Bearers of the Black Staff

Prue nodded agreement, but didn’t reply.

They walked on, traversing the whole of the Eldemere, stopping once at midday, when hunger got the better of them, to eat a lunch of bread, cheese, dried fruits, and cold water before continuing on. They passed no one on the way, although they were now well into the territory of the Elves and could expect an encounter at any point.

But it was not until they reached the far eastern edge of the meres and came in sight of the forested bluff on which Arborlon had been settled that they saw their first Elf. A boy who was a little younger than Prue stepped out of the trees as they neared the switchbacked road leading up to the bluff and stared at them.

“Good day,” Prue greeted him, giving a smile that would have melted ice.

The boy frowned, his already slanted brows slanting further, his narrow features narrowing further. “This is Elf country,” he declared, as if in rebuke to their presence.

“Good. Then we are in the right place.”

“Humans aren’t welcome.”

“We aren’t entirely human.”

“You look human to me.”

“Well, you aren’t very old and you haven’t see all that much of the world, so you wouldn’t know.” She gave him a fresh smile for good measure. “What’s your name?”

“Xac,” he said, his look indicating that he was still wary of any trick they might be planning.

“I’m Prue,” she answered. “Do you know the Orullian family?”

The boy nodded, confused now. “What do you mean, you aren’t entirely human? I’ve never heard of that.”

“See, now you’ve learned something new. Your education is improved. Can you take us where we need to go? That way, people will know we are being carefully watched and won’t make any trouble.”

“I don’t know,” Xac answered, still suspicious. “If you’re not entirely human, what are you, then?”

Prue thought about it a moment. “Tell you what. Come with us to the Orullians and you can find out from them.”

The boy studied her carefully for a few long moments. “All right,” he said finally.

So with the boy Xac leading the way, they crossed out of the Eldemere and through hills covered in tall grasses and scattered clumps of rock to the road leading up to the bluff. They began to see other Elves in the trees and on the hills around them, coming and going about their business. Most spared them a glance and not much more, assuming they were with the boy, which was what Prue had intended. Visitors in the company of one of their own did not draw as much attention. Panterra, watching Prue continue her conversation with Xac, could not help but admire her way with people. She had an uncanny ability to win them over, all without any hint of her intentions. Only fifteen, and already she was more practiced at it than most of the adults he knew. Maybe, he decided, it was because she was more grown-up than so many of those same adults.

They climbed the switchbacks that led to the top of the bluffs, angling up steep stairs embedded amid rugged clusters of rocks and thick stands of trees and warded by stone walls and iron gates. The Elves called it the Elfitch, and it was intended to form a series of protective barriers against anyone trying to ascend the heights without permission. Ordinarily, this wasn’t a problem. Sentries kept watch over visitors from posts overlooking the western approach, and if anything dangerous appeared an armed force of Elven Hunters would respond in moments. Panterra couldn’t say when that had last happened—quite possibly not in his lifetime. But the argument went that the Elfitch was always meant to be a deterrent rather than a defense.

Even now, there would be eyes on them ascending the roadway. But since Xac was accompanying them and they only numbered two, there was little reason for concern.