Elminster_ The Making of a Mage - Ed Greenwood [31]
"Mind you take that pendant with you when you go, and hide it somewhere else," Broarn said sternly. "I don't want magelords tracing it here, digging it up from whatever clever hidingplace you've chosen, and then trying to gently 'question' me with their spells."
"It will leave with me," Elminster promised. "It's under a stone on the road outside right now, where a road-thief might have left it."
"Well enough," said Broarn, "so I-" He broke off and held up a hand to bid Elminster to silence.
Then the innkeeper bent his head to the hatch at the back of the stables, listening intently. After a moment, he slid his hand back through the side door. It reappeared clutching the old axe, raised and ready.
Elminster drew the broken Lion Sword and sank down in the stall, holding up a large armload of straw to conceal himself, though betraying steam rose idly from the tray.
The hatch opened in well-oiled silence. Broarn stood calmly just inside it and broke into a smile at about the time a familiar voice said, "Waiting up for me, dearest? Wert expecting me?"
"In with you, Helm, while there's still some warmth in my stables," the innkeeper growled in reply, stepping back.
"I brought friends," the knight said as he stepped into the room, looking dirtier than ever. He scowled as Elminster rose in his stall, straw in his hair and sword in hand.
"Is this how far ye've got? I thought ye'd be well across the river by now," he said.
Elminster shook his head, losing his grin fast. "The magelord who escaped us at the camp found me here somehow-probably he can trace the spellbook-and nearly slew me. Broarn cut him down with that axe."
Helm turned to regard the innkeeper with new respect. "A slayer of magelords, now." He circled Broarn as if viewing a lady in a bold new gown, then nodded approvingly. " 'Tis a most exclusive brotherhood, ye know… besides the lad here an' meself, its only members are the dead, an' a few living magelords. Why, th-"
"Helm," Broarn broke in bluntly, "why are you here? I've armsmen in the house, as you should know."
As they'd been talking, knight after outlaw knight had slipped in through the hatch, crowding into the end stalls. So many of them wore armor scavenged from the soldiery of Athalantar that it looked as if a dozen or more rather scruffy arms-men stood in the stable now.
"There is a matter of some small urgency, aye," Helm said more soberly. "Which is why Mauri's shivering in a sledge outside, with another twenty-odd brave blades."
"They took Lawless Castle?" The innkeeper sounded shocked.
"Nay. We fled from it before they could trap us there. The magelords sent a large band of armsmen out of Sarn Torel, guarding over a dozen mages. They've slain twenty or more wildswords we know of and tortured at least one with spells-they know where the castle is, by now, and are heading straight for it."
"So you brought them here. My thanks, Helm," Broarn said bitterly and sketched a courtly bow.
"They'll have no way of knowing we did any more than steal a horse or two," Helm said firmly. "We're leaving very soon, now that ye-and the lad, here, a country boy called Eladar, by the way, if he hasn't told ye-" The two men exchanged a fleeting, level look "-know the tidings. Eladar was right, we've been too good at killing armsmen an' now they're determined to slay the lot o' us. The wizards daren't let such defiance succeed or soon the whole realm will be up in arms. We must run. Any suggestions, wise innkeeper?"
Broarn snorted. "Run to the Calishar and get Ilhundyl to teach you to be master mages so you can come back and fight these magelords… get a friendly mage to hide all of you as frogs before the magelords can find you and do it swifter… go to the depths of the elven realms and get them to hide you somehow… call on the gods for miracles… I believe that about covers it."
"There's one other place," Elminster said quietly.
The silence of utter astonishment fell on both Helm and Broarn. They turned as one to look at the