Malta *spoilers all Hobb books*

[Farseer]

I forgot to add earlier that I could find no evidence re colour, relating to either the Greater or the Lesser dragons of Paragon BUT I would think out of the two, it would have to have been the Greater who fought...he referred to the Lesser dragon as "weakling" so seemingly had dominance over it (while Paragon had dominance over the both of them).

My main thinking that it had to be one of Paragon's dragons was that it did occur on Paragon's deck and, after the event, Amber demanded that Malta be removed immediately from the ship. Once ashore, she was fine. Paragon himself was also very upset afterward and I took this to be because the Greater dragon had gained ascendancy over him for a time and so it had been him who had spoken earlier to Malta when he said, "I was a king!...I was a lord of the three dominions. But you have made me this. A shell, a toy, a slave!"

As for WHY they wanted to clash over Malta, well, Tintaglia needed her for obvious reasons and had already staked a bit of claim via the dream box etc....the Greater (and even the Lesser) possibly needed her to enable his/their ascendancy at last. Of course, they did ascend and merge with Paragon in the end but it was not Malta but Amber who made this happen, when she placed her hands in Paragon's 'blood place' whilst begging Paragon to save her.

It was this same ascendancy which Vivacia and Bolt fought for, and both could only have once they merged in the end...if they hadn't merged, one would always have had dominance or ascendancy over the other OR, at the very least, they would have been in constant turmoil. Chrischa, you can see that I'm going to have to add this 'ascendancy' point to my Gernia thread, don't you ?!

Ok, another question...a little before the event with the dragons, Amber had been speaking to Malta: " '...Your time will come to fly. And when it does, you must be strong, not bloodied and weary.' Amber's eyes went suddenly wider. 'Beware of one who would claim your wings for her own. Beware of one who would make you doubt your own strength..."

So, who was it who tried/would try to claim Malta's wings for her own? I haven't thought much on it but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head, in the LST or RWC, who tried to do this. Wings makes me think someone may take her Elderling status from her...it also makes me think of Thymara and her Elderling status but I'm doubting there'd be an issue there? Thoughts?