The Eternal Empire: The 13th Paladin (Volume VII) by Torsten Weitze

Author:Torsten Weitze [Weitze, Torsten]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-06T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

‘You’re having me on!’ cried out Jelninolan, standing up ashen-faced and staggering away from the thoroughly unhappy looking Uldini.

Culhen raised his head and looked at the shocked elf as she retreated. He would have liked to have given her a comforting lick across her face, but he himself was hardly able to stand at the moment, making do with a quiet whimper instead. His body, drained of so much blood, had retaliated for their difficult, week-long return journey through the desert by ensuring that he remained weak for an extended period, and when the elf had finally awoken, she had made it clear to the wolf in no uncertain terms that he had to refrain from any energetic activity until he was fully recovered.

After much fruitless searching and considerable financial inducements, they had finally ended up at a small trading post on the edge of the desert, which maintained its existence for the most part through smuggling – according to Falk and Trogadon, at any rate. A dozen tents, considerably the worse for wear, were provisionally set up in the clearing of a small wood in the middle of the no-man’s land between the fronts. The smugglers ripped off both sides equally by bringing small amounts of contraband from one enemy territory to the other – a highly dangerous, but also lucrative business, whereby the criminals avoided the arduous voyage to King’s Island and the long overland trek which would otherwise be necessary.

Uldini had insisted on coming to such a place, without revealing his reasons to the others. ‘First, Jelninolan has to give her assent,’ was his only answer to their relentless questioning, and now at last, he had shared his idea with the priestess – one that had been brewing in his mind ever since Quin-Wa’s magical appearance in the desert. They were standing a good two hundred paces from the smugglers, who were looking over curiously, their attentions having been drawn by the elf’s tantrum.

‘What’s going on here?’ asked Trogadon with an angry frown, stepping forward protectively towards the trembling Jelninolan. ‘What did the Arch Wizard say?’ The dwarf had carried the sleeping elf all the way out of the desert in his arms and was behaving – in Culhen’s eyes – like an alert young guard-wolf, whose infatuation one could smell a furlong away – at least, if one had an excellent nose like Culhen himself did.

‘He…uh…he,’ stuttered Jelninolan in so bewildered a voice that Culhen howled his concern.

‘What have you done, Uldini?’ demanded Falk furiously, approaching the Arch Wizard.

‘I merely suggested my daring plan,’ responded the latter, spreading out his arms apologetically. ‘Let me point out to you all that I am just as terrified of it as Jelninolan is – except that I have had more time to accustom myself to the idea.’

Selsena expressed her indignation with an impatient snort.

‘What are you both afraid of, by the THREE?’ snapped Falk, and Culhen was certain that the old man was repeating the Titejunanwa’s question.

‘Our magic,’ gasped Jelninolan, distraught.

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