CHAPTER 6

Pether found Cl'x standing atop the wall. He stood quietly beside her for a moment enjoying the view of the valley below.

"They're coming, aren't they?"

The large Carapacian borrowed a human mannerism and nodded. "Yes. They come. They are eight but two remain behind. Tommorrow perhaps we shall meet."

Pether sighed. "They will want through, no doubt, and we must stop them. It will be battle. The thought does not thrill me as it once might have."

"No."

The human waited for a moment for the large insectoid to elaborate. "No, what?"

Cl'x turned to face Pether and he saw that her eyes were shinning a bright red. "K'kti has dreamed. We will let them pass."

Pether could feel his face growing as red as his friend's eyes. He crossed his arms over his body in profound surprise/disagreement. "We cannot. The border magic will be disrupted. They are Torq'ln; dangerous traitors who have denounced the Compact. If we let them pass...Cl'x it will be chaos."

"Nevertheless, we will let them pass. It has been dreamed."

The youth considered. The Carapacian's put incredible stock in their dreams as their's was a species that needed little sleep and rarely dreamed when they did. "Tell me of the dream."

"There are eight birds on a map of fine parchment - a nightengale, a crow, a falcon, a phoenix, an eagle, a bluejay, a robin, and the shadow of a raven. The nightingale and the crow are caught in a net near the edge of the map; the former struggles but the later does not. The other six are joined by a red dove at the edge of the map before traveling beyond its borders. That is the dream."

"That's it?" Pether raised his eyebrows. "That could mean anything!" He knew better than to attack the dream's prophetic validity but the interpretation was another matter. "How do you know these six are the ones Ranchut is after? How do you know we do not oppose them? Perhaps the edge of the map represents their deaths - not their escape."

Cl'x stamped a lower apendage in annoyance/impatience. "The map was of this land, and it was here that they passed the borders. If you want battle, you may try to stop them. But great forces are at work here, not even gods could stop them from crossing into the dreadlands now."

Pether looked at his friend, clearly irritated, "Well that's what I'll do then. I'm not going to ruin my job because K'kti misinterpreted a dream about birds. For all you know it could've been talking about literal birds." He turned awat from Cl'x, and faced towards the pass. It would be less than a day before they arrived, and he had to prepare.

Behind him Cl'x only gave a small knowing nod, the glint of a smile in its compound eyes, before returning to his post.

Jorgran sat across the breakfast table from Ranchut, dinner the night befor had been tense, and no one had said even a word. He and the girl had slept only lightly, always expecting to find a dagger had been placed into some vital organ or other. He looked up as Deal walked in, she was wearing a formal gown and a snarl.

Deal looked at Ranchut, "What did you do with my clothes you beast!?"

Ranchut looked back at her smiling, "Why I had them burned; those rags were hardly fitting for a member of such a noble family as yours." He turned and gestured to the food laden table. "Will you join us this morning, or do you intend to starve yourself do death?"

Deal looked across the room to where Jorgran sat with eyes downcast. It was obvious he had given up all but the faintest hope of escape. Turning back to Ranchut, she met his green eyes steadily. "I do not eat with my enemies." She would not give up as easily.

Ranchut returned her gaze and answered lightly, "Well, I agree that Jorgran is not the most pleasant company there is but I certainly wouldn't term him an enemy."

"You are truly dispicable. And I don't like this idiotic dress."

"I fail to see where I have been anything but chivalrous. If you do not like the dress, I shall have another one brought to you. Although, if I may say so, this one truly does become you."

Deal held back a howl of frustration. "I don't want another bloody dress. I want leather pants, a jerkin, and a sturdy belt. And my daggers and crossbow back. And as long as you're being helpful, a pack with food and a bedroll would be nice."

Ranchut chuckled softly. "Such an enchanting youth. My dear, would that I could provide all of these things for you but I'm afraid that I have orders to escort you to our beloved emperor. Which does put me in a bit of a quandary as I am also under orders to apprehend Jorgran's companions."

"Tell you what - you go run after whoever it is you want and I'll meet you at the capitol when you get back."

"What do you think, Jorgran? Shall I trust this little minx at her word? I certainly can't leave her in the care of my underlings - she's far too intelligent." He turned a thoughtful face back to Deal. "I do believe you shall have those pants after all. As I understand such things, it is somewhat difficult to outrun a dragon in an evening gown."

