Tallis looked down for a moment at Bentius. The mercenary struggled with his injured knee, too agonized to speak. “Can we talk now?” he asked the woman.
“I’m here now.” Haedrun stared daggers at Soneste. “Is this waif a friend of yours?”
Tallis met Soneste’s eyes. If he says I’m working for the Justice Ministry, she thought, this will end here. Haedrun was probably an outlaw like him and wanted nothing to do with Korth’s authorities. Soneste returned his gaze, hoping her expression was unreadable. He won’t tell the truth, she felt sure.
“Can I trust you?” he asked.
“If you’re not even certain-” Haedrun began.
“I want what you want. Justice, not scapegoating. I’m your chance to prove yourself innocent.” Soneste pointed a thumb at Aegis. “He’s with me.”
Tallis looked them both over carefully. “Fine.” He nodded to the Karrn woman. “She’s a friend.”
“Wonderful,” Haedrun said. “Maybe we can invite General Thauram too?”
Soneste allowed herself a sense of relief. In truth, Tallis had likely agreed so he could keep an eye on her. He couldn’t know what else she knew. Unless he wanted another fight, he had little choice in the matter.
Tallis pulled a small potion vial from his coat. He looked around to see if anyone else was watching or listening. “Your answer?” Tallis asked Haedrun.
The woman pointed at Bentius. “Give it to him. Then we’ll talk, but not here.”
Tallis dropped the vial within the mercenary’s reach. “There you are, Benty. Lead on,” he said to Haedrun.
“You first,” the woman said, pointing her blade at Soneste and then waving it northward. Beyond the curtain of shadow, she could see Korth’s waterfront. “You’re staying in front of me, you and your walking shield.”
Soneste complied, pulling Aegis with her. “Thank you for disobeying me,” she whispered to the warforged. “You saved my life, I think.”
“It is what I said I’d do, Mistress,” Aegis said. “Sometimes I succeed.”
“I’ll never forgive you for hurting them like that,” Soneste heard Haedrun say to Tallis.
The Karrn grunted. “Now let’s see if I can forgive you.”
When they passed through the curtain of shadow, the natural lights of Korth’s early hours returned. The Storm Moon hung full overhead, casting its flickering image into the dark waters of King’s Bay.
Tallis watched the inquisitive, Soneste, as she walked in front of him. She moved with the easy gait of a natural thief. What was her part in all this? He was glad to have found Haedrun again-at last, he was getting somewhere-but he couldn’t stop wondering about Soneste. Had she followed him to the Market, shadowed him all day? Did she know of the Midwife?
Answers for later.
“Brelander,” he said, deliberately adding a derisive tone to the imprecise term. When she looked back at him over her shoulder, he looked pointedly at the warforged and the hooked hammer he carried. “I would very much like my property back.”
“And I would very much like mine returned,” she answered.
“Naturally. A trade, then?”
The inquisitive looked to the warforged. “Give it to him, Aegis.”
“Mistress, are you sure?”
“Yes. Can you wield this?” She held her rapier out to the warforged, which gleamed in the moonlight. Was that the same weapon he’d tossed over the bluff’s edge just yesterday? He’d thought for sure it would have been nabbed quickly. Every Karrn knew a good blade when he saw it.
The bulky construct eyed the slender, fine-pointed blade. “I’d … rather not.”
Despite himself, Tallis nearly laughed. They made their exchange.
Soneste retained both her sword and the curious, violet-tinged dagger. The warforged seemed content without a weapon. Tallis knew the thick buckler attached to its forearm was weapon enough.
The hooked hammer came into his hands with pleasing familiarity, like an old friend. It seemed so long ago that he’d lost it, but it’d only been three days. He pulled a handkerchief from his coat and did his best to wipe the pick’s head clean of blood. Fortunately, mithral was easier to clean than most metals.
His arm still hurt from his injury-it needed to be dressed soon. He shook the thought away and looked to Haedrun. The Red Watcher was eyeing Soneste as if she expected an explanation, but Haedrun herself had much to explain.
Haedrun led them in a wide, staggered line out to the waterfront, steering clear of the White Lion patrol routes. She kept furtive watch behind them, ensuring that none followed without her observance. Only the odd sailor or vagrant marked their passing, but she seemed unconcerned with these.
They came to an empty and precarious pier whose repair had clearly not been a high priority after the war. Where the dock touched the wharf, a dilapidated warehouse with shattered windows stood, silent as a corpse. When Haedrun led them through a broken door, Tallis noticed that part of the building was still in use. Against the south wall, lumber was stacked nearly to the rafters. The walls shielded them from the wind but did nothing to neutralize the cold air.
Shadows stirred at the base of the woodpile.
Tallis pushed Soneste aside and swept the curved hook of his weapon low to the ground. A man, armored much like Haedrun, tumbled to the ground. He cursed and looked up at Tallis, rubbing at his shins. “I wasn’t going to attack.” The rogue climbed to his feet and slipped the dagger in his hand away.
“Any more shadows?” Tallis asked Haedren.
“Just the one,” she answered, then flicked her eyes at Soneste. “You’re bringing someone I don’t know. It’s only fair. He’s one of us and a friend I can trust.”
“What we have to talk about doesn’t concern him.” He looked to the stranger. “Get out, or I’ll make certain you don’t hear.”
Haedrun sighed, then looked to the man. “Just guard the door. We’ll be fine.”
As the other Red Watcher disappeared outside the door, Haedrun led Tallis to the open space at the center of the warehouse. Soneste watched them carefully, eyeing every shadow and following behind. The warforged joined her but kept its smoldering blue eyes upon the door.
“You know what happened, Haedrun. You gave me that job, so talk.”
“I know,” she started, not looking him in the eye.
“You gave me the information. I accepted, went precisely where you told me, and it was a setup! Ir’Montevik isn’t even in town.”
She looked him in the eyes. “The source was good. Something … must have changed.”
“Who was your source? Another Watcher?”
“No,” she said. “My superiors didn’t even know about this job.”
Tallis felt some measure of relief. He didn’t want to hear that the Red Watchers had been compromised. The organization was young and entirely too small. He wouldn’t join them, but he wanted them to do well.
She went on. “This wouldn’t have been sanctioned by the Watchers, not without more information, especially with ir’Montevik staying at the Ebonspire. That’s why I turned to you, Tallis.”
“What was it?” he asked.
“I received a tip that ir’Montevik was coming to Korth to visit the Temple of the Blessed Lineage to make a delivery of scrolls-something new, spells that could disguise the undead … make them look, feel, even smell like living, so they’d be able to walk the streets openly, gather in untold numbers wherever the Seekers wanted them.”
“Sounds like something the Ministry of the Dead would know about,” Tallis said.
“No,” Haedrun replied. “This is something else. These spells could affect great numbers and last a very long time.”
“Who was your informant?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Damn it, Haedrun! I watched two children run through by the killer!”
The woman’s eyes widened. “Sovereign Host,” she breathed. “I’d heard the Brelish had his family there, but I … didn’t know.”
“Two children, Haedrun. Just like yours. They didn’t deserve to die. The job you gave me led the killer right to them.”