twenties, with lank black hair that fellto his shoulders and spread across his chin. Under the right circumstances, he might have been handsome, but his eyes were haunted and he had a hungry, desperate look. He wore dark cavalry leather and a short black cloak, and he held a dagger in his right hand.
“Rasial used to be a windchaser—an aerial racer—with a gifted touch for hippogriffs and daggerhawks. He stopped racing after a terrible accident, but he still had talent and ambition. I helped him get back on his feet, and in return he perform certain services for me—notably, bringing certain exotic goods to Sharn through the air. Recently, I paid him a great deal of money to bring a special package into the city. I know that he returned to Sharn yesterday, but I have not received my merchandise, and he has gone into hiding. There are many possibilities, but I suspect that Rasial’s greed finally outweighed his loyalty. As I said, it’s not the first time someone has taken advantage of my generous nature.”
“So you want us to hunt him down for you?” asked Daine.
“You wound me, Daine. I am not a vengeful woman. You’re still alive, aren’t you? I don’t care what becomes of Rasial, but I want what I paid for—the goods he was carrying, or at the very least the knowledge of who has them now. Deliver the shards, and I will pay you … say, three hundred dragons? That should be more than enough to get you established in Sharn or wherever you intend to settle.”
“Four hundred,” Jode said. “There are four of us.”
“You actually think of your warforged as an ally? I’ve always seen them as pets.”
“He’s right,” Daine said. “Four hundred.”
“Three and a half,” she said languidly. “Half the coin for half a man.”
“He’s worth more than I am, Alina.”
“What made you think I was talking about your warforged?”
“Four or not at all.”
“Oh, Daine,” Alina heaved a dramatic sigh. “Do you suppose I can simply conjure platinum coins from thin air?”
“Do you really want an answer?”
The gnome studied him solemnly and finally allowed a smile to cross her perfect features. “Very well. For old time’s sake. Four hundred it is.”
“So what are we looking for?”
“Khyber dragonshards,” Alina said. “A very rare form of Khyber shard, at that.” She waved a finger at the mirror, and the dagger in Rasial’s hand shifted into a shard of black crystal laced with purple veins. The veins were faintly luminescent. Every now and then, they would flare up with a brighter burst of light. “I could give you a tedious lecture about their origin and value, but I imagine that your lady friend can do that just as well as I can. I know Rasial hasn’t left the city yet. He may still have the shards, or he may have already sold them. In either case, finding Rasial is probably the best place to start.”
Daine studied his counterpart carefully. “Is he dangerous?”
“Who isn’t?” Alina lazily swirled her wine about in the goblet.
“How do you know he hasn’t left the city?”
“I have my ways.”
“Helpful as always. Is there anything in particular about him that we ought to know?”
“Now that you mention it … if you should cross blades, I suggest that you don’t let him touch you.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s all you need to know.”
“I’ll bear that in mind.” Daine turned away from the mirror. “Look, Alina, I’ll be the first to admit that we can use this money. But why are you doing this? You could hire a Tharashk inquisitive for a fraction of what you’re offering us. Are you telling me you can’t find him yourself?”
“Daine,” she said reproachfully, “you won’t take my gifts. Can’t I help out an old friend by giving him a simple job?”
“Your gifts are never free, and we were never friends. What’s your angle here?”
She laughed. “It seems ten years isn’t such a long time after all. You know me too well. You’re
“Rasial used to be a windchaser—an aerial racer—with a gifted touch for hippogriffs and daggerhawks. He stopped racing after a terrible accident, but he still had talent and ambition. I helped him get back on his feet, and in return he perform certain services for me—notably, bringing certain exotic goods to Sharn through the air. Recently, I paid him a great deal of money to bring a special package into the city. I know that he returned to Sharn yesterday, but I have not received my merchandise, and he has gone into hiding. There are many possibilities, but I suspect that Rasial’s greed finally outweighed his loyalty. As I said, it’s not the first time someone has taken advantage of my generous nature.”
“So you want us to hunt him down for you?” asked Daine.
“You wound me, Daine. I am not a vengeful woman. You’re still alive, aren’t you? I don’t care what becomes of Rasial, but I want what I paid for—the goods he was carrying, or at the very least the knowledge of who has them now. Deliver the shards, and I will pay you … say, three hundred dragons? That should be more than enough to get you established in Sharn or wherever you intend to settle.”
“Four hundred,” Jode said. “There are four of us.”
“You actually think of your warforged as an ally? I’ve always seen them as pets.”
“He’s right,” Daine said. “Four hundred.”
“Three and a half,” she said languidly. “Half the coin for half a man.”
“He’s worth more than I am, Alina.”
“What made you think I was talking about your warforged?”
“Four or not at all.”
“Oh, Daine,” Alina heaved a dramatic sigh. “Do you suppose I can simply conjure platinum coins from thin air?”
“Do you really want an answer?”
The gnome studied him solemnly and finally allowed a smile to cross her perfect features. “Very well. For old time’s sake. Four hundred it is.”
“So what are we looking for?”
“Khyber dragonshards,” Alina said. “A very rare form of Khyber shard, at that.” She waved a finger at the mirror, and the dagger in Rasial’s hand shifted into a shard of black crystal laced with purple veins. The veins were faintly luminescent. Every now and then, they would flare up with a brighter burst of light. “I could give you a tedious lecture about their origin and value, but I imagine that your lady friend can do that just as well as I can. I know Rasial hasn’t left the city yet. He may still have the shards, or he may have already sold them. In either case, finding Rasial is probably the best place to start.”
Daine studied his counterpart carefully. “Is he dangerous?”
“Who isn’t?” Alina lazily swirled her wine about in the goblet.
“How do you know he hasn’t left the city?”
“I have my ways.”
“Helpful as always. Is there anything in particular about him that we ought to know?”
“Now that you mention it … if you should cross blades, I suggest that you don’t let him touch you.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s all you need to know.”
“I’ll bear that in mind.” Daine turned away from the mirror. “Look, Alina, I’ll be the first to admit that we can use this money. But why are you doing this? You could hire a Tharashk inquisitive for a fraction of what you’re offering us. Are you telling me you can’t find him yourself?”
“Daine,” she said reproachfully, “you won’t take my gifts. Can’t I help out an old friend by giving him a simple job?”
“Your gifts are never free, and we were never friends. What’s your angle here?”
She laughed. “It seems ten years isn’t such a long time after all. You know me too well. You’re
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