Elfshadow - Elaine Cunningham [105]
Arilyn felt rather than saw Khelben cross the room to stand by her side. All her attention was focused on the moonblade and on the ghostly mist that rose from it. The mist swirled in a quick spiral and then descended to the floor. It coalesced into the image of an elven bard, carrying a small harp and clothed in the robes of an ancient time. Not taking any notice of the trio, the ghostly elf spoke.
"Let those who hear attend the ballad of the elfshadow." He struck the harp strings and began to repeat a ballad in ringing, rhythmic speech:
Upon the wings of seven winds,
Upon the waves of every sea,
Zoastria the traveler seeks
The shadow's living elf.
Twinborn she was, and from her birth
In sisterhood of soul and flesh
Zoastria and Somalee
Were destiny-entwined.
The heiress elf a sword was given,
The younger sailed to distant shores
To marry as her duty bid.
Her ship did not reach port.
Zoastria now walked alone.
Her weeping swelled the rising tide,
Her longing brought through stone and steel
A shadow sisterhood.
Call forth through stone, call forth from steel;
Command the mirror of thyself.
But ware the spirit housed within
The shadow of the elf.
The elven bard struck one final chord, then the image and the music faded. "The lyrics aren't bad," Danilo commented, breaking the tense silence that hung in the spellcasting chamber. "The tune could use some work, though."
Khelben turned to Arilyn, who stood pale and still. "Does any of this make sense of you?" She hesitated, then shook her head. "What about you, Dan? Any ideas?"
The nobleman looked astonished. "You're asking me?"
His comment roused Arilyn from her trance. She managed a faint smile. "Why not? Magic is your specialty, isn't it?"
"Dan taught me all I know," Khelben said, echoing the half-elf's dry humor. "Let's go downstairs to my parlor and talk this over." Arilyn picked up the moonblade and followed Khelben down the spiral staircase to a large sitting room, which was furnished with comfortable chairs and decorated by samples of Khelben's handiwork as an artist. Arilyn sank into a chair and laid the moonblade across her lap, but Danilo walked about the room, idly examining the portraits that covered the walls and stood on easels that had been set up in the corners.
"Could you cast that spell again?" Arilyn asked the arch-mage.
He took a chair near the half-elf. "Not today. Why?"
"I have to find out all there is to know about the moonblade," she said tersely. "If you can do no more today, where do I go?"
Khelben rubbed his cheek and considered. "Candlekeep would probably have the most information. They've a fine library on elven magical objects."
The half-elf's shoulders sagged. "You might as well have said Rashemen," she said ruefully. "The trip to Candlekeep would take months by land. By sea it could take several ten-days, more with the winter storms at hand."
"As it happens, that won't be a problem," Khelben said. "I do a great deal of research there, so I had a dimensional door installed between my library and Candlekeep." Arilyn looked dubious, so Khelben added, "Take Danilo with you. The boy could be a help to you in your studies. He's been to Candlekeep with me and he's familiar with their methods. What do you say, Dan?"
Arilyn and Khelben turned toward the young man, who had been engrossed in the study of one of Khelben's portraits. He nodded avidly. "Sounds good to me. There's a rogue elf in Waterdeep devoted to the idea of killing me. I'd just as soon head south until he changes his mind."
Khelben's black eyebrows shot up, but Danilo dismissed the mage's unspoken question with an insouciant shrug. "By the way, what is an elfshadow?" the young man asked.
"I don't know," Khelben admitted. "The answers