– 5 –
Open Sesame
Once the last member of our peculiar group joined us, we went back to walking in line.I had Karim in front of me and Deidre and Tisvali–now dressed, braided, and armed like the others–behind me.
The more we progressed toward our task, the more nervous I became about what was about to happen.The friendly banter between Tisvali and Deidre was, therefore, a welcome distraction.
“Hey, what was that for?”he exclaimed when she pushed in front of him with an elbow.She prevented him from taking the third position in the line, right behind me.
“You ain’t gonna spend our climb staring at Jasmine’s well-shapedbutt.”
“I intended to walk behind Karim!”
“No can do.That would prevent Jasmine from spending our climb staring at Karim’s well-shaped legs.”
“What is wrong withmylegs?”
“You have your human father’s legs, that’s what’s wrong.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I can throw a ball, and it will pass right between your legs.No need for you to spread them at all.”
I started coughing, hoping I could hide my bubbling laughter.
“You all right, Jasmine?”Deidre’s amused tone revealed I hadn’t fooled her.
“You’re accusing me of having my father’s legs?”Tisvali snorted.“That’s funny, coming from the Lake Lady who has legs as hairy as her mother’s.”
“At least I have the sticky means to fix my legs.There is no fixing yours.”
“Borella likes my legs just fine.”
“You ever wonder why?”
“Why?”
“Because they give her the perfect escape route from your dirty moss.”
“My moss is not dirty!”
“Totally is.I saw it up close when I shoved Borella’s face in it.”
“Maybe I should shoveyourface in it.”
“You could try,” she teased.
“I just might,” he teased right back.“And if the latest sparring session is any indication, I will succeed.”
“Dream on!”
The conversation continued in the same playful manner.Having a human parent must have brought Tisvali and Deidre closer, given how elves looked down on my kind.
Was Karim half-human, too?His muscular, broad frame and the company he kept, me included, said as much.
He kept quiet throughout our walk, which took us closer tothe surface, if the incline of thestreetswas any indication.
Deidre and Tisvali fell silent, too, when we approached two guards standing in front of a stone wall.Attached to it was a ladder made out of vines that led to a vegetation-covered ceiling.
