Thornhold - Elaine Cunningham [131]
“They were mean,” Cara decreed.
“They did not set out to be,” she said, “but they didn’t give me much thought one way or another. That was almost worse.”
The child considered this, and nodded. “I’m glad you stole me back.”
Bronwyn hugged her. “I am, too. I would do anything to keep you from that life.-even leave you in Blackstaff Tower for a few days, if that is what I must do.”
“All right,” the child conceded. Her face turned stern, and she shook her finger. “But if you stay too long, Ebenezer and I will come looking for you and steal you back!”
* * * * *
Later that morning, Bronwyn rode down to the South Ward to say good-bye to Ebenezer. The courtyard surrounding Brian Swordmaster’s forge was alive with glowing fires, the ringing of hammer against anvil, and the voices of contentious dwarves.
As she tied her horse to the gate, Ebenezer caught sight of her. He immediately dropped his hammer and bounded over to her. “Where’s the lass?” he asked. “You found her da yet?”
She told him what she had learned so far and of the attempt by Ebenezer’s paladin friend to snatch her. His face clouded with concern as he listened.
“Smells funny to me,” he said. “Paladins are supposed to be a rare breed, aren’t they? They’ve been popping up far too frequent for my liking.”
“The paladins are the lesser of my two problems,” she assured him.
“Seems to me we don’t know that just yet. You can’t prove by me that paladins are all that different from any other breed of human. As I always say, think the worst, just in case,” he offered. “And I don’t like you walking into their den with nothing more than a how-d’you-do as shield and armor.”
“I don’t have time to argue, Ebenezer. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“And lots of times in between,” he said. “I’m going with you.”
“I’ll be riding.”
His eyes lit up. “You know I can ride. You still got that pony?”
“No,” she said regretfully. “I left him at the public stable, with instructions that he be sold.”"Well now, that’s too bad. I liked that horse better’n most men I’ve met. Got more sense. But I’ve got a few coins now, and the clan owes me. Might could buy my own pony.”
“You don’t want to be spending your earnings,” she cautioned.
“Oh, don’t I? One way or another, I’d-a go with you, if it means riding piggyback on a winged elf. You stood with me; I’m prepared to do the same.”
At that moment a female dwarf hollered his name. He cast a look over his shoulder then leaned in to whisper, “And they’ve put me to work at a forge. Nothing wrong with that, but my feet start to itching if I keep ‘em in one place too long. You’d be doing me a kindness,” he wheedled.
Bronwyn capitulated with a grin. “Well, let’s be off. We’re going to need to get you a horse.”
* * * * *
Algorind took his leave of Sir Gareth and returned to Curious Past, the scene of his previous failure. He puzzled over what he was to do when he found Bronwyn and the child. In this city, a man was not left alone to tend his duty. As he rode along, he noted many small watch patrols, busily tending the affairs of the city and minding the business of better men.
To compound this matter was the difficulty in tracking anyone through a city. He had learned to follow the sign of man, horse, or monster through the hills and moors, but a woman’s passage through Waterdeep? A child’s? How was such a thing measured?
He was still pondering this when he saw a small, furtive figure dash down a dark passage between two tall buildings. He caught a glimpse of a long, brown braid flashing around the corner.
Algorind swung down from his horse and quickly tied the reins around a lamp post. He no longer felt secure that his mount would be there when he returned, but he could not afford to worry about that now. He hurried down the narrow way in pursuit.
The woman ducked down two more alleys and then disappeared into the back door of a large frame building. Algorind could hear the clatter of looms as he approached, and above the noise, the sound of frantic footsteps dashing down