'Paddles?' broke in Om, her small brown eyes lighting with interest. Gnomes, Teldin recalled, had a perverse fondness for paddle-driven ships and were always on the alert for new variations on the theme. 'What do these paddles look like?' she demanded.
'Like any swan's feet, only very large,' Rozloom supplied absently, his tone morose.
The gnome harrumphed. 'Inefficient,' she muttered. 'Give me a day or two, and I could improve the design.'
Rozloom rolled his black eyes. 'If only they knew, many swans would rejoice this night.' His insult earned him a playful swat from the tiny gnome woman.
Once the rolling motion subsided, the ship began to move forward. Almost immediately the swan ship was surrounded by a host of elves, strange fey creatures with webbed hands and skin beautifully patterned in hues of mottled blue and green. They formed two lines, one on each side of the ship, and began to swim toward the shore.
Teldin leaned far out over the railing to watch, awed by the elves' exotic beauty. Their eyes were large and lacked the characteristic almond shape of other elves. Their hair was like nothing he had seen: masses of wet, silvery curls that caught the early morning sunlight and reflected it back as if through a prism. The elves sang as they swam, communicating in a lyrical language that mixed windsong voices with a haunting counterpoint of clicks and whistles.
'What are they doing?' Teldin asked in a hushed whisper.
They are guiding the ship safely along a channel of deep water,' Vallus explained. 'The waters around Evermeet are extremely treacherous. The island is guarded by lethal rock and coral formations, underwater currents strong enough to rip apart unwary ships, powerful magical wards, and even a guardian monster or two.'
The elves guided the ship through the channel to the docks, then disappeared into the deep. As he stared out into the waves, Teldin found himself wondering what world within a world existed under the surface of the water.
The elven port soon claimed his full attention. The elves that greeted them at the dock were more familiar to Teldin. Slim and supple as aspen trees, the golden elves were very like those with whom he had sailed many months earlier on his native Krynn. These harbor workers set about securing the swan ship, and another contingent of elves met them with great ceremony and escorted them to a floating, odd-shaped litter. Teldin stared dubiously at the thing, but he clambered aboard. Since the dracons were far too large to ride the elven conveyance, they ambled along beside, drawing stares as they went. Teldin noted many curious glances cast in his direction as well.
Vallus leaned close to Teldin. 'As you may have guessed, your presence here is an unusual occurrence. In elven memory-which is long-the humans allowed on Evermeet can be counted on the fingers of one hand.'
'I'm honored beyond speech,' Teldin said with grave formality.
Vallus's silver eyebrows rose slightly, acknowledging the human's sarcasm. He refrained from commenting, but his expression tightened. 'I have arranged an audience with the queen. With her will be some of Evermeet's most renowned sages.' He paused to let the import of his words sink in. 'Am I safe in assuming that you are unaccustomed to the ways of royalty and scholars?'
'For one who knows as much about me as you do, that seems like a safe assumption,' Teldin returned. He did not care for the elf s patronizing tone.
Vallus sighed deeply and passed a hand over his forehead. 'You may not believe this, Teldin Moore, but I'm trying to help you. With all my heart I want you to find the
'I'm not completely convinced,' Teldin admitted. 'The elves don't need me to get the
'Freedom.' The elf s eyes took on a distant look, and he scanned the colorful market scene outside their litter. 'Freedom,' he repeated softly.
Teldin's brow furrowed, but Vallus did not seem inclined to elaborate. The elf dropped the subject and began to describe the sights along their route. Teldin only half listened, so absorbed was he in the sights of the elven city.
Evermeet was a place beautiful beyond Teldin's dreams.
The harbor led through a market, where elven merchants offered exotic produce, musical instruments, jewelry, gossamer silks. They passed a bakery redolent with the subtle spices of
As he pondered this insight, the market gave way to a residential area. Enormous trees were everywhere, meeting over the broad streets to make uninterrupted canopies of blue and green. The streets were lined with elven residences, each with its own gardens. These houses were neither uniform nor built upon the angular, four-square designs that humans favored. Some structures resembled wood or crystal and seemed to be organic, grown as were elven spelljamming ships. Other homes were in the trees themselves, and a complex system of suspended walkways connected the homes in a gossamer network.
Teldin knew little of magic, but it occurred to him that elven magic was subtly different from that wielded by a human wizard. It was somehow more harmonious, using life-forms and working with nature. That was an engaging thought until he remembered Hectate Kir and what that sort of magic could yield. Teldin hastily pushed the thought aside. It seemed almost irreverent to contemplate the elves' dark side in this land of bright magic and green light.
After a time the litter came to a large square surrounded with official buildings. The palace, a marvel of gem-encrusted white marble, glistened faintly blue in the distance. It was surrounded by gardens, and to one side stretched a vast green forest. Magic hung in the air like mist.
'I should tell you a little about the royal family,' Vallus said, breaking into Teldin's thoughts. 'Evermeet is ruled by Queen Amlauril, who heads the moon elf royal family.'
'What are moon elves?' Teldin asked.
'They are but one of several elven peoples on Toril,' Vallus began. 'They are uncommon on other worlds, so it is not unusual that you have not encountered one before this.'
Vallus gestured to the pale, black-haired elven woman who walked alongside the litter, exchanging pleasantries with Trivit.
'That is a moon elf,' Vallus said. 'A slight blue tinge to the skin is common, but apart from that, they are more like mankind than are other elves.'
The elf s discourse was interrupted by the creak of gates. They had reached the palace grounds, and several guards fell in with the procession to escort them up to the palace. As they neared the palace gardens, Teldin noted with interest that the lawns were a deep, vibrant blue, as were the tall bushes that formed the garden maze. He shook his head in silent amazement. Hearing about blue foliage did not prepare him for the strangeness of the sight.
Teldin turned his gaze to the palace walls. Instantly he recoiled. There were no doors into the palace; the vast wall looked as if it had been carved from a single precious stone.
'How do we get in?' Teldin asked bluntly.
Vallus pointed upward. 'The gate is there.'
As Teldin craned his neck to see, the litter began to float straight up. The door was far above them, but the distance was closing rapidly. Teldin cast a look downward. The dracons were pacing about uncertainly, and he noted the guards pointing them toward the gardens. The dracons looked delighted at this turn of events and took off with an odd, four-footed skip. Teldin smiled, relieved that he could concentrate on the elven sages without the dracons' endless questions and prattle to distract from important matters.
Vallus also had noted the dracons' detour. 'This is just as well. If Chirp and Trivit were involved in this conference, they would feel compelled to trace the royal family's lineage back beyond Myth Drannor, to the forging
