Flint imagined the scene and shivered. He still preferred his Fullbeard Day party. "What's the point of the questioning… What's it called?"
"That portion of the Kentommen is called the Melethkanara, or The Heart's Shadow.' " Miral said. "The point, as the name implies, is to see if any shadow remains on the youth's heart. If so, he will become frightened, angered, or despairing at their words. To shout, cry, or even flinch means failure in this test. However, if at the end of the trial the youth is still calm and at peace with himself, the Ulathi will simply nod and then depart from the room, leaving the doorway open."
The dwarf had a sudden sense of where the Speaker had developed the impenetrable mask that fell over his features in times of turmoil. He wondered how Porthios-and, for that matter, Tyresian-would be changed by their own Kentommens.
They had arrived at Flint's shop; there was no sign of Tanis. Flint, grateful-though he'd never admit it-to be able to rest for a few moments on his favorite stone bench, invited Miral in for a visit. Miral agreed, and soon the two were sharing a bag of toasted, salted quith-pa that the dwarf had purchased on the way back from the procession. The dwarf held a tankard of ale in one hand; the mage drank water.
"And how have you been feeling, my friend?" Miral asked. "Have you learned anything about the ones who set this foul trap?"
Flint shook his head in response to the second question but answered the first by proclaiming himself fit as a dwarf half his age. "Tanis and Eld Ailea took fine care of me. They fed me nothing but healthy food and drink. It was terrible," he added glumly.
"And did the potion I left have any effect?" Miral queried. "I wondered how you would be faring, downing a cup of the tea every hour."
"Potion?" The dwarf looked bewildered. "No. Ailea forced enough cold water and milk down me to leave me practically floating-she claimed it would prevent a fever from the wound- but I drank no potions. Unless, of course, she slipped it into the water. I wouldn't put it past her."
"No, this tea would have been taken warm," the mage said. "Ah, well. Perhaps I forgot to leave the herbs. I've been so busy lately that I'm never quite sure whether I've actually done something, or only thought about doing something."
Suddenly, Flint heard light footsteps on his front walk. "This must be Tanis," he said.
But it was a young elf just Flint's height, with hair the color of wheat and eyes like the sea. She said nothing, merely blurted, "This is from Eld Ailea. For Flint Fireforge or Tanthalas Half-Elven," and thrust a folded parchment at Flint.
The child continued to stand before Flint, shifting from foot to foot, as the dwarf unfolded the paper and squinted at the note. '"Flint, Tanthalas,'" the dwarf read aloud. '"Come immediately. I understand about Xenoth. Ailea."
He looked up. "What on Krynn…?" Flint stared, unseeing, at the elf child for a long moment, then suddenly seemed to focus on the youngster. "What do you want, girl?" he growled.
"Eld Ailea said you would give me a toy for delivering the message if I ran all the way." The child was still breathing hard. "It was hard work. The parade's coming back. It's crowded out there!" She sounded petulant.
Flint gestured at the hutch. "In there. Take your pick. How did Ailea appear when you left her, lass?"
The child already had the cupboard open and was rummaging through its contents with a greedy hand. Her reply floated back to the dwarf. "Excited. She kept saying, 'Now it all makes sense. The scar. The "T." The air. Now I understand.' And she practically pushed me out her door." The childlike tones were injured.
Flint looked bewildered as he gazed from Miral to the back of the child's head as she poked through the toys.
"The scar. The T.'" Flint mused. "The air?"
"I know of no elves with a T-shaped scar," the mage said, pushing aside the bag of salted quith-pa. "Except perhaps Tyresian."
Flint sat up excitedly. "That's it! Tyresian's arms are scarred from years of weaponry practice. Ailea must have found a way to link him with Lord Xenoth's slaying." He pushed himself off the bench and made for the door. "Come on, we have to hurry," he shouted to Miral, adding to the little girl, "Take what you want!"
The mage was behind him as he dashed to the street, pushing through the celebrants as they once more jammed the streets, having left Porthios at the Grove.
The child stayed happily behind in Flint's shop, up to her elbows in toys.
Ailea paced her house impatiently, occasionally pausing to pound one small fist into the palm of her other hand-a masculine movement somewhat unusual in an elven woman, but she was rocking with excitement.
"That's got to be it!" she whispered to herself. "Of course!" She wheeled at the fireplace and turned back toward the front door. Once more, she crossed to the door and peered out into the street. "Where are they?" she grumbled. "Has Fionia found them yet? I hope that child didn't get lost…"
She heard a click at the back of the dwelling and closed the front door. "Flint? Tanthalas?" she called, her face almost feline in expression. She hurried back through the entry room, past the fireplace, and paused in the doorway to the kitchen. "Who…?"
The figure turned, and Eld Ailea froze. In all her centuries, she had never known more terror. Her hands sweaty, her breath short, she stepped back blindly, knocking over a square table. Three baby portraits and one of Flint's rocking-bird toys crashed to the floor.
The figure followed her into the entry room, and she opened her mouth to scream.
But the sound never emerged. She crumpled to the floor in silence.
And then the figure was gone.
When Tanis walked away from the procession, he picked the most deserted lanes he could find-which wasn't difficult because most of Qualinost's residents were following Porthios and the Speaker to the Grove. He stalked for half an hour, until the call of a vendor reminded him that he'd promised to meet Flint back at the shop.
He arrived at the dwelling shortly, and found only one occupant-a blond elf child, playing happily with several dozen wooden toys on the floor of the shop. She introduced herself as Fionia, pointed out Eld Ailea's message, which had fallen to the bench, and announced that the dwarf had given her all these toys.
Tanis read the note and was out the door, running, before the girl had finished speaking.
Later, he would remember little of the dash from Flint's shop to Eld Ailea's house; it was a blur of singing, dancing, and chattering Qualinesti. Once he spotted Flint Fireforge standing alone on a street corner, looking around as if he'd lost someone, but when the next opening in the throng occurred, the dwarf had vanished. The half-elf pressed on.
The front door of the midwife's rose and gray dwelling was unlocked, but that was not unusual. Few Qualinesti locked their doors; there was too little crime in Qualinost for an elf to become fearful. Tanis knocked, tentatively at first, then harder as he failed to hear the midwife's usual reply of "Coming, coming, coming." He called up to the second-level window, but there was no answer.