them to another gnome’s home, and the two conversed briefly. “We know who should be your guide,” they told Kestrel.
“One of our hunters is a restless youth, a gnome who wants to do more and go further than the others as we explore this quiet valley we have moved into. He left early yesterday morning to go hunting alone, and when he returns, we will appoint him to be your guide,” Proetec told them.
“Will we be able to leave today?” Kestrel asked.
“Woven will not want to waste any time,” Proetec replied humorously. “We’ll have to force him to take time to learn where you actually want to go. Hansen and Greta can recount the route you took from our old village, so that Woven will know where to go.”
“Is he reliable?” Wren asked bluntly.
“Yes, you’ll find him to be an effective guide. He will know how to find the best route, and will make it as quick as possible,” Proetec assured them. “Go relax and wait, and we will call you when he returns.”
The two elves translated the conversation for Stillwater as they walked back to their cabin. “These gnomes in this village seem better than the race as a whole,” Stillwater said philosophically. “Perhaps this new guide will be adequate company. It doesn’t trouble me of course, since I don’t speak their language,” he dismissed any concerns about traveling with Woven. “I am going to fly about the valley to see what the terrain is like in the east,” he announced. “I’ll return at midday.” And then he floated away.
“Is this going to work, Kestrel?” Wren asked, once Stillwater was gone. “There's just the two of us now, plus the imp.”
“There must be a way to make it work,” Kestrel replied. “We'll have to make it work. This is important; I know better than I did last time that this will make all the difference in the lives of everyone around the Inner Seas. Creata, Margo, Putienne, everyone we know and care about is in danger if we don't stop the Viathins from returning.”
“And what about rescuing the gods?" Wren asked. “Is that important too?"
"One thing at a time,” Kestrel answered. He was less sure that his tiny group, reduced in size and ability, could carry out that fantastic goal. He believed they would get to the lake and be able to restore the waterskin that inoculated the waters against the Viathins, but the second task seemed a greater distance beyond.
The two cousins had little to do while they waited, and so they talked about their friends.
“Creata tells a story about the first time he met you. He said you seemed to be some kind of supernatural being the way you dropped out of a tree and killed a band of robbers!” Wren told Kestrel.
“I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time,” Kestrel commented modestly. “They weren’t very good robbers.”
“And you just happened to meet the next prince of Graylee, his beautiful sister, the future princess of Seafare, and her brother the Duke of the East Shoreline,” Wren spoke. “Doesn’t that seem like more than luck? Look at all that it led to! The gods make things happen for you Kestrel.”
“Really, it’s the goddesses more than the gods,” he laughed, dismissing her comment, although he knew she was correct, that he had been maneuvered over and over again into situations where his actions had made a difference in some way.
He thought of the goddesses, and he wondered what they thought of the bloody sun, the Rishiare Estelle . They must not have planned for it, he suspected, and Stillwater had implied that even the divine beings would be inconvenienced by it.
They sat in silence after that, each thinking about luck and fate. Kestrel began to pray silently, calling upon the goddesses.
Kere, please tell me that we can do this , he prayed simply.
Kai, do you know what we face? We are fewer in number – please help us when we need you , he fervently prayed a second prayer to
“One of our hunters is a restless youth, a gnome who wants to do more and go further than the others as we explore this quiet valley we have moved into. He left early yesterday morning to go hunting alone, and when he returns, we will appoint him to be your guide,” Proetec told them.
“Will we be able to leave today?” Kestrel asked.
“Woven will not want to waste any time,” Proetec replied humorously. “We’ll have to force him to take time to learn where you actually want to go. Hansen and Greta can recount the route you took from our old village, so that Woven will know where to go.”
“Is he reliable?” Wren asked bluntly.
“Yes, you’ll find him to be an effective guide. He will know how to find the best route, and will make it as quick as possible,” Proetec assured them. “Go relax and wait, and we will call you when he returns.”
The two elves translated the conversation for Stillwater as they walked back to their cabin. “These gnomes in this village seem better than the race as a whole,” Stillwater said philosophically. “Perhaps this new guide will be adequate company. It doesn’t trouble me of course, since I don’t speak their language,” he dismissed any concerns about traveling with Woven. “I am going to fly about the valley to see what the terrain is like in the east,” he announced. “I’ll return at midday.” And then he floated away.
“Is this going to work, Kestrel?” Wren asked, once Stillwater was gone. “There's just the two of us now, plus the imp.”
“There must be a way to make it work,” Kestrel replied. “We'll have to make it work. This is important; I know better than I did last time that this will make all the difference in the lives of everyone around the Inner Seas. Creata, Margo, Putienne, everyone we know and care about is in danger if we don't stop the Viathins from returning.”
“And what about rescuing the gods?" Wren asked. “Is that important too?"
"One thing at a time,” Kestrel answered. He was less sure that his tiny group, reduced in size and ability, could carry out that fantastic goal. He believed they would get to the lake and be able to restore the waterskin that inoculated the waters against the Viathins, but the second task seemed a greater distance beyond.
The two cousins had little to do while they waited, and so they talked about their friends.
“Creata tells a story about the first time he met you. He said you seemed to be some kind of supernatural being the way you dropped out of a tree and killed a band of robbers!” Wren told Kestrel.
“I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time,” Kestrel commented modestly. “They weren’t very good robbers.”
“And you just happened to meet the next prince of Graylee, his beautiful sister, the future princess of Seafare, and her brother the Duke of the East Shoreline,” Wren spoke. “Doesn’t that seem like more than luck? Look at all that it led to! The gods make things happen for you Kestrel.”
“Really, it’s the goddesses more than the gods,” he laughed, dismissing her comment, although he knew she was correct, that he had been maneuvered over and over again into situations where his actions had made a difference in some way.
He thought of the goddesses, and he wondered what they thought of the bloody sun, the Rishiare Estelle . They must not have planned for it, he suspected, and Stillwater had implied that even the divine beings would be inconvenienced by it.
They sat in silence after that, each thinking about luck and fate. Kestrel began to pray silently, calling upon the goddesses.
Kere, please tell me that we can do this , he prayed simply.
Kai, do you know what we face? We are fewer in number – please help us when we need you , he fervently prayed a second prayer to
Similar Books
