her narrow lips. “Will you come in?” she asked pointedly. Cwelanas could not disguise the relish she felt at Teldin’s stupefaction, and Teldin, for his part, could not tell if it was due to feminity or her elven nature.
“We would be delighted, wouldn’t we, sir?” Gomja swiftly intervened. The giff was apparently immune to Cwelanas’s significant charms.
Teldin clapped his mouth shut, realizing he was gawking like a fool. “Yes, of course,” the human mumbled. This time, Teldin could feel his face flush, which only made him more self-conscious.
At the back of the cabin, Luciar rose from his stool like a fragile bird rising from its perch. “Do come in, my friends.” The invitation bore no trace of Luciar’s customary formality. Teldin stepped inside, trying desperately not to trip over his own feet. “I fear my ceilings are too low for one as tall as you,” the captain remarked as Gomja ducked through the doorway. The captain wore robes of slippery, red silk, girdled with a belt of intricately tooled leather dyed subtle shades of green.
The cabin was a spartan affair, which surprised Teldin somewhat. During the afternoon Teldin had tried to guess its appearance, imagining an exotic lair of carved beams cleverly done to look like a forest grove or a dark den filled with the arcane hardware that must be a wizard’s stock in trade. In truth, the room held little more than a few stools, three tables, and a pair of chests. The silver-wood ceiling gleamed brightly in the fading sunlight reflected from the waves, dispelling all gloomy shadows from the chamber. A pile of neatly folded blankets, the captain’s bedding, was stacked in one corner, ready for the night. All in all, Teldin found himself just a little bit disappointed at the severity of the surroundings.
“A seat at my table is what I extend,” Luciar said graciously. The words were apparently a ritualistic greeting, for neither the old captain nor his daughter made a move to sit, but waited for their guests to act.
Gomja dubiously eyed the slender stools placed around the table. “I don’t mind sitting on the floor, sir’ the giff offered. “I fear my weight may be too much for your furniture, and I wouldn’t want to break anything.” The alien eased himself gently to the deck.
“Indeed, we are a small people compared to one as large as you,” Cwelanas apologetically offered as she floated to her father’s side. Her bare feet padded lightly over the wood. Seeing that the human was still standing, she assumed the tone of a woman tending to her family. “Everyone to your seats, before our dinner grows cold.”
“Cwelanas has prepared this meal for us, so we would all be wise to heed her.” Captain Luciar smiled mockingly at his daughter, the first smile Teldin had seen the captain make during the entire voyage. Luciar offered a stool to Teldin, waiting for the human to sit before taking his own place, which was framed by the sterncastle windows. Teldin sat opposite the captain and could look past the old elf to the sea beyond. Gomja sat crosslegged on the floor, and the table still came only partway up his chest.
Once everyone was settled, Cwelanas set small platters in front of her guests, then took her own seat at the end of the table. From there she passed covered bowls around the table. Lifting the first lid, Teldin found the dish was nothing like what he ate with the rest of the crew. Here the interminable diet of boiled beans, dried vegetables, hardtack, and pickles was replaced by fresh vegetables floating in boiled, spiced wine, steamed breads, fresh fruits, and sweets of sticky grains and candied dates. Though it still lacked meat, the farmer was not about to complain and savored the rich smells that rose from the small pots.
As the food was served, neither Luciar nor his daughter spoke and Teldin quickly guessed the meal was to be eaten in silence, apparently another type of elven custom. Observing the delicate care his hosts used in selecting their
small portions, Teldin contained his hunger and slowly relished each small piece. Gomja tried to practice restraint, though his “small” servings were still large enough for everyone else at the table.
After the candied fruits were passed for the last time and everyone had swallowed their last bites, Luciar rose from his stool, signaling the meal’s end. It was just as well, for not a scrap remained on Teldin’s or Gomja’s plates. Placing his hands on the table, the captain looked toward both Teldin and Gomja. “Teldin Moore, there are many things about you I do not know-why you want to go to Mount Nevermind, who you run from, what your companion truly is, or how you came by the wondrous cloak you wear.” Teldin’s eyebrows shot up at that statement. Luciar smiled, bemused at Teldin’s reaction. “I knew. I am a wizard of the Red Robes. Magic like yours is not so easily hidden. Do not fear. The secret will remain unspoken.
