friend.”
“One day, such joy will be yours, Linis,” said Gewey. “I just know it.”
Linis let out a hearty laugh and slapped Gewey on the back. “I hope so, but now...this is your time.”
Gewey and Linis went to his pack. He wanted to travel as light as possible. As he sifted through his belongings, he told Linis what Aaliyah had said, and the bargain he had made with her.
“I will go with you,” offered Linis.
“No,” said Gewey. “You're needed here. If the elves are going to gather for war, you must help.” He looked across the field to where Nehrutu was speaking to the other elves. “You must learn whatever they can teach you. It's why I'm going. To learn what I must.”
“Be careful, Gewey,” warned Linis. “She is unlike any elf I have known. She may tempt you in ways you cannot imagine.”
Gewey smiled. “She can try. But as long as my heart belongs to Kaylia, she will fail.”
When Gewey finished packing he returned to where the others were still gathered. Theopolou waited. His smile made him seem youthful. Kaylia stood just behind him. She had changed into a white silk dress, tied at the waist by a thin gold sash. Her hair fell loosely about her bare shoulders. Gewey’s heart raced at the sight of her familiar but breathtaking beauty.
Theopolou took them both by the hand and led them across the field and past the pavilion. An area had been hastily cleared just out of sight of the camp, and a small tent had been erected. It was large enough for two, and no more.
Kaylia turned to her uncle and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He smiled the loving smile of a father. Theopolou took her hand and placed it in Gewey's, then turned and walked away. Kaylia looked deeply into Gewey's eyes then led him inside.
Chapter 8
Lee and Jacob had ridden at an easy pace for the two weeks after taking a riverboat up the Goodbranch River. They waited until they were three days north of Sharpstone before returning to the road. They could not risk being seen. From the sailors, Lee had heard news of the faithful occupying his beloved town, and he had to fight the urge to do something. But Millet would have to deal with them. It was now the duty of Lord Nal'Thain, not Lee Starfinder, to save Sharpstone. His tasks lay elsewhere.
Jacob had been relatively quiet during the journey. Lee had tried many times to engage his son in conversation, but the boy had little to say. A few times Lee tried to teach Jacob sword techniques, and though Jacob learned quickly, he could tell that his heart wasn't in it.
“We'll arrive in Klinton by sundown,” said Lee. The air was bitter cold. Jacob was bundled in a small wool blanket. “We should change clothes before we get there.”
“Why?” asked Jacob.
“We must blend in with a less than savory crowd,” Lee explained. “If we're to get information, and not be discovered, we can't march in as lords of Hazrah. There are towns near the foothills of the Razor Edge Mountains where news of Angrääl can likely be heard. The bandits and mercenaries make it their business to know the comings and goings of the land.”
Jacob sniffed. “So? We're a week from the foothills.”
“Yes,” said Lee. “But our deception should be believable. I'm hoping to find someone heading north. We can pose as sell-swords. Possibly hire on with a merchant. It will go a lot more smoothly if we arrive up north in character.”
“And what makes you think that these people will know anything about my mother?”
Lee shrugged. “They may not. But at least they'll know the best way to get into Angrääl unnoticed.”
About an hour before they reached Klinton, they stopped and donned clothing Lee had acquired from the deckhands on the riverboat. Simple brown wool shirt and pants, and travel-worn boots would fit in nicely.
“These clothes smell,” remarked Jacob, with disgust.
Lee smiled. “All the better.”
Klinton was little more than a trading post. Miners and trappers used it to peddle their wares, so as not to make the long journey south. Though not as dangerous as the towns near the Razor Edge Mountains, it did attract highwaymen and bandits of all sorts, hoping to find merchants foolish enough to travel without an escort.
The street lamps were just being lit, and the main avenue was still busy. The taverns still would be empty. Lee hoped to get lodging before the local riff-raff