Berwynna gave her a sharp look, began to speak, then turned to Avain. “See you the boat?” she said. “Go you now to the pier and wait for them.”

Avain trotted off, humming a little tune under her breath. Berwynna set her hands on her hips and considered Grallezar for a moment.

“Be you telling me,” Wynni said at last, “that my sister be the price of my father’s return?”

“Not a price that we demand,” Grallezar said, “but no great dweomer comes without great price.”

“Never did I think that it were you who did demand it.” Wynni caught her lower lip between her teeth and thought for a long moment. “I’ll be telling Mam that. It be a hard choice.”

“Oh, come now,” Arzosah said. “She can always fly your way and visit.”

“As a dragon, not as Avain, and never will she be able to fly across the lake again to join us in the manse.” Wynni turned away. “The boat, it be docking.” She strode off, heading for the pier.

“Come along,” Dallandra said to her flock of dweomerfolk. “We can’t influence their decision either way. Arzosah, that means you, too!”

Grumbling under her breath, the dragon waddled after them as they walked away.

While Berwynna helped her mother and Mara climb onto the pier, Avain kept up a constant flow of chatter in Dwarvish about the black dragon. Berwynna had never seen her sister so happy, her smile so broad, her eyes so bright with life. Her words, too, made better sense than Wynni had ever heard her make. When, however, they turned to leave the pier, Avain realized that Arzosah had gone, and she burst into tears.

“Here, here!” Wynni spoke in Dwarvish as well. “She’s just gone round to the willow tree. She’s still on the island, Avain.”

The tears stopped, and the bright smile returned.

“Well, now,” Angmar said. “I see that Avain has a new friend.”

“More than a friend, Mam,” Berwynna said. “Come inside, and let’s sit down, and I’ll tell you what’s happened. I’m not sure how much she understands.”

Although Avain disliked being inside the manse, for this occasion she did come in with them. She refused, however, to sit down at the table. Instead she wandered around the great hall, looking at the carvings on the walls and glancing out the windows, while the rest of the family discussed a wyrd she could barely understand.

Angmar spoke not at all when Wynni told her of the price of Rori’s return. Mara had a few questions, but it seemed obvious to Wynni that the sort of dweomer Dallandra and Grallezar wanted to work lay well beyond her sister’s knowledge. Finally, Angmar shook her head and sighed.