The Elves of Cintra (Book 2 of The Genesis of Shannara)

When the hole was more than four feet deep, Owl called the others over. Bear retrieved Squirrel’s body, wrapped it in a blanket, and carried it over.

Gently, with help from Sparrow and River, he lowered it into the grave and stepped away. Candle was already crying. Panther kept looking back at the kid in the AV.

“Squirrel was a good little boy,” Owl declared, her voice strong as she faced the others from the head of the grave. “He did what he was told and he almost never complained. He was curious about things, and he was always asking questions of us. He never hurt anyone. I think he was maybe ten years old, but none of us knows for sure.”

She thought a minute. “He liked books. He liked to be read to.”

“Wait a minute,” Sparrow said suddenly.

She turned and ran over to the cart that held their belongings, rooted through the jumbled contents for a moment, and then hurried back. When she reached them, Logan could see that she was carrying a storybook.

She scrambled down into the grave and laid it on his chest. There were tears on her cheeks when she climbed out again.

“It was his favorite,” she said without looking at anyone in particular. “It belongs with him.”

There were a few murmured assents. Owl nodded. “He may need something to read on his journey. Even if he can’t read all the words, he knows them by heart. We will miss him.”

Sparrow turned away and looked off toward the sunrise. The sky east was washed a dull yellow through the haze of smoke and mist, and the world beyond seemed impossibly distant.

“I want him back,” Candle said quietly.

“Me, too, sweetie.” Owl bit her lip. “But maybe he’s happier where he is.”

She reached down for a handful of loose earth and tossed it into the grave.

Logan took that as a signal to finish, and he began shoveling earth over the small body. Bear stared down into the grave for a long time without moving, but finally he began to shovel, as well. Most of the Ghosts could only stand to watch for a few moments before walking away. Chalk stayed long enough to shove one end of the board he had been scratching on into the loose earth. Squirrel’s name was written on it.

Logan was patting the last of the earth into place over the grave when he caught sight of Panther trying to open the door of the AV. The handle would not budge, and he was yanking on it in fury. Logan put down the shovel, picked up his staff, and walked over to stand beside the boy.

“It’s locked,” he said.

Panther wheeled on him. “What?”

Logan gestured toward the door. “It’s locked. You can’t open it.”

“Then you open it, Mr. Knight of whatever you spose to be!

You open it!” The boy’s dark face flushed with mingled rage and sorrow, and his hands knotted into fists. “You open it, and then you give me two minutes with that scum inside and see what I can do with this!”

He reached into his pocket and brought out a wicked-looking switchblade that opened with an audible snick that brought several heads around at once.

The blade gleamed in the fresh sunlight, clean and smooth and deadly.

“I’m not going to do that,” Logan told him.

“Panther!” Owl shouted, anger etching the sound of the boy’s name as she wheeled toward him. “You put that away!”

Panther ignored her, his eyes on Logan. “Don’t mess with me. This ain’t none of your business, ain’t none of your concern. This is about the Ghosts. You open that door!”

Logan shook his head. “Nope.”

For just a second, he thought Panther was going to try him.

The knife came forward a few inches, the boy’s grip tightening. But there were others shouting at him, as well, by now. Bear was almost on top of them, and Owl was right behind him, her features twisted with rage.

Panther stepped back suddenly and shrugged. “Hey, fine.

Don’t open it. But you can’t be watching him all the time. Sooner or later, I’ll be doing what you should let me be doing right now!” He closed the blade and slipped the knife back in his pocket. “Hey, what’s all this?” he asked, looking around in disbelief, holding out his hands to Owl and Bear, who were bearing down on him. “I was just showin’ him, that’s all. Just lettin’ him see!”

He grinned disarmingly and walked away, whistling. He gave the boy in the Lightning a hard look as he passed, but only Logan saw it clearly.

With Panther’s retreat, Bear turned aside, but Owl continued coming until she reached him. “What was that about? What happened?”

Logan inclined his head toward the Lightning. “That boy is going to cause problems if we keep him around.”

She looked over at their prisoner. “He isn’t a threat to anyone. Look at him.

He must be scared.”

He stopped her arm as she reached for the door handle.

“Don’t go in there.

Listen to me. We can’t keep him with us. Panther hates him.