'Yes, before the tenday's end, and I will not be going alone. My lady Arilyn has rights to redress; Elaith Craulnober has people to kill.' Danilo shrugged. 'Business as usual, only this time my ill-assorted elven friends find themselves in rare accord.'
'Indeed! Should I be relieved to hear that, or worried?'
'A little of both, I daresay.'
Khelben chuckled and rose to leave, which brought Danilo politely to his feet. The archmage regarded the younger man for a long moment.
'Mystra's blessing upon you, son.'
Danilo smiled at him. 'I won't be gone forever-a few years at most. To a man of your long years, that's a mere eye blink. I'll see you upon my return.'
A strange expression crossed the archmage's face, a flicker of emotion, quickly mastered. Khelben lifted a hand in farewell and disappeared into mist.
6 Eleint, the Year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR)
Summit Hall
Laharin Goldbeard, the Master of Summit Hall, studied the papers spread out before him. His face paled as he read the bills of lading and shipping records linking Sir Gareth to the Zhentarim and, worse, to the Collectors Guild, the wicked treasure-hunters of Amn whose collective purpose was an evil twin to that of the Knights of Samular. Finally he fingered the scrying ring that, moments before, had revealed the face of Dag Zoreth, a priest of Cyric and member of the Zhentarim, who had impatiently answered 'Sir Gareth' in a manner suggesting long acquaintance.
The paladin glanced up at one of the tall, fair-haired men standing before him. 'How is it, Algorind, that you spent more than five years gathering this information? I won't deny that you've done a great service to the order, but subterfuge is difficult for a paladin whose heart is true.'
'But not impossible,' interjected his companion, a well-dressed nobleman a few years older than Algorind. 'I placed him under a magical compulsion that caused him to set his doubts aside until such time as he had collected proof your order could not ignore. I coerced his will to this purpose.'
Laharin regarded the man sternly. 'You freely admit to this?'
'I do,' Danilo Thann said evenly; 'furthermore, I would take upon myself any blame that might fall upon Algorind, and I submit myself to your judgment.'
'You do not fall under our jurisdiction.'
'Nevertheless.'
The master nodded and turned to the elderly man seated nearby, an armored guard standing on either side. 'What say you to these accusations, Sir Gareth?'
'Papers can be forged and well you know it!' Gareth said sternly. 'A wizard who would force another man's will could easily create an illusion such as the device before you. And Lord Thann was once a Harper, kinsman to Khelben Arunsun-and as such, an enemy to our order.'
Laharin listened gravely, then turned to Algorind. 'What response would you give to this?'
'Sir Gareth has spoken long about the faults of other men.' The young paladin glanced at Danilo Thann. 'But it seems to me that a good man will own his errors. I would consider warily any man who does not.'
'Well said.' Laharin rose and addressed the old knight. 'Sir Gareth, in view of your long service to the Knights of Samular, and in concern for the reputation of our order, you will not stand a public trial, but go into quiet confinement.'
Gareth looked relieved. 'The sentence is just. Whatever might have come of my past actions, I never had any intention of doing evil.'
'Neither did Renwick Caradoon. I trust you will find his company instructive.'
Sir Gareth paled. 'Sure you don't mean-'
'As you yourself observed, the sentence is just.' Laharin glanced at the guards. 'Take him to the Founder's Keep.'
To his credit, Sir Gareth left without protest, carrying himself with the dignity that recalled his heroic youth. Once the room was cleared of armed paladins, Laharin sank back into his chair and wearily regarded the two young men standing before him.
'What penance would you place upon yourself, Algorind? Lest you judge too harshly, let me remind you that this man has offered to take your punishment upon himself.'
The young paladin did not need to consider. 'Let me serve the Knights of Samular by seeking out the artifacts Renwick Caradoon created or recovered from Ascalhorn, and return them safely to the order.'
'I see,' Laharin said slowly. His gaze flicked to the small, brown-haired woman sitting quietly in the corner. 'And you could do this work better than the Collectors Guild? You could retrieve from Amn those devices these villains have already claimed?'
'Not alone, sir.' Algorind's face flushed, but he held the master's eyes. 'Bronwyn Caradoon knows the work of collecting antiquities. She speaks the languages of Amn and other southern lands, and she has had dealings with some of the men in the Guild.'
'And you, Bronwyn? Would you share this task?'
The woman rose, her pretty face set in determined lines. 'Those whoresons killed my family to get to me. They kidnapped my niece Cara once and they've made three more attempts since. Give me a quill and tell me where to sign up.'
A smile spread across the Laharin's face. 'A fitting task for a daughter of Samular! Welcome home, child. And you, Lord Thann; are you content to let Algorind take the full consequences of this penance on this own shoulders?'
Something in his tone brought bought a look of alert inquiry to the young noble's face. He glanced from Bronwyn to Algorind, and understanding dawned. Since Bronwyn had no kinsman present, Laharin was granting Danilo, her friend and sponsor, the honor of giving consent to the proposed partnership. Danilo noted how the mismatched pair stood together, hands joined in common purpose… and watched as their hands slid apart, slowly. Reluctantly. He turned back to Laharin with a wry, knowing smile.
'I daresay this 'penance' will repay Algorind's debt in full, as well as fees and penalties beyond the dreams of the greediest moneylender.'
'I knew Bronwyn's mother,' the master observed, his eyes twinkling, 'and the memory of that acquaintance, while fond, does nothing to contradict your observation. Your lady is Arilyn Moonblade, the half-elf Harper?'
'Yes.'
Laharin nodded, a wry smile on his bearded face. 'That suffices, as well.'
Algorind listened to this exchange with obvious puzzlement. 'I don't understand.'
The master of Summit Hall and the nobleman exchanged a look of rare and total accord. 'You will,' they said in unison.
THE BARGAIN
This story takes place shortly after the events of Elfshadow, my first FORGOTTEN REALMS book. It was also my first published short story, and it sets the tone for many tales to come in at least one aspect-irony. You'll find a lot of that in these pages.
Arilyn Moonblade, a half-elf fighter and Harper agent, has just been cleared of suspicion in the case of the Harper Assassin. She has nearly shed her much-hated nickname-again, 'the Harper assassin,' this time as a grim honorific recognizing the fact that people she fought usually ended up dead. She and Danilo Thann, a nobleman from a wealthy merchant family of Waterdeep, are sent to Tethyr on a mission for the Harpers, a mission that requires Arilyn to-wait for it-infiltrate the assassins' guild.
Some half-elves just can't buy a break.
The one thing Arilyn Moonblade hated above all else was being followed.
