The Revenge of the Elves Read Online Free PDF

again. His pupils were as large as his eyes and he was clearly shaken. “I didn’t expect my brother to allow me to live after my capture. I thought he would kill me quickly, but he didn’t. He risked much, and I could not fathom why. Now I understand his need.” He paused. “It has happened. Another Lalas has departed.”
    Alemar turned to him. “Another Lalas?” Robyn’s? Could it be? Please no. Please! The air was stifling and she couldn’t breathe.
    “Mintar,” Premoran spoke the tree’s name.
    The pounding in Alemar’s ears almost obscured the words. It was not Promanthea. Not Robyn’s Lalas.
    “Carlisle was his Chosen. A good, good man,” Teetoo said. The Weloh’s eyes looked like luminescent, overfilled pools and when they glowed, he suffered.
    “We will miss them dearly. The earth will miss them dearly. They were a strong force that will not pass without consequences for us all,” Premoran remarked as the color returned to his cheeks.
    “That is the reason then?” Teetoo asked the wizard, staring at him intently. “He could not kill you and still he could not use you. So Clovis’ sacrifice is much more profound. He didn’t know how many he would save by his actions.”
    “Yes,” he replied, looking at Alemar and Giles, aware of their ignorance. “Mintar was the 11th tree to die since the dimming of the Gem. The Tomes refer to the 11th shard as the one crucial to the quest. Though the others are potent and vital, without this one, the search could not truly begin. My brother is unable to enter the forbidden places and to gather it himself, so he needed me to remain alive until the Lalas chose his moment to depart. I was to gather it for him from the heart of the great tree.” His eyebrows blended together at the bridge of his nose as his eyes darkened. The pain of his captivity was still fresh in his memory. “There are far too many pieces to this puzzle and even the most familiar ones don’t always fit where you might expect them to.”
    “What happened to the shard if Mintar is already dead? Is it safe?” Alemar asked. Robyn is safe at least. Thank the First. She felt guilty caring more about his fate than about this terrible loss, but she couldn’t help herself.
    “Another has retrieved it.” Premoran stared through the begrimed window like it was a clear plate of glass.
    “There are others who can do that? Approach a dead Lalas? I thought you said you alone….” Giles questioned.
    “Apparently there are others. Mintar’s song has been stilled. I hear it no longer and therefor the shard is not in the hollows. His melody was singular and there is no mistaking its absence from the harmony.” He cocked his head as if listening to a symphony only he could discern. “My brother does not have the shard. I would know if he did. We would all know.”
    “Who does then?” Alemar’s head throbbed. “If it’s so important, mustn’t we make sure it’s secure?” She shifted in her seat. He’s safe. But for how long? Robyn, Promanthea’s Chosen, was the only one with whom she ever shared her hopes. The only one who believed her mark was one of destiny. Giles was loyal and dear, but even he patronized her on this matter.
    “There is little we can do now, I’m afraid. The time for our intervention has passed, and you’ve played your part already, each of you,” Premoran said. “We must trust that the one who had the power to enter the forbidden place and plucked the shard from Mintar’s heart will protect it.”
    “Who else could do that?” Giles asked again.
    “One of great promise and great power,” the wizard replied. “One with whom the Drue are comfortable.” Before the others had a chance to question him further, he explained. “The Drue are the guardians of the forbidden places. They protect the hollows from intrusion and secure the sacred spots that were once the abodes of the Lalas. Without their cooperation, no one could take the shard from the dying tree. Not