“I shall, O Learned Lady of Little-Known Lore,” Salamander said. “But truly, after all these years of dweomerwork, I do think I’m capable of scrying for enemies.”

“Well, very true, and I don’t mean to be insulting. It’s just that—”

“I know.” Salamander grinned at her. “It’s just that in the past, I’ve been less than studious, indeed rather more flippant, frivolous, and downright stupid.”

“Well and good, then. Self-knowledge is always the beginning of wisdom.”

Salamander opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again. Valandario had the exquisite pleasure of seeing him speechless.

At some distance from the camp, Grallezar and Arzosah were waiting for her. As she walked out to join them, Valandario looked around her but saw no sign of Rori.

“He had one thing to do before we leave,” Arzosah said. “We’ve already explained everything to the girls, but he’s gone to speak with our son.”

After the hatchlings had eaten, Rori told Devar to follow him to the stream beyond the camp. As they took turns drinking, watching his young son stretch his wings to the sunlight wrung Rori’s heart. He would miss Devar more than he’d ever missed any of his human sons, more even than Cullyn Maelwaedd, his favorite out of the lot.

“I have some evil news to tell you,” Rori said.

Devar slewed around to face his father, his eyes wide with fear.

“I have to leave you,” Rori went on. “It aches my heart, lad, to tell you this, but now that the prince and his people are safe, I have to leave the clutch forever.”

“No!” Devar wailed out the word. “No, Da, don’t go!”

“I have to. I’m sorry. It’s my wyrd. What have I told you about wyrd?”

“That no dragon can turn his aside, but—”

“There’s no but or if or mayhap about this, lad. From now on, you’re going to be the male in this clutch. You’ll have to be brave, very brave in fact, but you won’t have to face it all alone. Soon your uncle will come to live in the tower below our lair, and he’ll teach you what you need to know.”

“I like Uncle Ebañy, but he’s not you.”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but wyrd is wyrd, and it can’t be denied. Can you be brave?”

“I’ll try.” Devar hung his head. “I’ll try very hard.”

“That’s all you or anyone can do. You’re growing daily, and soon you’ll be able to protect your sisters while your mother’s off somewhere, rather than them protecting you.”

Devar nodded, looked away, and spoke in a choked wet voice. “Can’t you even come back to visit?”

“No. I’m sorry. If I could I would, but I won’t be able to. Here’s the worst news of all. I probably won’t live very long, not as dragons measure our lives, a few years perhaps.”

“You’re ill?”