people, to the maintenance of their health and safety. And the welfare of the Elves depended before all else on the health of the Ellcrys.
“Well, it doesn’t matter what he thinks,” Kirisin ventured. “We know what we need to do, and we are going to do it. Aren’t we, Erisha?”
He looked directly at her as he said this so that he could take the measure of her reaction. He needed to be certain that she would not change her mind about choosing to help.
“You don’t have to ask me that,” she snapped, her response fierce. Her eyes held his for a moment in challenge, then shifted to Culph. “I think Kirisin and I need to visit Ashenell and have a look for ourselves. I don’t know if it will do any good, but it can’t hurt. Maybe fresh eyes will spy out something you missed. It’s possible, isn’t it?”
The old man shrugged. “Of course, it’s possible. In fact, I will go with you. Later today, if the two of you can manage to stay awake that long. Sunrise is only three hours away, and you haven’t been to bed. But I don’t guess you need sleep the way I do. Suppose we meet at noon. I don’t have anything to keep me here after that. The King won’t notice.”
“You don’t have to become involved in this,” Kirisin offered. “You’ve given us more than enough help already.”
Culph laughed. “A little late for me to decide not to become involved, don’t you think? How much farther out do I have to stick my neck before it matters?” He shook his head, his aged face turned suddenly serious. “I made my choice in this business. I could have reported you to the King. I could have kept what I knew about the Elfstones to myself. But I happen to think you know what you are talking about. You wouldn’t have gone through all this if you’d only imagined that she spoke to you. I don’t want to think back about what I could have done to help when it’s too late.”
Erisha smiled. “Thanks, Culph. For taking a chance on us.”
His sharp eyes fixed on her. “Don’t be too quick to thank me just yet, missy.” He gestured into the dark in the direction of the basement door. “Off to bed with you, for a few hours, at least. This business isn’t going to get any easier if you’re asleep on your feet.”
Neither Kirisin nor Erisha made any objection as they rose and headed back the way they had come, anxious for the new day to begin.
T HEY STOOD CLOSE TOGETHER in the shadows just outside the door through which Kirisin had entered the Belloruus home hours earlier, sheltered by a screen of heavy bushes as they whispered.
“He was a lot more helpful than I thought he would be,” Erisha said. “I’ve known Culph since I was a little girl and I’ve never known him to volunteer his help. He rarely even speaks to anyone.”
“Maybe he feels that this is important,” Kirisin answered. He glanced around uneasily, not liking the way they were exposed to anyone getting close enough to hear their voices. “He said he’d made his choice. Maybe that’s the difference.”
“Well, he’s taking a big risk with my father. If he gets found out, my father will exile him. He won’t think twice.”
“Your father won’t find out anything if we don’t tell him.”
Erisha gave him a sharp look. “He finds out a lot that people don’t want him to know. He has ears everywhere. We have to be careful, Kirisin. We can’t even tell the other Chosen. None of them. This stays between you and me.”
“They wouldn’t believe me anyway. They didn’t about the Ellcrys.”
They were silent a moment, listening to the night sounds, staring off into the dark. Kirisin could hear an owl’s mournful hoot somewhere close by. He could hear the sound of a stream trickling over rocks. “Something is bothering me,” he said.
The Elven girl looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that something doesn’t feel right. About the way your father is acting. About the way the Ellcrys is telling us what
“Well, it doesn’t matter what he thinks,” Kirisin ventured. “We know what we need to do, and we are going to do it. Aren’t we, Erisha?”
He looked directly at her as he said this so that he could take the measure of her reaction. He needed to be certain that she would not change her mind about choosing to help.
“You don’t have to ask me that,” she snapped, her response fierce. Her eyes held his for a moment in challenge, then shifted to Culph. “I think Kirisin and I need to visit Ashenell and have a look for ourselves. I don’t know if it will do any good, but it can’t hurt. Maybe fresh eyes will spy out something you missed. It’s possible, isn’t it?”
The old man shrugged. “Of course, it’s possible. In fact, I will go with you. Later today, if the two of you can manage to stay awake that long. Sunrise is only three hours away, and you haven’t been to bed. But I don’t guess you need sleep the way I do. Suppose we meet at noon. I don’t have anything to keep me here after that. The King won’t notice.”
“You don’t have to become involved in this,” Kirisin offered. “You’ve given us more than enough help already.”
Culph laughed. “A little late for me to decide not to become involved, don’t you think? How much farther out do I have to stick my neck before it matters?” He shook his head, his aged face turned suddenly serious. “I made my choice in this business. I could have reported you to the King. I could have kept what I knew about the Elfstones to myself. But I happen to think you know what you are talking about. You wouldn’t have gone through all this if you’d only imagined that she spoke to you. I don’t want to think back about what I could have done to help when it’s too late.”
Erisha smiled. “Thanks, Culph. For taking a chance on us.”
His sharp eyes fixed on her. “Don’t be too quick to thank me just yet, missy.” He gestured into the dark in the direction of the basement door. “Off to bed with you, for a few hours, at least. This business isn’t going to get any easier if you’re asleep on your feet.”
Neither Kirisin nor Erisha made any objection as they rose and headed back the way they had come, anxious for the new day to begin.
T HEY STOOD CLOSE TOGETHER in the shadows just outside the door through which Kirisin had entered the Belloruus home hours earlier, sheltered by a screen of heavy bushes as they whispered.
“He was a lot more helpful than I thought he would be,” Erisha said. “I’ve known Culph since I was a little girl and I’ve never known him to volunteer his help. He rarely even speaks to anyone.”
“Maybe he feels that this is important,” Kirisin answered. He glanced around uneasily, not liking the way they were exposed to anyone getting close enough to hear their voices. “He said he’d made his choice. Maybe that’s the difference.”
“Well, he’s taking a big risk with my father. If he gets found out, my father will exile him. He won’t think twice.”
“Your father won’t find out anything if we don’t tell him.”
Erisha gave him a sharp look. “He finds out a lot that people don’t want him to know. He has ears everywhere. We have to be careful, Kirisin. We can’t even tell the other Chosen. None of them. This stays between you and me.”
“They wouldn’t believe me anyway. They didn’t about the Ellcrys.”
They were silent a moment, listening to the night sounds, staring off into the dark. Kirisin could hear an owl’s mournful hoot somewhere close by. He could hear the sound of a stream trickling over rocks. “Something is bothering me,” he said.
The Elven girl looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that something doesn’t feel right. About the way your father is acting. About the way the Ellcrys is telling us what
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