Chapter 34 Treachery
The woman in white paced nervously in the shadowy chamber as the portal came alive, swirling with a maelstrom of colors. A dark point in the center expanded and grew, and then there was a flash of light, and a bald woman wearing the robes and bearing the distinctive tattoos of a Red Wizard of Thay stepped through into the gloom. A casual observer would assume they were twins because their appearance was so similar. The woman in white ran to her side and clutched her arm and regarded her with a worried look, and there was a tone of admonishment in her voice. "I've been waiting days to travel to the Coveya Kurg'annis. You took longer to return than I expected. Has something happened, Nefris?"
The woman in red smiled triumphantly and put an arm around her twin, leading her into a small library in the next room. "Lienna, I think I've found the one. I told you we've been scrying the Sword Coast among other places; it's far enough away that our agents can capture our...subject and bring him or her back here, and there will be little that even their most powerful mages and priests can do to track us or thwart our plans until he or she succeeds...or fails again." She scowled for a moment as she set up a crystal sphere on a wooden tripod on a table and brought over a candle stick enchanted with a Light spell, yet its light was feeble against the deep shadowy gloom.
The white sister sat down at the table and peered at the sphere hopefully. "Did you locate that Hero of Neverwinter mentioned in that play Magda bought from the bard from Waterdeep? Is she everything the play says she is?"
The red woman shook her head. "No, I've had no luck whatsoever locating her. Whatever powers she and her consort amassed during the Neverwinter-Luskan War and its aftermath are being used to hide her quite effectively. It's as if she's simply fallen off the face of Toril. But while I was trying to learn what happened to the remains of Akachi's sword, I made an interesting discovery. Look here."
The white twin leaned forward and peered into the sphere as her sister uttered words of magic while she made a few esoteric gestures. "You have found its remnants then?" Clouds swirled in the sphere then rapidly dispersed though the image was still hazy. She saw a blond figure in silver chain mail on a golden horse leading a procession. She muttered with disdain, "What a pretty boy, but he looks too young for our purposes, Nefris. Oh! It's a woman, but she still looks very young. And what does this have to do with the sword?" She watched as an armored dark-haired man on a huge black stallion rode up beside her. "Mmm, tall, dark, and handsome," she thought, and murmured, "Now he looks the heroic type, and he wears the insignia of a paladin."
"She is young indeed, but she's already a knight of Neverwinter." The red twin grinned like the cat who caught the canary and muttered another magical phrase. There was a brief glow around the woman in the globe's chest, and she looked alarmed for a heartbeat as she looked around angrily and put her hand over her chest, as if she could feel their scrying. "Did you see that? I've had one of our agents searching for the shards, and he traced them to several lords in Neverwinter who have all been murdered. The shards have since found their way to her, and if I'm not mistaken, it's because she has one embedded in her chest! She must have been present at the battle where the sword was destroyed a little over twenty years ago and been in the path of the shrapnel, and that shard draws the rest to it and to her." She frowned as a bald man whose head was etched with glowing tattoos rode into view. "That one there...I remember him. He studied at the Academy years ago, but he has aged little since then! Jerro, I think it was. He's as dangerous and ruthless as he looks. I learned he was obsessed with finding the Sword of Gith, Akachi's sword. I'm not surprised then that he's found his way to her side."
The white twin looked skeptical as she peered at the woman again. "I still say she looks too young. We must be certain she's up to the challenge, even if she is a knight."
Her twin smiled and draped an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be watching her closely. She's young enough she doesn't know to keep a low profile."
Dee struggled against the urge to chase Bishop and demand an answer as well as a stronger urge to follow Casavir for the same reason. "Yeah, might as well cut 'em off if I have to go fightin' his battles for him," she muttered to herself in resignation. Cillian nuzzled her as she stood there long enough that Casavir wouldn't see her or know she had heard anything. The head housekeeper and two of the young housemaids came up the stairs behind her and stopped several steps back and out of range of the bear, and Dee realized after she cleared her throat to get her attention they were waiting for her to go on. She blushed scarlet as the housekeeper asked, "Is something wrong, Lady Farlong?"
