The High Lord

'Tayend—'

'Besides,' the scholar added. 'The Sachakans will probably invade Elyne next. I'd rather spend a few days here with you and risk an early death, than return home and hate myself for abandoning you for a few extra months of safety. I'm staying, and you will just have to make the best of it.'

After the darkness of the sewers, the sunlight was dazzling. As Sonea climbed out of the hatch, she felt something under her boot and stumbled, then heard a muffled curse.

'That was my foot,' Cery muttered.

She couldn't help smiling. 'Sorry, Cery, or should I call you Ceryni now?'

Cery made a noise of disgust. 'I've been trying to shake that name all my life, and now I have to use it. I'm sure a few of us would like to say some rough words to the Thief who decided we should all go by animal names.'

'Your ma must have been able to tell the future when she named you,' Sonea said. She stepped aside as Akkarin emerged from the tunnel.

'She could tell from one look which cappers would run off without paying,' Cery said. 'And she always said my da would get into some rub.'

'My aunt must have the gift, too. She always said you were trouble.' She paused. 'Have you seen Jonna and Ranel, lately?'

'No,' he said, bending to lift the sewer hatch back into place, 'not for months.'

She sighed and felt the knowledge of Rothen's death like a weight lodged somewhere inside her body. 'I'd like to see them. Before all this—'

Cery held up a hand - a signal for silence - then pulled her and Akkarin back into a recessed doorway. Gol hurried back from the alley entrance to join them. Two men entered the alley and moved quietly toward them. As they drew near,

Sonea recognized the darker of the faces. She felt a hand push her gently in the small of her back.

'Go on,' Cery whispered in her ear. 'Give him the fright of his life.'

Sonea glanced back to see his eyes glittering with mischief. She waited until the two men drew level with her, then stepped into their path and pulled back her hood.

'Faren.'

The two men dropped into a crouch and stared at her, then one drew in a quick breath.

'Sonea?'

'You still recognize me, after all this time.'

He frowned. 'But, I thought you...'

'Left Kyralia?' She crossed her arms. 'I decided to come back and settle a few debts.'

'Debts?' He glanced at his companion nervously. 'Then you have no business with me.'

'No?' She moved closer to him, and was gratified to see him take a step back. 'I seem to remember a little arrangement we had once. Don't tell me you've forgotten, Faren.'

'How could I forget?' he muttered. 'I remember that you never upheld your end of the deal. In fact, you burned down more than one of my houses while I was protecting you.'

Sonea shrugged. 'I suppose I didn't prove to be all that useful. But I don't think a few burned houses justified selling me to the Guild.'

Faren took another step backward. 'That was not my idea. I had no choice.'

'No choice?' she exclaimed. 'From what I've heard, you made quite a profit. Tell me, did the other Thieves take a commission out of the reward? I heard you got all of it.'

Faren swallowed audibly, backed away even farther.

'As compensation,' he said in a strangled voice.

Sonea took another step toward him, but then a spluttering came from the doorway. It quickly turned into a laugh.

'Sonea,' Cery said. 'I should hire you as a messenger. You're quite scary when you want to be.'

She managed a grim smile. 'You're not the only one who's said that to me lately.' But thinking of Dorrien only brought Rothen to mind again. She felt the weight of grief again, and struggled to ignore it. I can't think about that now, she told herself. There's too much to do.

Faren's yellow eyes were narrowed at Cery. 'I should have known you were behind this little ambush.'

Cery smiled. 'Oh, I only suggested she have a bit of fun with you. She deserves it. You did hand her over to the Guild, after all.'

'You're taking her to the meeting, aren't you?'

'That's right. She and Akkarin have lots to tell them.'

'Akkarin...?' Faren repeated in a small voice.

Sonea heard footsteps behind her and turned to see that Akkarin and Gol had emerged from the doorway. Akkarin had shaved off the short beard and tied his hair back, and looked like his former, imposing self again.

Faren took another step backward.

'It is Faren, isn't it,' Akkarin said smoothly. 'Black, eight-legged and poisonous?'

Faren nodded. 'Yes,' he replied. 'Well, except for the legs.'

'Honored to meet you.'

The Thief nodded again. 'And you.' He looked at Cery. 'Well. This meeting should be entertaining. Follow me.'

Faren started toward the end of the alley, his companion giving Sonea and Akkarin a curious glance before hurrying after. Cery glanced at Sonea, Akkarin and Gol, then beckoned. They followed him into a narrow gap between two buildings at the end of the alley. Halfway down, a large man stepped out to block Faren's way.

'Who are these?' the man demanded, pointing at Sonea and Akkarin.

'Guests,' Cery replied.

The man hesitated, then reluctantly stepped into a doorway. Faren followed him inside the building. A short corridor followed, then a staircase. At the top Faren stopped outside a door and turned to regard Cery.

'You should ask first, before bringing them in.'

'And let them argue about it for hours?' Cery shook his head. 'We don't have the time.'

'Well, I warned you.'

Faren opened the door. As Sonea followed the pair, she took in luxurious surrounds. Cushioned chairs had been arranged in a rough circle. She counted seven occupied chairs. The seven men standing behind them were the Thieves' protectors, she guessed.

It was not hard to guess which Thief was which. The thin, bald man was obviously Sevli. The woman with a pointy nose and red hair was probably Zill and the man with the beard and bushy eyebrows had to be Limek. Looking around, Sonea wondered if the physical similarities to the animals had produced the Thieves' names, or if they had groomed themselves to look like a creature they favored. Perhaps a little of both, she decided.

The occupants of the chairs were staring at her and Akkarin, some with expressions of anger and outrage, others with puzzlement. One face was familiar. Sonea smiled as she met Ravi's eyes.

'Who are these people?' Sevli demanded.

'Cery's friends,' Faren said. He moved to one of the empty chairs and sat down. 'He insisted on bringing them.'

'This is Sonea,' Ravi answered for the other Thieves' benefit. His eyes shifted to Akkarin. 'Which means you must be the former High Lord.'

Outrage and puzzlement changed to shocked surprise.

'It is an honor to meet you all at last,' Akkarin replied. 'Especially you, Lord Senfel.'

Sonea looked up at the man standing behind Ravi's chair. The old magician had shaved off his beard, which was probably why she hadn't recognized him at first glance. The last time she had seen him, when Faren had tried to blackmail him into teaching her magic, he had worn a long white beard. She had been drugged, in a vain atempt to control her magic, and had thought she'd dreamed the encounter until Cery had spoken at the meeting later. He stared at Akkarin, his face pale.

'So,' he said, 'you've finally found me.'

'Finally?' Akkarin's shoulders lifted. 'I've known about you for a very long time,