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.He did not see the patrol leader, behind him, look hard at one of the elven warriors and nod deliberately.The warrior nodded back, knelt in the ferns, touched his hand to the breast of his armor—and faded away.Now that he was among elves who were afoot, unhurt, and not rushing about in battle, El thought with a shiver, he'd best see how they moved.Did he stand out as an impostor? Or do all who walk upright stagger alike, when weary?Adding a stumble or two, lest the patrol be watching him, El went on through the trees; huge forest giants soared to the sky, their canopy a hundred feet above him, or more.The ground was rising, and there was an open, sunlit area beyond.Perhaps here he could.And then he stopped, dumbfounded, and stared.The sun was bright on the fair towers of Cormanthor before him.Their slender spires rose wherever no gigantic tree stood—and there were many such—and stretched away farther than he could see, in a splendor of leaping bridges, hanging gardens, and elves on flying steeds.The blue glows of mighty magic shone everywhere, even in the brightness of full day, and gentle music wafted to him.El let out a deep sigh of admiration as the music swelled around him, and started walking again.He'd have to be on his guard every moment that he walked amid the Towers of Song.Now that was a change, eh?Four Home Again The HunterMore than one ballad of our People tells of Elminster Aumar of Athalantar gawking at the splendors of beautiful Cormanthor upon his first sight of them, and how he was so breathtaken that he spent an entire day just walking the streets, drinking in the glories of the Cormanthor that was.Sometimes 'tis a pity that ballads lie a lot.Shalheira Talandren, High Elven Bard of Summerstar from Silver Blades And Summer Nights: An Informal But True History of Cormanthor published in The Year of the HarpIn the floating dome of varicolored glass, sunlight shot the air through with beams of rose-red, emerald, and blue.A helmed head, turning, flashed back purple, and that burst of light was enough; its wearer did not have to speak to bid his comrade come and look.Together the two elven guards peered down at the northern edge of the city, beneath their floating post.A lone figure trudged into the streets with the air of dazed weariness usually displayed by captives or exhausted messengers who'd lost their winged steeds days ago, and been forced to continue afoot.Or rather, not so "lone;" not far behind the staggering elf came a second figure, following the first.This one was a patrol warrior cloaked in magical invisibility that might well serve to fool the eyes of anyone not wearing helms like those of the two watching guards.Guards who now exchanged meaningful glances waved together at a crystal sphere that floated near at hand, and leaned forward to listen.The crystal chimed softly, and there was suddenly noise in the dome: a hubbub of various musical airs, soft voices chattering, and the rumble and clatter of a distant cart.The guards inclined their heads intently for a time, and then shrugged in unison.The weary elf wasn't talking to any of the folk hurrying past him.And neither was his shadow.The guards exchanged glances again.One of them spread his hands in a "what can we do?" gesture.The intruder—if it was someone not of Cormanthor—had an escort already.That meant some patrol leader who'd had a chance to speak with the lone elf, and see him more clearly, had been suspicious.Perhaps two senior members of the Watchful and Vigilant should be too.Yet this could be no more than a private intrigue, and the lone elf had walked straight through the veil of revelation spell without it reacting in the slightest.The other guard answered the spread-hands gesture with a dismissive wave, and turned to the querph tree behind him, plucking some of the succulent sapphire-hued berries.The first guard held out his open hand for some, and passed over the duty-bowl of mint water.A moment later, the elf with the invisible escort was forgotten.*****He knew what he was looking for
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