al functionality of his wings, he now had access to some of his divine power.  Not much, and certainly not anything spectacular, but he had certainly regained the ability to affect fire, and to create and extinguish it.  He could fly again, though that wouldnt be quite as easy as it usually was.  If he really pushed himself, he might be able to shapeshift, because that power really wasnt a very hard one to enact.  Traveling through fire was absolutely out of the question, as was any kind of large-scale expression of fire or direct implementation of divine power.  No matter how small of a thing he did, though, he already knew that it would come with a cost in pain, since he was using a half-healed ability.  It would be like trying to run on a sprained anklemore than possible, but certainly not pleasant, and also with a risk of injuring it worse.
	Oh, he said, flaring his wings out to their full wingspan, shivering them a bit, then folding them behind him sedately.  I managed to get them filled out, but theyre still not whole.  Its going to be at least another ride before Im fully healed.  I cant retract them yet, but at least I can move them.
	Well, its a start, she said with a nod.  Any pain?
	He nodded.  Not nearly as much as before, though.  Now it just feels like an old half-healed cut.  He looked around and saw that it was morning, and the camp was almost completely packed up.  The horses were saddled and ready, and everyone was staring at him, even Dolanna.  He had been in the fire all night, and had not even registered the passage of time.
	Are you hungry?  I saved you some breakfast, Mist said, taking his paws in hers and staring over at him.  Then, impulsively, she leaned over and kissed him tenderly.
	What? he asked with a slight smile.
	Im just relieved to see you healing, my mate, she told him.  And happy youre not hurting so much.  Besides, Ive told you I think you look so majestic with these, she told him, reaching behind his shoulder and touching the rising arch of his wing, where it came out of his back.
	You certainly dont seem to like them at night, he teased.
	They get in the way, she answered immediately.  Though they are convenient ways to get a grip on you that you cant break.
	He should have known better than to joke about something like that.  He cleared his throat as Dolanna and Ulger approached with Lorak.  Dear one, that is some dramatic improvement, she noted.  How much are you healed?
	Just enough to flesh them out, he answered.  Its still going to be at least ten days before Im completely whole.  Maybe more, Im not sure.
	Have you regained any of your power?
	He nodded.  A little, he answered.  I can do little things, but thats about it.  And it will definitely hurt to do it, so Im not doing anything unless its a last resort.
	That is encouraging news, she told him.  Are you hungry?  Mist saved you some breakfast.
	He can eat as we move, Lorak announced.  Weve spent too much time here already.  Have you gotten one of those winged horses into the air yet?  We need a scout to ensure our path is clear, and to search for others so they can join us.
	Master Tarrin, Master Tarrin! Zyri called as she ran up to him. She looked at his wings and smiled brightly. Youre better!
	Some, he nodded.  Whats wrong, little bit?
	May I do the scouting?  Please?  I can be careful, and Id love the chance to do something other than be in everyones way.
	Youre never a burden, girl, he chided.  But if you want to do it, youre more than welcome to.
	She beamed him a brilliant smile.  Thank you, master Tarrin!  Ill go get my PedPegiuh, the Pegisus.
	Pegasus, he corrected.
	You would send that child to ensure were not ambushed? Lorak asked sharply.
	She can do the job, he said cooly.  Shell be safer up there than shell be on the ground, and she knows how to handle her Pegasus in the air.  Besides, it will be good for her.  He then fixed Lorak with an icy stare.  And youd best remember right here and now that I dont ever let someone question me, elf.  That sounded pretty close to you challenging my decision.  Im sure Dolanna explained to you how I deal with people who challenge me.  Do you understand me?
	Lorak said nothing, turning to walk away.  He didnt get far, however, when Tarrin reached out and grabbed the slender elf by the shoulder and whirled him around.  Tarrins claws snagged on his robe, tearing two small holes in it.  I said do you understand me? he repeated in a voice that dripped with hostility.
	I understand you, Lorak answered, though his stiff back and his cold tone showed that he was not intimidated in the least.