Dee continued up the stairs and called over her shoulder, "No, I was...thinking about something." She quickly opened the door and stepped in with Cillian at her heels, and sat at her desk so one of the maids could help remove her boots, still feeling the heat in her cheeks betraying her embarrassment at the obvious lie. The housekeeper helped Dee strip off her new chainmail armor, pausing and marveling at the delicateness and lightness of the metal. She told her Khelgar said it was mithril and elven make. It was a change from her leather brigandine for sure, and she had half a mind to see if it fit Zhjaeve as they had confiscated similar armor last year from some bandits who attacked them that Elanee now wore. Dee placed it on one of the armor stands and pulled her brigandine out of her bag of holding and put it on the other stand, the one Casavir often used.
Dee shed her clothing, tossed it in the laundry basket, and unpacked the soiled clothing she had taken with her as well as Casavir's as the housekeeper and the maids waited. She was still awkward having the staff standing around to wait on her hand and foot, but she was getting used to it. She thought wryly, "At least they don't want to wait on me in the privy."
"The water has cooled, I'm afraid," the housekeeper said as she picked up the basket and handed it to one of the girls. "Would you like the girls to freshen it?" Neither girl looked enthused at the prospect of hauling more water even if Master Veedle had managed to reactivate the ancient Illefarn water piping system to bring water throughout the Keep.
But Dee found the coolness of the water a pleasant change from the afternoon heat in her room despite the heavy drapes drawn across the window to block out the sunlight. "Don't worry, Mrs. Fairfax. Can you send word to Kana that I have decided I will meet with the Luskan before dinner?"
"Of course, Lady Farlong." She curtsied and sent one of the girls off with the laundry and sent the other to give the message to Kana while she opened the wardrobe and laid out fresh clothing for her lady and her lady's absent lord. It wasn't lost on any of them that the Knight Captain had been watching someone in the hallway, nor that she looked upset though she was trying to hide it, nor that her betrothed wasn't with her, and she wanted to follow the girls to make sure they didn't spread gossip. "If there's nothing else, Lady Farlong?" She curtsied again after Dee shook her head and left the Knight Captain to her thoughts.
Dee ducked her head under the water then sat up and washed and rinsed her hair. She sighed and sat against the back of the tub and glanced towards his room, the urge to go to him irritating her like something crawling under her skin. She could hear him moving around his room through the shared fireplace, and she yearned to plead with him to tell her what was wrong and tell him he didn't have to concern himself with Bishop. But he had to work this out himself, she scolded herself. "Mayhap I need to think about whether 'tis time to send Bishop packing," she murmured to Cillian, who chuffed in agreement. She shook her head and Cillian ambled over and nuzzled her hand. She got out of the tub and stood there listening to Casavir and again fought temptation to go to him. She felt helpless and couldn't decide what to do. So instead of barging into his room she offered up a quiet prayer to Tyr for his sake, and for wisdom for herself in dealing with the Luskans.
Feeling better, she finished drying off and pulled on the white silk small clothes trimmed with ruffles and pink ribbon that she knew he especially liked. She started to dress, but she decided she had time enough to lie on her bed and close her eyes for a short nap before Kana sent for her. As she lay there dozing between sleep and wakefulness, she heard the door from the solar open then heard Casavir's familiar footsteps on the stone floor. She had her back to the door, but she could tell he was watching her, probably unsure whether to disturb her. She turned over to face him, forced a bright smile, and said, "Cas, there you are! I finished with Kana earlier than I thought so I decided to start without you. The water's cold by now, but I'll get more."
He had been watching her, his eyes traveling over the curves from her long strong legs to the swell of her hip and thinking how if nothing else, she had fleshed out since they became lovers because of his gentle insistence that she take time to eat. He smiled wanly and walked in and sat beside her on the bed and caressed her cheek. "It's fine, my lady." She wrapped her arms around him, and he did the same. He buried his face in her hair and murmured, "Your smell wonderful, and I must reek. I'm sorry."
