The Simbul's gift - Lynn Abbey [134]
"Several times over," Chayan agreed. "I'm starting to think that corpse the Simbul found-"
Halaern cleared his throat. "The foresters found it, cousin, following her suggestions."
"I knew I didn't find it. But it wasn't wholly Cha'Tel'Quessir or Red Wizard, and I don't think Rizcarn is, either."
"That should make tonight more than interesting."
Chayan nodded. "I think it's time to make it less interesting. Ebroin had a good idea the other day. There're too many Red Wizards in the Yuirwood."
"And the Simbul?"
"If she asks, we'll blame it on Elminster, won't we, Ebroin?"
"Elminster?" Halaern looked from his cousin to Bro.
"It's a joke, I think," Bro explained. He wished he'd had the sense to stay with the other Cha'Tel'Quessir. When Chayan and her cousin bantered, he felt like a child who only understood every other word in adult conversation. "I overheard her cursing Elminster last night after the storm. She said it was a habit she picked up fighting the Tuigans."
"You never mentioned that, cousin."
Chayan flashed a dangerously toothsome grin. "When do we have a chance to talk, cousin? What about our solitaire Red Wizard, the one that followed Rizcarn out of the camp when it was west of here? At first you said you thought it was a woman. Why? And do you still think so?"
"Before Rizcarn left, I found a footprint, small and narrow. It could've come from a child or a halfling, but my best guess was a woman. I haven't seen any more. She's smarter than the others, I think, and she's alone, or nearly so. I never saw her, only felt her presence, and I haven't felt it since Rizcarn left. She's stopped using magic."
Chayan seemed lost in her own thoughts. Bro seized an opportunity to ask a question that had been very important two days ago, "Did Rizcarn actually visit MightyTree? He said he would, but he wasn't gone long enough, even if he ran day and night."
"It would seem that he did, Ebroin. According to Urell, Rizcarn, or something like him, appeared at his door in the middle of the night and gave him his daughter's necklace. Rizcarn said he couldn't stay, but wanted a mourning bead, so Urell gave him one off his own neck. That is MightyTree work." The forester pointed to the bead in question.
"How?"
"Why not ask him yourself?" Chayan asked, more an order than a question. She turned to Halaern. "You'll join me after?"
"Yes," he agreed, but she was already walking away, not as quiet as a forester, but quiet enough that she was quickly gone. "Come on, Ebroin. I'll walk you back to the others."
Bro folded his arms. "I'm not a child, Trovar Halaern, and I saw what Red Wizards can do to a whole village. She's got a sword, that's all. She doesn't even have her spear anymore and she decides-just like that-that she's going to destroy the Red Wizards?"
Halaern nodded. "Let's go, Ebroin."
"Chayan's not what she says she is, is she?"
"She's very good at what she does, and one of the things she does is destroy her enemies, including Red Wizards."
"She's not your cousin."
The forester gave up with a sigh. "No, Ebroin, Chayan's not my cousin; and she's not what she seems, either."
"She's Zandilar in disguise, isn't she?"
Halaern was speechless. Bro was pleased with himself and his guess. He started back to the napping Cha'Tel'Quessir. A twig snapped; the forester must be so flustered that he was making noise as he caught up. Bro turned around. He saw a shadow, then a face, then hands that grabbed him.
He heard a voice from deeper in the shadow: "Good, Lailomun, my pet. You caught him. Now bring him here."
Bro struggled and as he did he heard another voice, the forester's, but it came too late. He fell forward into darkness.
26
The Yuirwood, in Aglarond
Afternoon, the twenty-fourth day of
Eleasias, The Year of the Banner
(1368DR)
The queen of Aglarond shed her Cha'Tel'Quessir disguise as she walked through the forest, in search of Thayan wizardry. She became herself, silver haired, blue eyed, and deadly, but still dressed in the durable leather garments Chayan