Paithan turned his back on her, stalked over to the path that led into town. He set his foot on it; kept walking, determined to leave the pain and the horror of this trip behind him. He didn’t move very fast, however, and his walk slowed further when he heard a rustling in the undergrowth and the sound of light footfalls hurrying after him.
A hand touched his arm. Paithan continued walking, didn’t look around.
“I deserved that,” said Rega. “I am … what you said. I’ve done terrible things in my life. Oh, I could tell you”-her grip on Paithan tightened-“I could tell you that it wasn’t my fault. You might say life has been like a mother to Roland and me: every time we turn around, it smacks us in the face. I could tell you that we live the way we do because that’s how we survive. But it wouldn’t be true.
“No, Paithan! Don’t look at me. I want to say one more thing and then you can go. If you know about the plan we had to blackmail you, then you know that I didn’t go through with it. I wasn’t being noble. I was being selfish. Whenever you look at me, I feel . . . ugly. I meant what I said. I do love you. And that’s why I’m letting you go. Good-bye, Paithan.” Her hand slid from his arm.
Paithan turned, captured the hand and kissed it. He smiled ruefully into the brown eyes. “I’m not such a prize, you know. Look at me. I was ready to seduce a married woman, ready to carry you off from your husband. I love you, Rega. That was my excuse. But the poets say that when you love someone, you want only the best for the other person. That means you come out ahead in our game, because you wanted the best for me.” The elf’s smile twisted. “And so did I.”
“You love me, Paithan? You truly love me?”
“Yes, but-”
“No.” Her hand covered his lips. “No, don’t say anything else. I love you and if we love each other, nothing else matters. Not then, not now, not whatever comes.”
Doom and destruction. The old man’s words echoed in Paithan’s heart. He ignored the voice. Taking Rega in his arms, he shoved his fear firmly back into the shadows, along with various other nagging doubts such as “where will this relationship lead?” Paithan didn’t see why that question needed to be answered. Right now their love was leading to pleasure, and that was all that mattered.
“I warned you, elf!”
Roland had apparently grown tired of waiting. He and the dwarf stood before them. The human yanked his raztar from his belt. “I warned you to keep away from her! Blackbeard, you’re a witness-”
Rega, snuggled in Paithan’s embrace, smiled at her brother. “It’s over, Roland. He knows the truth.”
“He knows?” Roland stared, amazed.
“I told him,” sighed Rega, looking back up into Paithan’s eyes.
“Well, that’s great! That’s just dandy!” Roland hurled the raztar blades-down into the moss, rage conveniently masking his fear. “First we lose the money from the weapons, now we lose the elf. Just what are we supposed to live on-”
The boom of a huge, snakeskin drum rolled through the jungle, scaring the birds, sending them flapping and shrieking up from the trees. The drum boomed out again and yet again. Roland hushed, listening, his face gone pale. Rega tensed in the elf’s arms, her gaze going to the direction of the town.
“What is it?” asked Paithan.
“They’re sounding the alarm. Calling out the men to defend the village against an attack!” Rega looked around fearfully. The birds had risen into the air with the sound of the drum, but they had ceased their raucous protest. The jungle was suddenly still, deathly quiet.
“You wanted to know what you were going to live on?” Paithan glanced at Roland. “That might not be much of an issue.”
No one was paying any attention to the dwarf, or they would have seen Drugar’s lips, beneath the beard, part in a rictus grin.
CHAPTER 23
GRIFFITH, THILLIA
THEY RAN DOWN THE TRAIL, HEADING FOR THE SECURITY OF THE VILLAGE. THE path was clear, well traveled, and flat. Adrenaline pumped, lending them impetus. They were in sight of the village when Roland came a halt.