My mind was whirling as I tried to catch a sight of Ittisana. “Did you know?” I whispered. “She lives!” Thak looked long-suffering and said nothing. I fumed. The black steps led up. The walls were lined with armed terraces, crenellated towers, and the svartalfs lined the black walls in a thick throng. Tens of thousands were cheering us and the royals, and the cacophony was such we could barely stumble on. The thousands of guards boxed us in, and before us, the ally kings and queens rode on, stoically holding on to their reins. Pipes were playing, giving all the screams a ferocious undercurrent. The stairs seemed to go on forever. The lizards before us had no trouble navigating the steps, but some of the royals had to dismount from their horses or risk breaking their bones. “Ferocious folk,” I told Thak, looking up at the cheering svartalfs.
