Ascendancy of the Last - Lisa Smedman [46]
Qiluй walked at the front of the group, looking imperious in her silver robe. She never once looked back at her priestesses, expecting them to follow her without question or pause, as they always had done. The scabbard at her hip was empty, and Qiluй held the Crescent Blade in her hand. Its blade rested lightly on her shoulder, just below her ear. Cavatina wondered if the sword were whispering to the high priestess, even now.
"Praise Eilistraee you've returned, Lady Qiluй," Cavatina said. Her fingers moved in a silent question at her side, where only Rylla would see them. When?
Just now, Rylla replied.
Cavatina silently groaned. The high priestess must have heard Leliana speak her name-and the snatch of conversation that had followed. Out loud, Cavatina continued, "We found a portal in one of the tunnels south of the river. It leads to caverns below the level of the old mine. We sighted oozes down there. I'm worried the Pit may have developed a breach."
Leliana shot Cavatina a quick look, obviously noting Cavatina's use of the words "may have." Fortunately, the Protector was well behind Qiluй, and the high priestess didn't notice.
"Troubling news," Qiluй answered in a flat voice, without even breaking her stride. The high priestess's shoulders had tensed, Cavatina noted, at the word "portal," then relaxed again at the mention of it being south of the river-a location that was nowhere near the ancient temple.
Detection? Cavatina signed to Rylla.
No evil seen. You try.
Leliana had dropped back slightly, forcing Cavatina and Rylla to shift awkwardly to hide their silent conversation. The Protector obviously realized something serious was in the offing-even if she had no idea, yet, what it was. She watched them out of the corner of her eye.
Cavatina was forced to sign with Leliana watching. Report dretch, she suggested.
Rylla moved up beside Qiluй. "Lady Qiluй, there was an intrusion you should know about. A dretch was spotted…"
As Rylla sketched out the events that had followed the dretch's discovery, Cavatina dropped back another pace and sang under her breath-softly, so Qiluй wouldn't hear her. Her prayer took hold, causing the holy symbol that hung against her chest to softly vibrate. She scanned the Crescent Blade, looking for the bruised purple aura that accompanied evil. To her surprise, the sword was clean.
Had she been wrong about Wendonai being inside the Crescent Blade?
Rylla glanced back briefly. Cavatina flicked a quick message at her. Nothing.
Illusion?
Doubtful. Cavatina had never heard of a balor capable of conjuring illusions.
Banished? Rylla signed without looking back.
An excellent question-one that Cavatina didn't know the answer to.
"The oozes concern me more than one lone dretch does," Qiluй told her battle-mistress. "They're the real threat to the Promenade. Are the seals on the Pit intact?"
"Yes, Lady," Rylla answered. "I checked them myself, earlier today."
Cavatina, still well back, whispered a second prayer. The silver aura that accompanied holiness sprang into view around the high priestess. But it was fainter than it should have been: a dull gleam, rather than a sheen so bright it caused the eyes to ache. The silver glow was faintest near the hand that gripped the Crescent Blade-the hand whose wrist was marked with a small, still-visible scar.
The Crescent Blade itself was devoid of an aura. For an item forged from moon metal and consecrated to Eilistraee, that was telling indeed.
Wendonai must have been inside it, Cavatina decided, even if he wasn't there now. Perhaps, having done Lolth's bidding by persuading Qiluй to open a portal to the Pit, he'd departed. The Spider Queen could very well have restored his corpse to life, allowing him to return to the Abyss.
All well and good, but it left a gaping hole.