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The big horse stamped and spun around to face the intruder.

Shal turned her head. Ren stood not more than ten feet from her, silhouetted against the brightening sky. He'd climbed the same creaky ladder Shal had climbed to reach the roof of the inn, and he had done it soundlessly. She shook her head, marveling. "You shouldn't sneak up on people."

"It gives me a chance to… see things," said Ren, and he came closer, holding a hand out toward Shal.

She tipped her head and laughed lightly as she let him pull her to her feet. "To see what? An exhausted, half-baked magic-user and a purple horse?"

Ren pulled Shal up close and reached for her other hand. "A beautiful woman who I-"

The ladder creaked behind Ren. In a single motion, he dropped Shal's hands, turned on his heels, and whisked Left from his boot.

Tarl's head poked out over the rooftop. "Sot said I might find you he-" On seeing Ren's stance and expression, Tarl glanced down at the ladder. "I'm sorry. I-"

"No. Tarl!" Shal pushed her way past Ren and extended her hand to Tarl. "Come up. Please."

"Sorry about the knife. I didn't mean to be so touchy." Ren spoke in a hushed voice. "Ever since we got arrested coming back into the city, I've been a little jumpy. Even at the temple, getting my hand healed… I've had this feeling as if I'm not safe anywhere. I mean, it's in my training to watch my back, and there's always seemed to be a person or two around who has it in for me, but now I feel shadows everywhere. I don't feel alone even after I've checked everything around me."

Tarl sensed that he had interrupted something between Ren and Shal, but he was not about to be the one to bring it up. He climbed up onto the rooftop and spoke of a concern of his own. "I don't share your eye or ear for movement, Ren, but I do know that I was followed here. The one who shadowed me didn't try very hard to be subtle. In fact, she's sitting downstairs in the common room right now."

Shal and Ren looked at Tarl with intense curiosity.

"Who?" they asked in unison.

"A half-orc. She'd pass for human except for her nose. It's as boarlike as they come. She carries an unusually small scimitar and several thief's daggers, and she cloaks herself in a dark gray cape. I don't know who she is or why she's following me, but I've got the feeling she's waiting for a chance to talk to me."

"Cadorna," said Shal firmly. "It's not enough that he has his thugs accost us like criminals at the city gates. Now he has us followed, too."

"You, too?" Ren asked.

"No, not that I'm aware of. But the two of you… and for what?"

Ren crouched down and spoke in a whisper. "The treasure? The part we kept?"

"Then let's return it," said Shal. "It's just sitting on the nightstand in my room. We've no need of it. I wasn't even sure why you wanted me to keep it in the first place."

"Two reasons," Ren responded. "I didn't figure there was any way you could yank that armor out of your cloth without somebody noticing…" Ren spoke even more softly. "And I needed to get those ioun stones where they wouldn't be found."

"But since the stones are safe now, shouldn't we do as Shal says and return the armor?"

Ren heaved a sigh and spoke resignedly. "If I thought Cadorna was to be trusted, I'd be the first to hand back the rest of his treasure. But he's a rat of the first order, and I don't want to meet the fellow he sends after me wearing that armor or wielding weapons that jewelry paid for."

"You think he did it, don't you?" Shal looked at Ren.

The big man arched one eyebrow, puzzled. "Did what?"

Tarl answered. "You think he killed Shal's teacher-and that he'd kill us if he thought we knew."

"Yeah, I think so. But I don't know for sure. I do feel pretty certain that even if that half-gnoll was involved in it, it was work-for-hire. He at least had a sense of honor."

Shal hissed her words. "My flesh creeps every time I get near the councilman, and my gut feeling is that he did it. But I've no proof, and I don't know what his motive is. I'm prepared to