Spring
Dragons of Spring Dawning
Chronicles, Volume Three
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
“‘Interesting.’ Raistlin coughed the word.
Tanis glanced at him sharply. ‘What’s interesting?’
‘I’ve never heard you lie before, Half-Elf,’ Raistlin said softly. ‘I find it… quite… fascinating.'” (17)
“Astinus did not look up from his writing, though the door did not often open while he was engaged in work. The historian could count the number of times on his fingers. One of those times had been during the Cataclysm. That had disturbed his writing, he recalled, remembering with disgust the spilled ink that had ruined a page.” (57)
“This day, as above Restful Hour climbing 29, a young man died on our doorstep.
‘Get his name,’ Astinus said without looking up or pausing in his writing, ‘so that I may record it. Be certain as to the spelling. And find out where he’s from and his age, if he’s not too far gone.'” (57)
“‘I? Turn my back on the world?’ Astinus’s voice rolled around the library as the thunder had rolled previously. ‘I am the world, as you well know, old friend! Countless times I have been born! Countless deaths I have died! Every tear shed- mine have flowed! Every drop of blood spilled- mine has drained! Every agony, every joy felt has been mine to share!
‘I sit with my hand on the Sphere of Time, the sphere you made for me, old friend, and I travel the length and breadth of this world chronicling its history. I have committed the blackest deeds! I have made the noblest sacrifices. I am human, elf, and ogre. I am male and female. I have born children. I have murdered children. I saw you as you were. I see you as you are. If I seem cold and unfeeling, it is because that is how I survive without losing my sanity! My passion goes into my words. Those who read my books know what it is to have lived in any time, in any body that ever walked this world.'” (65-66) ((Astinus, my great patron, talking to Raistlin))
“‘I tell you, it was Raistlin!’
‘And I tell you, one more of your furry-elephant, teleporting-ring, plants-live-off-air stories and I’ll twist that hoopak around your neck!’ Flint snapped angrily.
‘It was too Raistlin,’ Tasslehoff retorted, but he said it under his breath…” (68)
“Flint snorted. The kender was beginning to make sense- a fact which caused the dwarf to shake his head and wonder if maybe he shouldn’t lie down somewhere out of the sun.” (71)
“I should go back, Tas thought, but he couldn’t. The curiosity that did more than anything in the world to reduce the kender population kept drawing him forward.” (73)
“And she knew that the generals of the Palanthian army, the temporary commanders of the Solamnic knights, and other nobles -advisors from the City Senate- were the ones making her feel fragile and defenseless. All of them reminded her with every look that she was -to them- a woman playing at being a soldier. All right, she had done well. She had fought her little war and she had won. Now- back to the kitchen…” (75)
“‘I don’t think it’s so terrible,’ Laurana said earnestly, her mind’s eye remembering the Tower and the city around it. ‘The Tower… seems right somehow. Your city is very beautiful, but sometimes it’s such a cold, perfect beauty that I don’t notice it anymore.’ Looking out the other windows, Laurana was enchanted with the view as she had been when she first entered Palanthas. ‘But after seeing that- that flaw in your city, it makes the beauty stand out in my mind… if you understand…'” (76)
“‘Bah! The man was mad.’ Lord Amothus sniffed. ‘No man is master of past and present- unless it be you, Astinus.’
‘I am not master!’ Astinus said is such hollow, ringing tones that everyone in the room stared at him. ‘I remember the past, I record the present. I do not seek to dominate either!'” (81)
“I’m trapped, Laurana realized. She would have to sit here the rest of the afternoon, smiling and waving and enduring speech after speech praising her heroism when all she wanted was to lie down in some dark, cool place and sleep. And it was all a lie, all a sham. If only they knew the truth. What if she stood up and told them she was so frightened during the battles that she could remember details only in her nightmares? Told them that she was nothing but a gamepiece for the knights? Told them that she was here only because she had run away from her home- a spoiled little girl chasing after a half-elven man who didn’t love her. What would they say?” (125-126)
“Tasslehoff wandered off. Cries of ‘Thief! Thief!’ rang out behind him. A town guardsman appeared, forcing Tas to duck into a butcher’s shop to avoid being run over. Shaking his head over the corruption in the world, the kender glanced about, hoping for a glimpse of the culprit.” (128)
“Tika saw the love in his eyes. She caught her breath. He drew her near. His heart beating faster, he whispered, ‘I’ll give you what I can of myself, Tika, if you’ll settle for that. I wish, for your sake, it was more.’
