already a dark elf and had started a modest fire and began amassing a small pile of apple root, berries, and cattail pollen spikes. Next to the flames on small sticks, a rabbit was dressed out, cooked and cooling. When she did stir, she had a shy smile on her face.
“Ryliss?”
“I am here, Andea. Why don’t you warm yourself by the fire here; I will stoke it a bit more so we can get your clothes dry. There is food next to the fire, as well; you must be hungry.”
The girl got up, brushed herself off, and cautiously oriented herself to the fire, feeling its warmth. It was the first time I had the opportunity to take a really good look at her. She was wearing ragged leggings and a dirty brown overdress, with plain moccasin-like slippers. She had jet black curls and a small impish-looking face that radiated goodwill. This, despite what had been done to her; both eyes looked like they had been destroyed with burning sticks or embers and left to heal without the benefit of magic or even herbal healing. It sickened me to the core of my soul to look at them.
I walked over and stood next to her, about to show her the food when she put her hands out tentatively and touched me. She ran her hands over my shoulders, hips, and clothing and finally stopped at my face. She gently outlined it with her fingertips, pausing when she touched my ears and I jerked back slightly.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Did I hurt you?”
“No, they’re just sensitive, that’s all.”
She nodded. “You are an elf and the woman I told Kerrik to search for.”
I took her hands and led her over to a flat rock near the fire where she could sit. I filled a section of her over shirt with some of the berries and apple root chunks so she could eat and talk. “Andea, tell me what you know about all this.”
“It’s a long story, Ryliss, but right now we need to find Kerrik. He will be worried sick and he’s probably looking for me right now.” She said hesitantly, “But I can’t do it without your help.”
“Andea, I met Kerrik yesterday for the first time. Our conversation lasted all of about five minutes before three dozen armed men and a fire mage kicked open the door to the tavern. They were apparently searching for you, with wizards as a secondary target, as they had a demon crystal that lit up in the presence of magic. Before they could check me, your brother started a commotion that drew their attention away. At the same time, he caused the crystal to light up, indicating he was a wizard. I’m sorry, but they hauled him away in a locked wagon.”
She looked stricken, paused in her chewing and cocked her head slightly. “What will they do to him?” A tear was forming on the outsides of the ruins that were her eyes. I tore my gaze away and answered.
“If they wanted him dead, they could have done it on the spot. My best guess is that they will hold him and try to make him work for them in some capacity.”
Andea gulped and her throat tightened at the thought, but then she surprised me by changing topics. “Would the crystal have lit up if it had gotten close to you?”
“Honestly, I don’t know, it depends on what the crystal reacts to. Me, personally, probably not, but I carry some items of magic that I wouldn’t want revealed.”
“But you are a wizard?”
I sighed; this was getting uncomfortably close to areas that I usually don’t talk about. But I guess she already knew about my wild forms and I was reminded that she apparently knew somewhat more than that, as well. “I am a Druid, actually…but it’s not something I talk about to most people.”
She nodded sympathetically. “That’s what Kerrik says, too. He doesn’t tell people he’s a wizard; I guess some bad stuff happened in the war. He says he won’t tell me about it until I’m older.”
“Andea, who did this to you? And why are bad people after you?”
She nibbled on a piece of root and oriented on my voice. “When I was nine, my oldest,
“Ryliss?”
“I am here, Andea. Why don’t you warm yourself by the fire here; I will stoke it a bit more so we can get your clothes dry. There is food next to the fire, as well; you must be hungry.”
The girl got up, brushed herself off, and cautiously oriented herself to the fire, feeling its warmth. It was the first time I had the opportunity to take a really good look at her. She was wearing ragged leggings and a dirty brown overdress, with plain moccasin-like slippers. She had jet black curls and a small impish-looking face that radiated goodwill. This, despite what had been done to her; both eyes looked like they had been destroyed with burning sticks or embers and left to heal without the benefit of magic or even herbal healing. It sickened me to the core of my soul to look at them.
I walked over and stood next to her, about to show her the food when she put her hands out tentatively and touched me. She ran her hands over my shoulders, hips, and clothing and finally stopped at my face. She gently outlined it with her fingertips, pausing when she touched my ears and I jerked back slightly.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Did I hurt you?”
“No, they’re just sensitive, that’s all.”
She nodded. “You are an elf and the woman I told Kerrik to search for.”
I took her hands and led her over to a flat rock near the fire where she could sit. I filled a section of her over shirt with some of the berries and apple root chunks so she could eat and talk. “Andea, tell me what you know about all this.”
“It’s a long story, Ryliss, but right now we need to find Kerrik. He will be worried sick and he’s probably looking for me right now.” She said hesitantly, “But I can’t do it without your help.”
“Andea, I met Kerrik yesterday for the first time. Our conversation lasted all of about five minutes before three dozen armed men and a fire mage kicked open the door to the tavern. They were apparently searching for you, with wizards as a secondary target, as they had a demon crystal that lit up in the presence of magic. Before they could check me, your brother started a commotion that drew their attention away. At the same time, he caused the crystal to light up, indicating he was a wizard. I’m sorry, but they hauled him away in a locked wagon.”
She looked stricken, paused in her chewing and cocked her head slightly. “What will they do to him?” A tear was forming on the outsides of the ruins that were her eyes. I tore my gaze away and answered.
“If they wanted him dead, they could have done it on the spot. My best guess is that they will hold him and try to make him work for them in some capacity.”
Andea gulped and her throat tightened at the thought, but then she surprised me by changing topics. “Would the crystal have lit up if it had gotten close to you?”
“Honestly, I don’t know, it depends on what the crystal reacts to. Me, personally, probably not, but I carry some items of magic that I wouldn’t want revealed.”
“But you are a wizard?”
I sighed; this was getting uncomfortably close to areas that I usually don’t talk about. But I guess she already knew about my wild forms and I was reminded that she apparently knew somewhat more than that, as well. “I am a Druid, actually…but it’s not something I talk about to most people.”
She nodded sympathetically. “That’s what Kerrik says, too. He doesn’t tell people he’s a wizard; I guess some bad stuff happened in the war. He says he won’t tell me about it until I’m older.”
“Andea, who did this to you? And why are bad people after you?”
She nibbled on a piece of root and oriented on my voice. “When I was nine, my oldest,
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