Lines of hard stone cut into his back. He felt blindly around his prone body, eyes still closed. He felt no decking. He was, as far as he could tell, lying upon a series of stone steps. He opened his eyes a fraction. He knew from experience that this new place was likely to be terrifying, and he was in no hurry to look around. The stone steps beneath him led up to a throne of carven obsidian. With one widening eye, Gruum dared look at the being that lay draped upon the throne. She was a creature of exquisite beauty. He recognized her as Anduin the Black, but she looked different than she had upon their first meeting. She retained the lithe figure of a young woman and her silky, black hair. She was attractive and frightening all at once. But Gruum recalled her having pale skin and eyes of pale green. This time, her eyes were a malevolent shade of lavender and her skin was dusky. Did this mean her mood had changed, or perhaps her attitude toward them? Or was a change of eye color as natural to the Dragon as the changing of her shape?
