'Elf.' The fiend smacked his lips and, not rising, turned his head backward to stare at Jayk. 'Did you not say Silverwind was returning to the ash maze?'
Jayk nodded and stumbled one step back. 'Silverwind, he says he needs Tessali's hands to fix things right. So they go back.'
The Amnesian Hero did not know whether Jayk had noticed Karfhud eating the charred hand earlier-or if she connected it with the elf – but he saw no use in pointing out the relationship now. She still seemed shocked by the Fiend's near-assault, and he did not want to do anything to make her more fearful of their new companion.
Karfhud's maroon eyes continued to glare at Jayk from beneath his sagging brow, but he said nothing. The Amnesian Hero stepped forward, blocking the fiend's line of sight.
'Stop staring. She answered your question.'
'I beg her forgiveness; it was not my intention to seem menacing.' The shadow of a sneer flashed across Karfhud's muzzle. 'I was only wondering why, if they wanted to return to the ash maze, they turned away from the entrance.'
'Silverwind, he does not know how to find it!' The quickness of Jayk's explanation betrayed her anxiety. 'He said they could only-'
'Turn around.' Karfhud rose and bent his arms back to undo his satchel straps. 'You, too, Thrasson.'
Jayk's hand dropped toward her dagger, her fear broadcast by a sharp intake of breath. The Amnesian Hero caught her wrist, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and turned her around.
'Don't worry. Karfhud's not going to hurt us.'
'How can you know that, Zoombee?'
'Because if that was what he wanted, we would be…' The Thrasson almost said 'dead', then caught himself. Given Jayk's crisis of faith, it might be better not to talk about death. 'Because if Karfhud wanted to hurt us, he would have done it by now.'
Behind them, there was a sharp thump as Karfhud dropped his satchel to the ground. Jayk flinched and would probably have taken off running, had the Thrasson's hand not been grasping her shoulder.
'Zoombee, what is it he wants from us?' Jayk whispered, apparently forgetting that the fiend could hear every thought that flashed through her head. 'It is not natural, this friendship he has made with you.'
'I'd hardly call it friendship!' It affronted the Amnesian Hero that Jayk could even think he would be friends with something so wicked as a tanar'ri. 'It's more of an arrangement. He claims that all he wants is my sword.'
'And you believe him?'
The Thrasson cringed, for that was the one question he had tried to avoid asking himself until he could figure out how to shield his thoughts from Karfhud. Still, there was no use dodging it now; the answer had already flashed through his mind.
'Only a fool would trust anything a tanar'ri says.'
The Amnesian Hero heard a soft shuffling sound, as though Karfhud were paging through a stack of parchment sheets.
'Thrasson, you would be wise to keep your thoughts on the tiefling's question. I have warned you about my satchel.'
'I can't figure out what Karfhud really wants.' The Amnesian Hero spoke rapidly, attempting to keep his curious mind from speculating about the shuffling sound. 'If it was my sword, he could have had it easily enough. As weak as I was, he would not have had to trouble himself with killing me.'
'Then what he wants is something from you, Zoombee.'
From behind them came the soft rustle of a parchment being unrolled. Without even trying, the Amnesian Hero realized what the fiend had in his satchel: maps. A chill tickled down the Thrasson's spine, and he wondered if the realization would provoke Karfhud into attacking. He would have reached for his sword, save that he knew it would only slip from his hand.
When no assault came, the Amnesian Hero dared to glance over his shoulder. As expected, he saw Karfhud kneeling over an unrolled parchment. The fiend had tongues of white flame flickering in the pupils of his maroon eyes, and he was glaring at the Thrasson. They locked gazes for an instant, then the tanar'ri returned his attention to his map.
The Amnesian Hero looked back to Jayk. 'Whatever Karfhud wants, I think it is from us. He seems rather determined to track down Silverwind and Tessali.'
'Yes, and is that not your fault as well?' Jayk pushed his arm off her shoulder. 'Or maybe you think they deserve to have a fiend hunting them, yes?'
'No!' he said. 'Why would I think that?'
'Because they abandoned your amphora, of course!' Jayk's voice became more shrill with each word. 'What happened to Tessali, that does not matter to you! You only wanted him to save your amphora, even if it cost him his hands!'
This was the first the Amnesian Hero had heard about how the elf lost his hands or what had happened to the amphora. The Thrasson had avoided asking about the matter, fearing his questions would further disrupt Jayk's fragile state. He took no comfort in knowing he had been right.
'Jayk, I don't blame Tessali for losing the amphora.' He clasped the tiefling by the shoulders and spun her around to face him. 'I don't blame you, either. When the monster came…'
'What monster? It was the Lady! You go off to chase your wine woman and leave us to save your amphora from the Lady of Pain!' Jayk spat at his feet. 'I spit on your amphora; it is your own fault if you lose it!'
Though the tiefling's version of events did not match the evidence the Amnesian Hero had found in the blind, he thought it wisest not to press the matter. 'Jayk, if the Lady came while I was gone, I'm sorry-but I don't blame
