The Coral Kingdom - Douglas Niles [52]
"I know who you are, High Queen Kendrick of Callidyrr," said the thin-faced elven matriarch known as Ate'Niah. Her voice was cool, carefully formal. "The mistress captain has informed me of your acquaintance in the recent past, and your contributions today are known to even the blindest of the Llewyrr."
Recent past! The words brought rueful smiles to Robyn's and Alicia's lips. Her adventures with Brigit had occurred twenty years ago, half of the queen's lifetime, yet the elf could refer to it as the 'recent past'!
"I am pleased that my friend Brigit recalls our alliance in a positive light. The courage of her and her comrades was instrumental in the triumph of King Kendrick and myself." Robyn's tone remained formal, but she smiled at the captain of the sister knights.
"Ah, yes… High King Kendrick. The extent of his rule was known to us, even isolated in Synnoria. His reign did not pass without merit."
Again Alicia flushed. Tristan had merely united the four kingdoms of the Ffolk, the first ruler to do so since Cymrych Hugh! "Not without merit" indeed! But she held her tongue, realizing that anger could only jeopardize their hopes.
"I extend our regret regarding his death," continued the matriarch. "The passing of even a short-lived human must be a thing of sorrow."
Robyn stiffened, and for a moment, Alicia wondered if the sublime arrogance of the Llewyrr would overcome even her mother's discipline. It did not.
"He… King Tristan… may be alive," replied the queen, her words ringing with hope in the vast chamber.
For a time, none of the elves made any reply. At first, Alicia wondered if they'd heard. Then she noticed a raised eyebrow on Erashanoor's creased forehead, a twist of the Matriarch's lips. Brigit alone gasped, and she did that silently.
"How do you know this? Is he a madman, to disappear from the world? Or is he a prisoner?" inquired Matriarch Ate'Niah.
"A prisoner," replied Robyn. "That is why we have come to you-to ask for help in his rescue."
"No!" declared Erashanoor, forcing himself to look at the companions for a moment before turning to the matriarch to plead his case. "It's a snare to trap us in human intrigues!"
"I was about to explain that we have no intention of 'ensnaring' you or even of asking Llewyrr to place themselves in danger," Robyn said, her tone low but icy-hard. The rebuke against the venerable Erashanoor was plain to all the Llewyrr. The matriarch's lips tightened in an expression that might have been grim amusement.
"Who holds King Kendrick, and where?" asked Brigit.
"The scrags-the sea trolls-have imprisoned him in the Coral Kingdom. Their ransom demands are impossible, leaving us no recourse but to abandon him or attempt his rescue."
"It would seem, then, that they have him beyond your reach," observed the sister knight grimly. "How did you hope that we could help?"
"There are tales… perhaps little more than legends, though our bards and mages believe them to be grounded in the truth… tales of elven ships that, at one time, could sail beneath the sea. If this is true and such magic can be employed to modify our vessels, we intend to mount an expedition to rescue him."
Robyn stated the plan bluntly, and then she waited. If the matriarch or Erashanoor had expected her to plead for help, they were surprised. The queen of Moonshae would make no further attempt to persuade.
It was the ancient gatekeeper who broke the silence, and his tone was the softest it had been during this council. Erashanoor almost looked sad; certainly his attitude was regretful. "Such knowledge was once the province of the elven seafarers, and perhaps two thousand years ago you would have found crafters among the Llewyrr who could help you. But such skills are long since lost to the elves of the Outer Lands."
"Outer Lands? You mean places like Synnoria?" inquired Alicia, her impatience forcing her into the conversation.
"All the elvenlands beyond Evermeet are the Outer Lands," explained the matriarch. "And I'm afraid that the gatemaster