darkness and … will. But once the armor was destroyed, even that will could not survive. It could not survive in the light.”
Barda grimaced with distaste. He looked up. “So a tree branch fell and finished him,” he said. “That was a piece of luck.”
“It was not luck!” exclaimed Jasmine indignantly. “I told the tallest tree what must be done, and at last it listened. I promised that it and the others would be ridof the vines, if it did what I asked. The sacrifice of one limb was small in return for freedom.”
Barda’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief, but Lief put a warning hand on his arm. “Believe me, what Jasmine says is true,” he said. “She saved both our lives.”
“ You saved Barda’s life.” Jasmine objected again. “The sun made the Lilies bloom, and —”
She broke off and turned quickly to look at the Lilies of Life. Lief looked, too, and saw that already they were fading. Only a few drops of nectar still dropped from their wilting petals.
Jasmine rapidly pulled at a chain that hung around her neck, bringing out from under her clothes a tiny white jar capped with silver. She ran to the patch of mud and held the jar under the nectar flow so that the last few golden drops dripped into it. Then she watched as the Lilies bent their heads and slowly collapsed into the mud.
“Who knows how long it will be till they bloom again,” she said calmly, when at last she moved back to the others. “But at least they will bloom, because the sun will shine on them after this. And in the meantime, I have at least some of the nectar. It is indeed a great prize.”
“Will you drink of it, and live forever?” asked Lief. But he smiled, for he already knew the answer.
Jasmine tossed her head. “Only a fool would want such a thing,” she snorted. “And these few drops would not do the work in any case, according to Gorl. But thenectar will still be useful — as we have proved already today.”
“How?” asked Barda, bewildered.
“It brought you back from the brink of death, as it happens,” Lief murmured. “I will tell you. But first …”
He picked up Gorl’s sword. The giant topaz seemed to wink, then fell cleanly from the hilt of the sword into his hand. He laughed joyously as he held it up and the sunbeams lit its yellow surface, turning it to gold.
“What is it?” exclaimed Jasmine. “Is this what you have been seeking?”
Lief realized, too late, that in his excitement he had betrayed their secret. He saw Barda grimace, then nod slightly. Tell her a little but not all , Barda’s nod said.
“It is a topaz, symbol of faithfulness.” Lief put the gem into Jasmine’s eager hand.
“Some say that a topaz can —” Barda began.
He broke off, startled. The clearing had abruptly dimmed, as though the sun had gone behind a cloud. At the same moment a thick, billowing mist began to form. Kree screeched, Filli chattered nervously. The three companions froze.
Out of the mist, a wavering white figure appeared. It was a woman, sweet-faced and smiling.
“It is a spirit,” breathed Barda. “The topaz …”
The mist swirled. Then there was a voice.
“Jasmine!” the voice called. “Jasmine, my dearest!”
Lief looked quickly at Jasmine. The girl was standing rigidly, holding the topaz out in front of her. Her face was as white as the mist itself. Her lips moved as she stared at the figure before her. “Mama!” she breathed. “Is — is it you? Can it be you?”
“Yes, Jasmine. How wonderful it is to be able to speak to you at last. Jasmine — listen to me carefully. I do not have much time. You have done well, very well, since your father and I were taken from you. But now you must do more.”
“What?” Jasmine whispered. “What, Mama?”
The spirit stretched out her hands. “The boy Lief and the man Barda are friends, and their quest is just,” she said, her voice as soft as the sighing of the wind. “It is a quest that will free our land from the Shadow Lord.
Barda grimaced with distaste. He looked up. “So a tree branch fell and finished him,” he said. “That was a piece of luck.”
“It was not luck!” exclaimed Jasmine indignantly. “I told the tallest tree what must be done, and at last it listened. I promised that it and the others would be ridof the vines, if it did what I asked. The sacrifice of one limb was small in return for freedom.”
Barda’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief, but Lief put a warning hand on his arm. “Believe me, what Jasmine says is true,” he said. “She saved both our lives.”
“ You saved Barda’s life.” Jasmine objected again. “The sun made the Lilies bloom, and —”
She broke off and turned quickly to look at the Lilies of Life. Lief looked, too, and saw that already they were fading. Only a few drops of nectar still dropped from their wilting petals.
Jasmine rapidly pulled at a chain that hung around her neck, bringing out from under her clothes a tiny white jar capped with silver. She ran to the patch of mud and held the jar under the nectar flow so that the last few golden drops dripped into it. Then she watched as the Lilies bent their heads and slowly collapsed into the mud.
“Who knows how long it will be till they bloom again,” she said calmly, when at last she moved back to the others. “But at least they will bloom, because the sun will shine on them after this. And in the meantime, I have at least some of the nectar. It is indeed a great prize.”
“Will you drink of it, and live forever?” asked Lief. But he smiled, for he already knew the answer.
Jasmine tossed her head. “Only a fool would want such a thing,” she snorted. “And these few drops would not do the work in any case, according to Gorl. But thenectar will still be useful — as we have proved already today.”
“How?” asked Barda, bewildered.
“It brought you back from the brink of death, as it happens,” Lief murmured. “I will tell you. But first …”
He picked up Gorl’s sword. The giant topaz seemed to wink, then fell cleanly from the hilt of the sword into his hand. He laughed joyously as he held it up and the sunbeams lit its yellow surface, turning it to gold.
“What is it?” exclaimed Jasmine. “Is this what you have been seeking?”
Lief realized, too late, that in his excitement he had betrayed their secret. He saw Barda grimace, then nod slightly. Tell her a little but not all , Barda’s nod said.
“It is a topaz, symbol of faithfulness.” Lief put the gem into Jasmine’s eager hand.
“Some say that a topaz can —” Barda began.
He broke off, startled. The clearing had abruptly dimmed, as though the sun had gone behind a cloud. At the same moment a thick, billowing mist began to form. Kree screeched, Filli chattered nervously. The three companions froze.
Out of the mist, a wavering white figure appeared. It was a woman, sweet-faced and smiling.
“It is a spirit,” breathed Barda. “The topaz …”
The mist swirled. Then there was a voice.
“Jasmine!” the voice called. “Jasmine, my dearest!”
Lief looked quickly at Jasmine. The girl was standing rigidly, holding the topaz out in front of her. Her face was as white as the mist itself. Her lips moved as she stared at the figure before her. “Mama!” she breathed. “Is — is it you? Can it be you?”
“Yes, Jasmine. How wonderful it is to be able to speak to you at last. Jasmine — listen to me carefully. I do not have much time. You have done well, very well, since your father and I were taken from you. But now you must do more.”
“What?” Jasmine whispered. “What, Mama?”
The spirit stretched out her hands. “The boy Lief and the man Barda are friends, and their quest is just,” she said, her voice as soft as the sighing of the wind. “It is a quest that will free our land from the Shadow Lord.
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