The Dream Spheres - Elaine Cunningham [46]
"Send him in."
"Them, my lord. The moonfighter is with him," the servant said, showing Arilyn the respect due any elf honored with a moonblade. If the servant had an opinion about whether a half-elf deserved this honor, he wisely kept it to himself.
Elaith rose as the unlike pair entered his study. His words of welcome died as he regarded their disheveled appearance. They both looked as damp and road-sore as horses run too long and too hard. A wide variety of substances besmudged their clothing, which to all appearances had been donned hastily and without the aid of servants. Arilyn's black curls fell to her shoulders in wild disarray, and her white, angular face was streaked with grime. Both looked as if they had thrust their hands into a gnome's sausage grinder, so torn were the skin and nails.
"What in the Nine bloody Hells have you been about?" Elaith demanded.
Danilo threw himself into a chair, then placed what appeared to be a large, wooden snuffbox on the table beside. "Fighting tren, traversing sewers, climbing walls. Nothing out of the ordinary. How was your morning?"
Consternation swept through the elf. He looked to Arilyn for a straight answer. "There was another tren attack?"
"Two." In a few terse words, she described the situation.
Elaith nodded thoughtfully. The pieces fit. Indeed they did.
"Oth Eltorchul and Isabeau were at The Silken Sylph last night," Arilyn said in a flat, even tone.
The elf knew what was coming next. "I suppose you stopped there looking for me, and you were informed, though not without some persuasion, that I was seen in conversation with Lord Eltorchul."
Danilo quickly entered the conversation. "We came here to learn what you know of the matter, not to make accusations. Three tren attacks, in the space of a single day, all of them threatening Arilyn's safety or reputation. There are other common threads: all those attacked were at the Gemstone Ball, all had dealings with Isabeau Thione. Can you see something I might have missed?"
"Nothing more than I said last night," Elaith said. "This was not the first time someone took steps to hasten my departure from this world. Nor, all things considered, will it be the last. I do not know what occasioned this particular attack, nor have I any knowledge of the other two."
"We will be looking into this matter," Arilyn stated.
Obviously she suspected him, whatever Danilo might say to the contrary. That knowledge stung the elf more than it should.
Elaith gave her a faint smile and a courtly bow. "I will consider myself warned. Lord Thann, what is that box?" he asked, more to distract the conversation than from any real interest.
Danilo shifted uneasily. "It's all that remains of Oth."
"Ah. Turning evidence over to the Watch. Very commendable," the elf murmured without much interest.
"Actually, I thought I'd turn this over to the Eltorchul clan for possible resurrection."
Outrage, quick and sharp and utterly elven, surged through Elaith. He noted that Arilyn's expression mirrored his thoughts. In this, at least, they were of like mind.
Resurrection, was it? Typical human arrogance! The elf could think of nothing more self-centered or more repugnant than disturbing the afterlife of friend or kindred.
"Why do you humans persist in doing this thing?" he demanded.
"Because we can, most likely," Danilo responded wearily. "It is hard to accept that a loved one is lost when magic exists that will call him back."
"You could have mentioned this earlier," Arilyn snapped.
Danilo shrugged and glanced from one angry elf to the other. "I always like to break bad news when I'm grossly outnumbered. It keeps me in good trim."
Elaith stepped between them before the argument could escalate. "Although I regret to hear of your troubles, I can offer you nothing