She chuckled and rubbed her cheek along his stubble. "Yeah, and your hair's getting shaggy, but I like it longer, and I like your stink. You smell like a man should smell. I missed you."
"I don't feel as bad that I didn't return in time to liberate you from Kana if it gave you time to have a rest." Between his session with the priest and his encounter with Bishop, he was feeling shaken. In his room alone with his thoughts, it crossed his mind that if his feelings for her were interfering with his relationship with Tyr, that Tyr might use a tool even as twisted as Bishop to reveal this to him. After only a moment the poisoned thought dissipated, though remnants of it lingered.
Then another thought arose to torment him. He had never seen it before, but today he realized after his talk about his parents with the priest that Dee reminded him of his mother, not only in her coloring, but also her spirit. He recalled that someone once told him that men sought out mates who were like their mothers, just as women sought out men like their fathers. He wondered before he decided he had thought enough on the matter if she saw the quiet elf he met in West Harbor in him.
"I'm glad you can tolerate my stink, but alas I cannot, though I don't think I have time to shave much less get a hair cut before we dine." He reluctantly broke away and walked over to the tub. He had removed his armor in his room and stripped to the waist, and she noticed as he knelt beside the wash tub to check the water that a few fine scars from the scourge were still visible on his back.
She watched him as he removed the rest of his clothing and got into the tub. "He has suffered so much on my account," she thought guiltily. She got up and picked up his discarded trewes and small clothes as he washed then knelt beside him and took the soap and a wash cloth and wet then lathered his rich dark hair, smiling at the way water brought out the slight curl when she ran her fingers through it. "You're quiet, love. Was Brother Ivarr hard on you?"
He shrugged dismissively as he gave in to the pleasant feeling of the scalp massage. "It's his job to guard my relationship with our Lord."
She scratched his scalp lightly, causing him to shiver. "He wants to talk with me about my dreams sometime. Should I feel lucky that I've been too busy to schedule it?"
He blushed crimson, having been the one who mentioned her dreams to the inquisitive priest, and he told her so. "I'm sorry, I only mentioned it in passing, but he seemed very interested."
She paused and drew back to look at him. "I considered talking about them with him too, so don't feel bad. I was hoping for some time alone with you this afternoon, but I want to get this audience with Kraven over with so we can discuss whatever proposal he offers at dinner tonight." She kissed his cheek and lightly pushed him forward so she could scrub his broad muscular shoulders and back.
"This is one of the many small pleasures of sharing my life with someone, with her," he thought. He turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, and he thought, "Surely our Lord wouldn't object to small pleasures like this." He could almost forget about his ordeal with the priest and with Bishop. He looked at her again and asked, "Wasn't his name Kralaver? I agree, we should deal with Luskan so we can discuss it with our companions as much as I'd like to spend the rest of the afternoon in your arms."
"Was that his name? Kraven seems to fit him though 'tis unkind of me to say it. Mayhap that's why I got stuck in my mind." She poured the rest of the bucket of clean water over his head slowly to rinse out the soap, and he shuddered as the cool water ran down his body. She smiled and hoped there would never come a day when he wouldn't respond like this to her touch. She said just above a whisper, "Yeah, most of our companions. The rest I'll listen to out of respect for their place in our company. But I would like to have you, Sand, and Jerro there when Kraven...er I mean Kralaver delivers the ambassador's message, though I'm not sure Sand's gonna be in any condition to help unless he takes his ale purgative. I'll send word to Jerro through one of Wolf's crew. He doesn't intimidate them like he does the house staff."
He arched an eyebrow and turned to look at her again. "Ammon Jerro? Why him?"
She shrugged. "He's ruthless, but I agree with him that we can't afford to turn down any aid to stop the King of Shadows, and he excels at pointing out my weaknesses." She stood and held up a clean towel for him as he got out. "On the other hand, I don't expect Qara to have anything worthwhile to say other than offering to blast the Luskans to the hells, but she may yet surprise me. And as for Bish..." She sat on the bed and pulled on the stockings and leggings laid out for her. Cillian looked up and growled.
