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He landed hard, righted hi necks projected froriffaran dove, claws out, like hawks after a running rabbit But this prey didn’t run

"Death to the Tyr, killer of hatchlings!" he shouted

Then he turned his snout to his shoulder and bit hiriffaran struck but he made no effort to resist; he didn’t even cry out as their talons tore flesh from neck and spine

The Copper drifted over the body Two riffaran, attracted by the war-screams of his escort, swooped down froround, the tail and one saa stuck in the air He’d seen stiff dead dragons before--too on was very young; his skin was striped with clear extrude where his wings had e

And he’d expended his life in trying to kill the Tyr

The Copper was so shocked he could hardly stay aloft It was one thing to have a defeated de member of your own society, without apparent quarrel, try to kill you He found that his sii and his tail were shaking

"Return to your nest, sir," Aiy-Yip, the chief of his personal guard, called "You two, keep close! Yes! Close! No tailfeather-slacking!"

So drakes, probably on a Drakwatch hike, were already trotting toward the scene He was Tyr--he shouldn’t just scuttle off to his hole

"There’s been an atteriffaran guard killed the dragon responsible I don’t knoho he is, but two of you watch the body and twohills"

Later he learned that the dragon’s name was RuPaleth He made a brief appearance to concerned ardens--yes, he was fine, just shocked, no, nothing was known of the rievance of the villain

NoSohoth told hiriffaran in the throne roos insult the fool shouted?"

His chief counselor shifted his stance and looked around, as he always did when choosing words "Why should on?"

"What hatchlings have I ever killed?"

"None, et his words"

But the Copper couldn’t forget thehlia’s brand of wine to cal had a dash of a flight

"An assassination attempt My love! My love! Oh, ickedness," she said, wide-eyed She ran her head this way and that, neck against his, as though checking for a hidden, festering bite

"Never mind It’s over"

She sniffed his breath "Who was it?"

"A young drake from milkdrinker’s hill RuPaleth"

"RuPaleth! I knew hiht for the eggs, but he was bit and the venom took hold Grew up stupid because of it That old tradition of squashing venoood one, I think They should never have abandoned it"

"So he wouldn’t have thought of this himself?" the Copper asked

"As I told you, my Tyr, his brain’s defor more wine? Itaway the thralls

"He’d never raved, or his parents would have squashed him for sure," Nilrasha said

"I ask because he said ‘Death to the Tyr, killer of hatchlings,’ " the Copper said

"Idiots," Nilrasha said "Those Anklenes--their brains are too big All they can do is dream up trouble"

"What’s that?"

"Well, Essea told me she’d been to Anklene Hill to see about a sculpture and she overheard a couple of young Anklenes gossiping, oron about how you probably poisoned the grain yourself to get the dragons stirred up and start another war now that the one with the demen is finished"

The Copper could only blink for a moment

"Sometimes, my love, I wish I’d never been named Tyr"

"Oh, don’t say that, my love Just today I ith the Firemaids and they all--all--praised you to me Since the victory in the Star Tunnel there’s been only one attack by the deer as there Ayafeeia rescued a dragonelle captive with some sad loss, but apart from that it’s been two full seasons noithout so much as a drakka taken in the Lower World"