The elf stiffened, and murmurs could be heard within the forest around him. After several seconds he removed his hand from his sword and took a step back. "I can see that you speak the truth, and yet what you say is not possible. The Dragonvein line was broken long ago. Praxis was the last. Or so we have been told. My people know well the lore of dragons. And we know of the family with whom they were bonded. How is it that you are here?"

"I was sent to Earth by my mother when I was a baby," explained Ethan. "I really don't understand most of it. But when I came back, hundreds of years had pa.s.sed."

The elf's face twisted into a snarl. "I should have guessed. Portal magic. Stupid humans meddling with what they don't understand and can't control." He glared at Ethan. "And now you have come, and with you comes war and death. I should kill you now and be rid of you. But I will wait. Dragons do not reveal themselves without good cause. Even those which have been diminished by Shinzan." He let out a series of high-pitched whistles. "Do not expect mercy should you encounter me or my kin again. If the Mother wishes your continued existence, she will guide you far away from us. But for now, go in peace and fear not enemy eyes. While you are in this forest, none shall harm you."

Having delivered this bizarre combination of dire warning and positive rea.s.surance, the elf burst into a run and quickly vanished into the night.

The moment he was out of sight, Markus and Jonas rose to their feet and approached the fire. Markus had a deep gash over his left eye, while Jonas carried several bruises across his face.

"Are you two all right?" Ethan asked.

Markus sat down by the fire. He nodded, but said nothing. Ethan could tell that he was shaken and felt it best to leave him to his thoughts for a time.

Jonas, on the other hand, looked very much relieved.

"Fortune indeed favors us," he said, smiling broadly. "I was certain they would kill us all. But it seems that the elves hate Hronso enough to keep his captives alive. And from what Kat told me, your display of power helped us as well."

"I really don't remember what happened," Ethan admitted.

"What do you remember," asked Kat.

Ethan told them about the dragon, mentioning how he had seen it previously. This soured Jonas' expression.

"You should have told me about this at the time," he scolded.

"I didn't trust you," Ethan countered. "I felt you were holding things back."

Jonas nodded. "I understand. I should have handled matters better in the beginning. Remember though, I was almost as confused as you were back then."

Ethan gave him a forgiving smile. "What did you see," he asked Kat.

She drew a deep breath. "I chased after you, but you were too fast for me and I lost you for a while. I found you again just as you let loose a great blast of white flame straight into Hronso's chest. After that you kind of collapsed, like it had drained you of all your energy. I tried to help you, but the elves captured me. They must have been watching the whole time because they knew everything."

Ethan strained his mind, trying to remember, but he could still recall nothing. "Did you see the dragon?"

"No," she replied. "But the elves did. And they seemed pretty upset about it. They kept arguing back and forth over whether or not to kill you. The one you spoke to was against it."

"Why?" asked Jonas.

Kat spread her hands. "I don't know. But he won out in the end. I got the feeling he thinks Ethan is important somehow."

"What difference does it make what those savages think?" growled Markus. He threw a twig into the fire. "They're gone, we're alive, and we should be grateful."

"Indeed we should be," agreed Jonas. "But I think it would be wise to understand their motives."

Markus spat. "Bah! They probably think that sparing us will give them a chance to kill more humans later."

"I doubt that," said Jonas, rubbing his chin. "I don't know much about elves. But I was surprised that they knew of the Dragonvein family. Praxis never spoke about them, and as far as I know, dragons never had anything to do with elves either. But then, I only know what little Lord Dragonvein told me."

"You think the dwarves would know?" asked Ethan.

He nodded. "If anyone would, it's them. Elves hate dwarves even more than humans. And I do know that the feeling is mutual."

"What about Hronso?" Ethan asked Kat. "What happened to him?"

She shrugged. "I a.s.sumed you killed him. The entire area was burned to cinders and I didn't see his body anywhere."

"The elves seem to think he's still alive," remarked Jonas. "He said that Ethan drove him away, not that he killed him."

There was a doubtful frown on Kat's face. "I don't think anyone could have survived what I saw."

"I hope you're right," Jonas said. "General Hronso was responsible for killing dozens of mages even members of the Council of Volnar."

He looked directly at Ethan, his jaw tightening. "He also killed your mother."

"My mother?"

Jonas nodded. "It was Hronso who tracked us down. His pursuit forced her to open the portal and send you through."

Ethan wasn't sure how to feel about this new piece of information. The only mother he'd ever known had been on Earth. He had no connection to the woman Jonas was mentioning.

After a short silence, Jonas sighed. "There are too many mysteries to figure out in one night. Like Markus said, for now we should be grateful simply to be alive." He glanced over at the rabbits cooking on the spit. "And it will be nice to eat something other than jerky and bread."

"Why do you suppose the elves left it for us?" asked Ethan.

"Never question a gift," said Jonas. "Perhaps it's just their custom. Better a rabbit in the belly than a knife in the heart."

Once thoroughly cooked, they distributed the meal though Markus refused to eat any. This did not stop Ethan from enjoying it. The warm meat felt good in his stomach and helped to lift some of the weight from his heart.

He replayed the day's events in his mind while lying beside the fire. What made him so sad every time he thought about the dragon? And what had really happened with Hronso? For now, these would have to join the many other questions to which he desperately needed answers.

