poisoned waters. Do that, and the river will be clean again. Then you will find a way to give your sister back to herself.»
Give Brin back to herself? Jair shook his head slowly. What did the old man mean by that?
«She will lose herself.» The King of the Silver River again seemed able to read his thoughts. «Yours is the voice that will help her to find the pathway back.»
Jair still did not understand. He started to ask the questions that would clear away his confusion, but the old man shook his head slowly.
«Listen to what I say.» One thin arm reached out to him and the pouch with the Silver Dust was placed in his hands. «Now we are bound. Trust has been exchanged. So now it can be with magics. Your magic is useless to you, mine equally to me. I keep yours therefore and give you mine.»
Again he reached into the robes. «The Elfstones are three in number, one each for the mind and body and heart — magics that entwine and form the power of the Stones. Three magics, then, shall you be given. First, this.»
In his hand was a brilliant crystal on a silver chain. He passed it to Jair. «For the mind, a vision crystal. Sing to it, and it will show you the face of your sister, wherever she may be. Use it when you have need of knowing what she is about. And you will have need of knowing, for you must reach Heaven’s Well before she reaches the Maelmord.» ‘
His hand lifted to Jair’s shoulder. «For the body, strength to see you through on your journey east and to stand against the dangers that will beset you. That strength you shall find in those who will travel with you, for you shall not make this journey alone. A touch of the magic, then, to each. It begins and ends here.» He pointed to the sleeping Garet Jax. «When your need is greatest, he shall always come. He shall be protector to you until you stand at last at Heaven’s Well.»
Once more he turned back to Jair. «And for the heart, child, the final magic — a wish that shall serve you best. One time only you may call upon the wishsong and it shall give you not illusion, but reality. It is the magic that will save your sister. Use it when you stand at Heaven’s Well.»
Jair shook his head slowly. «But how am I to use it? What am I to do?»
«I cannot tell you what you must decide for yourself,” the King of the Silver River replied. «When you have thrown the Silver Dust into the basin at Heaven’s Well and the waters are clear once more, throw the vision crystal after. You must find your answer there.»
He bent forward then, his frail hand lifting. «But be cautioned. You must reach the Well before your sister enters into the Maelmord. It is written that she shall do so, since the Druid’s faith in her magic is well placed. You must be there when that happens.»
«I will,” Jair whispered and clutched the vision crystal tightly.
The old man nodded. «I have placed much trust in you. The lands and the races depend now on you, and you must not fail them. But you have courage. You shall be true. Speak the words, Jair.»
«I shall be true,” the Valeman repeated.
Gingerly the King of the Silver River rose again, a ghost in the night. A great weariness stole suddenly over Jair, pulling him down into his travel cloak. Warmth and comfort seeped slowly through his body.
«You, most of all, are a part of me,” he heard the old man say, the words faint and distant. «Child of life, the magic makes you so. All things change, but the past carries forward and becomes what is to be. Thus it was with your great–grandfather and your father. Thus it is with you.»
He was fading, dissipating like smoke into the firelight. Jair peered after him, but his eyes were so clouded with sleep that he could not seem to make them focus.
«When you awake, all will be as it was save for this — I have come. Sleep now, child. Be at peace.»
Jair’s eyes closed obediently, and he slept.
Chapter Eleven
When Jair awoke, dawn had already broken. Sunshine spilled down out of a cloudless blue sky and warmed an earth still damp with morning dew. He stretched lazily and breathed in the smell of bread and meat cooking. Kneeling next to the campfire, his back turned to the Valeman, Garet Jax was preparing breakfast.
Jair glanced about. Slanter was nowhere to be seen.
All will be as it was…
Abruptly he remembered everything that had happened the night gone past and sat up with a start. The King of the Silver River — or had it all been just a dream? He looked down at his hands. There was no vision crystal. When he had fallen back asleep, the crystal — if there really were one — had been clutched in his hands. He felt about the ground for it, then through the travel cloak. Still no crystal. Then it had been a dream. He felt hurriedly for the pockets of his tunic. A bulge in one pocket revealed the presence of the Elfstones — or was it the pouch that contained the Silver Dust? Quickly his hands flew over the rest of his body.
«Looking for something?»
Jair’s head jerked up and he found Garet Jax staring at him. He shook his head hurriedly. «No, I was just…» he stammered.
Then his eyes detected agleam of metal against his chest where the tunic opened in front. He looked down, tucking his chin back. It was a silver chain.
«Do you want something to eat?» the other man asked.
Jair didn’t hear him. It hadn’t been a dream after all, he was thinking. It had been real. It had all happened just as he remembered it. One hand felt down the front of his tunic past the length of the silver chain, touching upon the orb of the crystal fastened at its end.
«Do you want something to eat or not?» Garet Jax repeated, a touch of annoyance in his voice.
«Yes, I… yes, I do,” Jair mumbled, rising and coming over to kneel beside the other. A plate was passed to him, filled with food from the kettle. Masking his excitement, he began to eat.
«Where’s Slanter?» he asked after a moment, recalling once more the absent Gnome.
Garet Jax shrugged. «He never came back. I scouted around for him before breakfast. His tracks led down to the river and then turned west.»
«West?» Jair stopped eating. «But that’s not the way to the Anar.»
The Weapons Master nodded. «I’m afraid your friend decided he had come far enough with us. That’s the trouble with Gnomes — they’re not very reliable.»
Jair felt a twinge of disappointment. Slanter must indeed have decided to go his own way. But why did he have to sneak off like that? Why couldn’t he at least have said something? Jair thought about it a moment longer, then forced himself to resume eating, pushing the disappointment from his mind. He had more immediate problems to concern himself with this morning.
He thought back over everything the King of the Silver River had told him last night. He had a mission to perform. He had to go into the deep Anar, into the Ravenshorn and the lair of the Mord Wraiths to the peak called Heaven’s Well. It would be a long, dangerous journey — even for a trained Hunter. Jair stared hard at the ground. He was going, of course. There was no question about that. But as game and determined as he might be, he had to admit nevertheless that he was far from being a trained Hunter — or a trained anything. He was going to need help with this. But where was he going to find it?
He glanced curiously at Garet Jax. This man shall be your protector, the King of the Silver River had promised. I give to him strength to withstand the dangers that will beset you on your journey. When you have need of him, he shall be there.
Jair frowned. Did Garet Jax know all this? It certainly didn’t appear that way. Obviously the old man hadn’t come to the Weapons Master last night as he had come to Jair. Otherwise the man would have said something by now. That meant it was up to Jair to explain it to him. But how was the Valeman supposed to convince the Weapons Master to come with him into the deep Anar? For that matter, how was he supposed to convince him that he hadn’t simply been dreaming.
He was still mulling the problem over when, to his complete astonishment, Slanter stalked out of the trees.
