Shouting came from up ahead. We followed the sounds until we made it back to the inn. A group of Wults stood outside, but we pushed our way through the crowd and into the building.
Kull’s sister Heidel sat near the fireplace with a bandage on her arm. A spot of dark blood was visible under the gauze. She wore her long, dark hair in a braid slung over her shoulder. Although Heidel had done a good job of moving forward from a troubled past, in her eyes, I saw pain that only survivors of abuse carried with them. When I looked at her, I was reminded of all my clients who shared that same haunted look.
We made it to the table, and she glanced up at her brother.
“Where were you?” she asked.
“Waiting for you. What happened?” He nodded at the gauze wrapping her arm.
“We were ambushed. As soon as our light coach entered the valley, a group of masked men stopped our carriage as if they meant to board. Instead, they killed two of us with basita weapons before we had a chance to retaliate. We fought them off, and they escaped toward the mountains.”
“Who attacked you?”
Heidel took a long gulp of her drink. “Elves. They wore disguises, but I am sure it was them. They were trained to fight. I managed to get a good look at one of their weapons. It was imprinted with the seal of a sunburst.”
“Why did they attack you?” Kull asked.
“I bet they’re trying to steal the staff,” I said.
Kull rubbed his chin. “I don’t like this. To attack so boldly is an act of war.”
“Yes,” Heidel said, pounding her fist on the table. “We must hunt them down and slaughter them all. We can’t let them get away with this treachery.”
“Patience, Sister. We must think through this carefully before rushing after them.”
“I don’t understand,” I said. “If they wanted to stop us from taking the staff, then why did they only attack Heidel? Why not attack us, too?”
“Because,” Heidel answered, “I believe they thought I already had the staff, and they were trying to take it from me. Once they learned we had not already claimed it, they made their journey to the mountain instead.”
The young serving girl who’d helped us earlier came to our table and placed a basket of bread on the tabletop. “Anything to eat for the three of you? Tonight we’ve got boarhound stew.”
“We’ll take four bowls,” Kull said.
“Four?” Heidel asked.
He nodded toward the stairs, where a shadowy form emerged and made his way toward the table. The wolf stayed at his side. When Maveryck reached our table, he stopped, then pushed the cowl away from his face.
“Four,” Kull said.
The serving girl gave a quick nod and then hurried back to the kitchen.
“Maveryck,” Kull said, “please meet my sister, Heidel. She will be joining us on our quest to reclaim the staff.”
“You’re the thief?” she asked.
He nodded, then took a seat at the table. With a snap of his fingers, the dog sat beside him. Threading his fingers together, he scanned each of us, his gaze stopping on Heidel.
“What happened?” he asked, nodding at the bandage.
“My light carriage was attacked by elves.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Elves? You are sure of this?”
She nodded.
“This does not bode well,” he said. “Elves have successfully stolen from the witch in the past. We must make our journey sooner than I expected in order to apprehend them.”
“How soon?” Kull asked.
“That depends on how quickly the elves will arrive at the witch’s castle.” He looked at Heidel. “How long ago did the elves attack you?”
“About three hours.”
“And where did they attack you at?”
“On the outskirts of the village in the forest, near the foothills.”
Maveryck worked his jaw back and forth as he pondered her words. “They are ahead of us. This is unexpected. The elves will likely arrive before us and steal the staff.”
“Is there any way we can get there first?” I asked.
“Not likely, but possible. I have the benefit of knowing a route that will take us into the witch’s vaults without detection. But we will have to leave tonight if we wish to get there before the elves.”
“Very well,” Kull said, “we’ll leave tonight. But once we’re inside, how are we to remove the staff?”
“Leave that to me,” he said.
Heidel crossed her arms. “I hope you’ve skills in fighting as well as thievery, or you’ll not last long on this quest.”
He gave her a condescending smile. “I assure you, I can hold my own.”
The serving girl arrived with four steaming bowls, and the rich scent of broth filled the air. I took a bite of the stew and found it a flavorful combination of fresh vegetables and tender meat.
“How do you know of this passage to the witch’s castle?” Kull asked.
Maveryck paused in taking a bite. “That is something I’d rather keep to myself until we arrive.”
“Why?” I asked.
He looked at me. “If I were to reveal my secrets, then anyone listening in on our conversation would also know, wouldn’t they?”
“Have you entered her castle before?” Heidel asked.
“Of course. The dragon king would not have hired me unless he knew I could get the job done.”
“Then why didn’t he hire you before,” I asked, “when we were tracking down the bloodthorn?”
“Because I only have the ability to enter her vaults and nowhere else. I would not dare try to break through the wards surrounding her mountain. I will remind you that while I am good at what I do, my skills are limited. We will enter her vaults and nowhere else, and then we will escape.”
Heidel scrutinized him.
