Paladins of Shannara: The Black Irix (Short Story) Read Online Free PDF

he said, hefting the pouch as he smiled at the Valeman.
     “Some things can’t be helped.”
    He turned away and presented the Elfstones to Chule. The other man eagerly loosened
     the drawstrings and dumped the contents into his hand. “Oh, my! Look at this. The
     only ones of their kind, and now they belong to me!”
    Shea felt a surge of fury on watching the man fondle and caress the Elfstones. But
     even now he could not bring himself to believe that this had been Panamon’s sole plan.
     They had been friends for too long, had gone through so much together. He knew Panamon
     Creel and he trusted him. For Panamon to betray him like this was unthinkable.
    “You are the lowest sort of vermin!” Flick was screaming at the thief. “You are worse
     than any snake!”
    “Now, now,” Panamon soothed. “Name-calling is pointless. Best just to accept things
     for what they are, Flick.”
    Shea tried to think. “You know you can’t use them,” he said to Chule. “No one who
     isn’t an Elf can. You’ve stolen them for nothing.”
    “You don’t understand, Shea,” Panamon said. “Kestra doesn’t have any interest in using
     the Elfstones. He simply wants to add them to his collection of rare artifacts. The
     Stones are more valuable and unique than the Irix; anyone who is a serious collector
     would want them for his own.”
    “At our expense,” Flick spat at him.
    “Unfortunately.”
    Chule was dumping the Elfstones back in their pouch as the thief turned to him. “Better
     make sure you lock those away somewhere safe,” he cautioned. “Others will hear of
     this and try to find a way to relieve you of them.”
    “Oh, I don’t think I have to worry about that,” the other said, grinning. “This is
     a difficult place to break into. Nevertheless, I will lock them away with my other
     treasures.”
    “You’ll keep our bargain, I trust?” Panamon asked.
    “You mean the gold I promised you? Of course.”
    “I mean keeping these young men as your guests overnight and then releasing them in
     the morning.”
    Kestra Chule frowned. “I don’t imagine they can do anything to hurt me. But still,
     we’ll see. I’ll have to think on it. Guards!” He beckoned. “Escort our young friends
     to their quarters. Lock them in and keep them there until morning. I’ll decide what
     to do with them then.” He glanced at Panamon. “That’s the best I can do, I’m afraid.”
    Panamon smiled and shrugged. “Then why don’t we sit and celebrate the successful completion
     of our arrangement with a glass of ale?”
    Guards grabbed Shea and Flick and steered them across the floor and out of the room.
     “Release their bonds once you have them safely inside their quarters and ready to
     be locked up for the night!” Chule called after them as they were led away. “Good
     night, young friends! Sleep well!”
    And with that the brothers were hustled from the room and down a succession of passageways
     and through countless doors deep into the bowels of the stronghold. For a time,Shea tried to keep track of their progress, but he soon grew so confused that he gave
     it up. The one thing he was certain about was that they were not going to find their
     way out easily.
    Finally, they passed down a hallway with cell doors on either side, stopped at one
     midway down, and were ushered through the doorway, where two guards held each Valeman
     in turn while a third cut the bonds that secured his wrists. Then they were shoved
     down on their knees while the guards backed out and the door was secured.
    The brothers stood together in silence as the footfalls receded and finally disappeared.
    * * *
    “I’m getting the Elfstones back,” Shea declared, pacing the narrow confines of their
     prison cell. “I don’t know how, but I’m going to.”
    Flick sat glumly on the thin pallet rolled out on his wooden slat bed, his head in
     his hands. “We should never have come here in the first place.”
    Shea stopped and