Elfshadow - Elaine Cunningham [117]
"None," Arilyn said firmly. "His business was with me."
"And who might you be?" O'Callaigh growled. She crouched down to get a better look at the fallen man, swatting one of her own red braids out of her way.
"Arilyn Moonblade."
"She's a Harper agent," Danilo added significantly, as if invoking the mysterious and highly respected organization would somehow mitigate the destruction around him.
Every member of the watch froze. In unison they turned to Arilyn, and several pairs of gleaming eyes fixed on the half-elf.
"A Harper agent?" Siobhan O'Callaigh questioned eagerly. "You were the one who was attacked?
Arilyn responded with a curt nod, and the men exchanged incredulous glances with their captain. One of the watch gave words to their excited speculation. "You figure one of these pieces of buzzard bait to be that Harper Assassin?"
"Look good on our record if it turned out that way, now wouldn't it?" returned Siobhan O'Callaigh, grinning.
"No. None of these men is the assassin."
The captain and her men again looked up, surprised by the steel in the half-elf's grim voice. The captain pressed for an explanation, but Arilyn stubbornly refused to elaborate.
O'Callaigh's face turned red with rage, and she looked to Danilo to vent some of that anger. "What caused all this?" she demanded, sweeping a hand toward the general devastation.
Danilo grinned sheepishly. "My fault entirely, I'm afraid. I'm not much on the sword end of a battle, don't you know, so I tried to help things along with a spell. Something sort of, well, sort of went wrong," he concluded lamely.
"Sort of went wrong?" O'Callaigh snorted. "What else is new? Young man, you still owe the city for damages done the last time your spells misfired."
"On my honor, I'll pay for all the damages in full," swore the nobleman. "May we go now?"
The captain glared at Danilo. "Maybe you think it's that simple, being Lord Thann's son and all. From my corner of the pasture, I see things differently. There are five dead men to cart off and identify, a city square to clean up before the start of business, and a miscast spell to report."
"Oh, must you report it? I'm afraid news of this little mishap is not going to enhance my reputation as a mage," Danilo said ruefully.
"Good. The Mage's Guild is not going to be happy about this," said O'Callaigh, thrusting a finger at the young man. "They're putting pressure on the watch to curb irresponsible uses of magic. It's about time you started answering to them. When that group gets done with you, you won't even be able to scratch your backside with your magic wand."
"I don't use a wand. May we go now?" Danilo asked patiently.
Siobhan O'Callaigh smiled unpleasantly. "You sure can." She turned to her men. "You! Ainsar and Tallis. Take these three away and lock them up. The rest of you, clean up this mess."
"That was not exactly what I had in mind," Danilo protested.
"Too bad. You can have it out with the magistrar, after he's had his breakfast. I'm sure he'll be very interested to hear whatever this closed-mouth half-elf knows about the Harper Assassin."
The two men gestured for the trio to follow. Arilyn stooped to pick up the sword, staring fixedly at the blue and white moonstone that now glowed from its hilt. She started to rise to her feet and stopped abruptly, her attention drawn by another stone, blackened and still smoking. She picked the hot stone up, oblivious to the pain it caused her fingers, and turned it over. Her shoulders sagged as she slipped the stone into the pocket of her trousers.
"Take their weapons," O'Callaigh commanded. The man she'd called Ainsar reached out to take the moonblade from Arilyn. He jerked his hand back with a sharp curse.
"By the way, no one but Arilyn can touch it," Danilo explained casually.
Exasperation