careful with these. We need to put them back as close as possible to the way we found them, or Tariic will know someone has been here.”
“Won’t he know that when he finds out the magic on the door is gone?”
“It should reweave itself once the doors are closed again. I know what I’m doing.” He took more papers from the drawer, scanning each one, then discarding it on the table. Ashi caught glimpses of more maps, of lists, of ledgers. Aruget’s ears flicked, and his mouth grew tighter as he glanced at them. “Here,” he said finally. He put another map down on the table, then slipped a piece of folded paper, a miniature pot of ink, and a stubby pen out of his sash. “Copy that as best you can. No need to worry much about the details inside Darguun. Focus on the border with Breland.”
Ashi studied the map and drew a slow, hissing breath. The plan sketched out in rough on the first, dirty map had been refined. Two broad arrows struck across the Brelish border from Skullreave. One went almost directly north to a place named Kennrun. Ashi recognized the name as a Brelish fortress that guarded a stretch of Orien trade road running parallel to the border. The other arrow curved northwest around the end of the Seawall Mountains until it met the trade road west of Kennrun. With the fortress and its soldiers bottled up by one of the armies from Skullreave, the second force would have an easy march along the trade road-straight to the town of New Cyre.
Ashi knew that name too. New Cyre was the settlement that Breland’s king had granted to Cyran refugees who had been away from their home nation on the day it had been transformed into the Mournland. It was a growing town, the heart of the region-and founded in the aftermath of the Last War, only lightly defended. If Tariic could take it, and maybe Kennrun as well, he would effectively extend Darguun’s territory across the mountains and establish a new base for further expansion.
She dipped Aruget’s pen into the ink pot and started sketching. There were names beside the two arrows, companies and units to be included in the attack, presumably. Some she recognized as clan names. The Kech Shaarat stood at the head of the companies attacking Kennrun. She scribbled them all down. “Aruget, see if you can find troop numbers. I have company names. Black Tongue. Devil Hand. Red Moon. Iron-” Her tongue stumbled as she read the first name on the list of companies attacking New Cyre. Iron Fox.
“I have them,” said Aruget. His voice sounded grim. She turned to look at him.
He had a ledger book in his hand, maybe showing the troop numbers. Open across the pages of the book, however, was a letter. He flipped it around and handed it to her.
It was in her handwriting.
To Breven, patriarch of Deneith, on the 28th day of Vult, 99 YK-
By your message commanding that I remain in the court of Lhesh Tariic Kurar’taarn, you show that House Deneith turns away from me. Now I turn away from House Deneith.
You tell me that the mercenaries hired to Deneith by the lhesh of Darguun are worth more than the life of any member of your house, including that of a bearer of the Siberys Mark of Sentinel. I tell you to see what one who bears the Siberys Mark can do.
You said that Lhesh Tariic is more understanding than you if he accepts my continued presence in his court. Know that Lhesh Tariic has done more than welcome my presence. He has accepted and forgiven me. On this day, Darguul troops enter Breland. They are aware of every Deneith mercenary between Kennrun and New Cyre. I made them aware. They have been trained to fight Deneith’s soldiers. I taught them.
I defy your threat of excoriation. As Tariic conquers Breland, I swear I will conquer Deneith. -Ashi
She stared at the letter in shock. “I didn’t write this.”
“Sivis scribes are capable of amazing forgeries,” Aruget said. “All he would have needed was a sample of your writing.”
“This letter will destroy me. Breven will go insane!”
“That’s probably the idea. Tariic wants to hurt you. At least we know the date of the attack, though. Nine days from now.” He reached to take the letter back from her.
She twitched it away and tore it in two, shredding those pieces into smaller pieces.
“Ashi!” Aruget said sharply, but she cut off his reprimand.
“Tariic will not do that to me. I won’t let him.”
He grabbed her wrists. “But now he’ll know we were here!”
Shadows fell across the doorway of the room. “Perhaps,” said a cackling voice, “he already does.”
Ashi and Aruget both looked up. Pradoor stood between them and the outer room. Behind her stood Tariic’s three deaf bugbear servants.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
19 Vult
Aruget reacted instantly, vaulting over the table and slamming the door of the room in Pradoor’s face. Ashi heard the old goblin priestess yelp in pain. Aruget put his back to the door and pointed at the table. “Get that over here!”
Ashi dropped the torn pieces of Tariic’s false letter and heaved against the table. Papers went flying. Aruget hopped up out of the way, and she rammed the table against the door just as something-a bugbear’s shoulder, probably-struck from the other side. The door shuddered, but the table held it closed. Aruget joined Ashi, and together they threw the table up on its end so the heavy top leaned against the door.
The silent door of Tariic’s chambers. The thick, muffling carpets in the outer room-the same things that had hidden their entry, Ashi realized, had let Pradoor and the bugbears sneak up on them. How had she known they were there, though? Ashi glared at Aruget. “You set off that ward on the cabinet after all!”
“I didn’t!”
“The Six hear our secrets,” Pradoor called from the other side of the door, “and I hear you. Do you think Lhesh Tariic would keep his plans behind just one ward? The Keeper commands that both inner and outer doors be guarded.”
A second ward inside the cabinet. Ashi ground her teeth together and Aruget cursed. “What now?” she asked him.
He looked around at the scattered papers, then scooped up both the folded paper she’d written on and the rolled map she’d copied from. He thrust the folded paper at her and stuffed the map through his belt. “We fight. Whoever gets out has to get this information to someone who can warn Breland.”
Ashi’s mouth went dry as she took the paper and slid it into her jacket. “What about stopping Tariic before he can attack?”
Aruget looked at her and shook his head. “That’s not going to happen. I’m sorry, Ashi, but this could be the end for Darguun. The Five Nations will crush Tariic.”
Another blow rocked the door and shifted the heavy table back by a handspan. Ashi jumped away from it and drew her sword. Aruget drew his as well and shifted around to the side of the door. When the next blow came, the door burst open, and a bugbear pushed his head and shoulders through. Aruget lunged.
His hobgoblin sword wasn’t made for thrusting. The broad end of it, though sharp, left only a shallow cut in the bugbear’s shoulder. The bugbear yelped and just jerked back. Aruget cursed. “Useless bloody-”
With a roar, the bugbear hit the door again. This time it flew wide, the table toppling over, and the bugbear surged into the room. Aruget leaped for him-and Ashi heard Pradoor’s voice crack in prayer, invoking the power of the Dark Six. “See the glory of the Mockery!”
Aruget stiffened before he could land a blow. His eyes went wide with unnatural fear, and he leaped away. The bugbear lumbered after him, but the changeling pressed himself back toward the farthest corner of the room.
Ashi reached out and grabbed his arm. She focused her will, and heat spread through her dragonmark. Aruget sucked in a breath and the fear faded from his face.
“You’re welcome,” said Ashi. No further tricks of the mind lurking in Pradoor’s prayers would touch either of them anymore. She ducked past Aruget and slashed at the first of the bugbears. The bright Deneith honor blade flashed and the big dar reeled back, clutching the gaping wound across its belly.
