"You know that we can never have children, right?"
"What?"
"Children. We can never have children. It's impossible. I just figured that out."
The delver sat completely stunned. His mind turned to a jumbled mess.
"It's really quite simple," Linda continued. "I'm surprised it took me so long to figure it out. You have magic within you and I'm immune to magic. How can I ever have a delver child? I can't."
"I don't understand," was all that Ryson managed to blurt out.
"Magic. I'm immune… totally immune. We both know that. You're a delver. Magic is a part of you. Any child of yours would have that same magic, but not in me. It can't happen."
It was Ryson's turn to stare at the empty glass. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure he could argue with his wife. She seemed so absolutely certain. It might have explained her reaction to everything that happened that night. The revelation definitely disrupted his own thinking. He sat in complete shock.
"Look," Linda finally said to end the growing silence. "I don't want to talk about it anymore… not tonight anyway. You said you have to go look for the elves. I think you should start now."
"Now?"
Linda nodded.
"Yes, now… tonight."
"I don't want to leave you now. I don't think I should."
"You think you should stay for me?"
"Of course."
"I appreciate that, but if you really want to do something for me, and not you, then you should go tonight. I don't want you to walk me home and stay with me knowing that you'll be leaving the moment the sun rises."
"Maybe I shouldn't go at all. Maybe you were right."
"I don't think so, not any more. You'd only be staying with me because you're worried about me, or maybe you feel sorry for me. I don't need that. I don't want it."
"It's not about feeling sorry for you," the delver countered. "It's about doing what's right. I didn't know this was what was bothering you. I never would have even left you tonight if I knew about this."
"I didn't realize it until after you left." Linda then looked toward the door. "I'm not even sure why it even came up. It just hit me, washed right through me and I knew."
"But then why do you want me to go?"
"Because we both need some time."
"Time?"
"Yes. I don't know if this changes anything… for me or you, but we have to accept it."
"Shouldn't we try to accept it together?" Ryson asked.
"With you wondering about what happened to the elves… always looking out a window toward the forest. You can't stop being a delver. That's what this is all about, isn't it?"
"In all honesty, I really don't have any idea anymore."
"I do. It's about what we want, and right now, I want you to go find the elves. It may not make sense to you, but it does to me."
"But you seemed upset about me leaving you alone. Now that's what you're telling me to do… to leave you alone."
"It's something I have to get used to, isn't it? It's either that or admit I made a mistake marrying a delver. That's not something I want to do. Is that what you want?"
"No!" Ryson responded emphatically.
"Then, like I said, do this for me and go find the elves."
Chapter 7
"You got here faster than I expected," Sy revealed, but was equally grateful Holli Brances reached Burbon so quickly.
He had not slept since the battle with Okyiq and his minions. Sy had immediately sent out a messenger to Connel. While waiting, he had questioned several goblin prisoners and each one substantiated the claim that the elves had disappeared. The mystery was growing, and it annoyed him that Ryson had left during the night to find answers Sy would not be able to obtain on his own. It would be too dangerous to send out his soldiers to search for the elf camp. He would have to wait for his messenger to reach Connel and then for Holli to travel back to Burbon. To his delight, she was at his office door in half the time he anticipated.
"We teleported directly to the border of your town. We thought it important enough not to delay. The messenger who brought your news to us, however, decided to return on horseback." Holli motioned to the individual standing next to her. "This is Jure. He wished to accompany me."
After, Sy and Jure exchanged greetings, the captain revealed all of the details of the raid. He concluded with the information obtained from the goblin leader.
"The word of a goblin is always suspect," Holli offered after hearing Okyiq's declaration that the elves were gone. "Unless held to a strict bargain they deem beneficial to their own standing, they will lie in an instant to save their own skins. Even if the goblin was not stretching the truth, their ability to comprehend complex situations is always quite lacking. That is why they are easily duped into being pawns."
"Normally, I would agree with you," Sy replied, "but there was something different about this one. He wasn't just bigger than the rest. He led them, displayed a level of-how did you put it? — complex comprehension that surprised me. Not much mind you, but I can't deny he utilized a greater level of tactics than I ever would have expected. He had a number of goblins with him, but he didn't just storm us. It wasn't like he unleashed a horde, even a small one, and he didn't conduct a simple grab and run raid, either. He was able to get inside the gate. I admit my soldiers made some mistakes, but I don't think a regular goblin raiding party would have made it through. I'm not saying he was the quickest wit I've ever come across-nothing like a serp-but he was able to negotiate and think on his feet. I saw it… I dealt with it."
Holli found the report intriguing. She had great respect for Sy Fenden, appreciated his skills as a leader and a soldier. She did not doubt his account, not for an instant, but the details of Okyiq's abilities contradicted her perception of goblin limitations.
"Interesting. A goblin blessed with superior size and the ability for critical thinking. Very unusual."
And it was unusual for an elf to consider a lowly goblin endowed with such characteristics. Due to their close proximity in the forest, elves dealt with goblins far more extensively than humans, and serving as Enin's apprentice, Holli had her own experiences with the diminutive monsters. She had seen them behave exactly as they were portrayed in elflore.
During the past several seasons, she witnessed them act with a brash disregard for reason and strategy. They were often cast to the forefront of a battle, and despite taking enormous casualties, they displayed little reservation in hurling themselves at desperate situations like mindless rocks tumbling down a mountainside. Mostly, she saw them consumed by the collective lust of the horde. With such experiences fairly fresh in her mind, an intelligent goblin was not simply a rarity, it was a paradox.
But while Okyiq presented a puzzle, Holli was not ready to accept the large goblin's rather simplistic explanation regarding her camp.
"Still, he is a goblin," Holli noted, "and as such, he might not understand all of the possible explanations to what he might notice. To him, the elves are indeed gone, but what does that mean exactly? From his standpoint, he gained the freedom to operate with fewer restrictions; he did not have to worry about elf intervention as he amassed his following."
"Would the elves have interfered?" Sy wondered.
"I believe they would. A growing goblin pack can soon turn into a horde, and that is a hazard to all creatures. It is best to break up the pack before they become too great a menace, especially if they are led by a superior creature. The elf guard that protects a camp is trained to monitor the activities of all possible threats. When a grouping of goblins begins to thrive and grow, the guard can utilize several tactics to encourage the pack to either disband or leave the area."