For all his brave words, the bardling was half hoping someone would talk him out of it But to his dismay, the White Elf only nodded. “That seems like the best idea. But since you’re going to be playing the bait in what could be a most complicated trap, someone bad best armor you against the weapons you’re likely to encounter.’’
“ “Someone,”“ Naitachal muttered. “That ‘someone,’ of course, is going to be me. Unless one of you has miraculously gained some useful protection spells? No? I didn’t think so.”
Tich’ki grinned, unabashed. “Now why would a fairy deign to protect someone?”
“Why, indeed?” The Dark Elf’s voice dripped sarcasm—”Let the weak get what they deserve, eh?”
“Ha!” the fairy exploded. “Never knew your folks to be concerned with protecting anyone, either!”
“Point taken.”
“Tich’ki,” Lydia cut in, “couldn’t you use fairy magic, though, against Carlotta?”
“How? By influencing her mind, the way I did to those guards?” Tich’ki shivered, wrapping her wings about her. “Not a chance. Look you, I know my limitations—If that really is Carlotta, she’d shrivel me like a moth in a flame.”
“Never mind.” Naitachal glanced at Kevin. “I’m sure you realize that when our White Elf friend mentioned armor, he didn’t mean armor against anything as simple as swords.”
“Uh.-.no.”
“I admit I’m not the most experienced of magicians when it comes to protective spells, as our dear Tich’ki so kindly reminded me.”
She Uttered.
“But I shall do my best,” the Dark Elf continued. “And,” he added wryly, “I promise not to damage you in the process.” Naitachal paused, then gave a heartfelt sigh. “It’s not going to be an easy thing; if I make the spells too obvious, Charina, Carlotta will be sure to sense them. Hey-ho, who needs sleep?” He glanced at the others—”But those spells are for defensive purposes. Now let’s plan what we’re going to do about fighting back.”
“Kevin shouldn’t be left alone for a moment,” Eliathanis suggested.
“That’s easy to say,” Lydia retorted. “I have a feeling that if Charina 01—Carlotta or whatever she wants to call herself really is worried about that manuscript, she’s some to concentrate all her attention on Kevin.”
“All we can do is our best,” the White Elf said simply, and Tich'ki snickered.
“Might have known you’d say something ail fine and noble and useless. Never mind the pretty words, elf! We’ve got some concrete plans to make: what we’re going to do if the ... ah ...witch tries to isolate our boy here; what we’re going to do if she asks him about the manuscript or makes him go get it—that sort of thing. All the nice, practical details.”
Kevin nodded in fervent approval. “By all means, let’s be practical!”
He and the others sat and plotted for some time. At last, satisfied with the results, Naitachal straightened in his chair.
“All right, enough of this. We all know our roles. Now, I have work to do. Lydia, Eliathanis, Tich’ki, if you can’t help me cast spells, you can at least raid the kitchen and castle gardens and get me the components I’ll need.”
The Dark Elf rattled off a list of ingredients. Some of them, like rosemary, Kevin recognized; it was a common element of the protective amulets people wore back in Bracklin. Other items bewildered him totally.
“Naitachal? I didn’t know
Naitachal’s smile was wry. “That’s for me, boy, not for you. This is going to be one long night’s work, and I don’t want to risk falling asleep in the middle of it Oh, and by the way,” he added sharply, catching the others in a warning stare, “once I begin that work, I do not wish to be interrupted. Understood?”
“Totally.” Lydia grinned. “After all, some of us have to look pretty in the morning!”
She dodged as Naitachal threw a pillow at her, and scurried out of the room, her laughter trailing behind her.
The night was late, at the very witching hour, and very dark, moonless and still, without the faintest breath of wind. Not a sound was to be heard without Count Volmar’s casde save for the faint footsteps and chinking of mail of the guards wearily trudging back and forth up on the ramparts. Their torches were small, flickering things barely