	Tarrin did decide to eat on the move, enjoying a breakfast of cold bacon and bread from the back of his Pegasus as he absently flexed his wings, getting used to the feel of them moving again. Despite the pain involved whenever he moved them, it certainly felt better than the two immobile things that had been there the night before.  They moved across the relatively flat area towards low hills on the northern horizon, behind which he was pretty sure was that mountain range that Lorak had said was there, the one hed said they might have trouble crossing.  He watched through the day as those hills got closer, noticing a forest on the hills to the right of where they were going, that marked the end of the open grassland.  Zyri swooped from one side of the sky to the other, flying in wide circles then coming back to see where they were now.  She indeed handled her Pegasus with surprising competence for such a young lady, enjoying riding on its back as it flew through the air.  Fireflash was riding in her saddle, and when the Pegasus slowed down, he would jump out and soar along with the winged horse.
	Zyri swooped in and landed to the side of the main host in the midafternoon, about an hour before they were going to stop for the night, then galloped up to Tarrin quickly.  Master Tarrin! she called.  Theres soldiers ahead of us!
	Where? Tarrin asked as Lorak, Skord, and Dolanna came up along with him.
	About a half an hour ahead, if you keep going this fast, she answered.  But theres more.  Theres a big group of weird things over that way, she said, pointing to the west.  Theyre not on horses.  Theres a group of soldiers on horses behind them, though.  I think theyre chasing them.  If they keep going the way theyre going, theyll run into those soldiers directly ahead of us just a while after we go by.
	How many soldiers stand ahead of us? Lorak asked.
	Lots.  Over a hundred, she answered.  And theres lots of those Demon things with them.  A few tried to chase me after I flew close to them, but they couldnt keep up.  I didnt want to lead them back to you, so I went a way out that way, and thats when I saw the others, she said, pointing again.
	What exactly did you see over there, child? Dolanna asked.
	Well, theyre a bunch of weird looking people wearing odd clothes.  Theyre running kinda that way, she explained, pointing northeast, but theyre over there, she said, pointing due west.  About ten minutes behind them on horses, theres about another hundred or so soldiers.  Theyre from the Ones army, theyre wearing red, just like the ones ahead of us.  I didnt see any Demons with them, though.  It looks like theyre chasing the people on foot into the soldiers ahead of us, because the people running are really stretched out, like theyre just running really fast and the kids and slow people cant keep up with the faster ones.
	How many of these people on foot are there? Lorak asked.
	Kids?  There are children with them? Dolanna asked.
	Lots, and yes, Mistress Dolanna, she answered.  It was hard to count that many, but there were lots and lots more than there were soldiers.  But some of them were real small, like they were just kids.  They were mainly at the back of the group.
	It sounds like theyre being routed, and pushed into the waiting soldiers, Skord grunted with a grim face.  An ambush.
	I do not see why any Shadows would be ferrying children, Lorak said uncertainly, frowning as he thought.  Or display such a lack of discipline if they were.  If they have the advantage in numbers, they should turn and attack the soldiers, even if theyre mounted.
	You assume that theyre Shadows, Tarrin grunted, leaning over his saddle.  Zyri, did they look kind of green to you?
	Orcs?  They could have been, she said.  You think theyre like those others we saw before we met Master Lorak?
	Thats what I was thinking, he nodded.  Its not the first time weve seen them moving with their children.  Did they have men with them this time?
	I think so, she answered.  The ones in the front were pretty big.
	If theyre leaving their women and children behind, theyre definitely orcs, Skord said with a little vituperous grunt.
	Tarrin continued to ponder for a moment, then he sat up again.  I see what theyre doing now, he said grimly.  We havent run into any soldiers for a couple of days because theyve figured out where were going.  Theyre moving them up to those mountains to fill the passes, to stop us there.  Its easier for them to simply build up numbers in a place where we have to go instead of just chasing us around in the open.  Were not running away from them now, were running right into them.
	How are they passing orders like that?  If the One cant speak to them, he cant organize them, Lorak asked.
	The Demons, Dolanna answered.  They have their own ways of communicating, and it seems odd that there are so many of them.  I cannot understand where they are coming from, if the Ones Priests cannot summon them anymore.
	Maybe they were already here, Tarrin said, but thats not really the issue.  Lorak, are these passes large enough for us to slip by?
