Legends of the Dragonrealm, Vol II - By Richard A. Knaak Page 0,327

a stronghold. It was as ugly in its own way as their own, with their typical jagged towers and harsh lines. The clear blue sky, the light breeze, and the birds singing in the distance seemed, when forced to endure along-side the citadel, mere parodies of their once-glorious selves. Nothing remained beautiful around the Tezerenee.

Sharissa turned on the Lady Tezerenee. Her bodyguards readied their blades, but the warrior queen waved the two back. “How did you do all this? Where did you get such power? The effort to create all of this—”

“Was beyond us, yes. Even now, though our power now is greater than it was these last years, this still would have required months of effort. Fortunately, there was one who did have the strength.”

The young Zeree’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You made Darkhorse do this! You made him do this with my life as the key to his cooperation!”

“We never threatened your life.” Lady Alcia scratched her neck as she spoke. Like Lochivan’s, it was red and dry. Sharissa recalled his mentioning some rash or minor disease spreading through the Tezerenee and wondered if she would suffer that along with everything else.

“Why don’t you quit acting as if I’m a guest?” The sorceress tugged at her collar. It grew surprisingly tight, making her choke. The Matriarch reached forward and pulled Sharissa’s hands away from her throat.

The collar became bearable again.

“Perhaps we should go back inside.”

Sharissa slapped her hand away, which made the bodyguards bristle again. “Why don’t you—What is that?”

Two Tezerenee were dragging a limp figure between them. He was slighter than either and his clothing reminded her of her stepmother’s clothing.

“It would really be best if you… Sharissa! Stop!”

Too late. Sharissa darted past one of her companion’s watchdogs and raced toward the two warriors dragging the still form. “You there! Stop! Now!”

Still holding their captive, the Tezerenee turned to see who was shouting. They looked at the ungraceful figure in white and then at each other. One reached for a blade, but the second shook his head and said something that she could not make out.

Lady Alcia’s people were no doubt right behind her, but Sharissa did not care. She had to see who it was they had and whether the poor soul was still alive. Most of all, she had to see if he was what she thought he was.

As she neared them, the guards looked past her and nodded. When she sought to lift their prize’s head so that she could see his features, no one stopped her. The sound of heavy footfalls grew louder behind her.

There was no denying the visage. There were differences, of course, but his race was not in question. He was an elf.

Judging by the blood and bruises, he had resisted their questioning. Sharissa glanced up at the two guards, but they were untouched by her smoldering eyes.

The elf began to cough. His eyes opened, handsome almond-shaped tears. It took him a moment to focus and, when he did, he seemed surprised.

“Eve—even among the living death there—there is beauty. Impossible to—to believe you have such a heart of stone.”

He had taken her for one of them. “I’m not—”

“You must come back with us now, Lady Sharissa,” a cold female voice said. The Lady Alcia’s bodyguards stood directly on each side of her. Coughing once more, the elf forced his gaze upward, despite the fact that it obviously hurt him to move so much. He eyed the two with interest, then returned his gaze to Sharissa.

“My lady,” the bodyguard urged. “This is not something to concern yourself with.”

As if on cue, the two warriors holding the elf turned their prize away and once more began to drag him away. Sharissa started after them, but the bodyguards held her back.

“He was part of a force of elves that sought to come upon us through stealth and kill us. With the demon’s aid, we detected them and caught them by surprise.”

“You made Darkhorse aid you in killing them?” The sorceress doubted that the story was as Lady Tezerenee had told it. More than likely, the elves had been scouting the citadel, wondering what it was. Still, what was a party of elves doing on the eastern continent when—

“I see by your eyes that you’ve finally come to the realization. I wondered for a time whether or not your mind was functioning well.” Lady Alcia nodded, the smile on her face much akin to the one the patriarch wore when he was pleased with results.