by P. A. Wilson
“Who?” Vitenkar knew few people on the island. He’d kept his dealings to business, and usually through agents. He preferred the company of Scree. Even the fools that he’d been able to hire for his army were better than other species. And when he was successful, he could gather a real army, one that could make his plans come to fruition.
“I will do some research,” Ballian said. “I will report when I have a name, and a plan.”
Vitenkar was angered by the thought that his lieutenant was going to take his leave without waiting to be dismissed. The arrogance displayed toward his superior was a deep insult.
“You may go,” he said, to Ballian’s retreating form.
Chapter 13
It was night, and Willowvine couldn’t sit at the table any longer. There were no new messages, no new plans. If they didn’t complete this job, it would be a disaster. She would never have another chance to make the elves understand that orphans were not dangerous, or trash to be discarded.
“I’m going for a walk,” she said, to Springheart. He told her to be careful and turned back to his list of potential suspects.
Wandering the streets was better than sitting and trying to winkle out a clue from a list of names, but Willowvine was going to make more of the evening than just a refreshing stroll. Tamm may be a good informer, but he wasn’t the only one.
The Gilded Trout was a favorite place for informants to gather. They shared information and analyzed deeper meanings to maximize the price. Being so close to the guild, and therefore the informant’s most frequent customers, separated the Trout from other taverns and made it much more profitable.
By now almost every informant was aware that she and Springheart needed specific information. If she sat at a table, someone would approach and she would scan anyone who did offer information to know if they were being truthful. Despite what Springheart and Maynard thought, people wanted to help. They wouldn’t hide behind a lie knowingly, because it would hurt their reputation. And these informants weren’t easily fooled. At least, those who were sober wouldn’t fall for a lie.
The common room was almost full. The low murmur of conversation stopped as she walked through the door. Willowvine could feel the eagerness in the room without dropping into a trance. Every man and woman there wanted to be the one to help Aranate Devissial and gain a toehold in his circle of friends. Giving one of the elves a clue would be a fast way of getting his attention. She didn’t begrudge them. Reputation was the most important asset in their lives. She would make sure their contribution was recognized.
There was an open table in the far corner. Near the kitchen entrance, it was the least private, and so the last taken. It would work for her purposes. There was enough distance between it and the closest tables that she would have time to scan anyone’s intent as they approached.
She shucked her cloak and sat. The excess heat from the kitchen was the other reason no one liked to stay long at this table. The waiter placed a tankard of ale in front of her. “Josie sent it. She said she’s got information.”
Willowvine looked up and saw Josie crossing the room. One of the few female informants, she was also unique in that she was a sylph. Her magic allowed her to muddle the minds of people who she’d spied on. They wouldn’t remember she’d been near.
It didn’t work on Willowvine, and her scan of the woman revealed only helpfulness in the sylph’s mind.
“I am pleased to see you about the town without your escort. Springheart is formidable.” Josie said as she accepted Willowvine’s invitation to sit.
“He can be stern,” Willowvine agreed. “But you know he values information. Thank you for the intelligence on the ledger.”
“It is always a pleasure to be of assistance.”
Willowvine nodded, knowing that speeding up the process with the sylph wouldn’t help. They had just finished the pleasantries, now she had to wait for Josie to tell her whatever was on her mind. The sylph looked around at the others populating the room, and then back at Willowvine. There was no one lingering, or close enough to overhear, and then sell the information they took.
“You are looking for someone who hates elves, and is suddenly joyful, or perhaps jubilant is the better word. Someone who has changed their behavior recently.”
Willowvine nodded.
“I heard two scree talking on this very subject only an hour ago. I have not verified it, but perhaps it will still be of use.”
Holding her reaction back, Willowvine nodded again. Knowing that neither Maynard nor Springheart would be interested in rumor, she would have to do the verification herself. “Tell me, and I’ll see if it is worth our time.”
“I will need payment,” Josie said. “I do not ask for the full fee. But it is new information.”
Willowvine agreed to a quarter of the fee, almost the entire amount she carried. “Tell me, Josie, and if it turns out to be good information, I will let the other couriers know who helped us.”
“Do you know of a man called Ivanston Tollingen? He is a merchant who does business mainly in The City. His home is here, but his business is there. I do not understand how someone can operate a business when their home is a full day away or more depending on the tide and weather.”
Stifling her impatience, Willowvine agreed. “Is he on the island now?”
“Indeed. According to the scree I followed, he has suddenly accepted a shipment and is remaining in his house. He is not accepting invitations to any events in the next two weeks.”
It was a solid clue. “Do you know where his house is?” Willowvine cursed herself for being so quick to ask. She had no more coins if Josie wanted payment for this.
“Yes, and you will owe me a favor for the answer,” Josie said. The smile that accompanied her words told Willowvine that the favor wouldn’t be small.
“Fine, I owe you a favor,” Willowvine answered. “But only me. Springheart is not part of the price.”
