Sgaile wouldn't let inexperienced Osha stand against them. If they came fast at the younger elf, he probably couldn't stop them both. Urhkar was another matter, from what Magiere had experienced last evening at his hands.But Sgaile himself?

Magiere hadn't forgotten why the man had come to Bela. If she came at him, she wouldn't be reserved in how she took from Sgaile what was hers.

Sgaile gave her a pronounced nod. "I will carry them. You have my word."

Leesil put a hand on Magiere's arm, then noticed Osha standing silently inside the doorway with his eyes on Wynn. The young anmaglahk dropped his gaze with the barest hint of hurt on his long face. She hadn't suggested him as the bearer of arms.

Strangest of all, Chap hadn't moved or spoken up.He lay quietly behind Wynn, his eyes equally on Magiere and Sgaile. The dog had been the first to turn vicious at the sight of Sgaile appearing with the other anmaglahk, but now he was merely watchful.

Leesil took a slow breath. Things were growingmore tense by the day.

Leanalham returned from taking away platters and bowls. She stopped in the doorway but didn't seem to note the mood in the room. She remained in place, blocking anyone's exit.

"I come with you, Uncle," she said.

Sgaile's expression flattened, and then turned incredulous. Leesil had never seen so much unguarded emotion on the man's face. Before Sgaile could speak, Leanalham rushed on.

"We need beeswax and seed oil-for the candles and lanterns-and we are almost out of cinnamon…"

"Such things are available in closer reach," Sgaile said, his voice rising a bit too much. "Closer than where we are headed."

"It is a year since you took me to Crijeaiche. There are many craftspeople who gather there, and it is the heart of our land, is it not? Please, Uncle."

Sgaile's jaw twitched. He switched to Elvish, speaking sharply to the girl. Leesil didn't have to know the language to get the gist of it. He suspected Leanalham's request had nothing to do with cinnamon or beeswax.

Gleann jumped in with a few words, and Sgaile's open frustration mounted. This festival of emotion on his usually passive face was almost amusing. But Leesil found himself agreeing. He didn't need some infatuated girl tagging along.

"Let her come," Magiere said suddenly. "We'll look out for her."

"Then it is settled," Gleann said.

"It is not settled!" Sgaile replied. "Grandfather, you do not understand what-"

"I will prepare you a list, Leanalham," Gleann said. "Your uncle will help you find everything."

Sgaile gestured at Magiere andWynn, speaking Elvish again in short, clipped words.

"That is no reason your cousin cannot accompany you," Gleann replied in plain Belaskian. "How could she not be safe traveling with two others of your own caste? Leanalham, get your things, as everyone is now waiting on you.

Sgaile almost threw up his hands.

Leesil remembered Wynn's scant comments from their first night within the forest. The Anmaglahk didn't have rank like soldiers. Seniority of experience aside, they obeyed the one chosen to lead a particular mission. It seemed family hierarchies were another matter, even among mature adults. Gleann was the household elder and had the last word.

Leanalham rushed past Sgaile and up the stairs. By the time Sgaile uttered two more frustrated phrases to Gleann, the girl scrambled back down with a hastily cinched canvas bundle slung over her narrow shoulder.

Leesil groaned softly as he grabbed the skulls' chest and Magiere picked up her pack. Sgaile hauled the rest of the baggage out the door in silence, where Urhkar awaited.

Others of the village were already out and about.Most paused to watch from between domicile trees or across the village's mossy center space. Once loaded up, Sgaile led their procession quickly back out the way they'd come. Leesil didn't look about to see the reaction of those watching, but he noticed that Gleann followed along.

Once out of sight of the village, Gleann caught up to Leesil and stopped Magiere as well. He shooed the stoic Urhkar on ahead. Urhkar might have frowned, though it was hard to tell as he walked on.

Leesil offered his hand to Gleann. "Thanks for the welcome stay."

Gleann studied this gesture in puzzlement and slowly lifted his hand.

Leesil had to take it in his own before the man smiled with understanding of the parting gesture.

"Perhaps we'll see you again someday," Magiere added.

Gleann turned serious, almost hard. "I do not hope so. For if so, I fear events will have turned against you. Finish what you must in our land… then leave quickly."

He looked warily beyond Magiere at Sgaile and the others before he faced her again.

"My grandson has a true if misguided heart," he said, "so trust his word, but not always his judgment."

Magiere slowly held out her own hand. Gleann took it with a smile as if he'd said nothing at all-as if she were no more human than he. He walked back toward the village, with Leesil watching him in silence.

When Leesil turned away, he found Sgaile waving to them, so he tugged Magiere's sleeve as he moved on. No sooner had they rejoined the others than Leanalham took up walking close behind on his right. The rest stepped ahead except for Urhkar, who trailed at the rear.

From far behind, Leesil heard the strange high-pitched song of a bird as on other days of their journey. And just as before, when he searched for it, he saw nothing.

As they crossed a grass field beyond the village enclosure, Chap veered off, looking into the trees. Leesil spotted movement as a rush of silver-gray scurried by on all fours. Then another, as the majay-hi appeared one by one out in the forest. None came closer.

Wynn stepped up behind Chap, and then something shook the leaves of a bush. A blur of silver-white burst into sight.

The white female hopped forward and stopped. She yipped and darted at Chap, then quickly dodged away.

"Go on," Wynn said toChap.

Chap didn't look at her but rather toward Sgailes back, and then he trotted off.

Unlike the other majay-hi, Chap always remained within sight. More often than the others, Leesil spotted the white dog roaming near him.

Chapter Seven

Four days passed without incident. The forest's monotonous sounds droned in Leesil's ears, but his mother was never far from his thoughts. Their routine was little more than breaking camp at dawn, trudging all day, and stopping only when dusk ended and night settled upon them. Every time Leesil asked how much farther they would travel, Sgaile only answered, "Days… more days."

Chap ran with the majay-hi, returning often to pace close to the procession, at which point Leesil noticed the other dogs vanished. But the last time this happened, the white female stayed in sight among the trees.

Osha tried steadily in broken Belaskian to coax Wynn into talking, as she ignored him completely when he spoke Elvish. Little by little she relented. If their conversation carried on too long, Sgaile halted it with a single look. But today, he was less vigilant, and the two continued, often slipping into Elvish. The longer Leesil listened to them shifting between tongues, the more he picked out words here and there. He wasn't certain what was a verb or noun, but perhaps one of two "root words," as Wynn called them, began to sound familiar.

"Wynn," he called out, "none of our stuff has gone missing since we left Sgaile's village. Ask Osha if he thinks we've lost that tashgalh."

She craned her head around at him, slightly troubled. "I already have. He said it may have found something more interesting in the enclave. The Coilehkrotall will not thank us."

"The Co-il-ee… the what?"

"Sgaile and Gleann's clan… people of the 'Lichen Woods'."