Read Online When Elves Die : Episode One by Richard Poche - Free Book Online Page A

and more from you. And when you can't deliver
anymore they discard you like an old scarf.”
    “I used this spell,” he said, pointing at a page in
Arcanscape. “To make an object levitate. Used forks and spoons
mostly. I used it as a crutch after my healing ability was gone. I
wanted the elves to think I still had a gift.”
    Zanfire closed the book of Arcanscape and laid it on
Carella's belongings.
    “I never told anyone I had the gift,” Carella said.
“I had everyone, even Iangold, thinking that I was merely casting
spells from this book. I remember when I first discovered I could
heal. It was when my cat was missing. Woodrin. I called out for him
and heard all of this squealing near the pond. So I ran over and
there he was, biting down on a rat's neck. But the rat was still
alive and was trying to squirm his way free. Woodrin was a really
small cat and I was worried that the rat would hurt him so I tried
to pry him free and then Woodrin loosened his hold. But then the
rat clawed Woodrin in the neck with his hind feet. His claws just
ripped his throat. He howled in pain and convulsed, choking on his
own blood. So I laid my hands on him and petted him and didn't know
what to do but then it happened. My hands felt like they weren't my
own anymore. I felt...this heat...I looked down and my cat's throat
just healed itself. Within a few moments he was up and purring like
nothing ever happened. Then he ran back to the pond to look for
more rats. I thought I was imagining things. But it became real. I
knew I could heal by touch.”
    “Excuse me,” a woman poked her head in the tent. “My
name is Megwyn. I'm here with my daughter, Krislynn. May we have a
moment of your time please?”
    The princess nodded her head and Zanfire waved her
in.
    Megwyn wore a long brown gown with a sleeveless
tunic. She ran her fingers through her hair, self-conscious about
her appearance. Krislynn, nine years old, wore a long sleeved white
tunic over a blue dress. She clutched a small knitted bear with
both hands.
    “I'll be outside,” said Zanfire as he stepped
out.
    “I'm so sorry to bother you,” Megwyn said. “But
yesterday, before you healed that man you sang a song so that was
so sweet. It did something to me...It was so soothing... But my
daughter is deaf. I was wondering...I mean...I heard rumors that
you can heal afflictions...I was wondering if you can make my
daughter hear again.”
    “I don't know,” Carella said.
    “Please.” Megwyn handed Carella a small pouch of
emeralds. “I wish I had more to offer. I am a widow but my husband
left me with some jewels he bought in-”
    “Stop.” Carella waved away the woman's gift and
motioned for Krislynn to come forward. As the girl walked toward
her, Carella knelt down and they looked at each other eye to eye.
She tried to take hold of the bear but the girl resisted.
    “She reads lips,” Megwyn said.
    “Can I hold him?”
    The girl hesitated but then let Carella take away
the toy. The princess planted a kiss on the bear and the girl
smiled. Carella placed the toy on the ground and then covered the
girl's ears with her own hands.
    “Close your eyes,” Carella said, her face a mirror
of the girl's own playful smile.
    Krislynn shut her eyes.
    “When elves die,” Carella began singing. “The birds
all cry...”
     
    A line grew outside of Carella's tent. Zanfire
thought he should send all of the elves away and tell them that
Carella had come down with an illness. He did not want the entire
elven world to come to the princess looking for a miracle.
    A blind woman stood waiting, arm in arm with her
son.
    “My mother can no longer see,” the woman's son said
to Zanfire. “We heard that Carella is the giver of miracles. Is
this true?”
    “It is,” bellowed a deep voice from the back.
Zanfire recognized the man as Xavros, the half-breed that Carella
healed of vampirism. “I want to thank her. There was a demon inside
me that I couldn't control. It was so strong. I just