Part 22 (2/2)
What precautions are needed at night to protect them? And dozensbut patient, for his clan owed Sunbright a favor
First, the shaman and dwarves had rescued the entire clan froiven clear directions for travel northard But the traveling horse-traders had found chaos and danger in every path, for the sanctuary of Sunbright The sha that the riders could scout, haul supplies, run es, locate herds of livestock, and perform other useful and unique tasks So the clan ca wild horses from the plains
Finally the exasperated trader asked, ”Why so many questions, my friend? You pester me as if you'd buy the entire herd Yet I know your people do not ride, but walk-they declai but steaks and sweetbreads on the hoof So why all these questions?”
”No reason, just curious,” Sunbright lied ”I admire hoell your family rides, and wonder whether it's a skill that can be learned by anyone”
”Such as yourself? Steady!” Hilel cooed to the horse pacing on three legs ”Would you becooon or lancer, perhaps? Or a carter hauling loads of shoes and ale?” He laughed out loud
”No, not I,” Sunbright smiled ”I just wonder Never mind Who comes?”
At a trot clipped Hilel's oldest son, a brawny young ed When he reined in, he dug in his vest, withdrew a flat rock, and handed it to Sunbright
The shaman studied the black rock, which was polished on one side and delicately etched with an odd design Brushi+ng off dirt, Sunbright sao thin elves with high-pointed ears who talked aet this?” he asked
”A dwarf found it,” Micah explained ”They enlarged the area around Drigor's forge and turned up this stone It was the only black one What shall we do with it?”
”Give it to the elves,” Sunbright ordered ”It may be important to them”
”Oh Could-could you return it?” Micahinto the woods I'm leery of elves Too many stories of how they drink blood and steal babies-”
”Forget those,” Sunbright cut hi a hand ”Everyone's heard such rumors, but no one's ever suffered such Just ride up the vale into the woods, and call across the river Give it to any elf
'Twill benefit all of us They'll be grateful we value their artifacts and make efforts to return theood will”
”How?” asked the boy doubtfully
”Just do it,” Hilel ordered ”The shaman speaks true An unexpected favor is returned doubly, our ancestors say And the Gods chalk the, or you'll be late for supper”
Frowning, Micah obeyed, clucking and thu his heels to aim the horse for the barbarian cao
Hilel huffed, ”You have soht I was a cagey trader, and always got the best of a deal, but you're a master I only wish I could fathoh to pull any sting of accusation
Sunbright laughed also ”You praise hly, friend Hilel,” he said ”I' after the welfare of ood at it, but I do have some simple ideas, and if they pan out” His words ran out as he gazed along the ravine toward the distant prairie So turned over in his mind so he finished aloud,” But if not, even the Gods may be powerless to aid us”
Chapter 19
”Aaaaarrrggghhhh!!!”
Thetable and hurled it against the cave wall It shattered into a thousand fraged, son, and shot frost frorew , she raged, neither scrying device nor spell could penetrate the depths of an elven forest
damn all ancient peoples and their unfatho elves, for she couldn't locate him anywhere else
”He hides because he fears me!” she ranted ”Because I've killed all my enemies and wounded an eed fro, putrid coas reduced to blubbering terror before I pitched her into the blackest of holes! But Sunbright, a simple, stupid barbarian, eludes s out, blind him-”
An idea struck Why not seek hiuise of the One King, she'd stirred up hordes of orcs and other villains, wounded the Netherese Empire sorely, butchered thousands of innocents, and lured Lady Polaris to a horrible quasi-life But she needed the One King no longer She could turn her attentions to- ”Sunbright!” The stony creature raised wicked claws ”Prepare yourself! I coony and slow, painful death!”
And crossing scarecrow arh Forest of the Moon Elves But not to hide To seek
An elf nah the forest A good thing, for these woods were enchanted and Sunbright knew he'd lose his way alone
He'd seen ical Even in winter the oaks and birches andand vibrant with health The sun shone brighter through their branches, as if through ice crystals, yet the earth felt war
Despite a chill, the air possessed a sweet tang, as in y wood-bisons watched the neither fear nor interest How could that be?
Sunbright wondered, when the elves killed game like anyone else?
More incredibly, how had he once passed through this forest without seeing its otherworldly beauty? For as a boy, banished froh this forest toward the heart of the empire But on that journey he'd seen no elves, and sensed no ic
Was it true what men said, that an elven asn't part of a man's world, but rather a shadow realm that existed side by side, unseen unless the inhabitants wanted it to show? If so, where were they now?
Sunbright shook his head as if to dislodge idle ras He needed to concentrate on his mission
If the elves had a city, or town center, or if that elven queen owned a castle or ht never saw it Blessedseed led the narrow and ancient trails In some places the paths orn knee-deep Where they crossed oak roots, soft elven soles had polished inches deep into tough wood Occasionally they passed ah up, or saw paths wending toward caves trickling suessed these elves didn't have proper hoers Perhaps they siuide, Blessedseed only s He had more important questions
”There”
In the silent forest, the elf's quiet word startled hiht peered There seee Then he saw a dark slit, hardly wide enough for a fox, and he asked, ”That's her home?”
”Yes,” said the elf ”I shall wait here”
”We ht be a while,” the shaainst a tree, folded his ar his head over these queer and ht strode up the trail He had al out of place in her lion skin coat Her voice startled hiht find?”
”What?” The shaman turned, fuddled, and said, ”Of course I want to know! I've wanted to know since forever Years, now”
Knucklebones's one eye stared at the ground ”I hope the answer ht didn't understand her co her hand for cluled bracken, and squeezed through