'I've heard of Cormyr.' Actually, Haarn had heard very little.
'I grew up in a small house ' Druz said. 'My father was a blacksmith, a man good with armor and arms, which is a craft that will keep a man hale and hearty in Cormyr, but there are enough skilled craftsmen there that he was never going to get rich. Still, he provided for all nine children and his wife.'
She gazed into the fire, and Haarn sensed that she had hurts of her own. 'I was the fourth in the line of children,' she continued, 'and the first girl. My three older brothers all worked with my father. My mother thought I would provide help in caring for the children and keeping house, but I had my own interests.' Haarn sat and listened to her, amazed at how soothing her voice could be after thinking for days only about how she could drone on and on. 'When it became apparent that I wasn't going to be the housekeeper my mother wanted and that Josile, the girl next to me, absolutely loved those things, she was given the chores and I got the opportunity to work with my father in the smithy.' 'You found that work preferable?' Haarn asked. 'For a time,' Druz admitted. 'I was a fair hand at repairing armor and hammering out horseshoes, but I came in contact with men and women who'd traveled around all of Faer?n. Suzail, as large as it had seemed to me, was only a stopping place for them, a waystation while they rested to continue their travels to far-away destinations. One day, after I was grown, or at least thought I was, I decided I wanted to travel. Over the years, I'd been learning swordcraft from anyone who'd teach me. I learned well, and some said I had a talent for it.' Haarn agreed, but he kept his thoughts to himself. 'One night I left Cormyr, caught the first ship that would hire me on as a sellsword,' Druz said, 'and I began making my way as a mercenary.' 'Have you been back to see your family?' Haarn asked. 'Several times.' 'What did your mother and father think about the life you'd chosen?' 'They didn't like it,' Druz said. 'They still don't, but they know I'm happy. I'm getting to travel, and the things I fight for-' She wrinkled her nose.'-usually, the things I fight for are of my own choosing and causes I believe in. It's not a life for everyone, but it's the life I chose. That's why I'm telling you this, Haarn. 'Maybe the cities aren't to your father's liking, and maybe they won't be to yours, but you shouldn't have to feel guilty about wanting to see them and explore those ties to your mother. I mean no disrespect for your father. Please understand that.' Some of Haarn's anger and resistance went away, and he thought perhaps he did understand, though he wasn't certain why Druz would be so adamant about telling him. 'If you ever did get curious about cities and wanted to see one,' Druz said, 'and if I were available to show you one, I… I think I'd like that very much.' She glanced away from him, as if unable to any longer hold his gaze. Haarn looked at his father's sleeping form. Normally elves didn't sleep, just went into a meditative trance for four hours or so every day. He could never recall his father sleeping. 'He loved her very much, didn't he?' Druz asked some time later. 'Yes,' Haarn whispered. 'Losing her almost killed him.' 'He'd never known that kind of love before? I know elves are long- lived.' 'If he has, he's never mentioned it.' 'And he's never loved like that again?' 'No.' Haarn fed more wood to the fire, basking in the warm radiance. 'Not many people are fortunate to know a love like that,' Druz said. 'Love like that,' Haarn said, meaning it, 'is a terrible thing.' 'Do you really think so?' He gazed at her, surprised by the intensity in her eyes. 'I've seen what it can do to people.' 'You've only seen what it did to your father. Love like that is special, not something easily found.' The tone in her voice suggested that she'd had more than a passing interest in the subject. 'Love like that is a death trap. Better to find someone you like, share time together, then be on about your business.' 'And you practice that, Haarn?' Druz's voice carried a biting chill to it that was worse than anything outside the protection of the lean-to. Haarn looked at her, seeing the challenge there and not totally understanding it. He let his breath out when his lungs started to ache, not even knowing he'd been holding his breath. 'No,' he answered. 'That's not what I practice.' A smile, partly coy and partly relieved, played on Druz's lips and she asked, 'Have you ever been with a woman, Haarn?' Haarn's face burned and he couldn't believe his concern for his father and their forced encampment in the lean-to had led them to this subject. 'Now you're stepping over boundaries.' A triumphant gleam showed in Druz's eyes and Haarn couldn't understand it at all. 'I withdraw the question,' she said, 'and offer my apologies.' Haarn nodded, feeling only a little relieved. 'Love like your father and mother had isn't necessarily a bad thing,' Druz said. 'Wolves mate for life.' 'Stonefur mated for life,' Haarn said coldly, 'and his mate attacked you. You killed her without a second's thought.' His words visibly stung Druz. Her face pinched shut. Glancing down, she pulled her blanket up and turned away from him. 