Elfsong - Elaine Cunningham [23]
Helooked up with a smile. "The tone and workmanship markthis as one of your own, Master Halambar. The sale is made, but for naming the price."
Halambar bowed. "For you,twelve hundred silver pieces."
The lute was worth that and more, but Danilo shook his head and reluctantly held the lute out to the guildmaster. "I'm afraid I haven't that amount with me, and I need to purchase a lute tonight. Have you a lesser instrument?"
"Please don't consider such a thing. I'd be pleased to extend credit."
That was a first butDan wasnot inclined to debate his goodfortune. He alsopurchased extra strings, a weatherproof leather covering for the lute, and a sheaf of tablature paper on which to scribble new songs. If the Harpers required him to play the role of a bard, Danilo supposed heought tooblige with a few original works.
While Halambar's clerk tallied the purchase, Danilo strode over to the register and began to flip through the pages, with a solicitous Halambar at his heels. "Do you know the whereabouts of a riddlemaster by the name of Vartain? He was in Waterdeep when I left several months past."
Halambar harumphed. "Vartain has been here and gone more times than a lyre has strings. His services are prized, yet his employers tire of him quickly."
"Oh?"
"Vartain has a most annoying habit," the guildmaster explained. "It would seem that he is always right."
"I can see how that could become exasperating, but that is precisely what I need. If he is not available, can you recommend someone else as good?"
"I wish I could," Halambar replied, leafing through the book. "Riddlemasters are few these days, and fewer still can match Vartain's skill or knowledge. Certainly, there's none in Waterdeep right now. Perhaps you might seek out Vartain's current employer and bid for the riddlemaster's services. There is an excellent chance that the employer has repented of the hire and will welcome the chance to rid himself of Vartain. Ah, here is the entry."
A grim smile touched Halambar's lips, and he tapped the page with one finger. "Perhaps there is justice in the world, after all. If anyone deserves Vartain, it's this rogue!"
Danilo glanced over the guildmaster's shoulder and groaned. In slanted, spidery writing were the words:
Vartain of Calimport, Riddlemaster. Hired this twentyeighth day of Mirtul. Employer Elaith Craulnober.
Three
Elaith Craulnober's black cape flowed behind him like an angry shadow as he stalked through the village once known as Taskerleigh, a small cluster of buildings in the midst of fields and forest. The town was completely deserted, but for a few old corpses rotting in some of the houses. Strangely enough, only one building, a small cottage by the edge of the forest, showed any damage whatsoever. There was no sign of a fight no evidence of a plague, and so far, no sign of the treasure.
Elaith hurried to the ruined cottage and began to kick through the rubble. Behind him strolled a middle-aged man, bronze of skin and completely bald, whose slightly protruding eyes took in the scene with an expression of detached interest. The elf's hired men, a dozen hard and tested mercenaries, muttered and made surreptitious warding signs as they wandered through the ghost town. They were careful to hide their discomfort from their elven employer, who had little tolerance for superstition and even less for cowardice.
A glint of silver caught Elaith's eye, and he hurled aside a fallen timber to get at the object He stooped and picked up a curling length of silver wire. His fist clenched around the wire in pure frustration.
"It was here," muttered the elf. For almost a year, he had searched for a rare and priceless treasure, and he had spent a small fortune tracing it to this remote village. He rose slowly to his feet and turned to face Vartain of Calimport.
"We're too late," he said, showing Vartain what he had found.
The riddlemaster nodded calmly, as if he had