Ralph and the Pixie

Doc was not easily moved, but Malina had spoken often of Finli, and he now understood the reason. ‘Malina told me you saved her life, more than once,’ Doc told him. ‘She told me that you had often placed yourself at great risk on her behalf, and she worried that anything might happen to you. I am sorry that you missed her while she was here.’

Only the Thane was surprised at this. ‘Finli! Then the Prince was right. You did lie, right to his face. That was bravely done!’

Raising an eyebrow, Finli said, ‘The Prince told you about that, eh?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said the Thane, ‘in no uncertain terms. He knew you’d lied, too, though he couldn’t prove it. You’re lucky he didn’t have you skinned alive, though I daresay either Pran or myself might have done the same to him.’

Finli smiled sadly at the mention of Pran’s name. ‘I could not but notice with relief that he had ended his solitary vigil at those woods near to that isolated spot Malina called a home after he had sent her away.’

The Thane’s sombre, guarded nod, Doc realised, carried an implicit warning not to discuss the matter further, though he could not help but place a great weight on those words left unspoken. Clearing his throat, thinking to change the subject, he said, ‘Why am I left with the impression that everyone’s working in secret generates as many problems as it deals with?’