They broke up to pitch camp. Goldie's eyes opened when Der pulled him off her shoulders. She smiled. "Now you wake up, when we're stopping for the night."

  Jakkobb plucked the dragon from her hands. "He also needs to eat. I'll take him and find some water. Spike! You're watching the camp."

  "I'll make the fire." Kelin bent down and started picking up wood. "Mora, would you help me gather firewood? We need to talk. And then, we'll make supper."

  Der scanned the packs, with the realization that the only major chore left before pitching tents was to dig a small pit away from camp and water sources. She sighed.

  "Derora." Tom appeared beside her and nodded his head toward the petrified forest. "Come with me."

  Der glanced to Spike, who shrugged by hopping barely off his front hooves. So, she followed the vampire through the stone tree segments.

  When they were out of earshot, he straightened his shirt and sat cross legged. "Let me give you some advice."

  "First, let me give you some advice, Tom. When most people sit, they don't do it in midair."

  He almost smiled. "This is about Mora's confession."

  She took a seat on a stone log. "Why didn't you want me to say anything about it?"

  "Because it doesn't matter. It isn't your problem."

  "Yes, it is. They are my enemy, Tom."

  "No, it isn't. Believe me, Derora, she's not one of them. She didn't lie about that. Regardless of that, you don't need to interfere like you always do." He rubbed the top of his head.

  "Oh, like beating some sense into you with a log because you were going to hurt a frightened girl?"

  "I wasn't going to hurt her," he snapped, and then rubbed the back of his head. "You didn't have to do that."

  "Yes, I did, and I'll do it again if I have to."

  "The memory is painful enough, child. With wood! In front of everyone!"

  "I thought you didn't care about that."

  "I don't," he replied instantly through a face that was expressive as an empty room.

  The warrior gave him a flat look. "Honestly, I don't like Mora. She didn't even have to chase me, she just came along. I suppose because of Kelin. I hope he's dealing with this more gracefully than what I'm feeling."

  "What about Kelin?"

  "What about him? Sure, I've seen that he's changed, and it's obviously been good for him."

  "I meant about he and Morana."

  "Oh. That." Der shrugged. "Well, if I can ignore the whole Sennha thing - which I can't - I'm not jealous if that's what you mean. I've never felt that way about him - he's my best friend. I miss the time we haven't spent together in the past year, but our lives have changed."

  He shook his head. "I didn't think you were, not much, anyway."

  She gave him a look as dry as tinder. "What was your advice about Mora?"

  He nodded. "Of course, I was getting to that. You're both extremely young. In a few years, these arguments will seem childish and insignificant. My advice is not to argue with her the next time, and just let it go, walk away. Don't fight it for once in your life."

  "Huh." She tapped her fingers on the petrified wood. "I thought you were going to try to trick me, but that's good advice. I'm not going to heed it, but it is good advice."

  "Why would I need to trick you when the truth works even better?"

  "True enough, but you tricked Goldie."

  He lifted an eyebrow.

  "When you said you were wrong to fight him. It sounded like an apology, but in truth, you were actually pointing out that it was a mistake in judgment."

  "Oh, you caught that. I'm impressed."

  She smiled. "Yeah, Jakkobb said something about his brain being bigger while he was, uh, bigger."

  "And, you just lost that impression."

  "Oh well."

  "You know though," he said. "I wouldn't have had to trick him if you hadn't found him in the first place."

  She slouched. "Believe it or not, I don't try to be trouble."

  "Eh." He shrugged and floated over the log. "I was the one who kidnapped you. I should have been prepared to handle whatever came of that. However, the worst I thought I was going to have to deal with was the dragoon knight. I'll admit they are formidable opponents in their own right, but I wasn't worried. But, a unicorn and a dragon? I still almost don't believe it."

  She frowned. "Strangely enough, that doesn't seem unusual to me."

  "You're a strange girl." He dropped his feet onto the log and stood on it. He looked longingly at the eastern horizon. It was distinctively darker. The opposite spectrum, the sunset looked like a rainbow colored mountain stream as the light flowed down over the clouds in its liquid form.

