The wizard cocked a brow. 'Brazen for an elf, aren't you?' He plucked Vala's bare sword from the pack horse and brought it over. 'Very well. The sharn are not the trapped ones-they are the ones who made the wall.' Then what were-'
'Phaerimm,' said Vala, taking her sword. 'You do know what they are?'
'I do now.' like the Sharn Wall itself, they were the stuff of Tomb Guard legend, mysterious killers who could wipe out whole patrols. From what Galaeron had seen, the description fit. He looked back to Melegaunt. 'You were lost in their tunnels?'
'Not lost.' As he answered, the wizard turned his attention to Vala. 'You are the master of this company?'
'What's left.' She cast an angry glance at Galaeron, then dismounted and dropped to a knee before the wizard. 'Vala Thorsdotter, daughter to Bodvar's grandson, at your service.'
'We've no time for such silliness,' Melegaunt said, motioning her up. 'But a great-granddaughter to Bodvar! It does my heart good to see his line so long continued.'
Vala laid a hand to her scabbard. 'A blessing of your gifts, Mighty One.'
'No doubt-and call me Melegaunt. You'll find I answer to it more often.' Melegaunt waved her to her saddle, then looked down the line of big human horses and frowned. 'I don't see Sable.'
Vala's jaw dropped. 'Milord, Sable has been dead these eighty years.' She pointed to a husky black stallion near the end of the line. 'But Raven there is of her line.'
A flash of grief filled Melegaunt's dark eyes. 'Of course. I should have realized.' He motioned a human to bring Raven forward, then turned to Galaeron and pointed westward, where a jagged wall of shadows marked the impassable peaks of the Sharaedim. 'I trust you elves have a quick way across those?'
'There is a pass,' said Galaeron, 'but it is watched and warded. You'll have to wear blindfolds and bindings, or none of us will reach Evereska alive.'
'Be careful, Mighty-er, Melegaunt,' Vala said. 'Once he has us bound and blindfolded, well be at his mercy, and this elf is a sly one.' 'You have a better way?' Melegaunt asked, 'I have heard stories of shadow walking.' 'I'd need to know the way, and there is no time to find it'
'Nor would it work,' said Galaeron. 'Evereska is well-warded against such magic.'
The look that passed between Vala and Melegaunt was as quick as it was knowing, but Galaeron pretended not to notice. Whatever they believed-and whatever the truth about these phaerimm-the humans would be under his control when they entered the city.
'The only other way is to circle around and enter through the Halfway Inn. That would take a tenday by horse.' He looked to Melegaunt and added, 'Only three if you can fly us.'
'Still too long.' The smile that came to Melegaunt's lips might have been knowing or confident. 'We will wear the elven bindings.'
CHAPTER THREE
21 Nightal, the Year of the Unstrung Harp
The scent of spruce resin filled the darkness, and Galaeron knew they had completed the Passing. His dark sight began to function again, and the human horses snorted as they sensed the ponies' joy in returning to Evereska. Even Takari perked up, leaning back in Ehamond's arms to draw a breath of crisp air-Though Galaeron knew that a hundred elf archers watched from the hidden galleries high above, he did not look up. Any sign of acknowledgement would bring a flurry of spells and arrows down on his prisoners, a precaution contrived to keep secret the defenses of the Secret Gate.
The path rounded a curve then arched over a smoky-bottomed abyss on a marble bridge. Galaeron spoke a word of passing and led his companions across, then stopped in a cramped vestibule sealed by a thin sheet of muscovite mica. A stern-faced moon elf in the silver-gilded plate mail of a Vale Guard kanqat stepped into view and touched his fingertips to his heart.
'Glad homeagain, Nihmedu.' Though the kanqat stood on the other side of the mica, his voice was as clear as his image. He was Orem Arvaeyn, a classmate from the Academy of Arms who-like nearly everyone else-was rising much faster than Galaeron. Orem looked past Galaeron to sneer at the humans. 'I see you have crypt breakers. Shall we expect the rest of your patrol soon?'
'No, Kanqat They won't…' The words caught in Galaeron's throat, but he forced himself to meet Orem's gaze. 'I couldn't recover their bodies.'
The kanqat's face grew even paler. 'I see.' He studied the prisoners, clearly trying to reconcile the fact that they were mere humans with Galaeron's loss, then asked, 'This happened in the Desert Border South?'
Galaeron nodded, confident any account he gave would only make him look worse. 'If you please, my scout needs care.'
'Of course.' The kanqat looked away and nodded, then he stepped aside as the mica barrier rose out of sight. As Galaeron's pony passed by, Orem said quietly, 'No need to be short, Galaeron. Not that you'll get one now, but I always thought you merited a better assignment.'
Surprised by the kanqat's unexpected kindness, Galaeron pulled aside and let Ehamond lead the others ahead. 'My thanks, Orem. Your words may be the only kind ones I hear tonight.'
'You were the best of our regiform, Galaeron.' Orem shook his head. 'You just shouldn't have been so arrogant. There's more to this business than spell and steel.'
'Arrogant? What is true is not…' Galaeron caught himself then nodded his agreement. 'Good advice given too late, I'm afraid.'
'It may serve you tonight, if you keep it in mind,' said Orem. 'Nothing would take the tomb master more by surprise.'
'This is a matter for more than the tomb master.' Galaeron glanced at Vala and Melegaunt, who were sitting on their horses bound, blindfolded, but far from frightened. The humans play only a small part in this, and none at all in the deaths of my guards. IT! need to speak with the Hill Elders at once.' 'At once? This morning?' Galaeron nodded.
Orem studied the empty saddles behind Dynod and Nimieye then said, I'll arrange it'
Galaeron offered his thanks and resumed his place then led the column down a hanging gorge into the forests of the Upper Vale. The trees were ancient and enormous, mostly spear spruce tall enough to scratch the sky. The trail descended sharply, winding through ravines and around craggy outcroppings where the treetops grew thin enough to show streaks of distant cliff.
Though Galaeron was free to remove the humans' blindfolds at any time, he did not He was convinced that Melegaunt had some way of seeing other than eyes. The wizard sat in his saddle easily, holding his body upright and still even when his black mount slipped or stumbled. In contrast, the other humans rode comfortably but loosely, swaying to every twist in the trail. Vala's jaw remained clenched and tense, her red lip raised in an indignant sneer.
Her patience lasted only a quarter hour, until the trail left the steep slopes of the Upper Vale and descended into the terraces of the Vine Vale.
'How about these blinders and bindings, elf?' she demanded. 'I can tell by the wind we're out of the Passing.'
'The blinders, yes.' Galaeron stopped and motioned Nimieye forward to remove the blindfolds-actually leather half-hoods enchanted to confuse the wearer's sense of direction. 'The bindings remain.'
'What?' Despite the question, Vala did not seem overly surprised. 'I should have known not to trust an elf.' 'I promised nothing.' 'It was implied,' Vala snarled.
'Careful, child. We are in no position to lecture Galaeron about his ethics,' said Melegaunt. He let Nimieye remove his hood then locked gazes with Galaeron. 'Much will depend on whether he blames us or simple accident for the loss of his patrol.'
'Then we are lost,' said Vala. 'Men make better scapegoats than misfortune.'
' Tis so, but I think our friend smarter than that.' Melegaunt continued to watch Galaeron. 'What say you, elf? Will you call us crypt breakers and thieves, or victims like yourself?'
