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flinched when she saw orange eyes, and then she stared helplessly at the face. He was just a
child, and he couldn t be more than six years old! His head was topped with light brown hair
instead of the black hair she d come to expect. When he saw that her eyes had focused on
him, he grinned and waved excitedly.
Der jumped again. The child stuck both his hands out as far as he could reach and
waved both hands and she felt a small breeze across her face. She observed that he also had
two long knives hanging off his belt, bouncing with the rhythm of his arms. They came to rest
below his knees. She decided that she must be dreaming.
 Hey, lady, wake up! You ll feel a lot better once you have some of Mother s cooking. It s
the best in the world! He never stopped waving.
Der opened her mouth, but couldn t even make strangled sounds any more. Now, she
couldn t imagine how she had been able to speak. Maybe that had been the dream instead.
 Hush, little one, ordered a sweet, breathy voice. A small, slender woman gently pulled
the boy aside by his shoulder. She sat down beside Der and her silky, red hair was so long it
flowed down her back and onto the grass.  Can you understand me? She brushed some hair
from Der s pallid forehead.  Good. We are not safe here, so we ll have to move soon. I can
heal your friend, although he will be without most of his teeth. I can take the pain away from
you. She sighed and dropped her face.  However, your damage is beyond my skill.   Tis the
worst of news in the morning, and for that I am sorry, but we do not have the time to pretend.
Der closed her eyes and let her head sink through the grass. She heard the woman rise
and leave. She d never believed in the chemmen; never really considered that they d existed.
Now, she was dying because of them. She tried to tell herself that she d done her duty and that
Kelin was free and alive. The pain resurged, slowly burning her body from the inside.
The next time she awoke the night birds were singing. Surprisingly, she felt much
stronger and objects aligned in focus after she blinked her eyes. She stared at the campfire. It
could have been the same one as before, but she wasn t sure.
She didn t see the boy, but then again, she may have just dreamed him or just imagined
his eyes. The long haired woman knelt around the fire, stirring a small pot to the side of the
flames. It was a beautiful silver, engraved cooking pot that Der mused should be hanging on a
wall in a castle somewhere instead of turning black in a campfire in the wilderness.
After the distraction of the pot had faded, she saw that the woman s ears also curved up
All Things Impossible Crown of the Realm Dalton 72
to tiny tips. So, another elf.
On the other side of the woman, Kelin sat up next to the flames. His face was pale and
pinched, but he was breathing steadily.
 Got you! Someone grabbed the backs of her shoulders with a strong grip. Der felt
every muscle in her body tense so tightly that she thought they were going to explode.
The woman snapped something in another language and the boy s shoulders dropped.
He stepped toward her, but she snapped her fingers and pointed back at Der. Scowling at the
ground, he recited,  I m sorry.
Der opened her mouth to speak and then remember that she couldn t. She was
shocked when an audible, although incomprehensible sound wheezed through. She settled for
nodding.
He pointed to himself.  I m Thalon.
 Yes, you are, said the silky voice as the elf stepped over to them,  And, now it s your
turn to tend the pot. She pushed him along.
Der swallowed.  Thought, she swallowed again,  Thought not safe& here. First she
eyed the darkness beyond the firelight, and then the child.
 Of course it isn t.
She bullied her slipping strength and growled.  Who are you? How& ?
The red-haired lady s face softened as Der watched. She realized that those features
about the elf s face and movements that were just slightly foreign that Kaleb strove to blur that
this woman wore as a badge of her heritage. There was no mistaking her, she was an elf, and
didn t attempt to obscure that fact. Der could not imagine this woman ever being mistaken for a
human like he had been. She must have been much older too, though no scars of age marred
her features. She patted Der s arm.  All in good time. We re safe enough for the moment in this
place. The forest is hiding us tonight. Tomorrow, though, we must leave because the forest
isn t strong enough here to protect us for long. The chemmen are near and they are angry. So,
do not leave the reach of the firelight.
Der nodded, too tired to try to refute anything she d heard.  Why do I feel better?
The woman glanced to the ground for the moment.  I did the best that I could, for the
both of you, but you re injuries are too severe for my songs of healing. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]