The original walled keep of Sylverwynd, a sturdy-looking structure with lines distinctly not Pelinese, was set into a high hillside, surrounded by the rest of a very large city.

  Delvers had built the fortress at the behest of Pelinon’s king six hundred years earlier, and throughout the city were clusters of stone buildings and towers done in the same style.

  Those were the warren-like enclaves where Delvers thrived and generally isolated themselves from the predominantly human populace. They’d been built as high as four and even five stories, and the human homes and shops flowed out from them. They traded and sometimes worked with humans, but they didn’t mingle with them.

  Although Sylverwynd wasn’t a ducal seat, it sat upon the largest trade crossroads along the entire Sylverwylde range. The city spread out as if it had tumbled out of the mountain pass like a landslide. A faint but persistent pall of smoke floated above the city, borne of the countless wood-and-coal-burning forges that made up a good portion of the city’s industry.

  Mountains meant gems, minerals, and ores. Those meant forges, and forges meant all manner of trade goods derived from them. Sylverwynd was renowned for everything from exceptional jewelry to some of the best weapons and armor available anywhere.

  A quarter mile from the edge of Sylverwynd, the caravan turned down a wide road of irregularly shaped, dark gray cobblestones that were clearly not part of the King’s Highway. They led to a site along the river where caravans could gather without overwhelming the city. Several inns, taverns, and shops made up a small village outside the city. Stretching out from the central village were rows of vendor wagons, carts, and tents, arranged like the spokes of a wheel extending out, where travelers could purchase just about anything they wanted.

  At least four other caravans had camped in the enclave. The teamsters led the caravan to an open field up against the river, and the caravan spread out, with those at the head of the line taking up positions right along the riverbank. Once again, Rellen led his group to a site beside Javyk and Dancer’s carriage. The driver had barely set the parking brake when the carriage door opened, and Dancer got out. He held the door for Javyk, who stepped onto the ground and immediately turned up to the driver.

  “Set up camp, Mr. Bawth,” Javyk ordered. “Dancer and I need to go see about engaging a few capable bodies. We’ll return when we can.”

  It was precisely what Rellen had been waiting for. He had to act quickly.

  “I’m telling you,” Rellen snapped, glaring at Miranda, “I’m headed into the village for supplies. I’m almost out of components for my spells, and this is the first place we’ve come across where I can get them.” He hoped Miranda would respond without looking surprised.

  “It’s just like you,” she barked back, “take off when there’s hard work to be done.”

  “If I can’t cast my spells, we can’t do our jobs, now can we?” Rellen said, getting off Shaddeth. “You know it’s the best advantage we have.”

  “Go and be damned,” Miranda snapped, waving a dismissive hand. “I swear, you’re the laziest layabout I’ve ever known.”

  Javyk and Dancer walked past. This time, Rellen looked directly at Javyk, shook his head, and rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t believe what I have to put up with,” he said.

  Javyk gave Rellen a pained nod but said nothing, continuing on his way with Dancer in tow.

  As Miranda barked orders at Tavyn and Mygal—using the assumed names of Tygeth and Maybor—Rellen glanced up at the sky. High above, looking like any other bird, was a small black, winged shape.

  Can you hear me, little one?

  I can. Xilly did a quick loop in the air.

  Do you see Javyk and Dancer?

  Yes, they just walked off.

  I’m going to follow them, but at a distance. I don’t want them to see me yet. Can you guide me if I lose them?

  Of course. She adjusted her path through the sky and followed along in the same direction Javyk and Dancer had gone.

  Rellen loosened the straps of Shaddeth’s saddle, to ease the strain, and then grabbed his saddlebags, flopping them over one shoulder. He fully intended to get at least some of the spell components he would need, especially the yallaho berries. He gave Miranda a parting glance and flashed the military sign for “thank you.”

  She smiled, nodded, and then signed the words “good luck.”

  With that, Rellen turned and set off toward the center of the enclave, weaving his way through the travelers and teamsters mulling about the area as the caravan started setting up camp.

