The Maelstrom Eye

sphere be broken? I don't… oh, forget it.' Teldin stuffed the pouch of gems into the pocket of his pants. 'We should go,' he finished, looking around.

Gave was waiting by the ship, wearing a deep purple dress that reached the ground. Her dark eyes were rimmed with red, and she kept her arms folded across her chest as Teldin coughed and then approached.

Best to keep it brief, Teldin thought. He nodded at the small kender. 'We'll miss you. I'm still not sure why you want to stay around here, but maybe it's for the best. Things aren't going to be safe for me or for anyone-'

'I know,' said Gaye abruptly. She blinked up at him. 'It's for the best.'

Teldin looked away from her wildspace eyes. Something hurt down in his heart. He knew that he had been starting to fall for Gave, and that would never have worked out. The idea of loving a kender was one problem, but seeing her slain as a result of the attacks that inevitably would be made against him-he couldn't face that. She was just another race in a long line of faces that he was leaving behind. He wondered if it would ever stop. He had so little faith that it would.

'Well, good-bye, then,' Teldin said, and turned away. Gaye watched as he walked over to the Perilous Halibut and grabbed its rope ladder, climbing to the top deck with his violet-blue cloak flapping behind him in a light breeze. Everyone else was already aboard and waiting.

He never looked back. Soon, the long black ship was lifting away, and before long it was gone.

About an hour later, Gaye took a ragged breath and wiped her eyes on the hem of her dress for the last time. 'I guess that's that, then,' she said. 'Everything comes and goes. Life is a pain sometimes, isn't it? Maybe we should do something so I can keep busy for a while. I appreciate you letting me stay here and help out around the place and learn something new. I love to learn.' She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. 'I feel like I've got so much to learn about life.'

You wish to begin your lessons? queried the fal.

Gaye's head bobbed rapidly. 'Now, please.' she said, blinking and looking away for a moment to where the gnomes' ship had gone. There was nothing there now and nothing inside her, either. It was best to stay busy.

Come with me, then, said the fal. The image of One Six Nine faded into the air-and so did the black-haired kender, with a shriek of surprise. If you wish to lean. I have much to teach you, Gaeadrelle Goldring.

*****

'The gnomes' ship is departing, Captain Kilian.'

The one who was addressed made no movement away from the forward window on the bridge, through which he peered at the distant landscape. Perhaps a minute passed. The aide cleared his throat, preparing to repeat the statement.

'I am aware of that,' said the silver-armored elf at last, without turning around. 'When it is gone, we will go, too, and return to the Rock of Bral.'

The aide blinked in confusion. 'If you will forgive me for saying so. Captain, it might be wise to make one last attempt to recover the cloak from Teldin Moore.'

'No.' said the captain. He still didn't move. 'We must not pursue him. Our duty is to inform the Imperial Fleet of the enemy's presence and actions, and of our own losses. We are the last of the Rock of Bral's fleet, and we are responsible for the safety of our people first. We have nothing more to gain by chasing unicorns.'

The aide frowned. He had expected a different answer. ''But the gnome ship is not effectively armed, Captain. We would have no trouble in capturing it and taking…'

The aide's voice faded as Kilian turned. A cold blue gaze stabbed out from the older elf s sharp-featured face.

'That path was already attempted-, with grave losses,' the captain said. 'There was no honor in our hunt. We paid for our arrogance with our comrades' lives. Would you have us now bargain with our own?'

The aide caught his breath. 'I meant, Captain, that… that we…' Seconds passed; he flushed with embarrassment. 'The admiral wanted us to get the cloak,' he finished.

The captain stared at his aide a moment longer, then turned back to the window of the man-o-war, looking down at the swirling clouds a thousand miles below him. 'The admiral is dead, and we have other considerations now,' he murmured. 'Teldin Moore cannot be our concern. Perhaps the grand admiral will fee! differently, but it is of no matter to me for the moment. We must warn our people of real dangers, not make sacrifices to legends.' The elf seemed about to say more, but stopped.

Another minute or two passed before Kilian heard the door close behind him. He let out his breath in a long sigh and searched the vista before him for any sign of the gnomes' black ship. He saw nothing, but he had expected that.

'You are free for now,' he whispered to the window. 'I will let you depart in peace, but others will not. May the wind carry you wherever you run, Teldin Moore. May the wind be fast and sure. You cannot run forever.'