VIII
"I was surprised to hear from you again so soon. Did you miss my charming company?"
"One might say that," Arwydd said, smiling up at Pryderi as the wizard approached her table in the open tavern where they had first met. The elderboy had, in fact, been very surprised by the sudden missive delivered to the gates of House Gwalchgwynn, but he had made certain to take the most winding and indirect route to the Central Market as possible during the trip. Finding House Evnissien's younger daughter relieved some of the anxiety he had felt during his travels, but Pryderi still remained alert for any signs of ambush. "Would you care to join me?" Arwydd inquired, gesturing to the seat across from her. "I'll buy the wine this time."
"How could I resist?" Pryderi asked in reply, easily sliding into the chair. Arwydd was certainly gifted when it came to hiding her emotions beneath the amused, half interested façade she wore, but Pryderi could see, when she had first spotted him enter the tavern and certainly now, that she was hiding something more. Her eyes followed his every move, no matter how slight, and she seemed to grow instantly brighter at his mere appearance. Although it was largely hidden beneath her dress, she still wore the opal pendant he had given her, despite the fact that she had likely never identified the exact dweomer placed on the gem. Silently Pryderi congratulated himself on his accomplishment. She was obviously fighting it, for no priestess would give in easily to such emotions, but House Evnissien's second daughter was rapidly falling for him. "So, what would House Evnissien have of me today?" Pryderi inquired, allowing himself to enjoy the attention he was receiving from the beautiful young priestess. Arwydd smiled as she considered the question.
"We have discovered another alliance that Hen Wyneb holds," the priestess said, lowering her voice slightly. "They have been shuttling troops quietly to Hen Wyneb. While we doubt their soldiers are very good, we want to strike at them before they can reach the gates of the Hen Wyneb compound. I will be a part of that raid."
"That seems a sound strategy," Pryderi said, nodding slightly. "I wish you the best of luck."
"Matron Saffir also requested your presence on the raid," Arwydd continued. Pryderi arched an eyebrow. "And… I would like you to be with me," the priestess continued. She obviously fought to keep any emotion out of her voice, but the simple statement confirmed his ideas as to the priestess' motives. Pryderi allowed himself a smile as he considered the question.
"Why would I be requested for such a raid?" Pryderi inquired. "After all, in an alliance the sharing of troops is one thing, but to ask another noble…"
"Please, Pryderi?" Arwydd pressed. Pryderi could see a light of desire in the priestess' eyes.
"What house is supplying troops?" the wizard asked. He had barely caught himself in time; looking into her smoldering crimson eyes, he had nearly acquiesced without even thinking. Arwydd leaned back slightly, a more secure smile forming on her delicate lips.
"Perhaps you've heard of them," the priestess said. "House Lleision has allied with our enemies."
"Lleision," Pryderi repeated, considering the information for a moment. Gwalchgwynn was well aware of the twenty-fourth house of Llyr; although they were hardly a threat to the truly powerful houses of the city, Lleision had been ambitious almost to the point of desperation in trying to increase their standing among the lower houses. Under the rule of a new matron mother and trying to swell their army's ranks with almost any drow they could find, Pryderi had to wonder if the house was attempting to curry favor with Hen Wyneb for an upcoming assault of their own. "And how many troops would they be sending to Hen Wyneb?" the elderboy inquired, careful to keep the interest out of his voice.
"From what we heard? Twenty-five," Arwydd replied. "It appears that House Lleision is trying to have Llawr Hen Wyneb train their troops for them. After all, from what I have seen, Lleision's weaponmaster is no great swordsman."
"That he is not," Pryderi agreed. "So, when would this raid take place?"
"Does that mean you'll join me?" Arwydd asked, just a touch too eager for her own good.
"For you, mistress, anything," Pryderi replied, enjoying the game. Arwydd's smile almost exploded onto her face, but the priestess fought down more than a faint show of happiness.
"We raid tomorrow," she answered. "And remember. Just because they may be House Lleision, don't take them for granted. They could be buying fair warriors in the market even as we speak."
"I survived Llyfrdy-Lledreth," Pryderi said, finding his smile growing just a bit too wide for his own good. "I think a few Lleision soldiers will be simple enough."
"House Hen Wyneb may think that of us at this very moment," Arwydd pointed out. Pryderi nodded with a touch of amusement.
"You are, of course, correct, mistress," the wizard said. "I won't underestimate my foes."
"I hope not," Arwydd said. "And now that our business is concluded, perhaps we can share some wine?"
Pryderi smiled slightly, more than happy to accept her hospitality.
"I thought you'd never ask."
Daere said it was necessary because they were stretched thin at the moment. Tarren was convinced that it was simply to antagonize her.
