what had he almost done? He had a Price to pay! Break his vow, and Shalkan would have no choice but to exact the penalty.
"Kellen?" Vestakia said uncertainly.
Kellen's face burned hot with shame. She'd been able to sense, to feel, the same things he had —
He cut off the direction of those thoughts with painfully-acquired discipline.
"Just ask them what you need to know," he said harshly, willing himself to pretend that the last few minutes hadn't happened. "They know what Black Minds are, and they know we need to find the others."
After a moment, he heard Vestakia speaking in a low voice to the Spiders, but the eternal background noise of the deep caves blurred her words, and he couldn't make them out. He didn't try very hard, either. For the first time, Kellen blessed the fact that his hearing wasn't as sharp as the Elves'. He didn't want to know what she might be saying right now.
Her voice stopped, and when the silence stretched, Kellen risked a glance over his shoulder.
She was covered in the Spiders, the outlines of her slender body completely obscured beneath the round furry forms. In the faint luminescence from their bodies, he could see that her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed, as if she basked in sunlight.
At least, Kellen thought ruefully, he didn't seem to have offended the Crystal Spiders too badly.
Making a careful detour around the Spiders and Vestakia — though he doubted that just now she'd have noticed him if he'd jumped up and down and shouted — he walked back to where Isinwen and the others stood, waiting patiently.
"It would be good to know how long the Lady Vestakia will remain," Isinwen said when Kellen had joined him.
"I'm not sure," Kellen admitted. "I know — from my own experience — that the Crystal Spiders don't think the way we do. And they don't have anything like the same sense of time. I do know that they won't hurt her."
"Then we must wait," Isinwen said inarguably.
It was something Kellen had become fairly good at over the last several moonturns — the life of an army seemed to involve a great deal of waiting, far more than it did actual fighting, and eventually Vestakia heaved a deep sigh and lowered her head. A few seconds later, the Crystal Spiders began to move, picking their way delicately down along her shoulders and arms. Kellen was always impressed by how gracefully they moved. Next they began flowing in a tidal motion across the floor of the cavern, until their glow was lost in the shadows. Vestakia stretched — much as if she were rousing from a deep sleep—and began to get stiffly to her feet.
Ambanire — one of the new recruits who had been added to Kellen's troop after the Battle of the Further Cavern—moved forward (quickly, yet seemingly without haste, in the fashion of the Elves) to assist her. This time, the aid was more than simple courtesy. Kellen knew from his own experience how sitting motionless for an extended period in the frigid damp of the deep caves made one stiff and sore. Vestakia actually tottered a bit, clutching at Ambanire's arm for support.
"I had hoped it was going to be easier than this," she said when she rejoined the others. Reyezeyt passed her a flask of cordial — it wasn't warm, but it was sweet, and certainly better than nothing. Vestakia took it and drank gratefully.
"There is another Enclave of the Shadowed Elves — as we already knew," she said when she'd finished drinking. "The Crystal Spiders are eager to tell me all about it." She uttered a stifled giggle. "If I could just figure out what they were saying! A realm of ice and jewels — what does that mean?"
"Understanding will surely come with time," Isinwen answered when Kellen said nothing. "And from all you have said, the caves, damp and cold as they are, are far better than flying about in the heavens at this time of year."
"Oh, yes!" Vestakia agreed fervently. "I like flying — but I am very tired of snow!"
* * * * *
KELLEN saw Vestakia to
"Kellen?" Vestakia said uncertainly.
Kellen's face burned hot with shame. She'd been able to sense, to feel, the same things he had —
He cut off the direction of those thoughts with painfully-acquired discipline.
"Just ask them what you need to know," he said harshly, willing himself to pretend that the last few minutes hadn't happened. "They know what Black Minds are, and they know we need to find the others."
After a moment, he heard Vestakia speaking in a low voice to the Spiders, but the eternal background noise of the deep caves blurred her words, and he couldn't make them out. He didn't try very hard, either. For the first time, Kellen blessed the fact that his hearing wasn't as sharp as the Elves'. He didn't want to know what she might be saying right now.
Her voice stopped, and when the silence stretched, Kellen risked a glance over his shoulder.
She was covered in the Spiders, the outlines of her slender body completely obscured beneath the round furry forms. In the faint luminescence from their bodies, he could see that her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed, as if she basked in sunlight.
At least, Kellen thought ruefully, he didn't seem to have offended the Crystal Spiders too badly.
Making a careful detour around the Spiders and Vestakia — though he doubted that just now she'd have noticed him if he'd jumped up and down and shouted — he walked back to where Isinwen and the others stood, waiting patiently.
"It would be good to know how long the Lady Vestakia will remain," Isinwen said when Kellen had joined him.
"I'm not sure," Kellen admitted. "I know — from my own experience — that the Crystal Spiders don't think the way we do. And they don't have anything like the same sense of time. I do know that they won't hurt her."
"Then we must wait," Isinwen said inarguably.
It was something Kellen had become fairly good at over the last several moonturns — the life of an army seemed to involve a great deal of waiting, far more than it did actual fighting, and eventually Vestakia heaved a deep sigh and lowered her head. A few seconds later, the Crystal Spiders began to move, picking their way delicately down along her shoulders and arms. Kellen was always impressed by how gracefully they moved. Next they began flowing in a tidal motion across the floor of the cavern, until their glow was lost in the shadows. Vestakia stretched — much as if she were rousing from a deep sleep—and began to get stiffly to her feet.
Ambanire — one of the new recruits who had been added to Kellen's troop after the Battle of the Further Cavern—moved forward (quickly, yet seemingly without haste, in the fashion of the Elves) to assist her. This time, the aid was more than simple courtesy. Kellen knew from his own experience how sitting motionless for an extended period in the frigid damp of the deep caves made one stiff and sore. Vestakia actually tottered a bit, clutching at Ambanire's arm for support.
"I had hoped it was going to be easier than this," she said when she rejoined the others. Reyezeyt passed her a flask of cordial — it wasn't warm, but it was sweet, and certainly better than nothing. Vestakia took it and drank gratefully.
"There is another Enclave of the Shadowed Elves — as we already knew," she said when she'd finished drinking. "The Crystal Spiders are eager to tell me all about it." She uttered a stifled giggle. "If I could just figure out what they were saying! A realm of ice and jewels — what does that mean?"
"Understanding will surely come with time," Isinwen answered when Kellen said nothing. "And from all you have said, the caves, damp and cold as they are, are far better than flying about in the heavens at this time of year."
"Oh, yes!" Vestakia agreed fervently. "I like flying — but I am very tired of snow!"
* * * * *
KELLEN saw Vestakia to
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