  * * *

  Kelin rubbed his hands over his face. "I've been thinking, and honestly really trying, but I still don't know if I can trust you."

  Mora bit her lower lip and looked away from him. "Kelin, I'm so sorry." She lifted her hand in his direction, but quickly retracted it.

  "Were you ever going to tell me this?"

  She stared fixedly at the ground. Yes. Someday, away from these kingdoms."

  "Can I even trust that answer? I mean, you can say whatever you want, and I don't know what's truth or not." He caught the tremor in his voice before it passed through his lips. He bunched his fists at his side.

  "I am not one of them! And I've paid my price for coming too close to them, believe me!"

  "Have you? You're still alive, and that's more than I've encountered with them." He leveled his searing gaze at long dead stone log. Beyond that, the fire pinpointed their meager campsite. He'd had to drag her a long way to be out of earshot.

  "Because they didn't have the time!" She reached out toward him, but pulled her hand back again. "I could be executed for just knowing about them and being too scared to tell anyone!"

  "That's not how that goes. You actually have to be-"

  "Yes, it is! Jakkobb even made me a dragoon prisoner! But, I am not one of them!" She sagged. All of the strength it took to yell one more time seemed like a mile sprint uphill. It was suddenly too far away to reach. "But, I fear... I fear that I'm no longer a good person." She swallowed. "I never did anything wicked. I was just far too frightened to do anything. And now, both sides are willing to kill me for it. Even you, it seems."

  "No, we won't." Kelin blinked at the comforting tone in his voice. "That's not who we are."

  "Der would've." Mora kicked a loose piece of petrified wood. It clattered off into the darkness.

  He shook his head. "You're wrong about that too."

  "It's just that - I'm not strong like the rest of you are. I want to do what's right, but I was so very alone and confused, and I didn't know. I made a horrible mistake, and I wish that I never made it, but I can't undo it." She stared at the ground. She could feel every prick of the stones beneath her feet through the thin soles of her boots. The sharp needlelike sensations only increased the fight of her tears to escape. "You all think I'm guilty of crimes I never even came near. Even - especially you!"

  "I do not!" he thundered. He shook his head. "It's just that I know that they've used spies before. The whole cult exists in deceit, and... and I was falling in love with you! I even thought about getting a cottage somewhere, like the one you had, building a small forge and maybe even raising a family. And now, I'm not sure if I can't even trust the words from your mouth!"

  "I am not one of them!" Mora wiped her eyes. "I'm not. I just made a horrible mistake. Please, forgive me."

  "That's not my place to forgive, but, I don't hold this against you."

  "No, I've harmed you too."

  Kelin looked at her and felt his will bend like grass. If it were anyone else... But, not her. He realized that he could, and already had, forgiven her for the grief she'd given him. He reached out one hand. She took it and he pulled her toward him. "I'd be a bad person if I held you in judgment." He ran his other hand through his shaggy hair. "I just wish everything were different right now."

  * * *

  Der banged her forehead against her knees for a moment. "The others wish I hadn't promised you."

  "I overheard." Tom sighed. "Der, please understand that what they say doesn't matter to me, at all. Many, many years ago, it would have, but no longer. I used to be dreadfully angry at anyone alive, especially if they spoke out against me. I hated life, because they had it and I didn't anymore. But, that's an old anger, and it has weathered away like these mountains here." He looked at the setting sun. "That took a long, long time."

  She said nothing in reply; she wouldn't know what she could say that wouldn't sound like an ignorant backward peasant.

  He pulled his flute from a pocket and looked at the instrument. "Chloe adores the music. I think my parting gift to her will be a flute."

  "Parting gift?"

  "After this, I'm going to walk away. I'm not going to get involved with mortals again. Since that night, I've been getting drawn back into your world more and more, bit by bit. I'm even traveling with you now. Once this is over..." he petered out. "Then, it's over."

  She nodded. "That's sad, but I think I understand your reasoning."

