Neversfall

Chapter Seven

"Sir, are you well?" Taennen said to his commander as Jhoqo approached, waving off the attentions of one of the Durpari healers. Blood trickled from his right wrist, the crimson stain spreading through the colorful silk cuff of his undershirt. Adeenya approached looking weary but otherwise well.

"A few cuts," Jhoqo said. "And you, son?"

"Same, sir, but nothing serious," Taennen said. He had received worse in his time, but the wounds ached already. His stomach wound had reopened in the battle. With the rush of battle over, he was fighting to move past the pain. By morning it would be debilitating without aid. "I can wait. And you, sir?" Taennen said, looking to Adeenya.

"Fine, Durir, thank you," she said.

"Get a count of our liabilities, Durir," Jhoqo said. "We need to know where we stand as soon as possible."

"What in the…" Adeenya said, turning around.

"Sir?" Taennen said, his hand going to the hilt of his khopesh.

"Where are they?" Adeenya asked.

"Who, Orir?" Jhoqo said.

"The bodies. The attackers we just killed."

Taennen released his weapon. "I saw them collecting some of the fallen as they fled."

"But why pause for your dead when you're being pressed?" Adeenya said. "And how did they get every one?

Taennen shook his head. Recovering fallen comrades was a priority, but given the circumstances of the routed attackers, their care with their dead was surprising. Taennen turned when he heard Loraica curse behind him. The woman stood next to Haddar who limped out of the central tower with Khatib's lifeless body cradled in his arms.

Taennen stared at the corpse of the wizard with whom he had spoken only a short while before. Haddar's broad chest served to miniaturize the man's body. Khatib's face was pale, his blood lost through a slit in his throat. The wound spanned the breadth of his jaw, leaving a flap of skin hanging wide open.

Taennen stood silently and took the corpse from Haddar when the soldier offered it. Loraica ordered Haddar to have his leg examined. Haddar saluted and shuffled away, his head hanging low.

Taennen felt the damp coolness of more blood along Khatib's lower back, and his fingers found a wide, deep gash there. His digits explored the cavern of their own will, Taennen's bile rising. Though he had never felt particularly close to the wizard, the man's death, so cowardly in its execution, angered him, and he felt a pang of loss for the comrade whose excitement about the workings of the tower he had found so engaging just moments before.

"They breached the tower," Jhoqo said, staring hard at Khatib's body.

"This…" Taennen started. "This can't be."

Jhoqo reached over the wizard's cradled body and patted the younger man on the back, but Taennen shrugged it off. "No. I mean, he was safe. He locked himself inside the top of the tower," Taennen said, taking a step back.

"What?" Loraica said.

"The tower. The room at the top can be magically sealed. I was with him when the attack started. He locked the door behind me."

Jhoqo looked puzzled. "So someone broke in and killed him."

"No," Taennen said. "He said someone would need to know the proper way in once it was locked. There was a passphrase." He lowered his voice and looked to Jhoqo, forgotten hurt resurfacing. "He said you told only him what it was."

Jhoqo's lips twisted tighter into a frown. "He must not have locked it, or perhaps the damnable invaders had a more powerful arcanist with them."

"If that's so," Loraica said, "we are in a lot of danger without Khatib."

"We will avenge him. Do not doubt that," Jhoqo said. He stepped in close, placed his hand on Khatib's head, and whispered something so soft that even Taennen could not hear.

"Get me the counts, Durir," Jhoqo said. "Terir, liaise with the Durpari dorir to ensure that the healing needs of everyone are met as well as we can accommodate."

"Aye, sir," Loraica and Taennen both barked.

"Sir, permission to follow the invaders," Adeenya said.

Jhoqo looked at the woman for several moments but said nothing.

"Not to engage them, sir. To scout the area, to figure out where they are coming from so that we might launch an attack of our own when we muster our forces," Adeenya said. She stood straight and tall, her face solemn, as though she were not asking the impossible.

"Reconnaissance, then?" Jhoqo said. "Very well. Take a small contingent of both forces. Do not be seen, Orir, and do not go far."

"Aye, sir. Thank you, sir," she said.

Jhoqo nodded and took a step before Adeenya stopped him.

"Sir, one more thing." "Yes, Orir?"

"Sir, the halfling. He told us he was a woodsman who knew this area. He might be able to help," Adeenya said.

"You want me to release a prisoner, Orir?"

"Not release, sir. Just make use of a resource on hand in a bad situation, sir."

She was clever, no doubt about that, Taennen thought. Jhoqo could not deny her request of a useful resource given the circumstances. Taennen had not realized until that moment how brave Adeenya was. And clearly it had worked. She had done the impossible.

Jhoqo squinted at her a moment before chuckling a little. "Very well, Orir. Take the halfling, but I hold you responsible for the safe return of the prisoner. We hold their safety in our hands, after all."

Adeenya nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you sir." She saluted and turned to gather her forces.

After Jhoqo had walked away, Taennen looked to his friend and said, "Somethings not right, Lori."

"Agreed," she said solemnly. "Let's check the tower."

Taennen placed his hand on Khatib's forehead, uttering a prayer to the Adama. He set the wizard's body beside the half dozen others laid out in the yard, ordering a nearby

Durpari soldier to give the man a burial proper for his order and position.

"No rank. He was a wizard."

"Yes, sir," the Durpari soldier said grimly, then added, "Bad day for magic users."

Taennen looked down at the bodies. Two of them were Maquar clerics. Taennen swore and turned back to Loraica.

Taennen walked beside Loraica to the central tower. The courtyard was alive with activity, but the air was heavy with caution and fatigue. They had been surprised and significantly damaged in a fortress that they had believed was theirs. The attackers had come in undetected, despite the measures available to prevent such an ambush.

As he pushed open the door to the tower, Taennen faced Loraica. "Kill anyone you don't know."

Loraica nodded and drew out her heavy falchion. Taennen crept up the stairs, listening after every few steps for the sounds of anyone moving around at the top of the tower. His pace increased as he continued. They reached the top of the tower to face the door he had seen for the first time earlier that day. The door no longer sparkled with the glow of possibility and mystery. Instead it hung open, dull and uninviting.

"I saw him close it," Taennen said.

Loraica knelt on one knee, examining the door and its jamb. "It doesn't look like it was forced. They must have figured out the passphrase," she said.

Taennen shook his head. "Khatib said one had to know it ahead of time."

"Do you think the invaders tortured the phrase out of the last regiment?" Loraica asked.

"If so, then why not occupy the citadel? Why keep to the woods?"

"They are wildmen, sir," Loraica said. "You saw them fight, Lori. They're no wildmen." She conceded the point. "They did seem too organized, didn't they?"

Taennen nodded.

"What is all this?" she said, motioning around the room.

Taennen smiled, thinking of Khatib's enthusiasm for the crystals. "This is the heart of Neversfall."

"Well, how does it work?"

"It needs a brain."

"It doesn't have one?" she asked.

"He's being buried right now," Taennen said, leaving the room. "There's nothing here to see. Coordinate with Marlke, Lori. I'm going to get a count of our losses."

Evening was consuming daylight as Adeenya stalked the plains. Even with Neversfall within sight behind her, she felt conspicuous and naked in the open. The Aerilpar was nearby, promising no end of dangers, yet that was where the tracks of the invaders seemed to lead.

She sought not only an end to the attacks and revenge for her dead but answers to a personal mystery that took precedent in her mind. Not long after the battle had ended, Adeenya discovered that her pendant, the magical device she used to communicate with her superiors was missing. The attackers who groped at her were not interested in her body but her pendant.

She remembered their probing hands and wished she could hack them off. How could they have known about the pendant? What did they want with it? True it was magical, but its power was not difficult to come by. Other than her own soldiers and the sly wizard Khatib, no one had known about the pendant. Khatib was dead, which left only her own soldiers under suspicion, and Adeenya did not want to travel that road. She refused to believe that random chance had allowed the attackers to find her pendant. She would be all the more wary until she could figure out for certain how they had known.

"Here, Orir," Corbrinn said, interrupting her thoughts. "Two dozen or more."

"More than two dozen? You're sure?" she asked the halfling, who crouched on the ground before her examining tracks.

Corbrinn stood and nodded before continuing toward the forest. "At least two dozen left the citadel on their own feet," Corbrinn said. "Some of these are deep, too heavy. Those are from the ones carrying fallen comrades on their shoulders."

Adeenya motioned to her squad to follow and prompted the halfling to lead the way. At the edge of the woods, huge, dark trees loomed overhead and seemed to speak to her of the many lifetimes that had passed before their watch.