  The area bustled with activity, but he managed to catch glimpses of Javyk and Dancer as they made their way. Rellen had a good idea of where they were going, and before long, his suspicions were proved out.

  Javyk made his way straight toward a two-story, wooden building with a plaque hanging over the door. The plaque bore the mark of the Bounty Hunters Guild, crossed swords with a dragon skull above them. Inside, one could register bounties or search the boards for bounties that had been duly registered. Some were from private parties, some from the authorities, but there were always at least a few jobs listed in a caravan village.

  Out front were three rows of tables with wooden benches. Javyk sat down at the nearest one, with Dancer taking a position beside him. The etiquette was straightforward. Anyone who looked to employ bounty hunters or bodyguards on short notice could wait there. Eventually, those looking for work would come by and ask what the job was. It was a simple arrangement and consistent throughout most of Pelinon.

  Rellen approached the table on his way to an apothecary he’d spotted a half dozen doors down from the Hunter’s Guild. Just then, a burly man with a bald head and light leather armor sat down across from Javyk. He had a longsword belted to his hip, and he leaned a sturdy, steel-banded buckler against the bench.

  Rellen caught Javyk’s eye and nodded in recognition.

  Javyk immediately recognized Rellen and nodded back. “Please come see me when you’re done with your errand, would you?”

  “Certainly,” Rellen replied nonchalantly and moved on. His instincts had been right.

  * * *

  When Rellen’s saddlebags and pouches were full of the supplies and spell components he needed, including a half dozen vials of mashed yallaho berries, he left the apothecary and made his way back toward the Hunter’s Guild. As he wove his way through the wide avenue, he passed an aging bard plucking away at a stringed instrument and singing a dirge-like tune that was oddly pleasing to the ear. As a gentleman in fine-looking clothing passed by, he dropped a coin into a small, metal cup hooked into the bard’s belt.

  Rellen moved quickly up the avenue and found Javyk and Dancer still sitting at the table, thankfully alone. Javyk motioned for Rellen to join them.

  He walked up to them, an expectant look on his face. Now that he got a good look at Javyk, he realized the man’s pallor was even more profound than it had appeared at a distance. His flesh was sickly, but there was a resilient strength to his posture, as if his body contained a strength that shouldn’t be there. His sunken eyes had dark circles around them but held a fierce strength that came through like candles in the dark.

  Dancer, on the other hand, had a somewhat healthier pallor, but he looked to be the weaker of the two. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he was obviously fatigued. There was a sheen of perspiration on his brow, and his breathing came in unnaturally short breaths. It was clear Javyk’s attempts at healing were losing the battle.

  “What can I do for you?” Rellen asked warily.

  “It’s Rellen, isn’t it?” Javyk asked. There was something almost disquieting about his tone of voice. He was the epitome of politeness and poise, as if he’d been raised amongst the nobility to automatically treat everyone with kindness and grace—to their faces. Rellen recognized the mark of a manipulator immediately. He’d been raised surrounded by men and women just like that.

  “How do you know my name?” Rellen asked, his eyes going hard.

  “Forgive me,” Javyk said, holding up a calming hand, “but your… wife, is it…?” He looked apologetic, even compassionate. “Her voice carries. I don’t mean to pry or be insulting, but she does seem like a… difficult woman.”

  “She’s got a tongue like a razor blade,” Rellen said bitterly, shaking his head. “Sometimes I think I should have killed that bitch years ago, not married her.”

  “So I gathered. Love, like hate, can be a fickle taskmaster, can’t it?”

  “That’s the truth,” Rellen replied, softening his posture slightly. He wanted to draw the man in.

  “Please, join us,” Javyk said softly.

  “Why would I want to do that?”

  “Because I have a proposition for you, one that is likely to be profitable for you—with or without your wife—and might even lead to more coin down the road.”

  “Everyone says they have a profitable proposition, but do you have the coin to make good on it?”

