Oathbreaker

'Or given your notable ability to fade into the background, noticed him if they'd seen him?' added Kethry 'All right -- Tarma, love, you first.'

'Right. Jadrek, I managed to deliver all but one of your messages; the one to Count Wulfres I left with Yindel. Wulfres wouldn't let me get near him; I can't say I blame him, since I have been building quite a formidable reputation as Char's chief bullyboy'

'Is that why he trusts you?' Kethry asked.

'Partially. Don't worry, though. That reputation is actually doing me more good than harm. If anyone notices when I take somebody aside for a little chat it doesn't do them any benefit to tell the King, because Char assumes I'm delivering threats!' She chuckle -- 'Keth, that Adept we took out was the only oone he had. The rest of his mages are Master and Journeyman class. So don't worry about this disguise continuing to hold.'

Kethry heaved a sigh of profound relief. 'Thank the eP^ ^w tnat' ^nat ^ ^ave me ^^y- ^ow are you eet11^ on wlt^ Char? You said far better than we'd hoped -- '

'That's a good summation; he doesn't trust any or his native Guards, and he doesn't trust his nobles. That leaves him with me, a couple of other landless mercs» and a handful of outland emissaries. Since I'm trying to give an imitation of a freefighter with a veff^1' or civilization and a range of interests sliehtly beyond 'food, fornication and fighting,' he seems to be gravitating more and more toward me.'

'And needless to say, you're encouraging him.'

:I'd taught you well,: Warrl commented. :You encourage familiarity with the King while never going over tfw Iw-^ °f being social inferior. That takes a delicate toucn I had not suspect you had, mindmate.:

'Having you coaching me in my head hasn't hurt, Furball. Thanks to you, I've never once been even remotely disrespectful; been pounding heads when some of the Guards go over the line, in fact. And as a result Char's slowly taking me as cup-companion as well as bodyguard.'

'That's certainly far better than we hoped!' Jadrek exclaimed.

'Tarma, what about Idra?' Kethry asked, both elbows on the table, chin in her hands. She looked unwontedly sober.

Tarma sighed, and rubbed one temple. 'Keth, we both know by now she's got to be dead.'

Kethry nodded, reluctantly, as Jadrek bit his lip. 'I just didn't want to be the one to say it,' she replied sadly. 'Need's pull just hasn't been strong enough for her to have still been alive.'

:I, too, have suspected the same.:

Tarma sighed. 'I think I realized it -- I mean, really believed it -- a couple of days after -- ' She stopped for a moment, and looked squarely at Jadrek. He's an outClansman -- she thought, weighing him in her mind. -- but -- why not? No reason why he shouldn't know; if Keth has her way, he won't be an outClansman for long. ' -- after I called one of the Ushya'e and got the Star-Eyed Warrior instead, that night in Valdemar. You know, the evening when Roald and I came back as best of friends? He saw Her, too -- and She made it clear to both of us that we were all on the same side. D'you remember how She turned the set of his Whites I was wearing black?'

Kethry nodded slowly, then real enlightenment dawned. 'Black ... is for vengeance and blood feud....'

'Right,' Tarma nodded. 'She could have left my clothing alone; She could have changed it to brown, if She was truly offended at me being out of Kal'enedral colors, which I think is rather unlikely. She doesn't get that petty. But She didn't leave the Whites white -- and She'd already convinced me that Roald and Stefansen were on the side of the righteous. She can be very subtle when She chooses, and She was trying to give me a subtle message, that I was back on blood-trail. So who would be the logical one for me to avenge -- and who would be the logical target for vengeance?'

'Idra -- and Char.'

'Right and right again. My only questions now are -- was it accident or premeditated, and how he did it.' She tightened her jaw, and felt very nearly murderous at that moment. 'And the closer I get to him, the likelier I am to find the answers to both.'

She let the sentence hang for a long moment, then coughed slightly. 'Jadrek? Your turn.'

'I've been approached by three of those nobles you contacted for me, via their wives,' he said, visibly shaken by Tarma's assertions -- and yet, unsurprised by them, as if her words had only confirmed something he had known, but had not wished to acknowledge that he knew. 'They were already planning some sort of action on their own, which, given their temperaments, was something I had thought fairly likely. In addition, I have been approached by those I did not expect -- prelates of no less than five separate orders. It seems they had already spoken quietly with my chosen highborn -- '