He looked into her eyes. "Yes, Bishop." He dried himself off then began dressing, trying to hide the loathing in his voice echoing the bear's growl.
She shrugged again and finished dressing. "Yeah, Bish...He's a good scout, but as far as his advice goes, I've learned it's best to listen to his opinion then do the opposite of whatever he suggests."
He laughed ruefully but looked at her with concern as he tied the drawstring on his shirt. "Yes, it's usually wise to do the opposite of whatever he suggests. Yet I caution you to take care, my lady. Don't think it's lost on him that you ignore his advice. A man like him takes that as a slight, and he isn't one to forget or forgive easily." He was sorely tempted to tell her what Bishop had insinuated, that she was leading him away from Tyr, but he was afraid she would take it as jealousy on his part.
She walked over so he could lace up her bodice. "I know, Cas, and I am careful. I know everyone wonders why I keep him around. But he wants to be here and we need him, and I'll say it again, I won't give up on him until he gives me cause to. I pray for him every day. I have faith that the gods can reach even a heart as hardened against them as his."
He took her in his arms kissed her softly all of a sudden. "Every day? You make me ashamed that I don't follow your example."
She sighed softly, glad his mood had lightened. "Why don't we pray together now before we go to dinner?"
He took her hands and gazed into her eyes, the relief clear in his. "I agree, and then we can surprise Kana by arriving on time."
Dee listened to Sydney Natale's proposal in an anteroom for privacy, with Sand, Ammon Jerro, and Casavir present so they could give their opinion later. The proposal was odd to say the least. Kralaver explained that the Hosttower stored the true names of its mages as a contingency in the event they became too powerful and had to be reined in. Sydney Natale was convinced that knowing their true names would give them control over the shadow reavers, though he also admitted that amongst the Hosttower mages she was alone in this opinion. Dee had a sudden chilling thought that the Hosttower might have Sand's true name, and that it could be used against them. She returned her attention from her paranoid rambling thought back to the little man, who said his mistress would only reveal the information if Dee met her somewhere outside of the Keep. He implied his mistress didn't want the Hosttower to know what she was up to, hence the need for secrecy. The oddest part of his proposal though was his insistence that only Zhjaeve and Qara accompany Dee.
"Why just them?," she had asked incredulously. It didn't make sense, and it still made little sense nearly an hour later when she filled in the rest of her companions as they sat around the round table in the War Room. He hadn't had an answer that satisfied her either though she pressed him for one, and he appeared increasingly nervous from Dee's probing questions, but he was adamant that Sydney Natale would not be moved. Dee resisted the urge to comment that it would take a team of oxen at the very least or an earth elemental to move Ambassador Natale and dismissed him by promising to give him an answer in the morning.
Most of her companions were already seated and waiting, some more patiently than others, and Sir Nevalle had arrived as well, seated between Torio Claven and Lieutenant Kana. Dee requested that as much of the three courses be brought in as were ready so there would be a minimum of interruptions. The others looked from her face to Casavir's, Sand's, and Jerro's trying to read something there, but the three of them deferred to Dee to explain. They passed the serving dishes around the table while Dee related Sydney Natale's offer.
Qara looked bored, toying with her food and only half listening until Dee caught her interest by naming her. She startled and blushed. "What? Why me? I'm not ready to set out on another mission. We just got back."
Dee managed to eat a few bites of fish before her outburst ended. She met the girl's eyes and said calmly, "I was hopin' you could tell us that, Qara. One thing I can think of is they want to recruit you." Sand shuddered at the thought and whispered to Neeshka, "Recruit her? Only if they have completely taken leave of their senses." Neeshka stifled a giggle and elbowed him lightly in the ribs. Dee added, "There is another possibility. Does your father have enemies there? The other thing that occurs to me that mayhap they want to get to him through you."