Jorgran's face drained of all color. "You don't mean - "

"Of course I mean! Your little friends talked their way passed Trothivyr and now we must do the same. If you had been paying attention - you would have noticed that our camp is only a few hours ride from the beast."

"Ride? On what?" Deal knew that, by foot, they were most of a day's journey from the deadlands. She couldn't imagine a horse cutting the travel time by as much as what Ranchut proposed.

"What did I tell you Jorgran? Smart little welp, is she not? We shall be traveling by griffon."

"No intelligent griffon would willingly go anywhere near a dragon, you idiot. How do you think you're going to make a beast that more than three times outweighs you go near Trothivyr?"

Ranchut waved finger at her. "If you think about it, you'll find that you have answered your own question." He gestured once more to the sumptuous meal. "Come, you will need your strength. Since you take such exception to my presance, I will await you outside the tent." With another brilliant flash of teeth, he exited the mess tent.

Deal gathered her dress together and made her way to where Jorgran sat. "Don't know where that bashak found this riduculous thing out here in the middle of nowhere but if he tries to...what's the matter?"

Jorgran's desparing expression had been replaced with one of utter fury. "You little LIAR! You BEAST! This is all your fault! If you hadn't - "

"Hadn't what? Saved your life? Yes, you'd be dead and that WOULD have saved a lot of trouble, wouldn't it? Don't worry, I won't make the mistake again." With that, she began hungrily pulling food off Jorgran's plate.

After she had eaten and changed into the more suitable traveling clothes that Ranchut had provided for her, Deal and Jorgran were marched outside where Deal recieved her first glimpse of the griffons they were to ride.

The creatures were magificent. Both well groomed and well armored, Deal checked them over carefully with her eyes. She heard Jorgran inhale sharply when they first caught sight of the mounts, "What haven't you ridden a griffon before?"

He looked down at her, "Of course not, and you have? I've never even seen one this close."

She laughed, "Of course I have, I was the imperial princess before that beast," she gestured and Ranchut, "and his black lord overthrew my family."

They approached the griffons and Jorgran hissed at her, "You shouldn't speak of the emperor that way, you'll get us both killed."

Deal was about to retort, but Ranchut walked up to them, "I hope you find the breaches more to your liking princess. You'll be riding with me, and our dear friend Jorgran will be sharing a mount with my survivng lieutenant." He indicated a man in fearsome black armor.

They mounted their griffons and took to the air. 20 griffons, for 40 people. Deal wondered at the power of Jorgran's friends to warrant such a large hunting party, and had she heard Ranchut right, they'd already passed the realm of Trothivyr?

Deal was thankful that Ranchut made no attempt at conversation, his attention apparently focused on keeping their mount on course and scanning the sky ahead for signs of the wyrm.

Trothivyr stirred from his sleep about noon. He'd been dreaming of how good the trychtari might have tasted, they had such a unique flavor. Still he had given his word to grant them safe passage, and wouldn't look good to go back now. Instead he has supped upon a heard of sheep he'd found grazing at some distance from his lair.

He yawned and stretched. Trothivyr heard the sound of wings flapping in the distance. Griffons, maybe 30 or 40, I could use a good breakfast. And he leisurely stood, assured himself that his horde was intact and then leapt skyward.

It was nearly noon when the dragon encountered the hunting party. A blast of dragonfire suddenly tore a bloody red ribbon in the sky before them. It fell slowly, like a fog drifting downwards, but where it struck the ground the very earth boiled away. And then the wyrm was before them.

Jorgran gasped, and he heard Deal shriek briefly before regaining her composure.

And then the dragon spoke, "Who are you, puny mortals, that you dare enter my domain uninvited?" The wyrm paused to look over the riders making sure they were all paying attention. "Face now the wrath of Trothivyr!" He punctuated his statement with a brief gout of flame that licked between Jorgran and Deal's mounts.

Ranchut faced the dragon, a look of confidence worn clearly on his face, "Mighty Trothivyr, I am Ranchut, Master Hunter of the Emperor. It is imperative that you let me pass so that I might aprehend traitors who even now grow closer to the border."

The dragon laughed, it was a deep sound that echoed back to them from the earth hundreds of feet below, "You mean the trychtari and his friends then. I let them pass, it would hardly be fair for me to let you pass now, you'd only undo what I have already done."

