wall of Dharielle."
"You mean Dharyan."
"No," said Brynn, her gaze locked, her face tight, her voice perfectly even and steady. ?I mean Dharielle."
The very next day, the city was in sight and the To-gai-ru formed their ranks on the high ground just to the east and north of the place.
"The Dragon has returned," said Pauche, the new garrison commander of Dharyan, as he and Governor Carwan Pestle stood on the wall, looking up to the northeast, where the line of enemy soldiers could be seen.
"Where is Yatol Bardoh?" Pestle replied. ?Where is Chezhou-Lei Shauntil?"
"Several days away," Pauche answered. ?We will hold until they arrive!"
"We will be overrun in a single day," Carwan Pestle remarked with all certainty. ?The Dragon of To-gai will visit us this very night, do not doubt, raining fire and death, and in the morning, we will have little resistance against the charge of the horde." Carwan Pestle closed his eyes and recalled the first defeat of Dharyan, remembering how easily the Dragon of Tb-gai had overrun the place once the Jacintha twenty squares had been lured out to their deaths. With soldiers pulled to block the western passes into To-gai Pestle's garrison now was not even as strong as it had been then! And all re-ports indicated that the Dragon of To-gai's army was twice the size of the one that had overrun Dharyan.
"Prepare a horse for me," Pestle ordered.
Pauche did not move, just stood staring curiously at the man.
"Now," Pestle prompted. ?A swift horse and a flag of truce."
"You will go and bargain with her?"
"I will go and try to save us all."
Still the man did not move, and his stare shifted from curiosity to a sim-mering anger.
"Now!" Pestle ordered. ?I am the governor of Dharyan. The decision of how to conduct this is mine alone. Now, fetch me a horse and a flag of truce, or I will have you relieved!"
"Governor Shepherd Pestle," Pauche said, dipping a tight bow. ?We can fight them. We can hold the walls until Yatol Bardoh arrives with his legions."
"You do not understand the power of the dragon. The beast will set Dharyan ablaze in a single night, and destroy our defenses. And then we will die. All of us." As he finished, he couldn't help but remember the image of Yatol Grysh, hanging below the eastern gate, and he imagined himself in the man's place, as surely he would be.
He rode through that gate soon after, galloping his horse hard to the dis-tant line of enemies.
"I would speak with the Dragon of To-gai," Carwan Pestle addressed them with as much courage and strength as he could muster.
A small woman stepped her muscled brown-and-white pinto pony out from the line, walking it to stand before Pestle's taller horse. ?We meet again," said Brynn. ?You were the attendant of Yatol Grysh, were you not?"
Carwan Pestle sucked in his breath. ?I am Shepherd Carwan Pestle, now governor of Dharyan."
"Dharielle," Brynn corrected. ?And I have appointed no governor."
Pestle felt the sweat beading on his forward. He knew he was trembling, and knew that it would show in his voice. He took a deep breath and tried to hold his response as steady as possible. ?Chezru Chieftain Douan has re-claimed the city. It was he who appointed me as governor."
"After the unfortunate death of Merwan Ma, no doubt," said the woman, and Pestle's eyes widened.
How could she have known that?
"So, you claim the city for your Chezru Chieftain," Brynn went on a mo-ment later. ?And will you deny me entrance in his name?"
"I have come to negotiate a compromise."
"A surrender, you mean?"
Carwan Pestle shifted uncomfortably on his horse. ?I request some conditions."
"Concerning your neck?"
Pestle paused and took another deep and steadying breath, and then an-other. ?I, we, do not wish to battle you again," he said.
"Then surrender," came Brynn's uncompromising response.
"I will have guarantees for the safety of my people," said Carwan Pestle, and he felt stronger suddenly, recognizing that he really had nothing to lose there, that he had, in effect, lost everything already.
Behind Brynn, the To-gai-ru warriors began many conversations, with many voices raised in anger. The woman held up her hand and soon enough all chatter stopped.
"And if I allow you and your warriors to walk free, then you will no doubt turn around and wage battle back against me, once your friends have arrived," Brynn reasoned. ?Is that not so?"
"We will not."
That proclamation brought a renewal of the doubting and cynical discus-sions, but Brynn cut them short once again, lifting