were fluffing their feathers and taking flight, singing their joy. Insects were chirruping. Furred animals were looking about them and hopping, bounding, or scurrying into the grass.
Lief felt Barda, Jasmine, and Manus move to stand behind him. The man who had been Soldeen, and the woman who had shared his long, long suffering, were not far from them now, but still Lief could hardly believe his own eyes.
“Can it be true?” he murmured.
“If it is not, we are all dreaming the same dream,” said a chirpy voice he did not know. He swung around to see Manus, grinning at him.
“Manus — you can speak!” His own voice cracked and squeaked in his astonishment.
“Of course! With Thaegan’s death, all her spells have been undone,” said Manus cheerfully. “The people of Raladin and D’Or will not be the only ones in these parts with reason to be grateful to your gallant black bird, believe me.”
Perched proudly on Jasmine’s wrist, Kree squawked and puffed out his chest.
“And grateful to you.” The deep, quiet voice was new to Lief, yet there was something familiar in it. He turned to meet the steady, deep grey eyes of the man who had been Soldeen.
“We have met before as enemies,” the man said. “Now, at last, we meet as friends.” His grey eyes warmed. “I am Nanion. This — is my lady, Ethena. We are the chiefs of D’Or, and we owe you our freedom.”
The woman smiled, and her beauty was like the beauty of a radiant summer sky. Lief blinked, dazzled. Then he realized that she was holding out her hand to him. Balanced in the palm was the ruby — richly glowing, deepest red.
“You have need of this, I think,” she said.
Lief nodded, swallowing, and took the gem fromher hand. It warmed his fingers, and the Belt around his waist grew hot. Quickly he moved to unfasten it, then hesitated, for Manus, Nanion, and Ethena were watching.
“Your secret, if it is a secret, will be safe with us,” Manus chirped. He cleared his throat, as if still amazed and startled by the sound of his own voice.
“It will,” said Ethena. “For a hundred years we have lived a half-life that was worse than death, our land laid waste and our souls imprisoned. Because of you, we are free. Our debt to you will never be repaid.”
Barda smiled grimly. “Perhaps it will,” he said. “For if our quest succeeds, we will have need of you.”
He nodded to Lief, and Lief took off the Belt and put it on the ground in front of him.
Manus gasped, his button eyes wide. But it was Nanion who spoke.
“The Belt of Deltora!” he breathed. “But — how do you have it, so far from Del? And where are the seven gems? There is only one!”
“Two, now,” said Lief. He fitted the ruby into the medallion beside the topaz. It glowed there, scarlet against the shining steel. The ruby, symbol of happiness. Greedily, he drank in the sight.
But Ethena and Nanion had drawn close together, and their tawny faces were pale under the moon. “It has happened, then,” Ethena murmured. “What we feared. What Thaegan promised, before she sent us intodarkness. The Shadow Lord has come. Deltora is lost forever.”
“No! Not forever!” cried Jasmine fiercely. “Any more than D’Or was lost forever. Or you!”
Nanion stared at her, startled by her anger. Then, slowly, he smiled. “You are right,” he said softly. “No cause is lost while brave souls live and do not despair.”
Lief lifted the Belt and put it on. It felt heavier than before. Only a little — but enough to make his heart swell with happiness.
A clamor of shouting and singing arose from the valley. The people had seen Nanion and Ethena from afar and were running towards them.
Ethena put a gentle hand on Lief’s arm. “Stay with us a while,” she urged. “Here you can rest, and feast, and be at peace. Here you can regain your strength for the journey ahead.”
Lief glanced at Barda, Jasmine, and Manus and read in their faces what he knew he would. D’Or was
Lief felt Barda, Jasmine, and Manus move to stand behind him. The man who had been Soldeen, and the woman who had shared his long, long suffering, were not far from them now, but still Lief could hardly believe his own eyes.
“Can it be true?” he murmured.
“If it is not, we are all dreaming the same dream,” said a chirpy voice he did not know. He swung around to see Manus, grinning at him.
“Manus — you can speak!” His own voice cracked and squeaked in his astonishment.
“Of course! With Thaegan’s death, all her spells have been undone,” said Manus cheerfully. “The people of Raladin and D’Or will not be the only ones in these parts with reason to be grateful to your gallant black bird, believe me.”
Perched proudly on Jasmine’s wrist, Kree squawked and puffed out his chest.
“And grateful to you.” The deep, quiet voice was new to Lief, yet there was something familiar in it. He turned to meet the steady, deep grey eyes of the man who had been Soldeen.
“We have met before as enemies,” the man said. “Now, at last, we meet as friends.” His grey eyes warmed. “I am Nanion. This — is my lady, Ethena. We are the chiefs of D’Or, and we owe you our freedom.”
The woman smiled, and her beauty was like the beauty of a radiant summer sky. Lief blinked, dazzled. Then he realized that she was holding out her hand to him. Balanced in the palm was the ruby — richly glowing, deepest red.
“You have need of this, I think,” she said.
Lief nodded, swallowing, and took the gem fromher hand. It warmed his fingers, and the Belt around his waist grew hot. Quickly he moved to unfasten it, then hesitated, for Manus, Nanion, and Ethena were watching.
“Your secret, if it is a secret, will be safe with us,” Manus chirped. He cleared his throat, as if still amazed and startled by the sound of his own voice.
“It will,” said Ethena. “For a hundred years we have lived a half-life that was worse than death, our land laid waste and our souls imprisoned. Because of you, we are free. Our debt to you will never be repaid.”
Barda smiled grimly. “Perhaps it will,” he said. “For if our quest succeeds, we will have need of you.”
He nodded to Lief, and Lief took off the Belt and put it on the ground in front of him.
Manus gasped, his button eyes wide. But it was Nanion who spoke.
“The Belt of Deltora!” he breathed. “But — how do you have it, so far from Del? And where are the seven gems? There is only one!”
“Two, now,” said Lief. He fitted the ruby into the medallion beside the topaz. It glowed there, scarlet against the shining steel. The ruby, symbol of happiness. Greedily, he drank in the sight.
But Ethena and Nanion had drawn close together, and their tawny faces were pale under the moon. “It has happened, then,” Ethena murmured. “What we feared. What Thaegan promised, before she sent us intodarkness. The Shadow Lord has come. Deltora is lost forever.”
“No! Not forever!” cried Jasmine fiercely. “Any more than D’Or was lost forever. Or you!”
Nanion stared at her, startled by her anger. Then, slowly, he smiled. “You are right,” he said softly. “No cause is lost while brave souls live and do not despair.”
Lief lifted the Belt and put it on. It felt heavier than before. Only a little — but enough to make his heart swell with happiness.
A clamor of shouting and singing arose from the valley. The people had seen Nanion and Ethena from afar and were running towards them.
Ethena put a gentle hand on Lief’s arm. “Stay with us a while,” she urged. “Here you can rest, and feast, and be at peace. Here you can regain your strength for the journey ahead.”
Lief glanced at Barda, Jasmine, and Manus and read in their faces what he knew he would. D’Or was
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