at that moment. Profoundly. Why had he done this to her? Why had he taken her off the straight trail to the south and toward To-gai, only to slaughter these creatures?
It took the young ranger a few moments to realize how tightly she was gripping her bowstring about the set arrow, or the fact that she had inad-vertently begun to pull back, just a bit, on the bow. She eased it to rest, then grabbed it up in one hand, clenching the bow at midshaft and wrapping one finger about the arrow to hold it steady. Then she determinedly, angrily, strode back into the encampment. Juraviel looked up at her. ?A bit sloppy," he said. ?Your first charge through was beautifully executed, efficient and to the point. But you spent far too long with the pair in the brush. Three of these were not dead, and two could have soon enough gathered their witsand strength enough to come in at you. What would you have done if I had not been here to clean up?"
His voice trailed away at the end, his expression showing Brynn that she was correctly conveying her outrage with her steely look.
"Is there a problem?" the elf asked, his condescending tone alone telling Brynn that he knew well enough what was bothering her.
"Was there a purpose?"
"Need I give you another lecture about the wretchedness of goblins? How many examples should I provide you to settle your guilt, young ranger? Should I tell you about the forests they have burned to the ground, about the human settlements they have raided, slaughtering even the children, and eating more than a few?
Should I recount for you again the great De-mon War and point out the hundreds of instances of misery the goblins per-petrated upon the land and upon the humans in that dark time? ?
"Raided human settlements," Brynn echoed, looking about sarcastically.
"Yes, and took pleasure in every kill."
"As did you!" Brynn knew that she was moving over the line even as the words left her mouth.
"Not so," Juraviel answered quietly and calmly, seeming to take no of-fense. ?I, we, did as we had to do. With expediency and efficiency. Without true malice, and with actions spawned from pragmatism. Did I enjoy the killing? Not really. But I take heart in knowing that our actions here just made the entire world a bit brighter and a bit safer."
"And seasoned your ranger a bit more." There was no mistaking the heavy sarcasm and anger in her tone.
"And that, yes," the elf answered, unperturbed.
Brynn quivered on the verge of an explosion. ?And do rangers often gain their first battle experience against goblins?" she asked. ?Is that where they draw first blood, where they first can enjoy the sweet smell of death?"
"Goblins or rabid animals, likely," the elf was quick to respond, and still he seemed completely unshaken.
"Though it could be argued that they are much one and the same."
His tone as much as his words only brought even more tension into poor Brynn, and she wanted to scream out in protest at that moment more than she ever had since the murder of her parents.
"As worthy an enemy as can be found, if not so worthy as an opponent," Juraviel went on.
Brynn turned away and squeezed her eyes shut tightly, then opened them and stared off into the forest. She felt Juraviel's gentle hand upon the small of her back.
"How steep are the mountains you must climb if you cannot scale this tiny hillock?"
"I did not leave Andur'Blough Inninness to become a murderess," Brynn answered through her gritted teeth.
"You left Andur'Blough Inninness to begin a war," Juraviel reminded, with even more intensity. ?Do you think that your revolution will be bloodless?"
"That is different."
"Because the Chezru are deserving?"
Brvnn, her eyes narrowed, turned to face him directly, and said with an air of confidence, ?Yes."
"And only the deserving Chezru will die?"
"Many of my people will die, but they will do so willingly, if their sacrifice helps to free To-gai!"
"And many innocents will die," the elf pointed out. ?Children too young to understand what is happening. The infirm. Women on both sides will be raped and slaughtered."
Brynn worked hard to hold firm her gaze, but she did wince.
"War is not fought along clear lines, Brynn. The Yatols at war will call upon the fierce Chezhou-Lei warriors, and they, by reputation, will not suf-fer any of the enemy race to live. And will your own people be more gener-ous? How many of the To-gai-ru have suffered