Sir Nevalle had listened quietly, but his handsome face darkened as he did. Dee thought he looked like he was about to explode, and finally he couldn't restrain himself any longer. He blurted out, "Why was this offer not made to Lord Nasher through proper diplomatic channels? You know as well as I do this is an affront to Lord Nasher. Why make an alliance with Luskan at all?"
Dee sighed loudly and tried to reassure him. "Calm down, Nevalle. I asked him that, and he said she was trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. This offer is from her, not Luskan. It could be that the rest of the Hosttower doesn't want anyone aiding Neverwinter."
Casavir added, "That is correct, and he assured us the ambassador intended no insult and promised no treachery." However, Casavir didn't look as if he believed a word of it.
Zhjaeve was eating some of her first crop of turnips, smothered in melted cheese. Unlike Qara, she had said nothing about herself being singled out until now, when she said simply, "Captain, know that I have been thinking while you spoke, and I can see no good reason for the presence of we three alone."
Dee nodded with a fork halfway to her mouth. "I can't either, truth be told. The more I think about it, the more it treacherous it looks."
Khelgar grumbled, "Aye, looks like treachery to me as well. Only thing you can count on with Luskans is they'll be Luskans. They don't know the meaning of honor. I think they still want revenge for your acquittal, though I don't see where the other lasses figure in."
Torio Claven, seated next to Sir Nevalle, shot Khelgar a poisonous look, but after a moment she said softly, "I have to agree. Sidney Natale is nothing if not ambitious, as would be expected of a Hosttower mage of her power. No, she's angling for something, but what exactly escapes me."
They discussed the offer while they ate, and they came to a consensus that as much as they hated to admit it, if anyone knew a way to defeat the King of Shadows, it would be the Hosttower. Sand warned that they were "masters of deception and assassination," and Torio Claven readily agreed. Both backed up their opinions with examples. Sand hadn't known Sydney Natale during his time in Luskan other than by reputation as someone to avoid. Ammon Jerro vaguely remembered her as a young, ambitious mage while he studied there. Torio Claven knew for certain though that Sydney Natale hated Black Garius. She related a juicy morsel of gossip that was whispered about Luskan that her former master had a torrid affair with Sydney Natale when they were both apprentices that had ended badly, resulting in some damage to the third tower.
They debated whether they should accept the offer into the evening until the cook's assistant knocked on the door to announce the dessert course. The servers brought a platter with slices of fragrant lemon sponge cake and bowls of fresh berries with cream and were met with stony silence as everyone in the room watched them and waited for them to leave. They departed hastily as soon as they had picked up the used dishes, and Kana stood and looked out the door to make sure they had gone and weren't listening outside.
Ammon Jerro waved off the offered dessert impatiently and insisted they couldn't afford to turn down any help, even if it meant making an alliance with the Hosttower. He growled, "This is simply too important, and time is too short." He sat back with his arms folded across his chest daring anyone to argue with him.
Casavir and Nevalle both looked as if they were going to take the challenge when Dee head them off by agreeing with the warlock. "Ammon's right, we can't afford to turn down help, no matter what Sydney Natale's real motive is, though I wish she didn't feel the need for these games. What's wrong with them that they can't see the threat?"
Qara huffed, "Why is it so hard to believe that the Hosttower wants to recruit me?" She torched a piece of sponge cake to emphasize her displeasure.
"'Tis entirely possible, Qara," Dee replied tiredly. "But again, then why Zhjaeve, and why just us three? Why not recruit you directly? 'Tis up to you and Zhjaeve to decide if you want to meet her, though we will not receive the true names scroll if we don't all show up, so there's no point in going if you don't both agree. I hate to pressure you, but there it is."
Qara snorted in reply, while Zhjaeve said softly, "Know that I have already pledged my life to you, Kalach-cha. I will go."
Bishop said with a sneer, "Yeah, typical. Walk into the Luskan trap if you want to like good little sheep to the slaughter. But I say we follow behind you. You gave your word that it would be just the three of you, but the rest of us didn't, and who's going to know?"
