When Laurana timidly offered to instruct the knights in the use of the lances, Derek snorted in derision. Lord Alfred stared out the window at the campfires burning on the horizon. Laurana turned to Sturm to see her fears confirmed.

'"Laurana;' he said gently, taking her cold hand in his, "I don't think the Highlord will even bother to send dragons. If we cannot reopen the supply lines, the Tower will fall because there will be only the dead left to defend it:"

So the dragarulances lay in the courtyard, unused, forgotten, their bright silver buried beneath the snow.

A Keenders Curiousity. The Knights ride forth.

Sturm and Flint walked the battlements the night of Sturm"s knighting, reminiscing-

'A well of pure silver-shining like a jewel-within the heart of the Dragon Mountain;' Flint said, awe his voice. "And it was from that silver Theros forged the dragonlances:'

"I should have liked-above all things-to have seen Huma's Tomb' Sturm said quietly. Staring out at the campfires on the horizon, he stopped, resting his hand on the ancient stone wall. Torchlight from a nearby window shone on his thin face.

"You will", said the dwarf `When this is finished, we'll go back. Tas drew a map-not that it's likely to be any good-'

As he grumbled on about Tas, Flint studied his other old friend with concern. The knight's face was grave and melancholy-not unusual for Sturm. But there was something new, a calmness about him that came not from serenity, but from despair.

– We'll go there together;" he continued, trying to forget about his hunger. "You and Tanis and I. And the kender, too, I suppose, plus Caramon and Raistlin. I never thought I'd miss that skinny mage, but a magic-user might be handy now, it's just as well Caraman's not here. Can you imagine the belly-aching we'd hear about missing a couple of meals?"

Sturm smiled absently, his thoughts far away. When he spoke it was obvious he hadn't heard a word the dwarf said.

"Flint;` he began, his voice soft and subdued, "we need only one day of warm weather to open the road. When that day comes, take Laurana and Tas and leave. Promise me:'

"We should all leave if you ask me!" the dwarf snapped. "Pull ',he knights back to Palanthas. We could hold that town against e, en dragons, I'll wager. Its buildings are good solid stone. Not like this place!" The dwarf glanced around the human-built rower with scorn. "Palanthas could be defended:"

Sturm shook his head. "The people won't allow it. They cart only for their beautiful city. As fang as they think it can be saved, they won't fight. No, we must make our stand here."

"`you Nan't have a chance;" Flint argued.

"Yes, me dar' Sturm replied, "if we car just hold out until the apply lanes can be firmly established, lrVe've got enough manpower. 7" hat's why flee dragonarmies haven't attacked-'

"Tlrere~a another wax;" came .a vocre.

'Sturm, and Flint turned. The torchlight fell an a gaunt face, and Sturm's expression hardened.

"What way is that, L=ard Derek?" Sturm .asked with deliberate aolitenes.

'-You axed Gunthar ;believe 4•au have defeated me:' Derek said, ignc_ring the question. His voice eras soft and shaking with hatred as he shared at Sturm. "But you haven't! By one heroic act,. I twill leave the knights in my palrru'-Derek iield out 'hi's mailer" hand, the arr,or (Dashing in the firelight-"and you and C,anthar will be finished!.' Slowly, he clenched his fist.

"I was under the impression our war was out there, with the dragonarmies," Sturm said.

"Don't give me that self-righteous twaddle!" Derek snarled. "Enjoy your knighthood, Brightblade. You paid enough for it. What did you promise the elf woman in return for her lies? Marriage? 'Make a respectable woman of her?"

"I cannot fight you-according to the Measure-but I do not have to listen to you insult a woman who is as good as she is courageous;' Sturm said, turning upon his heel to leave.

"Don't you ever walk away From me!" Derek cried. Leaping forward, he grabbed Sturm's shoulder. Sturm whirled in anger, his hand on his sword. Derek reached for his weapon as well, and it seemed for a moment that the Measure might be forgotten. But Flint laid a restraining hand oar his friend. Sturm drew a deep breath arid lifted this hand away from the hilt.

"Say what you have to say, Derek!" Sturm's voice quivered,

"You're finished, Brightblade. Tomorrow I'm leading knights onto the field. No more skulking in this miserable r prison. By tomorrow night, my name will be legend!'

Flint looked up at Sturm in alarm. The knight's face drained of blood. "Derek;' Sturm said softly; "you're There are thousands of them! They'll cut you to ribbonst"

"Yes, that's what you'd like to see, isn't it?" Deaek snee 'Be ready at dawn, Brightblade:'

That eight, TasslehofE-cold, hungry, ands boreal-deci that the beak way to take his mind off his stomach was explore his surroundings. There are plenty of places to things here, thought Tas. This is one of the strangest bull I've ever sees.

The Torwer of the High Clerist sat =o:idly .against the west I• of the tNestgate Pass, the Dnly canyon pass, that crossed; Habbakuk Flange of mountains separating eastern Sole , from Pa]anthas. As the Dragon Hig~alord knew, anyone to reach Pal anthaa other than by this route would have vet hundreds of miles around the mountains, or Ehro deser:, ar by sea. And ships entering the Gates of Pal.adiare' easy targets for the gnomes' fire-throwing catapults.

The High. Clerist's Tavrea had beer. built during the ?Wok. Flint knew a lot .about the archi.=ecture of this

35'~

the dwarves having been instrumental in designing and building most of it. But they had not built ar designed this Tower. In fact, Flint wondered who had--figuring the person must have beenreither drunk or insane.

An outer curtain wall of stale formed an octagon as the Tower's base. Each point of the octagonal wall was surmounted by a turret. Battlements ran along the top of the curtain wall between turrets. A inner octagonal wall formed the base of a series of towers and buttresses tha t swept gracefully upward to the central Tower itself.

This was fairly standard design, but what puzzled the dwarf was the lack of internal defense points.. Three great steel doers breached the outer wall, instead of one door-as would seem most reasonable, since three doors took an incredible number of men to defend. Each door opened into a narrow courtyard at the far end of which stood a partcullia leading directly into a huge hallway. Each of these three h.a]]way^s met in the heart of the Tower itself!

"Might as well invite the enemy inside for tea!'` the dwarf had

grumbled. "Stupidest way to build a fortress I ever says;.^•

No one entered the Tower. To. the knights, it was i~a.G-i.olate.

The only one who could enter the Tower was the High Clerist t

himself, and since there was no High Clerist, the knig)4t.s would

defend the Tower walls with their lives, but not one of them could set foot in its sacred halls.

Originally the Tower had merely guarded the pass, not

blocked it. But the Palanthians had later built an addition to

the main structure that sealed off tl~:e pass, It was in this addition that the knights and the footmen were living- No one even thought of entering the Tower itself.

No one except Tasslehoff.

Driven by his insatiable curiosit~r and his gnawing hunger, the kender made his way along the to

knights on guard duty eyed him p of the outer wall. The

one hand, their wari .IX 'gripping their swards

purses in the atiher„ Hut they relaxed' ass soon theas he passed, and Tas was able to. slip down the steps into the central courtyard. only shadows walked down here. The torches burned, no guard was posted. Broad steps le.d up to 6e steel portcullis Tas padded up the stairs toward the great yawning archway and peered eagerly through the bars. Nothing. He sighed. The darkness beyond was so intense he might have been staring into the Abyss itself.