James Wyatt - In the Claws of the Tiger

“Oh!” Janik blurted. “I apologize. I was expecting someone …”

“Your elf friend, Mathas, yes,” the dwarf said. “I am Auftane Khunnam. I met him yesterday.” He extended his hand as he stepped closer to Janik.

Janik shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry to say there’s been a change of plans …”

“I heard. Found a note from Mathas at the inn. That’s why I’ve come to see you. I don’t let work slip away so easily.”

“I’m sorry, I-”

“Look, I understand,” Auftane interrupted. “You don’t know me, or anything about me. You wanted to check me out a little bit, get a sense of whether I was trustworthy. You find yourself having to leave town earlier than planned, so you think you don’t have time to do that. I’m thinking you’ve been burned before. Am I right?”

Janik blinked. He wasn’t sure he had ever heard a dwarf talk that much and that quickly. Auftane didn’t give him time to respond.

“Think of it this way. You were going to meet me for lunch today, then hop on a ship first thing tomorrow, then spend a month getting to know me better before we landed at Stormreach. I can leave today-I’m ready to get on a ship right now. You’ll still have a month to get to know me on the boat. You don’t need to make any decision until we make Stormreach. Does the half a day we’ve lost really matter?”

Janik found himself liking this Auftane Khunnam already, and he chastised himself for it.

“So you’re mainly interested in getting to Stormreach?” he asked.

“Well, no, I’m mainly interested in doing something new,” Auftane replied. “I’ve been traveling Khorvaire for ten years now. I’d like to go back to Stormreach, and it’s easier to do that as part of a group than alone. You can’t just buy a ticket like on the lightning rail, you know? But I hear you’re going pretty far into Xen’drik, and that’s something I’ve never done before. I think I’d like to give it a try.”

“Are you in a particular hurry to leave Sharn?” Janik asked.

“You mean am I trying to leave town before my horrible crimes come to light? No.” Auftane laughed. “No, I’m not running away from anything or anyone, and there’s nobody waiting for me in Stormreach I’m in a hurry to see, either.”

“What did Mathas tell you about what we’re doing in Xen’drik?”

“Very little, really. I know a little bit about your work-archeology is a bit of a hobby of mine, I guess. You can’t grow up in Stormreach and not pick up some interest in the history of the place. I read a couple stories in the Inquisitive about the big discovery you made a few years back. Anyway, Mathas told me you were planning another expedition south into Xen’drik-he said beyond the peninsula, but that’s all. But I know enough to know a trip beyond the peninsula is a pretty big deal. I assume this is no dragonshard prospecting expedition.”

“That’s right,” Janik said. “We’re going back to Mel-Aqat-that was my big discovery. And I think you can come along, at least as far as Stormreach.”

“Thank you,” Auftane said, his face breaking into a big smile that carved deep wrinkles around his eyes. “I’ll make sure you won’t regret bringing me along.”

“Now I’m sure you’re not being too cautious,” Mathas said from the doorway. Auftane spun around to look at the elf, surprised, and Janik laughed aloud at the wry smile on Mathas’s face.

“Auftane made a pretty convincing case,” Janik said.

“And I’m not going to question your judgment,” Mathas replied. “Glad to have you coming with us, Auftane.”

“Thank you.”

“So when are we leaving?” Janik asked. “What did House Lyrandar say to our letter of credit?”

“House Lyrandar was suitably impressed,” Mathas said with a laugh. “They can’t spare an elemental-powered galleon on such short notice, and I’m not convinced that our letter of credit would have extended that far anyway. But I’ve commissioned a small, fast ship with a Lyrandar windwright to take us to Stormreach, leaving this afternoon-as soon as we’re ready. We should get to Stormreach at least a week before Krael.”

“Excellent! Mathas, that’s the best news I’ve heard this week.”

“Who’s Krael?” Auftane asked.

“An old rival,” Janik said, “a captain in the Order of the Emerald Claw. We’ve had a number of run-ins with him over the years, and the last two weeks he’s been rearing his ugly head again.”

“We should be clear about this, Janik,” Mathas interjected. “Auftane, I don’t know how much you know about the Order of the Emerald Claw, but Krael has sent assassins after Janik. He’s a serious threat, and by associating with us, you’re making an enemy of a powerful and dangerous man.”

“I appreciate your candor,” Auftane said. “But you’re not going to scare me off now.”

“Anyway,” Janik said, “Krael is the reason our travel plans are in disarray. We had made arrangements for a ship to carry us to Stormreach tomorrow, but Krael apparently bought the ship out from under us and left three days ago. He’s likely to try to get to Mel-Aqat before we do.”

“Why?” Auftane asked. “What’s in Mel-Aqat that we’re all so anxious to get?”

“We can discuss that on the ship,” Janik said. “We should find Dania and get ready to leave. Mathas, can you get the supplies loaded on the ship?”

“Already done,” the elf replied. “As soon as I left House Lyrandar, I made all the arrangements.”

“Perfect. Then all that remains is getting Dania. Can we find her? She still doesn’t know about our change of plans.”

“I hardly expect that she’s out carousing in the city,” Mathas said. “I’ll find her and meet you at the ship. It’s in Grayflood, dock nineteen.”

“Dania is our fourth, then?” Auftane asked.

“Yes,” Janik said. “She’s a paladin of the Silver Flame now, but she’s always been good with a sword.”

“Now? Her paladin’s calling is a recent occurrence?”

“She has walked the paladin’s path for approximately a year,” Mathas said.

“I look forward to meeting her. I’ve often wondered what that sense of calling is like.”

“Well, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to ply her with questions on the ship,” Janik said. “Let’s get moving.”

“Sea of Fire!” Janik swore. His companions turned to look at him, surprised by his sudden outburst.

The four of them were gathered at dock nineteen in Grayflood, their gear already loaded onto Lyrandar Dayspring . The ship’s crew was climbing the rigging and scouring the deck, making ready to sail. Janik slapped his hands to his head.

“Shubdoolkra,” he said. Auftane looked puzzled at the strange name, but Mathas and Dania raised their eyebrows.

Mathas immediately apprehended the problem. “The sahuagin guaranteed safe passage to Nashan’s ship, not this one,” he said.

“Exactly,” Janik said.

“Doesn’t House Lyrandar have a standing agreement for passage through Shargon’s Teeth?” Dania asked.

“The sahuagin don’t make standing agreements,” Janik said. “They get a lot more tribute by making deals one ship at a time.”

“Can you find Shubdoolkra and renegotiate before we leave?” Mathas asked.

“I doubt it. He doesn’t like daylight-I’m pretty sure he comes to shore only at night.”

Dania looked worried. “Should we delay our departure until tomorrow?”

Janik glanced around at the busy crew and the ship’s captain, shouting orders from the poop deck. “I don’t think we can do that at this point,” he said. “I think our best bet is to leave word for Shubdoolkra at the tavern, tell him about our change of plans, and hope for the best. Besides, we fought our way through the sahuagin once, remember?”