	He shook his head.  They are very narrow and somewhat treacherous, he answered.  The objective of us moving fast was to get past them before they could build up their forces.  We would have had to get past the citadels, but that would have been possible if they had not overmanned them.
	Tarrin didnt like the implied accusation in that comment, that somehow Tarrin was responsible for their delay.  We dont have the numbers here to fight our way through.  And we cant depend on finding any other Shadows. We have to keep moving, because if theyre pulling men into those mountains, were in the path of it.
	We let the soldiers drive the orcs before us and go around, Lorak said calmly.  They will be busy killing the orcs.  We will circle as they engage, and Im sure that the runners will keep them engaged more than long enough for us to get by them.  Orcs are cowardly brutes.
	Tarrin sighed, getting down off his Pegasus.  Nothing is anything but a piece on a chessboard to you, is it, Lorak? he asked.  I guess you dont really care about the women and children, except that their slaughter just buys you time.
	That is exactly how I feel, he said bluntly.  What is coming is nothing but a winning situation for us.  The orcs buy us time, and the soldiers kill the orcs.
	Fine.  When the time comes when we need a diversion, Im going to abandon you behind us.  That way you can slow them down while we get away.  That sounds like a winning situation to me.  You slow them down, and they kill you.
	If it becomes needful to save my people, I would accept such a fate, he said with quiet dignity.
	Ill remember that, Lorak, Tarrin said bluntly, walking out ahead of the horses.
	What are you doing, dear one? Dolanna asked.
	We dont have the manpower to get through the mountains.  We need reinforcements, so Im giung to get us some.
	You would dare bring the orcs into our midst? Lorak said with sudden heat.  I would not allow those animals within twenty paces of me!
	Im not recruiting orcs, he replied absently.  Im just going to save them.  Stomping on some church soldiers should manage that easily enough.
	Lorak looked at him in confusion, but understanding dawned in Dolannas eyes quickly.  Dear one!  Are you sure you can do it?
	We need it, Dolanna, he answered.  That kind of physical force is something that the Ones men out here cant counter, even with Demons.  Ill have to try.  I may sprain something in the attempt, but as long as I can get there, thats all that matters.  If I can do it, we can just march right through them.  They wont be able to do anything.
	Do what? Skord asked.
	Zyri looked at Tarrin thoughtfully, then she clapped and laughed.  At least it wont be so scary this time! she said.
	What do you intend to do? Lorak pressed.
	Mist rode up to them with Jal in her saddle, her eyes baneful, but her expression neutral.  Hes going to change into a dragon, she told them before Dolanna could speak.
	Pardon my ignorance, but what is a dragon? Lorak asked.
	Zyri held Fireflash up. A dragon looks just like this, Master Lorak, she answered, but much bigger.
	Much, Dolanna agreed with a nod and a smile as Tarrin walked away.
	I dont see how one of these dragon creatures can be large enough to make such a difference, Lorak said uncertainly.
	He wasnt sure if he could do it, but if he was right, if they had to go through an army that knew they were coming, they needed his dragon form.  There was no way they could fight against him if he was in that form, not even with Demons helping them.  He could save those orcs and have them help protect the casters as they simply rammed through the mountain pass that was the fastest route to the Duras fortress.  If they didnt obey him, hed just eat them.  That would be a very pointed lesson about disobeying the one who saved them from death.  He had no doubts that the orcs would be troublesome, because they were Waern after all, but they needed the reinforcements that those orcs could provide.  Even in dragon form, Tarrin would be hard pressed to protect the others if they were attacked by large numbers of soldiers who were willing to die just to do some damage.  It might come to thatthose soldiers would be smart to be willing to die rather than face the wrath of a Demon they disobeyed.  There were things worse than death.
	Affixing the charm to the back of his amulet, he continued to walk further and further away.  He would need it now, to speak to the orcs and to remain constantly vigilent.  He would be the main protection of the host as they drove through hostile territory, relying on his size and power to defend the group and destroy their adversaries.  He got out far enough, then came to a stop and raised his head and closed his eyes, feeling the sun and wind on his face.  This was going to hurt.  He knew that alreadybut he wasnt sure if he could do this.  Shapeshifting was actually a minor power, very easy to do, but with his injuries, he wasnt sure.  The power was willing, but it was still not fully healed.
