Silver Shadows - Elaine Cunningham [124]
Actually, Hasheth was rather hoping to make contact before nightfall. "Have you any such coin?"
"A couple," she admitted, squinting at the young man as she weighed and measured the worth of his personal metal. "But that'll cost you four times trade weight."
"I said two; that is more than fair."
"Fair? That ring on yer little finger's worth more Amn danters than you could stuff in yonder coin bag, and me living here in this sorry excuse for a shack. You call that fair? Three times trade weight."
"Two and a half."
"Done," she said and spat into the fire. Hasheth was not certain whether this gesture was meant to punctuate the closure of their deal or to show contempt, but he was willing to let it pass.
Melissa pushed past him and disappeared into a back room. She returned promptly and tossed two large gold coins on the table. "Yer in luck. I was gonna melt these down for moleans come morning." Hasheth picked up the first coin and examined the markings. It was definitely a Knight's coin, but he could not place it to any particular individual. The second coin yielded a bit more information.
"These will do. You'll find slightly more than two and't a half times the trade weight in that bag." The coin broker dumped Hasheth's danters onto the table and counted them twice, then nodded. "Good to do business with you, boy, but truth be told, I don't expect to again. Baby assassin or no, you might as well stuff a fireball in yer pants as travel with them coins in yer pockets. You won't be coming back."
"I thank you for your concern," he said coldly. I'll be certain to mention you, should anyone give me trouble about these coins."
Melissa snorted, for the young man's threatening retort was no more than bluster, and they both knew it. The smithy had clients who held an interest in protecting her privacy. Anyone who attempted to betray her was likely to become a notch on an assassin's blade, or to be discovered with large gold coins, very much like the ones Hasheth had slipped into his bag, weighing down his eyelids.
Hasheth left the smithy, reclaimed his horse, and set Joff at a brisk pace for the stables. He would change to a lore suitable mount, and then he would pay a visit to |flie gentleman whose coin he had purchased.
But first, he had to devise some pretense. It would be |feurly easy, as Lord Hhune's apprentice, to be granted an audience. But first, Hasheth wanted to figure out some way to insinuate himself into the society of the Knights, something that would buy him membership into this exclusive and powerful group.
The Harpers were all fine and well, and they seemed to come up with coin when they required it, but from what Hasheth had observed, most of their agents were not concerned with amassing personal wealth or power. All told, the Knights of the Shield was a society far more suited to his ambitions. Hasheth was determined to find a way in, and he would count the cost-whatever it might be-a bargain.
Eighteen
Nearly two days passed. The forest elves seemed quietly impressed withKendel Leafbower, for the moon elf had picked up considerable skill at woods lore during his four centuries of life. He walked ____________________ nearly as silently as a forest elf, and he hunted game for the small group while the others stayed at their camp to guard their moon-elven battle leader.
Jill spent much of the time teasing Ferret, much to the amusement of Arilyn and Foxfire. It quickly became apparent to everyone but Ferret that the dwarf was flirting outrageously with her. As she watched Jill's avid pursuit of the elf woman, Arilyn was reminded of a question that often occurred to her when she saw a form dog chasing a horse-drawn cart: what would he do iЈ by chance, he succeeded in catching it?
She read in Foxfire's twinkling eyes thoughts similar.to her own. And behind the laughter in his eyes lurked: the memories of their own times together. This made the course before Arilyn even more difficult, yet it steeled her resolution