Guild Wars_ Ghosts of Ascalon - Matt Forbeck [100]
“You mean she had to die?”
“Not at all. I mean you had to fight the creature, and she had to help you.”
“And you had to join us too!”
Dougal smiled a bit at this, the first time he’d managed it since Killeen had been killed. “Apparently. Either way, you can’t fault yourself for being yourself. The rest of us don’t.”
Gullik let out a deep sigh. “It is a painful thing when friends perish. It is a worse thing when they die because of your choices.”
“I understand,” said Dougal. “And I’ve often thought that you should never adventure with people you like, because it is difficult to lose them. But having friends with you makes the journey so much better.”
The norn reached out and slapped Dougal on the back with a surprisingly soft blow. “You would make a good norn. And I don’t toss around such an honor without reason!”
Gullik’s loud voice woke the others up, and they pulled themselves awake. Already the sun was cresting the far horizon, throwing prison-bar shadows through the barn. They breakfasted on cold rations, and even Riona seemed the better for a good sleep.
“We should burrow in for the day,” said Riona. “It is too dangerous to be out in daylight.”
“No,” said Ember, and for once her voice was subdued, almost worried. “There will be herdsmen out for the cattle. I doubt there will be any patrols, but the charr are very good at reporting trespassers.”
“What do you recommend?” asked Dougal.
The charr took a deep breath and let the air out in a slow growl. “Gullik,” she said, “do you still have those manacles?”
Gullik smiled and said, “Of course! You gave them to me, and I have held them for you!”
Riona’s eyes went wide. “No,” she said. “No, that is not what’s going to happen.”
“I’m afraid so,” said Ember, hiding whatever delight she might be feeling behind a concerned exterior. “The only way you two humans can enter the Ascalon Basin is as my prisoners.”
You have to be kidding,” said Riona, flushing.
“I wish I were,” said Ember. “We have been fortunate so far, but we are moving into areas occupied by charr settlers, warbands, and small patrols. We can travel by day as a charr and her captured human renegades.”
Dougal nodded at the idea, but Riona said, “You cannot expect us to be unarmed and defenseless in the midst of charr territory.”
“Remind me,” said Gullik, “have we had this discussion before ? It seems oddly familiar.”
“Give me a moment,” said Dougal, and steered Riona away from the others. She resisted stiffly but finally went with him. “You realize you sound like Ember when we were in Ebonhawke.”
“And look how well that turned out,” said Riona hotly.
“But she’s right. And you asked me a while back if I trust her. I do, and you should as well.”
“It’s not her I’m suddenly doubting.” She looked accusingly into his eyes. Despite himself, Dougal turned away, shamed and silenced.
“Here is what I need to know,” she said. “What you said back on the battlements of Ebonhawke. You promised. Did you mean it? Will you help me get the Claw?”
Dougal felt his face grow hot. “Of course. Yes. I meant it. We will get the Claw of the Khan-Ur.”
“All right, then,” she said, and walked over to Ember, now holding the chains. She held her wrists up to be shackled. “Let’s do this and get on the road.”
In the end, the chained manacles, originally fitted for the charr’s wrists, were too large for the humans. Kranxx rearranged the metal cuffs and chains, fitting one wrist manacle around Riona’s neck and one around Dougal’s, and settled for loose ropes around their wrists. The third large cuff, which had been fitted for the charr’s neck, Ember handed to the norn.
“You are their keeper,” said Ember. “Norn mercenaries are common enough. No one will question why a charr is using a norn to keep an eye on prisoners.”
“And how do you explain me, perched on his shoulder?” said Kranxx.
“You’ll be walking, I’m afraid,” said Ember. “And pull