Book Two - Wolflings and Wizards
Just as the sun was growing strong on the walls of Danda-lay's palace, an astonished doorshelt admitted a bloody, bedraggled wood faun, dripping with sweat and mist water. He was still wearing his hat with a green plume.
"Syrill? What happened to--? Wait! You can't--! At least let me announce you--!" By the time Syrill arrived at the dining hall, he was trailing half a dozen palace shelts, all politely dissenting. Pleasant voices, laughter, and the clink of utensils died as the dignitaries caught sight of Laven-lay's general. He walked to his king and spoke into the stunned silence. "Meuril, Lexis has taken Capricia."
Excerpt:
1. The Ripples Begin How rude of them to start a war without telling us.
--remark attributed to Kietsis during the wizard wars.
Just as the sun was growing strong on the walls of Danda-lay's palace, an astonished doorshelt admitted a bloody, bedraggled wood faun, dripping with sweat and mist water. He was still wearing his hat with a green plume.
"Syrill? What happened to--? Wait! You can't--! At least let me announce you--!"
By the time Syrill arrived at the dining hall, he was trailing half a dozen palace shelts, all politely dissenting. Pleasant voices, laughter, and the clink of utensils died as the dignitaries caught sight of Laven-lay's general. He walked to his king and spoke into the stunned silence. "Meuril, Lexis has taken Capricia."
* * * *
"How can you be sure the Raiders are in Selbis?" In the dawn light, Chance hefted his pack onto his deer.
Laylan grunted. "All kinds of things." He was busy dusting away the last traces of their night's camp on the old Triangle Road. They had not yet reached sections of intact paving, but bits of broken stone pushed up here and there through the leaf mold. "The dagger that belonged to Gabalon is Fenrah's," continued Laylan. "Where would she have found such a thing?"
"That doesn't mean Selbis is their den."
Laylan mounted Shyshax and they all started west. "Fauns think the place haunted and never go near it. I've searched the city before, but only for obvious clues--wolf scat and tracks. I never found anything, but I shouldn't have expected to."
Chance frowned. "You never told me about it."
"I didn't think you were employing me to trouble you with my every false start and wrong turn. I thought you wanted me to catch them."
"In that case--" began Shyshax. Laylan reached down and clamped a hand around his muzzle. The cheetah's tail twitched a couple of times.
Laylan cleared his throat. "I suggest you go back to Lupricasia and let me do my job.
Chance shook his head. They had been over this the night before. "I've let you alone for the past two years, and you've not--"
Shyshax's tail was lashing furiously, and even Laylan nearly lost his temper. "If you had done as I advised, Sham would be dead now, perhaps all of them!"
Chance inclined his head. "That's true. I was wrong." Laylan released Shyshax's mouth in surprise.
Chance continued. "This time, I will do as you suggest, which I suspect will mean killing them on the spot. I want to be there. I want to see this den. Now, please, tell me why you discounted Selbis before."
Laylan hesitated. "I had a notion the Raiders were in a faun city. They're getting expensive equipment from somewhere, and the few bribes I've traced were extravagant. They"re
also distributing fine weapons, medical supplies, and food to other packs. The sum total of their known raids can't account for even a tenth of the value. Also, the Raiders disappear completely during the worst months of winter--a time when other packs are most vulnerable. The Raiders don't seem to need to hunt. I suspected they had a wealthy faun patron, probably in Port Ory, who was also their host. Once, I even suspected Danda-lay."
Chance stared at him. "You mean a cliff faun is--?"
"Selbis, though..." Shyshax interrupted. "That's more like our lady." "Your what?"
It was Laylan's turn to lash his tail. "He means Fenrah. She doesn't like to hide under faun protection if she can help it. Selbis would be a city all her own, a haunted fortress. It's large enough to store quantities of food and supplies. If you look at their raids, look at the pattern, you can see Selbis is the hub. They never attack the closest towns because they don't want to draw
attention in that direction, but none of their attacks came more than three day's journey from the city. Laven-lay is two days away, one if you push. Port Ory is the same distance, and so is Danda-lay. The Tiber-wan and all its traffic are an easy day's travel. Selbis makes a perfect den, though I still suspect a wealthy faun patron."
Chance ground his teeth. "I want that faun. Perhaps the den will give us some clues." He thought for a moment. "So, you think we can catch them? Only the two--" He glanced at Shyshax with distaste. They had never gotten along. "Only the three of us?"
Laylan pinched Shyshax's ear before he could say anything. "We must surprise them to have any chance at all. No pun intended."
