While the other two Delvers continued to struggle within the webs, the one in the center gave Rellen a strange, almost appreciative look, as if he realized Rellen hadn’t wanted to kill them. At that, Rellen turned and dashed through the doorway, leaving the Delvers to extract themselves. The webbing he’d created would last only a few minutes, at best, but he suspected they’d be able to cut their way out faster than that.

  Get on out of here, Xilly, Rellen said.

  You’re not hurt?

  No. But keep watch. We’re not out of this yet.

  As he exited the warehouse, he saw Dancer at the end of the pier, satchel clutched in his hands and a frightened look upon his face. Javyk was running for all he was worth in that direction. The bodies of the two Nissran guards lay on the pier with crossbow bolts sticking out of their throats.

  Javyk reached Dancer and motioned for the frightened and weak young man to get moving. Rellen pounded after them, and they ran up the avenue a block, passing between several warehouses, where they quickly encountered a mass of foot traffic. As they did, they slowed their pace, gasping for breath and trying to look casual.

  They drew quite a few glances at first, but the further they got from the river, the more normal they looked. They’d gone a few more blocks when Javyk came to a stop, still gasping for air.

  “Hold on a moment,” he said, wheezing, “it doesn’t look like they’re following us, and I need to catch my breath.” He bent over, his hands on his thighs. He glanced up and looked at Rellen. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “They would have gotten us all had it not been for you.”

  “Probably,” Rellen said. “We all got lucky though.” He watched Javyk for several seconds as the man continued to draw in deep, sucking breaths. “Who were those Delvers? They don’t normally get involved in human affairs.”

  “I don’t know,” Javyk replied, clearly bewildered and obviously shaken. He motioned for them to get moving again, and they set off up the hill toward the center of Sylverwynd. “I was told that there might be others interested in what my young friend here carries, but nothing more. But why didn’t my zomajea work on them? It was as if they were immune somehow.”

  “You’ve never fought Delvers before, have you?”

  “No.” Javyk stiffened a little, obviously not accustomed to someone asking him what he didn’t know.

  “And I take it you didn’t go to one of the magic academies?”

  Javyk stiffened even further, looking offended. “No,” he said, “I’m self-taught. Most people couldn’t even—”

  “That explains it then,” Rellen replied smoothly, not wanting to get into some pointless debate about Javyk’s past and achievements. “Delvers are immune… at least, to magic cast directly on them. On the other hand,” Rellen added with a bit of relief, “they can’t use it directly either.”

  Javyk deflated somewhat, an astonished look on his face. “I didn’t know.”

  “Most people don’t,” Rellen said, “and there’s little reason for them to even think about it. Like I said, it’s practically unheard of for Delvers to involve themselves in human affairs, aside from trading goods with us.”

  “How do you know all this?” Javyk asked, and there was no missing the suspicion in his voice.

  “Magic academy,” Rellen replied easily. “I’m formally trained. That, and years running up and down the King’s Highway. I can count on one hand the number of times I saw a Delver fraternizing with a human. If there isn’t a deal to be made that they can profit from, they’re just not interested—not with humans, anyway.” He pondered this new mystery. He couldn’t fathom why Delvers, let alone the mysterious Klymrukaar, would be after Javyk and the artifact Dancer carried. It didn’t make any sense.

  Javyk eyed him, a calculating look in his eyes. “I want to ask you something.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “You didn’t seem to react when you saw those people in red robes.”

  “No,” Rellen replied flatly. “Should I have?”

  Javyk hesitated for a moment. “There are some who are not comfortable with those overtly devoted to their deity. Do you know who I, and those others, follow?”

  Rellen put a bored expression on his face. “What I know is that I really don’t care. I’ve traveled across much of Pelinon and beyond. I’ve seen devotees of damn near every pantheon in the heavens. A lot of them lived and died, healed and harmed in the name of one god or another. It didn’t seem to make much difference either way, in the end. They all end up in the same dirt. The one thing I do know is that I have no use for any of it. I won’t ever tell a man how to pray. I also won’t bend a knee to someone else’s god.” He eyed Javyk with a bit of mettle in his eyes. “Does that answer your question?”

