Elminster Enraged

based wizards of war are just now, it’ll be faster to farcall the three Crown mages in Hultail, and send two of them on horseback up along Orondstars Road and around most of Hullack Forest to Irlingstar.”

“Indeed,” Vangerdahast surprised her by agreeing. “So why, most decisive leader of war wizards, didn’t you farcall them the moment after Ganrahast told us about the blast?”

“I suppose,” Glathra replied icily, “my mind was elsewhere.”

She hastened back into the palace, not caring if he fell off her shoulder or not, to farspeak Hultail and issue crisp orders that two of the duty wizards of war stationed there were to depart for Castle Irlingstar in all haste and report back what they found immediately-including the fates of all inmates, Lord Delcastle and his fellow prisoner Amarune Whitewave, in particular.

The Hultail war wizards scrambled to obey.

Well, that was one thing that had gone the way it was supposed to, this day. Would that there might be more before sunset …

Manshoon smiled. Problems, always problems. People, he could take great delight in slaughtering fittingly. When the problems didn’t involve people, some devious thinking was always involved … and over the years, he’d grown to enjoy such scheming. So, now …

Irlingstar wasn’t that old a prison. Oh, a keep had crowned that ridge for a fair while, but hadn’t it been some robber baron’s hold, way back when? Then the fortress of a border baron of Cormyr, as the reach of the realm widened … well, whether he remembered a-right or not, the wards in place had to be new; no older than the reign of the current king. Which meant they would be relatively puny magics he might be able not just to breach, but to destroy.

Yet was the time right for such a bold display of power? It would rouse the wizards of war in earnest, and if Foril wasn’t too gone in his dotage, he just might be able to portray it as the kingdom under magical invasion, wherefore all loyal Cormyreans must rally to king and banner, or Cormyr itself might well be swept away …

No, that sort of tumult and armed alertness would make his own work far harder, and a lot less fun. So, no great hurling down of the wards.

Which left him facing the same challenge: with the wards up, how was he to spy into Irlingstar? If there was to be no breach, then slyness must suffice … corruption … just which Crown mages were nearby, that he might coerce or cozen? For wizards of war could pass through the wards magically, if they bore the right tokens-rings, usually-or else be admitted into the castle if they showed up at its gates and convinced the guards to admit them. If a future emperor of Cormyr happened to be riding the mind of such a supplicant at the gates, that patient and clever mindrider could see inside the prison fortress that way, without any need to attract unwanted notice by forcing a way through its wards or bringing them down at all.

Now, there should be war wizards stationed at Immerford, Hultail, and Thunderstone … they accompanied border patrols, didn’t they? Yes, especially since Sembia had begun using griffon riders. So he’d best start looking for handy wizards of war …

Manshoon’s smile widened. These matters were really so simple.

The lady clerk of the rolls leaned across the table and snared the thick and hairy wrist of her dining partner before it could lift and drain a flaring flagon that was as large as her head.

“Lord Mirt,” she said gently, “there’s something I must say to you.”

Mirt fixed her with a fond smile and rumbled, “Hmmmm?”

“Last night, you were kind gallantry itself to me. After playing the swashbuckling hero and saving my life-and I’ll never forget that. You took me home and fed me, then bundled me into bed and told me old nursery tales until I fell asleep. I’ve never before had a breakfast of half warm broth and half warmed wine, but-just the once, and because of the delightful company-it, too, was splendid. I … I’ve never before been treated so kindly by any man, in all my life. And you … spurred no charge against me.”

“Well, lass, if you’d been Waterdhavian born and bred, I’d’ve assumed the spice of danger would have had you roused for a good romp, but … every lady is different, and deserves the treatment she needs. I want a lady to lead the romp, not be deceived or forced into anything.”

“Good,” Rensharra Ironstave said firmly, “because tonight, I think I’d like that romp. Will you come home with me?”

A twinkle appeared in Mirt’s eye. “Well, now,” he rumbled. “Well, now …”

Aye, ’tis me. Kindly gasp or otherwise react not. The two war wizards are watching.

Rune smiled wryly before she could stop herself, but kept her eyes closed and said nothing.

Except in her mind, where she didn’t try to hide-couldn’t have hidden-her delight at learning the beautiful dark elf bending over her was really Elminster.

You found a body, I see, Rune thought.

I did. Like it? ’Tis wonderful, to be inhabiting someone young and supple again, without all the aches and pains.

What happened to her? Did you …, Rune thought.

Nay, lass, I did nothing but come along after a nasty worm from elsewhere had devoured her mind, and claim the empty body left behind. I watched the war wizard I’m pretending to be die, though. I need ye and thy gallant Arclath here to keep my secret about this, though. Or matters may very swiftly get very messy.

That much, I can see well for myself, Old Mage. El, it’s good to have you here with us.

Ye may not think so, soon. Trouble has a way of skulking after me like a hungry beast.

That, I also know, Rune thought. Yet I’m starting to expect it-and to enjoy watching the wildness unfold.

“This one seems fine,” El said aloud then, and Amarune felt new hands on her wrist, then neck, then forehead.

“She’s awake, or nearly so,” Gulkanun agreed, his voice coming from just above her. “I’d rather let her surface on her own than slap or shout at her, though.”

“Her companion is rousing,” El-no, Lucksar, she must think of him only as Lucksar now, or she’d make a slip- added.

Indeed. I’d appreciate no slips for the next tenday or so. Longer, if ye can manage it.

So it was that Rune came awake nodding and chuckling.

Across the room, a rather scorched-looking Imbrult Longclaws gave her a stare. “Never seen that sort of awakening after a battle blast,” he commented.

Farland winced. “Better’n my knee.”

“You still have both your legs-and you can even walk,” Longclaws replied. “Beyond my bruises and a little burned hair, everyone seems fine. After an explosion like that? The gods must love us!”

“Really?” Farland grunted, getting up, putting weight on his bandaged leg, and wincing again. “They’ve a hrasted funny way of showing it.”

“I thought trying it in such an open, popular, fashionable place like Thessarelle’s was a bad idea from the start,” old Lord Haeldown grunted.

Lord Loroun shrugged. “And so you wagered against success and made some coin. Stop complaining! I lost a fair purse.”

“Pah! That’s not the point, youngblood! If you have to count your coins, you shouldn’t be wagering at all. Keeping score in wealth is all too common a practice in the first place. I meant that intending to do something and then not elegantly carrying it out at our first attempt bespeaks clumsiness on our part, and tells the rest of Cormyr-titled Cormyr, anyhail, and that’s the Cormyr that