The Vacant Throne - Ed Greenwood [89]
But this, laughing out in the taproom right now, was a prize beyond all that Phelinndar could yield that they together could carry-even with the wagon they'd have to steal in another night or so. The Serpents would pay him a hundred gold coins, or more, for her brought to them alive… but his men knew nothing of Weldrin's fondness for Snake-worshippers, nor theirs for him. They'd leave him if they did-and might even put their swords into him at that leave-taking.
But the Serpent-priests, he knew, had more than deadly venoms in their pouches. They had fang-juice that brought sleep, not death, and could as easily send Silvertree blades to slumber as slay them. When his blades awakened on their wagon, their captive, the Lady Embra, would simply be gone. He'd have to listen to their snarls all the way to Sirlptar, of course, but that was a small price next to what the Serpents would pay. Best to get it in gems, though-he'd have a hard time lifting his feet with a hundred gold filling his boots.
The Band of Four had taken rooms here, of course. Later, when they'd gone there and a lot of folk had fallen asleep at the tables or grown too drunk for their wakefulness to matter, the fun could begin.
"First off," Weldrin told his blades briskly, "stop drinking now. We need to be awake and sober later-unless your guts feel ready to welcome quarrels fired from every Flagon-helm's crossbow!"
There were some growls at that, but no serious cursing; their heads were thrust forward to hear his plan. Weldrin gave them a big smile as he put his foot up on a bench, and asked, "How'd you all like to be rich?"
They waited in silence, without roars of approval or questions. Good lads.
"I, too, recognized the Lady," he told them, "and was checking on her lodging just now, using Belgur as my scout around the back and the stables. They've two rooms, but I know not yet if she sleeps alone, or if we'll have to use our swords to separate her from one or more of yonder dolts. Yes, the big one knows how to use his blade, but wait a bit. I've paid a young lad to watch and see on the stairs who goes where. By and by, we'll strike."
"And-?" Turstrin burst out, impatient as always. Weldrin gave him a thin smile.
"Dead, the Lady's worth nothing. I want her unharmed, though we'd best bind her hands, stop her mouth, and blind her with a blanket bound over her head and right down to her wrists; she is a mage, after all-but as a captive, presented to our Risen King in chains as a 'traitor sorceress,' she might be worth quite a reward."
There were nods around the table. Weldrin spread his hands. "Even if we don't get coins," he added, "rightful ranks among the swords at his court, and the lands in Silvertree and Blackgult that go with such honors, are nothing to be spurned. We can all be Lords of the Vale yet."
"She just yawned," one of his blades said excitedly, turning his head from the shutters.
"Right, lads," Weldrin said with an eager smile, spearing himself more cheese. "It won't be long now."
Well, at least it wouldn't be long now.
Belgur trotted through the woods as quickly as he dared. The faster one went, the harder it was to keep quiet-and along these trails, snares were set for men as well as for little scurrying beasts.
Either might doom him, he reflected wryly-for what was he but a little scurrying beast? He kept to the deeper gloom, well away from the light of the rising moon, so as not to be seen-at least, not before he got a moon-dappled glimpse of whoever was trying to see him. His dagger was ready in his hand in case that happened.
By the Three, but he hated the Serpent-priests and their snakes. No good would come of Weldrin doing business with them, of that everyone could be sure, and