here and there-mostly little cantrips or invocations to help in his line of work. But since becoming one of the blades of Sentinelspire-or more correctly, since charming his way into Talieth's bed-she had begun teaching him more powerful spells. Beyond moving silently, unlocking a door, or covering his scent from hounds, Talieth's spells had true power. He'd mastered only one so far, but he'd been practicing the rest. Still didn't quite have the fourth order of finger movements down, but he was getting close. A nearby boulder still bore the scorch marks from his few near successes. But doing the damned finger motions tired him out, and Valmir had never been one to hesitate from a good rest.
The Star Fountain-so named because of the star blossoms that dominated the surrounding foliage and dropped their petals into the singing water beneath the fountain-was his favorite place to spend the morning doing absolutely nothing. Here, under the shade of the massive old oak whose roots sank into the fountain's pool, there was plenty of shade, and most of the bees left him alone, preferring the sunlight amongst the star blossoms.
Birds overhead began making a terrible racket. That snake must be getting close to a late breakfast, thought Val. The birds were so noisy that Val saw Sauk passing by on his right before he heard him. The half-orc was bare above the waist. He carried his shirt and a big leather satchel in one hand.
Valmir started to call out, but he thought better of it and closed his mouth. Sauk seemed very deep into his own thoughts. Valmir had been with the band when one of Talieth's personal guards had made the stupid mistake of looking at Sauk at the wrong moment. Val had stood with the others and watched while Sauk beat the man nearly to death. Chiganis had survived, which Val couldn't quite make up his mind about. He didn't like the bastard, but he wasn't sure if the man deserved to die that way just because of a look the half-orc had deemed disrespectful.
Sauk happened to glance Val's way as he passed. He stopped. 'What are you doing here?'
'Nothing at all,' said Val, and he did his best to keep the insolence out of his voice. No easy task for him. 'You?'
'Been out.'
'On the mountain?'
Sauk nodded. His black mood seemed to be gone, but one could never be too sure. He nodded a farewell and turned to leave.
'Sauk?'
The half-orc stopped and turned. 'How's Taaki?'
Sauk's eyes narrowed. 'She'll live. Why do you ask?'
Val feared he'd trod onto thin ice. 'Just concerned is all. She healed up yet?'
'If I were you,' said Sauk, 'I'd concern myself with other things. But then, I suspect you're nothing but relieved now. Am I right?'
'I don't get your meaning.' 'Our quarry didn't make it back.'
'And why would that relieve me?' said Val. 'I'll admit I didn't much like it when the bastard tried to blind me with his cooking, but… relief? I don't follow. Relief that he's dead?'
'Yeah,' said Sauk. 'I think you're relieved he's dead. Or you ought to be, if you're smart.'
'What makes you say that? You and Talieth said he was our best hope for…' Val looked around. In the fortress, one never knew what ears and eyes might be lurking. 'You know. If we're back where we started, why would that relieve me?'
'Because as long as I've known you, Val, you never think of we, of us. You're all about you. And unless you're damned stupid-and I don't think you are-you had to know that Kheil's return might have… changed your situation. Looks like you are back where you want to be. Eh?'
Valmir scowled. 'What are you saying?'
'I'm saying, enjoy the bed while you can. Things change.' He glanced at the boulder that had been the target of Valmir's earlier attempts at the spells. 'And keep practicing the magic. Something tells me you're going to need it.'
Sauk smiled-though there was no kindness in it-then tossed his shirt over his shoulder and walked away. Val watched him go, and it occurred to him that he hadn't seen Talieth all morning.
Chapter Seventeen
Me?' said Lewan. 'I don't understand. How can I help you?'
'What I am about to tell you, Lewan, you cannot speak of to anyone else. Not Ulaan.' Talieth approached as she spoke, bringing the full bearing of her station down upon Lewan. He had to force himself not to cower. 'Not to any of the servants or anyone else in Sentinelspire. Do you understand?'
Lewan nodded, too intimidated to speak.
'You have lived in the Endless Wastes most of your life, have you not?' she said.
'Since I was twelve. Before that, I lived in a small village. In Murghom.'
'Murghom?' Talieth smiled. 'I thought you had the look of them. Your master has raised you since…'
'Raiders attacked my village,' said Lewan, and he left it at that. Those were memories he preferred not to uproot.
'Your parents?' said Talieth.
Lewan looked away and clenched his jaw. His mother's face in that last moment kept trying to come up, but he pushed the image away. He took in a deep breath through his nose, willing himself not to cry, then said, 'Berun and his master saved me.'
'His master?'
'An old druid from the Yuirwood.' Lewan shrugged. 'I met him only that day, and I scarcely remember him. But my master spoke of him often. With great affection.' 'Chereth, wasn't it?'
Lewan blinked and looked to her. 'How… how did you know?'
'That is where our tales come together. But I must start farther back. In all your years, in your village in Murghom or your life with your master, did you never hear of the Old Man of the Mountain?'
Lewan shrugged.
'Your master never spoke of him? You never heard whispered tales round the campfire or in some bard's tale in a tavern?'
'I've never been in a tavern.'
Talieth tilted her head to one side. 'Really? Why is that?'
'My master disapproved of cities. He said that anything bigger than a village made him… itch. I've been to Almorel a handful of times. But never for more than a day, and we never stayed the night.'
Talieth looked away, seemingly lost in thought. Confused, almost. But then she shook her head and said, 'No matter. So you have never heard of the Old Man of the Mountain?'
'Never, lady. That is… not until…'
'Until when?'
'Walking through the Shalhoond with Sauk and his men. The half-orc told me of the Old Man of the Mountain. He said that my master had once been known as Kheil, that he worked for the Old Man.'
'As an assassin,' said Talieth.
'I… I didn't believe Sauk then.'
'And now?'
A tiny voice in the back of Lewan's mind warned him to say nothing, to plead ignorance. But what could it hurt? Sauk knew the truth already. If he and Talieth both served this Old Man, surely she knew as well.
'The night after we… after escaping Sauk and his men, my master told me the truth.' 'And you believed him?' 'Of course.'
'Good,' said Talieth. 'Then this will make the rest of my tale easier. You know your master once served Alaodin, the Old Man of the Mountain, as an assassin. What you might not know is that Alaodin is my father, and he has gone completely mad.'
'Mad?'
'Oh, he's not gibbering and drooling and talking to the walls.' Talieth's brow knotted up, and her attention
