Neversfall - Ed Gentry [37]
"They breached the tower," Jhoqo said, staring hard at Khatib's body.
"This…" Taennen started. "This can't be."
Jhoqo reached over the wizard's cradled body and patted the younger man on the back, but Taennen shrugged it off. "No. I mean, he was safe. He locked himself inside the top of the tower," Taennen said, taking a step back.
"What?" Loraica said.
"The tower. The room at the top can be magically sealed. I was with him when the attack started. He locked the door behind me."
Jhoqo looked puzzled. "So someone broke in and killed him."
"No," Taennen said. "He said someone would need to know the proper way in once it was locked. There was a passphrase." He lowered his voice and looked to Jhoqo, forgotten hurt resurfacing. "He said you told only him what it was."
Jhoqo's lips twisted tighter into a frown. "He must not have locked it, or perhaps the damnable invaders had a more powerful arcanist with them."
"If that's so," Loraica said, "we are in a lot of danger without Khatib."
"We will avenge him. Do not doubt that," Jhoqo said. He stepped in close, placed his hand on Khatib's head, and whispered something so soft that even Taennen could not hear.
"Get me the counts, Durir," Jhoqo said. "Terir, liaise with the Durpari dorir to ensure that the healing needs of everyone are met as well as we can accommodate."
"Aye, sir," Loraica and Taennen both barked.
"Sir, permission to follow the invaders," Adeenya said.
Jhoqo looked at the woman for several moments but said nothing.
"Not to engage them, sir. To scout the area, to figure out where they are coming from so that we might launch an attack of our own when we muster our forces," Adeenya said. She stood straight and tall, her face solemn, as though she were not asking the impossible.
"Reconnaissance, then?" Jhoqo said. "Very well. Take a small contingent of both forces. Do not be seen, Orir, and do not go far."
"Aye, sir. Thank you, sir," she said.
Jhoqo nodded and took a step before Adeenya stopped him.
"Sir, one more thing." "Yes, Orir?"
"Sir, the halfling. He told us he was a woodsman who knew this area. He might be able to help," Adeenya said.
"You want me to release a prisoner, Orir?"
"Not release, sir. Just make use of a resource on hand in a bad situation, sir."
She was clever, no doubt about that, Taennen thought. Jhoqo could not deny her request of a useful resource given the circumstances. Taennen had not realized until that moment how brave Adeenya was. And clearly it had worked. She had done the impossible.
Jhoqo squinted at her a moment before chuckling a little. "Very well, Orir. Take the halfling, but I hold you responsible for the safe return of the prisoner. We hold their safety in our hands, after all."
Adeenya nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you sir." She saluted and turned to gather her forces.
After Jhoqo had walked away, Taennen looked to his friend and said, "Somethings not right, Lori."
"Agreed," she said solemnly. "Let's check the tower."
Taennen placed his hand on Khatib's forehead, uttering a prayer to the Adama. He set the wizard's body beside the half dozen others laid out in the yard, ordering a nearby Durpari soldier to give the man a burial proper for his order and position.
"No rank. He was a wizard."
"Yes, sir," the Durpari soldier said grimly, then added, "Bad day for magic users."
Taennen looked down at the bodies. Two of them were Maquar clerics. Taennen swore and turned back to Loraica.
Taennen walked beside Loraica to the central tower. The courtyard was alive with activity, but the air was heavy with caution and fatigue. They had been surprised and significantly damaged in a fortress that they had believed was theirs. The attackers had come in undetected, despite the measures available to prevent such an ambush.