She stopped with a start, finding Omax lurking in the hall outside. The warforged’s blue eyes shone in the darkness.
“Thank you, Seren,” he said in a quiet voice. “He does not realize what he could be.”
She looked at the construct for a long time, then finally nodded and returned to her cabin.
CHAPTER 15
Seren stood at the ship’s rail for a long time, looking down at Cragwar as the ship circled for a landing. Gerith walked up beside her after a while, looking over the side and then looking at her in confusion, obviously not seeing what she was so interested in.
“Sorry,” she said with a small laugh. “It’s just that Wroat is really the only other big city I’ve ever seen. Cragwar is a lot different, at least from up here.”
“Oh, yeah, I can see that,” Gerith said, looking back down. “Probably because it’s clean. Wroat is too big. Too many people living there. Cragwar’s different, probably because it’s so close to the Aundairian border. The Brelish army is in command here, and they run a tight ship.”
“Why does that make a difference?” Seren asked. “King Boranel lives in Wroat; you’d think he’d command more respect than the army.”
“Oh, that’s not it at all,” Gerith said. “Wroat’s pretty far from any enemies, so the Watch is more likely to let things slide. This close to Aundair, any criminal could be an Aundairian spy. Any lapse in discipline could weaken the border. Not that Aundair is ready to challenge Breland, but better safe than sorry, I guess. The military has to be careful-they’re on their own here.”
“I see,” Seren said, looking down at the city again. After a while she realized Gerith was looking up at her with a serious expression.
“What?” she asked.
“Just hoping all that sunk in,” he said. “You behave yourself down there, Seren. Not that I’d mind swooping to your rescue and your inevitable gratitude, but I don’t want you to get hurt.” She looked at him sharply, but he held out a hand to stop her. “I’m not making judgments, Seren. Kol Korran knows every crown I made hasn’t been an honest one-but no stealing in Cragwar. Understand?”
She laughed lightly and smiled at him. “I’ll keep my hands out of other people’s pockets, Gerith,” she said.
“Good,” he said, his usual bright smile instantly returning. He gave a sharp whistle and vaulted over the rail into the open sky, falling with his arms and legs outstretched. With a shrieking cry and the snap of broad wings, Blizzard swooped past and caught his master.
“One of these days,” Pherris said.
The glidewing began its descent, toward a quartet of sky towers at the northern edge of the city. Two of them were already occupied by sleek vessels flying the boar’s head banners of Breland. As they drew closer, a group of mounted soldiers emerged from the city and rode toward the towers.
“Hope this goes better than last time,” Tristam said.
“Last time went precisely as planned, Tristam,” Dalan said. “Merely because you do not know the plan is not an indication that it has failed. Now, someone please let the paladin out of her cell.”
Omax disappeared below decks, returning shortly afterward with Eraina in tow. She scowled at Dalan but did not speak a word. The ship pulled smoothly into the sky tower. Dalan strode forward with a pleasant expression, readying his official papers to show the waiting officers. After a few moments’ discussion, the soldiers gave the airship a final warning look and returned to the city.
“We should be safe enough here,” Dalan said, looking at the other towers. “Even if Marth pursues us, those Brelish ships should be a match for him.”
“Always so ready to let someone else fight your battles, d’Cannith?” Eraina said coldly. She brushed past him without another word, disappearing into the tower.
“First time I’ve seen you let someone else get the last word, Dalan,” Zed said.
“What do I care?” Dalan said. “She’s off my ship. That’s all I wanted. How does it look, Tristam?”
The artificer had brought a ladder from below deck and climbed up to the strut holding the elemental ring in place. He probed at the crystal hook with a delicate silver wand. A broad bandolier holding many of the strange chemical concoctions and focusing crystals from his cabin now hung over his shoulder. Tristam concentrated intently on the hook. “Nothing I can’t fix,” he said. “I’ll need some new lodestones to reseal the enchantments. The crystalline structure is badly fragmented.”
“How long?” Dalan asked.
“Three hours, maybe four,” he said.
“Excellent,” Dalan said. “Time enough to catch a meal and find a copy of The Chronicle. I’ll leave you to your work.” Dalan paused at the door to the tower bridge and threw a small pouch at Seren. She caught it clumsily against her chest and heard the chink of coins inside. “Seren, take care of whatever materials he needs,” he said indifferently. “That should be more than enough. Omax, accompany me.”
Seren saw the warforged look up at Tristam. Tristam nodded and went back to work. Dalan and Omax entered the tower.
“Just like Dalan to send a green girl into the city alone and keep the warforged bodyguard for himself,” Pherris grunted, leaning back against the ship controls. The gnome looked much older and wearier than he had before, or perhaps he had finally allowed himself a moment to rest now that his ship was finally safe.
“I can take care of myself,” Seren said.
“See that you do,” Pherris said sternly. “I am beginning to like you, Miss Morisse. You bring a dash of common sense that I’ve sorely missed hereabouts.” The gnome’s whiskers twitched with a faint grin.
Seren smiled at Pherris, but the old gnome had dozed off where he sat. She looked up at Tristam, still busy with the repairs.
“Lodestones?” she prompted him.
He nodded without looking down. “Natural magnets. They’re a reagent for a number of enchantments. I’ll need about a dozen,” he answered. “I could probably use some more royal water to accelerate the dissolution of this binding agent, too.”
“And maybe some frankincense to reinforce the elemental matrix?” she asked.
Tristam looked down at her sharply, almost falling off his ladder. “Yes, that would be useful,” he said, impressed. “You’ve been reading more than my fairy tales, haven’t you?”
“I only understand a little,” she admitted.
“That’s still amazing,” he said, his intense expression fading into a smile. “And yes, I could use some frankincense. You should be able to find all of that at any magewright’s shop. Be careful, Seren. Don’t make any trouble.”