Violent lifetimes, she thought, keeping an eye out for the Aerilpar's monstrous inhabitants.

Tall undergrowth in every shade of green blocked their way but also showed signs of recent passage, indicating the attackers had fled this way. A few of the soldiers cut a path with their swords, but the going was slow.

Corbrinn seemed frustrated, climbing to the low branches of a tree to look further into the forest, confirming the path they followed. He hopped down and pushed to the head of the line. "Out of my way, boys," Corbrinn said, taking the lead.

The small man seemed to be swallowed by the plants all around him as he plunged forward. Adeenya followed closely behind so as not to lose track of their guide.

She followed the squirming weeds in front of her for several paces, and she was growing concerned about finding their way back. She could no longer see the edge of the woods behind them, and she did not much care for the notion of getting lost in the Aerilpar forest.

The brush before her stopped moving and she bent down, pushing some of the plants from her path. Corbrinn was there on all fours, and he looked over his shoulder at her, a finger to his lips. She squinted to look past him into the murkiness, the forest canopy letting in very little light by which to see. She jerked back when she saw motion, but she didn't think her movement had been detected. With hand signals, she ordered the troops behind her to move back quietly before crawling away herself.

Corbrinn was right behind her, and after a short distance he spoke. "A clearing ahead. It's them. Maybe a dozen or so.

Those were the types of odds she liked. She began to stand but stopped, a thought nagging at the back of her mind. Only a dozen?

"You said two dozen came through here, didn't you?" she asked.

The halfling nodded.

"Trap?" she askedjhe halfling.

Corbrinn shrugged in response.

"Can't be certain in all this brush."

She had no choice. They needed more information, and if this bunch were alone, she could wipe out a large number of the wildmen in one quick sweep. Passing the word quietly through the ranks, she waited until it reached the last of them before holding her spear high and dashing forward past Corbrinn. The undergrowth pounded her face, the edges of the leaves making tiny cuts across her nose and cheeks. She set foot into the clearing and whirled her weapon high over her head in an intimidating flourish.

She felt her stomach drop to her knees as she looked around and saw nothing but more trees and dense plants. The soldiers with her came to a stop and fanned out to search the clearing. The halfling entered with a confused look on his face.

"They were here. Right here," he said, bending down to examine the tracks.

After a few moments he stood, his face flushed. "I just don't understand."

"You lost the trail?" she asked but could not make herself upset. The ground here was muddy. The interior of the forest was far moister than the fringe where they had entered, but even that could not account for the wet ground. The forest floor looked more like a soup than a trail riddled with tracks.

"No!" Corbrinn said, with a huff. "I lost nothing. It just ends here."

Adeenya spun all around, looking for any clues at all. The men they'd been following had simply disappeared, it seemed. At Corbrinn's insistence, she gave the halfling more time to examine the area, but she was not hopeful that they would find any sign of the vanished band. She looked at the faces of the men with her, all of them hungry for revenge, knowing that she could not sate their hunger that day.

"We should return," Adeenya said.

A soft click answered her.

"Run!" Corbrinn shouted as he brushed past her leg. Adeenya spun to face the direction the halfling had come from to see bright orange flames rising from the ground and growing steadily stronger. She moved to follow Corbrinn, shoving some of her soldiers along with her until more flames appeared before them and on every side.

"Yes, it's a trap," Corbrinn said over his shoulder.

The flames formed a nearly perfect circle. Several of the soldiers lobbed mud at the wall of flames chasing them to no avail. The fire was not spreading on the moist forest floor but that was little comfort to those trapped inside the burning circle.

"I'm sorry, miss," Corbrinn said. "I should have smelled the oils."

"Let's just get out of this," Adeenya said. "Ideas?"

Corbrinn stepped past the soldiers and stopped a few steps from the fire. His hands moved in strange patterns, and he mumbled something indistinguishable. Above the blazing orange light, a large quantity of water appeared, hanging in the air for a moment before crashing down, extinguishing the flames and creating a plume of smoke. A gap large enough to accommodate their passage opened before them, and several of the soldiers thanked Corbrinn as they fled the trap.

The circle of fire still burned, and although the plant life there was mostly protected by the moisture, leaving the forest ablaze seemed unwise. "Spread out, douse the flames with mud and dirt as best you can from the outside, and then we head back to Neversfall," Adeenya said. "We can't let it spread to the citadel."

"And the invaders?" Corbrinn said.

"They're gone. We won't find them this day."

"How do you know?" the halfling asked.

"If they were still here after that fire," she said, "they wouldn't have left us alive."?* + + +

Taennen and Loraica's examination of the tower had revealed no clues to Khatib's death. When they returned to the courtyard, word was waiting for Taennen to join Jhoqo in the formians' prison.

By the torchlight, Taennen saw Neversfall with all its dancing shadows. He found that he had no taste for the place. He accepted the salutes of the four guards outside the low stone structure and pushed the heavy door open. The smell inside nearly caused him to retch, and he took a step backward.

"Close the door," Jhoqo's voice came from the dimness of the interior.

Taennen lifted an orange silk sash to his face and tried to breathe through it, hoping to dull some of the stench. His eyes adjusted to the low torchlight, and he saw the formians divided among cells. Their feces and waste were in one corner of each cell and, although there was very little of it, the stench burned Taennen's nostrils.

"We'll get them outside for that in the future, sir," Taennen said, indicating the mess.

Jhoqo shook his head. "They stay in here. Under no circumstances are they to leave this building."

One look at Jhoqo's face told Taennen not to argue the point. He acknowledged the order with a nod and turned his attention to Guk.

"Has he said any more?" Taennen asked.

"He's talking. In fact, he'll answer nearly any question you ask him."

Taennen's eyebrow went up. "Do they know who attacked us?"

"Ask him," Jhoqo said, anger rising in his voice.

Taennen knew the anger was not directed at him, but he wondered what the formian had done to provoke Jhoqo. He turned to the big formian. "Do you know who attacked us?

"It does not matter. You and they will all become part of the hive," Guk responded. He looked smaller, locked in the cell. He was still bound and blindfolded, the gag hanging loose around his neck.

Jhoqo snorted. "That's his response to everything," he said.

"It is the truth," Guk said, his grating voice setting Taennen's ears vibrating.

"They weren't involved with the intruders, sir," Taennen said, risking his commander's ire.

Jhoqo spun to face him. "How do you know?"

"Because the attackers didn't head for these cells at all. They weren't here to free the prisoners. I doubt they even knew of them."

Jhoqo's eyes narrowed, his lips pursed. "They did not get the chance to," he reasoned. "We know what these things can do, if the halfling and the other humans and even your experience are to be believed. And we've established that these things aren't foolish. Their rescuers were outnumbered and ordered to retreat."

Taennen had not considered that the intruders might be slaves of the formians. He knew the ant creatures had the ability to control the actions of other creatures. Guk stood passively as the two men discussed the situation. The formians ease and lack of expressive or readable features disturbed Taennen more than he could admit. But his gut still told him that the creatures were not involved in the attack on the citadel.

"It won't matter," Taennen said. "Adeenya will find the bastards, and we'll hunt them to the ground this time."

"Let us hope so, Durir," Jhoqo said. "We're not getting anywhere with these beasts."

"Sir, a moment, please," Taennen said.

"Yes?" Jhoqo said.

"Sir, why didn't I know about the tower? You told Khatib but not me," Taennen said. He felt young and small again, but he needed to hear the answer.

"You didn't need to know," Jhoqo said as though he had been waiting for Taennen to ask the question. "The phrase was shared with me in the mission briefing. I knew that as our only arcanist Khatib would be using the tower, so he needed to know it. No one else had the information, not even the orir," Jhoqo said.

"What about the lost company, sir? Who among them knew the phrase?"

"Their commander, certainly, and their arcanists," Jhoqo said. "I don't know who else. I knew that regiment's commander. He was a good man and wouldn't have revealed the phrase even under duress."

"And their mage?" Taennen asked.

"I don't know," Jhoqo said. "Perhaps that's the answer- the citadel's former wizard was captured and revealed the phrase under torture. Or perhaps he had been on the intruders' side all along."

"That's possible, sir," Taennen said. The answer seemed too easy to Taennen but, as his own father had said, often the easy answer was the right answer.

"It's more than possible. Much as I hate to doubt the fellow, it's the only logical answer," Jhoqo said, turning toward the door. "Come to my office at first light, Durir. We have plans to discuss."