  “It does… and I’d like to engage your services further.”

  “You think they’ll come after you again?” Rellen asked, glancing toward the river.

  “I honestly don’t know, but I intend to be as prepared as possible if they do. You survived, and you managed to get us out of there, despite their resistance to magic.”

  Rellen kept the satisfied smile off his face. This was exactly what he’d been hoping for. But he had to play hard to get.

  “Considering we just faced six Delvers, I’m disinclined to take the job without at least a little help, and someone not only more skilled than those two back there, but someone I trust. I’d want my wife to be part of the deal.”

  “I thought you hated her?” Javyk replied, looking perplexed.

  “I do.” He gave Javyk a wry grin. “She and I might not get along most of the time, but when it comes to business—especially the business of money and fighting—there’s nobody I’d rather have backing me up. We get twenty dakkaris a day for escort duty and an extra twenty each per engagement with an enemy. That’s not negotiable.”

  “I suspect we can come to an arrangement,” Javyk replied, “but before I agree, what about your bounties?”

  “I still want to take them in. It’s a substantial bounty, although they’re not wanted for murder or anything. It’s actually a pity.”

  “What?” Javyk asked, looking a bit surprised.

  “They owe somebody money… quite a bit of it, actually.” The seed of an idea popped into Rellen’s head, but it would be a tricky sell. “Under different circumstances, I’d actually suggest you hire them too.”

  “You’re joking,” Javyk blurted.

  “No.” Rellen let out a thoughtful breath. “I’ve known them for a while. That’s actually how I got close enough to capture them. They’re good in a fight and fairly dependable.”

  “If that’s the case, why is there a bounty on them?”

  “Honestly, that whole thing was more personal than anything else. I’d rather not go into the details, but let’s just say that the fellow they were working for might have deliberately left out some details of the job he hired them to do, and they almost got killed because of it. Turns out, he knew it was going to go south. They decided to… ahhh… take the initiative and exact their own bonus.”

  “Then why are you taking them in?”

  “Because they’re valid bounties, and business is business.”

  “Your loyalty is commendable,” Javyk said drily.

  “I’m loyal to coin,” Rellen said. “It begins and ends there. I get paid to do what’s agreed upon. Nothing more. Nothing less. I’ve never broken a contract or betrayed the person paying me, although I will say, if I’d been in their shoes, I might have done something similar.”

  Javyk raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Should I be worried I’ll get the same treatment?”

  “So long as you pay me and you don’t set me up for slaughter, we’ll get along just fine, as I’ve already told you. Will we be working for you or whomever you work for?”

  “You’ll be working for me. I’ll be paying you to protect me and young Dancer here, as well as something he’s carrying, but who I work for is none of your concern. Prove yourself, and who knows what the future might hold, however.”

  “I just like to know who I’m working for,” Rellen said, and he put a bit of iron in his voice. “That way, I know where to go if I don’t get paid or I get dropped into a sausage grinder.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that from me,” Javyk said.

  “Fair enough.” Rellen shrugged. “We don’t care too much where it comes from. How far are you headed?”

  Javyk hesitated for a moment… obviously calculating how much to tell Rellen. “Yaylo, actually.”

  “That’ll work,” Rellen said, and the seed of his idea had sprouted into something more substantial. “The bounties were put out in Jabono, so we’ll collect there. My wife and I will be able to escort you unencumbered all the way to Yaylo, although we’ll have to attend to a few things in Jabono.”

  “How long?” Javyk asked.

  “Not more than a few hours,” Rellen replied. “Although I wouldn’t be too worried. It’s highly unlikely anyone, especially Delvers, would come after you in Jabono or the caravan enclave. Too many teamsters and other travelers about.”

  “I see your point,” Javyk replied. “In that case, let us return to the enclave. I need to tend to young Dancer here, and I’m sure you have some talking to do with your wife.”

  “You have no idea,” Rellen said.

