Elf Sight Read Online Free Page B

stay out of any possible trouble. Escaping the tavern was meant to save them, not put them in more danger. When she thought it was safe, she crept around the outside of the camp, staying in the trees. When she felt she was far enough away from where the conversation had been held, she walked into the camp and lined up for dinner.
    “Where’ve you been?” Irlan demanded as they found a place to eat.
    Shadow shook her head. She couldn’t mention what she’d heard. That’d be completely insane. And what had she heard anyway? Nothing really.
    “Don’t give me the silent treatment. I was worried something had happened to you.”
    “I shouldn’t talk. Who knows who’s listening.” Shadow couldn’t stop thinking of the bits of conversation she’d heard. They made her food sit heavy in her stomach.
    “No wandering off on your own again. Anything could happen.”
    Shadow nodded. She wasn’t going to argue that order. She didn’t want to put herself in the path of any more secret conversations. She didn’t have a death wish.

Chapter Five
    The following week passed in a blur. Shadow was too tired to even want to talk to her brother half the time. Although, towards the end of the week, she managed to last till after dinner before dropping off to sleep.
    Each day they rose at dawn, packed, ate and moved out. The midday meal was eaten on horseback and they rode until the light started to fade from the sky. While the soldiers set up camp, Irlan brushed horses and Shadow collected firewood. On this particular evening, when Shadow dropped another bundle of wood by the fire, she glanced at the map the General and Captain pored over. As the General spoke, his finger traced a line on the map. Shadow stared at the map. When Carson looked up at her, she hurried away. She still didn’t know if she should trust him. And why did they need a captain and a general for such a small group of soldiers?
    “You’ve got to look at the map and tell them it’s been changed by magic,” Shadow told Irlan, who still brushed the horses.
    “I can’t do that. They’ll want to know where the path is,” Irlan argued.
    Shadow squatted in the dirt and drew in the path they followed, then the path magic had made disappear. “Tell them if they let you have some parchment and ink you’ll do an accurate copy.”
    “How am I meant to do that?”
    “I’ll do it if you can get them to leave you alone,” Shadow said. “Oh hurry. It looks like they’re finishing up.”
    Irlan leapt to his feet and hurried over to the fire. He reached them just before the last bit of map was rolled up. “Wait!” He reached out towards the map, but Carson was there between him and his goal.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” Carson demanded.
    “I thought I saw something on the map. Magic,” Irlan said. Carson stepped back and Farnell unrolled the map. “Yes! It’s definitely been changed by magic. Look, here’s the path you see. This is the path I see.” He ran his finger across the map. He glanced up at Shadow who had come to stand with them and she gave the slightest of nods.
    Farnell rose to his feet and ran his fingers through his close cropped hair. He spat out a few curse words before turning back to Irlan. “I want you to fix the map.”
    “I can draw you a new one,” Irlan suggested.
    Farnell shook his head. “Fix this one. Draw in the line where it should be.”
    Irlan glanced towards Shadow and this time she shook her head. “It can’t be done. I’d have to start with fresh parchment. This one’s been changed too much. The magic would interfere with the drawing.”
    Shadow almost grinned at her brother. She had to admire the way he could sometimes come up with excuses on the spur of the moment. She guessed it came from regularly trying to outwit their Pa and his many rules.
    “How do we know you’re not leading us off the path? It was convenient you turned up when you did. Are you certain this moment isn’t what you’ve been