[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
terrupted. "But can we please get back to the subject?"
'Jealous?" Tich'ki prodded.
"No! I just don't want to spend the rest of my life in a
Westerin prison. Or a Westerin graveyard, either'"
"Right." Lydia returned to her musing. "All right.
We agree that it's hard to disguise elves."
Naitachal held up a hand. "To disguise male
elves ..." he corrected slowly. "Particularly serious,
combative types." He turned to look at Eliachanis, who
narrowed his eyes.
"I don't think I like what you're thinking."
Naitachal shrugged. "You're the one who was ..,
interrogating the dancing girls. I'm sure they'd be
happy to help their dear elfy-welty."
"They didn't call me that! And I can't I won't..."
The Dark Elf smiled alarmingly. "You can. You will.
146 Mercedes Lackey (^Josepha Sherman
They did. Listen to me, my friends. I think we're about
to find a way out ofWesterin!"
Kevin squirmed uncomfortably in the saddle of the
riding mule, trying to get the yards and yards of gauzy,
gaudy skirts to spread out properly, grimly trying to
ignore the pretty chiming of little silver bells every dme
he moved.
"Don't squirm, dear," Lydia cooed. "It tears threads."
Kevin glared at her. The warrior was a sugar-sweet
confection, her tanned face softened with powder and
paint, her lithe, muscular form disguised by a frilly
bodice and layer after layer of gauzy skirts in a dozen
shades of pink. A silky cloak of dusty rose shot through
with gold threads was thrown over the whole thing, her
black curls and Tich'ki hidden under its cowl. Yes,
but at least she's a woman! I feel like an idiot.
What made it worse was that he knew he looked
rather alarmingly like a girl in all this frippery: a slight-
ly scrawny one, perhaps, a bit too athletic even for a
dancer, but a girl nevertheless. The bardling rubbed a
reflexive hand over his chin, not sure whether to be
discouraged or glad right now that at almost sixteen he
file:///G|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Me...stle%20of%20Deception%20-%20Bard's%20Tale.txt (111 of 200) [2/2/2004 1:24:47 AM]
file:///G|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Mercedes%20+%20Josepha%20Sherman%20-%20Castle%20of%20Deception%20-%20Bard's%20Tale.txt
still didn't need to shave very often. Smooth cheeks
would help the illusion.
If only the illusion wasn't quite so good!
Eliathanis, riding beside Naitachal, was plainly feel-
ing the same way, sitting his mule in silent misery.
Kevin bit back a laugh. What a pretty girl the White Elf
made!
Both elves were, of course, slim and beardless as all
their kind, and despite Eliathanis' martial calling, their
long, silky hair and elegant, fine-boned faces made it
quite easy for them to pass as women. Naitachal's dark
skin had been lightened to a more nondescript tan with
judicious use of powder, making him look more like a
half-elven hybrid than a perilous Dark Elf.
CASTLE OF DECEPTION 147
Unlike the unhappy Eliathanis, he seemed to be
having a wonderful time.
After
a chance to act silly?
It had been Eliathanis' dancing girls, of course, who
had lent them all this gear, with the understanding that
it would be left for the dancers to gather up again out-
side the walls. The dancers, the bardling decided, were
definitely getting the better of the deal, winding up
with what was left of Lydia's not quite honesdy gained
coins as well as getting their gear back.
Well, actually, it was Councilman Selden who was
paying for the whole thing. In a manner of speaking,
anyhow.
Kevin censed suddenly. There to one side stood
Empty Eyes, the elven leader of the street gang.
"Gently," Naitachal murmured. "You're a harmless
dancing girl, that's all you are." The Dark Elf
straightened slightly, startled, then chuckled. "Well
now, what do you know?" he continued softly. "Our
disguises really do work! Did you feel that slight tin-
glingjust now?"
"Yes."
"That dissipated shame of an elf tried casting a Dis-
pel Magic spell on us!"
Naitachal leaned sideways in the saddle to give
Empty Eyes a flirtatious wink and a blown kiss- Kevin
exploded into laughter, just in time managing to turn it
into girlish titterings.
"L-look at his face! He he he doesn't know
what hit him!"
Naitachal swept back his silky hair with a toss of his
head. "loo skinny for my taste!" he declared in a light
file:///G|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Me...stle%20of%20Deception%20-%20Bard's%20Tale.txt (112 of 200) [2/2/2004 1:24:47 AM]
file:///G|/rah/Mercedes%20Lackey/Lackey,%20Mercedes%20+%20Josepha%20Sherman%20-%20Castle%20of%20Deception%20-%20Bard's%20Tale.txt
tenor so unlike his usual baritone that Kevin burst into
laughter all over again.
Eliathanis shot the Dark Elf a dour glance. "Stop
that! Show some some self-control!"
148 Mercedes Lackey ^SJosepha Sherman
Naitachal grinned. "Loosen up, dear! You look
ravishing."
"Leave me alone, will you? Or are you really enjoy-
ing this?"
The Dark Elf's grin widened. "Of course I am!
Come now, cousin-elf, where's the harm in it? It's
rather fun to play pretend!"
Eliathanis only growled. Kevin wiped his eyes, trying
not to smear his makeup, hearing Tich'ki, there in
Lydia's hair, tittering so hard she was having trouble
catching her breath.
"Straighten up, dears," Lydia cooed. "Here are the
guards. Look pretty, now!"
Kevin tensed all over again, seeing the men's grim-
faced competence, the weapons never far from their
hands, hearing the guards muttering something about
"Selden" and "Those thieves aren't going to get past
us." Sure, their disguise had been good enough Co fool
Empty Eyes, who had probably been drunk or half-
drugged anyhow. But these were sharp-eyed
professionals. Could it possibly fool them as well?
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]