Realms of the Dragons II/Queen of the Mountain

"Queen of the Mountain" is a short story by Jaleigh Johnson published in the 2005 anthology Realms of the Dragons II.

“

Dragons grow old and die just like people, and it's a very bad idea to disturb their graves.

”

Summary[]

As she lies dying of old age, the amethyst dragon Amrennathed makes arrangements with the mountain, so that it takes her mind as well as her body; she wants to ensure all the secrets she's learned are gone for good, and that no one retrieves them from her after her death. The mountain's heart accepts, then, the desired arrangement; in her passing, Amrennathed causes tremendous earthquakes, which shake the village of Orrun above her, and induce a lone old woman to suddenly acquire some of her memories.

Five years later, in Flamerule 25 of 1372 DR, the village of Orrun has been abandoned. A boy from the village, Bahrn returns as a mercenary, with the mage Arlon in tow. They look to get an old woman from the village, Diadree. Once found, she strikes the wizard in the head, and runs back to her ruined home, blocking the door. Though the wizard is initially gleeful to torch her home, the mercenary talks him down. He captures her as she moves out of her home; she recognizes him, but remains unmoved that she wants nothing to do with them. When Arlon reveals he's after Amrennathed, she claims that's even less of his affair than she is.

The wizard steals one of her clothes, and casts a blood tracking spell to learn the location of the dragon he seeks out. Bahrn follows him, carrying Diadree, and they come to a cavern full of amethyst. There, Diadree is distressed at the thought the wizard may loot the dragon's bones. As a strange guardian appears, Diadree finally confesses that when the wyrm died, some parts of her memories came to rest in her. Arlon defeats the guardian, but turns his attention to her; Bahrn manages to distract the wizard enough for more guardians to show up and slay him.

Diadree asks to be allowed to rest in the cavern a little, so that maybe Amrennathed will have a chance to take her memories back. Bahrn agrees to leave her for a bit, and says he'll fix her roof before he leaves.