of the dwarves had wailed at the loss, and more than that number had shot murderous looks at their guests, blaming them no doubt for their friends’ misfortune.
Espre nodded at the shifter. "They’re on a shelf way down the wall.”
"Is it stable?” Kandler asked. "Can they hold on for a while? ”
Espre’s eyes unfocused for a moment, then she nodded again. "They’re well, although they want us to come for them as soon as we can.
Kandler wrapped an arm around his stepdaughter and gave her a hug. "Just as soon as we’re ready,” he said. He shouted for Krangel.
The dwarf poked his head out of the inn’s front door and scowled at Kandler. "What?”
"How fast can you get us loaded up?”
The dwarf’s face split in a tight grin.
Chapter
10
F orget Aerenal," Kandler said. "We’re going straight to Argonnessen.”
The others stared at him. Sallah, Espre, and Monja gaped at him. Even Xalt’s jaw dropped. Duro grinned as he thumbed the edge of his axe.
Kandler couldn’t read Te’oma’s face at all, but if changelings were good at anything it was hiding their true selves. Even if he thought he could have picked up on how his words made her feel, he couldn’t have trusted his assessment.
Burch didn’t say a word. He just spat on the ground. From long experience, Kandler knew that meant the shifter was with him, whether he thought they were heading in the right direction or not.
"That’s madness!” Sallah said. "You can’t possibly be serious.”
"You want to sail straight into an entire continent full of dragons?” Monja said.
"It’s the stuff of legends,” Duro said. "Bards will sing of our deeds for generations to come!”
"Assuming we don’t all get killed,” Sallah said, shaking her head. "Who will sing a dirge for us if none survive to tell the tale?”
"Maybe the dragons will make up a song about us,” Burch said, smiling.
"It’ll be called, 'What I Had for Dinner,’ ” said Monja, who didn’t smile at all.
Xalt stared at Kandler with his unblinking ebony eyes. "Why have you changed your mind?” he asked. "Would we not have a better chance against the dragons if we had the help of the Undying Court?”
Kandler looked down at the body of one of the assassins. Burch had hauled it up on to the bridge so that they could all take part in the discussion, even Espre who had taken the wheel when they’d left Durviska behind. Kandler had wanted Sallah or Monja at the wheel, but Espre had pointed out that, since she was in telepathic contact with Te’oma, she was the best choice. He’d had to agree.
As the dwarves toted the new supplies on to the Phoenix, they’d also brought the bodies of the assassins along and deposited them on the deck. "Consider it a way to repay the discount I’m giving you,” Krangel had said.
Kandler could only agree to that too. The crew of the Phoenix didn’t have a great deal of gold among them and little else to barter with. Krangel had given them a good deal on enough supplies to take them to the southern shores of Khorvaire, which would have to be enough for now.
Besides, Kandler had wanted to get a better look at the killers. He pointed down at the corpse on the bridge now. The blank eyes of the assassin he’d stabbed in the neck stared up at the open sky. Kandler reached down and removed the body’s gray hood.
Under the fabric, the corpse had a shaved head that— like his face—had been tattooed with white inks and darker
shadings to resemble a bleached skull. The ears stood up straight and proud and bore fine points on their tops. "Elves,” Sallah said. "Are they one and all?”
Kandler glanced at Espre and saw that she’d taken one hand from the wheel to feel the tops of her own ears. They bore points just like those on the corpse.
"They’re Stillborn,” Burch said from where he’d perched on the bridge’s rear railing.
"Look like adults to me,” Duro said, tugging at the roots of his beard.
"It’s a cult,” Burch said, "made
Espre nodded at the shifter. "They’re on a shelf way down the wall.”
"Is it stable?” Kandler asked. "Can they hold on for a while? ”
Espre’s eyes unfocused for a moment, then she nodded again. "They’re well, although they want us to come for them as soon as we can.
Kandler wrapped an arm around his stepdaughter and gave her a hug. "Just as soon as we’re ready,” he said. He shouted for Krangel.
The dwarf poked his head out of the inn’s front door and scowled at Kandler. "What?”
"How fast can you get us loaded up?”
The dwarf’s face split in a tight grin.
Chapter
10
F orget Aerenal," Kandler said. "We’re going straight to Argonnessen.”
The others stared at him. Sallah, Espre, and Monja gaped at him. Even Xalt’s jaw dropped. Duro grinned as he thumbed the edge of his axe.
Kandler couldn’t read Te’oma’s face at all, but if changelings were good at anything it was hiding their true selves. Even if he thought he could have picked up on how his words made her feel, he couldn’t have trusted his assessment.
Burch didn’t say a word. He just spat on the ground. From long experience, Kandler knew that meant the shifter was with him, whether he thought they were heading in the right direction or not.
"That’s madness!” Sallah said. "You can’t possibly be serious.”
"You want to sail straight into an entire continent full of dragons?” Monja said.
"It’s the stuff of legends,” Duro said. "Bards will sing of our deeds for generations to come!”
"Assuming we don’t all get killed,” Sallah said, shaking her head. "Who will sing a dirge for us if none survive to tell the tale?”
"Maybe the dragons will make up a song about us,” Burch said, smiling.
"It’ll be called, 'What I Had for Dinner,’ ” said Monja, who didn’t smile at all.
Xalt stared at Kandler with his unblinking ebony eyes. "Why have you changed your mind?” he asked. "Would we not have a better chance against the dragons if we had the help of the Undying Court?”
Kandler looked down at the body of one of the assassins. Burch had hauled it up on to the bridge so that they could all take part in the discussion, even Espre who had taken the wheel when they’d left Durviska behind. Kandler had wanted Sallah or Monja at the wheel, but Espre had pointed out that, since she was in telepathic contact with Te’oma, she was the best choice. He’d had to agree.
As the dwarves toted the new supplies on to the Phoenix, they’d also brought the bodies of the assassins along and deposited them on the deck. "Consider it a way to repay the discount I’m giving you,” Krangel had said.
Kandler could only agree to that too. The crew of the Phoenix didn’t have a great deal of gold among them and little else to barter with. Krangel had given them a good deal on enough supplies to take them to the southern shores of Khorvaire, which would have to be enough for now.
Besides, Kandler had wanted to get a better look at the killers. He pointed down at the corpse on the bridge now. The blank eyes of the assassin he’d stabbed in the neck stared up at the open sky. Kandler reached down and removed the body’s gray hood.
Under the fabric, the corpse had a shaved head that— like his face—had been tattooed with white inks and darker
shadings to resemble a bleached skull. The ears stood up straight and proud and bore fine points on their tops. "Elves,” Sallah said. "Are they one and all?”
Kandler glanced at Espre and saw that she’d taken one hand from the wheel to feel the tops of her own ears. They bore points just like those on the corpse.
"They’re Stillborn,” Burch said from where he’d perched on the bridge’s rear railing.
"Look like adults to me,” Duro said, tugging at the roots of his beard.
"It’s a cult,” Burch said, "made
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