“Same to you,” she said, returning his smile.
Seren climbed down the tower stairs and surveyed the streets. Cragwar was a busy, happy place. The streets were crowded with people going about their daily lives. Groups of soldiers patrolled the streets and the citizens met them with friendly greetings, obviously content to be under their protection. Though she had already decided to remain on Karia Naille, she had to admit that this wouldn’t be such a bad place to start a new life. For a city near the border of a potential enemy, it was a peaceful sort of place.
Seren stopped at a corner vendor and used one of Dalan’s coins to purchase a delicious-smelling treat on a stick. It looked like a sort of frosted bread filled with cooked meat. It tasted as good as it smelled. She chewed thoughtfully as she watched the traffic and considered her next move.
It was nearly a minute before Seren realized that she had instinctively been casing the local populace, looking for wealthy targets. The instant she realized what she was doing, Seren felt terribly alone. She would never fit in here, not as long as she saw everyone else as targets.
“Once a thief, always a thief,” said a voice beside her.
Seren jumped, dropping her food on the ground. Eraina d’Deneith looked down with a sneer. “Best to pick that up, Seren. There are fines for littering in this city.”
Seren snatched up her ruined meal and looked at the paladin with a frown. “What do you want?” she asked. “I thought you left.”
“Did you kill Jamus Roland?” she asked bluntly.
Eraina’s eyes, so dark they were almost black, bored directly into her soul. She sensed anger, pain, and something more, a sense of a power Seren had never felt before. It felt almost as if she were being judged by Boldrei herself.
“How do you know Jamus?” Seren asked, unable to keep a quaver of fear out from her voice.
“Just answer the question. Yes or no.”
“No,” she said, a hint of outrage in her answer. “Jamus was my teacher. He was my friend.”
Eraina’s brows furrowed quizzically. She looked disappointed by Seren’s answer, but she nodded in acquiescence. “Just a thief, then,” she said in a sad voice. “You have no idea what you have become involved in.”
“Then why don’t you explain it to me? How does a Sentinel Marshal know Jamus Roland? He was just a thief too.”
“He was not just a thief,” Eraina said. “He was my father.”
“Oh,” Seren said, eyes widening. “I thought you were a member of House Deneith.”
“I am,” she said. “My mother’s husband was disgraced when he learned the truth. If my mother’s dragonmark had not bred true, I might have been given to an orphanage. Instead I was raised and educated by the church.” She looked at Seren calmly. “Does it truly surprise you that Jamus Roland would have an affair with another man’s wife?”
“Not really,” Seren answered, “but why are you telling me this? I’m a stranger to you.”
“Raised as a Spear of Boldrei, I have taken many vows,” Eraina said. “A vow of charity, a vow of mercy, a vow of humility, and a vow of honesty. Do you understand these things?”
Seren nodded.
“Then also understand that our vow of honesty is the most difficult of all, as well as the most important,” she said. “For we can neither lie nor promote falsehood. The fact that Jamus never told you who I was is disturbing, for he broke into Dalan d’Cannith’s home on my behalf. He died trying to help me, Seren.”
“A paladin hiring thieves?” Seren asked.
“I didn’t know what he planned, and he knew better than to tell me,” Eraina said. “My father has always been a foolish man. For almost a year now I have been hunting the murderer of Bishop Llaine Grove. I was to meet Jamus on the night he died. I traveled all the way from Fairhaven on the promise that he would have the name of the killer I sought. I suppose I should not be surprised that he died. My father was not adept at keeping promises.”
“He never told me any of that,” she said.
“And now you understand why Boldrei values honesty,” Eraina said. “I have wasted a great deal of time chasing you, Seren, thinking that you were responsible for my father’s death. Now I know the real killer was on that Cyran ship. Those same mercenaries were probably responsible for Llaine Grove’s death as well.”
Eraina looked at Seren for a long time, not speaking. Seren had the uneasy sense that the goddess was judging her through those eyes again. She wanted to move away, but could not bring herself to do so.
“The truth, at least, is a relief,” Eraina said. “Father spoke highly of you in his letters. I wonder if, in some measure, by caring for you he hoped to atone for my unwanted and neglected existence. My father was a strange man.”
“Looks like that bred true, too,” Seren said.
“And you have adopted my father’s intolerable sense of humor,” she retorted. “Jamus obviously saw some value in you, so I give you this final warning. Do not return to Karia Naille. I intend to stop Dalan d’Cannith and his allies. It would be best if you did not oppose me.”
“Stop them?” Seren asked. “Why? They’re hunting the same killer you are.”
“No,” Eraina said. “They merely seek the same thing he seeks, and their greed will only cloud my path. Dalan d’Cannith is a ruthless, ambitious man. I do not doubt he knows more about the Cyrans than he admits, and I will not abide his dishonesty.”
“So you want me to abandon my friends and run away in a strange city?” Seren asked. “What sort of paladin are you?”
“Your faithfulness is admirable, but you do them no favors by letting them pursue petty ambitions,” Eraina said. “Do not fear that I would cast you out alone here as Dalan did to me. I have allies in this city. I can give you gold enough to return to Wroat, or even Ringbriar. I could offer you the protection of the Sovereign Host. You could find a new life in the Church if you wished, Seren. My mercy is a sincere mercy, not a Cannith’s false promises.”
Seren looked past Eraina, at the crowds of happy citizens living their normal lives. Beyond them, she saw the sky towers standing tall above the skyline. Two rings of green fire burnt with a steady light, holding the Brelish warships aloft. Between them burnt a smaller ring-blue, crackling with red.
“Think about it, Seren,” Eraina said.
Seren walked away. She felt the paladin’s eyes watch her for a long time afterward.