Ranchut sighed, "Nonetheless you must let us pass, what is your price wyrm?"

Trothivyr roared, "I must! I must! I must do nothing you pathetic worm. I have heard of you, Ranchut, very well then, if you want to pass all I ask is your precious sacrificial dagger."

Ranchut was taken aback, Jorgran was astonished he'd never seen Ranchut at a loss for words, he hadn't even known such a thing was possible.

Ranchut recovered, but Jorgran could tell he was no longer as confident, "What do you know of that Trothivyr?"

The dragon laughed again, louder this time. "I know what you are, the prophecy of your coming was old before the first dragon ever hatched. But I do not fear you, even though the gods themselves do. I know the deepest secrets of what you are, and I know that you can not harm me."

Trothivyr turned his head to the left, and annihilated half of Ranchut's troops with a blast of dragon fire. He then turned to the right and did the same, leaving only Ranchut and his lieutenant's mounts unscathed. "You may not pass, land now, and release the two who bare the trychtari's stench! They have my protection until they leave this pass!"

Jorgran looked at Ranchut, he was visibly shaken. Things were clearly not going as he had planned. Jorgran could only watch in shock as Ranchut complied with the wyrm.

Deal couldn't believe her luck as Ranchut handed her down from the griffon. As she turned to leave, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning she looked up and saw that the characteristic laughter was gone from Ranchut's eyes.

"Remember this A'tnari; you choose your friends and you choose your enemies but it is your enemies who choose your death. Do not make an enemy of me."

She pulled away from her captor and glanced meaningfully at the dragon and back to Ranchut. "I think you chose to be my enemy long before I chose to be yours. And I would give the lap dog of the emperor the same advise." She tossed her head in defiance and marched proudly over to Jorgran where he waited beneath the protective shadow of Trothivyr.

Ranchut fumed as he watched the two go. Everything he had worked for in the past week had been destroyed in one moment by a meddling, senile old goat of a dragon. How had that stupid, greedy beast learned of his dagger? And what did the wyrm mean when he said he knew what Ranchut was? What prophecy? Ranchut moved to slam a gloved fist into a nearby outcropping but stopped himself just short of impact. No use. Accept the losses and go on. But first...

Ranchut pulled his griffon violently skyward and flew straight for the dragon. "Trothivyr - I would have words with you!"

The dragon rolled lazily in the sky. Keeping one eye on the humans traveling below he snorted another impressive gout of flame and replied, "I have nothing more to say to you."

Ranchut sighed inwardly. It seemed he would have to play by the greedy dragon's rules or not at all. "I wish merely to appologize for my rash behavior. I should have realized that my puny powers are nothing when compared with the might of such a magnficent dragon." The words tasted sour in his mouth. -I don't suppose you'd like the flavor of dragon blood, would you?- Ranchut focused the thought inwardly to the place where his soul should have been.

The dagger's terse reply echoed in his head. "Can't."

-Why ever not?-

"Pact."

It figured. Blast that trychtari and his group of ill gotten - but enough. He would deal with them in time. Ranchut turned his attention back to the dragon.

"Please allow me the priveledge of begging your forgiveness."

Trothivyr blinked and considered. He was no fool; Ranchut obviously wanted something. Even so, the dragon was bored and the human might provide some entertainment. He performed a series of impressive loops that brought him near the hunter.

"You may beg."

Ranchut lowered his eyes to conceal his rising anger. "I was foolish. I demanded where I had not the right. I wish I had but a small portion of your great wisdom so that I might not make such mistakes again."

The dragon nodded gravely. "If you were truly wise, you would realize that wisdom and knowledge are heavy burdens. I know as I have borne their mighty weight for centuries."

The hunter held back a snort of laughter. "As part of my penance, then, perhaps you will allow me to carry some of your great burden."

Ah - so it was information the human sought. Trothivyr closed his wings tight against his body and dived low over the scorched ground before rising once more to a place near Ranchut's griffon.

"I do not know that you are strong enough to withstand the weight that even a small portion of my vast knowledge would bestow upon you."

"Surely, a dragon as great and wise as yourself would know of a way to strengthen this unworthy vessel so that I may help lighten your responsibilities." Ranchut was quickly growing weary of pandering to the beast's great ego.

