?"
The man blanched and fell back a step, and Merwan Ma, scowling with every stride, led Pagonel by the group and across the oasis, heading out again down the eastern road toward Jacintha.
All that day, they passed columns of soldiers, marching to partake of the end of the Dragon of To-gai.
"You took a great chance for me this day," Pagonel remarked to Merwan Ma when they were alone that night.
"I took no chance for you," the Shepherd declared.
"You could have turned me in to them and been done with me then and there," the mystic reasoned. ?And you might even have redeemed yourself in the eyes of the Chezru Chieftain if you had."
"Redeemed myself?" the man echoed with a snort. ?I am not even sure where such redemption should come from anymore. We decided upon the plan to walk through Dahdah, and I gave to you my word."
"To many men, their salvation is worth the price of that word, particu-larly to an enemy who holds them captive."