Part 21 (2/2)
Rather than ht, Kindblooled along the riverbank, forcing theh they arily, with axes foreave way to open forest where wide-spaced white oaks allowed easy walking Only sunlit glades sported brush They turned north off the trail toward the yapping Gradually they made out a familiar sound Orcs But happy and raucous What could it mean?
Silent in lade, spotted flickering a, hurling rocks and sticks into the branches In the tree soreen, ducked and dodged
”They've treed an elf!” breathed Blackblossom
”Good enough,” snapped Kindbloom ”One of the bastards shot Darkname Let 'e the snipe ”I'll go right opposite When I shout, charge in, screa your head off They'll probably run”
Kindbloom stared, whispered, ”I won't risk my life for a vampire”
”Risk it for mine then,” Blackblossom said ”I swore by blood to uphold the alliance”
Blackblossolade A a!” split the woods Bashi+ng through brush, swinging a shi+ning pole axe, a tall, thin barbarian wo from the forest Seconds later, from the opposite side, another wo the orcs
The villains dropped their swords and shi+elds to scatter One orc stood its ground, but its upraised war club was battered aside, then a heavy axe head crushed its breast A fleeing orc was tripped to crash in loam and leaves, had its head sone The to, axes poised, but there was no counterattack
An elf dropped from the wide limbs of the oak, and picked up his fallen knife and hat He was tall, but looked Blackblossom in the eye, ”I thank you,” the elf said ”I a their names, Kindbloom instead sniped, ”Hoere you taken, elf?”
The elf's pale face colored
”I was drinking at the river while thinking of a poeot separated from my bow and had to run”
Kindblooh to shoot our people in the back when hiding in the forest!”
The elf drew up straight and said, ”Such was I obligated by duty Whether I liked to kill or not wasn't asked of me”
”And anyway,” Blackblossom breezed, ”that's in the past We're allies now Come, comrade” With a short nod and hint of a smile, she sashayed off
”Wait!” called the poet ”What are your names?”
Kindbloom marched on, but Blackblossom turned back, teased, ”Oh no, Sir Elf We've heard that if an elf learns your nauess our naroused, ”Consorting with elves, bah! Darknaraves!”
Blackblossom only mused, ”StarvalleyAnd he favors poetry These elvenand sturdy like our breed, but spry like s Eventingly”
”Tingly?” Kindblooe as she said, ”And comely? Are you mad?”
Blackblossoe
Later that day, along the river
A boy and a girl, Greatreeve and Meadowbear, squabbled as they overturned a rotten log and kicked at red-brown punk Grubs and wood lice spilled loose, legs windht The pair scooped dozens of insects into a birch bark cup
”I still say it's a waste of tis, and the fish won't bite!”
”What else is there?” demanded Greatreeve ”There aren't any worirl shushed, though she was just as loud ”They'll hear us!” The two had sneaked away from their chores to try their luck with the rainbow-speckled fish in the river Delimbiyr They'd never seen such fish before, but they looked succulent And fussy, for the creatures rose to no bait the children offered ”And elves live in these-Aah!”
The children jus flitted across winter leaves
An elf, tall and green and black and wild-haired, had stepped frohtened,” the elf said Calm and kind words belied the elf's fierce appearance ”I see you seek the shalass but lack luck”
”The what?” asked Meadowbear ”Oh, the fish? Is that what you call 'em?”
”How do you catch 'e up He pointed at the rotten log ”Not with those,” he said ”The best bait is the grub of the riest, but there are none now Rather, try here ” The elf crooked a finger and walked away s
”What d'ya think?” Meadowbear hissed to her partner
”Elves eat babies, my papa says,” whispered the boy ”But we're not babiesAnd he lives here-”
”So he kno to catch fish!+” finished Meadowbear
Together, the barbarian children picked on silent feet after the elf The tall archer clireen leaves Ju free of the trunk, the elf bent a branch for the children to reach ”Pick a few nuts,” he told the, the children plucked a handful of dark green nuts like olives Releasing the branch, the elf dreicked curved knife that made the children step back The woods-dweller sreen husk Revealed was a nut white as chalk Quartering the nut, the elf handed each child a white curl
”The shalass is delicious but diently, and Sir Shalass will rub Trust me, it works”
The erstwhile fisherfolk looked at the nut hunks with awe ”My thanks” said Meadowbear
Rearth Barbarians always pay their debts”
The elf nodded and said, ”Fair enough Know you the na? They cah and dark, but the other was tall and graceful as a sandhill crane-”
”You mean Blackblossom?” blurted Greatreeve Meadowbear jabbed him with an elbow, too late
”Blackblossom” The elf tasted the name ”Apt, for one so rare and fairMy thanks, fishers Our debt is square Good luck!”
Swinging bow and sword hilt, the elf irl ”You blabbed Blackblossoet power over her soul!”
”I wonder why he wants it,” said Greatreeve ”I hope he doesn't hurt her”
On the slope between forest and prairie