The youngest daughter of House Hen Wyneb, clad in her fine chain mail and carrying her shield and mace as well as her favored snake whip, made her way through the Central Market rapidly, disgusted with the situation as much as she was the company. For three days she had been forced to comb the markets for as many capable drow warriors as possible, keeping her away from the noble districts as well as her studies at Arlais-Corryn. While Daere or Banon, or even one of the high ranking commoners, could have been sent on these errands, Tarren was convinced that her older sisters were intentionally holding her back. The delays that the rumors of war had caused were now forcing Tarren to take another year at the Spider Queen's Academy, meaning that it would be yet another year before she would obtain her title of high priestess. Daere in particular seemed to delight in her sister's misfortune, giving more credence to the thought that she had hand picked Tarren's escort.
"Mistress, I believe you will find several mages of worth in the southern districts of the market," Neifion said, following just behind her on her left as Tarren made her way to the eastern side of the market. Tarren turned back on him with barely concealed disgust.
"You, male, will speak when you are spoken to," the young priestess stated angrily. Neifion bowed his head in a show of respect, but the smirk on his face never slipped. For a moment her hand dropped to the snake headed whip on her belt, but Tarren reined in her anger. It would do no good to Hen Wyneb for the house's enemies to see her publicly flogging her subordinates. The priestess looked past the disrespectful male to the other members of her escort. Collwen, the other wizard Daere had purchased with Neifion, masked her disgust with the situation well, but Tarren could still read it in her eyes. Neither of those wizards seemed to have any respect for her, the reason, she was certain, that Daere had sent them both with her. The other five warriors with her, all purchased within the last three days, pointedly watched the surrounding market rather than Neifion's show of disrespect. "I know where I'm going."
"As you will, mistress," Neifion said, bowing his head once more and falling into place behind her. Tarren hesitated for a long moment, biting back her rage, then took a step to the insolent wizard.
"Don't think I'll forget your attitude, male," Tarren growled, leaning in over the slightly shorter Neifion. "You had best learn to show respect before we return to the house, or you will feel my wrath."
"I have overstepped my bounds, mistress, and I apologize," Neifion said, looking slightly more contrite. "I was wrong to question your judgment or your wisdom."
"Yes, you were," Tarren agreed, her words dripping with hate. She considered for a moment slapping the male, but decided against it and turned back to the road in front of her. Constant delays were getting her no closer to the completion of her task to recruit four more mages for her house's army. And besides, there would be more… interesting ways to punish the male once she returned to the safety of the Hen Wyneb compound.
"Mistress, watch out!" Collwen shouted suddenly. The priestess turned back to her charge, but Neifion suddenly knocked her to the ground. Just above her, so close that it made the hair on her head practically stand on end, a lightning bolt roared into the other members of her entourage, obliterating four of her five warriors instantly.
"Mistress, it's an attack!" Neifion said, quickly climbing back to his feet. Tarren only made it to one knee when a dart glanced off of her shoulder. Ahead of her, two males had moved out of the shadows to attack, while a third, this one female, remained behind them as she chanted out another spell. Bounding ahead of the two males, a huge hound with glowing eyes and fire brimming from its mouth bore down unerringly on Tarren.
Neifion spat out a quick spell and threw his hand forward, unleashing two magic missiles on the hellhound and another streaking towards the enemy mage. The hound took the missiles in its flank with nothing more than a growl of pain as it raced forward, giving Tarren only a fraction of a second to raise her shield. The hellhound slammed into the metal device with enough force to knock her flat on her back as flames poured around the edge to burn her arms and sear her face. Desperately the priestess tried to bring her mace to bear, but she could barely manage a feeble, glancing blow to the hellhound's shoulder even as three brilliant streaks of eldritch energy slammed into her sides.
"Neifion!" Tarren screamed, losing her dignity in the face of the brutal assault. The mage had already drawn his short sword, seemingly more intent on facing the two males than helping the priestess. "Help me!"
"Collwen, take out their mage!" Neifion directed. The sorceress spat out a vile chant and pointed at her distant target, but Tarren could see no effects as the hellhound's gaping, fiery maw appeared at the top of her shield. Already burned by the infernal dog and wounded from the magic missiles, Tarren desperately tried to beat away the hellhound leering over her.
"Neifion!" she screamed again. The wizard was suddenly over her, his short sword driving into the hellhound's side even as Neifion breathed out a cloud of bone chilling frost. Tarren could feel the icy breath across her face and even through her shield as the hellhound was caught in the freezing cloud. The infernal dog howled in pain and leapt away from its new attacker, trying to race back to its masters and giving Tarren the precious seconds she needed to scramble back to her feet. The priestess stumbled back into a defensive posture, seeing the arrogant smirk on Neifion's face as he glanced over to her.
