"So there was hostile magic," Godiva said. "I suspected as much. At any rate, my point is that we mean no harm to the foal. He will be well treated, and my daughter will be as compatible a companion as he can find. But here in this hostile region we knew we would have trouble with the Goblinate of the Golden Horde, so we were hurrying north to avoid it. We hoped to cross the river and circle the Elements and return to Goblin Mountain from the north. But this strange elf appeared suddenly, spooked my men with cherry bombs, and stole the foal from us. Naturally we followed, but they fled to a raft on the river, and we could not reach them. It is important that no harm come to the foal, you see; that limited our options. But then the horde goblins got wind of the presence of the foal and advanced on the river, and we had to fall back; they are hundreds to our four, and the magic wand will not prevail against such odds. This is our present state: we must save the foal from certain death at the hands of the horde, but we lack the resources to attack. Only if I can use the wand to float the foal clear of them during the night can it be accomplished."

Nada nodded soberly. Now things were falling into place! She could not approve Godiva's abduction of Che Centaur, but she had to trust her motive now. If Che died, Godiva lost, just as did the centaur's friends.

"But the elf girl!" Electra said. "Who is she? Why did she come? Where is she now?"

"Apparently she is a friend of the foal," Godiva said. "She is a strange one, with oddly pointed ears and missing fingers, and she is twice the size of the elves we know. The horde took her captive and seems to be treating her no better than the foal; I suspect they mean to cook her also. She is only a child, and the oddest thing is that she does not seem to weaken away from her elm."

"But all elves are tied to their elms!" Nada said.

"As I said, she is a strange one. I have never before seen her like. She even wears spectacles and associates with an odd little animal of the feline persuasion."

"Chex Centaur must have found her on some distant mount, and brought her in for a companion to Che," Electra said. "She must have followed you when you stole Che and tried to rescue him." She frowned. "But it's funny Chex didn't tell me about it. I have played with Che often, and there's never been an elf there."

"We are all mystified," Godiva said. "But there you have it. I believe we should make common cause and try to rescue the foal from the horde. Thereafter we may settle our differences as to the foal's disposition."