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course it had been illusion. "Once the boy and his
misguided comrades are actually here, I have a few
surprises of my own to spring on them. And I don't
believe," the count added with dark humor, "that
they will enjoy them."
Chapter XVI
"Naitachal!"
Eliathanis raced to the fallen elf's side, dosely followed
by the others. Kevin got there an instant before Lydia and
the fluttering Tich'ki, dropping to his knees beside
Naitachal's still form. The White Elf glanced across at the
bardlmg,gi-eeneyeswide."Id-don'tt.hmkhe'sbreathing."
"Oh no, that can't be right, he has to be!"
Kevin hastily snatched up a dark wrist. For a panic-
stricken, seemingly endless while, he couldn't find any
pulse at all.
Come on, come on, you can't he dead, not now.
All at once the bardling felt... yes. Kevin released
Naitachal's wrist with a sigh of relief. "He's alive. I...
think he's just asleep. Deeply asleep. That sorcerous
duel must really have worn him out."
Eliathanis shuddered faintly. "Yes." He straightened
slowly, fussing with the set of his now sadly tattered
cloak, plainly struggling to regain his composure. "Of
course it did. I should have realized that."
Well, what do you, know? Kevin stared at the White Elf
in surprise. You really were worried about him!
Not that such revelations mattered right now. Kevin
glanced doubtfully down at Naicachal. Sleeping like
this on bare ground couldn't be doing the Dark Elf any
good. Particularly not on this ground. Everybody else
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seemed to be too battle-dazed to suggest anything, so
the bardling said as firmly as he could:
"Eliathanis, why don't you see if you can coax our
mules back here?"
CASTLE OF DECEPTION 169
"Ah. Yes."
"And, Lydia, can you help me lift Naitachal? The
sooner we get him and us away from here, the
better."
"Right."
For all his worry and ever-growing weariness, the
bardling couldn't help but feel a little thrill of wonder at
the way they were obeying him without question.
Maybe I am o leader after all. Sort of, anyway, he added
wryly. For now, anyhow.
Naitachal slept without stirring all during Eliathanis'
finally successful efforts to persuade the snorting, still-
trembling mules to return. He slept during that entire
day's ride through field and forest, alternately sup-
ported in the saddle by Kevin, Lydia and Eliathanis- He
continued to sleep while they set up camp for the
night, lost in so deep and still a slumber that Kevin
began to worry.
He'il wake up soon enough. Of course he will.
But Naitachal continued to sleep. And at last Kevin's
worry grew to the point where the bardling couldn't
stand it any longer. Glancing uneasily at the others, he
burst out with the question he suspected they were all
thinking:
"What are we going to do if Naitachal doesn't wake
up?"
"He'll wake." Eliathanis, tending the campfire,
didn't sound quite sure about that.
"But what if he doesn't?"
"He will," Tich'ki said firmly. "Look, I'm the only
other one of us who has any real magic, and believe
me, this isn't the first nme I've seen a magidan overtax
himself to-the point of collapse. There's only so much
strength in a body, you know."
"Yes, but "
"Very true."
170 Mercedes Lackey ^Josephs Sherman
It was little more than a whisper, so unexpected a
sound that they all started.
"Naitachal!"
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"So I am."
The Dark Elf sat up, very slowly and carefully, as
though he wasn't quite sure his body would obey him.
Lydia made an abortive little move towards him, then
stopped with a cautious, "How do you feel?"
"Like something dragged up by one of my own
spells," Naitachal admitted wryly.
"But you'll be all right?" Eliathanis' eyes were oddly
wary.
"Indeed."
This is ridiculous! This is Naitachal, the comrade who's been
rid&ng with us all along. He hasn't turned into a monster.
But even as he thought that, Kevin knew they were
all a little leery of Naitachal now, this Dark Elf who had
suddenly revealed himself as a fearful necromancer
who could destroy a foe with one blast ofsorcerous
flame-
/ will not be afraid of him!
After all, how could he forget how the Dark Elf had
comforted him after he'd killed that bandit? Whatever
else Naitachal might be, that hadn't been the act of a
cruel being, or an evil one.
The bardling deliberately moved to the Dark Elf's
side, and received a faint smile in return.
"That was a marvelously clever thing you did, Kevin,
hurling the rock at the sorcerer to break his concentra-
tion."
"Oh, well. It was the only thing I could think to do."
The bardling couldn't stop himself from adding in a
rush, "Even if I didn't expect what was going to hap-
pen after that."
"Don't shed any tears for him." Naitachal's voice was
suddenly cold. "I touched his mind during our battle,
and it was... foul. The man had deliberately killed all
CASTLE OF DECEPTION 171
goodness within himself, all hope of joy, deliberately
turned himself into a being almost as empty as those
poor dead ones he conjured. So it can be," he added,
almost reluctantly, "with many necromancers."
"Not with you! Anyone who could enjoy being silly
with those guards the way you did hasn't given up on
life!"
That earned him a chuckle. "No. I haven't. Nor will I,
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