Palentor stepped out of the canoe, bowing to the humans. The male sea elf looked remarkably unhostile, which is not to say he appeared friendly.
'The provisions of Evermeet are famed throughout elvendom,' he said stiffly but with a real effort to control his arrogance. 'The queen-that is, we-hoped that you would enjoy them as you embark upon this final leg of your quest.'
'Your generosity-and your queen's-is overwhelming,'
Robyn said sincerely. She took a few steps forward, standing directly before the sea elf and staring into his eyes. 'Thank you, Palentor.'
The mottled green of the elven warrior's face darkened, and Alicia wondered if he blushed. He bowed with great formality before speaking.
'Perhaps … perhaps I should thank you,' he said. 'We live in great isolation here on Evermeet. Indeed, isolation is the key to our survival. But you have shown me that not all humans are rapacious destroyers as we have been taught.
'Your courage is obvious, and your skill-setting out for Evermeet and actually reaching our shores-is something that no ordinary creature would dare to do.' His gaze shifted from Robyn to Alicia, who was staring at Palentor in surprise. 'I hope that you find your father,' he said.
'Thank you,' was all the princess could reply, but suddenly the resumption of their quest became the most important thing in the world.
'The armies of the deep?' inquired Brandon. 'Do they still await us beyond the cyclone belt?'
'Aye,' replied Palentor. 'They have gathered in greater numbers than I have seen. …'
It seemed that the sea elf had not completed his statement, though his voice trailed away. He regarded them carefully, and they sensed that he was trying to decide what to say next.
'There. . there is a way around them,' he finally announced. 'A concealed passage through the reefs along the eastern shore that you could follow to the south, passing west of Belintholme, the Guardian Isle. That course should carry you around the cordon.'
'How well concealed?' wondered the captain grimly.
'Perfectly. No charts have ever been made. It is mapped only in the minds of a few elves who have spent much of their lives in those waters. Anyone who tried to sail it without such an elf as a pilot would find himself-well, much as we found you-high and dry, a mile off the shore of Evermeet and going nowhere.'
'The pilot, then. .?' Brandon prompted.
'These passages are keys to the final defense of the elvenhome!' Palentor snapped brusquely, as if he desperately wanted them to understand. 'Nevertheless, the queen has placed it in my discretion. If I choose to provide you with a pilot, she has granted you permission to sail the secret ways.'
They waited, curious and tense. Alicia wondered why he had told them this much. She was sure Palentor's rabid belief in the sanctity of Evermeet's defenses would prevent him from allowing the humans to sail those concealed channels.
'You, Sister Knight, have shown me much by your example,' continued Palentor, stealing a look at Brigit. 'As you know, your staunch defense of Synnoria through the past centuries has not escaped our notice. Yet if one who has devoted her life to preserving the sanctity of an elven land sees fit to welcome humans there, perhaps there is good cause. I see now that there is.
'I will lead you along these paths,' concluded the sea elf in a sudden rush of words. He glared at them for a moment, as if challenging someone to dispute him, but even so Brandon's reaction took him by surprise.
'I knew it!' boomed the northman, stepping forward to clap the much smaller elf on the shoulder. 'You're all right, you know that, Palentor?'
The sea elf was too astonished to reply, but he smiled hesitantly as the crew raised a cheer. The elves produced great baskets of fruits and kegs of sweet wine, and the grotto rang with celebration, music, and dancing late into the night.
Alicia joined Robyn, Trillhalla, and Tavish on a blanket near the roaring bonfire. Keane and Brandon, and later even Palentor, came over to join them. The wine flowed sweetly, and as darkness settled across the grotto, the voyagers rose to a spirit of celebration.
'To our hosts! Their generosity stands as a shining example to all the Realms!' proclaimed Robyn, raising a crystal goblet of red wine. All the crew joined in the solemn toast.
'And to our guests,' replied Trillhalla. 'May their endeavor be blessed with success.'
Thoughts of that endeavor again propelled Alicia. She felt certain now that, if her father lived, they would find him. Yet in the fellowship of the fireside, the camaraderie of their last night on Evermeet, she felt a growing wistfulness. The thought of her companions gave her strength, and she resolved to throw herself into the resumed voyage with every ounce of her energy.
'Where's Hanrald?' the princess wondered at one point when the company was well into their second cask of wine.
Brandon looked at her, his expression sly. 'He's gone for a walk with Brigit, I think-at least, I saw them amble off together a few hours ago.'
The princess looked around, trying to suppress her sudden shock. In truth, she had noticed the bond that had seemed to slowly develop between the couple, and every time she thought of it, it puzzled her. She felt a flash of jealousy toward the elven woman, a feeling she recognized as irrational, but it remained with her nonetheless.
After tuning her harp, Tavish sent songs of joy and celebration wafting through the camp. She played short, lively songs, ribald ballads, and sang gentle verses of love and valor-all of it music that floated through the night, a perfect counterpoint in sound to the idyllic grotto surrounding them.
Alicia listened to the songs dreamily. Idly she looked around again, wondering if Hanrald had returned, but neither he nor Brigit were anywhere to be seen.
Her gaze drifted over to Brandon, who looked back at her and grinned. She saw a light in his eyes. Was it the reflection of the fire, or something else? When she looked at Keane, the magic-user seemed morose, sitting quietly by himself and staring into the flames.
Abruptly the princess rose to her feet, surprised that her legs seemed slightly unsteady beneath her. Nevertheless, she started into the darkness beyond the pale of their fire. Soon the thickness of the grotto's grove surrounded her with foliage, blocking out the glow of the fire behind her and the glimmer of starlight overhead.
Alicia wondered for a moment why she had walked off like this. She couldn't find anything out here, and that, she admitted, was probably a blessing. Or had she come out here to find anything? Perhaps she wanted instead to get away. Everything seemed terribly confusing to her.
'It's the wine,' she mumbled, turning back to the fire.
'The wine. . and the firelight on your hair.'
The voice was Brandon's, and it came to her as a shock. He had followed her into the darkness!
'Wh-what do you mean?' she demanded, startled.
'I didn't mean to frighten you,' explained the northman hastily, placing his hands on her arms. For a moment, she froze, barely seeing his tall form in the darkness. But when he leaned closer, she raised her lips to his and they met in a long kiss.
It
'I love you, Alicia, and I would sail to the stars and back if that would win your love in return!'
The suppressed tension in his voice surprised Alicia, and it excited her to realize that she had such an effect on this proud and independent man.
And then they had no more time for words as their lips met in another kiss. Slowly, gently, Brandon lowered Alicia to the ground.
Keane watched and waited, staring at the place in the darkness where the northman and the princess had disappeared. A thicker blackness than mere night threatened to sweep over him, and his mind worked its way through a variety of imagined pictures-the two of them alone, in the woods, on this night of celebration and leave- taking.
For a moment, anger-unfamiliar, taut, and powerful-coursed through Keane. He thought of a thousand things he could do, ranging from a shower of light through the woods to violent, explosive magic directed at Brandon.
