Pool of Radiance - James M. Ward [56]
"And if I know you," said Ren, "it'll be about as pleasant-smelling as those orcs at Sokol Keep."
Shal was reminded of a question she'd been meaning to ask. "Do you two know what stones those creatures kept talking about?"
"Ioun stones," Tarl filled in the name.
"They're incredibly valuable, but I don't think most people understand why," Ren said as he sat on the mattress in the center of the room. "Tempest was killed over two ioun stones."
Shal sat down on the floor, and Tarl sat beside her.
Ren removed Right and Left from his boots. "These are ioun stones," he said, flipping the hilts open so they could plainly see the blue-black stone inside each handle. "If you hadn't started blasting everything in sight with your staff, Shal, I was going to pull one of these out and offer it to those goons. They probably would've killed us anyhow, but I might have been able to distract them long enough so you could get away."
"What's so special about-" Shal dropped her question and gazed in wonderment as the two dark stones floated from the hilts of the daggers and began to circle Ren's head, glowing a deep, iridescent midnight blue.
"Wow!" Shal and Tarl breathed in unison.
"What-what else can they do?" asked Shal.
"I don't know very much, really. I think it takes strong magic to take full advantage of their powers. For me, the ioun stones make the blades return at my command, and I never miss my mark. I guess they must add a measure of talent or strength to whoever's in control of them." Ren held the knives up by the blades and said "Return." The two stones immediately dropped into the open handles, and Ren flipped the hilts shut. "Tempest died over those two little rocks, and today the three of us almost died for them. I don't know what the head of the Assassins' Guild wanted them for, or what the Lord of the Ruins wants them for, but I think we'll all be better off if they don't get them."
"You were right to not give them up without a fight," Tarl said. "Who can say what evil forces would do with such stones? I vow, as Tyr is my witness, to aid you to the best of my abilities should you be threatened again."
"And I, too," said Shal. "as Selune is my witness. But I have a mission of my own, and I'm anxious to get on with it."
"To avenge the death of your teacher?" Tarl asked.
Shal nodded. "And after a good night's rest, that is precisely what I plan to do."
"You know you can count on our help," said Tarl, speaking for Ren as well as himself.
Shal looked at Tarl and then at Ren. Before Tarl had even said anything, she knew they would stand behind her. At every encounter on Thorn Island, she had been aware that their first thought was always to protect her first, even though with her new strength she was probably as strong as Tarl, if not Ren. Since adolescence, Shal had taken pride in her looks above all else. Now her appearance was the antithesis of what she had always believed attractive, yet two thoughtful, considerate, handsome men were quite obviously vying for her attention. They admired her magic abilities and praised her newfound fighting skills, they sought her opinion despite her inexperience in countless other areas, and they certainly did not seem to be put off by her muscular body. "Thank you," she said simply, reaching her hands out to hold each of theirs. "I've… I've never had such friends."
Shal related what she knew of the location of Denlor's tower and the murder of her master. She described the wretched helplessness she had felt watching his murder and being unable to communicate through the crystal. Tarl squeezed one of Shal's hands and Ren squeezed the other as each thought of the death he had witnessed and been unable to prevent.
Using water from Ren's canteen and a combination of herbs and tar from his pouches, Tarl made the poultice he had promised for Ren. It was effective, but offensively smelly as promised, and he and Shal made their way quickly from the room once it was