Elfsong - Elaine Cunningham [10]
"The locals express their musical preferences rather forcefully, wouldn't you say?" He cut off Arilyn's exasperated rejoinder with an upraised hand. "I'm sorry, my dear. Force of habit. You're right of course. We must ride north at once."
"No." She reached out and touched one of his rings-a magical gift from Danilo's uncle, Khelben Arunsun, that could teleport up to three people back to the safety of Blackstaff Tower, or elsewhere if the wielder so chose.
Danilo knew from experience how much Arilyn hated magical travel. If she was willing to resort to it the situation must be grave indeed. He snatched up his swordbelt and affixed to it the magic bag that held his wardrobe and travel supplies, and he quickly thrust his three spellbooks into the bag. He absently dropped in the assassin's coin and then reached for her hand.
The half-elf took a step backward and shook her head. "I'm not coming with you."
"Arilyn, this is no time to be squeamish!"
"It's not that" She took a deep breath as if to steady herself. "Word came from Waterdeep today. I've been assigned another mission. I leave in the morning." The magical alarm began to pulse again. Arilyn snatched up the magical globe and peered into it. Three shadowy figures moved toward the edge of the roof, just two stories above them. Arilyn tossed the alarm aside and cast a glance toward the open window. "There's no time to explain. Go!"
"And leave you to face them alone? Not bloody likely."
Her answering smile didn't reach her eyes, and she touched the gray silk sash at her waist that proclaimed her rank in Tethyr's assassins' guild. "I'm one of them, remember? I'll say you were gone. No one will challenge me."
"Of course they will," he snapped. Assassins in Tethyr rose through the ranks by killing someone with a higher-ranked sash. Arilyn had been forced to defend her reluctantly worn sash more than once.
The rope she'd left hanging outside his window began to sway as someone inched down it toward his room "Go," Arilyn pleaded.
"Come with me," he demanded. She shook her head, implacable. Danilo snatched the stubborn half-elf into his arms. "If you think I'd leave you, you're a bigger fool than I am," he said, his words racing against the approaching danger. "This is hardly the moment I'd have chosen to mention this, but damn it, woman, I love you."
"I know," she replied softly, clinging to him in turn and searching his face for an intense second, as if to commit it to memory.
Arilyn eased out of his arms and lifted one slender hand to stroke his cheek. Then she doubled her other fist and drove it into his midsection. Danilo went down like a felled oak.
As he struggled to draw breath, he felt her fingers on his hand, twisting the ring of teleportation that would send him back to Waterdeep. He lunged for her wrist, intending to drag her along to safety, but the teleportation spell engulfed him, and his fingers closed on a whirl of white emptiness.
*****
When Danilo arrived in the safety of Blackstaff Tower's reception hall, his first impulse was to return to Tethyr immediately. His magic ring, however, would not grant him that power again until daybreak. Khelben could send him back, Danilo realized, and when he could muster enough breath to move, he lurched up the curving stone stairway to the archmage's private chambers. Khelben was not at home, nor was his lady, the mage Laeral. Danilo made a quick search of the tower, with the same result. He was alone, and thoroughly stuck in Waterdeep.
The Harper hurried back down to the reception hall and flung himself into the chair at the small writing table. He scratched a quick note to his uncle telling him what had occurred in Tethyr. Danilo cast a spell that made the paper float at eye level near the room's entrance. For good measure, he placed an aureole of sparkling pink lights around the parchment, so that Khelben could not fail to see it upon his return.