Son of Khyber_ Thorn of Breland - Keith Baker [36]
Thorn nodded. “You’ll be all right?” she asked Brom.
The dwarf grinned. “It’s all in a day for me.”
It was easy to see why Dreck wanted them apart. No one would forget Brom. Aside from his massive arm, his armor was torn, and he was covered with blood and oil. But there was more. Thorn had seen the dwarf take terrible injuries. His cheek was torn, his throat slashed, and his stomach had been opened up. Now all of that had healed. Or had it? Russet scales covered Brom’s cheek—the scaly skin of a kobold, not the skin of a dwarf. Thorn could see a band of warty, green flesh across his neck—troll’s skin? He’d survived injuries that should have been mortal, but clearly there were lasting consequences.
“Now,” Dreck said, striding toward the door, “we must be below ground before the turning of the bells. Move as if all of the devils of Shavarath were at your heels. Because if Lady Ilena learns what we have done here before we reach the Son of Khyber, they surely will be.”
Dreck abandoned his own bloody robes as soon as they were safely away from Torran Spire. He led her to an old lift, a floating platform used to bring cargo up from the industrial district that lay far below. As she followed the warforged onto the platform, she saw the word CONDEMNED etched into the surface in a number of languages.
“It serves our purpose,” Dreck said, in answer to her questioning gaze.
Kneeling, he traced a pattern on the floor with a finger. The lift shuddered and began to drop, falling and stopping with an uneven pattern that did little to reassure Thorn. Dreck had little interest in conversation, so Thorn finally took hold of Steel’s hilt.
Silent protocol, Steel said.
Thorn tapped the hilt once. Yes.
Confirm: You have kidnapped the son of a baron of House Cannith—one of the most influential men in Sharn. And you intend to surrender the child to the Tarkanans.
One tap.
A dangerous decision. Do you believe the child is in danger?
Thorn tapped the hilt twice, but then thought better of it and moved her thumb in a circle. I don’t know. Why did the Tarkanans want the child? If it was just a retaliatory murder, they would likely have killed him in the manor. Ransom seemed the more likely answer, and ransom would give her time to save the child once her mission was done. But it seemed that they were taking the child directly to this Son of Khyber, the leader she’d been sent to find. This seemed like a bold move, unless they truly had a foolproof way to avoid Tharashk trackers and Phiarlan scrying; Merrix d’Cannith would surely spare no expense to find his only irreplaceable creation.
Sovereigns and Flame, Steel whispered. It was the first time Thorn had ever heard the dagger swear. I suppose there’s no simple way for Cannith to connect you to the kidnapping, but if the child dies and the Tarkanans expose your role in this … I know little of Ilena d’Cannith, but Merrix will want vengeance. Even if the boy survives, Merrix will want you punished for this.
She tapped the blade. He was right, of course. And that was surely the point. An agent of House Cannith would never have agreed to the kidnapping, and Dreck knew that.
I don’t approve of your actions, Lantern Thorn. I know you are doing what you think is best for Breland. You were sent to find the leader of the Tarkanans and what the house is working toward. We can only hope that you are about to do just that. But I advise you to plan your retreat. Gather what information you can, especially the location of their sanctum. Then be ready to take the child and flee. Let the Citadel deal with the threat.
“Explain.” Dreck’s voice was cold and sharp.
Thorn started, releasing Steel. The lift shook beneath her feet, and the warforged was standing next to her. “Explain what?” she asked.
He watched her closely. “You are troubled. Lost in your thoughts. Explain, that I may guide you.”
“It’s nothing,” she said. “I just don’t like the idea of