Tanis the shadow years

15

"Look!" cried an elf, apparently tired of tnomping around in the wet sand near the fishing boats. "There's a light in Reehsha's window!" "Maybe he's seen Brandella and Mertwig," suggested another elf. "Let's go ask him." A murmur of assent went up among the elves, who numbered almost one hundred, and Scowarr was quick to jump out in front of the crowd, shouting, "We won't rest until we find Kishpa!" It wasn't all bravado on Scowarr's part. He enjoyed the role, playing the hero to the hilt, but he also was worried about the mage. After all, Kishpa had saved his life on the seacliff, and the human was not unmindful of his debt. If Kishpa needed rescuing, Scowarr was willing to do his part. He even thought he was capable of it.

The torches blazed, lighting the way across the beach for the anxious elves and their temporary leader. The waves crashed at their feet, reflecting the torches' glow.

When the searchers climbed the rocks toward Reeh- sha's shack, Scowarr felt his legs and arms aching. Exhaustion was catching up with him, but he refused to give in to it. He wanted to be a hero again-and that meant finding Kishpa.

As Scowarr led the crowd toward the shack, the door to the crumbling old building suddenly swung ajar. Golden light illuminated the darkness, and the silhouette of a fighting man, strong and straight, walked into the shimmering aura and waited.

Tanis decided to keep the door to Reehsha's shack open. Closing it behind him would have suggested that he was trying to keep the crowd from entering. Rather, he reasoned, let it appear as if he had nothing to hide from them.

As they got closer, Tanis stared in disbelief at the sight before his eyes. "Is that you, Little Shoulders?" he called out.

"It isn't Huma of the Lance."

There was some appreciative laughter from the elves behind the funny man. Tanis, however, said nothing.

"Well," said Scowarr with gentle sarcasm, "based upon your hearty laughter at my little joke, I now know for certain that the image before my eyes is that of my dear, ever-so-humorless friend, Tanis." At this, the half-elf proffered a small grin.

"Of course, I could be mistaken," Scowarr went on, hope playing on his thin features.

"You were right the first time," said Tanis with a hint of playfulness. Yet when the torches from the mob had come close enough, Scowarr could see the hard expression on the half-elf's face. "I was worried about you," said Scowarr, the elves behind him suddenly quiet and patient. "I haven't seen you since the battle. I feared something had happened to you." "Not to me. You passed out, and I left you with friends. Or should I say admirers?" "Good friends," the funny man said emphatically, waving an arm at the elves crowding close behind him. "So I see," Tanis said. "But what are you all doing here when you should be resting for the battle that is sure to come at daybreak?" "We've come in search of Kishpa," said Scowarr. "If I see him," Tanis said shortly, "I'll tell him." "Where's Reehsha?" demanded someone from the back of the mob. "What are you doing in his house?". "A woman was attacked under the pier," explained Tanis. "A human soldier did it. I brought her here." "Did he kill her?" a shrill voice asked. "No. But she was hurt." "Yes, but where's Reehsha?" insisted the elf at the back of the mob. "I am here," the old fisherman called gruffly from the window. "Now leave us be." "Who is she? Who got hurt?" several curious elves asked at once. Tanis didn't answer them. Instead, he reached out and touched Scowarr's shoulder, noticing the new clothes but saying only, "Remember the dwarven woman who tried to help us at the seacliff?" "Of course… oh… not her?" Tanis nodded. Scowarr wearily rubbed his eyes. "I feel terrible," he said to no one in particular. "Just terrible." "Shell be all right," said Tanis. "What's her name?" someone called out. "Yeblidod," Tanis answered without thinking, and then a moment later realized the enormity of his mistake.

"She's Mertwig's wife!" several elves exclaimed at once.

A stocky elf, holding a torch and standing behind Scowarr, shouted, "This must have been where Mertwig was going with Brandella. And if Brandella is in there, I'll wager Kishpa's there, too!" The elf rushed forward, trying to push past Tanis and into the shack. The half-elf grabbed him, accidentally knocking the burning torch out of the elf's hand. The torch soared over the rocks onto the beach, and the damp sand extinguished it with a sizzle.

"You can't go in there," Tanis said sternly.

"Who are you to stop me?" The speaker displayed a belligerence more typical of humans than elves, Tanis thought.

"Someone who cares for Yeblidod," he said simply. "She's sleeping now and should not be disturbed."

"I don't know you," the villager shot back. "For all I know, you attacked the poor woman and-"

Before he could finish the thought, Tanis leaped at the elf with a savage cry. He went straight for the elf's throat with his bare hands. In a mad scramble to try to stop him, it took six elves to pull Tanis away from his nearly strangled victim.

The elves had thrown Tanis to the ground and were preparing to beat him into senselessness when Scowarr shouted, "Stop! He's my friend!"

Reluctantly, the elves did as their hero commanded. Tanis stared at Scowarr as the half-elf rose to a sitting position on the hard ground.

The funny man gave him a crooked smile in return. "What can I say7 They like me."

Tanis smiled in return. He was glad they did.

"You know," said Scowarr, "the one thing you can get without a lot of trouble is a lot of trouble."

Many of the elves laughed at his cleverness. Tanis merely nodded. For his part, Scowarr shook his head with resignation. He leaned down close to Tanis and complained, "You are the most difficult audience I've ever had." "What about all those arrows?" Tanis reminded him. "Second most difficult audience," the funny man amended. While they were still close, Tanis took his chance. In a low but insistent voice, the half-elf whispered, "Get them away from here." Scowarr looked at his friend with a questioning glance. He didn't know who or what Tanis was really hiding in that shack, but there was no question in the funny man's mind that something strange was going on. He was very curious about the game the half-elf was playing. Scowarr pursed his lips as he stepped away from Tanis and considered his options. He wondered if the villagers would heap still more glory on his little shoulders if he discovered whatever Tanis didn't want found. He also wondered what Tanis would do to him if he betrayed the half-elf's trust. The lure of glory was strong, but Scowarr didn't want to be a dead hero. Besides, he had done rather well for himself by following Tanis's lead. He decided to do it again and hope for the best. "Come, fellow soldiers," Scowarr announced. "We're wasting our time here. The dawn will break soon, and let us not break with it. We must be ready to fight the humans with or without Kishpa. Are we not brave?" "We are bravel" the mob cried out, stoking their own courage. "Are we not strong7" His voice rose several notes. "We are strong!" "Are we not ready7" Scowarr raised a fist on the last word. "We are ready!" 'Then let us prepare to fight." He paused, then, 'To the barricades!" 'To the barricades!"

A great cheer went up, and the mob quickly scrambled down the rocky path toward the beach. Scowarr marveled at the effect he'd had on these elves. He almost- but not quite-hoped that he would die this day so that he would never have to face his ordinary life again when the praise and honor stopped. He lingered behind as his followers hurried away.

"You did well," said Tanis gratefully when they were alone. "You have my thanks."

Little Shoulders bowed his head in acknowledgment. "It was my pleasure to help you. But there's just one thing."

"Yes?"

"You must tell me what's going on," Scowarr pleaded. "Why wouldn't you let anyone in the shack?"

Tanis was about to tell him when a figure crossed in front of the doorway behind them, blocking the light. Scowarr squinted to see who stood there as Tanis turned to look, too.

"I'm glad I saved your lives," Kishpa said weakly from the doorway, the light streaming out into the night from behind him. "I seem to have made the right choice."