a very ancient tie between the Eldar and the dragons.'
Alendhae insisted upon serving the two dragons before he related the legend of the Eldar and the origin of the dragons, setting their trays before them. While they sat and ate, he poured them large cups of fruit wine as he began the tale.
'It is a very ancient legend and may or may not be true,' he began. 'The Eldar lived many thousands of years ago. We built great kingdoms of our own at a time when we were alone in the world, long before the coming of men or dwarves. Ours was a race of powerful wizards, far stronger in our magic than the modern elves. In time we became beings partly of magic and partly mortal, like the dragons themselves.
'Then, at the very height of our civilization, our race became so strong in magic, our wizards so infused with power, that we could no longer contain the magic within ourselves. A time of great turmoil came upon us, and our entire race was ripped asunder by our own magic. Many of our more powerful magic-users evolved into the race of dragons, that being the reason why the higher dragon forms retain the ability to assume the Eldar form, just as many Eldar can take the form of a small gray dragon. This would also seem to explain the origin of the drakes, an intermediate form.
'But while a part of our people became dragons, the magic was ripped away from other members of our race, and those became the modern elves, diminished in power, in stature, and in their span of years, for modern elves live only a few hundred years, while the Eldar, like the dragons, live for thousands. A small core of our race remained unchanged from what we were before, and that core still survives here in Wind-reach. I cannot say if this legend has any truth, although there is much evidence to support it. Both the draconic and elven inhabitants of Windreach are very fond of this tale, and most prefer to believe it, since it binds the civilized dragons and the Eldar in almost brotherly ties.'
'The Great One himself acknowledges the strong possibility of that tie, although it happened long before he became an Immortal,' Kharendaen added. 'But the ties between the dragons and the elves remain until this day. That is why many elves recognize the patronage of the Great One and some even serve as his clerics. It is also why the dragons stay out of the lands and the affairs of the elves. Even the renegades usually leave them alone.'
Once the two dragons had eaten, Alendhae led them to the bathing pools deeper within the mountain. Each of the pools was more than large enough to hold three or four dragons, so there was plenty of room for the two of them to recline in ease. Kharendaen immediately submerged herself up to her nose, but Thelvyn lowered himself gingerly into the steaming water. The gentle warmth of the water needed several minutes before it began to penetrate his tough armor, soothing muscles that still felt the strain of his recent battles and long flights.
Thelvyn had never before had a warm bath, at least not as a dragon. He could never have imagined heating enough water, so he had resigned himself to cold dips in icy mountain lakes. While life encased in armor had been less bothersome than he had feared, having a hide that could turn arrows was still uncomfortable, and the warm bath was very soothing. After some time, he retreated to a corner of the pool where the water was deep enough for him to sit up on his haunches with his head just above the water. Kharendaen drifted over and pressed herself close against him. He gathered her in his arms and held her tightly.
'Do you still have any complaints about being a dragon?' she asked.
'Did I ever complain?' he asked in turn. 'It meant being with you. I always thought you were the most beautiful, graceful lady I had ever seen. Of course, such feelings were a matter of some confusion to me for the five years we were together before I knew that I was a dragon.'
Kharendaen smiled teasingly. 'Even if I don't have long legs like Solveig?'
'Well, she doesn't have your long neck.'
Thelvyn suddenly raised his head and lifted his ears, turning his head as if listening to some distant voice. Kharendaen fell silent, and she lifted her own ears as if she, too, could catch the sound of that voice, even if she did not understand the words.
'We are called,' Thelvyn said at last, turning to face his mate. 'There is much that the Great One wants me to know before I face the Parliament of Dragons. Sir George is requested to come as well. I wonder where he has gone off to.'
'He went out early to bathe,' Alendhae answered, approaching from where he had been standing near the door. 'He is with my own people presently, but he can be summoned at once.'
The dragons pulled themselves out of the pool and dried themselves quickly before they hurried back to Daresha's lair. Kharendaen hastened to slip back into her saddle, while Thelvyn thought it best to put on the Collar of the Dragons. By the time they were ready to leave, Sir George was escorted in by a couple of Eldar who had been assigned to serve him.
'Where are we going?' he asked as he collected his hat and climbed into the saddle.
'We are on our way to meet with the Great One,' Thelvyn said, then paused and looked perplexed. 'But where? I just realized that I have no idea where we should go.'
'The Great One's sacred place here in Windreach is at the top of his own hall,' Kharendaen explained, glancing over her shoulder at Sir George. 'You might not be very happy about going there, but we will try to keep you safe.'
'Try?' Sir George asked, but the dragons were already on their way out to the ledge before he could question her further.
They paused for a moment on the ledge, taking a moment to look about. This was Thelvyn's first chance to have a good look at the hidden city of Windreach, since they had arrived late the previous night. Most of the lairs of the dragons who lived or regularly visited the city were located along the steep inner wall of the dead volcano, and he could see at least a couple of thousand ledges like the one where they now stood. The lairs themselves seemed draconic enough, but the great city, with its many tall buildings in the floor of the volcano, was far different from anything he had expected.
Later, when he had the time for a tour of Windreach, he would learn the names and functions of many of the buildings he saw. In one part of the city stood perhaps the largest university in all the world, in size if not in actual attendance, which was also a school of magic, where wizards of other races would have given all they had to study under dragon mages who knew disciplines of magic far in advance of their own, if they had only known that such a place even existed. There was a great library with books that had been gathered for thousands of years, many from the time before the Rain of Fire, ancient texts from a hundred or more nations that had risen and fallen again throughout history, some already forgotten to the outside world.
Perhaps what surprised Thelvyn most, at least at first, was that Windreach, like all cities, had large areas devoted to shops and markets. The elves of Wendar in the wild, forested mountains surrounding Windreach were under the protection of the dragons and traded with them freely, not only food but also wood, metals, and gems for a variety of uses. Dragon craftsmen kept workrooms throughout many parts of the city, where they made such things as furnishings for their lairs, weapons and leather harnesses, and other goods that dragons needed or fancied. One of the most common professions practiced here was the making of jewelry, since dragons throughout the world often brought parts of their treasures here to be reworked from human, elvish, or dwarvish forms into jewelry of their own styles and proportions. The jewelers of Windreach were among the most skilled in the world, many having practiced their art for hundreds of years.
Several hundred dragons were in residence at Windreach at all times. Due to the wishes of the Great One, even the shape-changing dragons remained in draconic form at all times while they were here. Windreach was a place of rare honor and trust among the dragons. Many of the permanent residents kept their hoards here under only a minimum of security, without fear of theft, and fights or duels between dragons were strictly forbidden. Only rare battles of supreme political dominance were tolerated, and those fights had to be ta' ken outside the city.
Drakes and other dragon-kin were permitted as long as they were of intelligent breeds, but the dragon-kin typically found the company of true dragons intimidating. Renegade dragons were not trusted and were never permitted; they would almost certainly be slain if they tried to enter, especially after the theft of the Collar of the Dragons, for dragons who did not conform to draconic law were not tolerated. No other races were permitted. Humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings approaching under innocent circumstances would be turned away, while thieves and mercenary adventurers and any evil humanoids would be slain. The only exception was the Eldar. The wild elves of Wendar were left to themselves.
The most outstanding and remarkable feature in all of Wind-reach was the Hall of the Great One. Standing
