The Golden General
Not long afterwards, the elven princess Laurana receives a message from Lord Gunthar Uth-Wistan, leader of the Knights of Solamnia, in which he names her as the new commander of the knights stationed in Palanthas (a political move on Lord Gunthar's part to limit political maneuvering within the knighthood). Lord Amothus of Palanthas then places her in command of the armies of Palanthas as well, since the city is full of peaceful people and the army has been deemed rather pointless for some time.
Gilthanas and Silvara arrive at Palanthas, bringing the legendary good dragons with them. The two explain that together they journeyed to Sanction, the home of the Dragonarmies and discovered the truth about the origin of the draconians. The Dragonarmies had ensured that the good dragons would not join the war against them by taking their eggs hostage. But now in the Temple, Gilthanas and Silvara see that the clerics of Takhisis and the mages of the black robes have been perverting the eggs of the good dragons with in order to spawn the new race of draconians. Having been told what has happened with their eggs, the good dragons are now willing to join the fight and avenge their children.
Later on Gilthanas tells Laurana that while he was in Sanction he overheard the Dragon Highlord Kitiara bragging to the Dragon Emperor Ariakas about how Tanis Half-Elven is serving her as both an officer and lover. This confirms for Laurana what Kitiara told her at the High Clerist's Tower in the previous novel.
With the Dragonlances in her possession and the good dragons on her side, Laurana organizes a flying cavalry of Knights of Solamnia and has her army take the offensive. Laurana becomes known as the "Golden General" during this campaign as her beauty and courage inspire her troops. Her army surges out of Palanthas, defeating the Dragonarmies in a series of battles and liberating much of northern Solamnia. During one of these battles Tasslehoff and Flint, riding a bronze dragon known as Fireflash, capture Kitiara's second-in-command Bakaris (who had insisted on riding into battle despite not being able to use his arm, previously wounded by Laurana at the High Clerist's Tower).
Read more about this topic: Dragons Of Spring Dawning, Plot Summary
Famous quotes containing the words golden and/or general:
“All the chosen coin of fancy
flashing out from many a golden phrase;”
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892)
“The first general store opened on the ‘Cold Saturday’ of the winter of 1833 ... Mrs. Mary Miller, daughter of the store’s promoter, recorded in a letter: ‘Chickens and birds fell dead from their roosts, cows ran bellowing through the streets’; but she failed to state what effect the freeze had on the gala occasion of the store opening.”
—Administration in the State of Sout, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)