Windwalker - Elaine Cunningham [69]
When the tale was finished, Dolor, the priestess who had challenged Liriel to battle, rose to speak.
"This girl is a danger to us all and to those we serve," she said. Drawing her lips into a firm, straight line, she resumed her seat, clearly signifying that all that needed to be said had been spoken. Her eyes dared the elf woman to challenge her assessment.
Thorn returned the drow's glare calmly. "You are high priestess here. It is your decision whether to help these two or not, but they will pass through the forest."
Several of the priestesses shot glares at the elf, but no one challenged her decree. The Champion of Eilistraee was honored by all of the MoonShards. These, the scattered bands of the Dark Maiden's followers, were named for the celestial fragments that followed the moon through the night sky – small points of light scattered through the darkness, isolated yet united in their veneration of the Divine Huntress.
"As Lady Qiluй learned to her sorrow, these travelers cannot be sent through moon magic," one of them pointed out, "and it's a long walk to Rashemen."
"Not through my people's lands," Thorn said.
The priestesses fell utterly silent. For several moments they stared, slack-faced, at the elf.
"You would do this?" marveled Dolor. "Why, when none of us- not even Ysolde, not even Qiluй!-has been permitted to see your homeland?"
The elf rose. "Perhaps in time Liriel will tell you about it. She's more likely to do so, of course, if you work with me to ensure that she survives her journey."
One of the priestesses responded with a short burst of sardonic laughter. "So we are to fight for an Underdark noble, a priestess of Lolth. I suppose your people will be joining us?" she said in a catty tone.
"I will ask them."
The silence that greeted this response was even deeper and more profound than the last. Those who were charitable by nature had supposed the priestess's comment to be a rhetorical question. Those not inclined to call a spade an entrenching tool more properly recognized it as a bitchy little jab. No one had expected any response at all from the Champion and certainly not this one!
Thorn rose to her feet. "Sound the horns. Send word to Ysolde and the Whitewaters Coven that we three-the drow, the Rashemi, and the hunter-will walk beneath their trees tomorrow before the mornmist fades."
She strode toward the place where Liriel and the Rashemi awaited their sentence. The young drow impatiently shoved aside one of her guards aside. She took a single belligerent stride forward before her way was barred by a pair of crossed swords.
"Took long enough for you to decide whether or not I 'needed killing,'" Liriel growled, tossing Thorn's recent words back at her. She bared her teeth in a semblance of a smile. "If you think that was a chore, just wait until you try to implement the decision."
The elf woman's gaze skimmed over Liriel and settled on Fyodor's watchful face. "We three will be leaving now. I will take you as far as the White Rusalka Vale."
"The borders of Rashemen," he observed in a wistful tone. He studied the tall elf for a long moment. "You fought for Liriel when I could not. For this, I thank you."
"A bit too much courtesy to give a gray elf," Liriel said, remembering Sharlarra's advice about insulting the faerie elves.
Fyodor looked appalled. "Little raven, this is a Moon Hunter!"
In response, the drow pointed skyward to the waning moon. "There it is. Now that I found it for her, can we go?"
The tall elf merely sniffed. "Where would you go? To Rashemen, yes, but do you know the way?"
Liriel looked expectantly at Fyodor. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head. "It pains me to admit this, but I could not mark our location on a map if you held a knife to my throat. Where are we now?" he asked Thorn. "How many days' travel to Rashemen?"
"On foot, you could not arrive before hard winter. Follow me, and you'll still see your homeland tomorrow by day's end."
He considered this. "I know but little of magical travel, but are not gates like doorways? One passes the threshold and