The masked witches

Then making love in our world might not satisfy us anymore? I don t believe that could ever happen.

No, neither do I, really.

But I guess this will have to hold us for a while. She pouted. Even though the only reason I came north was to be with you.

He peered at her as he did when he wasn t sure if she was teasing. She realized she wasn t entirely sure, either.

You know I don t want to separate, he said. But I don t think any of us should go anywhere by himself

And obviously, she replied, Vandar needs to be one of those who goes back to Immilmar to bring the Griffon Lodge north. But he and Jhesrhi could ride the wind east while you and I go with Zyl to see the fey.

Aoth sighed before saying, That s the way I d like to do it. But

You don t think you should separate from Jhesrhi, Cera replied.

Is it that obvious?

It is to me.

Well, I hope it isn t to her. I don t want her to think I don t trust her. And that s not it. Not so far. But I am worried. She says she s glad she changed, and I understand how she might be. But is it true? At times, she fought so hard to overcome her problems. What s this but an excuse to surrender to them?

I understand your worries, and of course you have to take care of her. She s your foster daughter, or near enough, and I don t want you to think looking after her makes a problem between you and me. It s just

What?

Cera wasn t sure herself what she truly wanted to say but continued on as best she could. During that final battle in Luthcheq, we killed dragons. Perhaps, without quite realizing it, I came away thinking that if we could manage that, no lesser foe could harm us. I certainly didn t expect this journey to be especially dangerous. But we almost lost Jet in the sacred grove. I could have lost you when the fomorian held you spellbound.

But we re all fine now, Aoth said.

But it didn t have to turn out that way.

Aoth frowned. Sweetheart, I don t know what you want me to say. That we re invincible? You re not a child, and you know better. Any soldier can die in any fight against any enemy. All it takes is one mistake or a bit of bad luck. But you, Jhes, Jet, and I are good at what we do. The odds are with us most of the time, and when they re not, we cheat.

I know, and I m not turning into a coward

I certainly know that.

It just strikes me, you ll always be a warrior and have battles to fight. That s just who you are. But does it have to be exactly like this? After what you accomplished in Chessenta, Shala Karanok would be happy to make a permanent place for you there. You could be a nobleman; Jhesrhi, Gaedy

And you wouldn t have to choose between being the head of your faith in Chessenta and staying with me.

I love you, Aoth. Truly. But I can t roam the world with you if Amaunator tells me my place is in Luthcheq.

And I love you. Truly. But I won t become the vassal of any lord. Not even a good one like Shala.

Why not?

I suppose because when I was young, I served too many bad ones. Their ambitions laid waste to my homeland, and they used me with no regard at all for my welfare. And eventually, it made me decide that I was never going to think of anyone as my better or my master ever again. And I never have. Sellswords offer their services to kings and such, but we negotiate the terms, and the contracts are always temporary.

She shifted, getting more comfortable in the crook of his muscular arm. I know you re independent, she said.

You don t even like the suggestion that a god is telling you what to do.

You re right, he replied. When Yhelbruna started raving about messages from the spirits and sending us all off on a quest, I was almost ready to chuck this whole enterprise. He smiled a crooked smile. But only almost. I need those griffons.

Then somehow we ll win them, she said with a sigh. And probably, by then, it will be time to go home.

Where we don t know what will happen when all you sunlords and sunladies gather. The others may not even try to elect you. I ll bet there are priests who actually want the job politicking frantically in your absence.

Cera decided not to say that there might be a part of her that actually wanted the job, too.

Folcoerr Dulsaer looked at the griffons sleeping in the snowy field. The men had built fires at various points as their commander had ordered. Some of the griffonriders had grumbled that the hardy mounts could handle the cold, and Dulsaer privately conceded that they almost certainly were right. But he d always been solicitous of the steeds welfare. That, to his way of thinking, was the true mark of an honorable man: he took good care of the lesser creatures such as animals and children that fate placed in his keeping.

His eyes automatically sought out Copper, his own mount, slumbering like the rest. He realized that even though he was nearly as tired as his steed, he wished he could spend the morning flying, just the griffon and him. It might help him forget the frustration of crisscrossing the wretched, barbaric land for days on end without ever finding his quarry.

Even sleeping, said a soft baritone voice, the beasts are magnificent.

Startled, Dulsaer jerked around to see Dai Shan standing in that straight, still, and somehow vaguely dainty way of his. The Shou s breath steamed, but other than that, there was no indication that he felt the chill in the air, even though his long green overcoat didn t look all that warm. The longhouses of Immilmar with their peaked sod roofs stood a long bow shot behind him, brown accents in a world of winter white.

Dulsaer s mouth tightened. He d never liked Dai Shan, and disliked him still further since the merchant had made a fool of him in front of the Wychlaran. Still, he supposed it behooved him to show the man a modicum of civility.

Yes, they are, he said. Did you hike out from town just to look at them?

Dai Shan smiled as he said, It was griffons that lured us all here, brave captain. Naturally, I d like to become more familiar with them. And now that the Iron Lord has posted guards to keep us from approaching too close to the wild ones, I have nowhere else to study them. I must say, these look every bit as strong and as fierce as the ones we re squabbling over.

Dulsaer nodded. Absolutely, he said.

Which begs the question, said the Shou, if Aglarond already has griffons of such quality, why are you so intent on acquiring the ones in Rashemi hands?

What the simbarchs want, their servant delivers.

But I have absolute confidence that such a shrewd officer knows why they want them, and could enlighten me if he chose.

Dulsaer shrugged. I suppose it s not a secret, just common sense. When it comes to a weapon like griffons, you can t have too much of it. You re also wise to keep your enemies from getting any. The first time Aglarond tried to take back the Wizard s Reach, that turncoat Fezim brought griffons against us, and that was part of the reason we lost. For that matter, Thay itself once had a Griffon Legion. Don t you think they d rebuild it if given a chance?

It may be so.

And Thay s the enemy of every other land in the East. But if you had the griffons, you d sell them to Szass Tam, wouldn t you? You d figure his gold spends the same as anybody else s.

It grieves me, valiant sir, that you appear to regard my profession with disdain. I humbly concede, it s not heroic like your own, but still, it would be a cheerless, hardscrabble world without commerce.

Maybe so, but tell me I m wrong about the griffons and you.

About me, personally, you are. I have some insight into the source of Szass Tam s powers, and the unfortunate things that would befall any realm that came under his sway. But I must admit, my elders in the House of Shan might not see that as clearly as I do, and I too have orders to obey. Happily, I enjoy a certain amount of latitude as to how I interpret them.