	He had to do it, and wasting time wasnt getting it done.
	He started at his paws.  Fire appeared around his paws as he suddenly held them out and over his head, then snapped his wings out.  Just producing fire hurt, and the twinge in his wings told him that the next step wasnt going to be very easy.  He concentrated on his wings, and started making them expand.  The pain was immediate and sharp, blooming throughout each wing, even creeping into his back as he commanded them to grow.  Every finger they grew out caused him more and more pain, but he blocked it out and continued, going more slowly to prevent hurting something, out further and further until they were ten times their normal size, fiery sails rising from his back and casting shade across large swaths of land behind him.  Once that was done, he put the image of the dragon in his mind, and willed the change to occur.
	It was like someone stuck a sword in his back.  Tarrin sucked in his breath, his eyes losing focus as his wings shuddered, then exploded into discordant flame.  He focused through that sudden agony, keeping the dragon firmly in his thoughts as he felt the flame eat into his flesh, flame that was incomplete, almost tainted by injury, corrupting him and causing pain wherever it touched.  But if anything his many years and many trials had taught him, it was the ability to function through pain.  He blotted the pain out, concentrated on what had to be done.  He guided the injured power through its task, infusing him until his physical form was consumed by the flame, until he became a being of pure flame, unfettered by physical form.
	The flame of his form expanded, grew, billowed out, though the motion of every lick of flame in that amalgalm caused striking pain to boil through him.  The movements werent fluid and graceful as they usually were, they were sharp, erratic, almost jagged in the way the fire expanded, a reflection of the difficulty that he was having trying to do it.  But he pushed on through the pain, and the fire got bigger, and bigger, and bigger.  The limbs pushed out from the mass, as did the long, graceful neck and the whip-like tail, growing, expanding in discordant surges from this place and that, until the fireform was complete.  With a wrench that would have made him suck in his breath were he in a physical form, he enacted the final change.
	With a billow of flame away from the construct, flesh and blood and bone came into being beneath that fiery layer, and the fire was thrust away like a butterfly discarding a cocoon.    The fire billowed out, revealing the massive form of a gold dragon as it evaporated away.  The change was complete, he could feel it, but his entire body throbbed with jags of intense pain, so intense that he had to lower his head nearly to the ground and try to recover from it.  Panting heavily, his breathing blasting waves of stiff wind across the tall grass, the titanic body of the gold dragon had replaced Tarrins humanoid form.  He blew out his breath one final time as the last of the pain faded, then he turned with two steps and craned his long neck to face the others, regarding them with massive amber eyes.  He could sense immediately a fundamental shift in the power inside him, relegating it to a much dormant state.  He couldnt use his divine abilities when shapeshifted, and as a result, that power was buried deeply within him, where he would have great difficulty accessing it.  He realized that as long as he was shifted out of his normal form, the rate at which that power would heal, would become whole once again, would be much slower.  But he saw little choice in the matter.  They were only about twenty, and already there was a force of over one hundred to the west, and even more to the north.  They needed him in this form, where his monstrous size would be a weapon against which the armies of the One could not stand.  With him like this, he could crush a hundred soldiers in a matter of moments, if they even dared attack him at all.  Theyd probably run away.
	Lorak and Skord were absolutely awestruck, and their horses shied nervously until Haley quickly rode up and started assuring them in the manner a Druid used to talk to animals that this massive form was no threat to them.  They gaped at Tarrin like he was some kind of god fallen from the heavens, and Skord was physically trembling.  Well, Lorak, do you think Im big enough now? he asked pointedly.
	Amazing! Skord finally managed to say, looking at Fireflash, and then back to Tarrin.
	Are you unhurt, dear one? Dolanna asked in a conversational tone.
	It hurt plenty, but I didnt break anything, he answered.  I wont be changing back for a few days.  I wont go through that every time I need this form.  Ill just stay in it til I smash through the fort up in the pass.
	Mist gave him a flat look, but said nothing.
	Perhaps now you understand Tarrins intention, Lorak, Dolanna told him with a sly smile.  With the Ones Priests unable to use magic, what do you propose can stand in the way of something like that? she asked, waving her hand at Tarrin.
