Li Sung looked back at theelephant, but Danor was now ignoring them, siphoning and spraying water onhimself. "Selfish beast. Look at him enjoy himself. He does not have tolabor from sunrise to sundown."
In spite of the content of thewords, Jane noticed a lack of antagonism that was usually present in Li Sung'stone when he spoke of Danor. It was as if that moment in the lake had washedaway more than the mud encasing her friend.
Li Sung frowned when he lookedat Jane. "What are you smiling about now?"
She started across the marshtoward the track where Dilam stood waiting, a broad grin on her face. "WasI smiling?"
Danor was there again,standing in the shadows of the trees across the clearing.
Li Sung turned over on hisside and pulled his blankets up to his neck, deliberately ignoring theelephant.
The stupid beast could staythere all night, as he had for the past three nights. He would pay no attentionto him. He needed his sleep.
The elephant was stillwatching him.
Li Sung muttered a curse andtossed aside his blanket. He moved past the sleeping workers as he stalkedtoward Danor. "Goaway."
The elephant took a stepcloser to Li Sung.
"Have you nothing betterto do than torment me? Go take care of your baby or something."
The elephant made a soft,rumbling sound deep in his throat.
"I do not want you. Whatuse do I have for an elephant?"
Danor's trunk reached out andgently, tentatively, touched his cheek.
"Stop it!" Li Sungstepped back.
Danor stepped forward, histrunk moving caressingly down Li Sung's body.
Togetherness. Affection.Serenity. Li Sung closed his eyes as the same emotions he had experienced thatmoment in the river surged through him.
"I do not want—" Hestopped with a sigh of resignation. "But you do not care what I want, doyou? Perhaps you do not want it either. Maybe you do miss your mate. We willhave to see if we can't find you another." He touched Danor's trunk. It wasrough and leathery, yet oddly comforting, like touching the bark of a treegrown in a beloved childhood garden. "All right, we will try to befriends. It is not impossible we may find a common— no!"
He was lifted high and thenext moment deposited on the elephant's back. "This is too much. I did notwant you to—"
Togetherness, bonding, andsomething else…
Power.
He had never felt so strong orso complete.
Danor began to walk slowlyacross the glade toward the herd, his gait smooth, almost rolling. He felt nopain as he did when mounted on a horse or mule, Li Sung realized withamazement. His bad leg was lifted and held at an angle that was without strain.He felt whole again, as he had as a boy before he had become a cripple.
A wild sense of exhilarationflowed through him. He lifted his face and felt the wind touch his cheeks andsomething else touch his soul.Makhol?It did not seem such a bizarreidea now. He didn't know what bond there was between them, but he knew he hadnever been more content or alive than at that moment.
"Jane! Wake up!
Li Sung's voice, Jane realizedsleepily, but there was something strange…
"Jane!"
She came fully awake and thenext moment she was off her cot and at the tent entrance. "What's wrong?Is there—"
Li Sung sat on Danor's backjust a few yards from her tent. "Li Sung!" she whispered.
"I wanted to share itwith you," he said simply.