  “Assuming she agrees, I’ll expect you to ride with us in the morning, and your employment will resume then. I’ll pay you at the end of each day. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” Rellen said, and they shook on it.

  Javyk started to turn away but halted. “Oh! I almost forgot.” He reached into his robes and pulled out a fairly heavy coin purse. “Here’s the agreed-upon ten, the bonus five I promised, as well as the five and eight I would have paid the other two.”

  “Now that is downright generous of you,” Rellen said. “But you have me wondering why?”

  “Because you’ll tell your wife, and it will influence her. It will also give you incentive to argue in my favor should she still be reticent.” Javyk gave Rellen a sly grin.

  “Well played,” Rellen said.

  “Then let’s get going,” Javyk said.

  As they made their way back to the caravan, Rellen fought to keep the smile off his face. Things could not have gone better—aside from almost getting killed.

  Chapter Twenty

  Intrigue and Deceit

  “We got out of there as soon as I locked down those last three Delvers,” Rellen said, shaking his head. “We almost didn’t make it.” He glanced at Miranda, and she looked as perplexed as he felt by the situation.

  The four of them sat close around their campfire as a cool wind blew over them from out of the mountains. They were all eating bowls of a savory and particularly tasty stew Miranda had fetched from the caravan cooks. The sun had gone down, and half a moon hung bright in a cloudless night sky. Xilly had managed to fly in over the river and alight in a nearby tree. Javyk and Dancer had left a short while earlier, probably having a meal themselves.

  “What in Kalistar’s name would Delvers want with those two?” Miranda asked.

  “I have no doubt it’s that artifact, and maybe even the sword they delivered,” Rellen replied. “The Delvers got the sword, although I have no idea what happened to the other Nissrans or those two bodyguards, although they’re probably dead. Dancer still has the artifact. What I did find peculiar is that Javyk didn’t seem to care one way or the other about those other Nissrans. All he cared about was the artifact. We all need to keep in mind that he’ll have no problem throwing us all to the wolves to protect it.”

  “Do you think the Delvers will come after them while they’re with the caravan?”

  “I doubt it, although I haven’t told Javyk that.”

  “Why not?” Tavyn asked.

  “It’s too public. At least some good came of all this.”

  “What do you mean?” Mygal asked.

  “Miranda and I will be working for Javyk as of tomorrow morning. Although we’ll need to have another public fight about it tonight.”

  “What?” Miranda looked shocked.

  “He was so impressed that he offered me a job as a bodyguard on their journey south to Yaylo. I told him I wouldn’t do it without my wife.” He gave her a wink.

  “Oh, come on,” Tavyn blurted. “You two have been fighting every night since we joined the caravan. Why would he agree to that?”

  “It’s simple, I told him there was nobody I trusted more in a fight, despite our arguments.” Rellen glanced at Miranda. “I mentioned that she’s all about the coin… that business was business… which is not too far off the mark.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him, and he winked again.

  “And what about us?” Mygal said. “Your two bounties?”

  “I told him I’ve known you both for a while, and this is just another bounty. Javyk is under the impression you two stole a good deal of money from someone who actually deserved to get robbed. A bounty was placed on your heads, and for Miranda and I, a bounty is a bounty. It’s just business. I even suggested that under different circumstances, the two of you would make good additions to his bodyguards, if you weren’t about to be delivered for the prices on your heads. He bought it.”

  “Not bad,” Tavyn said, nodding slowly. “Not bad at all.”

  Rellen smiled. “I planted a seed, nothing more.” He let out a long breath. “What I can’t figure out is how to bring the two of you into the fold. It would be hard to explain if you’re supposed to be in a jail cell or in the hands of some rich bastard with a grudge.”

  “What if we do a coin and carry?” Miranda asked.

  “Coin and carry?” Rellen asked.

  “I’ve never done it myself,” Miranda said. The way she said it, however, made Rellen suspect she had. “But there are some bounty hunters who collect the bounty on their prisoners more than once, especially if the bounty can be paid in more than one city.” She looked at Rellen. “I’ve even heard of hunters hiring their bounties after they break them out and even a few who trade off being the bounty that gets jailed. Their partners break them out again after, and the whole thing starts over… sometimes for even more coin.”

