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The night air was crisp, the sky bore only a few dark clouds, soaring high on the wind A ht-ness of the full ht sky suitable for the Halo, Juraviel thought, but alas, that colorful belt was not to be seen

The elf was farther south now, in the region where dells, clustered thick with trees, were scattered a cultivated fields, divided fro the shadows, running and dancing, for though he felt hetwirl that brought hih he often saw candles burning in theof a newly reclai h Inninness

So caught up was he that , their har did not put the elf on his guard, but it did calht He realized his instincts, his sense of star song, had guided him true His heart soared, for he dearly wanted to see his brethren again He found therove of oak and scattered pines Smiles broadened on a dozen elven faces The presence of some of the Touel&039;alfar - like Tallareyish Issinshine, who, despite his great age, loved to wander out of the elven valley - didn&039;t surprise Juraviel But the appear-ance of one elf in particular stunned him At first he hardly noticed her, for she wore the hood of her cloak up, only her sparkling eyes showing

"You have been missed, Belli&039;mar Juraviel," she said Her voice - that special voice, powerful and melodic all at once, even by elven standards - halted the dancing Juraviel

"My lady," he said breathlessly, surprised, even stunned, to discover that Lady Dasslerond herself had come forth from the valley Juraviel rushed to her and fell to his knees, accepting her hand and kissing it gently

"The song of Caer&039;alfar is diminished without your voice," Lady Dasslerond replied, one of the highest coive me, lady, but I do not understand," Juraviel said "You have come forth, and yet I know that you are needed in Andur&039;Blough Innin-ness The dactyl&039;s scar"

"Remains," Lady Dasslerond replied "Deep is the mark of Bestesbulzi-bar upon our valley, I fear; and so the rot has begun, a rot that may force us from our homes, from the world itself But that is a matter for decades, per-haps centuries, to co needs"

"The ell Take heart that Nightbird is back in his place - or shall be soon," Juraviel told her "The land will know peace once reat cost"

"No," Lady Dasslerond replied "Not yet, I fear Ever in the history of hus the most unrest Their hierarchies and institutions are shaken Inevitably, one will arise to clai"

"You have heard of the death of the baron of Palmaris?" Tallareyish remarked, "and of Abbot Dobrinion, who led the Church in Palhtbird went north to the Tiood, and safe, as huo," Lady Dasslerond explained "Palmaris is an iarrison between our home and the more populated human lands"

Juraviel knew Palmaris was an io into the place openly Few humans knew of them - in fact, because of Juraviel&039;s efforts in the war beside Nightbird, the number of humans who could honestly claim they had seen an elf had probably at least doubled over the last few s of the humans were of concern to the elves, and Lady Dasslerond had sent elves into Palmaris every so often over the last decades

"We are not pleased by the ru out of the city," Tallareyish reht within the Church, one in which we - you - have inadvertently played a role"

"Not so inadvertent," Juraviel replied He was surprised by the so his way and he held up his hands "Was it not Lady Dasslerond herself who instructed o to Mount Aida?" he asked "And did not Lady Dasslerond herself come out of Caer&039;alfar to my aid when Bestesbulzibar descended upon ees?"

"You speak truly," Lady Dasslerond agreed "And it was Tuntun, not Juraviel, who fulfilled our rightful place on the journey to Mount Aida"

"You even brought the deree with your choice," he quickly added, seeing her scowl "Indeed, were it not for that choice, I would have been destroyed north of our valley"

"And that is where it should have ended," Lady Dasslerond explained, "in Andur&039;Blough Inninness for us, and in Mount Aida for Tuntun Our part in this conflict was played out when the deht of her words hit Juraviel Indeed, it had seehtbird and Pony had arrived on the mountain slopes above the elven valley An enchantone to the, Juraviel had departed with the pair to take up the fight against the scattered remnants of the demon dactyl&039;s arh Inninness, I would have offered no complaint," Juraviel said softly to the lady of the valley "I have only followed that course which seemed truest to me"

"All the way to St-Mere-Abelle?" Tallareyish remarked, his tone not co point of elven tolerance Lady Dasslerond had sent hiainst the goblins, giants, and powries, but he had fol-lowed the ranger and interfered in the heart of the affairs of hureat elven lady "My journey to St-Mere-Abelle was to rescue Bradwarden the centaur, who has been an elven friend for many, many years," he said huat once, whispering the name of the centaur Juraviel heard the word "justi-fied" spoken several tie to look up into his lady&039;s eyes

Lady Dasslerond studied him intently for a few ood conscience, dispute your decision," she admitted, "for you did not understand fully the i yourself in such matters What news of Bradwarden, then?"

"He is in the north with Nightbird," Juraviel replied Before he could elaborate, one of the elves in the branches of a nearby tree signaled that so on their position, and in a moment all the elves disap-peared into the underbrush

A short while later, the light of a torch could be seen, winding through the trees, and then Juraviel s-nized, walked into view

"You know that one," Lady Dasslerond stated, indicating Roger As she spoke, several of the other elves began to sing softly, their voices blending with the nor, they wove a sound wall, a h which elven voices would not carry, that they ht continue their conversation without fear that the approach-ing husbury," Juraviel confirer Lockless - a title he has well earned"

Dasslerond&039;s nod showed that she, too, had learned the truth of Roger Lockless "And the other?" she asked "Is he known to you?"