  He offered half a smirk. "I'm surprised that you're not arguing with me." He twirled the flute in his fingers. "I almost wish I hadn't gotten involved in the first place, almost."

  "You don't want to be alone." She said it as quickly as the thought came.

  The flute froze. He shrugged and started spinning it again. "I've been alone."

  "You don't want to be."

  He closed his bright eyes. "Der, I'm not going to threaten you because that doesn't work, so I'm going to ask you to shut the hell up."

  "But, sometimes things need to be talked about 'cause they're painful."

  "And other times things are best left unsaid." He pointed the flute like an index finger. He glanced at it, then at her, and then rested it against his lips.

  Der sat back to listen, she couldn't help herself. His music was downright drowsy. She closed her eyes and relaxed as the mournful melody cooled the air around them. In her mind, she was taken where the song led.

  "Shattered moonlight, silver light evaporating as the morning fog." Her mouth formed the words, but she felt no air pass through.

  Tom stopped playing. "You can hear the words?"

  She shook herself free. "I lived with the elves last winter, of course I learned about the natural magic of music."

  "You're barely part elven. How can you hear the words?"

  "I don't know. They're so sad."

  "What did you expect from me?"

  "Fair enough, I suppose. It's so incredibly beautiful and painful at the same time."

  "Like me watching the sunset, beautiful and painful - and that's a pain you know nothing about."

  "The shattered moonlight, I saw it."

  The flute disappeared back into his pocket. "Yes, the shattered silver moonlight - once again, beautiful and painful."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, the moon's not painful, it's my sun actually. Alright, you know that were-creatures and vampires are vulnerable to silver, and the moon is very important to both of us."

  "What do the moon and silver have to do with each other? Other than moonlight looks silverish."

  "An ancient legend says that silver originally came from the moon."

  Der narrowed her brow. "But, you mine it in the ground. How could it come from the moon?"

  Tom waved a finger at her. "It's just a myth!"

  "Alright!" She held up both hands, and then tilted her head to the side and sighed gustily. "Snake!" She hopped onto the log and pulled her knees up to her chin.

  Tom shot her a curious glance and picked up the small creature in one hand. "Der, it's not even poisonous." It was only as long as his forearm, and he let it play around his fingers.

  She shrugged helplessly.

  "This little fellow doesn't hibernate either."

  She cocked her head. "It has fur! I've never seen the like. I mean, snakes don't have fur!"

  He smiled without his teeth. "Yes, there is much about this world you don't know, Derora."

  "But, I know they hibernate during the winter - it wouldn't need fur."

  "No, this species is warm blooded, oddly enough."

  "I despise the little wretches, a poisonous one nearly killed me once." She shivered. "I find it funny how much I don't like them and that's what Sennha has to use for his symbol."

  "The snakehead on each end of the body, yes."

  "Oh well, I haven't come across a follower of his I couldn't gut."

  Tom set the snake on the ground, and it slithered under one of the stone logs. "Did you know the Blackhound was Sennha's dark champion? A paladin, even."

  She tapped her forehead. "You mentioned it before." She shrugged. "Never knew it before you though."

  "Back in my day, everyone knew it."

  She shrugged again. "I can't say I've ever given him much thought."

  "Look at what he did - this one man destroyed the paladin empire!"

  "That was two thousand years ago, how does it affect me?"

  "Your sword, Der." He sighed loudly. "I keep forgetting you're so very young."

  "How old are you?"

  "Wouldn't you like to know?" He shook his head. "Here's an example, the kingdoms on this continent, Solquin, suddenly appeared after Pallens fell as refugees fled Dosmar across the ocean. People still trace their heritage."

  "They do? Dosmar?"

  He rubbed his forehead. "You're the girl with a weapon of Pallens and you hardly know anything about it."

  She squirmed in her seat. "I'm listening though."

  "So you are," he drawled. "Alright, Dosmar is the continent on which most of the empire thrived. The word means splendid. Hence, you have so many kingdoms over here now, because people fled the broken empire and founded new lands here."

