The servant came back with their meal. “Anything to drink?” she asked the moon elf.
“A large bottle of your best gold firewine.”
Danilo’s eyebrows rose. The wine was both potent and expensive. “Are we celebrating or drowning our sorrows?” he asked.
“Do whatever pleases you,” the rogue elf responded, leaning back in his chair. “The firewine is for me.”
“Ah.” The Harper nodded sagely.
“Who’s paying?” the server demanded bluntly.
Before Danilo could reach for his purse, Wyn produced a large gold coin and held it out to the impatient woman. “This should more than cover the cost of the meal and the wine,” he said.
Elaith’s amber eyes narrowed, and he snatched the coin from the gold elf’s hand. After a moment’s scrutiny, he demanded, “Where did you get this?”
“It was given in tribute for an impromptu performance,” Wyn replied, looking both surprised and defensive. “Many of the People make their living with music, and there is no shame in my accepting payment. The gold was rightly earned.”
“Only if you’ve taken up work as a thief or assassin,” Elaith retorted.
“Look, I don’t care how you make the money. Just pass some of it over,” the server demanded.
Danilo handed the woman several silver pieces and waved her on her way. The rogue elf’s words, combined with the size of the coin, reminded him of the coin Arilyn had given him in Tethyr. “How do you know all this?” he asked Elaith. “Seriously,” he added, before the rogue elf could put him off by stating the obvious.
Elaith held out the coin and traced a finger around the circular pattern of runes along the edge. “See these markings? And this shield in the middle of the coin? This is the symbol of the Knights of the Shield, a secret society active mostly in the Southlands—”
“I know who they are,” Danilo interrupted.
“Then you also knew they are sworn enemies of the Lords of Waterdeep. These coins are used for several purposes: as payment, as a tribute for work well done, as a warning when given to an uncooperative lord or merchant, as a means of claiming responsibility for certain violent acts. Some coins even give the name of the agent”
“How do you know so much?” Danilo asked.
“Agents of the Knights show up in Waterdeep from time to time, and I’ve been forced to remove those who get too active,” Elaith admitted freely. “Although I bear little love for the Lords of Waterdeep, the present system works well for me, and it’s in my own best interest to help sustain it”
“Big o’ him,” muttered Morgalla.
“You have reason to believe the Knights of the Shield threaten Waterdeep and her Lords?” Danilo asked.
Elaith nodded. “I’ve spent the night being bombarded with rumors that two new guilds are being organized for thieves and assassins.” When the Harper looked skeptical, Elaith added, “This has been verified by one of my best informants: a highly placed agent of the Kraken Society. His organization is not involved, but they do not disapprove.”
“It must be nice to have friends in low places,” Danilo murmured absently. He claimed Wyn’s coin from the rogue elf and studied it. In the center of the Knights’ distinctive shield was a familiar rune. “I know this symbol!” he exclaimed. “This is the mark of one Lord Hhune of Tethyr. He’s master of the shipping guild there, and I managed to annoy him repeatedly during my sojourn in that land.”
“That I can well imagine,” Elaith said. He looked at the Harper with a touch of amusement. “You may be interested to know that Lord Hhune is now in Waterdeep. By all accounts, he is organizing the city’s thieves and assassins, but he may have time to spare for you. Is he the persistent type, do you think?”
“I can see that your day is made,” Danilo said dryly. He turned to the gold elf. “Who gave you this coin, Wyn?”
“A lady of Tethyr, who came to Blackstaff Tower early this morning seeking the archmage. Her name escapes me, I’m afraid.” The minstrel smiled apologetically. “I was contemplating Lady Laeral’s smile and did not take notice.”
“I won’t pass that on to my uncle. What did this visitor look like?”
Wyn considered. “She was small and slender, with olive skin and large dark eyes. Her nose was narrow and slightly aquiline, and her hair was a gleaming dark chestnut hue, elegantly dressed in coils and ringlets. I found her decolletage a bit extreme, but this is after all Waterdeep.”
“Mercy! I’d love to know what you’d see if you were taking notice. Remind me to ask you about the special properties of your elven heat vision at some later time. Was the lady wearing purple?”
“I believe so. If this is any help, she was seeking the archmage and someone else, as well. I believe the name was—”
“Caladorn?”
“Yes, that’s it The Lady Laeral said that he and Khelben had an appointment to meet this morning. Is that important?”
The Harper nodded slowly as he put together the pieces of information, then he buried his head in his hands. He had to warn Caladorn, but in light of their earlier conversation, the situation was extremely delicate. Before he could confront the lovestruck young lord, he would have to confirm his suspicions.
“What is it?” Morgalla demanded, elbowing Danilo sharply.
He raised weary eyes to his dwarven friend. “You can have my portion of eel pie, Morgalla. I must return to Blackstaff Tower.”
“That ain’t the place to be at mealtime, lessen yer prepared to do the cookin’ yerself,” the dwarf observed.
“Yes. My sentiments precisely, but it can’t be helped. After you eat, Morgalla, why don’t you head down to Virgin’s Square and see what more you can find out about these proposed guilds. Find old Blazidon One-Eye and claim to be looking for work. He knows who’s hiring whom. Also, his bodyguard is a dwarf. Think he might be susceptible to your charm?”
“Never met me a dwarf who wasn’t,” Morgalla replied with a twinkle in her brown eyes. “I’ll meet you back at yer townhouse at sunset”
“What would you like the rest of us to do?” Wyn asked softly.
“Keep looking for the Morninglark harp, of course. It wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye out for Vartain, as well.”
“Rest assured, I’ll find that treacherous buzzard,” Elaith said.
Danilo gazed thoughtfully at the moon elf. If Elaith were to find the sorceress first, the elf would no doubt abscond with the harp, and he would have no hope of reversing the spell. “Why don’t you go along with our partner, Wyn, just to keep things rolling along on the right path?”
Elaith’s silver brows rose, and he nodded approvingly at the Harper. “Very good, young man. There may yet be hope for you.”
“I live for your approval,” Dan said as he rose from his chair. “Now, if you will all excuse me, I must attend to a most unpleasant task.”
“One moment,” Elaith said. The moon elf paused and cast his eyes toward the ceiling, as if he could not believe what he was about to do. “I recognized Lady Thione from the minstrel’s description. Perhaps you should know that one of her servants secretly paid for a satirical performance at the Three Pearls club. The payment was made with Hhune’s marked coin.”
Danilo stared at the elf for a moment, then he nodded his thanks. He left the tavern and made his way quickly to Blackstaff Tower. He found Khelben and Laeral at midday meal, eating more of the lentil stew of which the archmage was so perversely fond.
“Caladorn said he met with you this morning,” Danilo said without preamble. “Is that true?”
Khelben laid down his spoon and fixed keen black eyes on his nephew. “Why do you ask?”
Danilo took a deep breath and threw diplomacy down the cistern. “I need to know whether Caladorn is one of the Lords of Waterdeep.”
“The identities of the Lords are secret You know that”
“There’s no time to hedge! To whom do you think that spell scroll was referring when it spoke of a lord falling on the field of triumph?”