Taennen looked to Guk a few moments after the door closed. "We'll see that removed," he said, pointing to the fecal matter.

"It does not matter," Guk said.

"It does to me. It isn't healthy," Taennen said.

When no response came, Taennen turned for the door. As he grasped the iron handle, his gooseflesh leaped again at the sound of the formians voice behind him.

From her watch position on the southern wall Loraica studied the empty plains that unfolded before her eyes, seeming to roll on endlessly. Even with their patrol time before the mission, Loraica was accustomed to life in the cities of Estagund, and she missed the smells of civilization, even the unpleasant ones. At Neversfall, she could smell only the nearby woods, and the Aerilpar held an odor of rot and decay mixed with the usual clean smells of foliage that she found unsettling, unlike any forest she'd ever experienced.

She scanned the ground below her in the darkness. Twice she believed she might have spotted something before picking out the movement as some sort of prairie rodent scuttling along the ground. When she spotted the creature again, she was tempted to fetch a bow to make a meal of it for the morning, but she decided to let it go about its foraging. It was nocturnal, much like herself, after all, and she honored that kinship.

"Report."

Loraica spun, sword in hand in a flash, to face Jhoqo, who had approached her from behind. She did her best to settle her racing heart and school her face against the shock.

"No report, sir," she said.

Jhoqo nodded and leaned against the outer wall, looking out into the vast night.

"You heard that Orir Jamaluddat returned?" he asked.

Loraica affirmed, sheathing her sword. "I haven't heard the details."

"They say a trap was set for them," he said, jerking his chin toward the forest, "a ring of fire that erupted around them. But they escaped."

"Are they all right? What happened?" Loraica said.

"They're fine. Two of the wall guards earlier did report seeing some smoke from the forest interior," he said.

"So they did not find the invaders?" Loraica asked.

"No," he said.

"If they attacked the citadel simply to set a trap for us in the woods, they are foolish. They lost several men in the fight," she said.

"Whose bodies we can't even examine because they took the damned things," Jhoqo said.

Loraica nodded. "Sir, I beg your pardon if I'm too bold, but what's on your mind?"

He looked up from the floor and smiled. "Very well. I can always count on you to get to the heart of the matter, Terir. I need your help," he said, looking her in the eyes.

"Anything, sir," she said.

He blew out a long breath, leaning against the walls once again, and looked out into the dark plains. "Watch her. Tell me what she does, who she talks to, where she goes."

"Sir…" she started but didn't know how to finish. He was asking her to spy on Adeenya. She couldn't think of anything less becoming a Maquar, let alone an officer.

"I know. I don't like it, either, but I've put a lot of thought into this."

"Tell me," she said.

Jhoqo smiled a little at her boldness and stood straight again. "Wait a moment, Terir. Maybe this is premature. Did you see her during the battle with the intruders?"

Loraica thought back to the fight and shook her head.

"Now a mission that she led to find the invaders failed," he said. "And she was very eager to speak with the formian prisoners. And she took that halfling prisoner with her on her mission." He stepped away from the wall, looking stern. "And she seems too friendly with our durir, doesn't she?"

Loraica could see the thought process on his face and knew his mind was working furiously through a puzzle. "Sir… collusion with the enemies? Leading her troops into a trap? Trying to divide our command?"

Jhoqo patted his hands in the air. "I just don't know what to make of any of it, and I want to be sure of her and her soldiers. Maybe I am being too cautious, but I'd rather be too careful than not careful enough."

Loraica fell silent for a while in the darkness. "Didn't Khatib examine her troops when we first met up? I thought he found them to be acceptable. Did he study her as well?"

Jhoqo shook his head. "It would have been an insult to examine her. Khatib may have secretly checked her out, but he's no longer around to ask," the commander said ruefully.

Loraica considered for a few moments. She didn't know Adeenya and had no reason to trust her, but spying still felt wrong. She looked into Jhoqo's face and thought about how many times his clever thinking had saved her life. Her decision was made.

"Aye, sir. I'll watch her."

Jhoqo smiled, clapping Loraica on the shoulders before turning to leave the wall. She resumed her patrol and spotted the rodent on the plains again. Whom did it trust? Whom did it doubt? Probably no one, she thought and envied the furry creature.

"You will free us," the formian said.

Taennen turned back and faced Guk. His strange, alien face, somewhat obscured in the dimness, was devoid of curiosity or hope. Taennen thought about what to say and decided on the truth. "I don't know."

"You will free us," Guk said, again with no question in his voice.

Of course Taennen would free them. They didn't need to be held any longer. Taennen nodded and began to speak. His mouth opened but no words came out. He could feel his mouth moving, trying to form the word "yes," but something was stopping him. He reached for the cell door to release Guk, his mouth still moving without sound.

His hand stopped shy of the door, his fingers trembling. He couldn't remember why he was going to release the formian. He was sure he was going to do so, but why? He turned and faced Guk, who cocked his head to one side with a twitch of his neck.

Thoughts of why he was doing what he was doing flitted across his mind. Taennen tried hard to grab those fleeting thoughts, but they felt slippery and flew away each time he reached out for them. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.

Images of the formians free in the courtyard played themselves out before his mind's eye, but beyond those images he couldn't seem to find the explanation. Reason and sense seemed to be images of their own, sharp-beaked birds pecking away at those scenes of the freed creatures. Suddenly the formian images shattered in his mind, and Taennen's eyes popped open and he stared at Guk.

"What did you…" he said. "How?"

Guk's antennae twitched and his head straightened, but the formian did not speak or otherwise move. Taennen realized that the thoughts and images had not come from his mind but from Guk's. Somehow the formian had attempted to convince Taennen to free him and his comrades. Taennen felt in control of himself again but knew he had come close to freeing the creatures.

"You're loose," Taennen said, seeing that Guk had broken the bindings on his hands and had partially removed the blindfold. When had that happened? How long had he been under Guk's influence?

"We'll double the bindings this time," he said. Taennen turned for the jail door, wanting nothing more than to leave, when Guk spoke again and stopped him in his tracks.

"You want the one that killed the wizard," the formian said, his voice softening from its usual vibrato.

Taennen focused his mind against further intrusion. "How do you know about that?"

"We hear. We see. We are prisoners, but we are not stupid."

"What about the wizard, then?" he asked, uncertain why he bothered. He strained to search his mind again, making sure the thoughts were his own.

"We know who killed him. It was not the invaders." "What?" Taennen said. The statement could not have caught him more off guard.

"We saw the one who killed the wizard," Guk said. "Who then?" Taennen asked.

"When we are freed, we will tell you," the formian replied.

Taennen turned for the door again. To his surprise, Guk did not scramble for him to remain. Either the formian was telling the truth, or he was a far better gambler than one might think. His bluff called, Taennen faced Guk again.

"How do you know who did it?"

"We saw someone enter the tower."

Taennen cast his eyes around the room as the other formians watched him intently. There were many eyes between them. Maybe some of them had been watching the battle. And maybe one of them had seen something. The windows in the structure were small and high, but it wasn't impossible.

"Tell me, and I'll speak to my commander about freeing you."

"Free us first."

"You know I can't agree to that," he said, deciding that sometimes in a bluffing contest only the man telling the truth could win. It sounded like one of his father's adages.

Guk's mouth appendages clacked together as Taennen stared at the creature. The other prisoners stared at him with similarly stolid expressions on their faces. Taennen would have given a finger for a hint of insight into the minds of these strange formians. With no response forthcoming, Taennen decided that his only choice was to fold his hand. He shrugged and headed for the door.

"We do not lie," Guk said behind him.

Taennen continued through the door, not looking back. Even if the formian knew who killed Khatib, that did not change his position. He could not promise the ant creatures freedom even if they could grant his fondest wishes; it simply was not within his power.

He emerged into the courtyard and grabbed one of the guards by the shoulder. "The big one is free of his bindings. Get at least three others and bind him again," Taennen said. "This time do it right and double it, if not triple it! Do not, under any circumstances, let anyone in there alone with him." The durir turned in the direction of his bunk for much needed rest. His stomach wound still ached and nothing would do for it what sleep could.

Adeenya woke to the smell of roasting meat. Her stomach's rumblings urged her from her new quarters toward the cooking fires in the courtyard. The bright morning was warm, the citadel walls effectively blocking the fierce plains winds she could hear whistling above her. She was pleased to see Maquar and Durpari soldiers breaking their fasts together, sharing tales and tactics, telling one another about their respective homelands.