‘I love you!’ was all she said, clasping him around the neck.
He wanted to be certain she understood. ‘Tika-‘ he began.
‘Hush, Caramon…'” (182)
“They don’t understand. They don’t need me. Even Tika doesn’t need me- not like Raist needed me. They never heard him wake screaming in the night when he was little. We were left alone so much, he and I. There was no one in the darkness to hear him and comfort him but me. He could never remember those dreams, but they were awful. His thin body shook with fear. His eyes were wild with the sight of terrors only he could see. He clutched at me, sobbing. And I’d tell him stories or make funny shadow-pictures on the wall to drive away the horror.
‘Look, Raist,’ I’d say, ‘bunnies…’ and I’d hold up two fingers and wiggle them like rabbit’s ears.
After awhile, he’d stop trembling. He wouldn’t smile or laugh. He never did either, much, even when he was little. But he would relax.
‘I must sleep. I am so tired,’ he’d whisper, holding my hand fast. ‘But you stay awake, Caramon. Guard my sleep. Keep them away. Don’t let them get me.’
‘I’ll stay awake. I won’t let anything hurt you, Raist!’ I’d promise.
Then he would smile- almost- and, exhausted, his eyes would close. I kept my promise. I would stay awake while he slept. And it was funny. Maybe I did keep them away, because as long as I was awake and watching, the nightmares never came to him.” (191-192)
“‘And you’ll fail,’ Caramon said. ‘Is that what you want? Are you going off just to find a way to die that will end your guilt? If so, I can offer you my sword right now. But if you truly want to free Laurana then you’re going to need help.’
‘The gods have reunited us,’ Goldmoon said gently. They have brought us together again in our time of greatest need. It is a sign from the gods, Tanis. Don’t deny it.'” (210)
“‘I know now, after I’ve had time to think,’ Gilthanis continued softly, ‘that what Laurana did was right. She had to go, or her love would have been meaningless.'” (213)
“‘Did the gods really live in the place we’re going to?’ Tas asked him to keep him from bothering Tanis.
‘How should I know?’ Fizban demanded irritably. ‘Do I look like a god?'” (240)
“‘I have captured their Golden General, Tanis. I have taken their good luck charm, their beautiful elven warrior. She wasn’t a bad general, either, for that matter. She brought them the dragonlances and taught them to fight. Her brother brought back the good dragons, but everyone credits her. She kept the knights together, when they should have split apart long before this. And you want me to exchange her for’ -Kitiara gestured contemptuously- ‘a half-elf who’s been wandering the countryside in the company of kender, barbarians, and dwarves!’
Kitiara began to laugh again, laughing so hard she was forced to sit down and wipe the tears from her eyes. ‘Really, Tanis, you have a high opinion of yourself. What do you think I’d take you back for? Love?'” (277)
“‘I’m alone…’ thought Caramon bleakly. ‘I’ve lost them… lost them all. I must go after them. He started toward the stairs, then stopped. ‘No, there’s Barem. He’s alone, too. Tika’s right. He needs me now. He needs me.'” (300)
“‘You see, Tanis? I’m not the love-sick child you knew. I’m not my father’s daughter, living in my father’s court. I’m not even the Golden General. I am Laurana. And I will live or die on my own without your help.'” (333)
“‘Raistlin! You have on black robes! How wonderful! Can I touch them? Oh, all right. You needn’t glare at me like that. It’s just that they look so soft. Say, does this mean you’re truly bad now? Can you do something evil for me, so I can watch? I know! I saw a wizard summon a demon once. Could you do that? Just a small demon? You could send him right back. No?’ Tas sighed in disappointment.” (351)
“Self consciously, Tika put her hand on her filthy hair, felt it matted with blood. Her white, puffy-sleeved barmaid’s blouse hung from her in rags, barely decent; her mismatched armor was all that held it together in places. Unbecoming scars marred the smooth flesh of her shapely legs, and there was far too much shapely leg visible.
Laurana smiled, and then Tika smiled. It didn’t matter, coming to her swiftly, Laurana put her arms around her, and Tika held her close.” (368)
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