Elfshadow

Deliberately taking no notice of her, Danilo murmured, "Dragonbreath." The flint in his hand disappeared and bright flames burst from the wood, sending a spray of golden sparks into the night sky. After the initial burst, the magic fire immediately settled down and became a cozy, crackling blaze.

"Didn't I tell you not to do that?"

Danilo rose and turned, hands in pockets, to face the furious half-elf. "You might have," he drawled. "I can't imagine why, though."

"I don't like magic fire, that's all." Arilyn settled herself crosslegged on the ground and began to prepare a spit. She removed the leaves from a branch and started to whittle the end of the green stick into a sharp point.

"Can I help with anything?"

The half-elf tossed the partridges to Danilo, indicating that he was to pluck the birds. The nobleman briskly set about the task. When the spit was ready, Arilyn glanced up. "Aren't you done with those birds yet?" she asked sharply.

Danilo handed her the first partridge. The half-elf spitted the bird and rather gingerly put the stick over the fire.

It was as good an opening as any. "Really, my dear," Danilo said as he busily plucked the second partridge, "don't you think that your aversion to magic fire is a little foolish?"

"Foolish!" Arilyn's eyes flared. She sat down and wrapped her arms tightly around her knees. "You are a fine one to use such words. Everything is a game for you. Magic is for parlor tricks, the Harper Assassin is merely a subject for your third-rate songs."

"Perhaps 'foolish' was an unfortunate choice of words," Danilo said.

Seeing that the second partridge was ready, the half-elf took it from the nobleman. Removing the spit from the fire, she put the second bird to roast. When her task was completed she turned to Danilo again. Her face seemed more composed, but her elven eyes burned with anger and remembered pain.

"Magic fire went awry during the Time of Troubles. Many died, many good people…" Her voice faded away.

"Someone you knew?" Danilo asked softly.

Arilyn nodded. "I traveled at the time with a group of adventurers called the Hammerfell Seven. One of them was a mage. She attempted to use a fireball spell against an ogre. The whole party went up in flames. Except me, obviously," she concluded bitterly.

"I wonder why you escaped?"

Arilyn ignored his question. "I don't suppose you've ever seen magic fire used in battle. I have. The devastation war wizards create is beyond imagination. You should see what Thay's Red Wizards have done to parts of Rashemen, or what the Alliance's mages did to the Tuigan during King Azoun's crusade against the barbarians. But then, none of the Waterdhavian nobility thought the crusade important enough-" Arilyn broke off and hurled a stick into the fire. "You are so pampered, so protected, so comfortable. You can't possibly understand me, so don't sit in judgment and pronounce me foolish for fearing what you ca

For several moments the only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the cry of a hunting owl. "Perhaps you're right," Danilo conceded. "I know little of an adventurer's life. I am, however, somewhat of an authority on women."

His comment surprised an exasperated hiss from Arilyn. "I don't doubt it. Your expertise means little to me. I am not a woman, but an elf."

"A half-elven woman. That's close enough."

"Really. Do you care to share any of your profound insights?" Her sarcasm was as sharp as a dagger's edge.

"If you'd like," Danilo said casually, and he pointed to the moonblade. "Take that sword, for example. You're a little afraid of it, aren't you?"

Arilyn drew herself up, as outraged as Danilo had intended her to be. "Of course not! Why would you say such a thing?"

"I've been thinking about some of the things Elaith Craulnobur said. It seems unusual that you know so little about your sword. By all accounts, it should be capable of a great deal of magic, and you barely tap the keg."

"Trust you to use an expression involving ale," Arilyn said with derision.

"Don't change the subject, my dear. Magic-including magic fire-is a fact of life, a reliable and powerful tool."

"Reliable? Ha!" Arilyn's face was tight with fury. "If you'd seen your friends die by fire during the Time of Troubles, you'd change your thinking."

"Waterdeep did not go unscathed during that unfortunate period," Danilo reminded her mildly. "From all accounts, it was quite nasty. Waterdeep suffered street battles with denizens of the underworld, the destruction of a god or two, and the resultant flattening of a good chunk of the city."

"From all accounts?" she repeated. "Where were you when all this happened?"

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "In the basement of the family estate, drinking." She glared at him, and he added defensively, "It seemed the only sane thing to do at the time."

Arilyn sniffed and fell silent. After several moments, she glanced at her a

"Since you don't agree with my observations, allow me to prove that my instincts are correct."

"Go ahead," she said.

"Remove the spit and walk through the fire."

The half-elf gasped. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

"No," he said thoughtfully. "I don't think so. I'm quite certain you can do it without injury or I wouldn't suggest it. I'm so certain, in fact, that I'm prepared to make you an offer. You've been trying to rid yourself of me for some time now, haven't you?"

"How perceptive."

Danilo held up his hands. "If I'm wrong about this, I'll leave. Tonight."

Arilyn stared at him. He looked serious. Nodding, she abruptly rose to her feet. Scorched boots would be a small price to pay to rid herself of Danilo Tha

She removed the spit and handed their sizzling meal to the nobleman, then stepped directly into the middle of the campfire and out the other side. The burning sticks crunched under her boot, sending sparks flying around her. A few bits of burning wood and ash landed on the sleeve of her shirt. Arilyn quickly moved to brush them off, but other sparks clung to the legs of her trousers like tiny glowing lanterns. She noted that the fabric did not even blacken.

The half-elf dropped to her knees beside the campfire. She thrust her hand into the flames and kept it there. There was a sensation of heat, but no pain. She sat back on her heels and glared at Danilo. "You enspelled the fire."

In response, the dandy reached into his magic sack and pulled out a pair of gloves. He slipped one on and stuck his hand into the fire. The smell of burned kidskin filled the air. Danilo stripped off the scorched glove and tossed it into her lap. "You owe me a new pair," he said lightly.

Arilyn stared down at the ruined glove. "Do you mind telling me what this is about?"

"Isn't is obvious? You are magically protected from fire. The tragedy of the Hammerfell Seven, not to mention your little stroll through the campfire, proves that. Really, my dear, it's not like you to be so dense."

Her laughter held little amusement. "Oh, that's rich, coming from you."

"Let me put this another way: would you care to repeat the exercise, this time without the moonblade?" He crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow.

After a moment of silence, Arilyn raised her hand in the gesture of a fencer acknowledging a hit. Danilo pressed his point. "Your aversion to magic fire gives you a blind spot. The sword obviously has one ability you didn't consider. Isn't it possible that there are others?"

"I suppose."

"Well, let's find out what they are, shall we?"

Arilyn replaced the spitted birds over the fire with the air of one determined to attend to practicalities. "I have more pressing duties."