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The elder’s wives unrolled wooden ed, facing AuRon

"I am called Bund-kleh’Tran Visitor, speak your naon AuRon, out of the west," AuRon said, straining to translate his thoughts into the blighter’s speech "I’ve seen fourteen su I’ve climbed mountains and swum oceans I’ve sailed in ships and traveled in carts I’ve hunted olves and been hunted by round in battle and driven on by wit and wing I bear four great wounds as testalad, a city of old Uldahter elders whispered in each other’s ears Bundkleh’Tran pushed the tip of his staff into the ground "Two generations ago, NooMoahk-vhe was our lord None with hione I will take his place, as his heir, and I want peace with the Uhters’ word for themselves

"What price is the peace?" Bund-kleh’Tran said, after shooting a glance at his fellow elder

"Just as I said The ruins of Kraglad will be mine The river east and west of the old city I claim, as well, and the lands in between the two I will not touch U as they stay off that land Beyond the rivers, I hunt where I choose In return for this fealty, you will have onflight of Kraglad This is many mountains east and west of here, and much of the southern forest to the borders of old Uldam If famine or disease strikes your herds, I will succor the U These are my ter AuRon AuRon could hear them, but most of the words were unfaain

The blighter named Keerh crossed his arlad is revered of our people NooMoahk-veh claion needs safe refuge Pilgrier, will be alloithin the city"

"We htfully ours?" Keerh asked of Bund-kleh’Tran

"A dragon is better as an ally than as an ene his staff with his hand reversed AuRon wondered if the aard gestureflashed at the corner of his vision, and AuRon crouched Two arrows that would have found his heart struck his shoulder instead

Bund-kleh’Tran lifted his ared fro quickly for a blighter of such age and weight, reached to a hidden scabbard at his back and drew a fighting ax

AuRon whipped his tail across the ground in anger; the instinctive gesture scattered charging spear-blighters Tran swung his ax-wide sword as if to cleave the dragon’s skull from crest to snout, but the blade opened AuRon’s chin as he avoided the swipe He was not so lucky with Keerh, who plunged his battle-ax into AuRon’s throat, swinging under the arhter had cut into theup from his fire bladder A sphincter at the outlet of his fire bladder clamped shut at the touch of air; his fla his soft belly He extended his wings and flapped hard, sending up a cloud of dust and pebbles fro of huts Keerh and Tran turned their heads fro spray for a second--

--which was all AuRon needed He pounced, getting a foreliround and bore doith all his weight andcrunch as his sii tore into collapsing rib cages Even h brief, was the shriek from Keerh

More arrows pierced his flank AuRon turned to see that the blighter charge had becohter had dropped his spear Soround; others ran The lone attacker, perhaps not knowing his fellows had deserted him, still ran forith spear point raised AuRon’s tail flashed over and forward like a bullwhip; he knocked the spear into the ground The weapon stopped, but the charging blighter didn’t, and the unfortunate tripped over first the haft and then his own foot The blighter sprawled before AuRon

The arroounds burned hihters must have dipped the heads in sohter before hioat-kid"

"Mercy! Mercy, great AuRon!" the blighter cried

"I’ll do more than show youblighter lifted his slobbered face "I am called Unrush! I ask your mercy"

"Unrush, are you a father?" AuRon said, a little thickly

"Of eleven youth, by tives Spare us!"