'Since you're awake,' she said, 'I'm going to sleep now.' Haarn watched her do exactly that, and he was irritated at her for raising so many questions in his mind and leaving him with them. He glanced at his father, knowing Ettrian's presence had triggered some of those questions as well. Haarn settled back against the stone wall of the overhang. Never in the past two days had he been so aware of how uncomfortable it was. He gazed at Druz, sleeping so childlike beneath her blanket-except for the naked dagger in her fist-and tried not to think about any of the questions she'd raised within him. It didn't work, not even when he directed his mind to prayers to Silvanus.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Borran Kiosk stood on Mistress Talia's flying deck, scanning the dark ruins of the Whamite Isles. Lightning seared the sky as light rain continued to fall. At least the sea had quieted. The ship had been taken over days before, perhaps even as much as a tenday-Borran Kiosk was not sure. Only corpses revived by the mohrg's magic crewed the ship. The change from living to dead had not been without problems. Alive, the crew had been adept at manning Mistress Talia, but rising from the dead had cost them something of their skill. Only every now and again was Borran Kiosk able to raise one of his kills nearly whole in ability. The five he'd created to carry the pieces of Taraketh's Hive had been very special. One of them, Borran Kiosk knew, had almost been destroyed by druids. He'd managed the skeleton's escape only with the help of the league of wizards Allis served. Lightning burned the heavens again, but nothing disturbed the surface of the sea. Footsteps sounded on the deck behind him. There was only one person who moved freely about the ship. Without looking around at Allis, Borran Kiosk asked, 'Where are the drowned ones?' 'Under the sea,' she replied. 'They're probably on their way here now. They hunt anything. From what I'm told, even the fish no longer come here.' 'We need to go in closer.' 'If we do,' she said, coming up to the railing where he stood, 'we run the risk of being overrun by their numbers before you're able to control them.' Borran Kiosk raised his arm and regarded the pink and white coral shell that encased his arm. It looked so simple, so powerless. If he hadn't felt the magic in it, he wouldn't have believed it could do what she promised. He looked back out to sea, trying to discern some movement in the rolling troughs of water, but there was none. Allis stared at the rolling sea as well. Her hair lay plastered against her skull and her clothes, like Borran Kiosk's own cloak, were sodden. Her opal eyes glowed in the darkness. The gale winds swept Mistress Talia's decks and yet another bolt of lightning pierced the dark clouds. 'Sails!' a man shouted from above. Borran Kiosk looked up at the corpse manning the crow's nest. He had stationed one of the dead men still able to speak up there to act as lookout. 'Where?' 'Off the starboard bow, cap'n,' the dead man cackled gleefully. Unfortunately, though some of the dead men yet maintained enough experience to do their jobs, not all of them kept their sanity. Even after days at sea, Borran Kiosk could not keep straight which was port and which was starboard. None of that mattered in his plans. All he wanted was to get the ship back to Alagh?n with his promised undead army in tow. 'Where?' he growled to Allis, who understood such things. 'To the right,' she answered. Borran Kiosk walked in that direction, crossing the narrow flying bridge. Lightning flared again, and this time it reflected from sails. 'No fishermen come out here,' Allis said, 'and they wouldn't be here at this time of night anyway. They must be looking for someone. Occasionally, treasure hunters come out here, looking to lay claim to cargo lost by ships that were sunk in these waters, and to raid the drowned city itself.' 'They see us, cap'n,' the dead man occupying the crow's nest said. 'They're turning and coming toward us.' Borran Kiosk saw that the ship had altered its direction and was now approaching them. Lights moved hurriedly along the ship's deck, and more of them were lit. 'Someone is looking for us,' Borran Kiosk said. 'No one knows we're here,' Allis said. Borran Kiosk fisted the ratline running down to the flying deck and said, 'Coming here wasn't as clever as you thought it was.' 'There's an army waiting here to be claimed,' Allis said. 'I can't hide as easily on the open sea as I could have in the city,' Borran Kiosk replied. 'I know the warrens and alleys there. I could have stayed away from them.' 'They would have hunted you down. You didn't stand a chance.. especially not after the way you announced yourself to them.' Rage filled Borran Kiosk and he almost backhanded the werespider. 'I will not be taken again,' he said. 'I will not be locked away, nor will I allow myself to be destroyed.' 'We can hold them off,' Allis said. Borran Kiosk wanted to scream and shout, to rail against Malar who had undoubtedly abandoned him yet again. Lightning flared and thunder pealed, sending highlights and a jagged reflection skittering across the sea's surface. The other ship sailed alongside Mistress Talia and matched her speed. Men stood along the other ship's deck. Many of them held lanterns and the lights showed