“That is fair. Do you have paper?”
Josie wrote an address that was close to the docks. A large home, with a wide lawn, not Willowvine’s favorite setting for reconnaissance, but it couldn’t be helped. The sylph left after formally ending their discussion with a bow and a wish for their health. Willowvine emptied her beer and took her cloak. As she crossed the common room to exit, the door slammed open and two scree entered.
They were armed and drunk.
One of them looked around the room with the usual sneer they had for any being not scree. His gaze landed on her and the sneer intensified. Then they strode to a private room, shoving the curtain aside and disappearing into the darkness.
* * *
It only took moments to reach the address. This was a small town and it didn’t take long to get from one end to the other. Willowvine crouched in the shadow of one of the large shrubs that ringed the property. No wall, but plenty of concealment. The problem was the expanse of grass she would have to cross. And the man had ettran stones placed to light the flowerbeds. Their light spilled in pools across the lawn. It wasn’t a completely impossible task, but she knew it would be easier if Springheart was with her.
Holding to one of the sturdier branches for support she closed her eyes and let her magic seek for anyone within. There were four auras glowing, all inside the house. Two were on the far side; they would not notice her approach. One of the auras was underground, so there must be a basement. Was that where the stone was being held? The final aura glowed from the back of the building. She couldn’t tell what side of the house the person was standing on. Possibly they were in the center, maybe in a bedroom. Unfortunately, her power wasn’t able to distinguish whether the person was asleep or alert. She was able to see the wards on the lower windows. The second-floor windows were unwarded, a common mistake that gave her an edge.
All she needed was to get a peek inside. Perhaps the package would be on display. Perhaps there would be an indication of the reason this Tollingen felt the need to stay within the confines of his own residence
. The reasonable side of her knew that there were more reasons than a stolen elven stone to avoid the public.
She had to take the chance. Going back to let Maynard and Springheart talk her out of it, would only waste time. Sure that none of the people inside were actually looking out, she raced from the shrub to the side of the nearest chimney. Nothing changed, but she could no longer spare the energy to keep scanning auras. She was as blind as any of the other couriers.
Keeping to the shadow of the chimney, Willowvine scaled the wall until she reached an unwarded window. The room inside was dark, and the curtains were drawn. She tugged to test the lock, and the window slid up a few inches. Foolish people. Pushing it open enough for her to slip through, Willowvine dropped into the room. It was a bedroom, and empty.
There was light under the door in the hallway. It flickered as someone walked past. Leaving the window open, she crept to the door, placing her ear against it. Elves didn’t need magic to hear the faintest of sounds.
The footsteps retreated and then descended. The sound of gentle snores came from the right and left. The two auras she’d seen earlier. She inched open the door and waited for someone to react — nothing.
Slipping through, she found herself in a long hall. The light was coming from an ettran fixture; there were three of them along the hall. She slipped back into the room. Now that she was inside the house, she realized the foolishness of not making a plan first.
She would have only a limited time to search for validation that this was the location of the stone. She wasn’t worried about being found out. Avoiding two people wasn’t that hard for her. She could hide in places they wouldn’t think of, and she was fast. Even so, the longer she searched the higher the risk they’d stumble upon her.
One trip in and out. If she didn’t find anything, she’d tell Springheart while Maynard wasn’t around — they wouldn’t get the chance to gang up on her again.
If she had something to hide, she’d have it as far as possible from any entrance. The basement seemed the likeliest place. Willowvine closed the window, not wanting a breeze to alert anyone that it was open. She’d find another way out if necessary.
Leaning against the door, she verified that there was no one outside. The dash to the head of the stairs was easy, and the stairway had thick newel posts for her to hide behind. Again, no one was in sight.
She scanned quickly, conserving her energy. Both auras were below the ground. Free from worry about getting caught, Willowvine sped down the stairway, and searched for a door to the basement. As she tested the first of three doors, voices reached her.
They were coming up from the basement.
She scurried to the kitchen, and crawled into the first cupboard she could open. It was as safe a place as any. No one would likely enter until it was time to prepare breakfast. She would have found a way to escape before then.
“Are you certain that it is viable?” A man’s voice came to her.
They were coming to the kitchen.
Footsteps passed and a door opened. She heard the flick of a flint, and then the aroma of flavored tobacco drifted toward the cupboard. She was going to be here until they finished their pipes.
“Yes, and it will hatch within a few days. You’ll imprint on it over the next week.” The second voice was female.
Whatever they were hiding, it wasn’t the stone. Willowvine kept listening. There were few creatures that would imprint on a human. Knowing what they had might come in handy.
“I do hate this forced imprisonment,” the man said. He must be Tollingen. “I know it is my home, but I get bored. And with only the servants around, I have no outlet. Would you consider staying, my dear?”
“I must not be here, Ivanston. I have had too much contact with the egg. This is my last visit until you have imprinted the creature. If I stay, there is a danger that the gilhawk will imprint on me. You would not want that.” The woman’s words carried a tone that said she wouldn’t want a gilhawk.