  “A fair question,” Javyk replied. He reached into the folds of his dark robe and drew out a rather thick coin purse. He reached in and pulled out a few dakkaris. “I’ll most certainly be able to compensate you adequately. What I require is, in fact, a very simple matter.”

  “What do you need done?”

  “Before I go into that, I do have a rather indelicate question I need answered first.”

  “And that is?” Rellen added a hint of boredom to his answer.

  “Well, what I require may involve matters at least somewhat outside the boundaries of the law.”

  “I’m not going to murder anyone for you, if that’s what you’re after,” Rellen said bluntly. “I doubt you have that kind of money, despite the fancy carriage.”

  “Oh, no,” Javyk said easily. “Nothing like that. However, it might require you to injure or kill one or more persons in defense of myself and my associate here.” He eyed Rellen. “Would you have any problems with a situation like that?”

  “You’re talking about a straightforward bodyguard job.” He raised a confident eyebrow. “It wouldn’t be my first one, so, no, I’d have no problems killing the other guy to protect my employer.” He locked eyes with Javyk and sat down. “Let me put it another way. I’ve killed more men and women than I can count. Most of them were legal as a duly authorized bounty hunter in the Kingdom of Pelinon. The others all had it coming and were armed when I killed them. If I think it’s a justifiable killing, I’ll even stick around for the constables. If I don’t, then I’ll disappear faster than you can say magistrate, and you’ll never see me again. You’d be paying me to protect you… not go to jail or a gallows for you. Does that make you feel better?”

  “Indeed, it does,” Javyk almost purred.

  “For the right price, I might be able to help you out, but you need to know that I’m pulling out in the morning. Headed south. If you need protecting between now and then, I can help you… especially if it gets me away from my wife for any period of time.”

  Rellen paused, glancing at the bard who was coming up the street, his music floating over the conversation. He turned back to Javyk. “Turn me over to the authorities,” he said in a suddenly dangerous tone, “and I will kill you. You’ll never see me coming. The same applies if I think you just dropped me into a meat grinder. I’m not fodder for any man, not even a king.”

  “I think we understand one another,” Javyk said, nodding, and then he motioned for the bard to come over.

  “So, what would I be up against?”

  “I can give you at least a rough idea of what you might run into, but I cannot make any guarantees. I don’t even know if we will face opposition, let alone what its composition might be. I can only say that I am employing several individuals such as yourself merely to ensure that a transaction takes place and we are not injured in the process.” He paused and held up his finger. “Excuse me for a moment, would you? I’ve always loved this song.” He motioned for the bard to come closer.

  As the bard approached, Javyk reached into an inner pocket of his robes and pulled out a coin. He tried to cover it, but Rellen’s quick eyes spotted a strip of vellum wrapped around it.

  The bard stepped up, shifting his hip out as he played a rather lively tune, making the metal cup more accessible. Javyk dropped the coin in as he met the eyes of the bard, who gave Javyk a jovial nod of thanks and then moved on. Javyk quickly turned back to Rellen, an innocent look on his face. But Rellen had not missed the exchange. He guessed Javyk had just sent a message to the people he intended to meet.

  “So, what are we actually talking about?” Rellen asked. “I mean the whos and whats?”

  “Without divulging any details you don’t need to know, the plan is to meet some of my associates inside Sylverwynd this afternoon. There will be an exchange of several objects. We will then leave. It’s all very simple.”

  “And if it gets complicated?” Rellen asked drily.

  “In that event, I would expect you to stop anyone from interfering with my transaction or from taking my property—at all costs. What will it cost me to engage you for the afternoon?”

  “Fifteen dakkaris, five now and ten after.”

  Javyk raised an eyebrow, a dubious look upon his face. “That much? One of the individuals I engaged only asked for three dakkaris before and five after.”

  “Then he’s either a fool or fighting way out of his weight class.” Rellen leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. “I’ll tell you what. If things stay simple, I’ll take three now and eight after. If it gets complicated, it’s back to five and ten. I don’t come cheap, and you’ll definitely want me on your side.”

  “That’s a rather bold boast,” Javyk said.

