not King Eltiraaz and his peo-ple, in bringing me here. But I do argue against such a course.
Perhaps there will come of this a rejoining of our peoples, or at least a growing un-derstanding of each other.
A distant alliance, long overdue."
King Eltiraaz stared at him sternly for some time, then broke into a sudden, tension-breaking burst of laughter. ?You would willingly die, and without judgment, I believe."
"I would!"
"And that sincerity makes me believe you even more, Belli'mar Juraviel, friend of Tymwyvenne. Nay, we will not kill you, or hold you any longer as our prisoner. Though I would be pleased if you would remain for some time as my guest."
"And I would be pleased to do so, King Eltiraaz of Tymwyvenne," Ju-raviel answered formally, and with a bow.
"But not alone, and not while my companion, my friend, sits in a prison of peat. You say that you believe me, and well you should. But I'll not accept anything from you - not my own freedom, not your invitation - without a free Brynn Dharielle at my side."
"And if we kill her? Are we then enemies?"
Juraviel took a deep breath. ?We are," he declared, and he couldn't be-lieve the words as they came out of his own mouth! How could he take when so much might be at stake for the TouePalfar? Surely, j friendship could blossom into something wonderful for his ?' 'en that, was he acting in the best interest of Caer'alfar - and did 'r'e the right to act in any other way? - by so protecting Brynn? ^rl'dn't honestly know, and he found that he didn't honestly care. and bring the human woman," King Eltiraaz instructed Cazzira and f Duk ?Allow her to bathe and feed her well. It seems that perhaps have made two new friends this day."
T took all the willpower Belli'mar Juraviel could muster to remain up-right at that wonderful moment.
"You are not the first human permitted to/fraik through our lands," King Eltiraaz said to Brynn when she - fresh frota her bath and with her clothes wonderfully cleaned - and Juraviel met with the Kmg of Tymwyvenne later on that day.
"Before you continue, I demand to know vAiat happened to Diredusk!" the young ranger demanded.
King Eltiraaz sat back, his expression turning stern, his eyes narrowing and focusing on Brynn. Juraviel put his hand on her arm, squeezing tightly in an attempt to silence her.
"Her horse, good King Eltiraaz," he explained. ?When we were taken, Brynn had her horse with her, a beautiful creature."
Eltiraaz relaxed visibly, and so did Juraviel.
"What happened to him?" the stubborn Brynn demanded, and Juraviel squeezed even more tightly, thinking that his companion might be throwing it all away, pushing too hard when they were obviously in no position to de-mand anything.
But again, King Eltiraaz's expression only softened. ?You have enough concern for that creature - Diredusk, you name him - to speak in this man-ner to me?"
'I do." There wasn't a hint of anything other than grim determination in Brynn's voice.
'And if your insolence costs you my patience?"
"If you have harmed Diredusk, then I want not your patience, King Elti-raaz. If you have harmed Diredusk, then - "
Itiraaz held up his hand, but it was his smile that stopped her more than my hand gesture. ?We of the Tylwyn Doc do no harm to our fellow crea-tes of Ga'na'Tyl. Your horse, Diredusk, is running free in the fields to the ast, among his own kind. Free, I say, and where he belongs."
Brynn breathed a huge sigh of relief, and so did Juraviel.
You do not wish him recaptured?" Eltiraaz asked. rynn looked up at him, and it was obvious that the king was testing her ?My concern was for Diredusk, not for myself," she answered. ?If he running free and safe, then I am satisfied."
King Eltiraaz smiled, warmly. ?Once, many years ago, a man crossed through our lands, coming from the north, and it was the decision of King Tez'nezin that he not be hindered," he went on with the tale he had been relating when Brynn had interrupted. ?King Tez'nezin, my predecessor to the throne, was rumored to have gone out to the man for a secret meet ing, though what he discerned that allowed him to change his policies long-standing policies of the Tylwyn Doc against humans - I cannot say.
"That human was To-gai-ru, like Brynn Dharielle, seeking a way home over the mountains or under them.
Whether or not he succeeded in return-ing to the land south of