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Hieba laughed "Yes The saave me to you in the desert All the other soldiers threw their filthy rags at me and pinched whatever they could reach, but not hiyou wore on your tail in his lap I was tree, and I kneould happen sooner or later But it wasn’t what I feared Or maybe hoped He wanted to talk He told ave iven to you as a present When I heard the story of how he found ht back otten the that night of fire and screaood man How many others in some nest of thieves would take such risks to preserve a child?"

"I know"

It felt good so see Hieba’s se of jealousy at the longing expression on her face AuRon waited for her to continue

"He never left h he is II rode off with hi the borderlands There were ruhters up the river from the timbermen’s settleer He took care of it by riding with one othera treaty It turned out that the blighters were happy with the tis theyI could see why his ht He claims it’s not by natural desire, but by experience"

"There are no winners in battle Just survivors," AuRon agreed

"The blighters on the river told of a dragon who had hters of these mountains These were the fae lord"

"They offered to guide you to me?"

"No, that came later Naf and the Red Guards had other business south, and I traveled with them I learned to ride, to pull a small bow from horseback, even to swim my mount across rivers Naf modified your shield so I could wear it on er in the hand opposite Thehappened while Naf was rigging it to fit over my forearm I don’t know if I kissed him or he kissed meit doesn’t matter Naf and I are in love, AuRon, and we’ll be married now that he’s taken a position with the Silver Guard at the Dome He’s popular with the men, and he’s n people with their own tongue who rule Naf’s He’s risen higher in the ranks than any other of the Dairuss"

"Then why aren’t you with your ons is dangerous work for any band of warriors, and you’re only one hoood fortune"

"Events across the on Or the advice of one, at least It concerns other dragons, evil--"

AuRon held up a sii If they wanted to hire him to hunt his kin, Hieba would have risked much in her travel to hear the word no But could Naf be so stupid as to think--Surely not In any case, AuRon remembered he had to attend to Unrush and his chieftains at their celebration

"We will talk later"

She knotted her fists, again looking like the petulant child AuRon had once known "But Au--"

"Later, Berrysweet We rowing dark outside You say you are a good rider?"

"I spent two years keeping up with the Red Guard I can handle any horse, day or night"

"I’ is tiresos"

"Fly? On you?"

"I suppose I could grip you inand more I don’t have so much as a bowl and spoon about here for you"

"Yes, AuRon, let’s! It’ll be like soive you a drea on to your children and they to theirs"

Hieba and AuRon went to the downshaft In the intervening years blighter masons had built up the cavern entrance, first with a rickety bamboo staircase and later a set of stairs chipped into the cavern’s slide, wide enough so a ho its back to the cavern wall The masons had also carved AuRon a set of sii holes, shaped like the faces of bellowing blighter warriors AuRon used the gapingto fah the ruined city at the cavern’s mouth

"The bats were really bad up there Down that as a roo cavern, but the running water was gone, and everything was just moldy and damp There were lots of tools with the handles rotted off over there"

"You reround while I explored"