Elvenblood by Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton Page B

destroyed everything in sight just out of spite, though, if they did find it." she warned. "They're like that."
    "Yes, but I don't think they actually
found
it, and I'm sure they never had time to really do much but superficial damage," Denelor persisted. "I'm sure that they have some kind of magical guard placed around the forest, and I'm sure they have regular patrols there now, but I rather doubt they have a mage-shield about it—and even if they did, Shana, I am sure you can break it."
    She flushed. "I wouldn't be
too
sure about that," she demurred, "but I think I see where your reasoning is going. And honestly—I can't think of any reason why we shouldn't start systematically bringing things out. I know it's a long way from here to there, but with several of us younger wizards combining our powers and using gemstones, I think we can do it. It would make our lives a great deal easier."
    "Especially if we start by bringing out furnishings and whatnot for the whiners," Mero put in sourly, shoving his hands in his breeches pockets and grimacing. "Then maybe they'd shut up for a while."
    Denelor sighed; Shana knew he had been hearing nearly as many complaints as she had. The thought
had
occurred to me, too. The talk about how Shana has 'deprived' them of their 'rights' might die down a little.
Could
you get your little circle of friends together, Shana, the ones mat know how to work with stones? I think you're right; they will be the only ones with a long enough range to successfully scry out the place and bring things back."
    She grinned. "And they're also the only ones who've crawled all over the Citadel, down all the unused passages. I think you're right; even if the elves got in there and did some destruction, they won't have gotten into the older sections, and there are still furnished rooms and the like back there. Old Caellach may not get
his
bed, but we'll get him
a
bed, and whatever other gear he thinks he needs, too."
    "Kitchen things first, please," Denelor admonished. "Objects that we
all
need, that will benefit all of us together. Then I'll tell the others that they can bring you their lists and they can ask you politely if you can fill them when you aren't too tired."
    She caught the twinkle in his eye as he said that. "And if they don't ask politely, we can decide we're too tired, hmm? Oh, Denelor, if you weren't on my side, I'd be worried!"
    Denelor shrugged, but he had a wry grin.
    "We dragons have a solution, too," Keman said shyly. "There are minerals, gems in these hills. Gold, we think. We can bring those things up, shape-shift into elven form, and go into one of the elven cities to trade for things we all need, if you cannot bring them from the Citadel. Cloth and tools would be the best, we thought—foodstuffs, seeds for planting perhaps."
    Denelor brightened at that. "Oh, now, that would be excellent!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing a little in the stone of the kitchen-chamber-to-be. "That solves a problem of continuing supply. Much as I hate to admit it, Shana, I don't think that there are many of us who would know an edible forest plant from an inedible one, and one cannot live on nothing but meat without getting sick."
    "I was afraid you'd say that," she replied with resignation. "Oh well." She took a moment to order her thoughts. "In the short term, the best I can do is get my circle together and start bringing things over from the old Citadel, then," she decided aloud. "If the elves didn't loot the place, there was a lot of stored food there that was too bulky to take with us in the evacuation. That would be flour, tubers, other vegetables—"
    "Don't forget blankets," Denelor reminded her. "You will gain a great number of friends if you bring blankets in quickly. Stone is cold to sleep on."
    "What about the sheep?" she asked slyly. "That's wool for future blankets, mutton for future meals—I
can
bring them in alive now, you know, and there are a couple of the human children that can perfectly