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."The Elves have been a peaceful people since long before your kind built cities," Ancaladar had said."Ido not say that there is no strife or unhappiness here in the Elven Lands, for there is unhappinesseverywhere.But violence such is common in the Lands of Men.that would have to come fromoutside.And no merely mortal enemy can pass Pelashia's Veil.""Then why are there Elven Knights at all?" Tiercel had asked."I mean, if they don't have anyone to fight.""Because Elven memories are long, Bonded," Ancaladar had said.Three days after they'd left Blackrowan Farm, the road had simply come to an end.Harrier had been alittle worried at first, but the wagon was sturdy and well-sprung, and the ground was still fairly level, andsince Ancaladar said that the stream continued in the direction they needed to go, he'd simply followedthat for the next few days.After that, the stream had taken a sharp bend away from the direction they needed to go.They weren'tmaking as much progress each day as they had been on the road at least the wagon wasn't becausethey'd moved out of open country and into woodland.While it was true that the trees weren't so closetogether that Harrier couldn't get the wagon between them, he did have to spend more time searching fora suitable path than he had when they'd been on the road.Kareta, to his great surprise, was actually useful.It was true that she had no real notion of what paths thewagon could take and which it couldn't, but once they'd stopped following the stream, the other thingthey needed to do on a regular basis was find water, and Kareta was eager to help.One of the items that had been a part of the wagon from the very beginning unused until now was aset of barrels lashed over the forward axles.The two barrels could hold enough water to take care oftheir needs for several days.Of course, Harrier had to find a water source in order to fill them and tohis amazement, the first time the level in the barrels began to drop, Kareta volunteered to go look forwater."Don't you know anything about unicorns?" she'd demanded, tossing her head."You know exactly what I know about unicorns," Harrier had answered gruffly."If you find water, kindlyremember I'd like to be able to get the wagon next to it."She hadn't quite been able to manage that.But when she'd found a spring, he was able to get the wagonclose enough that he didn't have to haul the buckets too far."Don't worry if the water's muddy," Kareta said."Or if it goes bad." "Why not?" Harrier asked, and when she opened her mouth to reply, he added, "And don't just tell meagain that I don't know anything about unicorns.""Because I can purify it for you," Kareta said, sounding indignant at having to explain."Okay.Fine."A few days later she had to do just that, because the water she led him to was a deep pond completelycovered with green slime.It stank."I'm not going to drink that," Harrier had said simply."Wait," Kareta had answered.She'd knelt down, and touched her horn to the pool.A blue shimmer hadspread out from the point at which her horn touched the water, and a moment later the entire pool wascrystal clear.She'd looked smug or as smug as she could look, anyway and at the evening meal,Harrier had brought out the last of the apples and fed them to her."You earned them," he said simply.AND now they'd reached the edge of the Elven Lands.Ancaladar had seen the Veil yesterday and hadtold Harrier that they'd cross it today.He hadn't flown beyond it, as he wasn't entirely sure, he'd said, ifhe'd be able to get Tiercel back through.Certainly an Elven Mage could pass back and forth through thebarrier with ease, and Ancaladar could travel back and forth through the Veil alone, but he didn't want torisk what might happen to Tiercel if he attempted to bring him back through the Veil."I don't see anything," Harrier said dubiously, looking where Kareta was pointing.There were trees allaround them trees ahead, trees behind and somewhere in the next mile or so, the edge of the ElvenLands.In Harrier's opinion, there ought to be a marker stone, or something."I do," Kareta said pertly
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