over his shoulder. «Better listen carefully to me, Kermadec. I don't know how much time we've got, but it isn't much.»
Quickly, he explained what had happened to the Ard Rhys, then what had brought him down to find Kermadec. The Rock Troll listened silently and without interrupting, then looked up expectantly as his watch commander and a dozen fully armed Trolls appeared through the gates.
«I thought it best that you not be left alone, whatever you decide,' Tagwen explained. «I don't like what's happening in there. Shadea is manipulating things in a way that suggests she intends to take control of the order. When the Ard Rhys reappears, this will stop quick enough, but in the meantime I think you are at some risk.»
The Maturen nodded. «Shadea a'Ru wouldn't dare this if she didn't have reason to believe it would succeed. That isn't good. I don't know what's become of the Ard Rhys, but she hasn't been down here since she went inside after our return. I don't suppose it will hurt to tell you we were in the ruins of the Skull Kingdom, looking into rumors of strange fires and shadow movements. We saw something of them while we were there, a clear indication of magic at work. The Ard Rhys intended to visit the shades of the Druids at the Hadeshorn to ask their advice on the matter. But I don't think she would have gone there without me. Or at least without letting me know.»
«Or me either, though she might not tell me as much as you about what she was doing.» Tagwen looked put–upon. «But she wouldn't just leave.»
«Something has happened to her, then,' Kermadec said, anger reflected in his blunt features. «It may have something to do with what we witnessed in the Knife Edge. Or it may have something to do with what's happening here. I don't trust Shadea or her friends. Or a whole lot of the others, for that matter. Druids in name only, no friends to the Ard Rhys or to the Druid cause.»
Tagwen hugged himself. «I don't know what to do, Kermadec,' he admitted.
The Rock Troll walked over to the watch commander and spoke quietly with him for a moment. The watch commander listened, nodded, and disappeared with his men back inside the walls. Kermadec returned to Tagwen.
«I'm pulling all the Trolls out of the Keep and down to the gates. We will stand watch there for another few days. If the Ard Rhys returns, things can go back to where they were. If she doesn't and we're dismissed, we'll go. As long as we hold the gates, we can keep ourselves safe. Shadea can order us out, but she can't do much more than that.»
«Don't be too sure of that. She has command of powerful magic, Kermadec. Even your Trolls will be at risk.» The Dwarf paused. «You won't go inside, will you? Promise me you won't.»
Kermadec grunted. «Oh, come now, Tagwen. You know what would happen if I did. Shadea and her bunch would have me in irons quicker than you could blink. It would suit them perfectly to announce that I was responsible for the disappearance of the Ard Rhys. Neither truth nor common sense would prove much of an obstacle to the expediency of having me locked up until things could be sorted out. Besides, the matter is likely already decided. I'm to be cast as the villain, even if no proof is ever offered. Wiser heads would prevail in different circumstances, but not here. I told the Ard Rhys she would be better off dismissing the whole lot of them and starting over. But she wouldn't listen. She never does.» He shook his head. «I can't help thinking that her stubbornness has something to do with what's happened to her.»
«I wouldn't argue the point,' Tagwen said. He was wishing he had been more insistent about her precautions while inside the walls. He was wishing he had stayed in her bedchamber last night to keep watch.
«I think I might go back into the ruins of Skull Mountain and take another look around,' Kermadec announced. His blunt features tightened, eyes shifting away from the Dwarf. «I might see something more, might find something. I don't think I can sit around here doing nothing. My men don't need me; they know what to do.»
«You don't want to go into the Skull Kingdom alone,' Tagwen said, shaking his head for emphasis. «It's too dangerous up there. You've said so yourself, many times.»
The Maturen nodded. «Then I won't go alone. I'll take some one with me, someone who's a match for spirits and dark magic. But what about you, Bristle Beard? You can't go back inside, either.
Shadea will have you in irons, as well, as soon as she thinks of it. Or worse. You're in some danger, too.»
Tagwen stared at him. He hadn't considered the possibility of anything happening to himself. But he remembered the looks cast his way by some of the Druids he had passed. Anyone capable of making the Ard Rhys disappear wouldn't have much trouble doing the same with him. It might be convenient if he did, given the fact that he was likely to raise a considerable fuss if they tried to name a new Ard Rhys.
Which, he supposed, was exactly what Shadea a'Ru was trying to do right that minute. He was dismayed at the prospect. He could do nothing to prevent it.
«I'll go with you,' he said, not much liking the idea of visiting the Skull Kingdom but liking less the idea of staying on alone at Paranor.
Kermadec shook his head. «I have a better idea. The Ard Rhys has a brother living at a way station called Patch Run on the Rainbow Lake. The family operates an airship service that hires out to fly expeditions into remote regions of the Four Lands. He and his Rover wife are airship pilots.»
«I know,' Tagwen interrupted, «The Ard Rhys told me about them. His name is Bek.»
«The point is, the brother has the use of magic, too. He and his sister are pretty close, even though they don't see all that much of each other these days. Someone ought to tell him what's happened. He might be able to use his magic to find her.»
Tagwen nodded doubtfully. «It's worth a try, I guess. Even if she shows up in the meantime, maybe he can talk some sense into her about what's happening at Paranor. We don't seem to be able to.»
The big Troll reached down and placed his hands on the Dwarf's sturdy shoulders. «Don't be gloomy, old friend. The Ard Rhys has a lot of experience at staying alive.»
Tagwen nodded, wondering if that was what matters had come to, that his mistress was fighting for her life.
«Let's find her,' the Maturen said quietly. «Let's bring her safely home.»
* * *
Shadea had dismissed the Trolls standing guard at the door of the Ard Rhys' bedchamber and was conducting a thorough search of the rooms, just in case anything incriminating or useful was lying about, when Iridia Eleri appeared. The Elven sorceress's cold, perfect features radiated triumph, and she gave her coconspirator a satisfied nod.
«We have approached them all and won them over, or at least the larger part of them,' Iridia said. «Most have committed to supporting you as temporary Ard Rhys until this matter can be sorted out. Almost all are suspicious of the Trolls, wondering how they could have kept adequate watch and still let this happen. There is enough confusion and doubt that they are ready to blame anyone at whom a willing finger points.» She glanced around. «Have you found anything?»
Shadea shook her head. «Tagwen took her notes when he left to convey my message to Kermadec. I didn't see him do so or I would have stopped him. He may have taken more than that, but it doesn't matter. We have what we want. Neither he nor the Troll will be back inside.»
«Don't be too sure.» Iridia's strange eyes had a hard look to them, as if her thoughts were of darker things still. «The Trolls have withdrawn from the Keep and massed at the gates, taking up watch. It looks like they are expecting trouble, but intend to hold their place for as long as they can.»
Shadea a'Ru nodded slowly, staring back at Iridia, thinking that nothing was easy, not even now. «We'll let them be for the moment. After I've been named Ard Rhys, I'll deal with them myself.»
«Kermadec isn't with them. I don't know where he's gone. Tagwen has disappeared, as well. We might want to think about finding them.» Iridia stepped close, her voice dropping to a near whisper. «We might want to think about another possible hindrance to our plans. Her brother, the one who lives below the Rainbow Lake—if he finds out what has happened, he might decide to do something about it. He has her magic and strong ties with the Rovers. He could cause a lot of trouble for us.»
Sen Dunsidan had said the same thing. For a moment Shadea wondered at the coincidence, then dismissed it as nothing more. It was a logical consideration for all of them, one she might have been too quick to dismiss
