City of Towers_ The Dreaming Dark - Keith Baker [11]
Lei still seemed to be in a daze. She had taken off her Cannith signet ring and was idly turning it around in her hand. Daine couldn’t remember seeing her cry before today, but for the second time today her eyes were glittering in the light of the cold flames.
Pierce was bringing up the rear of the group, and he approached Lei. “My lady, what is wrong? I am afraid I did not understand the conversation at the manor gate.”
Lei stopped walking. Anger and sorrow warred on her face. “I’m not your lady, Pierce! Not anymore. I’m ex … ex …”
“Excoriate,” Jode said quietly.
Lei wheeled to face him with fury in her eyes then clenched her fists and turned away. She grabbed Pierce in a fierce embrace, sobbing against the mithral plating of his chest.
Pierce had been forged for war, and none of his companions could match his skills in battle. But he knew little about soothing distress. He put his hands on Lei’s shoulders as if he was worried he might break her.
“My lady, I do not know this word. What is this … excoriate?”
Lei continued sobbing. “Why?” she murmured.
“Excoriation is a tradition among the dragonmarked houses,” Jode said, his tone more subdued than usual. “It is a punishment reserved for those who have severely violated the precepts of the house, not unlike excommunication in the Church of the Silver Flame. It was first put into practice around the time of the War of the Mark … though back then they would actually flay the skin from the victim, stripping away his mark both literally and figuratively.”
“You can’t actually cut away a dragonmark, can you?” Daine asked.
“No, you can’t actually take the mark away. The flaying was a symbolic gesture—though many excoriates must have died during the process. The social implications are what matters. An excoriate is no longer part of the house. Other members of the house are not to speak with him or aid him in any way. He is barred from all enclaves and estates. He cannot marry within the house. If he claims to be an heir of the house, he can be prosecuted under the laws of Galifar. It’s a serious charge, and it takes the authority of a baron or a house council to order it.”
Daine approached Lei and gently put his hand on her back. “Lei,” he said softly. “Why would they do this to you? What have you done?”
Lei pushed away from Pierce and Daine. “I don’t know!” she howled. “All I’ve ever done I’ve done for the house! How could they do this to me?”
Blind with rage, she made a savage gesture with her left hand. There was a glitter of silver, and Daine realized that she’d hurled her signet off the great ring of Dalan’s Refuge to fall thousands of feet to the peaks below.
Jode sighed. “That would have bought us at least a night’s lodging.” He shrugged. “Look, Captain, we need to get moving if we’re going to get a roof over our heads.” He made a sidelong gesture with his head. “And I think the natives are getting restless.”
Indeed, a few Brelish guardsmen were watching them from a hundred feet away, and one was idly toying with his crossbow.
“You’re right.” He sighed. “Lei … Lei, we’ll sort this out. Just … give it time. Pierce, could you …” He gestured at Lei, and the warforged soldier carefully picked her up.
“Take heart, my lady,” he rumbled, as they began the long journey down. “This battle has just begun.”
Rasial hated the deep tunnels of Khyber’s Gate. The smell of sewage and smoke filled the air, and the cold torches were few and far between, leaving long pools of shadow in the subterranean passages. But business was business. He stood beneath the flickering torch, cleaning his fingernails with his dagger and trying to look calm.
“Rasial?” The voice from the shadows was soft and oily. A moment later, three people emerged from the darkness. As promised, they were unarmed. The man in the lead wore a tattered brown cloak