Chapter 6

"You admit then that you have been too lax with him?" Dhynelle asked.

The High Witch concealed her displeasure. "There is no need to worry. He is, after all, within a barrier and is warded."

Although Khyrhyelle's answer offered her little comfort, Dhynelle did not think it wise to pursue it. "How shall we proceed?"

The High Witch wasted little time in responding. "We will give him the rest of this evening and most of tomorrow to contemplate what has transpired today. If Uriel has not asked to speak with us by the rising of both moons on the morrow, I will go speak to him, alone."

§

Uriel gazed out of the slit that was his window, recalling a previous life in another room, staring out another window. That, however, was not something he wished to dwell on, so he turned his attention back to the immediate situation.

Uriel was much more comfortable in his new room. Although it was only slightly larger than his room in the dungeon, the room had a bed, wall hangings and a couple of books (which he was shocked he could read). He was almost ungrateful for it, though. He thought it might make him complacent and take the edge off his thinking. Only the floating symbols of the wards reminded him his status was not quite that of an expected and welcomed guest.

He had spent an uneventful night contemplating his supposed resurrection of the unicorn. It scared him just to think about it. He wanted to believe that he did not do what the witches had said. But inside, he knew it to be true. It very closely paralleled his willing the dead tree of the left hand Path to bear a leaf. He fell asleep certain that he had done it and could do it again, but not knowing how.