Jeanette

Chapter 3 Lolindir the City of Elves

Chapter 3

Lolindir the City of Elves

"How long had they been in the water like that?"

"All day, the quagga and I did what we could to keep them warm in the water, but it was the skunk doing most of the work. Banishing the creature and blessing this meadow left the quagga too spent to help but she would have worked until she collapsed, if we'd let her. She did collapse before we realized how spent she was from banishing the creature. These three have a very strong bond."

"Mistress Druid, no one has ever survived the creature's poison before. How did the pinto?"

"The skunk used a different spell," the druid's tone cut off any further questions. "Now off with you let them sleep tomorrow we move and they will need some strength, which they will not have if you two wake them up with all this chatter."

Were we in the water all day? The skunk used a different spell? There must be another skunk. Hum, I'm too tired to worry about that now. It can wait, thought Jeanette somewhere between waking and sleep.

When Jeanette got up it was the full light of mid-morning. She was careful not to disturb Patty or Zelda, only to find she was alone in the tent. Outside the meadow was overrun with elves preparing for travel, and from the looks of things they were nearly ready to leave. Jeanette blinked a couple of times as if that might change the scene. Where did they come from? Before she could ponder the situation further, an older looking elf approached with a red vixen on his arm. Those two make an attractive couple, thought Jeanette.

"Good morning." said the elf in a casually friendly manner. "My name is Orinnin and this lovely lady is a trusted friend May West. I cannot stay long but I did want to be sure each of you was all right and to apologize for the incident at the market last month. We had no idea you were new to Zont, or the way you had been treated. Please forgive us?"

Jeanette remembering how her mother greeted guests took Orinnin's right hand in both of hers, and made eye contact, "Orinnin please think no more of it, your people were among the first to speak to me and not my tail. You have no idea how much that meant to me."

"Thank you, but I must be on my way." Orinnin gently recovered his hand, "I leave you in the capable hands of Miss May West. Ladies," and with that Orinnin left.

"Oh, that will keep him guessing," said May watching Orinnin as he walked to the edge of the meadow, and then to herself, Zelda said her name was Le Pew? You have got to be kidding.

May West? You have got to be kidding, thought Jeanette. "What will keep him guessing?"

"The way you accepted his apology and gave your forgiveness, that gesture of taking the hand and making eye contact, is very elfin. Where did you learn that?"

"My mother used to do that before she died," said Jeanette. "Where are Fritz and Zelda?" then much quieter, "and where is Patty?"

"Come with me, Fritz has been driving everyone nuts fretting about you," said May as she leads Jeanette to the remaining breakfast fire and table. Fritz intercepted them on the way.

"You didn't tell me you were a cleric," said Fritz as soon as he was in earshot. This got him glared at by May and hit on the back of the head by a small dirt clod probably tossed by Walter. "You should not have attempted so much of a healing before the elves arrived. You could have been overwhelmed by Patty's pain, and we could have lost you both."

Adequate recovery, thought May.

Jeanette found herself on the verge of tears thinking about Patty. "She was dying. I couldn't let my friend die alone. I was singing to keep from crying and to ease her passage. I..." At this point, Patty walked up looking remarkably solid for a ghost. Jeanette looked stunned for a while before rushing to her friend and hugging her. "I thought you were dead. Fritz, she is all right. She doesn't look hurt at all. What happened? Was it the other skunk? Where is he? I want to thank him."