Kalen grimaced and clenched his fist.
Or perhaps he did not owe Fayne his life at all, but owed it rather to Rath himself. The dwarf came from a monastery-he knew great discipline. Perhaps he would have thought slaying a helpless man to be dishonorable. And leaving Cellica to die hadn't been?
'Twisted sense of honor,' Kalen murmured, but in truth, he was hardly in a position to judge. Woujd his own code make sense to anyone besides himself?
It had made sense to Cellica, he thought.
He shook his head. Thinking with his heart was a weakness he could ill afford.
Surely Rath would have obtained healing, but likely the scars on his wrist would stop him fighting with his sword hand, or perhaps compromise his technique. That was an advantage for Kalen-a strength. He passed the helmet to his right hand, in its steel gauntlet.
Kalen did not have Vindicator-that was a weakness. He passed the helm to his left hand.
Rolling the helm back to his right hand, Kalen thought he was the stronger-strength.
Rath had proven, rhough, that his skill more than compensated for Kalen's strength-weakness. He rolled the helmet to his left.
Kalen wore armor that allowed him mobility-strength.
Rath did not need armor and seemed not to tire, while Kalen had to carry the weight of his leathers- weakness.
Kalen had the threefold god-strength.
They almost matched for speed, but Rath was just enough faster-weakness.
Rath had Fayne and Myrin, while Kalen had no bargaining power-weakness.
Rath had picked the dueling ground-weakness.
And, most important, Kalen was dying of spellplague-weakness.
Kalen was holding the helmet in his unarmored left hand. He hefted it, as though trying to dispel his doubts, then shook his head.
Going into this duel was tantamount to falling on his own blades, but he had to try.
'If I don't,' he murmured, 'then who will?' The words he had shared with Myrin.
He felt the familiar chill at the base of his neck that told him he was not alone-someone stood just outside his door. Had Rath chosen to kill him by stealth after all?
He lifted his helm and slid it on, fastening the buckles with distinct, if muted, clicks.
Then he was up, dagger in his hand, facing the door. It burst open, as if by cue, and a woman in black coat- of-piate armor stood before him. In her hands was a hand-and-a-half sword that dripped with silver fire.
'Waterdeep Guard!' she cried. He knew her voice.
Araezra.
Shadowbane turned to the window, but a red-haired woman sat on the sill, hands at the hilts of twin knives- Talanna. 'Lost your other gauntlet, have you?' she asked. 'Shadowbane?'
Kalen pressed his lips firmly together-they would know his voice.
'Down arms and doff your helm,' Araezra commanded. 'In the name of the city.'
He looked for another way out. Cellica's window, perhaps, but that was a small fit. He could try his luck with Araezra, but a dagger would be as nothing against Vindicator. He might escape with a wound, but he could hardly fight Rath while hurt.
'Do it now,' Araezra said. 'Down arms and unveil yourself!'
He dropped the dagger, which stabbed into the floorboards, there to quiver. He made no move to unbuckle his helm.
'You're making a mistake,' he said as gruffly as he could, to hide his identity. 'I've done nothing illegal or-'
'The time for masks is past, lad,' said Talanna. She hefted her blades dangerously.
He thought desperately but could find nothing. He nodded.
'Slowly, then,' Araezra said. 'Unveil yourself-slowly.'
He put his hands out, showing them empty-his left hand bare, his right hand gauntleted. Then he reached up and opened the clasps of his helm and pulled it off. He watched Araezra's face and saw the hope in her eyes fade. And with it, his own hopes.
'I knew it!' Talanna clapped the blades of her daggers together and grinned. She looked at Araezra, who grimaced angrily. 'I told you, Rayse-didn't I tell you?'
Kalen blinked. 'What?'
'Kalen.' Araezra lowered Vindicator, setting the point against the floor. 'I tried so hard to believe it wasn't you. Even up until I knocked on your door, I thought there would be an explanation.' She shook her head. 'I didn't think you would lie to me, but you did.'
'I'm sorry,' he said. 'You were never supposed to know.'
Araezra's eyes narrowed. 'Never supposed to know? You think me a dullwit, then?'
Kalen blinked.
'All those stories we heard,' Araezra said. 'About the gray knight who feels no pain? And the colorless eyes. You think I don't know your eyes, Kalen? We've…'
She looked at Talanna, who grinned. Araezra nodded toward the window, as though directing her out to give them privacy, but Talanna only shrugged, feigning ignorance.
With a scowl, Araezra looked to Kalen. 'It was only circumstantial, until that night in Downshadow-when you saved first me, then Tal. We were chasing you, and you came back for us anyway. You didn't want to be caught, but you didn't want us hurt. You're always like that-taking care of us whether we want it or not.'
Kalen looked at the floor. He supposed it was true. 'I never meant to offend.'
'And the ball,' said Talanna. She grinned. 'Rayse told me about the ball.'
'What about the ball?' Kalen asked. He thought he'd hidden himself well enough there.
Araezra waved. 'When all the panic started, Shadowbane appeared and picked up Cellica, of all folk, and leaped up-' She trailed off.
'We're sorry,' Talanna said. 'That's why we've come-because of Cellica.' Kalen opened his mouth, but she continued. 'Of course we heard. Her family was just concerned about you, Kalen. They sent word to the Watch, and we requested to go along for the task.'
'So, now,' Kalen said. 'You've come to arrest me?'
Talanna laughed.
Araezra didn't look so amused. 'Aye, or so the ten Watchmen below think,' Araezra said. 'You're a dangerous vigilante, Kalen. We came up alone to talk to you, and they're under orders to follow if either of us shouts. But since we know you and love you well, we came to see if you would come peaceably.'
'What happens now?' Kalen looked at the dagger stuck in the floor. He was fast, he knew-could he knock Talanna to the floor before she could put two daggers in him?
'We arrest you,' Araezra said. Then she shrugged. 'On the morrow.'
Kalen blinked. 'What?'
'Assuming, of course, you're still in the city,' Talanna said. 'But why would you leave? Waterdeep is the city of splendors-everything you could ever want is here, aye?'
Araezra shifted her boots.
'We worked out a wonderful tale,' Talanna said. 'We found you, agony-stricken, inconsolable. Plying that indefinable charm of yours, you lulled Rayse and I-'
'Mostly her' Araezra noted.
'— into lowering our guard,' Talanna continued. 'Then you sprang from the window and fled!' She grinned. 'Naturally, the story will vary around the Watch for months, and I expect you'll have charmed us both into bed and escaped while we were searching for our trousers, but nevertheless!' She sighed grandly. 'Ah, such is the legend of Kalen Dren!'
Araezra groaned.
Talanna sheathed her daggers and stepped toward Kalen. 'Here,' she said. 'Take this.' In her hand was her golden ring of carved feathers. 'I've had my fill of high places.'
'It was a gift,' Kalen said. 'Won't Lord Neverember be offended?'
