"Hasai! Not here! Not now!" Dithra hissed.
I blinked, finally noticed the hulking shapes that had begun shifting to the fore of Ahnkar's camp, eyes studying me intently. I sensed the trap, realized how close I was to destroying all of Dithra's careful work. Slowly I relaxed my posture, gave the apprehensive Eldest of the Council a small, ironic gesture of respect, then deliberately turned my back on him.
Dithra was studying me as well; I dipped my head slightly in apology. She hesitated for a moment more, then finally turned to greet the huge gray dragoness who stood at the fore of our clique. The elder dragoness, politely ignoring our momentary exchange, gestured a respectful welcome then began saying something in the growl-purr-hiss-click language of the dragons. She paused, however, when Dithra made a small gesture and looked to me. "Dear one, should I request--?"
I gave her a slight smile, nodded my thanks. "That won't be necessary, my Lady." I reached up with a single talon and tapped a certain, much-modified pattern laboriously etched into one of my scales. The pattern began to glow with a blue-black light, and after a moment I continued, this time using speech that fit my fanged jaws much more comfortably. "With the help of the one known as Stefan, I have not spent these past days unprofitably." I turned, gave the gray dragoness a small bow. "Your pardon, my Lady, if my words are less than perfect. I have found little chance as of yet to master our people's manner of speaking, and so I must resort to hasty artifice."
The Elder studied the softly glowing pattern for a moment, her eyes glinting with sharp interest. "Impressive, young one; quite impressive." Her eyes lifted to meet mine, and her gaze, if not particularly warm, also wasn't as cool as it was earlier. "That you would go to such effort says much about you, all of it good. Young Hasai, you may call me Sakiss. I am privileged to be considered Eldest of the Naatahn clan. You doubtlessly know us as the clan that guards the southern edge of Lady Dithra's territory." She paused minutely, then continued. "If I may be so bold as to inquire, I understand you and yours had a brief encounter with those who protect the Lady's eastern approaches, the people of the Sstahn clan, recently."
I gestured in the affirmative, thinking fast. "A chance encounter, yes, my Lady. The situation was concluded honorably and without incident, thanks to the one known as Tin'na'tak."
"Ah," replied Sakiss, her eyes growing thoughtful "then I shall convey your thanks, as well as that of clan Naatahn to the Eldest of the Sstahn, young Hasai. Tin'na'tak bore a great burden of honor in this instance, and evidently bore it well." The elder gave me a bow and gesture, both acknowledgement and dismissal, then turned to speak further with Dithra. "All is in readiness, my Lady," Sakiss murmured respectfully. "The Council is gathered by the request of the greater of strengths of the clans, and will hear your voice." She paused, then continued "We have also taken steps, in the event certain members of the Council decide upon something . . . rash."
Dithra glanced at me; I suppressed a knowing smirk. "I thank you, Lady Sakiss," Dithra replied. "We should not delay then. If you would honor us by beginning the audience?"
Sakiss dipped her head in acknowledgement, then turned and began to head for where the group representing Ahnkar's Council stood. Dithra and I trailed along behind her at a discreet distance, and she used the opportunity to quietly speak with me. "That was well done, young one; now Sakiss will wonder if we have a special understanding with the Sstahn, and will strive to put her people before them in our favor. Very well done. Now, however, it is my turn to speak, and mine alone. Ahnkar and others of the Council will try to provoke you, to have you give them an excuse to deal with you directly. You must not allow it. If you give them that excuse, or if you accept the onus of First Strike, we will have lost everything."
I nodded; it was the third time Dithra had warned me about this, though I diplomatically omitted pointing it out. For some reason, it felt good to know that even Lady Dithra could be a little nervous. . . .
"A voice wishes to be heard."
At Lady Sakiss' thunderous announcement, what little conversation that hadn't already faded away as she approached the Council now abruptly cut off. In the midst of the other Council members Ahnkar sat at ease, his eyes glittering coldly as he looked at the clan Eldest. "And to whom does this voice belong?" he asked.