Willowvine didn’t blame her. The birds were hard to handle even when they imprinted. Tollingen would have to be careful of his pet. He’d be responsible for any damage it did.
Now she just had to wait out their pipe smoking, and get back to Springheart. At least they could cross one name off the list.
Chapter 14
Springheart looked out the window. The night had deepened while he’d been poring over the many details that various informants had provided. Unfortunately, all the details did was muddy the picture rather than illuminate the answer.
There was no one on the street. That was a worry. Willowvine should have been back by now.
He knew that she’d been upset. He hadn’t enjoyed agreeing with Maynard Slack, but she was too inexperienced to know when something wasn’t right. That was his fault. They had fallen into a pattern of him leading and her following. He should be teaching not leading. He would have to change, or she’d end up in some kind of trouble that he couldn’t fix.
Springheart returned to the table and stacked everything in a pile. There was nothing more to be learned from the notes. Perhaps Maynard would be able to come up with something. And hopefully they would find a way to disengage him from the assignment soon, before he learned too much.
Springheart took his cloak and sword from their place on the wall. Everything in the room was within reaching distance. It was convenient, but perhaps they should find larger accommodations. Living on top of each other had been bad enough before, but now they argued so often that a little privacy would be good.
Springheart told himself he wasn’t worried, that the twinge in his gut was just hunger. He left the rooming house and turned toward The Gilded Trout. There would be someone there who might have information, and the food was acceptable. He could bring back a meal for Willowvine when he was done.
The common room of the Trout was half empty. He nodded to a few people he knew, but didn’t encourage anyone to join him. He would eat and then go looking for Willowvine. If someone had something to say, they could join him. He had no time for the gossip that usually filled the tavern.
Before he reached an empty table, he felt a touch on his arm. Struggling not to react with his sword, he turned slowly to see Josie standing behind him. “Springheart, good evening to you.”
He didn’t want to engage in sylph small talk, but he couldn’t be rude. “More night than evening, but I hope yours is interesting and profitable.”
A smile grew on her face, the expression conspiratorial. “It has been so far. Was my information useful?”
Springheart motioned to an empty table. If Maynard had information and hadn’t passed it on, then he would be easy to remove. “What information?”
A green tinge touched Josie’s cheeks. “I am not sure I should say. Willowvine paid me for the information and her favor is on the line.”
Willowvine?
If she had information that he didn’t, it could only mean that she was following up on it. That was dangerous. Whether the information sent her to the stone or not, they were investigating people who hated elves. People who would love the opportunity to hurt her or kill her for entering their homes. “We are working together, Josie. I must have missed her at home. Can you tell me where I might find Willowvine?”
The green blush faded as a smile of avarice stretched her mouth. “I can, but I will require payment. It would not be good for my profits to be known as someone who gave information for free.”
“What is the price?” Courtesy pushed aside in his haste to find Willowvine, Springheart waited.
The sylph assessed him. “I think it would be to my advantage to have a favor owed me by the two best elven couriers. I have one from Willowvine, would you owe me one?”
He nodded and gave her the required response. “Now, where can I find her?”
“Ivanston Tollingen’s house. Do you know it?”
He did. The man’s name had been on their list. “Why would she go there?” He asked it of himself, only realizing
he’d spoken out loud when Josie responded.
“Willowvine paid cash for that information. On second thought I think it best to tell you. He is hiding something in his home. And he is not leaving for at least two weeks.”
Springheart gave Josie a few coins as a thank you for the information. The money that Devissial had provided was far more than he’d expected, a little generosity would likely reap benefits later.
He crossed the town in a few minutes and stood in the shadow of a doorway across the wide boulevard from the house. It looked like a fortress. The only lights visible were the ettran stones placed in the flowerbeds. If Willowvine had gone inside, he would have to follow, but this was her strength not his.
Perhaps she was watching the house from the hedge. He didn’t hold out much hope. Willowvine was not that patient. He ran across the road to melt into the shadows under the shrubbery.
This side was the best for surveillance, the boulevard empty and the moonlight shining on the other side. If she were watching the house, she would be near. If she’d entered the house, she would have started from here.
A rapid search of the area revealed no Willowvine, but he found the place she’d waited. Her footprints were plain, to him, but would not be to a casual observer.
She was in the house.
Springheart pushed all thoughts of what might be happening to her aside. Crouching in her footprints, he tried to figure out her path. He didn’t try to figure out her plan, because he was sure she didn’t have one. Another thing he should have taught her rather than just done for her.
Looking across at the building, he decided that she must have run for the shadow of the chimney. If she got inside, that meant there were unwarded windows. He didn’t have the magic to see the wards. That was her role. He would just have to run to the chimney and hope for some clue. As he prepared to make the crossing, he noticed movement. Someone was climbing down from a second-floor window — Willowvine.