“No, I rarely sit in the Queen’s Council anymore. I am content to be a guest here, waiting out my time.”
Pug smiled. “I understand. We’ll talk this evening, after supper.” He gripped Sho Pi’s and Nakor’s hands, and closed his eyes, and again the air shimmered and they were someplace else.
They stood in the center of a large platform set high in the trees. A voice said, “Welcome, Pug of Crydee.”
Pug couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you, old friend.”
A large man, easily six inches over six feet in height, approached and took Pug’s hand, then hugged him. “It is good to see you again, Pug.” His features were youthful, but his eyes were ancient. His features were a blend of human and elf, with high cheekbones, pointed ears, and blond hair. To any who had seen Calis, there was no doubt this was his father.
Pug slapped his friend on the back. “Too many years, Tomas,” he said with genuine regret.
Sho Pi and Nakor were introduced to Tomas, Warleader of the Elven Host of Elvandar. Then they were presented to a stunning woman of regal bearing, Aglaranna, Queen of Elvandar. Nakor smiled and said, “Nice to meet you, Lady,” while Sho Pi knelt in greeting. The Elf Queen was a young-looking woman, despite her centuries of age. Her hair was a fine red-gold, her eyes a deep blue, and her beauty breathtaking, despite being alien.
An elf who looked young by human standards came to stand next to Tomas. “This is Calin,” said Tomas, “heir to the throne of Elvandar and brother to my son.”
Prince Calin greeted the two newcomers, then said to Pug, “Miranda arrived an hour ago.”
“Where is she?” asked Pug.
“Over there.” Tomas indicated a second platform, off to the side of the first.
Sho Pi followed in awe. The trees themselves were alive with lights and magic. There was a profound sense of peace and rightness here that he had not imagined possible.
They came to the indicated place, where Miranda was inspecting a strange glowing gem, as well as a helm. None of the elves gathered near her touched anything, but they peered closely at the objects.
Pug hurried over. “Miranda!”
She turned and, upon seeing him, nearly flew to him, throwing her arms around his neck. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“Calis?” asked Pug.
“He’s been injured.”
“How badly?”
“Badly.”
Pug held her a moment, then said, “Tell me where to find him.”
“I can’t. He wears a ward that protects him from magic sight. It shields him from the Pantathians, but it shields him from us as well.”
“Tell me about it,” said Pug.
Miranda reconstructed the events of the journey, the discovery, and the escape. “I left six men, those who survived the fights on the way out, in a frigid cave in the peaks,” she finished. “I pray they’ve gotten down from the mountains, but I fear they are all dead.”
Pug said, “Every one of us knew the risks.”
Miranda nodded, clutching his hand, but her face was drawn. “There is this,” she said, “and Calis judged it critical I bring it here.”
Pug looked at the key. “What is it?”
“A Pantathian thing. A key to free the Green Lady from the Lifestone,” said Miranda.
Pug looked dubious. He looked at the object for long minutes, placing his hand over it, but not quite touching it. He closed his eyes several times, and his lips moved. Once a tiny spark of energy leaped from the palm of his hand to the stone. At last he stood upright and said, “It’s a key of some sort, that’s certain, but to free the Valheru. . ..”
He looked at the assembled Spellweavers of Elvandar and addressed the eldest. “Tathar, what do you see?”
“This is something of those whose name may not be spoken,” said the senior adviser to the Queen. “But there is an alien presence here as well, one of which I have no knowledge.”
Pug said, “The demon you spoke of, Miranda?”
“No. It was a nearly mindless thing, a killing device, pure and simple. I witnessed it at work, and while it was powerful and able to hold a dozen serpent priests at bay, it had cunning but no intelligence—at least not enough to have conceived this device. Whatever fashioned this thing was more than that simple being. Someone sent it through a rift into the heart of the Pantathian home to wreak havoc and destroy them, the same intention as ours.”
Pug said, “Once before, we dealt with duplicity; why not now?”
Tomas stood next to his friend and said, “What do you think?”
Pug stroked his beard. “As Murmandamus was but a false icon, to manipulate the moredhel to rise up and capture Sethanon, a Pantathian ruse, so might not this be a demon ruse to use the Pantathians to capture the Lifestone?”
“Toward what end?” asked Aglaranna.
Pug sighed. “Power. It’s a powerful tool, no matter who wields it.”
“Weapon,” said Nakor. “Not a tool.”