She could not deny her disappointment from the night before, but she felt confident that they had done their best to track the attackers. The halfling, Corbrinn, intrigued her, and she felt badly that he had been returned to the holding building. She dared not broach that topic with Jhoqo yet, certainly not so early in the morning.

She settled down with a plate of food, thanking the soldier who'd cooked it. She couldn't identify the meat, but she knew a Durpari fikrie sauce when she smelled one. The tart and spicy flavors coated her tongue and pried her tired eyes wide open.

Taennen approached and motioned to the ground next to her. Heavy eyelids, puffy cheeks, and other signs hinted that he had chased sleep through the night yet it had eluded him. She waved to him, and he sat beside her. They ate together in silence for a short while, the sun warming her neck and shoulders as it rose higher in the sky behind her.

"Good sauce," he said.

"It's made from two different fruits and more spices than I can remember," she replied.

"Congratulations on the expedition."

She turned a curious eye on him and was rewarded with a genuine smile. "We didn't find much."

"Any expedition where everyone returns unharmed…" he said, leaving the sentence unfinished as he bit into a piece of meat.

Adeenya couldn't stop a chuckle and agreed. "And what about here, Durir? Any news? I've not spoken with the commander yet."

Taennen's face turned dour. "Twelve dead, Orir. Seven Durpari and five Maquar."

Adeenya bowed her head, offering a prayer of balance to the Adama, asking for the powers that be to replace what had been taken.

"Your dorir can give you the list, sir," Taennen added.

"How did the invaders get in?" she asked. "Even opened, the gates should have forced them all into one spot."

Taennen blew out a long breath. "We still don't know. And then there's Khatib."

She placed her plate on the ground and turned her body square to his.

"He was locked in. I've no doubt about that," Taennen said.

"Then they found a way to break the lock?" she said.

"It isn't that simple," Taennen said. "Jhoqo believes the attackers got the passphrase from the citadel's former wizard."

"A traitor?" Adeenya said.

"Maybe," Taennen said, "or they may have tortured the phrase out of his or her mind."

"That makes sense, I suppose," she said. "But you don't seem certain."

Taennen glanced around and said, "One of the prisoners told me that Khatib's murderer was not one of the attackers."

Adeenya's head swam with too many questions. She did not know where to begin. "Which prisoner? How did they see?"

"The big formian," Taennen replied as he looked at the ground. "Guk."

Adeenya sighed. The word of the formians meant less than nothing. "You can't be serious. Who does he say is the traitor?" she asked.

"He won't tell me until I free the formians."

"Who do you think did it, if Guk's not just spinning tales?"

Taennen dropped his fork to his plate and set both on the ground. "I haven't any idea. There are over two dozen people in this camp that I do not know. It could have been any of them."

"You assume it was one of my people?" she replied, turning to see the man's face turning red. "I…" he stammered.

Taennen stared at her for several moments before holding out his left hand, palm up. He gripped his left wrist with his right hand and closed his eyes while lowering his head. Adeenya was humbled by the gesture, remembering its roots. Before Southerners learned of the Adama they lived very differently by often savage rules. If a man stole or even offended someone, a common punishment was the removal of his hand. Offering one's hand in such a gesture as Taennen was doing was a sign of great apology and acceptance of wrongdoing.

"Besides, it probably wasn't anyone here," he said. "Jhoqo is right. The last wizard of this place probably died right after revealing the passphrase. Poor soul."

Adeenya nodded, but she just wasn't sure. She debated telling him about her pendant. "Why would the formian lie?" she said.

"For his freedom, of course," Taennen replied.

"Yes, I suppose. He just…" she said.

"What?"

"He just doesn't seem dishonest," Adeenya said. "Frightening in his goals, yes. But not dishonest."

Many moments of silence passed between them. All around the courtyard, soldiers from both armies went about their duties, some on watch, some inspecting the small buildings, others hauling the dead bodies toward the citadel gate. They would be taken outside and burned some distance from the fortress.

"Time to start new," Adeenya said, quoting the founder of the Adama.

"The beginning is the beast," Taennen said.

"What?"

He turned toward her, a weak smile on his face. "My father used to say that every time he was working on a new spell or making a new piece for a customer."

Adeenya agreed. "He was full of quotes. You said he was good."

Taennen nodded. "He was the best enchanter in Estagund."

"Then I'm not sure I understand what you said about him needing the coin. He must have been a wealthy man if he was that good."

Taennen shook his head. "He refused to use his magic on weaponry or armor."

Adeenya lifted an eyebrow. "In Estagund, I'd imagine that limits one's business opportunities tremendously."

Her companion affirmed her thought. "I should have known before I did," Taennen said. "Who makes an honest living putting charms and dweomers on jewelry and decorations?"

She still could think of nothing else to say about the topic. Taennen had lost one father and gained a new one in the same day. The idea of making such a choice at a young age was beyond her. Knowing that Jhoqo had taken the boy in should have made her feel more warmly toward the man, but Adeenya still found the whole situation unsettling.

She decided to change the subject. "So where do we start on Guk? Where does the beast begin?"

"If Jhoqo is right about the former wizard of this place, then we have nothing to do, no leads to follow."

"You might have guessed this about me, Taennen, but I don't like to sit idle," she said. She wasn't going to tell him about the pendant, she decided. She couldn't trust him with that part of the puzzle. She hated the feeling, but Adeenya felt little reason to trust anyone at that moment.

Taennen grinned and said, "I figured as much."

"So even if Guk is a dead end, even if he's just trying to con his way to freedom, it's still a lead worth following simply because it's there. If Jhoqo's right, then it won't lead us to this supposed mystery person of Guk's, but we might find some other information of use. We both know that the formian knows more than he's saying," she said.

Taennen considered for a moment before saying, "I think we can arrange to interview him more carefully on the matter. I can talk to Jhoqo."

"That won't get us anywhere," she said. "You know that. You've seen how hard Guk is. He won't crack."

Taennen nodded.

"I have an idea," she said. "But I don't think you're going to like it." Before he could reply, horns sounded, and Adeenya noticed a commotion at the gate. They both ran toward the front of the citadel, pushing through the crowd of soldiers as they went. As expansive as the place was, Adeenya fought against the feeling of being hemmed in as she waded through the crowd. She lost sight of Taennen for a moment, but found herself standing behind him an instant later, as he stood stopped in his tracks. She moved next to him as he shouted for the onlookers to stand back.

On the ground before them lay the bodies of four soldiers at the feet of another five. Three of the dead were Durpari, the other Maquar, while two Maquar and three Durpari still stood. All bore scratches and were smeared with dirt. Adeenya shouted for a healer to be fetched.

Taennen stepped forward to face one of the Maquar who did not bear a serious wound. From the sweat and mud on his brow, he had clearly been in battle. The two men stood silently there another moment, Taennen's eyes locked onto the man before him, while the wounded man stared at his fallen comrades on the ground.

"Report," Taennen said, his voice a growl.

The soldier shook his head and lifted his eyes to Taennen, giving his superior officer a look that Adeenya might expect to see on a dead man's face when asked how things fared.

"We were attacked, sir," the man said.

"By whom? Where were you?" Taennen asked.

"On patrol, sir. The men who attacked the fortress before… it was them."

"You were outside the citadel walls? By the gods, man!" Taennen roared. "What in the hells were you doing out there with such a small force?"

"On the urir's orders, sir," the man said firmly.

Taennen seemed to shrink before Adeenya's eyes. The color drained from his face, leaving a pale palette begging to be filled in again.

Adeenya fought the urge to pull her remaining soldiers out and march straight back to Durpar. The Maquar urir had overreached yet again. Jhoqo had ordered men outside the walls, and now more of them were dead. That did not surprise her. She hadn't been told about it. That did not surprise her, either. It angered her, but in no way did it surprise her.

Taennen hadn't known about the patrols, though, and that surprised her. She expected a certain level of secrecy on Jhoqo's part. She was an outsider, after all. But Taennen was like the commander's son, not to mention his second in command. He should have known about the patrol.

The durir of the Maquar stepped away from his soldier as healers pushed through the crowd to tend the wounds of the injured warriors. Taennen took several steps backwards, the throng parting for him as he went. His eyes remained locked on the bodies of the men on the ground for several long moments before he looked up and found Adeenya's face. Taennen turned from the gathering. She darted after him and found him on the far side of the crowd. She caught up to him easily and fell into step beside him.

"He should have told you," she said. Taennen shook his head. "No." "You're his second."

Taennen stopped and looked straight at her. "He was right to leave me out of it. I've been a joke of an officer on this mission, and I have lost the right to be in on those decisions."

