"It was frightening," Mericlou said in a small voice. "I didn't notice it when I came into town, but when I was leaving, I felt their stares all around me. For a moment, I thought that they were all going to pounce on me!"

"No, they wouldn't do that." Aldrec said shaking his head resolutely. "It's not their way. What they were trying to do is to tell you, in no uncertain terms, that you're not welcome there anymore. They were not just staring at you, Mericlou, but they were also casting a mild spell of warding. I could feel it in the air as I came to you."

"Well, I don't care that I love you," Mericlou said defiantly. "They can send as many messages as they want to; I'll still come into their town. I don't buy anything there anyway. They have a problem with it; they can-"

"I don't care that I love you either," Aldrec interrupted, both tenderly and sternly, "but determination alone won't be enough to stop them. The more you show yourself, the stronger they'll make the spell, until they figure that you are either ignorant or too stupid to get the message. Then they'll bring it up full-force. It will become a magical barrier, and keep both you and me out."

"But … your garden!" Mericlou said, not even trying to hide her horror. "If they do that, then neither one of us will be able to take care of it. Will we have to move the plants? Will you just let them die?"

"Now, now, Tulyr," Aldrec said, and grinned mischievously." Whoever said that a spell … or to be more exact, its casters … can't be outsmarted?" He then removed a small silver vial from his hip satchel.

"This potion will envelop your body in a cloak of illusion," he explained, handing it to Mericlou. "It makes an image around you; in your case, I made it into that of an elf maiden. The feelings that elves get from each other are very general, and so when they see you again, they will think it's just another elf in love."

"Aldrec, that's amazing!" Mericlou said, inspecting the vial before placing it into her satchel. Will it really work?"

"I tested it this morning," Aldrec said. "It works perfectly. It only takes one tiny drop on the nose, and the effects last for five hours: more than enough time for you to get into Skainhart, take care of the garden, and leave. Seeing someone else instead of you, they'll think that you got the message, that you're gone forever, and no one will be the wiser."




Most Popular