Elfsong - Elaine Cunningham [124]
The First Lord paused and smiled. "I call upon Danilo Thann."
This unexpected summons lifted Dan's heart. Surely this meant that Khelben had been released from his magical sleep, for only Khelben knew all that had occurred! Then he remembered Caladorn's knowledge of recent events, and this assumption wasn't good enough for him.
Beside him, Morgalla stamped and hooted, drawing attention to the bard at her side. The people around burst into loud huzzahs and enthusiastic applause, and they made way for Dan to pass.
The warmth and the acclaim strangely chilled the Harper, for it could only indicate that the elfsong spell had not been entirely banished. Shouldn't his reputation have perished along with the spell?
With Morgalla firmly pushing him from behind, Danilo made his way toward the middle of the marketplace. Seeing that he had no instrument, a beautiful, golden haired elf pressed her harp into his hands, bidding him with an inviting smile to return it whenever he wished.
As he looked at the instrument, inspiration struck Danilo, and he knew how he could ascertain Khelben's fate. He thanked the elfwoman and ascended the platform.
The Harper began to play one of his favorite melodies, and to it he sang an improvised and almost-accurate account of the adventure. Danilo kept the facts in, but he deliberately embellished the tale, adding a comic twist and a ribald suggestion or two.
From the corner of his eye, Danilo saw one of the Lords raise a hand to his helmed forehead in a gesture of exasperation that the Harper knew very well. Joy flooded the young bard's heart, and the power of elfsong crept unbidden into his voice.
The people of Waterdeep listened to the ballad with deep attention, drawn into the music and the story in a way that, many of them said later, seemed almost magical.
Epilogue
Several days after Shieldmeet, Danilo visited Khelben at Blackstaff Tower. Although still weakened by his encounter with Garnet, the archmage insisted upon resuming his duties and sent for his nephew. "How is he?" Dan whispered to Laeral as she showed him into Khelben's study.
"He's starting to get testy," the mage replied with a long-suffering sigh. "They say that's a good sign. They, of course, don't have to live with him."
Khelben motioned his nephew into the room. The arch-mage poured Danilo a cup of the steeped herbs he insisted upon drinking, and he seemed inclined to linger over bad tea and local gossip.
Things in Waterdeep, apparently, were looking up. The latecrops were thriving. Monster attacks to the south had fallen off drastically, and small game was returning to the woods. Trouble in the harbor and fishing sites had ended. "Most important, the ballads have returned to their original form. Our past and our traditions have been restored," Khelben said with deep satisfaction.
"I understand Lady Thione has disappeared. How has Caladorn taken all this?" Danilo asked.
"He's put out to sea again," the archmage said.
"The change will do him good," Laeral said as she came into the room. "Although your uncle doesn't always remember this, there is a wide world outside the walls of Waterdeep."
"Hhune is gone as well," Khelben grumbled, ignoring his lady's teasing. "We wouldn't have let him go if we'd known he was responsible for what happened to Larissa."
"The courtesan?'' Danilo asked.
"That and more. Larissa is a dear friend, and one of the Lords of Waterdeep. She was brutally attacked while you were gone and has lingered near death for many days. Just yesterday, she awoke and was able to tell us who did this to her. Clerics of Sune are praying for her full recovery. In time, she should regain her health and beauty."
Laeral nodded. "I saw her last night, and she already seems much better. She requested of the clerics to have her nose shortened