they stayed, that would be the end. Plain and simple. Her life
would be over. The pain was suddenly more than she could
bear. Hurriedly setting the last beer mug down, Tika left the
elves, blinking her eyes rapidly. She did not notice the bemused
gazes the elves exchanged among themselves as they stared at
the beer mugs, and she never did remember that they had all
ordered wine.
Half blinded by her tears, Tika’s only thought was to escape
to the kitchen where she could weep unseen. The elves looked
about for another waitress, and Raf, sighing in contentment,
got back down on his hands and knees, happily lapping up the
rest of the beer.
Tanis Half-Elven stood at the bottom of a small rise, staring
up the long, straight, muddy road that stretched ahead of him.
The woman he escorted and their mounts waited some distance
behind him. The woman had been in need of rest, as had their
horses. Though her pride had kept her from saying a word,
Tanis saw her face was gray and drawn with fatigue. Once
today, in fact, she had nodded off to sleep in the saddle, and
would have fallen but for Tanis’s strong arm. Therefore,
though eager to reach her destination, she had not protested
when Tanis stated that he wanted to scout the road ahead
alone. He helped her from her horse and saw her settled in a
hidden thicket.
He had misgivings about leaving her unattended, but he
sensed that the dark creatures pursuing them had fallen far
behind. His insistence on speed had paid off, though-both he
and the woman were aching and exhausted. Tanis hoped to
stay ahead of the things until he could turn his companion over
to the one person on Krynn who might be able to help her.
They had been riding since dawn, fleeing a horror that had
followed them since leaving Palanthas. What it was exactly,
Tanis – with all his experience during the wars – could not
name. And that made it all the more frightening. Never there
when confronted, it was only seen from the corner of the eye
that was looking for something else. His companion had sensed
it, too, he could tell, though, characteristically, she was too
proud to admit to fear.
Walking away from the thicket, Tanis felt guilty. He
shouldn’t be leaving her alone, he knew. He shouldn’t be wast-
ing precious time. All his warrior senses protested. But there
was one thing he had to do, and he had to do it alone. To do
otherwise would have seemed sacrilege.
And so Tanis stood at the bottom of the hill, summoning his
courage to move forward. Anyone looking at him might have
supposed he was advancing to fight an ogre. But that was not
the case. Tanis Half-Elven was returning home. And he both
longed for and dreaded his first sight.
The afternoon sun was beginning its downward journey
toward night. It would be dark before he reached the Inn, and
he dreaded traveling the roads by night. But, once there, this
nightmarish journey would be over, He would leave the
woman in capable hands and continue on to Qualinesti. But,
first, there was this he had to face. With a deep sigh, Tanis Half-
Elven drew his green hood up over his head and began the
climb.
Topping the rise, his gaze fell upon a large, moss-covered
boulder. For a moment, his memories overwhelmed him. He
closed his eyes, feeling the sting of swift tears beneath the lids.
“Stupid quest,” he heard the dwarf’s voice echo in his mem-
ory. “Silliest thing I ever did!”
Flint! My old friend!
I can’t go on, Tanis thought. This is too painful. Why did I
ever agree to come back? It holds nothing for me now… noth-
ing except the pain of old wounds. My life is good, at last.
Finally I am at peace, happy. Why… why did I tell them I
would come?
Drawing a shuddering sigh, he opened his eyes and looked at
the boulder. Two years ago – it would be three this autumn – he
had topped this rise and met his long-time friend, the dwarf,