"I hope you are well, mistress," the wizard said smugly.
"Shut your mouth and finish them!" Tarren snapped, furious and embarrassed that she had to be saved by Neifion. The hellhound turned back to the pair, ready to charge in again in front of the two warriors, but a quartet of magic missiles streaked around the priestess and impacted into each side of the monster. The hellhound crashed to the ground with a last whimper of pain, but the slain creature was quickly forgotten as the two warriors leapt over their fallen minion to press the attack.
Tarren raised her mace and shield quickly, but she was barely able to fend off her attacker as he rushed in on her with his short swords. The warrior feinted high and then drove low, his blades moving with lightning speed, and the priestess was barely able to fend off the twin strike with a desperate sweep of her shield. Tarren dropped back a step as the warrior spun away from her parry and into a long slash at her head, feeling the blades come within inches of her forehead before her attacker once again dropped low with another thrust for her chest. Again Tarren barely managed to put her shield in line with the attack, being pushed back by the sheer force of the warrior's strike. Her opponent matched her step with a move of his own, his swords darting quickly in at both of her sides. Tarren managed to block both weapons away, but her own defenses were so far out of line that the warrior easily stepped in and delivered a vicious kick to her chest. Staggering and gasping for breath as the wind was blasted from her lungs, the priestess only barely reacted in time to stumble out of the way of her attacker's blades. One sword scraped along her chest, but her chain mail held under the assault. Another strike drew a line of pain across her cheek as the sword's tip grazed her face. Tarren glanced around quickly, hoping that Neifion or Collwen could come to her aid before her defenses failed, but Neifion had been forced into melee combat by the other warrior and Collwen was reeling from a trio of magic missiles loosed by the opposing spellcaster. Quickly Tarren dropped back another three steps, buying herself just enough time to channel Lolth's power into a single command.
"In the Spider Queen's name, stop!" the priestess yelled, forcing her will upon her enemy. She had cast her spell not a moment too soon; the warrior had breached her defenses, but his twin blades halted just as they were about to pierce her armor. Quickly Tarren backed away, praying that her spell would hold long enough for her allies to come to her aid.
A scream of unearthly pain arose from the enemy spellcaster, catching her attention. The priestess turned to see the sorceress tearing at her clothes, her skin smoking and almost roiling under the effects of some spell. Collwen was only barely stumbling to her feet, but the fire scarred sorceress grinned maliciously as she saw her counterpart shrieking in agony. Tarren turned to Neifion next; the wizard was certainly a competent swordsman, but he was slowly being overmatched by his enemy. Collwen moved forward, ready to begin another spell, but Tarren held up her hand. Neifion could not help but notice the priestess' order to the sorceress, but still he fought without begging for help, practically smiling as he saw Tarren's growing anger. Even as the warrior's long sword drew a long, bright line of blood across the wizard's thigh, Neifion simply turned his typical smug smile on the young priestess. Snarling in barely controlled fury, Tarren drew her snake whip and descended on the two combatants with a berserker rage.
The first strike took her target completely off guard. Locked in his fight with Neifion, the would be assassin had no chance to evade Tarren's whip as it bit through his studded leather armor and ripped into his back. Tarren shrieked in wordless rage as her whip descended again and again on her attacker, driving him first to his knees and then to the ground. Even long after he stopped moving Tarren continued to pound on the warrior's back, until his armor was shredded from his body and his skin hung in tatters.
"Mistress," Neifion said. The simple address nearly caused Tarren to turn her assaults on the wizard, but she managed to stay her hand before the snakes descended again.
"What?" she snapped, looking up to her subordinates.
"The other assassin has escaped," Neifion pointed out simply. Tarren turned to where her attacker had been frozen by her spell, but not a trace remained of the drow.
"Why didn't you go after him?" Tarren growled, standing up and stalking over to the wizard.
"We did not wish to leave you unguarded," Collwen answered for Neifion. Tarren whirled on her. "As you may have noticed, all of your other guards have been slain."
Tarren looked to the road behind her, and found that Collwen's statement was indeed true. All five of the warriors had been killed, either by the lightning bolt or by the poisoned darts that the two warriors had thrown to begin their assault. Tarren snarled in frustration, but could do nothing more than wipe the blood from her face.
"Search these bodies," the priestess ordered. "Find out who they were and who they were working for."
"As you wish, mistress," Collwen said.
