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The Copper appreciated the hill’s difficulty more on the way up than on the trip down Especially with the weight of a drake supported by only three li up it, at least from the riverside

The wounded drake’s claws relaxed and he slipped off The drake’s tongue hung out as he breathed

"Can you grip my tail?"

The drake didn’t answer; he just closed his teeth around the Copper’s tail, then shut his eyes The cliht of the drake pulling at his tail, but he made it to the others

The wounded drake breathed no ht furiously The drakes would lose heart, staring at that cooling body

"I don’t know this drake What was his name?"

"Nirolf," another said

"This is Nirolf’s hill, then Let’s put hiood view of the fight"

"Why name a hill after one as vanquished?" a drake asked

The Copper didn’t have an answer, so he just snarled and rattled his griff until the drake backed away

Nivoh the wounded drakes as though wishing to avoid droppings

"What’s this about you re behind?" he asked

"I’m not so sure this battle is over"

"I around Those stone houses of the Ghi e"

"There’s still a fight in these drakes The Ghi men will learn that if they try to come up this hill"

"Your honor," a drake said "If there’re still fighting claws dug into this ground, I don’t want to leave it" He sniffed at one of his wounded felloith a scabby snout h of the unbled drakes had crept up to listen to the conversation, while still keeping their distance fros The duelist dragon licking at the wound in his chest formed a little hill all his own

"How do you propose this battle be fought? No wings, no mobility, and no hominid levees"

The Copper lowered his head "I’ll follow any order you wish to give, Co this hill and the wounded"

"You mean the vanquished"

HeBellereth lifted his massive scarred head "Not yet, drake"

The Copper felt a thought break loose in his mind "Yes! That’s the spirit Not yet That will be our battle cry Not yet"

Nivom took a deep breath "It’ll be dark soon We’ll post wind sentries on the adjoining hills If we get everyone out of sight they ht think we’ve left Then I’ll slip back with a siisa to the ford…"

The Copper could al fire bladders He looked across the river "Not yet, you milksops Not yet"

Chapter 17

A scent Nivoto tickle the base of the hill with silver fingers Night birds warbled a the existence of blood-caked spears and warfrom the skies