The sun had moved now behind clouds, a wind picked up from the west, carrying the scent of the fresh sea air.
"I hope they have finished packing." Teleperien says with concern as she looks up into the sky. "I believe we may see rain. Let's go see about Toby." She looks around and catches a healer as she hurries by.
"Do you know where Toby is?"
"You mean the one with the strange red....thing ....with him?" "Yes." Tele suppresses a smile "that's him"
The healer points to the edge of the field, where he is still on the stretcher. Max, ever present tries to hover next to him in spite of his many dents and to Tele's sharp hearing, some buzzes and snaps. Toby's eyes are closed, just seeming to rest. Tele gently touches his arm.
"How are you?" She asks quietly. Gwindor and Erwyn stand next to her, silently listening.
Toby's eyes open, but there was something different. Older perhaps in the eyes, something around him. Tele couldn't put her finger on it, but the change was there.
"All right, I guess." He gives a wry smile."One hell of a hangover."
"You out did yourself Master Toby." She returns his smile. Erwyn shifts her position....her eyes intent on Toby.
"Oh I think we went way past that point." His grin still in place. More seriously he asks; "So....how bad is it out there?"
Unable to contain herself, Erwyn asks; "What is it I sense Mother?"
Tele only glances at Erwyn with some surprise but answers Toby's question.
"Many were lost mostly those not used to battle. Villagers avenging their own loss."
Toby looked disquieted by this report. It grieved Tele; it must hit those close even harder.
Gwindor speaks now. "The elves and dwarves took fewer loss, for they had skill with sword, bow and axe."
"Did I cause any of that?" "No, you did not; in fact you helped by drawing attention to yourself."
Toby visibly relaxes.
"I made quite a mess, huh?" Though Tele could tell it was not really a question.
"You did" She responds with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. "But the forest has been healed and hopefully some day you should see it without the damage."
With some concern in his voice Toby asks; "And Xenograg, and Murelle?"
"They are resting, Xenograg has been removed to his home and Murelle is under the vigilant care of the spacer Miles"
He glanced at her somewhat oddly. "Removed to?"
"I am sorry, he was taken home, badly wounded I'm afraid, but not to death. The battle drained me and this type of injury from such a creature is not easily healed. Miles helped there. His knowledge of what to do equaled any healer in my service. Xenograg went home to be seen by his own physicians." A look of anguish passed through her face. "As far as Murelle is concerned, she was not as badly wounded; Xeno took the full brunt of the creature's force when its horrible head exploded. Miles seems to know what he is doing with her, so I left him to it." Almost in an anguished whisper "Because I can't."
Shaking herself out of her thoughts she changes the subject. "So, what do you want to do now Master Toby return to the castle or head for your own home" You are welcome to stay as long as you wish"
He looks up at the sky as he thought about the offer. Tele looked up to the sky, the clouds were moving quickly. Toby finally answers sincerely.
"I appreciate the offer. But I have three little girls who were promised that Daddy was going to come back to them....and that's a promise I need to keep". "Of course, I understand."
"It's been" he gives a crooked smile. "Fun...we'll have to do this again sometime. Only without all the devastation."
Tele chuckles at this. "One never knows in this strange land. Oh, one thing you should know."
Toby looks up at her with a quizzed face. "Erwyn can see your " glow. Interesting since I cannot. She will be like her father. She is not just an elf of the Noldar, but will be a mage as well. Now, I need to know what to do with her." Tele smiles at Erwyn.
"Heh." He gives a slight smile. "I'm almost afraid to ask just what it is that you see..."
Erwyn steps forward. "Just a light that fades into dark. Not much more than that. I just noticed it as we walked up to see you. That is all."
"One last thing....say goodbye to Murelle for me" And tell her I hope to see her around the spaceport soon." Toby asks.
"I will. I don't doubt she will make a good recovery. I can speed things along once I get my strength back. I wish I could do more for you? Toby thinks about this for a moment. "I don't think there's anything you have to do, now. I just have to get used to a new ....me."
Tele nods solemnly. "Do you have the strength to go back on your own, or do you require help of a portal stone?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna need the help." He replies. Tele doesn't comment, but reaches in her pocket and pulls out a small red gem.
"Take this, it's a portal stone."
He looks over at Max then takes the stone from her long, slender hand. Toby examines it carefully. "How, er....how does it..?"
"Just drop it on the ground, while you think about where you want to go, the portal will open up the gate to your home."
"Will it take him too?" He asks looking at the rather pitiful damaged droid. "Of course!" She responds cheerfully. "It will remain open until the stone is picked up, giving ...Max....time to travel. Of course Eldicor will pay for restoration of Max, it's the least we can do for you. Be certain to send the bill. Oh, and be sure to pick up the stone so it closes the portal."
Toby stands up rather slowly, he got his balance and only once he was sure he was going to *stay* upright, did he speak. "You know, I usually don't have any use for authority figures." He give another wry but genuine smile. "Might have to reconsider that, if they're more like you."
He attempts a bow, but not too much, his head obviously ached. Tele puts her hand on a shoulder. "Go in peace my friend. Eldicor will not forget."
With a smile, he drops the stone next to Max. "I'll be seeing you." His hand went as if to tip his fedora to her; forgetting he'd not brought it with him. With a black and violet tinged flashed the man and the machine both disappear into the portal.