  "Oh. That is good to know." She sat back, face lost in reflection. She looked back at him curiously for a long moment and he impassively held her stare. "This is away from the topic, but I just had another thought."

  Tom looked away. "Two in one night, incredible."

  "You're a half elf."

  He nearly slipped out of the air. His hand shot to his ear, and then he gave her the most bewildered expression. "Where did that come from?"

  She frowned. "Then again, your ears are rounded."

  "Yes, I know. Why do you think I am half elven?"

  She shrugged. "I don't know. It's, well, you know history like an elf. You have an elvish ring. And, you look like you could have been - high cheekbones, angular features and the gods know you're handsome enough. That could mean nothing."

  "Well, it does, but go on."

  "It's the other things, like the way your music puts me in a kind of daze or trance or whatever - just like elvish song. Also, your advice to me sounded very much like what an elf might say, save Jakkobb of course." She tapped her chin. "But, you wouldn't be a full elf and a vampire. A half elf, however is human enough to persevere..."

  He shook his head. "I have rounded ears, that's the definition of what was once human. I know history like an elf because I have been through it too. I've picked up a few immortal habits." He sighed. "The foremost of those should have been, do not involve yourself in mortal affairs."

  "You are, however, and because you are, there is something more you should tell me."

  He arched an eyebrow. "Oh, and what's that?"

  "What's in that monastery? Are you after a spellbook?"

  He drifted on the air. "No, it's a magical object, a stone heart." He blinked. "How did you get me to tell you that?"

  "I asked, you answered."

  "Yes, but why did I answer? Also, how did you get me to save those mortals in the fire? How did you get me to agree to send the chemman and his son to my ward?" He leaned closer. "How did you get me to?"

  She shrugged. "My friend Donley, back in our village, always said I had the talent for getting people to do what I want. He said it was a priceless gift for a leader."

  "Yes, but the only thing you're leading is yourself, into trouble."

  "I've always had a talent for that too."

  He almost smiled. "I kidnapped you for your talents."

  "For getting into trouble?"

  He sighed. "Absolutely not. You have the potential to be something, but it's not yet developed - hell, you don't even know. That's why you were a good choice, or so I thought at the time. You have at least an ability, but you're nothing special yet."

  She glanced down to her Pallens sword. "You just need me to get the heart in this monastery."

  "Yes."

  "What talents do I have?"

  He winked. "You'll see, and I believe I am the least likely teacher for those."

  "What, like magic? I am not a magic user, Tom."

  He shook his head. "No, Der. It's not like that. You wouldn't even have the attention span to even use a magical object."

  "Like the one we're after? So, what does this magical object do?"

  "According to lore - the same thing Chloe can do, but it's more powerful. At least, right now." He tucked his feet under him, still levitating but pretending to sit. "Der, I'll say it like this, I've known where this object is for three centuries and I haven't gone after it before now. I'm just going to use it and then put it back. If we break whatever wards or spells are over it, I'll hide it somewhere new."

  "You're not tempted," she said doubtfully.

  "I'm not stupid. I know how powerful this object is, and I don't want to be hunted for it. I'm powerful enough on my own."

  "Alright... how much magic can it control or absorb or whatever it is that Chloe does?"

  "A fair bit. Your magician would be easy to overpower, but the unicorn or the dragon - they'd still probably win, which is why I'm going to avoid them after we acquire it." He sucked on his lower lip. "I - I'm not very good at talking to people, as you may have noticed. At least, not when it comes to telling the truth. What I'm trying to say is, Der, that this thing is dangerous."

  "We can handle danger."

  "You've never encountered anything like this. In fact, I myself have never dealt with anything such as this. And, I don't want to. It's something that is so ancient that I don't know how old it is. Those monks didn't know its history because no one does. I study history very meticulously and there's nothing - not even an ancient legend lost in a children's song. Nevertheless, these men, who honestly had no idea what they had, dedicated their entire lives to hiding this thing."

 

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