‘No I can’tbelieve that.’ cried Miranda.
‘This one wastender and caring. It could have done nothing and just enjoyed mypain and sorrow. It pulled me back from despair. I thought Aquitainwas dead. I wanted to die. I won’t let you kill it. Put it back onme. I want to talk to it.’
‘That’smadness!’ growled Llalorax.
‘I wouldn’trecommend it.’ repeated Yllandril calmly.
‘I am a druid.We care for all of The Lady’s creations as she loves them all. Theyare all special in her eyes and mine. Please put it back.’
‘All right butif you start acting strangely then I will have to restrain you.’stated Llalorax seriously and he placed Slivver back on Miranda’sback.
Miranda sat andbegan singing a strange but haunting song then suddenly went quietand appeared to be in some sort of trance. Slivver was charmed.Miranda was no threat in fact she was a lovely friend who he wouldshare his deepest secrets with. She would love and care for him andhe would care for her.
‘Hello my dearlittle friend, tell me when you joined me and what you have seenand heard while you have been with me.’ she said and Slivver wasonly too happy to tell her everything.
She wassurprised when he mentioned Aquitain. So she asked him aboutAquitain and was even more surprised when he told her aboutLlanlorian using him as a minder for Aquitain. He told hereverything that had happened from leaving Astaria to when themalign chaotic Schlum had removed Aquitain’s spirit from hisLlanllean body and placed it in the soul crystal.
Miranda losttrack of time listening to Slivver’s story when Yllandrilinterrupted.
‘Are you okay?We’re worried. You’ve been in a trance for hours?’
Miranda sighed.‘Yes. I guess we can talk some more later.’
‘You’ve beentalking with that creature? How do you know it’s not telling lies?How can you trust it?’ asked Yllandril a little worried.
‘It’s quitesimple.’ replied Miranda.
‘The Ladyallows us to choose a creature friend much like wizards havefamiliars. I have never had one before and this creature kept mefrom despair when I was at my lowest ebb. I have chosen it to be myfriend. It has never had someone to love and care for it. It nowhas me.’
Yllandril waslost for words.
‘Now where isAquitain?’ asked Miranda firmly.
‘Aquitain isnot far from here, he’s doing some scouting. Perhaps you could tellus a little more about yourself. If you’re a friend of Aquitain’sthen you’re a friend of ours.’
Miranda thoughtto herself. If these were his friends then perhaps she should be alittle restrained. Perhaps she should find out a bit more aboutthem.
Chapter 29 Secret of theThrone
When a tiny greencrystal man wearing a crude trixie illusion suddenly teleportedinto a room full of Moonmist trixies you might expect that theywould be a little surprised but not in the kitchen in the Queen’sPalace. They had seen many strange and wondrous things over theyears and another appearing two days before the Spring Ball was noreal surprise.
They looked,smiled fleetingly and simply walked around him. When he sent out amindspeak message asking for Bellen, the chief organizer theysimply pointed down the corridor and continued with their jobs.
Aquitain wasexcited; he had found where the brown-scaled little people hadvanished to. He was among dozens of them. He expected to see themas happy as their coloured cousins were on Mudrun. That’s not whathe saw. He was in a room about twenty paces wide with a ceilinglower than the height of an average Newman. He saw a multitude ofdrably dressed, greasy, unkempt trixies of widely varying sizeswearing dirty aprons grumbling as they tended rows of bubbling potsand small ovens.
There waslittle joy on their faces, many of which were malformed. Some ofthe poor little reptilian looking people had one leg or arm shorterthan the other and some had spines that bent them over at tortuousangles. This was obviously the hidden side of the beautifulElendari society.
He adjusted theillusion around him to look like those here then set off down thecorridor horrified at what he saw. He followed the narrow, poorlylit stone passageway designed especially for the little people,passing several unhappy looking ones returning empty food trays tothe kitchen.
He passed twointersections and noticed that some of the trixies going down sidecorridors were carrying dirty linen and other goods. After askingfor Bellen several times he finally ran into him at the nextintersection. This trixie was more what he had expected. He stoodtaller than all the others. He wore a bright green and yellowsilken suit, an olive green belt with matching boots.
‘Yer lookingfer me?’ he askd in some local language. Aquitain was unsure whathe said.
‘Well what doyer want? Yer lost yer voice or somtin?’
‘I’ve been sentby Yllandril and Llalorax.’ said Aquitain in low Draconic usingmindspeak.
Bellen looked alittle more closely at him and realized it was an illusion. Hemuttered a few words in high Draconic and then seemed quitesurprised to see a little green crystal statue talking to him. Hechanged to Draconic speaking it as fluently as a little person.
‘Now I know yermad. Yllandril bless her spirit is dead and Llalorax is in prisonsomewhere.’
‘Yllandril isno more dead than you are.’ replied Aquitain. ‘and Llalorax isfree.’
‘What proof doyer have?’ asked Bellen suspiciously.
‘I have amindlink with her and him right now. If you’re prepared to linkwith me you can talk to them directly.’
Bellenconsidered this for a few seconds and then agreed. Aquitain formedthe link and immediately noticed the change in Bellen’s face. Hebecame surprised, happy then joyful as you might expect whenmeeting a friend you thought long dead. They talked for about fiveminutes while Aquitain stood watching an unhappy looking processionof trixies pass by.
Finally, Bellencut off the mindlink. He looked very happy. He bowed to Aquitainand said.
‘It’s surely agreat honour to meet yer Lord Warden. When we saw the red sign ofdoom we knew that trouble would soon find us. To have yer with usis a blessing none could have imagined. Yer in me debt for savingYllandril who has saved and helped many o’ me people over theyears. The lies about her and her death was a source of greatdistress to us. Yer appearance
