Tyrus exhaled in relief. "He joins us then."
The messenger only swallowed, his gaze downcast.
"Does he not come to join us?" Dalain said.
"I--I know only that he comes, my lord. He said to tell you that . . . and then sent me off at the tip of his sword."
Moria glanced at Tyrus.
"We hold our ground," he said. "And we pray."
It seemed to take forever for the dust of the approaching army to appear. They did spot riders before that, presumably sent to follow the messenger onto Tyrus's path. First they saw the dust clouds. Then riders--at least thirty of them. And behind the riders, rows of marching warriors. While Lord Okami would have left men behind to guard his lands, he had brought the bulk of his army, quickly gathered from nearby posts.
The army halted far enough that Moria was just barely able to make out the wolf head helmets of the warlord and his elder sons. The Gray Wolf then broke from his ranks and approached alone. He rode up to Tyrus, who stood in his path, Dalain at one side, Gavril and Moria at the other, all slightly behind him.
"So," Lord Okami called as he approached. "By what right do you order me to raise an army for you, Prince Tyrus?"
"It was not a demand but a request."
"From a member of the imperial family, it is always a demand."
Tyrus dipped his chin. "It was not intended as such."
"You requested my help. My men. After you escaped my custody. Turned me into an imperial traitor."
"What? No. I--"
"You escaped my custody when the entire empire knows you apprenticed under my family. Either I betrayed my emperor by releasing you or I am such a weak and sentimental old fool that I let you play on my affections and escape."
Dalain cut in. "But Tyrus has proven he is no traitor, as I'm sure the messenger told you. He will return to the city in triumph, and everyone will see that he was aligned with both the Keeper and Gavril Kitsune for the empire, not against it. You alone saw through the lies and allowed him to prove himself. By marching at his side, you take control of the story, Father."
"Now you advise me in matters of state?" Lord Okami turned his steely gaze on his son. "Tyrus escaped my custody. You found him. And you failed to return him. You had the opportunity to save your family's good name . . . and instead you joined the alleged traitor."
"Because of the dragon, Father. The dragon proves--"
"Ah, yes. The dragon. Let's see this beast that someone has convinced you children is a dragon."
Tyrus turned and Ronan opened the wagon, luring Zuri out with food. When Tyrus whistled, she flew over with a happy squawk and swooped to tease Daigo before landing at Tyrus's side. Moria glanced at the Gray Wolf, expecting to see shock in his face, but he only crouched and gave the whelp a critical once-over.
"Snow dragon," he said. "Not the most useful variety. And it's very small."
Zuri hissed, blowing cold air in his face.
"Ah," he said. "Now I see her use. She'll chill honey wine for the warriors." He stood. "I heard there was a full-grown one. Why did you not wake her?"
"Because it would have cost the Keeper's or Seeker's life," Tyrus said.
The Gray Wolf looked at Moria, and then over her shoulder at Ashyn as she approached. "Neither of you was willing to sacrifice your life for your empire?"
"No," Moria said simply.
Ashyn walked up behind her. "Particularly not when the result would almost certainly be a very unhappy, newly woken, full-grown dragon who would have killed us all. These things never end nearly as well as they do in bards' tales. Which people always fail to realize until it's too late."
Lord Okami looked as if he was biting his cheek to keep from laughing. "All right, then. So you have a dragon. A very small dragon. I'll take a wolf."
"What?" Tyrus said.
"Did you catch an arrow in your ear, boy? I want a wolf. Preferably gray. That will be the price of my fealty."