Her thoughts scattered at the sound of an owl’s soft hoot. She was aware that she had been standing there for several minutes and that the two men waiting below must be watching her. She did not want that.
Quickly, she began to walk around to the far side of the tree.
Druid and Valeman watched silently as the dark figure of the Elven girl circled the Ellcrys and disappeared from view. They remained standing a moment longer; but when she did not reappear, Allanon seated himself wordlessly on the grass. Wil paused, then sat down next to him.
«What will you do if the Ellcrys decides that she is no longer one of the Chosen?»
The Druid did not turn his head. «That will not happen.»
The Valeman hesitated a moment before speaking again.
«You know something about her that you have not told either of us, don’t you.»
Allanon’s voice was cold. «No. Not in the sense that you mean.»
«But in some sense.»
«What must concern you, Valeman, is seeing that nothing happens to her after you leave Arborlon.»
The way he said it left Wil with the very distinct impression that this particular subject was closed. The Valeman shifted his weight uncomfortably.
«Can you tell me something else, then?» he asked a moment later. «Can you tell me why she is so afraid of the Ellcrys?»
«No.»
Wil flushed heatedly within his cowl. «Why not?»
«Because I am not sure that I understand it myself. Nor do I think that she does. In any case, when she is ready for you to know about it, she will tell you herself.»
«I doubt it.» Wil slouched forward, arms resting loosely on his knees. «She does not seem to think much of me.»
Allanon did not respond. They sat in silence for a time, glancing periodically toward the summit of the rise and the solitary tree. There was no sign of Amberle. Wil glanced over at the Druid.
«Is she safe up there alone?»
The mystic nodded. Wil waited for him to explain why she was safe, but he did not offer an explanation. The Valeman shrugged. Being this close to her, he must have some means of seeing to it that she was protected, he decided.
At least he hoped so.
For along time Amberle did not move. She could not. Her fear had paralyzed her. She stood rigid and chilled not five feet from the nearest branches, staring hypnotically at the Ellcrys. Within her, the fear ran like liquid ice, numbing even her thoughts. She lost all sense of time, of place, of everything but her inability to take those last few steps forward.
When at last she did take them, it seemed that it was someone else who took them for her. She remembered only the distance between herself and the Ellcrys closing and then disappearing altogether. She was beneath the canopy of the tree, lost in shadow. The night breeze died into stillness, and the cold within her turned to heat.
Wordlessly, she dropped to her knees amid the clutter of dead leaves and broken twigs that blanketed the ground, her hands folding tightly in her lap. She waited.
Moments later, a ragged branch dipped downward and wrapped gently about her shoulders.
— Amberle —
The Elven girl began to cry.
There had been silence between them for quite some time when Wil suddenly recalled something odd that Allanon had said earlier. He had determined that he would ask nothing further of the Druid following their last exchange, but his curiosity got the better of him.
«Allanon?»
The Druid looked at him.
«Something is bothering me.» He took a moment to arrange his words. «When you told Amberle that we must come here tonight, she reminded you that you had informed the Elves at the High Council that she would be given a day or two to rest. You answered her by saying that what you told them was a necessary deception. What did you mean by that?»
Moonlight revealed the familiar mocking smile as it slanted across the mystic’s lean face.
«I was wondering when you would get around to that question, Wil Ohmsford.» He laughed softly. «Your inquisitiveness is all–encompassing.»
Wil grinned ruefully. «Do I get an answer to my question?»
Allanon nodded. «An answer that will not please you. The deception was necessary because there is a spy within the Elven camp.»
The Valeman went cold. «How do you know that?»
«Logic. When I arrived at Paranor, the Demons were waiting for me. Waiting for me, Valeman — I was not followed. That suggests rather strongly that they knew in advance that I would be coming there. How did they know that? For that matter, how did they know about me in the first place? Only Eventine knew that I had returned to the Four Lands. Only Eventine knew of my plans to travel to Paranor; I told him in confidence that I would go there to study the Druid histories in an effort to discover the location of Safehold. Eventine was cautioned to say nothing and would have done exactly that.»
He paused. «That leaves only one possibility. Someone listened in on our conversation — someone who had reason to betray us to the Demons.»
Wil looked doubtful. «But how could that have happened? You said yourself that no one even knew that you had returned to the Four Lands before you spoke to Eventine.»
«That puzzles me, also,” the Druid admitted. «The spy must be someone with easy access to the King, someone who would know everything that he is about. One of his household staff, perhaps.»
He shrugged. «In any case, it was fortunate that I did not mention to the King where Amberle could be found or the Demons would almost certainly have reached her before I did.» He paused, black eyes fixing on the Valeman. «They would have reached you, as well, I imagine.»
Wil felt his skin crawl. The suggestion was a thoroughly disconcerting one, even now. For the first time since he had met Allanon, he was grateful that the Druid was so closemouthed about what he knew.
«If all this is so, then why did you tell the Elves at the High Council so much?» he asked. «If there is a spy, isn’t there a rather good possibility that he may discover everything that was said at that meeting?»
The Druid leaned forward. «A very good possibility. In fact, I intend to make certain that he does. That is the reason for the deception. You see, the Demons already know that we are here, and they know why we are here. They know who I am; they know who Amberle is. They do not yet know who you are. All this they have discovered from my conversation with Eventine and from what they have seen in pursuing us from Havenstead. We have told the Elves at the High Council nothing new — except for one small item. We have told them that Amberle will rest for several days before she goes to the Ellcrys. So, for the next several days, at least, the Demons will expect us to do nothing. That deception, I hope, will give us a small but very useful advantage.»
«What kind of advantage?» Wil frowned. «What do you have in mind, Allanon?»
The Druid pursed his lips. «As to that, Wil, I am afraid that I will have to ask you to be patient for a bit longer. But I promise that you will have your answer before the night is done. Fair enough?»
There was nothing particularly fair about any of this, Wil thought glumly. Still, there was no point in pressing the matter. When Allanon had made up his mind, Wil knew that that was the end of it.
«One thing more.» The Druid put a cautionary hand on his shoulder. «Say nothing of this to Amberle. She is frightened enough as it is, and there is no reason that she should be frightened further. Let this remain a secret between you and me.»
The Valeman nodded. That much, at least, they could agree upon.
Only minutes later, Amberle appeared suddenly from beneath the shadow of the tree. She stood for a moment silhouetted against the night sky, hesitated, then started toward them. She walked slowly, carefully, as if uncertain of her movements, hands held clasped together against her breast. Her cowl was lowered, her long, chestnut hair fanning out behind her in the breeze. As she neared them, they could see plainly her stricken face. It was pale and drawn and streaked with tears, and fear reflected brightly in her eyes.
She came up to them and stopped. Her slender form was trembling.
