Dragonlance 10 - The Second Generation by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman Read Free Book Online

either Tanis or Laurana would be tantamount to offending the elves, and the knights would never do such a thing. Would they, Caramon?"
    "I s'pose." Caramon looked dizzy. Events were happening too fast. Tika knew this was the case, knew how to handle her husband. She had to keep things moving fast.
    If once he stopped and got to thinking about it, he'd never budge. As it was, she could already see him mulling it over.
    "Maybe we should wait until the boys come back from the plains," he hedged.
    "No time, dear," Tika said, having anticipated this. "You know that they always spend a month with Riverwind and Goldmoon, going out hunting and learning woodcraft and that sort of thing. Besides, once they set eyes on Goldmoon's beautiful daughters, our boys will be even less anxious to leave. Now, off with you." She pushed Caramon, blinking and scratching his head, toward the door that led back to their private chambers. "Do you remember how to reach Tanis's castle?"
    "Yes, I remember!" Caramon snapped quickly.
    Too quickly. And therefore Tika knew he didn't remember; he was having to think about it, which was good, because that meant he'd be occupied with trying to figure out how to reach Tanis's dwelling for the length of time it would take him to get ready. Which meant he'd be well on his way before it occurred to him to consider anything else.
    Like the danger.
    Once he was out of sight, Tika's briskness evaporated. Her shoulders sagged. Sara, keeping watch out the window, turned at the sudden silence. Seeing the bleak and unhappy look on Tika's face, Sara walked over to stand beside her.
    "Thank you for what you've done. I know this can't be easy for you to let him go. I won't say there isn't any danger. That would be lying. But you're right. I have thought of a way to sneak him inside the fortress. And taking Tanis Half-Elven with us is an excellent idea."
    "I should be used to it," said Tika, clutching the meat sack in her hands. "I sent my two boys off yesterday. They're younger than your son. They want to be knights. I smile when I tell them goodbye. I call after them that I'll see them in a week or a month or whatever. And I don't let myself think that I may not, that I may never see them again. But the knowledge is there, in my heart."
    "I understand," said Sara, "I've done it myself. But at least you know your boys are riding in the sunlight. They are not shrouded by darkness…" She put her hand to her mouth and choked back a sob.
    Tika put her arm around her.
    "What if I'm too late?" Sara cried in a low voice. "I should have come sooner, but… I never believed he would really go through with it. I always hoped he would give it up!"
    "It will be all right," Tika soothed her. "It will all be all right." Caramon came out of the bedroom. He was draped in chain mail, which fit well over his shoulders, but didn't quite do its job covering his middle. The big man wore an aggrieved expression.
    "You know, Tika," he said, solemnly, staring down at the clanking mail with a frown. "I don't remember this stuff being this heavy."

Chapter Five
Tanis Half-Elven Has An Unpleasant Surprise
    Caramon did finally recall how to reach Tanis's castle, located in Solanthus, but he knew the directions only by traveling overland, not by dragon back. Sara, however, was familiar with the entire continent of Ansalon—a familiarity Caramon found disquieting.
    "Ariakan has excellent maps," she said, in some confusion.
    Caramon wondered just why the Knights of Takhisis had excellent maps of the continent. Unfortunately, the reason wasn't difficult to guess.
    The journey took hardly any time at all. Far too little time, for Caramon, who sat hunched on the back of the dragon saddle, cold and hungry (he'd long since eaten the meat), all the sleep startled out of him. He was trying to think of how he was going to explain this strange tale to his friend Tanis. And what if Tanis is the father? Caramon mulled the matter over. Am I doing him a favor by