Elminster in Myth Drannor - Ed Greenwood [48]
El inclined his head. "And the dangerous part?" The Srinshee chuckled at the young human's tone. "This is hardly the time for levity, young Prince," the Coronal said severely. "If you choose the wrong thing to bring forth-that is, something we judge to be wrong-the penalty will be your death."
In the silence that followed he added, "Think, young human, on what the most fitting thing you can acquire here might be. Think well."
Winking lights were suddenly occurring about the Coronal's body. He raised his hand to the Srinshee in salute, turned within the rising lights, and was gone. The radiances streamed toward the ceiling for a moment more, and then silently faded away.
"Before you ask, young sir, a moon is a human month," the Srinshee said in dry tones, "and no, I'm not his mother."
El chuckled. "Ye tell me what ye are not-tell me, I pray, what ye are."
She adjusted the air until she was sitting upright, facing him. "I am the councilor of Coronals, the secret wisdom at the heart of the realm."
El glanced at her, and decided to dare it. "And are you wise?"
The old sorceress chuckled. "Ah, a sharp-witted human at last!" She drew herself up grandly, eyes flashing, conjured a scepter out of nowhere into her hand, and snarled, "No."
She joined in El's startled shout of laughter, and let herself down to walk toward him, seeming so frail that El found himself reaching out to offer her a steadying arm.
She gave him a look. "I'm not so feeble as all that, lad. Don't overreach yourself, or you'll end up like yonder worm."
El looked about. " 'Yonder worm'?" he asked hesitantly, seeing no beast or trophy of one, but only rooms of treasure.
"That passage," the Srinshee told him, "is vaulted with the bones of a deep-worm that rose up from gnawing in the deep places and came tunneling in here, hungry for treasure. They eat metal, you know."
El stared at the vaulting along the indicated passage. It did look like bone, come to think of it, but… He looked back at the sorceress with new respect. "So if I offer you violence, or try to leave this place, you can slay me by lifting one finger."
The old elf shrugged. "Probably. I don't see it happening, unless you're far more foolish-or brutish- than you look."
El nodded. "I don't think I am. My name is Elminster… Elminster Aumar, son of Elthryn. I am-or was-a prince of Athalantar, a small human kingdom that lies-"
The old sorceress nodded. "I know it. Uthgrael must be long dead by now."
El nodded. "He was my grandsire."
The Srinshee tilted her head consideringly. "Hmmm."
El stared at her. "You knew the Stag King?"
The Srinshee nodded. "A… man of vigor," she said, smiling.
Elminster raised an incredulous eyebrow.
The old sorceress burst out laughing. "No, no, nothing like that… though with some of the maids I danced with, such could have befallen. In those days, we amused ourselves by peering at the doings of humans. When we saw someone interesting-a bold warrior, say, or a grasping mageling-we'd show ourselves to him by moonlight, and then lead him on a merry chase through the woods. Some of those chases ended in broken necks; some of us let ourselves be caught. I led Uthgrael through half the southern High Forest until he fell exhausted, at dawn. I did show myself to him once later, when he was wed, just to see his jaw drop."
El shook his head. "I can see that it's going to be a long moon down here," he observed to the ceiling.
"Well!" The Srinshee affected outrage, and then chuckled. "Your turn; what pranks have you played, Elminster?"
"I don't know that we need to go into that, just now…" Elminster said in dignified tones.
She caught his eye.
"Well," he added, "I survived for some years by thieving in Hastarl, and there was this…"
Elminster was hoarse. They'd been talking for hours. After the second coughing fit took him, the Srinshee waved her hand and said, "Enough. You must be getting tired. Lift the lid of that platter over there." She indicated a silver-domed