Borric said, “I had hoped for word by now, but our messengers have not returned, nor have the pigeons they carry.”
Lyam said, “Hawks, perhaps. The pigeons are not always reliable, or perhaps the messengers never reached the dwarves.”
Borric turned to Calin. “It has been forty years since the siege of Carse, and we have had little traffic with the dwarves since Who commands the dwarven clans now?”
The Elf Prince said, “As then. Stone Mountain is under the banner of Harthorn, of Hogar’s line, at village Delmona. The Grey Towers rally to the banner of Dolgan, of Thohn’s line, at village Caldara.”
“Both are known to me, though I was but a boy when they raised the Dark Brothers’ siege at Carse,” said Borric “They will prove fierce allies if trouble comes.”
Arutha said, “What of the Free Cities, and the Prince in Krondor?”
Borric sat back. “I must think on that, for there are problems in the East, or so I have word. I will give thought to the matter this night.” He stood. “I thank you all for this counsel Return to your quarters and avail yourselves of rest and refreshments. I will ask you to consider plans for dealing with the invaders, should they come, and we will meet again tomorrow.”
As the Elf Queen rose, he offered her his arm, then escorted her through the doors that Tomas and Pug held open. The boys were the last to exit. Fannon took Tomas in tow, leading him to the soldiers’ commons, while Kulgan stood outside the hall with Tully and the two elven advisers.
The magician turned to his apprentice. “Pug, Prince Calin expressed an interest in your small library of magic books. Would you please show them to him?”
Pug said he would and led the Prince up the stairs to his door and opened it for him. Calin stepped through, and Pug followed Fantus was asleep and woke with a start. He threw the elf a distrustful look.
Calin slowly crossed over to the drake and spoke a few soft words in a language that Pug didn’t understand Fantus lost his nervousness and stretched forth his neck to allow the Prince to scratch his head.
After a moment the drake looked expectantly to Pug. Pug said, “Yes, dinner is over. The kitchen will be full of scraps.” Fantus moved to the window with a wolfish grin and used his snout to push it open. With a snap of his wings he was out, gliding toward the kitchen.
Pug offered Calin a stool, but the Prince said, “Thank you, but your chairs and stools are of little comfort to my kind. I will just sit on the floor, with your leave. You have a most unusual pet, Squire Pug.” He gave Pug a small smile. Pug was a little uncomfortable hosting the Elf Prince in his poor room, but the elf’s manner was such that the boy started to relax.
“Fantus is less a pet than a permanent guest. He has a mind of his own. It is not unusual for him to disappear for weeks at a time, now and again, but mostly he stays here. He must eat outside the kitchen now that Meecham has gone.”
Calin inquired who Meecham was. Pug explained, adding, “Kulgan has sent him over the mountains to Bordon, with some of the Duke’s guards, before the North Pass is snowed in. He didn’t say why he was going, Highness.”
Calin looked at one of the boy’s books. “I prefer to be called Calin, Pug.”
Pug nodded, pleased. “Calin, what do you think the Duke has in mind?”
The elf gave him an enigmatic smile. “The Duke will reveal his own plans, I think. My guess is that Meecham is preparing the way should the Duke choose to journey east. You will most probably know on the morrow.” He held up the book he had glanced at. “Did you find this interesting?”
Pug leaned over and read the title. “Dorcas’s Treatise on the Animation of Objects? Yes, though it seemed a little unclear.”
“A fair judgment. Dorcas was an unclear man, or at least I found him so.”
Pug started. “But Dorcas died thirty years ago.”
Calin smiled broadly, showing even white teeth. His pale eyes shone in the lantern light. “Then you know little of elven lore?”
“Little,” Pug agreed. “You are the first elf I have ever spoken with, though I may have seen another elf once, when I was very little. I’m not sure.” Calin tossed aside the book. “I know only what Martin Longbow has told me, that you can somehow speak with animals, and some spirits. That you live in Elvandar and the surrounding elven forests, and that you stay among your own kind mostly.”
The elf laughed, a soft, melodic sound. “Nearly all true. Knowing friend Longbow, I wager some of the tales were colorful, for while he is not a deceiving man, he has an elf’s humor.” Pug’s expression showed he did not understand. “We live a very long time by your standards. We learn to appreciate the humor in the world, often finding amusement in places where men find little. Or you can call it simply a different way of looking at life. Martin has learned this from us, I think.”