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.Half-elf his twin sister might be, but she looked fully human.As soon as the windriders got a close look at her, they'd assume she was an enemy spy and feather her with arrows."Lord Kierin, wait!" he cried, running toward thegriffon as it leaped into the air."The woman being carried by the winged elf is my sister.Call off your riders!"For a terrible moment, Leifander didn't think Lord Kierin had heard.His griffon continued to soar upward after the others, then Lord Kierin's voice rang out, "Riders! Hold your arrows."Leifander craned his head, watching anxiously as the windriders caught up to the winged elf, wheeled their mounts in a tight circle, and fell in on either side of her as she continued toward Moonrise Hill.Belatedly Leifander realized his arms were out to the side, his fingers splayed.So tense was the moment that he'd nearly skin-walked and launched himself into the air.Lowering his arms, he watched as the winged elf landed, depositing Larajin on the grassy hilltop.The tressym settled gracefully atop one of the stones behind them.As the windriders landed their mounts on the hill, Larajin's first action was to place both hands upon her heart and bow deeply in the winged elf s direction.It was obviously a gesture of thanks.Her eyes ranged over the windriders, and she repeated the bow, this time for Lord Kierin.Beside her, the winged elf was panting, bent over with hands on thighs.Her wings were only half folded.Their tips drooped against the ground."Leifander," Larajin said, turning to him."Thanks be to the goddess that I've caught up with you at last.Hopefully this time you'll listen to me."Lord Kierin, having dismounted from his griffon, strode up to where Larajin and Leifander stood.He spoke the common tongue fluently and had understood what Larajin said.He stared at her for a long moment, then glanced pointedly at Leifander."Your 'sister?" he asked quietly.Instantly, Leifander regretted his loose tongue."She's only a half-elf," he answered quickly."Her father was human."At Lord Kierin's sharp look, Leifander realized that hehad just compounded bis error.Trisdea had given birth only twice in her lifetime.Not knowing that the second birth had produced twins, Lord Kierin would assume some other woman had borne Larajin, and would conclude that she and Leifander therefore had a father in common—and Leifander had just blurted out that this father was human."That's odd," Lord Kierin said in a soft voice, staring at Leifander."You don't look—" He closed his lips abruptly, as if thinking better of what he'd been about to say.Leifander noticed that Lord Kierin was staring at his ears, and he felt them flush to their very tips."I." Leifander fumbled."She.""I full sister to Leifander," Larajin blurted out in halting forest Elvish."Trisdea birth us twins."A mutter swept through the windriders who had gathered around them.They obviously knew enough of the forest elf tongue to understand her simple words."Is it true?" one of them whispered to another.Afraid to look up, Leifander kept his eyes focused firmly on the ground."It's true."A callused hand—Lord Kierin's—reached out and caught Leifander under the chin, forcing his head up.Leifander expected to see hatred and disgust in Lord Kierin's eyes, but instead they glowed with compassion."Even I did not know this," he told his riders, "and I am one of his father's closest friends.Dalbrannil always maintained there was something special about his boy and hinted that the druids were keeping a deep secret about his birth.I had heard rumors in recent days, but I didn't beheve them.Now I reahze the whispers that were flying through the forest were true.Half-elves this pair of younglings might be, but they will be our salvation."He gestured at Larajin, who stood frowning in confusion, obviously unable to follow Elvish when it was spoken at full speed."You see?" Lord Kierin continued."She appears fully human, but elf blood flows true in her veins.She hascome to join our side of the conflict.Look at her hazel eyes, and remember that she and Leifander are twins.With them marching beside our troops, lending us the blessing of the gods, we might yet win this war!"As a cheer went up among the riders, Leifander frowned."Might win?" he whispered, shaking his head at Lord Kierin's choice of words."Of course we'll win it."Larajin, meanwhile, seemed to have grasped the general content of Lord Kierin's words.She rounded on him, berating him in Common."You've got it all wrong!" she cried."Leifander and I aren't meant to win the war; we're meant to stop it.Rylith told me that this was Somnilthra's prophecy.She said we would heal a great rift and end a great strife.Elves and humans aren't meant to be going to war with one another.It's contrary to the will of the gods."The riders—all of whom spoke the common tongue, at least in part—glanced at one another, clearly uneasy.Lord Kierin, however, appeared thoughtful."I do not share these heresies," Leifander told the riders in a nervous voice."I am a warrior—a scout for the patrols of the Tangled Trees.My commander, Doriantha, can vouch for my loyalty.I want to fight in this war, not engage in some futile effort to stop it.I want revenge against the humans as much as anyone.I—"Lord Kierin's hand upon his arm startled him into abrupt silence
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