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"I had not thought of it that way," said Thluna. "The Zhentarim have taken great interest in us. Why? Aren't we beneath their notice?"

"A mystery indeed," Rask confirmed. "Nothing moves the Zhentarim but power. I knew their workings all too well… they are brutal and cruel, and Geildarr is a petty despot. But contrary to what some would say, they do not practice their vile ways for no reason. They want power, and for power they hoard their coin and whatever else magic can find."

"Magic," Thluna repeated fatefully. At the core of all the evil in the world, he decided, there was magic.

"A mystery indeed," the half-orc repeated. "I only hope we live long enough to solve it."

* * * * *

"I never thought I had anything to hide," said Kellin softly.

"What's that?" asked Vell. They walked together through the underbrush, the Thunderbeast party fanning out around them. Rask and Thluna walked in the lead while Thanar held back, scanning the woods for signs of anything lurking among the trees.

Kellin swallowed. "Until recently, I never had secrets-not any that anyone would care to know. I was as open and forthcoming as anyone could be, and that felt like freedom. When I came to your camp, I kept part of myself hidden, but I could justify that to myself. I knew that if I revealed that I was a sorceress you'd reject me, and my journey would end before it began."

"You were right," Vell affirmed.

Kellin forced a smile. Keeping her voice low, she asked, "But am I right this time? What I know about my father…"

"Has nothing to do with you. You are not your father."

He cast her a sideways glance.

"A curious statement from an Uthgardt," she said. "Tell me about your father, Vell."

Vell stood a little taller. Out of pride? Kellin wondered. "He fought with King Gundar. He died when I was young, fighting perytons in the Lurkwood. He was buried with honor outside Grunwald."

"My father's body was burned, and his ashes spread into the Trackless Sea at Candlekeep. He wanted to unite with the sea, with everything." Kellin frowned. "As I keep my father's shame a secret, it becomes my shame. Maybe I should tell Thluna."

Vell thought about it. "Thluna's younger even than I. He's already proven himself less rigid than Sungar. But all the same, I would not do it. Not now."

A tear rolled down Kellin's cheek. "Why should I bear his shame?" She laid her hand on the hilt of the sword she wore. "I took him as my teacher. How he fooled us all. Even Keirkrad said he was a good man." Vell could see she was holding back her emotions, and he put a hand on her shoulder.

"What will you do when you return home?" asked Vell.

"I'll have to reveal what I've learned to the Candlekeep monks. It will cast doubt on all of his research. His entire work could be discarded, his books culled from the libraries." She looked up at Vell. "Or perhaps not-I hope not, for most of my work is built on his work. But what I've learned must be brought forward, must be revealed."

"You could keep his secret," said Vell. "Only Lanaal and I know, and neither of us will reveal it."

Kellin shook her head. "Oghma is the god of knowledge, and he teaches that knowledge is the most valuable thing. But that doesn't mean it should be hoarded. It should be freely available to all. I'm not able to start keeping the secrets of thieves."

"You're brave," said Vell. "All my life, I was taught that civilized outsiders were dishonorable and full of deceit."

"Not all, but some are," said Kellin. "Your tribe has seen this. Likewise, most of civilization thinks of the Uthgardt as stupid and bloodthirsty. But I always knew better."

"Because of your father, no doubt," said Vell. Tentatively, he added, "I'm intrigued by what you said about Oghma. Does he truly spurn all secrets? Even those we carry in our hearts?"

"Well, mostly it concerns the facts of the world," said Kellin. "Some things are meant just for the individual. The church of Oghma values self-knowledge as well, and sometimes that means privacy. In fact, on my twelfth