Elfsong - Elaine Cunningham [53]
Left alone, Danilo idly tossed acorn caps into the dying fire, trying not to remember other nights spent under the stars, his only companion a stubborn, unreasonable, taciturn half-elven assassin. Those, he mused with a wistful smile, were the best times he'd ever known.
Never had the young man felt so alone as he did at this moment, surrounded as he was by snoring mercenaries. For the first time, he understood Khelben's concern over the close partnership Danilo and Arilyn had forged. One way or another, Harpers usually ended up working alone.
With a sigh, Danilo reached into the bag of holding at his belt and rummaged around for the spellbook his uncle had prepared for him. If all went as planned, they would face the dragon Grimnoshtadrano the following afternoon, and he wanted to be as prepared as possible. A green dragon's breath weapon was a cloud of noxious gas. He hoped Khelben had armed him with a spell that could create protective spheres.
Actually the book contained but one spell, and it was like none other he'd encountered. Danilo examined it with growing excitement. On the left side was a page of neatly written music: a simple, soaring melody and the basic notation for lute accompaniment. On the right side were a few lines of explanation, then the words to the songs, written in arcane runes. This spell used music as the speech component, and the lute accompaniment formed the necessary hand gestures. The result was a charm spell, very much like the elven spellsong Wyn had used. Beyond its application in the morrow's encounter, the spell fascinated Danilo, for it suggested a way to meld his training in the art of magic to his genuine love for music and lore, and his current role as bard.
Like all his Harper assignments, the task of recovering the dragon's scroll had been placed upon Danilo by his uncle. For more than two years, the young mage had worked closely with Arilyn, enjoying the challenges she offered and the knowledge that their disparate skills combined into a unique whole, but for the most part he had followed her lead and reacted to situations of her choosing. He would always treasure his time with the half-elf, and some part of him would continue to hope that it had not come to an end. For the first time, however, Danilo began to see a path that he might follow on his own, a path of his own devising. If this spell were not unique, perhaps he could learn the elfsong magic that Wyn had wielded!
Danilo rose, taking the spellbook to the far side of the campsite where Wyn Ashgrove sat gazing into the trees and wrapped in his own thoughts. Despite the minstrel's abrupt dismissal of him earlier, Danilo felt he had to pursue the matter of spellsong.
"Elaith said that few elves have your magical skills. Is the aptitude lacking, or are the teachers?"
Wyn looked surprised by the abrupt question, but he thought it over. "I imagine that many more elves possess the ability than are trained. I come from a family of musical scholars, so my talents were recognized early, and the means to develop them were at hand. It may be that others are not so fortunate."
"If such spells could be written down, perhaps many more of your people could learn this art," Danilo argued, tapping the spellbook. He held it out to the elf for inspection. "In this way, magical arts and bardic training could be combined."
"The two types of magic are not compatible," Wyn said firmly, pressing the book back into the Harper's hands. He rose, signaling plainly that the conversation was at an end.
At that moment Morgalla emerged from behind a clump of bushes, brushing bits of leaves off her shoulders with an expression of glum distaste. The dwarf seemed not at all embarrassed to be revealed as an eavesdropper. "Hate to disagree with you, bard, but I'm with the elf. Magic is fine and well for weapons and clerical prayers, but don't go mucking up music with it," she said firmly.
Danilo knew better