On the afternoon of the third day, though, he and Ashi did find some time to themselves. Vounn, under the watchful eyes of her three guards, had gone out into Rhukaan Draal to inspect an independent mercenary company and assess whether it was fit to accept into House Deneith’s service-technically something she should have left to Redek at the Gathering Stone, but which Geth suspected she would be doing on a regular basis anyway-and Ashi had been left behind as a kind of punishment. Geth, through Chetiin, had found an empty training yard and brought Ashi out for some sparring. He’d been told not to draw Wrath within Haruuc’s fortress for fear of revealing the weapon to anyone, so he had to make do with a mundane sword. After wielding Wrath, it was like swinging a steel bar, but the challenge felt good.
Ashi, of course, used her grandfather’s honor blade, and the flashing of the bright blade in the sun added punctuation to her complaints about Vounn.
“-to the dressmaker’s!” she said as she lunged at Geth. “Do you know I have fifteen dresses coming in the baggage from Sterngate? She made me bring them all!”
Each word was a slash. Geth blocked them all with his gauntlet. “That does sound like a bit much, but you are supposed to be representing Deneith in a foreign court. You’re supposed to look like a lady.” He whirled to bring his sword around in a backhand circle.
Ashi ducked under the swing. “I don’t want to look like a lady!” She popped up again and planted her foot against his backside, shoving him into a stumble, then following up with chopping blow. Geth got his arm up, and her sword went skidding along the black steel. She sprang away before he could counterattack. “She made me learn about fashion, Geth! I know the difference between Fairhaven sleeves and Sharn shoulders. I can recognize the three main styles of lace from Zilargo. I know that green is popular in Korth this year and that I should never wear yellow.”
Geth got back to his feet and stood crouched, waiting for her next attack. “Why’s that?” he asked.
“It makes me look sallow!” Ashi charged, feinted left, and struck right. He was ready for her and caught her sword between the serrated teeth on the back of his weapon. For a moment the two swords were locked together. Ashi clenched her jaw as she pulled, trying to free her blade. At just the right moment, Geth twisted his sword, releasing hers. She took an involuntary step backward, he hooked her leg with his foot, and a moment later she was glowering at him from the dirt.
“Again!” she spat, standing up.
“Vounn’s going to be back soon,” he said.
“I don’t care. All that matters to her is the honor of Deneith.”
She charged again, and once again Geth locked her sword with his. This time she resisted the urge to pull away and instead pushed toward him. Geth twisted away from her and let her sprawl forward. As she picked herself up for a second time, he stepped back, lowered his sword to take a rest, and asked, “Have you tried not fighting her all the time?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“If what Vounn cares about is the honor of Deneith, try finding an argument that agrees with that point of view instead of challenging it.”
Ashi stared at him. “Are you on her side?”
“Boar’s snout, no!” Geth bared his teeth. “I’m trying to find a way to make sure you can come with me.”
The words were spoiled by a loud grumbling from his stomach. Ashi raised an eyebrow. “Hungry?”
“Instead of breakfast this morning, I got a visit from Senen telling me not to eat today. I’m supposed to fast before the ritual tonight.” He gave Ashi a long look. “Think about trying a different argument with Vounn?” he asked.
She scowled at him but nodded.
No shouting came from Vounn’s chamber that evening. Geth, lying on his bed and resting in preparation for the ritual that was to come, took that as a good sign. He was considering going to look for Ashi-if only to distract himself from the hollow in his belly-when there was a knock at the door. The sound came from too low down to be human or hobgoblin, and Geth opened the door to find Midian. “So it seems there will be six of us on the quest,” the gnome said, strolling in under Geth’s arm.
“Six?” Geth raised his eyebrows.
“I passed Ashi and Vounn on their way to see Haruuc and make it official, but it looks like Ashi will be coming with us.”
Geth couldn’t hold back a grin. “Do you know why?”
“Vounn said something about upholding the special relationship between Deneith and Darguun. If you ask me, she’s decided to send Ashi along to get in even better favor with Haruuc.” Midian cocked his head. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” Geth said with a shrug. It sounded like Ashi had taken his advice. “It will be good to have her along. She knows wilderness travel, and she’s a good fighter.”
“About that-well, not so much about Ashi as about me.” The gnome hopped up into a chair. Given that it had been built for the comfort of hobgoblins and humans, it was as if Geth had decided to sit on top of a table. Apparently used to such inconveniences, Midian kicked his feet and looked at Geth. “I haven’t thanked you for standing up for me in front of Senen and Haruuc. I know that took some nerve. Twice tak, as they say in the Eldeen Reaches.”
Geth took a seat on his bed. “It wasn’t nerve, really. I was just getting a little angry at being ignored, and sometimes I don’t know when to shut up.”
Midian snorted. “It was pretty eloquent for not knowing when to shut up.”
“I saw you take down at least two hobgoblins when the Gan’duur attacked us. I’d call that good fighting.”
“I’ve had to learn some tricks. You might have noticed that Darguuls can be a bit protective of their ruins. Generally, I find it’s much easier to run. Not”-he added quickly-”that I’d run if friends were in trouble.”
“You better not!” Geth gave a mocking growl.
The gnome laughed, then asked, “Speaking of the Gan’duur, have you heard yet how they knew to come west and ambush us?”
In fact, he had. Haruuc had just heard that morning and had passed the news to Vounn, who had announced it in Ashi’s presence. “There was a traitor among the officers at Matshuc Zaal, someone with sympathies to the Gan’duur. The Darguuls use falcons to carry messages-he sent one to the Gan’duur telling them we’d be riding to the Gathering Stone. All the ambushers had to do was ride west until they found us.”
Midian cursed. “Let’s hope your sword doesn’t lead us into Gan’duur territory, then.” He slid from the chair. “Thank you again, Geth. A gnome remembers kindness.”
He shook the shifter’s hand. Geth saw him out. Once the door was closed, he turned around and surveyed the chamber. The hair on the back of his neck and on his forearms had lifted while he’d been talking to Midian. They hadn’t been alone in the room, but at least the unseen presence seemed familiar. “Chetiin?” he said.
The sharaatkhesh elder slipped out from behind a cabinet that Geth could have sworn had been flush against the wall. “I spent too much time riding with you,” he said in his scarred voice.
“How did you get in here?”
“With Midian.”
“No, you didn’t,” Geth said. Chetiin’s ears just twitched slightly. Geth shook his head and sighed. “Was there something you wanted?”
“To wish you luck in the ritual. If it succeeds, preparations are ready and we’ll ride out in three days.”
“Why wait so long?”
“It was Senen’s suggestion. She thinks you may need time to recover after the ritual.”
Geth grimaced. “That doesn’t sound promising,” he said. “You’ll be able to use the time, though-you’ll need to arrange supplies for an extra person. Ashi’s probably going to come.”
Chetiin’s face creased in a smile. “So I heard-but that’s no problem. I assumed that she’d eventually get her way and planned accordingly. We’ll still be ready to go. Tariic is lending us some of his magebred horses for the journey.”
“Will you need to ride with me again?”
“I have arranged for my own mount this time.” the goblin said. His smile disappeared, though. “The news of a traitor in Matshuc Zaal is disturbing. I heard it from Haruuc this morning.”
