Voronica Whitney-Robinson - Sands of the Soul

She's given it to me all over again, Tazi marveled. If she's this sure of me, then maybe I can be, too.

No one was in sight. Realizing that, once again, Cale was right and there was no exterior guard to the manse, Tazi silently slid down the wall and rejoined her cohorts.

"It looks as though everything is quiet outside," she told them. "I think it would be best to have you, Steorf, check for the most silent way inside." Tazi spoke his name aloud in deference to Fannah's blindness. "You're the best one to figure out the right path to ease our way in."

It was Steorf's turn to look sharply at her.

"You want me to 'ease' our way in?" he asked a little incredulously. "We haven't done that in a long time."

"I'm sure you're still good at it, or have you lost your touch?" she asked with innocent eyes.

She wasn't sure but Tazi thought she saw Steorf's strong jaw twitch in the hint of a smile.

"Oh," he answered, "I think you'll find I'm still good at it… and a few things more."

With that, he moved off to survey the grounds with a different eye, leaving the women alone for a moment.

"So you and Steorf are back to 'easing' your way around?" Fannah questioned.

Tazi looked at her in surprise.

"I'm blind," Fannah explained in her melodic voice, "not deaf."

Tazi couldn't resist a giggle at Fannah's jab.

"You don't miss a thing," she replied. "You'd think I would remember that by now." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "It has been a long time since he and I have done something like this together. I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't worried."

"You'd be a fool to ever say something like that," Fannah corrected her. Laying her delicate hand on Tazi's sinewy arm, she continued, "And you are no fool, Thazienne. You never have been."

Fannah wasn't able to see the slightly grateful look that Tazi gave her, but Tazi was sure she knew just the same. Since the beginning of their unusual friendship, Tazi had always felt that Fannah could look right through her, blind or not. That hadn't changed over time. She reached over and quickly patted Fannah's hand, almost embarrassing herself with the familiar gesture.

"Are you ladies ready?" Steorf asked with mock formality.

He had slipped up behind them noiselessly. Tazi knew he asked the question in jest, but it was appropriate nonetheless. If they weren't ready, this whole crossing would end disastrously. She weighed her options one last time and gazed hard at her companions. There was no other choice.

"Let's bring this to Ciredor," Tazi finally answered, "and bring it to an end."

"Then let's be on our way," Steorf said, tilting his head. "If you don't mind," he added after a moment, "I'll make a quick pass to muffle the clanging your rapiers are making, Thazienne, before you alert everyone that we're coming."

Tazi whirled to face him, an angry retort on the tip of her tongue. She knew well enough her Sembian guardblades were as silent as she was and was about to remind Steorf of that fact in no uncertain terms. But the expression Steorf wore revealed he had been teasing her.

That's twice now, she thought.

Her lips curved up in spite of herself.

"You are touchy, aren't you?" was all he said.

Steorf swung up onto the wall and reached a hand down. Tazi laced her fingers together and gave Fannah a leg up to him. Soon enough all three were crouched along the wall. Steorf motioned to what appeared to be a servants' entrance and through a series of quick gestures let Tazi know that was probably their best chance. Fannah remained silent throughout the whole exchange. Tazi passed along their plans to the Calishite by pressing her finger into Fannah's hand and drawing a few key symbols. Tazi knew Fannah would not speak aloud again until they did.

There was only a small garden of stones between the wall and the servants' door. Aesthetically pleasing with a very intricate pattern, the garden also made a very simple and effective alarm. It was much harder to cross silently than a garden of dirt and grass, and any rocks knocked out of place would reveal an intruder had been through it. Tazi touched Steorf's arm, but he was already one step ahead. With a practiced gesture, he made the magical pass he had earlier joked about. Thanks to that spell, the three were able to walk a few inches above the ground and not disturb a single pebble.

When they reached the door, Tazi motioned for Steorf to step aside. Certain there weren't any wards on the door, Tazi reached under her shirt sleeve, took out her picks, and began to work on the lock. Three quick twists and it sprang open.

The right tool for the right job, Tazi thought with some small satisfaction, sliding the picks back into their guard on her arm.

Steorf stepped into the inky blackness first and spread out his hands. After a moment of silence, he whispered, "I don't believe anyone is here."

"Just to be on the safe side," Tazi said quietly to Steorf, "let's limit the amount of magic you use."

She wanted to make no mistakes and part of her concern came from the fact that she wasn't certain how well Steorf could control his magic.

Taking her cue from her two companions, Fannah asked aloud, "Why should we do that?"

"Well," Tazi replied, "none of my informants have had any dealings with the sorcerer who controls this gate. We can't be certain that he doesn't have some kind of affiliation with Ciredor. If Steorf doesn't know anything about him, we have to assume the worst. The fewer traces we leave behind, magical or otherwise, the better."

Tazi couldn't see, but Steorf had stood a little straighter when she mentioned his name.

"Do you know where the gate is?" Fannah asked.

"Cale wasn't certain, but he thought it was located in the cellar," Tazi answered, swallowing hard.

Silently, she dreaded going down there. She had always harbored a fear of cellars, which were often traps. After the sight she had seen in the bowels of the one Ciredor had occupied, Tazi hadn't stepped down into a cellar since.

"We'll have to make our way carefully," Steorf warned, after bumping into a doorframe. "I believe the owner has some kind of shadow spell on the tallhouse. The darkness is absolute."

Before either Steorf or Tazi could say any more, Fannah took the lead. Out of all of them, she was the best equipped to maneuver through the house. She was the only one not affected by the darkness, having been blind since birth. Fannah lightly clasped Tazi's hand, and Steorf followed directly behind. Tazi was always caught off-guard by the depth perception Fannah possessed. Her ability to discern the dimensions and spatial relationship between objects bordered on amazing. This time was no exception. Fannah moved through the house as though she had lived there all her life.

Passing carefully through what was most likely the servants' quarters, the trio made their way to the kitchen. It reeked of rancid fat and mold. Tazi's stomach, already in turmoil, roiled at the smells. She wondered how long it had been since the kitchen had been cleaned, or how long it had been since any servants had passed through the building at all. She was hard pressed not to sneeze at the dust they stirred up.

A few more steps and Fannah led them into a pantry. Tazi dismally noticed it didn't smell much better there, either. Fannah felt along the shelves with deft fingers, passing over spoiled supplies and ruined goods until she discovered the door handle to the cellar. She opened it just a crack, to test the integrity of the hinges. They, at least, had been given some attention recently, and the door opened soundlessly. After one step down the equally noiseless stairs, Fannah stopped and Tazi nearly walked into her.

"What's wrong?" Tazi asked into Fannah's ear.

"Something smells down here," she replied.