The Yellow Silk - Don Bassingthwaite [116]
"Do you want me to carry her?" Li offered.
"No." He turned and took a last look around then followed Li and Laera through what remained of the sty's rail fence.
On the other side, Mosi Anu was struggling to his feet, water running in streams from his robes. He glared at them and started to say something. "Don't," said Li. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of rags. No, Tycho realized, not rags. The remains of the Yellow Silk of Kuang. Still fine fabric, still an extraordinary yellow, but no longer glowing. If he were to hold the scraps, Tycho suspected, he would feel only cool, damp silk instead of the warm energy he had felt before. Mosi looked at the scraps and frowned-then snorted.
"Ruined," he said dourly. He stepped back and shook out his cloak, swirling the wet cloth around him. He vanished in a puff of smoke that smelled of dung fires and wet wool. The magelights hanging over the alley winked out as well, leaving only the rising moon to light the shadows.
"What about the other mage?" asked Laera.
"Hanibaz?" Tycho looked back toward the collapsed shelter. It was hard to see, but none of the shadows there looked man-shaped. "I think he's gone, too. He wouldn't stick around for nothing either."
Li grunted, nodding to the shelter as well. "What about Lander? He was under there."
"Dead or fled, I don't care." Tycho turned away, splashing on through the alley. Laera came with him and, after a moment, Li followed.
They stepped out of the alley and into the street, turning back toward Bakers Lane. They didn't get far. At the very first crossroads, torchlight flared. "What-?" Tycho gasped as city guards came pouring into the intersection from every direction, swords drawn and ready. He froze.
'Mard Dantakain stepped out from among his men and women. The captain of the guard was covered in soot. A fresh burn shone red and raw on his face. "Tychoben Arisaenn and Kuang Li Chien, you are under arrest."
"For?" snarled Tycho.
"Kidnapping," Mard said coldly, "and murder. I went to your rooms looking for my daughter and I found my brother." His eyes were very hard. "I don't think even Magistrate Vanyan will listen to your explanations this time."
"He should," said Laera. Tycho stared as the young woman slipped around him to confront her father. "Tycho and Li haven't done anything."
Mard's hard eyes narrowed. He nodded at two of his men. "Take her home."
"No!" Laera held her chin high, and her voice was defiant. "I ran away. Tycho was looking out for me. And Uncle Jacerryl was killed by a halfling named Brin over a bag of beljurils."
"Brin?" Mard's eyes managed to grow even narrower, darting from Laera to Tycho then Li, finally settling on Veseene. Laera spoke again before he could say anything more.
"Brin killed her, too. He kidnapped her and left Uncle Jacerryl. He would have killed all of us if Tycho and Li hadn't stopped him."
Mard looked back to Tycho. "And Brin is now…?"
"Dead," Tycho said bluntly.
"So this story about beljurils is entirely your word."
"No, it isn't." Laera reached into her belt, pulled out a velvet bag, and dumped its contents into the palm of her hand. Mard stared at the winking gems and even his eyes went wide for a moment, and he scowled. His voice dropped low so none of the guards would hear.
"Give those to me, Laera, and go home."
She closed her hand over the gems. "Not until you let Tycho and Li go," she murmured back.
"They're under arrest!"
"For what? They didn't do anything. The magistrate won't hold them. You taught me the law yourself."
Mard's eyes narrowed again. "Who killed Brin?"
Laera's eyes narrowed just like her father's. "I did." Mard clenched his jaw. Laera raised her eyebrows and smiled thinly. "Or maybe not. You can put me before the magistrate if you like-or you can take my word that Tycho and Li didn't do anything and let them go." She clenched her fist over her heart. "Tyr's truth, father. They're heroes."
"Laera… "
Laera took a deep breath and met