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The potbellied dwarf started at that Eye Patch chuckled to herself and said soruood’s ever co others Dwarvish," Eye Patch said in her bad Drakine
"Tell hi into the cavern now I’ll come back in a moment"
Eye Patch translated: "He says you’d better, or he’ll skin you personally"
He squeezed out through the cracks--just--and swareat expanse filled with co smells but doubtful shadows and the echoes of the waterfall He returned to the dwarves and gave thele of the head that hoan to tap at their chalktheir strikes to the splashes outside The ent fast, as it always did when the dwarves had a plan to follow They spent a good deal of tist theether they were swift and efficient
He slipped back out through the crack and felt his hearts ha He found a patch of dark well away fro cave h, sniffing as he hunted The Copper fell in behind his rival, stopping when he stopped,when he moved Auron paused for a taste of water at the waterfall pool and cocked his head in that odd way of his, listening He slipped into the water He’d heard the dwarves tapping!
Clever, my brother
But not as clever as I
Auron would head for the egg shelf; he was sure of it He positioned himites at an alley the Gray Rat would use…
The cave wall fell away, al the dwarves had ready to receive it Auron hurried fro like an arroard Mother
He o ill The Copper would terrify Auron into screa full-weight on his brother’s scaleless back Mother’s green gleam could just be seen in the distance
"Got you! Death has co," he hissed in Auron’s ear
The Gray Rat protested, clawed uselessly at the Copper’s scales as he whined about intruders The Copper bit hiave the rehearsed speech, but couldn’t help pouring a little extra resent since the day I came out of the shell, thanks to you So you’ll die now, as you should have died out of the egg Two brothers, both stronger, and you ended up with the nest It’s tiet to watch Mother and the chatterer skinned Stop writhing, you lizard--you’re worse than a snake! Too bad you won’t see old"
He let the Gray Rat have a good look at Mother He’d call out a warning and--
Blinding pain flashed up from his snout, and his vision burned white He lurched away froled free He bit at where he sensed his brother stood and got only air, and when he could see again, he and Auron were snapping at each other
Why wasn’t the fool screa to Mother? The dwarves would be on hiet the Gray Rat to shriek out a warning? He heard a splashing and a clatter behind--the dwarves were gathering
Auron wasted : "You live this day if you trouble h when I tell Father of this, he may feel differently He’ll pull the mountains down to find such as you, who’d lead assassins to the egg shelf"
The words hurt almost as much as the tail-crack Auron spun and hurried off toward the egg shelf at a dash, finally sounding a warning A thrown net justas his brother ran
Well, the dwarves would have to deal with that He’d smelled his sister around somewhere; if he could find her he could hold her down until the dwarves could get a loop around her snout
He turned and saw the dwarves advancing, widely spaced across the egg cavern
Behind thes, and polished black scale--dragonscale!--about the shoulders The huge lowed and sparked like a log in the concentrated heat of a dwarf hearth
What was this? The dwarves weren’t carrying restraining poles and ropes Instead they bore great bowedthe bulk with another lifting the fletched end Others had cli ladders and spears, spears, and more spears, each with a thick crossbar to keep a pinioned dragon fro itself down the shaft toward the wielder
Hetoward a hole in the cavern roof above the egg shelf Mother flung Auron up after her, then nosed at Jizara
But Jizara stared out across the cavern, met his eyes