	V-Very little, madam, he agreed with a fervent nod.  But why save the orcs?  What use are they to us?
	Sometimes its not about what use someone is, Lorak.  Ill save the orcs because they need to be saved, and besides, I wont let those soldiers hurt children.  Not even orc children.  Now, Zyri, lead me to them, the rest of you stay here.
	Spreading his huge wings, he thrust into the air, creating a backdraft of wind behind him so strong it almost pushed Skord out of his saddle.  Zyris Pegasus climbed into the air a moment later and moved up quickly behind him, then came up even with Tarrins huge head.  He glanced at her as he climbed higher into the air, and she was staring at him with a big smile on her face.  What? he asked in irritation.
	I think youre amazing, Master Tarrin, she gushed with complete insincerity, obviously making fun of Lorak.
	Oh, get ahead of me and lead the way, he told her waspishly.  And stay out of the way when I get there, young lady!
	Yes, Master Tarrin! she called over her shoulder as the Pegasus rather reluctantly got in front of him, seemingly afraid Tarrin would lunge forward and bite off everything between its wings.  That fear clashed with the Pegasus understanding that it was Tarrins voice coming from that massive creature, and thus was a friend.
	It didnt take them long to reach the scene.  Tarrin banked over and ran parallel to them but traveling the opposite direction, then looked over.  They were indeed orcs, being chased by about a hundred men on horseback, who were now only about a minute behind the slowest of the running tribe.  Tarrin could see that they were going slow on purpose, driving the terrified band of greenish-skinned humanoids before them, pushing them ahead for an easy kill with the ambushing party on the far side.  He saw a few of the men look up and point, and he saw that Zyri was still flying in the same direction, soaring over the area and in sight of the mounted church soldiers, but not the orcsshe was behind them.
	Bless that little girl, she was holding the attention of the men while the much larger Tarrin veered off and maneuvered for a clean pass at them.  He contemplated just incinerating them from the air, but he wanted to save his fire.  His gas sacks were completely full, he had six or seven good blasts in him, but there were other enemies out and about, and he might need that for another group of soldiers later on.  If he landed, hed have to deal with them with claws and teeth and tail, but that wouldnt be all that hard.  The only danger they really posed to him was if one had a bow and got a lucky shot in on his eye.  It would take a lance driven by a man charging at full speed on a horse to put enough force behind it to penetrate his scales, and even then it wouldnt go very deepif they could hit anything other than his legs.  His belly was a good twenty spans off the ground when he was standing on the earth, which wasnt a good angle to drive a lance with force.  Theyd have to go for his legs and try to bring him down.
	He banked around well behind the riders, nearly five longspans back from them, then came up parallel with them on the opposite side about five longspans away, getting the sun behind him.  Once he had a good line, he turned sharply and, with a powerful thrust of his wings, surged forward with a burst of speed, closing the distance like a diving falcon, rushing his prey before they took notice of him early enough to scatter.
	One soldier did glance in his direction, he could seedragons had excellent eyesight.  That soldier looked back quickly, and even from that distance, he could see the look of surprise and confusion on his face.  Even from that distance, it would be clear to them that whatever Tarrin was, he was flying right at them.  Since theyd never seen him before, they had no idea how big he really was, and the sun glistening and reflecting off his shiny golden scales behind him would make his form hard to see clearly.
	To the soldiers, he was a glittering, mesmerizing mass of sparkling gold flying out of the sun.  They slowed their pursuit of the orcs, trotting to a stop to gawk at the mystifying object soaring at them, getting bigger, and bigger, and biggerthen it dawned on them that it was too big.  And it was getting bigger.  It blocked out the sun, and when that happened, they realized that what they were seeing was much bigger than it looked.
	One soldier looked down at the grass some distance ahead of them, and he saw the shadow.  The shadow of something so huge that it shaded acres of grass from the sun.
	When he saw the realization dawn on them, he announced his presence to the orcs and his intent to attack with an earth-shaking roar, a sustained sound that sounded both reptillian and like a lion.  Powerful strokes of his wings caused him to rapidly descend, skirting the ground with his legs, then a flare of his wings caused him to both ascend and slow down, then stall out and fall to the ground.  The earth shook when his tremendous weight stuck the ground, but he did not stop and let them stare at him.  He charged ahead in what looked like an odd lumbering gait, but it ate up the distance between him and the mounted church soldiers with frightening speed.  The display was meant to terrify and intimidate, and it did exactly as Tarrin wished it to do.