"That's not-" she started.

"Stop. Please," he said, holding up his hand. "I don't deserve his respect, but I will. From now on, I remember my place."

Adeenya shook her head. "So you'll just do whatever he says? Blind to what it might mean? Sending those men out there was foolish and he should have known better."

"I led my men into that massacre, I failed to stop the attackers, and now I'm following up on the words of our enemy who is trying to deceive me?" Taennen said. "Trust that formian? I must be mad. Jhoqo's right to leave me out of this until I get my head straight. I need to regain my focus."

Before Adeenya could speak, Taennen started off again, his gait determined. She had no idea what to say and even less idea of how to say it. She let him leave. If he wanted to wallow in self-pity she would not stop him.

Adeenya turned toward her quarters. She stopped when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Loraica standing nearby, looking out of place. Adeenya did not doubt that the Maquar terir had been trying to eavesdrop on the conversation between her and Taennen. She considered reprimanding Loraica, but the plan she had in mind could not be accomplished alone. She needed help. She could not approach Jhoqo, and Taennen had chosen to remove himself from participation. Adeenya smiled at Loraica. She would do.

But first, there was a more pressing issue to deal with. Adeenya made her way through the courtyard to Jhoqo's command building. She took long, determined steps and kept her focus on the approaching door. The guard there didn't even attempt to stop her, instead opening the door for her. Adeenya stepped into the dim room and looked for the Maquar urir.

Jhoqo sat in a chair on the right side of the room, several scrolls lying around him in a mess. He looked up when she entered and waved her in. If he was surprised or upset at her arrival, he did not show it.

"Yes, Orir? May I help you?" Jhoqo said.

"Sir, you are in command here," Adeenya said.

"I'm glad we agree," Jhoqo said, rising to his feet.

"But that doesn't excuse your decision not to inform me that you were sending my people out on a scouting expedition," she said. She held herself still and poised.

"I had hoped that by sending out the party quickly and without much fuss, perhaps they could have slipped out unnoticed and caught our enemies unawares in the woods," Jhoqo said.

"I'm not questioning your tactics, sir," Adeenya said. "Then what, Orir?" he said.

"You did not consult me or even tell me what you were doing. My people are dead and I never even knew where they were," she said.

Jhoqo's shoulders sagged. "They are back then? It did not go well?" he said.

"I'm sure they'll inform you, sir," Adeenya said, "but that's not why I'm here."

Jhoqo watched her for a moment. "Then tell me, Orir, exactly why you are here," he said.

"Sir, I'm here to tell you to not let it happen again," she said, stiffening her posture. "If my people are to be sent somewhere, I expect to know ahead of time."

"Orir, you said I was in command, didn't you? The resources in this citadel are mine to utilize," Jhoqo said. "And that includes your forces."

Adeenya relaxed her stance and looked the man in the eyes. "Never again without my knowledge, Urir. Never."

Before Jhoqo could respond, Adeenya left the building, leaving the door wide open behind her. She felt better. She wished Taennen could experience what she just had.

Taennen strode through the courtyard, ignoring the salutes as he went. They meant nothing. The men giving them had not believed in the gesture since before their fight with the formians. That fight was why Taennen had lost the respect of both his men and Jhoqo. His feet felt heavy and part of him screamed to stop, but he moved forward simply to be away from anything.

"Taennen," Loraica called. She jogged toward him, her leather armor creaking as it tried to contain her mass through the jostling motion.

"Terir," he said.

"Can we talk a moment, sir?" she said.

"Of course. Walk with me."

"I'm concerned about you, Taen," she said.

He stopped and looked at her. His oldest friend's brow was creased, her eyes big and alert. "I'm all right, Lori."

"Are you sure? You don't seem all right. I saw what happened at the gate."

"I was angry and ashamed. I'm dealing with it."

"I'm glad," Loraica said.

"What is it, Lori? There's something else bothering you." Taennen had shared more with her than anyone else in the world. Stories of his childhood, hopes for the future, bruises, blood, tears, and joys. There was likely little they could hide from one another.

"You just seem different on this mission," she said.

Taennen thought about her words. "I suppose so. This is unlike any other mission we've been on, isn't it?"

Loraica shrugged. "I guess, but… forgive me, but I'm not sure I trust the orir, and you're spending more time with her than might be necessary," she said, her body stiffening to stand at attention.

"I'm not sure what to say, Lori. I'm glad you said something, but I don't think that's the case. I trust her so far, but I hope you can trust me when I say that I'm being cautious."

"I do, Taen. You know I do," Loraica said, a smile overtaking her face. "Oh, speaking of the orir, she asked me to tell you that something's come up in her ranks, so she'll try to catch up with you later."

"I see. Thank you. Can we break our fasts together on the morrow? I feel like we haven't had much time to relax together since we got here."

Loraica smiled. "You're on, sir. See you then."

Adeenya faced west, standing atop the wall, watching the vastness of the plains stretch out before her. She had asked Loraica to join her, but she could not guess what the Maquar woman would do.

When at last Loraica approached, Adeenya did not give any indication that she had heard the other woman coming near. They stood in silence for a few moments, both staring to the west. Adeenya turned to face the terir and, for the first time, appreciated Loraica's true size. She stood at least two heads taller than Adeenya and was nearly twice as broad through the shoulders. Her skin was darker, her features less distinguishable in the soft light. A foe to be reckoned with, but now, she hoped, an ally.

"Thank you for coming," Adeenya said. "I have a plan, but carrying it out requires your help."

"Why me?" Loraica asked. Some would have asked what the plan was first.

Adeenya smiled. "I'll be honest with you and admit that I had wished to convince Taennen to help me, but he seems…"

"Distracted," Loraica finished, and Adeenya agreed. "And why not go straight to Jhoqo?"

Adeenya weighed her options and chose honesty. "The urir seems… less than pleased by my participation in serious decisions here," Adeenya said.

Loraica looked to the west again and said nothing for a few moments. "What's this plan, then?" the Maquar asked.

Adeenya hid her surprise at the woman's lack of protest over her characterization of the Maquar leader. "Taennen was informed that someone inside the citadel, not an attacker, killed your wizard," she said.

"Who?" Loraica said, stepping back, her face wrinkled in confusion.

"His source didn't tell him," Adeenya said. "But if it's true, that person is helping the attackers and we must stop them," Adeenya said.

Loraica arched an eyebrow and said, "And who is this source?"

"The formian," Adeenya said, continuing to speak so as to cut off Loraica's objections. "Yes, I know. It's probably nothing. They're probably just angling for their freedom. But what if he did see something? Isn't it worth trying to find out? We could all be in grave danger."

Loraica shook her head but said nothing.

Adeenya could not say the words she truly wanted to say: The Maquar, bastions of law and order that they were, could not see what Adeenya saw. It was only her perspective as an outsider that told her for sure that Guk was not lying. She didn't think the beast capable of it, actually. In perhaps the biggest twist of irony she had ever seen in her life, Adeenya knew that the Maquar and the formians had a great deal in common. They both cherished law and hated disorder. But she doubted the Maquar would see it that way, so she painted her plan in a more hypothetical light.

"We need to lure that person out," Adeenya said. "Lure them out? Why not just interrogate the formian?" Loraica said.

Adeenya stared at the woman for a moment before saying, "Do you honestly believe that would help after having met the formian?"

Loraica shook her head. "But if there is no one, if the formian is lying, then how do you lure out someone who doesn't exist?" Loraica said.

"Then we're not luring them out. We're proving Guk is lying and that Jhoqo is correct. And, if Jhoqo is right, then what harm does it do? We can't do anything about a dead wizard who broke under torture, but we can do something if there is a traitor," Adeenya said.

Loraica rolled her eyes and turned away, saying, "This is pointless. There is no traitor."

Adeenya reached out to stop the Maquar woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. "There's something else," she said.

"What?" Loraica said, eyeing Adeenya's grip on her. "Something was stolen from me during the fight. Something no one should have known about," Adeenya said. "What was it, Orir?" Loraica said. "A pendant."

"Well, I'm sure it was valuable or held meaning for you, but-" Loraica began.

"No, no. It was magical. I used it to communicate to my commanders back in Durpar," Adeenya said.

Loraica looked at her for a long moment and said, "Go on.

"It was hidden away in my pocket, but they knew exactly where to look. They restrained me specifically to look for it," Adeenya said.

Loraica nodded and said, "I've always been told that items like that give off some sort of aura if you know how to see them. They probably just saw that aura when they looked and decided to take it."

