As the horse raced on he stood up in the stirrups. He tensed his body and sprang upward. His big hands caught on to a stone ledge jutting from a low bridge that spanned the narrow street. Mista trotted on, disappearing around a corner. Caledan hung for a moment and then heaved himself up onto the bridge with a grunt of effort.
'I am definitely getting too old for this,' he groaned, his shoulders throbbing dully. He rolled over to peer down the alleyway. At first he could see nothing. Then out of the murkiness came his pursuer, padding lightly but quickly down the alley, hooded head moving from side to side, searching. When the figure was almost directly below him, Caledan stood up, throwing his cloak back over his shoulders.
'Looking for someone?' he called out. Before his cloaked pursuer could react, Caledan leaped from the low bridge. The two went tumbling to the street. His pursuer was strong and wiry and almost managed to twist out of his grasp, but Caledan had the advantage of size. After a few moments of struggling his shadow was pinned beneath him.
'Let go of me!' his captive shouted, taking a swing at him, but Caledan caught the blow before it landed.
'Not until I find out why you were following me,' he said through clenched teeth, holding the person tightly by the wrists. His pursuer was silent for a long moment, then finally spoke in a low, husky voice.
'I am seeking Caledan the Harper.'
Caledan grunted, not missing a beat. 'What makes you think I know him?'
'Will you let me go?'
'Only if you tell me who you are.'
With a curse his captive angrily shook back the cloak's concealing hood. Caledan drew in a sharp breath. His pursuer was a woman. He scrambled quickly to his feet. The woman fought to disentangle herself from the voluminous cloak, then stood to face him. She gazed at him hotly, fire dancing in her dark, smoldering eyes. She angrily brushed her dark auburn hair from her face and planted her hands firmly on her hips.
'I'm Man Al'maren,' she said in her low, rich voice, 'sent by the Harpers to find Caledan Caldorien. Satisfied?'
Caledan leaned nonchalantly against the brick wall bordering the street. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest. What would the Harpers want with him now, after all these years? His face remained impassive. 'Really? So why were you following me?'
The Harper woman angrily shed the remains of her tattered cloak. Beneath she was clad in a green velvet jacket and breeches of soft buckskin that matched her boots. A small silver pin, wrought in the shape of a crescent moon encircling a harp, glistened on her collar-the sigil of the Harpers.
'I'm beginning to wonder the same thing myself,' she said disgustedly. 'I thought there might be a chance you were the one I was searching for.'
'This… er… what did you say his name was?' Caledan asked casually.
'Caledan Caldorien,' the woman who called herself Man answered, kicking away the cloak and pacing the narrow alleyway in agitation. 'Call me crazy, but with the way you dealt with that Zhen-er, that captain on the Street of Lanterns, I thought you might be Caldorien. He's supposed to have been a great hero, you know. At least, that's what all the stories tell.'
'Oh, really?' Caledan asked, raising an eyebrow. No doubt they had sent Al'maren here to spy on the Zhents- that would be standard procedure-but Al'maren looked so wet behind the ears he was almost tempted to offer her a handkerchief. 'So what makes you think now that I'm not the fellow you're after?' Caledan went on. 'Oh, please!' Mari said with a husky laugh, halting for a moment to stare at Caledan. 'No offense, friend, but now that I've seen you up close you look more like a vagabond cutpurse than a hero of renown.'
Caledan spread out his hands. 'No offense taken,' he replied amiably.
'Besides, if you really were Caldorien, you'd have a set of reed pipes with you,' she continued wearily. 'You don't happen to play the pipes, do you, scoundrel?'
'I wouldn't know which end to blow in,' Caledan said, lying smoothly.
'I didn't think so,' Mari said, sighing. 'Caledan Caldorien was supposed to have been the finest piper in the Realms and one of the bravest men as well. We could use his help in dealing with the… the city's new ruler.'
Harpers, Caledan thought derisively. They send one agent on what was probably her first mission to counter a city crawling with Zhentarim. That was just like them. They were idealists almost to the point of idiocy Mari Al'maren no doubt thought that a few old, tired ballads and a few lofty, outdated ideals were somehow enough to end all the suffering and darkness in the world. Caledan knew better. He, of all people, knew that music-and the Harpers- would never be enough.
'Well, I'm sorry to have caused you trouble, friend scoundrel,' Mari continued, 'though you seem to have paid me back for it.' She rubbed her shoulder. 'I've got to keep searching. This city is supposed to have been Caldorien's last known home, though gods know why anyone would live here.' She looked distastefully around the dingy street.
'It wasn't always so bad,' Caledan said, taking a step toward her. 'It was beautiful once. You know, legendary Iriaebor of the Thousand Spires.'
She smiled crookedly. Mari was not a woman who would ever be accused of being pretty, Caledan thought, but there was a warmth to her smile that made him grin back. 'I'll let you know if I run into this 'Caldorien' character.'
'Don't bother,' she replied wryly. 'It's going to take me a while to heal my bruises from our first encounter. So do me a favor, friend scoundrel. Let's say farewell.'
Caledan performed a stiff mock bow. 'As you wish.' He straightened up-and his eyes widened in shock.
Mari frowned at him in puzzlement. 'What is it, scoundrel?'
'Don't look now,' he whispered, 'but I don't think you were the only one who has been doing a little following.'
Mari spun swiftly on her heels, and the blood drained from her face. Not a hundred paces away three black dogs were loping down the alley. Each was as large as a pony, and all of them were covered with flickering crimson flames. Their eyes glowed with a deadly golden light, and their huge maws hung open, baring their fangs.
Caledan gave a low whistle. 'It looks like you should have said good-bye when you had the chance, Harper.'
Three
Caledan drew his dagger from his boot as the three magical mastiffs howled, an eerie sound of fury and bloodlust.
'Please don't tell me that pig-sticker is all you've got, scoundrel,' the Harper said caustically. Her movements were fluid as she unsheathed the curved, gleaming sabre belted at her hip and assumed a battle-ready stance. 'As you wish.' Caledan gritted his teeth. Mari shot him a hard look, but there was no time for a reply. The hounds were rapidly closing the distance between them. Caledan could hear the crackling of the fiery auras that surrounded the beasts. The air was charged with an acrid, sulfuric odor. He let his dagger fly in a precise arc. It struck the lead hound directly between the eyes-and then bounced harmlessly off the creature's skull.
Caledan and Mari traded desperate looks.
'These are enchanted beasts,' he shouted. 'I don't think mundane weapons can harm them.'
'Now you tell me,' Man said disgustedly, thrusting her sabre back into its sheath. 'May I be so bold as to suggest we turn tail and run?' 'We'll never be able to outrun them.' 'Well, maybe we can outclimb them.' Caledan nodded. He made a running leap onto the alley's wall and began scrambling up the crumbling, uneven stone surface. The Harper did likewise on the opposite wall. Just as Caledan was heaving himself over the top, the flaming mastiffs were upon them. One of the beasts let out a feral snarl as it leaped upward, its jaws snapping. Caledan felt its hot, scorching breath even through his boots.
Somehow he managed to heave himself onto the sooty rooftop. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest, and his breath came in searing, ragged gasps. 'What in the Abyss did I ever see in this battling evil business?' he groaned as he dragged himself to his feet. He saw that the Harper had reached the rooftop across the narrow alley,
