Age of Swords (The Legends of the First Empire #2)

“What about the swords you wanted? Aren’t you going to ask for them too?”

Persephone shook her head. “No. You won’t give them to me. Even if I threatened to lay waste to all of Caric with the dragon. It’s not a matter of stubbornness. It’s fear. And I can’t persuade you with one threat when you see the alternative as worse. You’re afraid the Fhrey will learn that you gave us weapons. And they terrify you more than a dragon in your house.”

“The elves nearly erased us,” Gronbach said. “They wanted to; they still do. Our only hope is to give them no cause.”

Persephone nodded. “I’ve heard that argument before.”

Rain spat on the floor and said something to Gronbach that made the mayor scowl.

“Do we have a deal?” Persephone asked.

“How will you get rid of this dragon?” Gronbach asked.

“The same way we got rid of Balgargarath. And in case you have any ideas about going back on your word again, you’ll face worse than a dragon. Betray me again, and I’ll wipe out all of Caric. You can kill the few of us, but if you do, you’ll sign the death warrant of every single person here. Understand?”

Gronbach nodded. “So you say.”

“Now, we will require one thing. To destroy the dragon, we’ll need a sword.”

“I’m told this one has her own sword.” Gronbach pointed at Moya.

“True, but to slay the dragon we need a special sword. It will have to be made. Show him the tablets, Brin.”

The girl was still being held and couldn’t move.

“Let them go,” Gronbach ordered with a frustrated groan.

Brin looked to Persephone.

“Show him,” she said.

Brin had used her breckon mor to make a sling for several of the Old One’s tablets. She unwrapped them and laid them out for Gronbach to see.

“We found these in the Agave,” Persephone explained. “On these stones are markings that tell how to make the sword that can kill these monsters. Brin and Roan will need access to metal and tools to forge such a sword.”

Brin’s brows rose in shock, but thankfully she held her tongue.

Equally fortunate, Gronbach wasn’t looking and didn’t notice. “These stones say how to forge a magic sword?”

“Yes,” Persephone said with an even tone and a blank face.

“What about the sword you used to destroy Balgargarath? Where is it?”

Persephone had expected the question. “Consumed along with the demon.”

“I see.” Gronbach peered at the tablet Brin held. His pink tongue licked his lower lip, causing the hair below to bristle upward. “Very well. You will give us this stone, and my smiths will forge the needed sword.”

Persephone was prepared for this, too. “It will do you no good. You can’t decipher it.”

“But I doubt”—Gronbach peered across the room—“this girl, Breen, and the other woman can wield a hammer well enough to forge a sword.”

“Her name is Brin.”

“I don’t care what her name is. She’s nothing more than a child, and she can’t swing a hammer!”

Persephone forced herself to wait before replying. She wanted to give the appearance that she was thinking the proposition over. Finally, just as Gronbach began to frown with impatience, she nodded. “You’re right. Roan and Brin will work with your smiths to create the sword.”

“Yes, that could be arranged.”

“Good,” Persephone said. “Tonight the sword will be made, and in the morning, we will return to Neith and destroy the dragon. Once it is dead, all of us, including Frost, Flood, and Rain, will board the ship and leave. Agreed?”

Gronbach hesitated.

“If you’d rather, Suri can tell the dragon to lay waste to Caric.”

Gronbach wasn’t moved by this and continued to stare at her. Persephone held his glare, refusing to blink, to shift, to show any weakness. This was a battle of wills. Buying from the Dherg traders in Vernes was always a battle of offers and demands, but this time the stakes were beyond high.

“Well?” she asked after several moments had passed.

“Assuming there is indeed a dragon, I will agree on one condition.” He looked back at Brin. “You must hand over the tablets you stole.”

“What? No!” Brin said.

“They’re from our mountain. They belong to us.”

“But…but,” Brin began in disbelief, “you can’t even understand them. What good are they to—”

“Those tablets are part of our heritage. They belong here. There’s no deal without them.”

“Fine,” Persephone said.

“Seph!” Brin shouted.

“I said fine!”

“You’re an evil little dwarf,” Brin seethed.

“They are our treasure, not yours. And I’m a Belgriclungreian, not a dwarf, nor a Dherg, and no more evil than anyone else.”

“Yes you are,” Brin said, “and I’ll make certain everyone knows it.”

Gronbach looked puzzled.

“I’m the Keeper of Dahl Rhen, and your treachery will be passed down to all the Keepers and everyone who comes after me. You’ll be reviled throughout the world by future generations as the very face of evil.”

At that, Gronbach laughed. “Little girl, the history of the Belgriclungreians is long, longer than the existence of the Rhunes, and will continue well after the Rhunes are wiped out by the Fhrey. No one will remember what you say about me or anyone else.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Brin said. “I’m going to write it down.”

—

“What are you doing, Seph?” Moya asked the moment they were alone.

They had been escorted to the room where Arion lay on one of three beds. Then Roan and Brin were taken to the smiths to make the sword. Roan appeared more puzzled than frightened, and Brin promised to explain things to her. After the two left, Moya and Persephone were sealed in. She had no idea where Frost, Flood, and Rain were. That didn’t bother her too much. Gronbach wouldn’t kill them, but he would want to question them in private—probe for holes. She just hoped they didn’t say anything stupid.

“Seph, Brin and Roan don’t know how to forge a magic sword!”

“Keep your voice down.” Persephone pulled Moya away from the door. “They don’t need to know.”

Moya’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“Look, I want Roan in there when the dwarfs make the sword, so she can see how it’s done. Brin will mark down all the details. The smiths won’t even know what she’s doing. They’ll think it’s magic or something, just like Flood did…part of the sword’s enchantment.”

“But Seph, you promised to destroy Minna.”

“It’s not Minna, and you know it.”

“I do, sure, but I’m not the one you have to convince, am I?”

Persephone sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “One thing at a time, Moya. One thing at a time, okay? For the love of the Grand Mother, I’m doing my best to keep us alive!”

Persephone fell onto one of the vacant beds. “I hate that little bearded bastard! I’d like to strangle him with his own whiskers! We nearly died down there!”