"No," Adeenya said, shaking her head. "They specifically came after me. They knew what they were looking for, I'm telling you."

"Who else knew about this pendant?" Loraica asked, leaning in closer.

"Only a handful of my own soldiers and your wizard," Adeenya said.

Loraica jerked back at the mention of her comrade. "Khatib? How?" the large woman said.

Adeenya shook her head. "I'm not really sure. He approached me shortly after I used it to contact Durpar. He made it clear he knew about it, but said nothing else."

"This doesn't make any sense," Loraica said, easing herself against the wall.

"I agree, Terir. That's why I need your help. I don't believe any of my soldiers would have given out that information. Nor am I suggesting that Khatib betrayed us," Adeenya added, cutting short Loraica's objections. "But he knew about it and now he's dead. Perhaps whoever killed him didn't want him able to talk anymore."

Loraica drew herself to her full height again and spoke. "If the formian is telling the truth, then who would be fool enough to show themselves as Khatib's killer, regardless of what lure you use?" Loraica said.

Adeenya said, "I find foolishness is never in short supply." Before Loraica could respond, Adeenya continued. "They'll reveal themselves if they think we already know who they are. If we spread the word that the formian knows who did it, then Khatib's killer either takes the chance that he or she won't be discovered… or eliminates the threat the formians knowledge represents," Adeenya said.

Loraica shook her head. "No. Jhoqo would never allow it. We're responsible for the prisoners and their safety."

Adeenya agreed and said, "There's no doubt that it's risky, but if there is a traitor among us, isn't it worth risking the life of a prisoner?"

Loraica continued shaking her head. "As a Maquar, a true soldier, we understand that the way we treat our prisoners indicates our own worth," the large woman said, folding her arms across her chest.

Adeenya took a deep breath and released it, holding back her barbed retort, before saying, "We do not kill our prisoners, and many Durpari have died protecting their prisoners in the past, as I'm sure have many Maquar. But we're talking about risking the formian for the safety of everyone in this citadel."

"This plan is the same as murdering the formian. He would become a target for Khatib's killer," Loraica said.

"For the traitor," Adeenya said. "Remember that. If there is a traitor among us, we need to lure him or her out before this goes any further. Before anyone else dies." She paused, letting her words sit on Loraica's mind. She wished she could make Loraica see what she saw, but knew it just wasn't possible. Adeenya cherished freedom and righteousness but knew that sometimes, the rules needed to be bent to achieve them. That was something a Maquar could never see.

Adeenya continued. "We will do everything we can to protect the formian until the traitor reveals himself. What's the other alternative? You agree we must reveal the traitor if there is one, yes?"

"Of course," Loraica said, pushing herself away from the wall to stand upright.

"And it seems quite possible that there is one, given Khatib's death, the attack, and my pendant, right?" Adeenya asked.

Loraica rolled her head from one shoulder to the other and ran a hand through her dark hair. Her lips curled and she asked, "And if we cannot protect the formian? If it dies?"

"Then we will have failed," Adeenya said, pausing for a moment. "But we'll have our traitor. It doesn't matter anyway, does it? There is no traitor." Adeenya grinned. "Right?"

Loraica's face showed her struggle with the idea. Adeenya wanted no one to die, but she was willing to let the formian die if it meant revealing the traitor.

"What would I need to do?" Loraica asked at last.

"Just tell a few of your soldiers that one of the formians knows who killed Khatib. Word should spread easily enough from there. And, before you ask, I'm not suggesting that it was one of the Maquar," Adeenya said.

"If the prisoner dies it will be on your head," Loraica said before turning to leave.

Adeenya watched her go, wondering if she had made the right choice in sharing her plan with Loraica. Adeenya did not doubt that Taennen would also have disliked her plan, so her odds of succeeding were about the same either way. Adeenya sighed and walked the opposite direction along the wall, headed toward the stairs that would lead to her quarters. It had been a long day, and she looked forward to some dinner and a chance to set aside her troubles.

Adeenya exchanged pleasantries with the guard at the northwest corner before descending the stairs. The fading light of the setting sun and the soft glow of Lucha gleamed on the polished stones of the citadel walls. She emerged into the courtyard. A Durpari soldier named Obeidat passed her, offering a salute, which she returned. Her movement was interrupted when she heard a dull thud behind her and spun on her heel to find Obeidat lying on the ground, an arrow shaft erupting from an eye socket. She sucked in a breath to shout an alarm, but was cut off by another arrow passing within inches of her face. She threw herself to the ground and shouted an alert. Her eyes cast about, looking for the source of the attack. When she found it, any doubts about her plan to ferret out the traitor flew far from her mind, and her resolve firmed.

Taennen sprinted forward, dirt flying into the air under his swift feet. Bringing his left arm up to cover his face with his shield, he reached out to grab Adeenya's belt. One arm would not carry her, but his momentum dragged her from her place out in the open courtyard just as an arrow struck the space. She continued to shout an alarm to the rest of the citadel.

Taennen dragged her several paces, stopped, and yelled for her to regain her feet. He looked over his shoulder to see the attackers, perhaps a dozen of the same masked invaders as before, in the middle of the courtyard. They carried long bows and loosed their arrows in every direction, showering the interior of the fortress with deadly shafts. They stood back to back in small groups, covering every direction, protecting one another from unseen reprisals. The invaders looked like statues in the garden of a wealthy merchant.

"Get down!" Adeenya knocked Taennen's leg from underneath him, toppling him to the ground. An arrow struck the building nearby. The archers had spotted them.

"Move!" she shouted. He rolled to his feet, and they ducked into the cover of the nearest building.

Taennen peered through to the other side to find two of the enemy archers had fallen to bowshots from the defenders, but sprawled about the courtyard at least three times that many Maquar and Durpari were dead or injured. Taennen stood flat against the wall again and forced a deep breath. His eyes came to rest at the top of the northern wall where he saw Loraica positioning Maquar archers. He made hand signs indicating that he would try to make it to the western wall to muster more fire power from there. Loraica nodded at this communication and turned her attention back to the men with her.

"Get to the eastern wall. I'll head for the western," Taennen said to Adeenya.

Adeenya nodded. She patted his shoulder and ran east, leaving the safe cover of the structure. He watched her dash across the courtyard, arrows thunking into the dirt behind her as though she were dropping them as she ran to make a trail she could follow back.

Loraica's archers loosed enough arrows to cover Taennen as he made his move to the western wall. He breathed a sigh of relief as his foot made the bottom step of the northwest stairwell. He scanned the area for ally troops and saw a pair of Durpari soldiers running toward him. Taennen waved the men on and ordered the two to follow him up the stairs.

When they reached the top of the wall, they found that more of the enemy bowmen had fallen, but over half a dozen still remained. Taennen ran along the wall, the Durpari soldiers following him. He stopped at a point from where the two soldiers with him would have clean shots to the center of the courtyard and barked the order for them to attack. Farther down the wall, several Maquar were already loosing their weapons at the invaders.

At least ten Durpari and Maquar soldiers were dead in the courtyard, having attempted to charge the enemy archers. An arrow sailed high toward the wall, and Taennen shouted for the two Durpari men to lie flat. The missile flew wide of its target and bounced off the wall behind him. The Durpari men found their feet, offering their thanks for his intervention, and set about firing at the invaders.

Two more enemies fell. Their attack would have to end soon. One of the invaders made a noise, an unintelligible shout to the others. Two of the archers shouted back and pulled arrows from their boots, firing the missiles perhaps twenty paces from their position, straight into the ground. The courtyard suddenly filled with an unnatural darkness, which covered a large portion of the interior of the fortress from the ground to halfway up the walls. The citadel defenders stopped firing, no longer able to see their targets within.

Many tense moments passed before the uncanny darkness dissipated. Taennen loosed a breath and felt his shoulders relax, though only a little. He looked to the two men with him. "That was excellent work, men. Well done," Taennen said.

"Thank you, sir," they said in unison.

Taennen took in the scene around him and shouted to all within the sound of his voice, "Hold the wall! Keep your eyes alert both inside and outside the citadel. We cannot be surprised again."

Returned shouts of "Aye, sir!" came to him and he headed to the courtyard, offering more complimentary words to those he passed. Adeenya and Loraica were headed toward the courtyard from their perspective places on the wall as well, and each offered him a nod as they approached.

All around him in the courtyard were the bodies of his comrades and those left alive tending to them. He walked to where the attackers had been cloaked in their darkness and crouched to examine the ground.

"That was damned effective," Loraica said, standing next to him.

