Elaine Cunnighham - Silver Shadows

And the next morning, Hasheth became a full member of the Knights of the Shield, having proved his loyalty by purchasing Hhune's safety at a cost many men might consider too nigh.

Arilyn left before dawn, unaware of the events of the night just past and the changes that would soon sweep Zazesspur. Her heart was light as she rode swiftly toward the north-and home. For the first time in her life, she truly knew where she belonged.

The Harper had not gone far beyond the city walls when the she heard the sounds of battle on the road ahead. Incredibly, a familiar tenor voice was lifted over the clash of swords. She nudged her horse into a run.

The words of the song became clear as she neared the battle. Set to a mil inking tune, it was the sort of ditty she had come to expect-and had learned to endure.

"We've come to mourn the paladin, The best and noblest sort of man. His way was clear, his will was strong, But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong!

"Alone he faced the orcish hoard, And, dauntless, drew his mighty sword. He did not flinch, he did not blink. He surely did not stop and think!"

A familiar mixture of exasperation and elation flooded the half-elfs heart. The irreverent song could have come from only one person. Arilyn flung herself from her horse and raced toward the fighting, her moonblade in hand.

But the battle on the road ahead was more comic than life-threatening. In the center of the conflict stood Danilo, his arms crossed as he observed the fight between his small band of hired escorts and a group of would-be brigands. For his part, he sang his battle song, which was probably meant to spur on the fighting in classic bardic tradition. Although how this particular song might have inspired anyone was beyond Arilyn's comprehension.

Unaware of the amused half-elfs presence, Danilo continued to sing:

"The halls of Tempos opened wide;

Our paladin was led inside.

He shares with all his noble creed,

And frowns on wenching, feasts, and mead.

"We cannot mourn this hero's death, Though of his strength we are bereft. If you must weep, weep for the god Who now endures this tiresome sod!"

Danilo did not content himself with his bardic endeavors. Between stanzas he cast small cantrips that threw confusion into the enemy ranks. Arilyn chuckled as a brigand fell facedown on the dirt path, his boot laces suddenly tied together.

The young mage looked up sharply at the rich, rare sound of elven laughter. When his gaze settled on Arilyn, joy broke, like a sunrise, over his face. He drew his sword and started fighting in earnest as he worked his way through the circle of fighters toward her.

Arilyn sighed. Danilo could handle a blade well enough, but he was no swordmaster. At the moment she had no patience for prolonged battle. So she drew the moonblade, held it high, and let out a ringing battle cry in the Elvish tongue.

The brigands looked up, startled by the fearsome sound. The addition of an elven warrior to their foe was too much for their faltering resolve. The band scattered and made for the hills to the east-where, Arilyn noted with a touch of dark humor, a certain alchenust awaited them, all too eager for opportunities to try out his latest lethal devices.

The nobleman put away his sword and came swiftly toward her. Arilyn noted that Danilo's face had been deeply bronzed by the summer sun, and he seemed leaner, hardened by life on the road. He looked considerably older, too, as if time had touched him in a way that a few months' absence could not explain. Arilyn had no love for magic, but she recognized the mark that powerful spells left upon those who cast them. Apparently Danilo had not been idle during their time apart. It seemed that when tales were told, they would be spoken both ways!

There was something else about him that was different as well. Arilyn, who had recently come into a knowledge of herself and her path, recognized the peace of a similar understanding that lingered about him. Nor was there a hint of pretense on his face. For once the mask he held to the world was utterly gone and his heart was entirely in his eyes.

Danilo took her hands in his; this time Arilyn did not pull away,

"We meet as we parted," he said quietly.

"Pretty much," she agreed in a wry tone. "Why is it that I so often find you surrounded by people who'd dearly love to see you dead?"

A fleeting smile touched his face. The curse of charm, wealth, and fame, I suppose," he said dryly. "But enough jests. I have sorely missed you."

With these words, he released her hands and reached out to touch the enspelled moonstone that was set into the hilt of her sword. It was a gesture he had often made during the past two years. Suddenly Arilyn recognized it for what it was. It was the only caress she had permitted him, his only tangible proof of the bond that lay between them. She wondered, briefly, how much Danilo understood of her magical gift of rapport, or how he would feel when he learned it was no longer there. But she must tell him, and at once. No one could touch a moonblade but its wielder, upon pain of death.

So she caught his wrist firmly before he could touch the moonblade. "You cannot," she said firmly. The power that enabled you to share my blade is no more."

The bleak, empty look that filled his eyes smote Arilyn's heart. "It is no more, because it is not needed," she said quickly. "For what I can do myself, I do not need the moonblade's magic.1' Other explanations could come later; this much she owed him now.

"Is it possible?" he murmured with wonderment. "Arilyn, I have waited two years and more for you to know your heart. Mine you already know-it is yours, along with my life and my soul."

"Your heart I will take into my keeping, and gladly. But your soul," she added with deep satisfaction, "is once again entirely your own."

For further adventures of Arilyn Moonblade and her Harper partner Danilo Thann, be sure to read Elfshadow and Elf song, both by Elaine Cunningham.

Harpers are being murdered, and all signs point to the half-elf adventurer Arilyn Moonblade. Tormented by dreams and stalked by shadows, Arilyn must look to the past to discover the truth about herself and the magical elven sword she carries. Is she truly a murderer, or is she about to become a victim? The Elfshadow holds the key to the truth, but also bears the potential for disaster.

(ISBN 1-56076-117-2)

When a mysterious spell falls over the bards of Waterdeep, rewriting both their music and their memories, archmage Khelben Blackstaff Aruneun fears the spell may be part of a larger plot. He calls on Danilo Thann, a Harper mage and would-be bard, to confront the green dragon that holds the key to the mystery. Danilo joins forces with las old enemy, the rogue elf Elaith Craulnober, an elven minstrel with strange abilities, and a dwarf maid with a deadly wit to solve the riddle of the Elfsong.