	Not to the mento their horses.
	Any animal would flee in terror at the sight of such a large predator bearing down on them, and the horses were no exception.  Almost in perfect unison, every horse suddenly panicked, some rearing and bucking, some turning and fleeing while ignoring the commands of its rider.  Men were carried away with their mounts or thrown to the ground as the horses panicked and bolted, and those men who were thrown immediately got to their feet.  Some of them drew weapons, some of them just stared at him in awe and terror, but not one of them held his ground when Tarrin roared again.  They turned and fled on foot, though such a thing would be total folly.  Tarrin could walk faster than any of them could ever run, and the lumbering gait in which he currently moved would allow him to chase down and catch a horse with relative ease.  A creature whose legs were twenty spans long could move with some tremendous speed, if only from the amount of ground each stride took.
	Without breaking his stride, he trampled directly over those who had been the last to flee, crushing them into something not even identifiable.  Those that werent stepped upon were slammed by his lashing tail as he went past them as he lashed it back and forth behind him, leaving broken bodies in his wake.
	Buck your riders and run! Tarrin bellowed at the horses as he chased them down, shifting his inflection so they would understand him in the Druids manner.  Any horse with a rider on his back will die when I reach you!  The rest of you, get out of the way!
	Horses were not stupid animals.  The ones fleeing from him slowed down and immediately started thrashing, bucking, rearing, even rolling over on their riders to shed them from their backs.  The riders could understand Tarrins dire warning, but they were no match for the panicked animals frenzied strength and utter determination to live by getting them off their backs.
	A steady stream of riderless horses flowed away from the mighty gold dragon as he charged the men they left behind down.  Those men stared at the behemoth bearing down on them with terror in their eyes.  Some just stood there, transfixed by terror.  Some fled.  Some drew their swords and shouted praises to the One and rushed forward.  The only thing that they all knew in that moment was that they were all dead men.  How they chose to die was the only thing remaining for them.
	In moments, it was over.  Tarrin showed no mercy, killing the soldiers of the One with his forepaws, smashing and stomping on them, crushing them in his jaws, killing them with blows from the tip of his tail, which moved so fast and with such force that it literally cut one man in two that took the full brunt of it at the very tip, where it moved the fastest.  Three men had managed to get some distance on him while he was killing their braver or terrorized companions, then chased down the slower runners.  Tarrin pulled up and reared up onto his back legs, in that squat-like upright position that dragons could assume to free up their prehensile forepaws for use.  He chanted in the language of Wizard magic, his words booming across the plain as he made three precise gestures with those forepaws.  He felt the magic flow into him from that elsewhere, and then channel into his paws to be unleashed in the form of lighting.  Jagged arcs of lightning were released from his paws, raking across the ground and leaving a trail of explosions in their wake, cascading across the fleeing men and causing them to crumple to the ground in lifeless, smoking heaps.
	Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Tarrin dropped back down to all fours, which caused the ground to shake, then turned to look at the orcs.  They had stopped running, staring at him in unmitigated awe.  That was good; he wouldnt have to chase them down.  Zyri! he barked, looking up into the air.  Round up their horses and lead them back to the others!  All of you stop! he boomed, his voice carrying well across the grassy plain, speaking so that the horses could understand.  Follow the strange flying horse that will land and gather you up!  I promise that no harm will come to you, youll be joining the riders herd!
	He turned and advanced on the orcs, moving more slowly, more casually, much less threatening.  They just stood there, the children the closest to him, and watched him advance.  Have your chieftan or leader approach and make himself known! Tarrin called to them.  They didnt move, so he added a commanding Now! to that statement.  He saw that the children and females were dressed in whatever filthy rags they could acquire, and the males were dressed in dirty clothes and bits and pieces of old, rusty armor.  They were all carrying weapons of some sort, even the females, but it was apparent that the females had no idea how to use them.  They were just carrying them to keep the tribe from losing them.  He looked down at the two hundred or so orcs and decided that this many was just a bit t