expression, but he knew it well
from previous encounters.
"How long did that take you?" Seth asked.
Lorn jumped a little in his seat and looked over his shoulder with
eyebrows lowered. "I pray I did not ruin your work."
"Not too badly, no," Lorn answered. "It is
nothing I cannot fix." He returned to his drawing and smiled,
keeping Seth wondering whether he had gotten on his friend's bad
side.
"I must apologize."
"No worries, my friend." He quickly disguised
the stray mark and held up the paper for Highbinder's inspection.
"Can you see the error of your ways?"
Seth studied it carefully and answered, "Not
at all."
"You see?" Lorn laughed. "I am that
good."
Seth laughed with him. "Yes, you are. Why do
you think I have so many examples of your work in my home?"
"That is because I tricked you into buying
them."
"No," replied Seth. "Your creations are
sublime." Changing the topic, he said, "I think we may be behind
schedule. It is time to see Dunane's king."
"What is his name?" Lorn asked curiously.
"Zelok," Seth said. "King Zelok."
"An odd name, to be sure," Lorn mused.
"I wouldn't repeat that again within these
walls."
"You may rely on that."
"Come," Seth said as he handed Lorn his cloak
and started down the hall. Lorn quickly rolled up his drawing and
placed it in his waist pouch, then put on his cloak, feeling just a
bit peaked from the cold weather. Seth secured his own cloak
underneath his armor, threw it around his free shoulder, and hooked
it to the silver badge; he definitely wanted to keep the badge of
the Great Tree visible at all times.
The journey downstairs seemed shorter than on
the night before. They returned to the main chamber of the palace,
where the two visitors could see in the light of day the sumptuous
details of the elven artisans' craft. Great tapestries hung on
every wall, and tall statues of past kings and heroes were erected
in each corner. A small group of elves, adorned in cloaks of gold,
strolled past, talking softly to one another, their eyes turned to
Seth and Lorn. Seth had no clue how to find his contact. Seeing a
staircase with a single door at the far end of the chamber, Seth
thought that perhaps this could be the throne room. He turned his
strides, and Lorn immediately followed suit.
But as they came mere steps away from the
stairs, both were stopped by Captain Fenrahn and Sir Uthrik. "Good
morning, gentlemen," Fenrahn greeted them.
"Good day to you," Seth replied. "My letter
is due for delivery."
Fenrahn nodded. "Uthrik informed me of this
not long ago. You must forgive me, for it was I who commanded the
sounding of the alarm last night. My name is Fenrahn."
"You gave us quite a scare, Fenrahn," Seth
admitted. "I do understand, though, that you were only doing your
duty, just as I am."
"Indeed." Fenrahn bowed politely and said, "I
am Captain of the Order."
"Then it is an honor to meet you." Seth
extended a hand in friendship. Fenrahn returned the gesture, and
both shook hands with no animosity. "I am--"
"Sir Seth Highbinder," Fenrahn finished. "I
already know. Then there is Lorn, the dwarf, of Beowulken--a
surprise to be sure."
"Greetings," Lorn said cordially.
"And to you," Fenrahn added mildly. Turning
back to Seth, Fenrahn asked, "Tell me, Sir Knight, why did you two
not stop at the southern gate last night?"
"We were not for certain how you would take
visitors at night," Seth replied. "This heightened state of
emergency has changed much, and I feared we would not be received
as allies. I saw no one as we entered the gate and my rattled logic
could only think of reaching the palace. I am sorry that I caused
such distress for your elves."
"Think nothing more of it," Fenrahn said with
slight laughter. "I could not have arranged for a better training
exercise for my knights. Besides, no harm came about."
"Very true," Seth said.
Uthrik came to a rigid posture and asked,
"Shall I escort them to King Zelok?"
"At once." Fenrahn strode away wearily,
heading for his bed,
from previous encounters.
"How long did that take you?" Seth asked.
Lorn jumped a little in his seat and looked over his shoulder with
eyebrows lowered. "I pray I did not ruin your work."
"Not too badly, no," Lorn answered. "It is
nothing I cannot fix." He returned to his drawing and smiled,
keeping Seth wondering whether he had gotten on his friend's bad
side.
"I must apologize."
"No worries, my friend." He quickly disguised
the stray mark and held up the paper for Highbinder's inspection.
"Can you see the error of your ways?"
Seth studied it carefully and answered, "Not
at all."
"You see?" Lorn laughed. "I am that
good."
Seth laughed with him. "Yes, you are. Why do
you think I have so many examples of your work in my home?"
"That is because I tricked you into buying
them."
"No," replied Seth. "Your creations are
sublime." Changing the topic, he said, "I think we may be behind
schedule. It is time to see Dunane's king."
"What is his name?" Lorn asked curiously.
"Zelok," Seth said. "King Zelok."
"An odd name, to be sure," Lorn mused.
"I wouldn't repeat that again within these
walls."
"You may rely on that."
"Come," Seth said as he handed Lorn his cloak
and started down the hall. Lorn quickly rolled up his drawing and
placed it in his waist pouch, then put on his cloak, feeling just a
bit peaked from the cold weather. Seth secured his own cloak
underneath his armor, threw it around his free shoulder, and hooked
it to the silver badge; he definitely wanted to keep the badge of
the Great Tree visible at all times.
The journey downstairs seemed shorter than on
the night before. They returned to the main chamber of the palace,
where the two visitors could see in the light of day the sumptuous
details of the elven artisans' craft. Great tapestries hung on
every wall, and tall statues of past kings and heroes were erected
in each corner. A small group of elves, adorned in cloaks of gold,
strolled past, talking softly to one another, their eyes turned to
Seth and Lorn. Seth had no clue how to find his contact. Seeing a
staircase with a single door at the far end of the chamber, Seth
thought that perhaps this could be the throne room. He turned his
strides, and Lorn immediately followed suit.
But as they came mere steps away from the
stairs, both were stopped by Captain Fenrahn and Sir Uthrik. "Good
morning, gentlemen," Fenrahn greeted them.
"Good day to you," Seth replied. "My letter
is due for delivery."
Fenrahn nodded. "Uthrik informed me of this
not long ago. You must forgive me, for it was I who commanded the
sounding of the alarm last night. My name is Fenrahn."
"You gave us quite a scare, Fenrahn," Seth
admitted. "I do understand, though, that you were only doing your
duty, just as I am."
"Indeed." Fenrahn bowed politely and said, "I
am Captain of the Order."
"Then it is an honor to meet you." Seth
extended a hand in friendship. Fenrahn returned the gesture, and
both shook hands with no animosity. "I am--"
"Sir Seth Highbinder," Fenrahn finished. "I
already know. Then there is Lorn, the dwarf, of Beowulken--a
surprise to be sure."
"Greetings," Lorn said cordially.
"And to you," Fenrahn added mildly. Turning
back to Seth, Fenrahn asked, "Tell me, Sir Knight, why did you two
not stop at the southern gate last night?"
"We were not for certain how you would take
visitors at night," Seth replied. "This heightened state of
emergency has changed much, and I feared we would not be received
as allies. I saw no one as we entered the gate and my rattled logic
could only think of reaching the palace. I am sorry that I caused
such distress for your elves."
"Think nothing more of it," Fenrahn said with
slight laughter. "I could not have arranged for a better training
exercise for my knights. Besides, no harm came about."
"Very true," Seth said.
Uthrik came to a rigid posture and asked,
"Shall I escort them to King Zelok?"
"At once." Fenrahn strode away wearily,
heading for his bed,
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