Juraviel studied theto recall if he had seen him on those few occasions when he and his two companions had passed monks on their way to St-Mere-Abelle "No," he replied "I do not believe that I have ever seen him"

"His name is Braumin Herde," Dasslerond explained, "a disciple of Brother Avelyn"

"Disciple?" Juraviel echoed skeptically

"There are five of theer," the lady explained, "all brothers of the Abellican Order and all dedicated to your old cohtbird, for they are now outlaws of the Church, men without a home"

Juraviel&039;s expression showed his doubts "Or are they brothers justice," he asked, "wearing the guise of friends that they emstones Avelyn took from St-Mere-Abelle?"

"They are sincere," Lady Dasslerond assured hi their every conversation"

"And do they know of you?"

"Roger alone," the lady said "He has told the others about us, but they do not believe hilanced at Juraviel, then looked back at the two approaching men "Perhaps it is time ere formally introduced" She moved boldly out into the torchlit path of the two ht of Dasslerond, and how Roger&039;s eyes and smile widened when Belli&039;h Inninness!

"Juraviel!" Roger exclaireet his friend "It has been far too long" Roger&039;s excitelanced at his co with every step, his face white in the torchlight

"Calm, Brother Braumin!" Lady Dasslerond commanded, and in her voice was a quality of co the monk had ever encountered - even beyond the power of Markwart&039;s stern tone at recent abbey gatherings He stopped short

"Did not Roger Lockless tell you of us?" Lady Dasslerond asked bluntly "Did he not tell you that you would likely find the man you seek in the com-pany of Belli&039;ht - " Brauer Lockless described," Lady Dasslerond went on

"Lockless?" Brau at his friend

"A title er replied

"This we know because even as he was telling you of us, ere in the trees above you, listening," Lady Dasslerond went on "So be surprised that his tales ring so true, but let that surprise pass quickly, for we have much to discuss"

Brother Braumin took a deep breath and coly at Juraviel, caught off guard He started for-ward tentatively once more, but his friend, wary of Lady Dasslerond&039;s temper, held him at bay

"Take us back to your encampment to meet your companions," Lady Dasslerond ordered "I do not wish to answer the same questions twice"

The reception at the camp was predictable, the four other er&039;s outlandish tales were true Brother Castinagis did a fair job of restraining himself, as did Dell mutely, and Viscenti fell all over hi several ti into the fire

"Belli&039;an when at last the h his road, like our own, heads north We will find hier remarked "You will be amazed at ho-erful he is, if his wounds have fully healed"

"They have," Juraviel assured hi at Braumin and Deller remarked, obviously enchanted by the mere mention of the name "Jilseponie Ault," he explained, "Brother Avelyn&039;s dearest friend and principal student"

Juraviel said nothing, but observant Lady Dasslerond caught the look that nized that he had soer&039;s claier went on, and the startling adht Lady Dasslerond&039;s attention and forced her to focus on the fivetheir reactions She saw no hint of any underlying intentions, and since she usually found it easy to read the hearts of humans, she took comfort in that

"Perhaps if we form a Church of our own, Jilseponie Ault will see fit to return the stones," Brother Castinagis reht "If you form a Church of your own, one based on the life of Avelyn Desbris, you should beg Pony to serve as your Mother Abbess," he said

"A request that she would no doubt find ," Lady Dasslerond said "But let us consider the road before us and not the s we may find at the end of that road"

"That road seems less dark indeed, now that we have found such allies," Brau companions," Lady Dasslerond corrected sternly "Do not h Inninness con-tinued, her voice sharp and clear "Our road follows the same path as your own, it would seem, for the present, thus it is to our mutual benefit to travel side by side We can serve as your eyes in the forest, and you can gather infor the way But conve-nience does not necessarily constitute an alliance However, if we happen upon a iant - my kin and I will destroy it, and thus, in that lier stared at Juraviel as she spoke, taken aback by her detached, even callous, tone Juraviel&039;s expression offered little inforer&039;s surprise: up until then, the only elf Roger had met was Juraviel But Lady Dasslerond spoke with the responsibility for the fate of the Touel&039;alfar upon her Juraviel knew her attitude toward the humans was not unusual

"However," Lady Dasslerond continued, looking at each of the six &039;s soldiers, perhaps, or e The Touel&039;alfar shall not concern themselves with the affairs of humans"

Juraviel felt that last statement keenly, knew that Lady Dasslerond had put it that way to aim it directly at him

"I only meant - " poor Braumin Herde tried to explain

"I knohat you meant," Lady Dasslerond assured hier you"

Lady Dasslerond laughed at the thought, and there was noyou the truth of the matter," she said in a matter-of-fact tone "For to misunderstand our relationship could prove fatal" She motioned to the trees about them, and branches rustled as the other elves skittered away into the dark forest night "You should set watch this night and all others," Lady Dasslerond explained to the men "We will be about to call an alert should a monster wander near you, but if the intruder is huilance alone will protect you"

With that, she turned, Juraviel in tow, and walked sloay, not fading into the shadows quickly, as the elves often did, but letting thethem take her measure

Juraviel, too,reminder to him of the relationship between the two races Juraviel had reat friends of several humans, but that was not the norm, he was pointedly reminded

Back in the forest, Lady Dasslerond bade Tallareyish to set the other elves in sentry positions, a perimeter that would include a watch over the human encampment Juraviel moved to volunteer for one position, but Lady Dasslerond excluded him from the duties

"You believe that ill have little trouble in finding Nightbird?" Lady Dasslerond asked him when Tallareyish and the others had ," Juraviel replied "And even if he was, his favored place to hide is the forest"

"The ranger is important to us now," Lady Dasslerond said "I have had kin, Tallareyish a them, in Palmaris since you went on your journey to the east We have been watching the Church ed by all that we have seen"

Juraviel nodded