“Most of all, I do not know why my ship was chosen to bear you, but for that I am grateful.” The old elf paused to take a long breath. As he stood before the cabin windows, Luciar clasped his hands. “When you first asked for passage, I said there was nothing you could offer me. I was wrong, Teldin Moore. You rescued that which is most dear to me, and there is no treasure that will show my gratitude.” Luciar stopped, his voice trembling with emotion. “And you, our gigantic friend,” the captain finally continued, “fought for my ship, which I hold almost as dear.” His shoulders square and firm once again, the captain walked across the cabin to where an assortment of weapons hung on pegs. Luciar took down a slim-shafted spear and a razor- edged sword, then studied each weapon with loving respect for the craftsmanship.
“These things have belonged to the House of Olonaes for many centuries,” the captain softly said, looking toward his guests as he spoke. “It is said they were forged by the dwarves during the Age of Might and enchanted by my ancestors. They are named ‘Eversharp’-” Here he held out the spear-”and ‘Brilliance.'' The old elf stopped and let the evening light play over the half-drawn sword blade. The metal did more than reflect the sunlight; it radiated a dazzling spectrum of colors. The brilliance shone no less from the spearhead. Teldin squinted in amazement at the weapons’ magnificence.
“Take them. Each is given according to your skills,” Lunat abruptly urged, pressing the spear into Teldin’s hands and the sword into Gomja’s. “Accept these gifts as a sign of the friendship between my family and yours.'
Holding the spear, Teldin was flabbergasted. This was a gift beyond value, certainly more than he deserved. The farmer rose from his stool and bowed clumsily to the elf. “I stowed away on board your ship, sir,” Teldin protested. “That doesn’t make me worthy of such a gift.” He held the spear out, offering it back to Luciar.
“You will take it,” the old elf said firmly as he looked into the human’s eyes. “I think shadows of death hover close to you, Teldin of Kalaman, and I fear you will need these weapons more than I.” The absolute look in Luciar’s eye persuaded Teldin that the captain would not relent.
Gomja rose also, as best he could in the tight quarters, and made a rigid giff bow, which meant he bent more at the neck than his big chest. “Thank you, sir,” he rumbled. “You have made the heart of this giff glad.” With a broad smile, he slid the elven sword into his sash.
“It is less than either of you deserve,” Luciar assured them, as he returned to his seat. “By the weapons you carry, each of you are welcome within the halls of the Olonaes of Silvamori. Now, I have a fine old wine I also intend to share. Cwelanas, I will fetch the glasses.” The captain departed the cabin, purposely leaving his daughter behind to entertain their two guests. Although Luciar was gone only for a moment, it was long enough for an awkward silence to fill the room. Teldin looked at Cwelanas, but she seemed to avoid his gaze. The farmer again felt the heart pain his grandfather had described, but he said nothing.
Gomja broke the spell, asking Cwelanas the history of his sword. The elf maiden welcomed the question, and when Luciar returned, daughter and giff were in earnest conversation. The bottle was uncorked, glasses filled, and toasts made and remade until gradually the atmosphere relaxed. Warmed by the wine and comforted by the night air, Luciar told stories of his youth and what little he knew of the gnomes. Teldin talked a bit of the war, but mostly listened and watched, as did Gomja, though every few moments the giff half-drew his new sword and admired the blade. Even though she had heard the stories before, Cwelanas listened intently as the tales were told once again.
Finally the old elf set his empty glass down. It was dark outside and starlight showed through the windows. “By the trees of the wood, you may be young, but for an old one such as me, it is late. Go to the deck and leave my stuffy cabin so I may sleep. Daughter, I will see you in the morning.” Luciar waved the three-Teldin Gomja, and Cwelanas-toward the door. Cwelanas feebly protested, though Teldin suspected her attempts to dissuade her father were more out of politeness. Once she relented, the farmer, feeling the wine, rose and escorted Luciar’s daughter onto the deck.
Adeep lungful of fresh salt air revived him and Teldin was about to return to the bow when a soft hand touched his sleeve. “Come, join me on the afterdeck. I, too, have much to thank you for.” Cwelanas smiled shyly, embarrassed by her own boldness, and yet, without waiting for an answer, she took Teldin’s hand and led him to the stern. There she rested against the railing, watching the waning Solinari cast a thousand glittering crescents
