Melegaunt patted out a small flame. 'Did you copy my spell?'
'It's a small talent I have,' said Galaeron, glossing over the long explanation of his enrollment in, then expulsion from the Academy of Magic. 'It wasn't as strange as your other spells.'
'Amazing,' said Melegaunt. 'You could learn a little control, but amazing nonetheless.'
'Would that you were a master in the Academy of Magic,' Galaeron laughed.
He turned and led the humans out of the grove. As they returned to the marble-paved lanes outside, Vala came to his side. 'You should have kissed her,' she said. Galaeron nearly stumbled. 'Takari? Why would I do that?'
'Isn't that what elf lovers do when they part?' asked Vala. 'Or do only humans kiss?'
'We kiss-though not as often as humans, judging by how you breed,' said Galaeron, 'but Vala and l are not lovers.'
'I take back the twelve nice words I've said about you,' said Vala. 'Only a tusker would treat a woman in love so badly.' 'Tusker?'
'Ore,' explained Melegaunt. 'And Vala, it's hardly a guest's place to interrogate her host about such matters.'
Vala lowered her eyes at once. 'Of course. I apologize.' She fell a step behind and allowed Melegaunt to take her place.
Galaeron glanced back, a little troubled by how quickly her spirit vanished at any hint of the wizard's disapproval. He had been trying to puzzle out their relationship since departing the Vyshaan crypt, but whenever he mentioned the Granite Tower or their past, Melegaunt always changed the subject Vala told him to mind his own business.
Deciding the best way to win Vala's confidence was to be open himself, Galaeron said, 'There's no need to apologize, Vala, but we have never been lovers.' He could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew there was more to the story. 'We could have been, but such things always come to bad end between moon elves and Wood elves.'
'Really?' It was Melegaunt who asked this. 'I wasn't aware of that.' 'Perhaps because you are not an elf,' Galaeron replied.
Ignoring the curious-and sometimes hostile-looks of the pedestrians they passed, Galaeron led the way across the great sunning meadow at the base of Bellcrest Hill and started up Goldmorn Knoll. Apparently sensing the melancholy that had come over him, Melegaunt allowed Galaeron a few minutes of introspection before speaking again. 'They're going to get killed, you know.'
Galaeron did not need to ask who the wizard meant 'It would be a mistake to judge our high mages by my skills.' He spoke in a low voice, and even then only when they were near no other elves. 'Lord Duirsar was not exaggerating when he told you how old Evereska's magic is.'
'Old yes, and powerful as well, I'm sure,' said Melegaunt. 'But how much do your high mages know of the phaerimm? You didn't even know what they were, and your priest wouldn't have realized what was wrong with Takari until the hatchling ate its way through her entrails.'
'And how do you know so much about them?' asked Galaeron.
Without answering the question, Melegaunt said, 'The phaerimm have spent the last thousand years starving beneath Anauroch, barely sustaining themselves on the few Bedine their slaves can kidnap or lure through the Sharn Wall. And now we-you and I, Galaeron-have given them a chance to escape. I promise you, they will be quick to seize it'
'Which still does not answer my question. Why do you know so much about them?'
'Because I have spent the last century studying them,' said Melegaunt. When Galaeron remained silent, he added, 'That's all you need know.'
'And all you need know is that I won't break my word to Lord Duirsar,' said Galaeron. 'Not on your say-so. Not on my own life.' 'It is not your life I'm worried about.'
'Then tell me why,' said Galaeron. 'If I'm convinced, we will speak again with the Hill Elders-'
'Who would rather see Evereska fall than accept help from a human.'
'Who have dealt with enough humans to know their help is never free,' said Galaeron. 'I'm not a fifth their age, and I have learned that for myself.'
They rounded the corner and came to the granite bank of Dawnsglory Pond, where two dozen laughing elves were availing themselves of the morning light to bathe and play in the steaming waters. Galaeron led his companions along to a quiet corner, where a pair of winsome Sun elf sisters were washing the tangles from their hair.
The eldest, a stunning beauty with violet flecks in her eyes, looked up. 'Glad homeagain, Galaeron. We heard about Louenghris and your silvers. He will be missed.'
Galaeron winced at how fast the news was spreading. It would arrive at his father's before he did. 'As will they all, Zharilee.' He gestured behind him, where he could almost feel the heat rising off the humans at the sight of the naked sisters. 'These are in my care until the Hill Elders decide their fate, and I'm sorry to say they have need of a bath before I take them to my father's.'
The youngest wrinkled her nose. 'Keep a close watch on them.' She rolled onto her back and started toward the center of the pool. 'I don't like how that crooked nosed one looks at me.'
There was the sound of a heavy blow, then Vala growled, 'Close 'em or lose 'em, Kuhl.'
Galaeron gave the sisters a moment to retreat, then waved his guests into the pool. 'If you please.' He glanced toward Melegaunt and added, 'It's customary to remove your clothes.'
The men's expressions changed from hungry to nervous, and they looked to Vala for instruction. Vala shrugged and said, 'Why not?'
She unbuckled her sword belt, then sat down and began to unlace her high boots. Her men reluctantly followed her example, and ten minutes later they were splashing in the water like pup otters. The men all looked like rothe, with thick tangles of dark hair across their massive backs and huge barrel chests. Vala was stout but much smaller, with rounder curves than an elf woman and-thankfully-only small tufts of hair growing in the appropriate places, but her idea of sport was as rough as that of her men. When they began to play keep-away with one of her boots, she did not hesitate to yank things most elves would have considered it impolite for even good friends to touch. The men responded in kind, grabbing whatever they could in order to keep her at bay. They even tried to include Galaeron in their games, tossing her boot-and Vala herself-at him. So surprised was he to see her eyeing him with the same hungry look he had noticed in the men that he forgot to defend himself and let her hand dart past his guard-and he was even more surprised by what she grabbed. She bowled him over backward and, burying his face in her soft chest, snatched her boot from his grasp.
Galaeron came up coughing, and found Vala holding her boot coyly in one hand. 'What's the matter, elf?' She gave him one of those hungry human smiles, then tossed the boot on the bank. 'Still too dirty?'
'Not at all.' Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, Galaeron turned toward the bank. 'My house is not far. We'll break our fast and see to cleaning your clothes and armor later.'
They all climbed out of the water and bundled their armor inside their cloaks. Without their clothes, the humans looked a lot less intimidating and drew far fewer sneers, and it was not long before they reached the summit of Goldmorn Knoll. Located well into the interior of Evereska, the knoll was not as high as the Three Sisters nor as large, but it was home to a sizable grove of rare sycamore trees that had left Cormyr during the Time of Troubles and sought refuge in Evereska. Galaeron could not help smiling when he recalled the sight of that endless line of trees marching past his camp along the Desert Border and vanishing into the Sharaedim. He came to the base of Starmeadow Tower-before the sycamores arrived, it had stood in the heart of a favorite meadow for stargazing-and pointed at a hole-shaped doorway seventy feet above.
'There is my home. If you are ever lost in the city, ask for Treetop in Starmeadow, and you will be returned here.'
Treetop,' repeated Dexon. The burly human craned his neck, watching a pair of elves crawl past the doorway head-down. 'Where's the ladder?'
Galaeron smiled. 'There is no need for ladders in Evereska.'
He tucked his armor under one arm, then pressed one palm and the sole of the opposite foot to the wall. Thanks to the magic of the mythal, they held fast to the stone, and he began to climb. 'Always use bare skin. Never wear gloves or shoes.'