He sighed. It was clear that he had been mistaken about Jonas when they first arrived. Though he believed that he was still withholding secrets, he understood now that the old man had been every bit as lost as he was.

His mind shifted to Markus, and how Hronso had taunted him about his terrible scars. Who or what had inflicted these on him was still a mystery. Though there were times when the friend he once knew would surface, far too often it was still Specter who was speaking with Markus' voice. He hoped that once they reached the dwarves, things would become clearer.

Of course, there was always the chance that Markus was right and they simply were marching to their deaths.

Chapter Thirteen.

The following morning Ethan was the first to wake. The sky was painted in the orange and violet of the coming dawn, while all around large drops of dew rolled off the pine needles and oak leaves. The only sounds aside from the occasional snort from a sleeping Jonas came from the chirping of birds and the gentle rustle of a few small animals scurrying through the underbrush.

He got to his feet and stretched. Yet again his sleep had been troubled by visions of dragons, this time flying high in the clouds and then bursting into flames. As their bodies plummeted he could hear their screams inside his head, begging him for help. But he was powerless. The sadness he felt when thinking about the tiny dragon had lessened somewhat, but the mystery remained as to why he should feel that way in the first place.

"Can I talk to you?"

He hadn't noticed Kat rise.

"Sure."

She led him away from the others to a small patch of thick gra.s.s and sat down. For a short time she was silent, as if still contemplating what she would say.

Ethan took her hand. Her fingers were cold and damp, and for the first time he noticed that her eyes were red from recent tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Kat withdrew her hand and met his gaze. "Have you ever been with a woman?"

Ethan stiffened. "What? Why would you...I mean...that's kind of personal, don't you think?"

Her gaze didn't waver. "Have you?"

"Well, yes," he replied. "Once."

"Did you love her?"

Ethan thought back to just before he shipped out for Europe. Sandra Nolan was the only real girlfriend he'd ever had. Certainly the only one he'd truly cared about. They had decided to be together a few days before he left in case he didn't make it home. He had written to her several times after that, but to his dismay, had never received a reply.

"I suppose so," he answered finally. "Why do you ask?"

"You suppose so?" she said with disapproval. "Either you did or you didn't."

Ethan could see the seriousness in her expression. He thought for a long moment then said: "Yes, I loved her. At least, I did at the time."

"And now?"

"And now...she's far away. Besides, I don't think she loves me."

"Then why did you couple with her?"

Ethan spread his hands. "How am I supposed to answer that? I was going off to war. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do. Why do you want to know about this anyway?"

"I've never been with a man," she said. Her eyes became distant. "And I don't know that I want to."

"You're too young. There's plenty of time to think about that later when you're older."

"Is there time?" She lowered her eyes. "My mother loved my father very much. I could hear it in her voice every time she spoke to him, and see it on her face whenever she looked at him. I thought that's how all men and women were. But it's not that way, is it? Men don't really care about women at all."

"Of course they do. Why would you say such a thing?"

"Did you know that I murdered Jared," she asked. "I poisoned him, then I cut his throat."

Her admission shocked Ethan into a short silence. "Why?" he finally asked.

"He wanted to have me," she replied flatly. "So I killed him."

"Then he deserved it."

"Did he? Yes. I suppose he did. He was a letch. I wasn't the first young girl he'd tried to ruin; his brothel was full of them. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that's not really why I killed him. It's just what I kept telling myself."

"So what was the real reason?"

"Because I needed to. I needed him to be dead. I needed to bury the constant fear in my heart that he would somehow find a way to force himself on me."

Ethan's mouth set in a firm line. "Listen to me Kat. I promise that no one will do anything like that to you. I won't allow it."

"And why is that? Because you care about me?" She threw up her hands. "I've heard Markus call you a boy scout. I don't know what that is, but I imagine it's someone honest and good hearted."

Ethan nodded.

"I don't need you to watch over me because it's the right thing to do." She looked up. "I need you to do it because you love me."

Ethan sensed where this was going and began to feel uneasy. "Of course I love you. You've become like..."

"If you say sister," she snapped. "I swear I'll break your nose."

Ethan held up his hands. "All I meant was..."

"I know what you meant. You think I'm a child." She jumped to her feet. "My mother was only two years older than I am now when she married my father. And there are girls even younger than me who bear children."

Ethan got up and tried to place his hands on her shoulders, but she stepped quickly away.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But that sort of thing doesn't happen where I come from. Girls your age are still in school and playing with dolls."

"We're not on Earth," she countered. "And I don't play with dolls."

"I know you don't. It's just that in my world you're still too young to be thinking about these things."

"This is your world now. And in this world, I am a woman."

Ethan sighed and nodded. "I know you are. And I'm sorry. But I just can't give you what you want." He stepped forward and took her hands. This time she did not resist. "One day you'll meet someone. Someone who will be good to you. He'll love you the way you deserve. He'll be kind and gentle and appreciate you for the person you are. You just need to be patient."

Tears welled in her eyes. "And what if I don't live long enough to find him? What then? What if I die and no one ever loves me?"

"You can't think like that. We're going to make it."

Kat pulled her hands away and wiped her face. "Just answer me one question."

Ethan smiled and nodded.

"If I was older, would you feel different then?"

He chuckled. "I'm sure I would."