Dark Thane

Rounding the corner, they entered the plaza that lay between Jungor's splendid mansion and his warehouses. At the far side, Glint Ettinhammer stood upon the steps leading up to Jungor's door. Two steps above him, the Daewar thane, Rughar Delvestone, held his ground, backed by three of his personal guard. Glint was alone, but one look at his massive arms and the double-bladed axe in his hands was enough to keep the others at a safe distance.

Tarn arrived in time to hear Rughar angrily shout, "He doesn't have time to see you now! Come back tomorrow when you are sober, Thane Ettinhammer."

"By the gods, I wish I were drunk. You won't see tomorrow if you don't let me in!" Glint roared as he surged up the steps. The Daewar retreated in alarm.

Leaping up the steps, Tarn caught the Klar thane by the arm before he could swing his axe. Wild-eyed, Glint turned on him and nearly struck him before he realized that it was the king.

"Ah, forgive me, my lord!" he shouted, half laughing as Tarn ducked the blow that probably would have broken his jaw.

"King Tarn!" Rughar angrily cried. "Take this drunken fool away before he gets himself killed. The Hylar thane has no patience for Klar antics today."

Glint spun, spittle flying from his bearded lips as he shouted, "The only fool likely to die today is this pathetic toady."

"Be quiet, Glint!" Tarn ordered. "We've no time for this."

"Bah!" Glint spat in frustration. "That fool wouldn't know when to wipe his own arse if Jungor Stonesinger wasn't there to tell him."

Crystal climbed the steps and quietly slipped a hand under the Klar thane's arm. The effect was remarkable. At her touch he gave a start, but then he looked down at her and smiled. His berserk fever seemed to cool.

"Where is Captain Grisbane?" she asked the Klar thane in a low voice as Tarn climbed the steps to the door.

"Looking for you. He brought me the news and I came here at once, but he insisted on going back to the Fortress to find Tarn," Glint answered.

Tarn had reached the door to find it still blocked by Rughar Delvestone and his cadre. "Out of my way, Rughar," he growled. "I must speak with Jungor."

"Thane Stonesinger is indisposed," Rughar stubbornly maintained. "Come back tomorrow."

"Listen, you miserable dog-" Tarn began, his blood rising into his cheeks, but a voice from behind the door cut him off.

"It's all right, Thane Delvestone. The king has honored us with his presence. We mustn't refuse to see the king." With these words, Jungor appeared in the doorway, leaning upon his staff as though the weight of the mountain rested upon his shoulders. Rughar bowed and slipped to the side, pulling his guards with him. Crystal glanced around and saw that a crowd was gathering behind them. She noticed that a fair number were warriors armed for battle. Clutching the Klar thane, she pulled him up the steps to stand with their king. Meanwhile, Glint eyed the Daewar thane and fingered his axe.

Jungor stepped over the threshold and greeted Tarn with a bow that was all but an obvious mockery of respect. Tarn ignored the insult. "I must speak with you," he said in a low voice, even as Brecha Quickspring appeared in the doorway behind Jungor. "Alone," he added.

"Come now, we can speak freely here, can we not?" Jungor asked solicitously as he stepped past Tarn and spoke so that his voice would carry to the crowd below. "We have nothing to hide from the people of Thorbardin. And unless my eye betrays me, we have a majority of the Council of Thanes in attendance as well. How very convenient."

Glowering, Tarn said, "Very well then. I have come to say that we must put aside our petty differences because-"

"I couldn't agree more!" Jungor loudly interrupted.

Tarn raised his voice and continued, "… because we are all in grave danger!"

Jungor looked at him in genuine surprise. "Grave danger? What kind of danger? Is the king having more bad dreams?" he asked.

"That was no groundquake that shook the mountain last night!" Tarn said angrily. "It was a fire dragon slumbering in the depths of Thorbardin."

Silence descended on the plaza as everyone stared up at the king in shock. It was as though a spell of fear had been cast over everyone, fear born of their memories of the Chaos War. Even Jungor seemed momentarily taken aback, until he shattered the silence with a hideous peel of laughter. "A fire dragon!" he shrieked. "By Reorx's bones and boots, that must be some fire dragon if it can shake the whole mountain!"

Slowly, others began to chuckle, none with more smug glee than Rughar Delvestone. Growling deep in his throat, Glint's fingers tightened around the haft of his axe. Crystal slipped her hand from his arm to the dagger secreted in her sleeve. The Klar thane glanced down at her, and she returned his gaze with a grim expression.