Tele sighs with weariness she looks at Gwindor and Erwyn. "Let us return home."
"I hope they have finished packing." Teleperien says with concern as she looks up into the sky. "I believe we may see rain. Let's go see about Toby." She looks around and catches a healer as she hurries by.
"Do you know where Toby is?"
"You mean the one with the strange red....thing ....with him?" "Yes." Tele suppresses a smile "that's him"
The healer points to the edge of the field, where he is still on the stretcher. Max, ever present tries to hover next to him in spite of his many dents and to Tele's sharp hearing, some buzzes and snaps. Toby's eyes are closed, just seeming to rest. Tele gently touches his arm.
"How are you?" She asks quietly. Gwindor and Erwyn stand next to her, silently listening.
Toby's eyes open, but there was something different. Older perhaps in the eyes, something around him. Tele couldn't put her finger on it, but the change was there.
"All right, I guess." He gives a wry smile."One hell of a hangover."
"You out did yourself Master Toby." She returns his smile. Erwyn shifts her position....her eyes intent on Toby.
"Oh I think we went way past that point." His grin still in place. More seriously he asks; "So....how bad is it out there?"
Unable to contain herself, Erwyn asks; "What is it I sense Mother?"
Tele only glances at Erwyn with some surprise but answers Toby's question.
"Many were lost mostly those not used to battle. Villagers avenging their own loss."
Toby looked disquieted by this report. It grieved Tele; it must hit those close even harder.
Gwindor speaks now. "The elves and dwarves took fewer loss, for they had skill with sword, bow and axe."
"Did I cause any of that?" "No, you did not; in fact you helped by drawing attention to yourself."
Toby visibly relaxes.
"I made quite a mess, huh?" Though Tele could tell it was not really a question.
"You did" She responds with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. "But the forest has been healed and hopefully some day you should see it without the damage."
With some concern in his voice Toby asks; "And Xenograg, and Murelle?"
"They are resting, Xenograg has been removed to his home and Murelle is under the vigilant care of the spacer Miles"
He glanced at her somewhat oddly. "Removed to?"
"I am sorry, he was taken home, badly wounded I'm afraid, but not to death. The battle drained me and this type of injury from such a creature is not easily healed. Miles helped there. His knowledge of what to do equaled any healer in my service. Xenograg went home to be seen by his own physicians." A look of anguish passed through her face. "As far as Murelle is concerned, she was not as badly wounded; Xeno took the full brunt of the creature's force when its horrible head exploded. Miles seems to know what he is doing with her, so I left him to it." Almost in an anguished whisper "Because I can't."
Shaking herself out of her thoughts she changes the subject. "So, what do you want to do now Master Toby return to the castle or head for your own home" You are welcome to stay as long as you wish"
He looks up at the sky as he thought about the offer. Tele looked up to the sky, the clouds were moving quickly. Toby finally answers sincerely.
"I appreciate the offer. But I have three little girls who were promised that Daddy was going to come back to them....and that's a promise I need to keep". "Of course, I understand."
"It's been" he gives a crooked smile. "Fun...we'll have to do this again sometime. Only without all the devastation."
Tele chuckles at this. "One never knows in this strange land. Oh, one thing you should know."
Toby looks up at her with a quizzed face. "Erwyn can see your " glow. Interesting since I cannot. She will be like her father. She is not just an elf of the Noldar, but will be a mage as well. Now, I need to know what to do with her." Tele smiles at Erwyn.
"Heh." He gives a slight smile. "I'm almost afraid to ask just what it is that you see..."
Erwyn steps forward. "Just a light that fades into dark. Not much more than that. I just noticed it as we walked up to see you. That is all."
"One last thing....say goodbye to Murelle for me" And tell her I hope to see her around the spaceport soon." Toby asks.
"I will. I don't doubt she will make a good recovery. I can speed things along once I get my strength back. I wish I could do more for you? Toby thinks about this for a moment. "I don't think there's anything you have to do, now. I just have to get used to a new ....me."
Tele nods solemnly. "Do you have the strength to go back on your own, or do you require help of a portal stone?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna need the help." He replies. Tele doesn't comment, but reaches in her pocket and pulls out a small red gem.
"Take this, it's a portal stone."
He looks over at Max then takes the stone from her long, slender hand. Toby examines it carefully. "How, er....how does it..?"
"Just drop it on the ground, while you think about where you want to go, the portal will open up the gate to your home."
"Will it take him too?" He asks looking at the rather pitiful damaged droid. "Of course!" She responds cheerfully. "It will remain open until the stone is picked up, giving ...Max....time to travel. Of course Eldicor will pay for restoration of Max, it's the least we can do for you. Be certain to send the bill. Oh, and be sure to pick up the stone so it closes the portal."
Toby stands up rather slowly, he got his balance and only once he was sure he was going to *stay* upright, did he speak. "You know, I usually don't have any use for authority figures." He give another wry but genuine smile. "Might have to reconsider that, if they're more like you."
He attempts a bow, but not too much, his head obviously ached. Tele puts her hand on a shoulder. "Go in peace my friend. Eldicor will not forget."
With a smile, he drops the stone next to Max. "I'll be seeing you." His hand went as if to tip his fedora to her; forgetting he'd not brought it with him. With a black and violet tinged flashed the man and the machine both disappear into the portal.
Tele sighs with weariness she looks at Gwindor and Erwyn. "Let us return home."