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"She's only asking after friends," the girl cried, and her small voice filled with hysterical anger. "The sages are like a family! I only wish that I knew… that I could remember more, but when I saw Jeremy…"
Poor Imaret broke, and Wy
"If you think of anything else," Wy
"No," Rodian ordered. "She will send for me."
He shoved the door open and propelled Wy
"Over there."
Wy
Wy
At the side street's end something dark darted away into the alley.
Wy
Suddenly she missed Chap so much her chest ached.
"What's wrong?" the captain asked.
Wy
"Nothing," she answered.
He rounded the horse, motioning Wy
"Do not interfere," he began. "Every question you ask may change an answer I seek later, when someone thinks they've already mentioned something of importance. I'll find who murdered your brethren, but only if I'm able to gain information untainted or second-guessed. Do you understand?"
She glanced down at the street stones, wondering if he would be of any use at all to her. At least he now spoke to her as an equal.
"Yes," she answered.
"Last night, when you began searching the body… what were you looking for?"
The sudden question took her off-balance. She peered up, again trying to estimate his nature. If there was an undead in the city, she would need help when the time came to deal with it. At present she had no one except Domin il'Sänke.
In Rodian's cold blue eyes, meticulous appearance, and zeal for order, she saw a man determined to advance himself. He bore no title other than rank and had probably worked his way through the military by effort rather than favor. But he might still tell the royals and their officials exactly what they wanted to hear. How would he react if she told him an undead had attacked Jeremy and Elias, drained the life from them, and taken a folio for some purpose of its own?
"I was simply shocked by their condition," she half lied. "Your lieutenant didn't warn us."
"You were looking for wounds," he said flatly.
"And you didn't? With their faces so twisted, skin paled too quickly… yet they bore no wounds, did they?"
His jaw didn't even twitch at her challenge, so she knew he had checked the bodies. But he also said nothing at her insinuation concerning the mysterious way they'd died. No, she couldn't look to this captain for any help.
"So, have you been sworn to secrecy as well," he began suddenly, "concerning this project of your guild?"
Wy
"Even if you did know, would you tell me?"
"No," she answered honestly.
This time his jaw clenched. He put his foot in the stirrup and swung into his saddle.
"I don't understand your people. You all claim to want these murders solved—the killer or killers caught—yet your project seems to mean more than two lives."
"Perhaps you should stop blaming my guild for your shortcomings," she answered. "You are the captain of the Shyldfälches—the People's Shield—established by the monarchs of Malourné. Where were you when two of my people died?"
Rodian pulled his horse around, and his calm broke. "Even with my full complement of guards, we ca
"You know less than you presume concerning my guild," Wy
Rodian looked down upon her, and she watched his breaths deepen. He shifted uncomfortably, settling both hands upon the saddle's pommel with the reins still wrapped between them. Wy
"It's not always easy… what is asked of us," he said quietly.
"Yes, remember that." And she turned away down the street.
"Where are you going?" he called after her.
"Home."
Wy
In truth, the afternoon grew cold, and in her hurry she'd worn no cloak. The sun had been out earlier, but the sky was now hee sky w overcast and rain would likely come. Rodian's horse craned its head at her, a pretty white creature with round gentle eyes.
Without a word, Wy
He heaved her up behind himself. As the horse lurched forward, Wy
"You are a journeyor, yes?" the captain suddenly asked.
Sitting behind him, she couldn't see his expression. "I said as much," she replied.
"And, as you said, I know little of the guild's ways," he answered. "I was merely curious."
She said nothing to this.
"As such, you have… an assignment? Or so I've heard. Some duty you perform outside the guild, now that you've achieved journeyor status?"
"Yes—no… not anymore."
"Yes, no, which is it?"
Wy
"I had an assignment, as you call it. It ended about six moons ago."
"So you finished, and now you will advance in rank?"
"It's not that simple… and I haven't finished anything. Not enough to petition and test for master's status, not by far."
"I see," Rodian replied. "At times, in the military, we too must point out our accomplishments to our superiors."
Wy
"It's not like that with us," she said. "Our superior, a chosen mentor in our selected order—usually a domin—advises us when it's time to go before the premin council."
"And you've not been so advised?"
"No."
"But you have no assignment, as a journeyer?"
"Not anymore." And it was her turn to sigh. "I just sit about… waiting."
"I don't understand," Rodian said. "For what?"
Wy
"What was this assignment you didn't finish?" he asked.
"I went with my mentor and others to help start a new branch of the guildsel of the."