Dee squeezed Casavir's hand under the table as she felt him tense and turned to face the ranger. "I think that was implied, Bish. I also wouldn't be surprised if she's having us watched. I had a funny feeling when we rode into the Keep today, like I could feel magical energy passing over me. The scar on my chest hurt too, and now it makes sense. I'm afraid that if her people spot you, she might go back on the offer."
Elanee looked worried. "True, but I could follow you in bird form so I wouldn't likely be noticed. What's one more crow among a flock? I could simply ask the animals which way you went. I could then return for help if things go badly. Cillian could follow your scent too. Unless she teleports you away, he should be able to find you."
Sand arched a delicate eyebrow. "I wouldn't put it past them at all to be watching you, dear girl, nor do I doubt that her agents are protected from scrying. I would advise you keep your word. However, I would advise you, Zhjaeve, to choose your spells carefully, and Qara, contain your excitement and try to get enough rest tonight. I also don't need to tell you that you should load yourselves with potions. Pity that we've just returned and have used most of what we set out with, but Brother Ivarr most likely has replenished his stock. I'll prepare a few scrolls and go through our wands tonight as well, though I don't know if you'll have time to read them in the heat of battle if it comes to that."
Neeshka had forgotten all about her plans to spend the evening counting then rolling around in her loot. Her concern for her friend was betrayed by a quaver in her voice and the agitation in her tail. "If you have to go... Sand, if you have anything that will reveal invisible assassins...That's probably how they'll attack." Sand reached over and patted her shoulder.
Grobnar had finished his dessert, Ammon Jerro's, and half of Elanee's too. "I could sing a song of inspiration or cast some protective spells before you go, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the location is just far enough away that they will expire before you arrive. Too bad that you can't take the construct, or that there isn't time to ask for help from the Wendersnaven." Dee met the gnome's eyes as Bishop directed a filthy curse at him that caused Casavir, Khelgar, and Sir Nevalle all to admonish him, but Grobnar just smiled peacefully.
Dee and Casavir looked into each other's eyes, and he smiled wanly and took her hand to kiss it. "I feel useless not being able to fight by your side if it comes to that. All I have to offer you then is my prayers, my lady."
She whispered, "That will be more than enough, love. That, and helping me tonight to take my mind off tomorrow." She said to the others, "I think we're finished here." She stood and picked up her untouched dessert then handed Casavir his. He stood beside her and took her empty hand. "Let's go have these in our chamber. Thank you all, and Kana, send my thanks to the cook and send my apologies for our rudeness, and send word to Kraven, I mean Kralever, that we will be ready by highsun. But I don't plan to arise until I'm good and ready and Qara and Zhjaeve are ready too."
Qara replied a bit too loudly, "Oh I'll be ready, and I'll be ready to blast that cow to the hells if she tries anything." But she considered as she said this whether she could fit all of her possessions into her travel bag in case she was offered a place by Sydney Natale. It made perfect sense to her. Luskan was at war, after all, and they could use a sorceress as powerful as she had become.
Ammon Jerro's gravelly voice rang out as Dee and Casavir were almost to the door. "I suggest you don't send word that you agree to the meeting until right before highsun. You might as well have a time advantage, though I suspect they've prepared their trap if they are planning to betray you."
Dee wrapped an arm around Casavir's waist. "I know I would have." That was the signal for everyone to leave and think about what they could do to prepare them for any possibility, everyone except for Bishop, who made sure he wasn't followed then went to inform Black Garius about the new turn of events.
Dee knelt beside a smoking corpse grimly cleaning her blades while Cillian licked a bloody gash on his side and licked his claws beside her. Zhjaeve was nearby, kneeling next to a prone Luskan who had turned against his mistress at the last moment and joined their side (at a price, of course), gently coaxing him to drink a healing potion. Dee lay her hands on Cillian and asked for Meilikki's grace to heal her loyal companion, whom she had summoned the second they walked around a copse of trees and she realized that the place was closed in on all sides, cutting them off from easy escape. A perfect place for an ambush. Cillian had laid low in the trees out of sight, where he reported he could smell a pair of the two-leggeds though he couldn't see them. Not that lack of vision prevented him from mauling the surprised assassins as he smelled their steel when they drew their blades and moved to attack.