"The voice is that of the Lady Dithra, former Eldest of the Council."
There was a murmur at the mentioning of Dithra's previous status, and Ahnkar's gaze grew even colder. Evidently the goading could go both ways-- "We will hear her speak," he intoned, and all eyes swung to us.
Dithra quietly took a deep breath and stepped forward. Sakiss bowed to her, deeply, then moved aside so Dithra could take her place. The gray-green dragoness settled herself while I took position to her left-rear, then she paused to scan the ranks of the Council. Her gaze finally settled on a spot roughly two meters above Ahnkar's head, as if the one who was supposed to be sitting in Ahnkar's place were somewhat . . . larger. "I wish to regain the position of Eldest upon the Council," she stated without preamble.
A sigh rippled through those assembled. Ahnkar simply stared stonily at Dithra until it faded. "And what is the strength behind this?" he asked, still following tradition's script.
Too easy, the wraith seething at the bottom of my soul whispered. He's up to something. I began scanning the crowd, searching for the assault that was sure to come as Dithra replied. "The greater of strengths within the clans, and within the Council."
"No! I will not permit this! This is an abomination!" Everyone blinked at the sudden outburst, turned to see Ksstha shouldering his way forward until he stood in front of the other Council members. A battle-scarred forepaw lifted to stab accusingly at Lady Dithra. "Reject her! Reject this . . . traitor!"
The epithet brought shocked hisses, and I tensed, readying myself for Ahnkar's gambit. But the banded dragon glared at Ksstha and made an abrupt slicing motion, dismay and irritation rippling across his form. "Lord Ksstha, this is not your time to speak. You will--"
"She consorts with humans!" snarled the ancient warrior "She gives them our secrets!" then the forepaw swung to point to me. "She has even brought one with her into our midst! Reject her! Destroy these ones who would doom us all!"
"You will be silent, or you will withdraw, Ksstha." Ahnkar thundered at his ally, his reaction leaving me totally at sea. Why? Why was Ahnkar trying to stifle Ksstha? If Ksstha successfully slandered me, then Dithra's power base would be seriously damaged. Ahnkar's actions made no sense--
"I have brought a human, Lord Ksstha?" Dithra smoothly interrupted, making a show of turning and examining my form closely. "Strange; Hasai certainly looks like a dragon," she murmured, drawing a ripple of amusement from our audience. "Are you a dragon, Hasai?"
Playing along, I bent my long neck around and gave myself a careful once-over. "It would seem so, Lady Dithra," I replied mildly, creating more amusement.
"No! It's form is dragon, but it's spirit is not! It's spirit is human! It is an abomination that must be destroyed!"
Now, that was a pretty steep insult, and in front of the most unimpeachable group of witnesses anyone could ever hope for. I now had perfect grounds for calling Ksstha out, right then and there, but as Dithra had asked, I remained silent.
"Hasai's spirit is not dragon?" purred Dithra, "And just how would you know anything about the state of Hasai's spirit, Lord Ksstha?"
That brought him up short. Huge reptilian eyes of every color imaginable glittered as they focused upon Ksstha, watched intently as he opened his jaws, glanced about himself, then closed them again. He was dangerously close to the edge. Rumors had circulated among the dragons regarding the encounter between Ksstha and myself in the jungles of Panama; Dithra had made sure of that. But without witnesses, against an elder dragon, that's all they would ever be. Rumors. Unless, however, he said just one more word, admitting his deeds not only before the Council but before the assembled elders of the clans. If he stated just how he knew, confessed to the use of a soul snare in an attempt to enslave another dragon, the only way Ksstha would leave this place would be in very small pieces.
Ksstha may indeed have sought death, but he would not throw his life away for nothing. In the end, his head drooped, his form sagging in defeat. "I will withdraw," he grated, each word sounding like it had to be dragged bodily from his jaws. "I . . . apologize . . . for my lack of manners." Without another word he turned and slowly limped from the room, his burning eyes fixed upon the concrete beneath his feet.