Trothivyr again dropped into a dive, pretending to be thinking on the mortal's question. As he swept low to the ground, enjoying the sensation of the wind across his scales, he wondered how much more ego the mortal would swallow. Most would take as much as he cared to give, spending so much time begging for their worthless lives that they didn't even notice, but Trothivyr had hoped Ranchut would be different. After all, he thought to himself, the Child of the Prophecy should have more of a spine than that.

He turned nimbly and raced back towards the flying griffon, passing the other griffon and it's black-armored rider on his way. The dragon reached Ranchut, and smiled. "I believe I know the perfect way to prove your worth, worm. Kill your friend there," Trothivyr gestured at the lieutenant with a gout of flame, "and then bathe in his blood. If you do this I will be able to bestow upon you a small measure of my great burden."

Ranchut glared at the dragon, then cast his eyes down towards his lieutenant, the only remaining survivor of his raiding party. He bowed low over his saddle in aparant aquiessence. When he pulled himself upright he looked the dragon straight in his multi-faceted eyes and laughed. "That is truly the stupidest thing anyone has ever asked me to do. After I bathe in my lieutenant's blood shall I dance naked around a bonfire and howl at the moon? What kind of idiot do you take me for, dragon? Even without the help of my dagger, I am not without my resources. Do not tempt me to use them. Instead let us land and have a nice gentlemanly conversation, dragon to human. Then I shall be on my way."

Trothivyr sighed, disappoionted. It would have been fun to watch the Child bathing in the other human's blood. And the dancing bit wasn't a bad idea - he would have to remember to save that one for the next batch of interlopers. "State your piece then, human."

Ranchut considered his words carefully. "I wish to know why you let the trychtari and his group pass through. Surely you know they head for the border? Do you know what their passage will do to the magic? Or do you enjoy fighting night daemons and their kin?" Ranchut paused, deciding whether he should add his last question. "And what prophecy is this that you speak of?"

The dragon's wings missed a beat and his head reared up in utter astonishment. He didn't know. The human didn't know. He was running around challenging dragons with no knowledge whatsoever of his powers? Trothivyr beat the air with heavy strokes and shot ahead of Ranchut's griffon. What did this mean?

Finally, the wyrm fell back alongside Ranchut. "If the Child of Prophecy does not know of his own destiny, it is not my place to educate him. Perhaps you should search the libraries of your liege, mortal. Maybe there you will find the answers you seek. All I will tell you is to search for the writings of the Great Seer, Arapi."

Before Ranchut could even respond the wyrm fell earthward. Trothivyr dove into the pass, incinerating the lieutenant as he passed. Ranchut shook with anger, we was about to pursue when the dragon's voice echoed from the distance, "The pass is closed Ranchut, go away." And suddenly a great curtain of multihued flame sprang up before him, it stretched from the ground to the upper-limits of the sky, and Ranchut knew that he had lost the day.

Jorgran and Deal heard the dragon's final command to Ranchut echo down the canyon walls, and saw the curtain of flame rise up behind them.

Deal looked at Jorgran when they paused to rest, and pointed at the curtain, "What is that? I've never heard of a dragon doing that before."

Jorgran shook his head. "There are many things about this whole mess that I don't understand." He clambered wearily to his feet and began trudging through the desolate valley once more.

Deal watched him for a moment before following after. "Jorgran?"

The tall male grunted in response.

"Jorgran, why are you guys trying to cross the border?"

"Why are you?"

"That's a dumb question. I'm a threat to the legitamacy of the Emperor's rule. And my existance mocks his pride."

"Sure. If you're such a threat, why didn't Ranchut kill you outright?" Privately, Jorgran wished the blackhearted scum had killed the little witch. Would have saved him a lot of harrassment.

"You sure want a lot of people dead."

"That's none of your concern."

"It is when I'm one of them. Look, I don't like you either but it is in both of our best interest to cooperate long enough to get to the border."

Jorgran grunted again.

They continued for sometime in silence before Deal broke in once again. "You never answered my question, you know."

"What question?"

"Why do you and the others want out so badly?"

Jorgran paused and gave the girl a long appraising look. "We, each of us, have our own reasons. Mine are none of your business."

"What about the others?"

Jorgran shrugged. "Trevor and Melinda want to prove it can be done, F'loro is fleeing his past, and Shera just wants to do something to make herself famous. As for the others you can ask them if we ever catch up. Now be quiet and walk." He silently contemplated killing the little brat for the hundredth time.