Read Online Dragonlance 10 - The Second Generation by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
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stones, Sara stood up and faced her son. "Someday, Steel, you will ride to war. Whether I approve or not, I will do my part to keep you safe." She clasped her hands.
"Oh, my son! Reconsider! Do not take these vows! Do not give up your soul—" The young man was exasperated. "We've gone over this before, Mother—" Sara flung herself at him, caught hold of him. "You don't mean it, Steel! I know you don't! You can't give your soul to Her Dark Majesty…"
"I don't know what you mean, Mother." Steel returned. He wrenched himself loose from his mother's grip.
"Yes, you do. You have doubts." Her voice dropped low, and she glanced somewhat nervously out the window into the rain-lashed dawn. "I know you do. That's why you've waited this long to take the vows. Don't let Ariakan pressure you—"
"The decision is mine, Mother!" Steel's voice had a knife's edge. "War is coming, as you say. Do you think I want to go into battle on foot, leading a party of hobgoblins, while men with half my ability fight on dragons, attain honor and glory? I will take the vows, and I will serve the Dark Queen to the best of my ability. As for my soul, it is my own. And it will stay that way. It belongs to no man, to no goddess."
"Not yet," Sara said.
Steel did not respond. Thrusting her aside, he stalked across the room, stood staring into the stew pot.
"Is that edible yet? I'm starving."
"Yes," said Sara, with a sigh, "it is hot. Sit down." At her sorrowful tone, he looked around, grudgingly remorseful. "You sit down, Mother. You look exhausted."
Respectful, attentive, he led Sara to a chair and held it for her. Sara sank into the chair, then gazed at him with wistful eyes. The young man obviously found her silent pleading disturbing. He turned from her abruptly. Ladling out two bowls of soup, he placed one in front of each of them. Sara stared at hers.
Steel began to eat his with a healthy appetite. Tanis let out a relieved breath and heard Caramon do the same. How long would it take the potion to act?
"You're not eating," Steel observed.
Sara was watching him. Her hands, beneath the table, were curled into fists in her lap. "Steel," she said, in a strange voice, "why have you never asked me about your father?" The young man shrugged. "Perhaps because I doubted that you would be able to give me an answer."
"Your mother told me who he was."
Steel grinned—a crooked grin that brought back such vivid, painful memories, Tanis was forced to shut his eyes.
"Kitiara told you what she thought you wanted to hear, Mother. It's all right. Ariakan has told me all about Kitiara. He told me about my father, as well," Steel added offhandedly.
"He did?" Sara was astonished. The hands in her lap ceased to move.
"Well, not his name." Steel ate more stew. "But everything else about him." Damn, this is a slow—acting potion! Tanis thought.
"Ariakan said my father was a valiant warrior," Steel continued, "a noble man who died courageously, gave his life for the cause he believed in. But Ariakan warned me that I must never try to learn my father's identity. 'It carries with it a curse, that will fall on you, if you come to know the truth.' An odd thing to say, but you know what a romantic Ariakan is…"
The spoon fell from Steel's nerveless fingers. "What the—" Blinking, he put his hand to his forehead. "I feel so strange…"
Suddenly, his eyes focused. He drew in a breath. He tried to stand, but swayed on his feet.
"What… have you done?… Traitor! No, I won't let—"
Lurching forward, he reached out a shaking hand, then fell across the table, sending the bowls flying. He made one last, feeble effort to rise, then collapsed there, unconscious.
"Steel!" Sara bent over him and brushed back the dark, curly hair from the handsome, stern face.
"Oh, my son…"
Tanis hurried from behind the curtain, Caramon on his heels.
"He's out cold and will be for some time by the looks of it. Well, Caramon, what do you think?" Tanis studied the young man's
"Oh, my son! Reconsider! Do not take these vows! Do not give up your soul—" The young man was exasperated. "We've gone over this before, Mother—" Sara flung herself at him, caught hold of him. "You don't mean it, Steel! I know you don't! You can't give your soul to Her Dark Majesty…"
"I don't know what you mean, Mother." Steel returned. He wrenched himself loose from his mother's grip.
"Yes, you do. You have doubts." Her voice dropped low, and she glanced somewhat nervously out the window into the rain-lashed dawn. "I know you do. That's why you've waited this long to take the vows. Don't let Ariakan pressure you—"
"The decision is mine, Mother!" Steel's voice had a knife's edge. "War is coming, as you say. Do you think I want to go into battle on foot, leading a party of hobgoblins, while men with half my ability fight on dragons, attain honor and glory? I will take the vows, and I will serve the Dark Queen to the best of my ability. As for my soul, it is my own. And it will stay that way. It belongs to no man, to no goddess."
"Not yet," Sara said.
Steel did not respond. Thrusting her aside, he stalked across the room, stood staring into the stew pot.
"Is that edible yet? I'm starving."
"Yes," said Sara, with a sigh, "it is hot. Sit down." At her sorrowful tone, he looked around, grudgingly remorseful. "You sit down, Mother. You look exhausted."
Respectful, attentive, he led Sara to a chair and held it for her. Sara sank into the chair, then gazed at him with wistful eyes. The young man obviously found her silent pleading disturbing. He turned from her abruptly. Ladling out two bowls of soup, he placed one in front of each of them. Sara stared at hers.
Steel began to eat his with a healthy appetite. Tanis let out a relieved breath and heard Caramon do the same. How long would it take the potion to act?
"You're not eating," Steel observed.
Sara was watching him. Her hands, beneath the table, were curled into fists in her lap. "Steel," she said, in a strange voice, "why have you never asked me about your father?" The young man shrugged. "Perhaps because I doubted that you would be able to give me an answer."
"Your mother told me who he was."
Steel grinned—a crooked grin that brought back such vivid, painful memories, Tanis was forced to shut his eyes.
"Kitiara told you what she thought you wanted to hear, Mother. It's all right. Ariakan has told me all about Kitiara. He told me about my father, as well," Steel added offhandedly.
"He did?" Sara was astonished. The hands in her lap ceased to move.
"Well, not his name." Steel ate more stew. "But everything else about him." Damn, this is a slow—acting potion! Tanis thought.
"Ariakan said my father was a valiant warrior," Steel continued, "a noble man who died courageously, gave his life for the cause he believed in. But Ariakan warned me that I must never try to learn my father's identity. 'It carries with it a curse, that will fall on you, if you come to know the truth.' An odd thing to say, but you know what a romantic Ariakan is…"
The spoon fell from Steel's nerveless fingers. "What the—" Blinking, he put his hand to his forehead. "I feel so strange…"
Suddenly, his eyes focused. He drew in a breath. He tried to stand, but swayed on his feet.
"What… have you done?… Traitor! No, I won't let—"
Lurching forward, he reached out a shaking hand, then fell across the table, sending the bowls flying. He made one last, feeble effort to rise, then collapsed there, unconscious.
"Steel!" Sara bent over him and brushed back the dark, curly hair from the handsome, stern face.
"Oh, my son…"
Tanis hurried from behind the curtain, Caramon on his heels.
"He's out cold and will be for some time by the looks of it. Well, Caramon, what do you think?" Tanis studied the young man's
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