I gestured toward the bodies of the fishmen. “There’s sushi here if you’re really that hungry.”
“They are fishfolk,” Faryn commented. “Not something you would sit down and eat for a meal.”
“The elf knows a thing or two about meals,” Nydarth whispered in my mind. “She’s tasted of you once or twice. What I’d give to have you to myself, sweet man.”
Tolin mercifully cut off Nydarth’s commentary on how delicious I was.
“You making a habit of killing anyone you come across?” he asked me. He didn’t seem upset; instead, his tone carried a hint of pride.
“They were attacking a princess, apparently. Thought it best to step in.”
“The only princess in the province is King Beqai’s daughter. Xilarion said the king spoke very highly of her.” Faryn’s eyes widened. “What was she doing here?”
I shrugged. “Taking a bath, from the looks of it. She was completely naked when these bandits tried to get her.”
“You saved her?” The beautiful elf woman beamed at me.
“We all helped prevent the bandits from taking her,” Vesma said as she squared her shoulders.
“Where is she now?” Faryn asked. “Better clothed, I hope.”
“She swam over the waterfall,” I explained. “She seemed like she intended to do it, so I figure she survived.”
“She’ll be fine,” Tolin said as he followed my gaze to the waterfall. “All these fishfolk are better off in the water than on dry land. Now, who are these other young people with you? Have they no manners?”
“They’re just shy. Tolin, this is Vesma and Kegohr. They were initiates at the Radiant Dragon Guild with me. We graduated to the rank of outer disciples together. Vesma, Kegohr, this is Tolin lo Pashat. He was the first one to train me when I got here.” I lowered my voice. “He’s a cranky old hermit with a rundown temple.”
“A cranky old hermit who is the head of your clan,” Tolin reminded me.
“That too.”
“We are honored, Lord Pashat,” Vesma said with a bow. Kegohr imitated the gesture with a little less grace and fluidity.
“I wouldn’t be too impressed,” I said. “Until he adopted me, Tolin was the only member left in the clan.”
“All the more honorable, I’d say.” Kegohr clapped a hand to his chest. “Keeping a clan alive is a bloody good deed.”
“I like your friends,” Tolin said. “You could learn a thing or two from them.”
“Months of obeying your orders and fixing up your house wasn’t enough respect?”
“Not if it didn’t stick.”
I smiled. “It’s good to see you, old man.”
“I’m sure it is,” Tolin replied.
There was a mewling sound as a black cat poked its head up out of Tolin’s bag.
“You really are honored,” I said to Vesma and Kegohr. “This is Master Softpaw, the true ruler of the Unwashed Temple.”
Master Softpaw batted at Tolin’s ear and meowed more loudly.
“Yes, yes, you can have a walk around,” Tolin said. His joints creaked as he bent over, laid the bag on the ground, and let the cat out. Softpaw turned his back on all of us, prowled over to the nearest body, and sniffed at the blood.
“He’s been acting unimpressed with all of this,” Tolin said. “But he loves it really, the chance to see new places and bite new people. Now, how about some tea?”
We walked downriver far enough to get clear of the bodies, and settled beside the water. I made a fire and started to boil a pan of water. Master Softpaw stalked through the long grass, hunted butterflies, and watched birds scatter at his presence. I didn’t know if the local fauna had seen a cat before, but if not, then they were in for a shock.
“It’s good to see you again, Vesma,” Faryn said.
“And you, Master Faryn,” Vesma said stiffly.
“Have you found your studies of plants useful out here in the world?”
“Yes, Master. You have my undying gratitude.”
“It was my pleasure.” Faryn smiled, ignoring Vesma’s sarcastic tone.. “The woods here are so different from around the guild, I only hope that I’ve helped equip you to survive.”
“I think our Augmenting and fighting skills will matter more for that.”
“I suppose you’re right. And I’m glad that Ethan has someone like you to help watch over him.”
I watched them uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye as I used tea-making as an excuse to pretend I wasn’t listening. The women in my life had to relate to each other somehow. Faryn had been a tutor to all of us. The elf had taught me my first wood techniques and was responsible for my entrance into the Radiant Dragon Guild, where she taught botanical traditions to its members. It hadn’t occurred to me that there might be tensions between Vesma and Faryn—on one side, at least.
“Why are you here?” Vesma asked the other woman.
Faryn smiled warmly. “I was worried about Ethan. Not that I don’t think he can look after himself—he’s proven that to all of us.” She caught me observing the conversation and turned her face to me. “But I’m not sure that you know the true meaning of the mission Xilarion has given you. What is at stake, and what tensions underlie it. I wanted to do what I could to help, even if it meant traveling such a long way.”
I gave Faryn a reassuring smile. She’d suffered a trauma when she was young and seldom traveled far from the Radiant Dragon Guild. She’d never mentioned ventures beyond the lands the guild protected. To have traveled this far would have been a huge challenge for her. It still seemed odd that she’d come all this way because she was worried.
If Xilarion was concerned that