It had been well over a decade since the fall of House Gwynfor, but the broken remains of its compound still stood on the southwestern edges of Llyr. Its once magnificent gate, depicting a spider in the center of a large web, was now nothing more than blasted, twisted steel hanging precariously on its hinges. The stone and metal fence that surrounded the compound had been torn and holed in many places, while the stalagmite towers were still blackened by the impacts of fireballs and lightning during the house's violent end. Only a handful of the steel bridges that connected the towers remained, and of those only two looked strong enough to chance walking upon them. The mushroom and lichen groves that once stood beautifully in the center of the compound were long since burned away, leaving only a small pool of fouled water in the heart of the compound.
It was not often that Maddox Hen Wyneb would travel to the site of the once great sixth house of Llyr, but the wizard knew that life still lurked behind the fire blackened walls and useless gate. He knew that eyes were on him even as he entered the crumbling ruin, and that if he even began a spell a dozen or more poisoned darts would hit him by the time he raised his hands to cast. Maddox cast a quick glance around him as he made his way to the tallest, thinnest tower in the compound, but he could not find a single one of the unseen guards that he knew were littered across the ruins.
The door to the tower seemed to be battered and partially off its hinges, but it opened easily just as Maddox reached it. Standing inside, a young drow warrior in leather armor drew a serrated dagger on the wizard, blocking entrance.
"Identify yourself and state your business," the youth ordered.
"Maddox Hen Wyneb, here to speak with Romney," the noble replied. The youth hesitated for a moment.
"Enter," he finally said. Maddox swept in past the boy, hardly concerning himself with the most obvious and likely least threatening sentry in the ruins. Inside the door, a wide stone staircase led up the side of the tower, dust collecting on the steps and stones missing in several places. A less obvious, narrow and spiraling stairway made of blackened steel led to the depths below the ruins. It was to this stairway that Maddox turned, even before the youth caught up with him.
"I shall take you to Romney," the boy said, quickly putting himself between Maddox and the stairway. The wizard rolled his eyes at the youth's back, but followed him down in silence nonetheless. Two more guards were waiting at the bottom of the staircase, these two better armed and armored, and older, than the youth leading him. Maddox took them in with a cursory glance as the youth led him to an unobtrusive metal door on the opposite side of what had likely been the dungeon of House Gwynfor before their demise. The boy stopped and knocked lightly on the door. To Maddox there seemed to be no reply. But the youth pushed the door open and stood aside for the wizard to enter. Maddox paused for only a second before he walked pas the youth and entered the room.
"Welcome back, Maddox," the drow occupying the room said as the door shut behind the wizard. "It's been several years at least."
"That it has been," Maddox replied, casting only a quick glance over his shoulder at the closed door before turning to his host. Seated behind a low desk centered in the room, the other drow was dressed in quiet, blackened leather and wore a flowing cloak that concealed everything but the large jet set into the pommel of his sword's hilt. The wizard appraised the small but neatly furnished room before continuing. "I see you've prospered over that time."
"Time has been good to us," Romney stated. The drow leaned forward on the small desk in front of him. "So, what brings the elderboy of House Hen Wyneb to my humble abode?"
"Information," Maddox replied. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors by now."
"Rumors?" Romney echoed, a faint smirk on his face. "My dear Maddox, I'm not some gossip monger in the market."
"My house is under threat, Romney," Maddox said, losing a faint bit of patience with the flippant mercenary. The elderboy dropped a pouch on the desk. "I don't have time to play games. I need information."
"Rumors abound," Romney informed the noble, opening the drawstrings to the pouch. The mercenary nodded slightly at the contents; Maddox had brought a half dozen glittering, finely cut diamonds to buy information, easily enough to buy almost any drow's knowledge. "Many say Brenin Llywd fears you, enough so to launch an attack of their own."
"And what do you say?" Maddox inquired. Romney leaned back in his chair, pondering the matter for a moment.
"It is possible," the mercenary finally replied. "After all, Matron Eirian fears your mother very much." Romney paused for a moment, apparently considering his statement. "But I find it more possible that Brenin Llywd sponsors another house to take the fight to Hen Wyneb."
"We lost a caravan three days ago," Maddox said. Romney nodded. "One of the attackers was a noble, but there was another attacker that was more… noticeable. A shadowdancer."
"So the Shadow Guild is taking part," Romney said thoughtfully.
"The shadowdancer must be in the employ of a house," Maddox said. "Do you know who employs one?"
"Outside of Blodyn-tywyll, no," Romney said. He glanced down to the pouch of diamonds on the desk. "But I think, given a little bit of time, we could find out who else does."
"There will be more compensation when the answers are found, if they are found in a timely manner," Maddox promised. The noble turned to leave, but stopped at the door for a moment and turned back to the mercenary. "The sooner we know, the better your payment shall be."
"Then you may wish to gather your funds quickly," Romney said with a smile. "I doubt this will take long at all."