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.The song did not put the elf on his guard, but it did calm him and senthim running straight.He realized his instincts, his sense of star song,had guided him true.His heart soared, for he dearly wanted to see hisbrethren again.He found them gathered in a grove of oak and scatteredpines.Smiles broadened on a dozen elven faces.The presence of some ofthe Touel'alfar—like Tallareyish Issinshine, who, despite his great age,loved to wander out of the elven valley—didn't surprise Juraviel.But theappear-ance of one elf in particular stunned him.At first he hardlynoticed her, for she wore the hood of her cloak up, only her sparklingeyes showing."You have been missed, Belli'mar Juraviel," she said.Her voice—that special voice, powerful and melodic all at once, even by elven standards—halted the dancing Juraviel."My lady," he said breathlessly, surprised, even stunned, to discover that Lady Dasslerond herself had come forth from the valley.Juravielrushed to her and fell to his knees, accepting her hand and kissing itgently."The song of Caer'alfar is diminished without your voice," LadyDasslerond replied, one of the highest compliments one elf could pay toanother."Forgive me, lady, but I do not understand," Juraviel said."You have come forth, and yet I know that you are needed in Andur'BloughInnin-ness.The dactyl's scar.""Remains," Lady Dasslerond replied."Deep is the mark of Bestesbulzi-bar upon our valley, I fear; and so the rot has begun, a rot that may forceus from our homes, from the world itself.But that is a matter fordecades, per-haps centuries, to come, and now I fear that there may bemore pressing needs.""The war went well.Take heart that Nightbird is back in his place—orshall be soon," Juraviel told her."The land will know peace once more, though it came at a great cost.""No," Lady Dasslerond replied."Not yet, I fear.Ever in the history of humans, it has been the aftermath of war that brings the most unrest.Their hierarchies and institutions are shaken.Inevitably, one will ariseto claim leadership, and often it is one undeserving.""You have heard of the death of the baron of Palmaris?" Tallareyish remarked, "and of Abbot Dobrinion, who led the Church in Palmaris?"Juraviel nodded."Word came to us before Nightbird went north to theTimberlands," he explained."Both were good, and safe, as humans go," Lady Dasslerond explained."Palmaris is an important site for us, since it is the primary city andgarrison between our home and the more populated human lands."Juraviel knew Palmaris was an important city to the elves, and yet theycould not go into the place openly.Few humans knew of them—in fact,because of Juraviel's efforts in the war beside Nightbird, the number ofhumans who could honestly claim they had seen an elf had probably atleast doubled over the last few months.But the doings of the humans wereof concern to the elves, and Lady Dasslerond had sent elves into Palmarisevery so often over the last decades."We are not pleased by the rumors coming out of the city," Tallareyish remarked."There is a fight within the Church, one in which we—you—haveinadvertently played a role.""Not so inadvertent," Juraviel replied.He was surprised by thesome-what accusatory looks coming his way and he held up his hands."Was it not Lady Dasslerond herself who instructed me to go to Mount Aida?" he asked."And did not Lady Dasslerond herself come out of Caer'alfar to my aid when Bestesbulzibar descended upon me and the human refugees?""You speak truly," Lady Dasslerond agreed."And it was Tuntun, not Juraviel, who fulfilled our rightful place on the journey to Mount Aida.""You even brought the demon to our home," Juraviel replied."And I do not disagree with your choice," he quickly added, seeing her scowl."Indeed, were it not for that choice, I would have been destroyed northof our valley.""And that is where it should have ended," Lady Dasslerond explained, "in Andur'Blough Inninness for us, and in Mount Aida for Tuntun.Our part inthis conflict was played out when the demon dactyl was destroyed."The weight of her words hit Juraviel.Indeed, it had seemed that theelves were done with the conflict, until Nightbird and Pony had arrivedon the mountain slopes above the elven valley.An enchantment forbadetheir entrance, so Juraviel had gone to them.Then, with LadyDasslerond's re-luctant blessing, Juraviel had departed with the pair totake up the fight against the scattered remnants of the demon dactyl'sarmy."Had you ordered me to stay in Andur'Blough Inninness, I would haveoffered no complaint," Juraviel said softly to the lady of the valley."I have only followed that course which seemed truest to me.""All the way to St.-Mere-Abelle?" Tallareyish remarked, his tone not complimentary.That was it, Juraviel recognized: the breaking point of elven tolerance.Lady Dasslerond had sent him with Nightbird and Pony to watch theprogress of the war against the goblins, giants, and powries, but he hadfol-lowed the ranger and interfered in the heart of the affairs ofhumans.Juraviel lowered his gaze to the ground before the great elven lady."My journey to St.-Mere-Abelle was to rescue Bradwarden the centaur, who hasbeen an elven friend for many, many years," he said humbly."We know," Lady Dasslerond replied.A long moment passed, and then all the elves around him began talking atonce, whispering the name of the centaur.Juraviel heard the word"justi-fied" spoken several times, and at last found the courage to look up into his lady's eyes.Lady Dasslerond studied him intently for a few moments, then noddedslowly."I cannot, in good conscience, dispute your decision," sheadmitted, "for you did not understand fully the implications of involving yourself in such matters.What news of Bradwarden, then?""He is in the north with Nightbird," Juraviel replied.Before he could elaborate, one of the elves in the branches of a nearby tree signaledthat someone was closing on their position, and in a moment all the elvesdisap-peared into the underbrush.A short while later, the light of a torch could be seen, winding throughthe trees, and then Juraviel smiled as two humans, one of whom herecog-nized, walked into view."You know that one," Lady Dasslerond stated, indicating Roger.As she spoke, several of the other elves began to sing softly, their voicesblending with the normal sounds of the forest night [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]