"How in the hells are they doing this?" Adeenya asked. "The darkness is no real feat. Any arcanist worth his salt can do that. But how do they enter so easily?" Her voice dropped. "Do you think someone is letting them in?"

"Twice they've hit us here in the supposed security of our citadel," Taennen said as he stood. He noticed a few other soldiers standing nearby had heard him and listened to his words. He raised his voice for more to hear. "Twice, they've invaded our safety. They will surely come again," he said.

One of the nearby Durpari blurted out, "No! We can't let that happen."

Taennen nodded at the man. "He's right. We can't let them do that. We can't do that to ourselves. We will figure this out. We will stop them," he said.

Several heads nodded but a few muttered amongst themselves, their reservations clear.

"There is nothing we cannot do if we stay united, if we stand up to what appears to be hopeless," Taennen said. "Trust in me and I will trust in you, friends. That trust will be a wall that these heathens will not break, will not pierce. They will assault it and be turned away by its strength."

Subdued cheers came in response and more heads nodded. That was the most he could hope for The coming night would be a long one as the dead were identified and sorted out. Hope would be important.

"Make sure shifts are changed every six bells. I can't have anyone missing something because they're exhausted," Loraica said to a subordinate soldier as they both looked over a duty roster. Several more names had been crossed out.

The man affirmed her orders and left for the wall.

"What have you learned?" Jhoqo said from behind her.

Loraica turned to face Jhoqo, reminded of the last time he had sneaked up on her. His face was plain, his gaze locked onto hers. His stealth wasalways disconcerting no matter how long she'd known the man.

"Sir, I have important news from the battle. I was just coming to see you."

"First, what have you learned about the orir?" Jhoqo said.

"Sir, before the attack, I saw Taennen and the orir talking extensively," she said. "After they separated, the orir approached me and told me of a plan to lure out a possible traitor that might have killed Khatib. She wants to spread word through the ranks that one of the formians witnessed the killer-one of our own-entering the tower during the fight."

"That would be pointless. There was no traitor," Jhoqo said, resting against the wall. "That doesn't make any sense."

Loraica agreed. "Yes, sir, but the orir thought it worth a chance in case there really was a traitor, and she said that if there wasn't one, then there would be no harm done. And an item was stolen from her during the battle."

"What item?" Jhoqo said.

"A magical trinket used to contact her commanders," Loraica said.

"Hmmm. That's unfortunate, but I don't see how that figures into these attacks," Jhoqo said.

"Sir, she thinks it might mean that someone knew about her device, and might have betrayed us," Loraica said.

"Nonsense. They're wildmen. They just saw something shiny and valuable and took it," Jhoqo said.

Loraica nodded. Jhoqo might have been right, but Loraica found all of the pieces of the puzzle harder to deny than he did. She decided to think on it further and said, "Sir, I think the orir just needs to feel useful, to be honest with you."

"You've done well, Loraica. You're a fine terir," the man said.

"Thank you, sir."

"Does Taennen know of this plan?" Jhoqo asked.

Loraica shook her head and said, "I do not believe so, sir." Her guts wrenched, and in that moment she knew why. She wanted to tell Taennen, to let him know that she hadn't gone over his head by approaching Jhoqo directly, that she wasn't excluding him over his mistakes. She tried to comfort herself with assurances that she had done so on a direct order from her commanding officer.

"Let's keep it that way for now. I'll approach him with this," Jhoqo said. "This mission has been a struggle for him. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," Loraica replied.

"You also understand that this plan of the Durpari woman is unnecessary, don't you?" he said.

"Yes, sir," she said, uncertain for the first time in a long while.

"Good. Where would we Maquar be without our honor? Our prisoners are as good a measure as any by which we gauge ourselves," Jhoqo said. "Using them as bait, even when we feel there's no danger… it's just not right."

Loraica nodded, hoping she could share her news soon.

"With this latest attack, morale will be low," Jhoqo said.

Loraica agreed. The soldiers of both nations would be demoralized by their inability to understand how the attackers had twice gained access to the citadel and how they remained so well hidden in the wilds.

"We need to strengthen the resolve of the soldiers to protect Neversfall and everything it stands for. We must defend our position regardless of the cost. This is too valuable an asset to our nations to let it slip through our hands," Jhoqo said. "We need to figure out how these barbarians are gaining entrance to the citadel and how they killed Khatib."

"Sir, that's where my other news is important."

"Of course, Terir. Please, what is this other news?"

"Sir, I believe I saw some of the invaders coming from one of the buildings in the courtyard."

"Hmm. You're sure?"

"Yes, sir," Loraica said. "Very sure."

"Maybe they were raiding it, or hiding there?" he said. "Well, it's circumstancial, I suppose, but definitely worth looking into. Which building, Terir?"

Loraica turned and pointed to one of the smaller vacant quarters.

Jhoqo nodded. "I hope you're right, Terir. If so, we can stop the orir's nonsense about a traitor. The idea of a traitor in our midst only hurts morale more. If you're right about that building, then we can firm up morale by reassuring everyone that the threat does not come from within," he said. "And if the men discover for certain that the enemy is on the outside, they'll stay alert and anxious to exact retribution."

"Yes, sir," Loraica said. "But it could be possible that they have an accomplice inside. It's unlikely, but possible. Shouldn't we at least consider it?"

"When you are a leader of men, Terir, you realize that belief is a stronger tool than truth," Jhoqo said. "Uniting men in a cause by appealing to their morale is the single most effective weapon a commander has at his or her disposal. Remember that. Sometimes that means giving them all something to care about. Other times it means taking that something away."

They stood there, facing one another for a long time before Jhoqo spoke. "You have wall duty this night?" Jhoqo asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. I will sleep more soundly knowing that," Jhoqo said with a smile, and he clapped her on the shoulder. "I will order an examination of the building you suspect is the invader's entrance. Until we can prove something, though, please don't share this with anyone else. I don't want a panic, tearing buildings down looking for the attackers."

"No, sir."

"Good. Thank you, Terir. I believe firmly that morale will benefit if you are right. But if we get hopes up among the troops only then to dash them if we find nothing, I fear a greater plunge in spirits," Jhoqo said. "Let me know if you learn anything else. Have a good night."

"Yes, sir."

Jhoqo smiled again and walked away. Loraica looked back at her dwindling list of soldiers' names and pondered what the man had said. She had expected him to show a little excitement at her discovery, instead of launching into one of his speeches.

She sighed. If holding her tongue for a short while would keep the list in her hands from growing shorter, then that's what she should do. But she wasn't sure it would help to pretend there was nothing strange going on.

In the end she had made a commitment to Adeenya. With any luck, Jhoqo was right and it was pointless, but if he were mistaken, something needed to be done. Loraica settled into her pace atop the wall, watching the stars come out and wishing she had answers. Moreover, she wished she didn't have the questions.

The dim light of the morning peeking through the high windows in the small stone room made Marlke s frown difficult but not impossible to see. His lips were as square as the stones that made up the walls.

"Are you sure, sir?" the dwarf asked as he knelt to continue lacing his boots.

"Yes. The formian was very clear," Adeenya said.

The room was clean and orderly. Marlke was discipline incarnate and always kept his quarters neat, as all soldiers were required to do in training, but few managed once they were in the field. He said it was good for morale, and Adeenya figured if it worked for Marlke, he was welcome to it.

"I don't know," Marlke said. "It sounds too convenient to me, Orir. They're prisoners looking for a bargaining chip."

"We can't take that chance. They saw the traitor," Adeenya said. "Until we can pry the identity from them we need to be on guard for treachery-all of us. Getting the information shouldn't take too long."

"It's risking a lot on nothing," Marlke said. Adeenya raised an eyebrow and the dwarf added, "Begging your pardon, sir."

"I agree that it's risky," she said, "but it's what we must do."

Marlke grunted and shrugged before saying, "Fine, sir. I'll spread the word this morning during the meal."

Adeenya nodded. Withholding information, especially from her own second, felt wrong and unbecoming to a leader, but she saw no choice given the circumstances. She had considered letting Marlke in on her plan, but had decided that the fewer people who knew, the better the chances of the plan working. And the plan needed to work. The mystery of her missing pendant still burned in her mind. She hoped she would not cross the boundary between caution and paranoia.

She thanked the dwarf for his cooperation and took her leave of him. The sun had just passed the horizon, but the morning air still bit at her cheeks as Adeenya strode across the courtyard toward her meeting with some of the jail guards. She paid no heed to the soldiers around her who were still cleaning up the mess from the previous evening's attack. The dirt was still black where her comrades had fallen. She mouthed a prayer and continued on her way.