  “I put up only when I know I can back it up. Do we have a deal?”

  “I believe we do.” Javyk gave Rellen a thoughtful look as Rellen got up. “I like how you do business. I’ll tell you what. If things do get complicated and we escape with our lives and my property, there’s an additional five dakkaris in it for you.”

  “I won’t argue with you.” Rellen looked suspicious. “But why the generosity?”

  “Because I like working with professionals. When I find good people, I make it easy for them to come back for more when I need them.”

  Rellen nodded his head appreciatively. “Not a bad practice.”

  “I won’t keep you any longer, but before we part company, I’d ask you to give some thought to your future between now and this afternoon.”

  “I’m always thinking about my future.”

  “If this works out, it may lead to more work, not only for you, but perhaps even your partner. We too,” Javyk nodded to Dancer, “are headed south.”

  “Let’s play that by ear,” Rellen said. “It all depends on how this afternoon goes.”

  “A wise precaution. Then let’s conclude our business.” He reached into the coin purse and handed over three gleaming dakkaris.

  “When do we leave?” Rellen asked, slipping the coins into his cloak.

  “Meet here in two hours. We’ll go into town together.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  He got up and strode away to tell Miranda and the others what had happened. As he moved through the crowd, he glanced up at the small, black form that circled lazily above him.

  I’ll need you to keep an eye out, he said to Xilly.

  I believe you will, she replied, a bit of worry coming through.

  It’ll be fine, Rellen assured her.

  …Her silence spoke volumes.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Secret Meeting

  Rellen followed several paces behind the others as they moved deeper into the city of Sylverwynd. Javyk had made a point of telling Rellen and the other two bodyguards that they would know where they were headed when they got there, and that was the end of the discussion.

  Dancer now carried a long bundle wrapped in black cloth and tied with light rope. That, and he looked both paler and weaker than he had before. The shape of the bundle suggested it was a sword of some kind, and Rellen had to wonder if it was the one stolen from the Duke Belvenim’s study.

  Ahead of Rellen and to the right, was the same burly, bald-headed thug he’d seen Javyk talking to initially. His name was Bodrugar, and Rellen had taken an instant disliking to the bruiser. Bodrugar had added a steel helm to the light leather armor, as well as thick bracers covered with iron spikes. He clutched the battered longsword in his one hand and strapped the steel-banded buckler to his other. Rellen had him pegged as a fairly low-rent thug and barely worth the money Javyk was paying him.

  The other bodyguard called himself Sallintyr, and he had a much more professional feel about him. He wore light leather armor of red and gray that was similar to Rellen’s. He carried himself like someone who had been a professional soldier at one time or another. He had a heavy saber on his right hip and a thick, long, drop-point knife strapped to his left. He turned his head left and right as they moved through the street, scanning for threats.

  Javyk led them through a smithing district where smoke filled the air and hammers rang on steel. The streets were full of a wide variety of pedestrians, and unlike in Svennival, many of them weren’t human. That included Delvers, a few Bhirtas’Vuoda and quite a few Kapren—cousins of the Kapron. Where the Kapron resembled mountain sheep, with their thick horns spiraling back around their temples, the Kapren tended to be a bit shorter, with dual-spiraling horns rising above their heads and goat-like features.

  As Javyk turned them down a wide avenue that led straight down a slight hill toward the river, they passed a massive dewkalve in a wooden docking cradle over a hundred feet long. The gigantic dewkalve hooted once and shifted slightly, causing the timbers to creak. The creatures were the means by which the Elwhari’Ma Transport Guild maintained its monopoly on hauling cargoes and travelers across the central part of Pelinon. At a hundred feet long, it was capable of carrying tons of materiel and passengers. Its sleek, bluish-white body was covered with something like fish scales, although they were the size of shields and larger. It glistened with an iridescent pattern of light, and its elongated head supported a massive set of jaws. Their tails were long, almost shark-like, which they used to propel themselves forward through the air, supported by gaseous bladders inside their bodies.