  “That might just work,” Rellen said. “We’ll have to get our stories straight, but we can work on it between here and Jabono.”

  “Jabono?” Miranda asked.

  “That’s right. Those two,” Rellen nodded toward the carriage, “are headed for Yaylo, and I need to make a stop in Jabono. I figured, if we do anything, that would be the place to do it.”

  “I know a constable there. He owes me a couple of favors. His wife doesn’t know about his mistresses.” She smiled. “I suspect he’d be willing to falsify a report and post new bounties as a misdirect.”

  “That’s all well and good, but what are you going to do about that artifact?” Mygal asked. “How do we figure out what it’s for before Javyk has a chance to use it?” He glanced over at Javyk’s carriage. “No matter what it is, it can’t be for good.”

  “I agree, but for now, there’s nothing we can do about it. I suspect we’ll have to see it through to the end, although I don’t know how. That’s why I’m taking a detour at Jabono. I’m going to go see someone there and maybe get a few answers.”

  “Who?” Tavyn asked.

  “There’s a magic academy in Jabono, albeit a smaller one.”

  “What?” Mygal looked baffled. “You’re planning on going in there to do some research?”

  “Something like that,” Rellen replied. “I have no intention of discussing the specifics. I need to know more, and I may be able to do that at the academy. My guts tell me that ring, or whatever, is the key to all of this, which means I have to learn everything about it that I can. All we know right now is that it came from the duke’s study, it might have originally been found in a nuraghi, it’s made of a good deal of Mavric iron, and that it’s important to Javyk and, to a lesser extent, Dancer. For a while there, I was fairly certain it was going to kill the young bastard, no matter how many times Javyk healed the tissue. What they picked up today may just save his life, although I doubt it.”

  “What are we into?” Miranda asked, utterly perplexed.

  “I don’t know,” Rellen replied. “The Vuoda hole just keeps going deeper, eh?” He eyed Miranda and then looked to Mygal and Tavyn. “Let’s work on getting our stories straight and then get some sleep. I want us to speak as little as possible on the journey to Jabono, but we need to be prepared.”

  * * *

  Hours later, Rellen picked his way along the riverbank, avoiding the boulders and roots illuminated in the moonlight. He didn’t need to go far, but he wanted to be far enough away from Javyk’s carriage to do what he needed to. He’d gone about twenty yards, moving as silently as possible, when Xilly fluttered out of the darkness and landed on his shoulder.

  Hello, little one, Rellen said. I’ve missed having you around.

  Me too, Xilly replied. She coiled her tail around his neck and tucked her head under his chin. She quickly started making a soft thrumming sound. Reporting in?

  I need to give Stevar an update… and ask him reach out to the Klymrukaar.

  He moved another ten yards upriver, relieved his straining bladder, and then sat on a nearby rock. Pulling his cloak up around his body to form a tent of sorts, he removed his glowstone and spoke the incantation to activate it. Light bloomed inside his cloak, and he pulled a small piece of vellum from a belt pouch as well as a charcoal stick.

  Nissrans in Sylverwynd. Send a detachment. Headed to Jabono. Miranda and I to be hired by target as bodyguards. Have plan to include “prisoners” as bodyguards. Must reach Yaylo to learn who target works for. Klymrukaar involved. Father dealt with them. Do you know more? If possible, send answer to Headmaster in Jabono. Arrive in three days.

  Extinguishing the glowstone, he slipped it into a pocket within his cloak and pulled the cloak off his head. The air was cool, but not cold, and the sound of the river flowing by calmed his nerves, at least somewhat. That the Klymrukaar were involved really had him worried. He couldn’t mention it to the others, not even Mygal, because his father had made it clear the Delver organization, whatever it was, preferred their secrecy and would kill to keep it. He rolled up the note and then summoned his avatar. When the small bird stood in his palm, he let it clamp down on the note and flutter off to the north.