His eyes still on the moor cat as it sniffed Edinja’s motionless body, he backed into the chamber door, fumbled for the handle, released the latch, and was on the other side almost before he knew it. Making sure the latch was set, he rushed across the entry to the larger door, wrenched it open, and fled into the blackness beyond.

17

KHYBER ELESSEDIL STOOD AT THE STERN RAILING OF THE Walker Boh as she sailed west out of Paranor and watched the Druid’s Keep slowly disappear into the eastern horizon. She could see it for a long time as the airship proceeded at a slow, steady pace toward the western wall of the Dragon’s Teeth, its dark peaks ominous even in the bright sunlight of midday, spears extended toward the blue bowl of the sky. She had thought she might see Aphenglow come out to witness their departure, but the young Elven woman did not appear.

What she had not told Aphen, but what the other might have guessed, was that she had returned directly to Paranor from Patch Run precisely because she knew the young Druid’s memory of the path the expedition needed to take was essential and must be skived if Aphen was to be left behind—a decision she had already made. She had chosen this effort over chasing after the Ohmsford twins, knowing Bakrabru was on the way to their Westland destination in any case and convinced that she could persuade the boys to join her once she had plumbed Aphen’s memories and collected the other members of the company.

None of which relieved her feelings of guilt over how she had used Aphen and then discarded her.

The Ard Rhys shook her head, tamping down a pang of disappointment. She knew how bitter Aphen was about being left behind and wished she could have done more. But she imagined that in the end no one could help Aphen but Aphen herself. It might take time, but as her leg healed her heart would mend, too. She would come to accept that Khyber’s choice not to take her was the right one. Bombax would return, and she would find other things to occupy her time.

Besides, they might all be reunited sooner than anyone thought. She hadn’t been trying to placate Aphenglow when she had suggested as much. She wasn’t at all sure that this present effort would lead to anything conclusive. It might well lead to nothing. Or it might turn out to be only the first step on a much longer journey. Tracking down something that was thousands of years missing, lost in a time that no longer existed by a Race that had been reduced to a fraction of its former size, would likely be much more complicated than anyone believed.