Qara sat shivering despite the afternoon heat, rocking with her knees drawn up to her chest next to Sydney Natale's corpse on what had been a grassy field and was now blackened earth. Dee looked around at the devastation as she walked over to the girl, and Zhjaeve and the Luskan followed. Dee squatted painfully in the grass beside her and said softly, "By rights, her things are yours as payment for her treachery. Her robe escaped damage, and even I can feel the enchantments woven into it, as well as the ring." Dee reached over and pulled the ring off the corpse and offered it to Qara.
Qara blinked twice before she realized what Dee said and replied with utter disgust, "I don't want that ugly old cow's things."
Dee shrugged and replied, "Serve yourself, but likely the robe, like the ring, 'tis enchanted to fit the shape of the wearer. If nothing else, sell the robe to Deekin. When we return I'll have Sir Nevalle send word to Neverwinter to have Jochris arrested. I...am sorry, though if it's any consolation, she did call you a treasure and said she wished she could take you back with her." She pulled out a scroll Sand had readied. As he suspected, she hadn't had time to read more than one, a spider skin spell, trusting her swords instead. She gasped loudly and bit her lip as Zhjaeve knelt beside her and examined one of the wounds in her back she received from the Luskan assassins. Luckily for her the new chain mail deflected one of the blows, which had been aimed at her kidneys. She turned her head to the Githzerai and said, "Don't worry about me, I can feel my ring working. I'll be up to the walk back before long."
Dee glanced at the Luskan, who was looking at his former employer's corpse with undisguised contempt as he casually stripped off the robe and lay it down beside Qara, who absently rolled it up and put it on her lap. "Jalboun, was it? I'm gonna use this scroll to summon an earth elemental to bury what's left of them. I've got enough trouble with Luskan as it is without sending their ambassador home in a box, so feel free to take what you want, and then help me haul them over yonder."
He gave her an appraising look, still trying to decide if he could trust her. Dee knew he'd be back in Luskan within the tenday, and within the month most likely broke again and selling his swords to someone like Sydney Natale or worse. She wondered if he was like Lorne, making the wrong choices until he had nowhere else to go, or if he was a native Luskan who had known few choices in his life. He certainly had enough scars, including a few long ones marring what had been a handsome face, to show that his life had been a difficult one. But he didn't bear the tattoos of an assassins' guild like Lorne had. She stood and said, "I promised you twice what she was paying you, and you'll get it as soon as we get back to my Keep."
"Sure thing, Captain." He stood as well. "They call me Jalboun of the Two Blades, well, because I fight with two blades. I don't have another name." He shrugged at her. He still had a wary, dangerous look in his eyes, like a wild animal cornered. "I didn't figure you carried that much coin on you, but I'd settle for the pickings from the corpses."
She spoke softly, using her ranger skill to calm a wild animal. "You're gonna have to find another employer if you go back to Luskan, Jalboun. Mayhap someone worse than the former ambassador. But if you're not inclined to go back there, I was thinkin' I could use you at the Keep, if you want to sign on as one of my sergeants." She offered him her hand.
He gaped in surprise but immediately was on his guard again. "Not that I don't trust you, but some people might have me arrested as soon as I set foot there too despite all their pretty promises."
Dee smiled at him and said gently, "That's no doubt true of Luskans, but you'll find us different. I will work to earn your trust. For now I swear by Meilikki and by Tyr I plan no treachery. Besides, there aren't many at the Keep who fight with the two weapon style like I do, so you'll make a good sparring partner. What do you say?"
He had to admit she was right. He was smart enough to know that some in the Hosttower would blame him for not protecting his former employer, and he didn't have enough clout in the city anymore to avoid being sentenced to low justice to entertain the mob. In reality, the best he could hope for was being sent to the front lines as fodder for the war effort. He gingerly took her hand. "You have a deal, captain. Let's get this lot buried before they start to stink."