Erin Evans - The God Catcher

The half-elf woman, still favoring her wounded knee, pulled out a coin a little larger than a platinum sun.

"No!" Tennora shouted, and threw herself at the half-elf woman. The coin flew from the woman's outstretched hand as she fell beneath Tennora. It spun lazily away.

The antiquary reached up and plucked it from the air. He gave Tennora and the half-elf a wicked grin. "Sorry ladies," he said. He spread his fingers and the token fell.

It clinked as it hit the floor, and before the sound had faded, Dareun, his servants, and Nestrix were gone.

All except the half-elf.

Veron strode across the room and pointed his crossbow down at her throat. "In accordance of the laws of Waterdeep, consider yourself under arrest and in my custody until the Watch arrive. I don't suggest you move."

"You," Veron said to Cassian, not taking his eyes off the half-elf. "Go fetch the hearthmaster and find a Watch patrol."

"Where did he take her?" Tennora said, gripping the half-elf by her shirtfront. "Where did they go?" The woman stared up at Tennora, still looking shocked.

"Tennora," Veron said sharply, "you need to get off her."

She ignored him and shook the half-elf. "Where did they go?" The woman squirmed and shook her head.

"She's not going to talk with you sitting on her chest," Veron said.

"Pardon me," Cassian said, "but who in the Nine Hells are you?"

"Veron Angalen. Go get the Watch."

"He's a bounty hunter," Tennora said.

"Why do you know a bounty hunter?" Cassian asked.

"Go get the Watch, Cassian!" Tennora shouted. After a moment of hesitation, she heard him sprint down the stairs.

"Tennora." Veron set a heavy hand on her shoulder. "I know you're upset. But you need to get up. Let me do my job."

Tennora looked up. His face was stern, but his golden eyes were gentle. Worried, even. She scowled back.

"Your job?" she said, climbing to her feet. "You mean the job where you convinced me to turn traitor on my friend? The job where you nearly got me killed assuming she was a liar? She saved my life and you'd have had me… had me…"

Veron suddenly yanked her behind him and trained the quarrel on the half-elf woman, who had sprung to her feet. "Goodwoman, I suggest you sit and put your hands on your head. I don't miss."

The woman's eyes darted toward the door, as if gauging the distance and the speed with which she could cross it. She set her hands on her head and went slowly to her knees. "I'm not worth your trouble," she said. "I don't know what he's doing. Besides, I was going to give you a hand with that dragon-woman, wasn't I?"

"You have a funny way of doing it," Veron said, still holding Tennora's arm.

Tennora shook herself free of him. "We have to find her. Where is she?"

The woman shrugged. "No idea."

"You were the one with the coin," Veron said. "Are you suggesting you carry teleportation tokens without knowing where they go?"

"That goes back to the shop. Your girl there could guess that much. But Ferremo's not an idiot. He'll get them somewhere safe before you ever get to the shop. And while I could guess, it's just as likely I've never been there. Didn't even know Ferremo worked for a dragon 'til last tenday. Also," she added, "I'm not an idiot either. I'll take you two ready to flay me over Ferremo and the master any day."

"We'll see what the Watch has to add," Veron said. He turned to Tennora. "I've been here before. We'll have to wait for them to resurface."

"He won't let her resurface, you fool!" Tennora cried. "He's not helping her escape: he means to kill her."

A rush of footsteps came up the stairs and Mardin burst through the broken door, red-faced and short of breath.

"Holy gods," he said, "Tennora. Mask's empty casket, you-did they hurt you? You're burned. Sit down." "You sit down," Tennora said. "You look like you're going to have a fit." The shock was wearing off, pain starting to pulse along her nerves. Mardin turned a chair upright and gestured to her to sit, his shoulders still heaving.

"Sit, petal, please," he said. "Ah, all the gods, how could I let this happen?"

Tennora pursed her lips but sat. Mardin seemed to spot Veron for the first time.

"You!" Mardin said. "What have you done? I ought-"

"Mardin, he had nothing to do with this," Tennora said, a bit harshly. "And you couldn't have done anything to help."

"Well, I might have kept the worst of it away," Mardin said. "I might be old, but I know a thing or two."

So do I, Tennora added silently. It was something everyone in the room seemed to be forgetting.

"There were two dragons in here fighting," Tennora said.

"No there weren't," Veron said.

"Yes, there were," the half-elf said.

Tennora turned in her seat. "Truly, Mardin, there was nothing to have stopped it. You'd be just as battered as I."

"Petal, dear, you're-"

Another rush of footsteps and the remnants of the door opened again, this time for Cassian and a trio of Watchmen. The captain stepped forward, short sword out, eyes on Veron.

"Hold and down weapons, you," he shouted.

"I'm not the intruder!" Veron snapped.

"Down arms!"

"I beg your pardon!" Tennora shouted. All three Watchmen turned to look at her. She stood and pulled her shoulders back, despite the pain that raced down her spine, and regarded them like the brighter-nose noble they thought she was. She was sick and tired of being overlooked and stepped over, and she wasn't about to let it happen once more.

"Lady Hedare," the captain said with some surprise. He didn't lower his sword. "This young man says you've had an intruder and a couple of-"

"Captain, the woman is the intruder. I expect you'll take my word for it."

His sword dropped by a hand's length. "As you say, saer."

"She assaulted me!" the half-elf cried. "You're in her home," Veron said.

The captain cleared his throat. "Do allow my asking, saer, but what are you doing so far from the North Ward?"

Tennora began to retort, but the familiar sound of flapping wings made her fall silent. She watched as Aundra Blacklock once more climbed in through her window, her massive, bone white wings trailing behind.

Aundra looked Tennora over, examining her burned face and bleeding shoulder, the bruising that swelled up over her collarbone. She jerked her head back and took a small flask off her belt, setting it into Tennora's hands without a word. Stalking into the kitchen, she picked her way over the burned books and the scraps of wood that had once been Tennora's table. In the middle of the kitchen she squatted, nudged aside a few tatters of paper and bits of trash, and plucked out the case with the golden mask. She set it on the bureau. Everyone stared at her.

"What are the Watch doing here?" she said.

The captain recovered himself. "Goodwoman Blacklock, your, ah… Lady Hedare reported someone came in and, well, seems to have destroyed the place."

Aundra looked at the half-elf. "Are you the perpetrator?" "I perpetrated nothing," the half-elf said.

"She was here when I arrived," Veron said. "Her master and others helped a dangerous criminal escape."

"Ah," Aundra said. She turned her lamplike eyes to the Watch. "It sounds like she is your problem now."

With much staring and apologizing, the Watchmen took custody of the half-elf, shackling her arms and leading her down the stairs. As she passed Tennora, she smirked, as if she had gotten exactly what she wanted. No one spoke until the Watch's footsteps had faded.

"It seems everything went according to plan." Aundra glanced around the damaged room without so much as blinking. "More or less. I expected it to be quieter."

"What?" Tennora cried. "What plan were you going by?"

"I have my mask." Aundra laid a covetous hand on the case. "And you have come out alive." "You don't understand! The antiquary's shop was a dragon hoard. The dragon came here and they… they fought, and he… He took Nestrix!"