“Where is Auroch now? Rifllian? Kelvin?” Sir Graybow asked.
Brisbois rubbed his brow, then said, “He stayed for a while in Specularum, and I tried to figure out how to trap him there. But he tracked me down, so I escaped the city and traveled north on the Duke’s Road. I stopped in Kelvin, hoping to buy some time there.” Brisbois paused.
“You were never in Rifllian?” Graybow asked.
“No, sir, I was not,” Brisbois said readily. Jo stared at the knight intently.
“My sources—” began the castellan.
“Were misinformed, Sir Graybow” Brisbois said steadily. “I arranged for them to be misinformed”
“What!” demanded Graybow and Arteris simultaneously.
The other council members murmured to each other, and even the three mages shot questioning looks at Brisbois. The castellan stood and shouted, “Explain yourself, Master Brisbois!”
The knight shrugged. “I led your informants to believe I was in Rifllian in the hopes of throwing Auroch off the track as well,” he said clearly. “I also hoped you might send someone after me, someone who might encounter and dispatch Auroch in Rifllian.”
Arteris exclaimed, “Surely you must know that you are an outlaw to the order? Surely you must know that breaking your bond with Sir Flinn was the final stroke in your dismissal. This new transgression—willful misdirection of the order for your own purposes—may well have won you your death.”
Brisbois inclined his head in the baroness’s direction. “Yes, Your Ladyship, I do know all that,” he said. “But I also know that I could not take on Auroch by myself. I hoped for an envoy from the castle to back me up. If I could prove my good intent by battling side by side with the order against Auroch, perhaps you would have allowed me to return to the Order of the Three Suns.” Brisbois looked at the council members. Jo’s eyes darted daggers, but he avoided looking at her.
The room was brutally silent. Eventually, Sir Graybow stood. “You hoped for many, many things, Master Brisbois,” the castellan said slowly, “and I am appalled at your lack of humility!” Sir Graybow turned away from the table and stalked over to one of the windows. He shook his head. The sun was setting, but the magical lanterns had not begun to glow. One of the guards began lighting lanterns.
Arteris rose and said slowly, “Are we to infer, Master Brisbois, that you wish the court to show you leniency once more?” Her voice was laced with astonishment.
Brisbois’s cheek rippled. He nodded and said, “Yes, Your Ladyship, I do.”
“This is … most unprecedented, Master Brisbois,” Arteris said coldly. “Pray, tell us how you possibly esteem yourself worthy of this grace beyond grace!” The baroness took her seat.
Brisbois gestured in Jo’s direction. “I came willingly with Squire Menhir and Master Briarblood. I in no way harmed Sir Flinn—”
Johauna jumped up. “Yes, but you didn’t help him, either! You let Auroch attack—”
The castellan swung around from his position at the window. “You are out of order, Squire Menhir!” Sir Graybow shouted thickly. He pointed at Jo. “Sit down at once, or remove yourself!”
Stunned, Jo sat down in her chair. She looked at Sir Graybow, and the blood drained from her face. Jo turned to Braddoc for sympathy, but the dwarf only gave her a warning shake of his head.
The castellan returned to the table and bowed formally to the baroness. “My apologies, Your Ladyship, for the actions of my squire,” Sir Graybow said gruffly. “I assure you, Squire Menhir’s outburst was the last you will ever hear from her.”
The baroness stared at Sir Graybow and said icily, “And I assure you, Sir Graybow, that that is the last such outburst I shall allow.” Arteris turned to Jo and stared pointedly at the young woman. Jo swallowed hard.
Sir Graybow looked at the council members, then addressed the baroness, “Your Ladyship, determination of Master Brisbois’s fate is something we may postpone. The death of our castle’s magic is not.” The castellan bowed slightly and took his chair.
Arteris looked at Brisbois, who was swaying noticeably now. She pursed her lips, then gestured for a guard to give the man a chair. When Brisbois sat down, Arteris said, “Your involvement with both Verdilith and Teryl Auroch, your conspiracy against Sir Flinn and the principles of the Order of the Three Suns—these transgressions alone give us reason to suspect you in the plot that has destroyed our magic.”
“I know nothing of this!” protested Brisbois. The council looked at him, as the words rang hollowly through the room. Brisbois said nothing more, and Arteris continued.
“Only a few of our mages have any spells or powers left to them, and virtually none of our enchanted items work.” The baroness paused and steepled her fingers. “Master Brisbois, to put it plainly, we suspect you of conspiring with Teryl Auroch in the destruction of our magic. How say you?”
Brisbois blanched. “I am innocent, Your Ladyship.” His voice rang with sincerity, though Jo was hard pressed to believe him. You re guilty of other things anyway, and they will be exposed, she thought.
“You still haven’t addressed the castellan’s question. Do you know where Auroch has been the last several weeks, and do you know where he is now?” Arteris asked coolly.
“As I said, Auroch was in Specularum and then traveled north along the Duke’s Road. He was in Kelvin as recently as yesternight—” Brisbois said slowly.
“Excuse me,” Sir Graybow cut in. “Did you actually see Auroch in Kelvin, Master Brisbois? Might he have sent you the note from elsewhere?”
Brisbois blinked. One eye had completely closed over, and his bruises had darkened to deep purple. “You are correct, Sir Graybow,” he said after a moment. “I did not actually see Auroch in Kelvin. 1 only assumed he passed through Kelvin because of the note and because he had been traveling north.” He turned to the baroness. “To my knowledge, Auroch has not been in Penhaligon at all since he attacked Sir Flinn.” Brisbois shook his head. “That is not to say that he didn’t have the time or the magical means to travel to the castle.”
“Do you know where the mage is now, Master Brisbois?” the baroness repeated testily.
“No, Your Ladyship, I do not,” Brisbois replied slowly. “I last saw him on the Duke’s Road just south of Kelvin. I assumed he entered the town there.” Brisbois sighed and then said, “What makes you think Auroch is responsible for the failure of your magic? Isn’t it possible that Verdilith has done this to you?”
“It is one and the same,” Sir Graybow said. “Haven’t you heard? After Sir Flinn died in single-handed combat with the dragon, a detachment from the castle engaged Verdilith in his lair. The dragon escaped with the aid of Auroch.”
Brisbois nodded impatiently. “Yes, I have heard the tale! Every inn is abuzz with the story of Flinn’s life. Why, some of the minstrels claim Flinn the Mighty is not dead, but being transformed into an Immortal.”
Jo caught her breath; her hand rose, but Braddoc grabbed it and shook his head at her. Jo held her peace and listened avidly to the knight.
“… an unlikely event,” Brisbois was saying, “considering the difficulties involved.”
“Though if any man in known history could have become an Immortal,” Sir Graybow interrupted, “it would have been Sir Flinn.” The castellan’s expression was grim.
“Er, yes, Sir Graybow,” Brisbois said hastily. “My point is that the minstrels will tell any tale, and so I hadn’t believed their reports of Auroch and Verdilith together again, especially since the mage seemed so preoccupied with killing me.”
One of the doors to the council room opened to admit a guard. He coughed politely, but, before he could speak, an old woman pushed forcibly past him. Following her was a young boy. Karleah and Dayin! Johauna thought. She almost rose but remembered her place just in time.