Elaine Cunningham - Honor Bound

As she climbed toward relativefreedom, she took satisfaction in imagining the look on Rhendish'sface when he learned she'd chosen the two most expensive bottles inthe cellar.

A minor revenge, but until she wasreleased from her bonds and her vow, it would have todo.

The return from Kronhus toHeartstone took hours longer than it might have, had Fox and hissmall band been able to sail directly into the Sevrinspire port.They returned the fishing boat to the cove and slipped into theforest beyond the fishing village. A small cave hidden in the rootsof a fallen tree led into what Delgar called a walking tunnel: astraight passage built for speedy travel. Of course, Fox hadlearned years ago that dwarven notions of "straight" bore adistinct resemblance to a drunken spider's web. But even the mostconvoluted trail eventually ends. By Fox's estimation, they reachedthe Fox Den around nightfall.

They stumbled into the mirror room.A woodland scene played across the silvered glass, a small valesurrounding a mist-shrouded pool. Vishni gave the scene a wave andcollapsed onto a settee with a happy groan. Avidan walked over tothe mirror and stood in silence as he gazed at the scene. Hereached out a tentative hand and jolted back when his fingerstouched the glass.

Fox nudged Delgar and tipped hishead toward the alchemist. "What do you suppose that'sabout?"

"No clue." He tightened the strapholding his pack. "I'm off, then."

"I'll walk with you aways."

Delgar shrugged and set off towardhis forge room. "That's fine, but then you're heading back to theothers."

"Did I say I wasn't?"

"You didn't have to say anything.You look as worried as a newborn babe, and with good reason.There's a sorcerer in this city, and I figure you want to warn yourkin just as much as I do mine."

Fox blew out a sigh of relief. "Ithought you'd understand."

The dwarf rounded on him, "Iunderstand that you're an idiot. After what happened on Kronhus,it's not safe for you to show your face."

"Everyone thinks I'm dead. No one'slooking for me."

Delgar snorted. "They'll be roundingup everyone who looks anything like the City Fox. Granted, youdon't come very close to the hero of legend, but why take therisk?"

"My mother-"

"Your mother has refused to leavethat cottage for ten years. What's different today that will makeany difference to her?"

Avidan cleared his throat. The twofriends spun toward him, startled by his suddenappearance.

"I might be able to help. There arecertain potions that bring swift and harmless slumber. Let Delgartake Mistress Winterborn such a potion and then carry her back tothe den."

"I don't like it," Foxsaid.

"It's not an ideal solution," Delgarsaid, "but it's better than what you have in mind. Give me theamulet as a token, so that she'll know you sent me."

Fox wasn't sure she'd remember it,or him, but the suggestion struck him as sensible. He reached intohis pocket for the broken locket and held it out. As Delgar reachedfor it, Fox's fingers snapped shut and he jerked his handback.

The dwarf blinked. "What was thatabout?"

"I'm not sure," Fox said. He triedunclenching his fist, but his fingers wouldn't obey. "I don't thinkI can give it to you."

"Sure you can."

"No, I literally can't give you theamulet. There must be some sort of compulsion built into it. You'llhave to take it from me."

Delgar sighed and shrugged off hispack. He lowered it to the ground. Without warning he swung thepack at Fox's ankles in a hard, rising arc.

The thief's feet swept out fromunder him. For a moment his boots and his belt occupied the samelevel plane, as if he was sitting on the ground with his legsoutstretched. And then, suddenly, he was. Pain jolted up his spineas he hit the stone floor. Then Delgar dived at him, and the floorseemed soft and yielding in comparison.

They rolled and grappled inmismatched combat. Fox writhed and twisted and did his best to makethe dwarf work at not hurting him. Vishni, who as usual was drawnby the sounds of an entertaining fight, cheered Fox on and offeredimprobable suggestions.

But the battle was as brief as theoutcome was certain. In moments Delgar had him face down with botharms pinned behind him. He pried over Fox's clenched fist to find.. nothing.

"Where'd it go?" the dwarfdemanded.

Fox rolled over as soon as Delgarreleased him and stared at his open, empty hands. "I haven't thefirst clue."

"That's bad," Vishni said flatly."That means the amulet is attuned to you. It can sense your intent.And it will disappear rather than be taken. This is powerfulmagic."

A grim possibility occurred to Fox."Could the amulet be traced?"

"Of course! Why else would anyonego to the trouble of making sure you had to keep it?"

"That would explain how the adeptsrounded up Eldreath's offspring," he muttered. "Assuming each of usgot an amulet."

" Each of us?" Vishni echoed. Her darkeyes widened. "You knew you were descended from Eldreath, and youdidn't tell me?"

"You'd make a ballad out of thetale."

"No I wouldn't!"

Fox sighed. "Vishni, you've alreadygot your book open to a new page."

The fairy looked down at the book onher lap. "Oh."

He pushed himself to his feet."We've got to separate. If they find me, they find the Thorn.Delgar, you go warn your people, then bring my mother to theden."

Vishni caught his arm. "What willyou do?"

"Find a boat. Make arrangements.When I figure out how to get Delgar to the mainland, I'll send wordto the Cat and the Cauldron."

"I like that tavern," Vishni said ina small voice.

"I know." He brushed the knuckles ofone hand across her cheek. "No explosions."

"No promises," she said.

Nimbolk strode along the fisherman'swharf, the hood of his cloak pulled low over his forehead. This didnot made him conspicuous, for the sea wind nipped sharply and mostof the humans covered their heads with hoods or knitted woolencaps. Like them, he walked with hunched shoulders and an awkwardheel-to-toe stride. The clatter of his own boots against the woodenplanks offended him. No wonder humans crashed through the forestlike drunken trolls.

He skirted a group of men who weresorting through the contents of a herring net and a pair of doxieswho watched the incoming fisherman with inviting smiles and hard,coin-counting eyes. An old man wrapped in a tattered cloak crouchednearby, using a barrel filled with brine as a windbreak. He mightas well have been invisible for all the attention the others paidhim. This filled Nimbolk with sorrow and outrage. He had heardhumans allowed their elders to go cold and hungry, but knowing thisdid not prepare him to confront the reality.

Was there something in the brine,Nimbolk wondered, that pickled the humans' brains along with theirfish? Or were they actively taught to ignore the world around themand the people in it? It didn't seem possible that any sentientbeing could be born as oblivious as these humans.

He lifted his gaze to the cliff-sidefortress, the keep that until recently had been held by the adeptMuldonny. A single road wound up the steep approach to thefortress, but many more lay hidden beneath the streets andbuildings. Long before any human set foot on these islands, dwarveshad called them home. They'd been gone for a very long time, butonce their tunnels had linked the islands' system of caverns andprotected secrets so old that dragons had forgottenthem.

Were any of Stormwall's humans awareof the ancient civilization beneath their feet? Would they care ifthey knew?

The humans of Sevrin struck Nimbolkas being every bit as contrary as they were oblivious. They hadmany good things to say of Muldonny, whose alchemical weapons hadplayed an important role in ending the harsh rule of the sorcererEldreath, but oddly enough, few people condemned Fox Winterborn forthe raid that killed the island's ruler and war hero. In fact, theStormwall fisherfolk seemed reluctant to say anything at all aboutthe red-haired thief.