Troy Denning: The Siege

"Indeed, it is always a guest's privilege to increase the wealth of his host with treasures of art," Malik said. He sat on the rim of the central basin and drew a disapproving frown from Hadrhune by using his hands to scoop water into his mouth. "May it please you to stay at my house sometime… when the One allows me the funds to purchase one."

"Until then, it is the hope of the Most High that you will find this one adequate," Hadrhune said. He took the dipper from its hook and pointedly offered it to Malik. "Consider it your home."

"Indeed?" Ignoring the dipper, Malik wiped his hands on his tunic and studied the courtyard with an appraising eye. "This is a little cramped for Kelda, but-"

"I am afraid your horse must remain in the stables," Hadrhune sniffed. He turned to Aris and waved his staff around the courtyard. "This is to be Aris's quarters. Will it do? We can have a roof erected, but space so near the palace is at a premium. Outside of the Grand Hall itself, no building in the area is large enough for you."

"I have no need for a roof, thank you." Aris studied the area with a growing look of discomfort, then tried to hide his disappointment and said, "There is room enough for me to sleep."

"Do not fear, my large friend," Hadrhune said. "Sleep is all you need do here. The Most High has declared that you may keep your workshop in the goodshouse where you have been staying. He was quite taken with your depiction of Escanor's fight."

This actually drew a smile from the grim giant. "Then he shall have it when I finish."

"Arts will fill the city with his work, if you let him," Galaeron said, stepping to Hadrhune's side. "When am I to begin my lessons with the Most High?"

Hadrhune ran a black thumbnail along a deeply worn groove near the head of his staff. "I thought you would first wish to make yourself comfortable in your new home."

"It took you a tenday to find this place," Galaeron said. "I have no time to waste."

"The Most High has been occupied with the war." Hadrhune's amber eyes were burning. "I'm sure you understand."

"What I understand is that he said he would teach me to control my shadow," Galaeron said, "and that you turn me away every time I present myself."

Hadrhune's staff rose as though he might strike Galaeron, who felt Vala's hand clamped around his forearm.

"Galaeron, get a hold of yourself!" She dug her fingers into the underside of his wrist and twisted, forcing him to open his hand and release the hilt he had not realized he was grasping. "If he doesn't want you seeing the Most High, drawing your sword would be just the excuse he needs to see you never do."

Hadrhune gave Vala a thin smile. "I do want him to learn from the Most High," he said. "We all do."

Moving more slowly, he waved his staff over their heads and aimed the tip at the gate, where a dark-haired woman dressed in the robe and veil of the Bedine desert people was attempting to sneak into the courtyard. Judging by her kohl-rimmed eyes-all Galaeron could see of her-she was a little older than Vala and not quite as swarthy as the Shadovar.

"You there," Hadrhune said. "Do you know what we do with thieves in this city?"

The hint of a cringe flashed across the woman's eyes, then she drew herself up straight. "From all I can tell, you harbor them." She spoke Common without a trace of Bedine accent. She locked gazes with Hadrhune and crossed the courtyard, a silver harp-and-moon pinned to her collar growing visible as she drew near. "I am searching for one rumored to keep company with these people."

She regarded Galaeron and Vala as though they did not deserve the honor of her gaze, then glanced past Aris's kneecap and into the shadowy depths of the colonnade. Galaeron was not ail that surprised to realize Malik had vanished. The little man had an astonishing capacity for stealth, and he had mentioned his troubles with a certain Harper often enough for Galaeron to guess who this was. Vala caught his eye and barely raised her brow. He flattened his fingers in a signal to wait, and the Bedine Harper looked away, pretending not to see.

If Hadrhune noticed the woman's discretion, he hid it well. "How did you enter Shade Enclave?"

Her dark brows arched. "In the usual way," she said. "I have been serving Princes Clariburnus and Brennus as a desert guide, a position arranged in Waterdeep through Laeral Silverhand and Prince Aglarel. If there are closed districts, they did not inform me when they brought me into the city."

"The district is not closed," Hadrhune clarified, "but it is well guarded." "And you would know everyone who enters?" "Yes," Hadrhune answered.

A twinkle came to the woman's eyes, and she said, "I think not." Galaeron liked her instantly.

"Ruha," he said, "it is a waste of your time to look for Malik with us. He is hardly the sort a wise company welcomes for long."

The witch turned her mocking gaze on Galaeron and said, "If you know who I am, then you must also know I am not so easily fooled. I found his horse in the stables." A small chain of gold dropped out of her sleeve into her cupped hand, though it was done so deftly that Galaeron doubted anyone else had noticed. "A pity-she was such a fine mount."

"Harper shrew!" Malik screamed. "What have you done to my Kelda?"

The little man came charging out of the shadows at her back, a stone loaded in his sling and his arm rising to attack. Ruha spun around deftly, holding the golden chain up before him and uttering a common imprisonment spell.

Galaeron was already halfway through the reversal. He timed his incantation to finish in the same instant as Ruha's, and a bolt of shadow magic rushed up through his body, cold and jolting, raw enough to sting his bones. A cord of brown magic spiraled up Ruha's body, binding her knees to each other and her arms to her sides, then the golden chain vanished from her hands and appeared in Galaeron's.

Malik loosed the stone in his sling. Galaeron gave the chain a quick tug and jerked Ruha out of the way. The rock sailed past, striking Hadrhune square in the chest The seneschal barely flinched, but Malik's eyes bugged out so far they looked like they might fall from their sockets.

"Your Darkness, a thousand pardons!" he cried. "But surely a man has a right to defend-" "Enough!" Hadrhune lowered his staff at Malik.

Galaeron cursed under his breath and raised a hand to cast another spell-only to have Vala slap it down. "Are you mad?"

Hadrhune spoke a word, and a tiny sphere of shadow shot from the tip and struck the ground at Malik's feet. He cried out and tried to leap away, but the dark circle expanded beneath him. When he came down, he fell in as though it was a hole. The shadow circle drew in on itself and vanished from sight.

Aris, who had been watching all this from far above, groaned and dropped to a knee, his big hand already reaching for Hadrhune. The seneschal raised his staff overhead and caught the middle of the giant's hand on its tip.

"There is nothing to be angry about, Aris. Your friend will return shortly."

"He better." Aris removed some of his hand's weight from the staff, but tried to sound threatening. "I owe him my life."

"There is no need to pay today, my large friend," Hadrhune said, lowering his staff. "I just wanted time to sort matters out."

He went to stand in the place Malik had vanished from, then motioned Galaeron to bring Ruha over. "Since you all seem to know of each other, perhaps you would be so kind as to enlighten me?"

Ruha glared daggers at Galaeron, then, with her hands still bound by the brown cord of magic, said, "I have no business with the elf or his harlot-" "Harlot?" Vala stormed. "I've never taken a copper!"

She reached for her darksword and started forward, but stopped at a warning dip of Hadrhune's black staff.