The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume I: Volume I

against the kingdom if the Rovers decided to replace their lost men with babies born to Coronnan.
    “Have the marketplaces watched. Rovers are adept at hiding. But their wares are unique. If you see some of their distinctive metalwork, then you know a Rover is lurking nearby.”
    “Their crafts are indeed distinctive, creative, and in many ways superior to ours. If we alert the populace to beware, perhaps we can learn something from these strange tribes.”
    “At what cost, magician?”
    “The border was established for a reason, Your Grace. Perhaps those reasons were shortsighted. Have we really benefited from three hundred years of isolation?”
    “‘We trade with friends. We have avoided invasion. What more can we want?”
    “Stimulation, creativity. Sometimes security leads to complacency. That has left us ill-prepared now that danger threatens.” And the magic faded. They had no knowledge of the rogues who had been banished and might seek revenge.
    “We still have armies. We can fight off any invasion.”
    “A very small number of troops who have grown soft with easy living. They are more concerned with the color of their uniforms than with how to wield a sword.”
    Fashions hadn’t changed; artisans still held to traditional forms, good in their way but lacking imagination. Even at the University there had been no exploration of new techniques, not even new medicines. The secret technology of the Stargods had revealed nothing new in the heavens for generations.
    Young people lacked the stimulation to grow beyond their parents. Without that growth there was only stagnation, decay, and death. Now that he thought about it, Baamin saw all the symptoms clearly. He was as guilty of complacency as everyone else.
    “Baamin, bring your journeymen home this very day. I would question them on the things they have seen. We must right the wrongs immediately, before our jealous neighbors steal our bounty.” Darcine delivered his royal speech as if reciting instructions. “You will reestablish the border, or I will have to replace you at the University. Lord Krej has recommended someone.”

Chapter 11
     
    B revelan couldn’t delay much longer. “It’s time.” Jaylor’s words cut through Brevelan’s tumbled thoughts. Dawn crept above the treetops. Birds greeted the sunlight with raucous song.
    The sun was high enough for her to see the path up the mountain. “I must . . . I must . . .” She sought an excuse to remain. There was nothing left to do except leave. She had packed enough food for the two of them for three days. Their bedding was neatly rolled into Jaylor’s pack. Her house and the clearing were in order.
    “You can’t stay, Brevelan. It’s no longer safe. The villagers followed Old Thorm and broke through the clearing’s magic. They found you once. Shayla won’t stop them next time.” His hand was gentle on her arm, urging her out of the hut.
    “If I leave, nothing will be the same when I return,” she protested.
    “Already things change. A rogue magician has altered the path of all our futures. We must leave.” This time Jaylor’s tone was firmer.
    “My animals. I must see to them.” She hesitated as a lop-eared rabbit appeared among the ferns. Its nose wiggled in greeting.
    “You have already told them to disperse. The clearing’s magic can no longer shelter them.”
    He was right. She had sent each of her pets an image appropriate to its understanding. They must fend for themselves, take their chances in the wild, until she returned.
    If she returned.
    “Why must I go with you? Without you here the rogue will pass me by.”
    “You heard Old One-eye last night. He wants to kill Wolf as much as he wants to burn you alive.” Jaylor allowed that thought to sink in. “Besides, Shayla said you are the only one who can find the path.”
    “Shayla.” She started to smile at the mention of her friend. The usual warmth and closeness she felt with the dragon faded with the memory of flames flickering through the clearing last night. Deep inside she had felt not only her own relief and Shayla’s battle lust but also the real terror of the villagers, her villagers. It was not unlike the sensation of pain and death she felt every time one of her animals lost its life to a predator. “She seems to be demanding a lot.”
    “She protects you and the wolf.” Jaylor’s tone was insistent.
    “From stray rogue magicians? Why?” They had both been reluctant to discuss the strange