Adeenya moved around the side of the structure built to serve as the armory, reaching her quarters. The gray stone matched her mood. She disliked subterfuge and resented having to play at it. She passed through her door and sat at the desk on the right side of the room. Its light wood, polished to a high sheen, shone in the sunlight streaming in through the eastern windows.

She had found no rhyme or reason to the placement of buildings with different features in Neversfall. Some had tiny windows, others were normal. Some had heavy, solid doors and locks while others were secure but minimally so.

Adeenya sat at her desk to review her schedule for the day. After her meeting with the jailors, she would speak to the supply officer and then the cartographer. Every officer in her unit knew their job and did not need to be managed, but Adeenya had found her people often appreciated it when their she checked in with them. There was a fine line between going too far and riding ones subordinates to the end of their wits and letting her presence be known. She made every attempt to make her expectations clear and her support obvious without crowding anyone's efforts. A quick meeting once a tenday kept her informed and her subordinates on their toes.

She set her papers aside when a knock sounded on the door. "Enter," she said.

Two jail guards entered and stood attention. The first was a tall Maquar, lean and trim with a seasoned and disciplined stance. His face was clean-shaven and his hair short and trim. The personnel records on her table showed his name was Initqin, though Adeenya could not recall having met the man.

The Durpari guard next to him was named Muria. She had joined Adeenya's command more than a year before and Adeenya enjoyed the woman's company whenever she found time. Muria was shorter, bulkier, and less meticulous in appearance than the Maquar.

"Good morning, sir," Muria said.

"Good morning, Muria. Initqin," she said with a nod. "Both of you, please have a seat."

Initqin saluted and relaxed his stance. "I'll stand if that's all right, sir."

"Whatever you like," Adeenya said. Her dreams of joining the Maquar when she was a young girl came back to her in that moment-the proper demeanor, the strict order.

Adeenya enjoyed her Durpari comrades, but sometimes she longed for more formality from them.

Muria sat facing Adeenya and rolled her eyes toward her Maquar companion. Adeenya smiled at the woman and shuffled through her papers for a moment.

"We'll try to keep this quick. Do either of you feel that any guard changes are needed? Anyone having trouble with the duties? Does it seem like the prisoners are getting to anyone?" Adeenya said. "I know none of this is easy, even under ideal conditions."

"Sir, for my part I think everyone's doing pretty well," Muria said. "We're tired and shaken, but you know that."

"Sir, I believe Bhariq could use a break from the jail duties," Initqin said.

"He's okay, really. He's just a little tired," Muria said. Adeenya was pleased by Muria's defense of Bhariq but felt the need to dig further. Solidarity between soldiers was wonderful, but not at the cost of overlooking someone's well-being.

"Muria, can you fetch his papers for me? They're on the shelf back there," Adeenya said. Duria nodded and headed toward the back of the room. To Initqin, she said, "Can you give me some specifics?"

"Well, sir, he just seems overly irritable. Yesterday he shouted at one of the human prisoners who was being persistent about being released. We all want to release them, and we all have to listen to them whine-" The man stopped, drawing the sword from his belt as Muria screamed.

Adeenya leaped from her seat, tipping over her chair and letting it clatter to the ground. She ran toward Muria who stood leaning against the bookshelf at the back of the room. Muria showed no wounds or signs of injury-only shock.

Adeenya scanned the room. She saw a thin line of dark, dried blood on the floor and followed the trail to the corpse of Loraica tucked behind a chest and partially covered by Adeenya's spare bedroll.

Adeenya's ears rang with a low tone as her knees began to wobble.

Initqin appeared at her side and looked past her to the body of the Maquar terir. "What in the name of all the One?" he said.

"Muria, get help. Initqin, search the rest of the room," Adeenya said as she began searching the area around the corpse. Whoever had killed the terir was long gone, no doubt, but there might be clues. Finding them quickly would be crucial before the room filled with more people coming to the call for assistance. Muria nodded and ran out the door.

Adeenya pulled the blankets back from Loraica's body. Her flesh was cold and dry. She had been dead for some time-hours, at least. Adeenya froze. When had the body been hidden there? Had she slept in her room all night with the woman's corpse nearby, or had it been concealed during the her visit to Marlke's quarters? Loraica's throat had been cut, much like Khatib's. The line was smooth, made by a sharp weapon. Loraica's hands and arms showed no immediate signs that she had struggled.

Adeenya pushed the corpse on its side to look under it. As she had suspected, there was also a deep wound in the woman's back. Loraica had been attacked from behind, and then had her throat slit.

"Do you see anything, Initqin?" Adeenya asked as she moved a chest away from a wall. "There must be a clue somewhere."

"Sir, drop your weapon," the man replied.

Adeenya turned to face the Maquar who held his sword a few handspans from her side. "What are you doing, soldier?"

"Placing you under arrest, sir. Now please, drop your weapon."

Adeenya felt a rush of adrenaline and fought off the urge to attack the man or flee for her life. Her military training kicked in and she saw the earnest look in the man's eyes. He would try to kill her if she did not comply.

"Stay calm, Initqin," she said, letting her sword fall to the floor. She held her arms out low to her sides.

"I will, sir. Thank you for disarming. Please remain still until reinforcements arrive," Initqin said. Adeenya noted and appreciated his calm tone and demeanor. His commanding officer was dead several paces behind him, but he was collected and professional. Another soldier might have killed her where she stood.

"I'm going to sit down if that's all right. We'll sort all this out when Jhoqo gets here," she said. She needed to sit. She needed to think. Loraica was dead in her room. If Adeenya had seen such a sight in someone else's quarters, then she would have acted as Initqin had.

Adeenya glanced back to the rear of her quarters as though Loraica might rise and be well if she only longed enough for it to be true. But it wasn't. It never would be. Adeenya ran a hand through her hair and returned her gaze back to Initqin who returned her stare and readjusted his grip on his sword.

"I'm not going to run, Initqin. I've done nothing wrong," she said. "You really believe I killed that woman?"

"It hardly matters what I believe," the man replied.

In her time with the Maquar, Adeenya's childhood admiration for them had dwindled but never so much as in that moment. Duty, a fine thing, a tradition the Maquar held most sacred, was blinding the man before her.

She could see in his face that he did not believe she was a murderer. But his sense of duty made it impossible for him to choose to lower his weapon and help her reason out what must have occurred. He could come to her defense when Jhoqo arrived on the scene. He could but he would not. Initqin would stand there, weapon readied, and watch Jhoqo accuse Adeenya. That was duty.

"You can lower your arms, soldier," came Jhoqo's voice as he entered the building.

Initqin complied and stood at attention.

Jhoqo strode to the back of the structure and knelt next to the corpse of his terir. "By the gods, Lori," he said.

Several moments passed, Initqin still staring Adeenya down, before Jhoqo rose and took a seat across from Adeenya. "Tell me everything," he said.

Adeenya met his eyes. "I was here, discussing reports, when her body was found," Adeenya said. "I have no idea how she got here."

"You deny killing her then?" Jhoqo said.

"Of course I deny it. I didn't do it!"

Jhoqo nodded and patted Adeenya on the knee. She held herself and did not flinch at his fatherly reassurance. Certainly that would not have helped the situation at all.

"Then what did? Are there any clues?" he asked.

Adeenya was puzzled by his question, his lack of accusation. "I didn't have a chance to look for them," she said, looking to Initqin.

Jhoqo nodded. "Well, rest assured we will come to the bottom of this. When is the last time you saw Loraica?" he asked.

"Last evening atop the wall," Adeenya said.

"To what end? What did you discuss?" he asked.

"The situation with the invaders," Adeenya said, seeing no reason to tell the entire truth. "And the possibility of the formians' involvement. She was concerned, the same as I am, that there could be a traitor among us."

"I see," Jhoqo said. "Please find some different quarters for the time being. Take a few of your essentials and move them there. We'll need to thoroughly investigate this place."

"I am to go, sir?" Adeenya asked.

Jhoqo shrugged as he stood. "If I were to hold you over this incident, I would have riotous soldiers-namely yours-on my hands. Also, truth be told, Orir… I'm inclined to believe you."

Adeenya stood and nodded, too stunned to speak.

"If I am wrong, we will soon find out." Jhoqo smiled nastily. "Besides, my dear, look where we are. If you were guilty and wanted to run, where would you go? The wilds of the Aerilpar? That's a death sentence, and I know you're well aware of it."