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Chapter 23. To Kaineng |
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’m goin’,” Mog rumbled, “Danger ‘r not. I were ne’er on th’ guild roster in Kaineng. I don’ see as it were a great threat t’ me.” Lemony sat on her nest of blankets watching the big mesmer gathering his traveling gear and shoving them into his pack. He could feel her fear and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. “I want to go with you.” Mog pursed his lips, a protest billowing within him. He shook his head at her sadly. Lemony was needed here and he could not stand the thought of putting her in danger. Her warm brown eyes glistened with barely contained tears and he knew anything he said to deny her would only make them fall like rain. Dear sweet Lemony, he adored her for her purity of spirit. When he was with her the mental chatter died down and he could relax. But not now. Her pain was so potent it cut into his psyche like a knife and he had to shield himself. “Lem, please don’ ask that o’ me.” “There must be others who can search in Kaineng. Why do you have to go?” “If me brother is at sea, he will go t’ ground where tis easiest t’ hide. I know he’s got contacts in Cantha an’ it won’ be hard fer ‘im to disappear in th’ city.” “They could go anywhere, Mog. There are other ports, other places to hide. Why do you have to pick the one where the Celestial Ministry wants Zhou’s guild destroyed?” “He’s me brother. I jus’ know tha’s where ‘e’s goin’. I’ve always known where t’ find ‘im. An’ I can get there by sigil an’ head ‘im off. I can’t delay much longer.” Perhaps it was some part of his gift as a magician, but he trusted his instincts in regard to Belenus and had yet to be proven wrong. Kaineng was huge and crowded. If Belenus needed to discretely move an imprisoned man to a secure location, Kaineng was just the place. The bureaucracy of the dragon empire was legendarily corrupt and no doubt Belenus was counting upon that. Lemony crouched on her shins and began preparing her own traveling pack. A lump of dread knotted his throat. “No, Lem, stay here. Teleri needs you.” “Teleri needs Pendaran,” Lemony replied sharply, “and if you think you can find your brother then I’m going with you. I know the language and I know how things work in Cantha. You need me.” Mog hesitated, taken aback by the fire in her resolve. She meant it, as always, with every ounce of her being. She would not take no for an answer and he had to respect her choice but it unsettled him just the same. Sighing, he finished packing in silence, wishing there was something he could say to discourage her. When he as done, he rose stiffly, half-crouching under the low roof of their makeshift home. Lemony, rose and shouldered her pack demonstratively. He moved out into the early dawn sunshine with a grunt of surprise. Keisha Lhan was standing outside in her black leathers studded with a personal arsenal of blades. A knapsack rested under her left arm. “I took the liberty of inviting Keisha along,” Lemony said grimly. Dumbstruck, Mog stared at the two petite women. Despite her shockingly dyed strawberry blond hair, Keisha could have been Lemony’s sister. He towered over the two lithe figures, a giant in their midst. “How’d yeh know I were goin’ t’ Cantha?” “We didn’t,” the assassin said bluntly, “but we assumed your guilt about your brother would drive you to do something rash. No need to lose two mesmers when we’re already short one.” “Keisha also knows who might pay a very large bounty for Pen in Cantha and no doubt Belenus did his research. We talked this morning after meeting with Xiang Yi… Cantha seemed a logical destination to us as well.” The assassin nodded stiffly. “My former handler, Master Tan, is offering one hundred bars of platinum to have Pendaran returned to him by order of the Celestial Ministry. If Belenus makes it known that he has Pendaran in his custody, the Ministry will have the power to seize him if Belenus tries to extort or negate the deal.” Mog let this sink in for a moment. When he said nothing Keisha continued, her dark eyes gleaming with determination. “So if you really do believe Pendaran is being taken to Cantha, you will need all the help you can get to track him down before the Ministry does. Once they have him he may as well be dead.” “Isn’t Cantha a danger t’ yeh?” “I am capable of hiding my identity,” Keisha said grimly, “It is part of my trade, after all. I also believe I know Kaineng better than both of you and can keep you from danger while we make our search.” “Please let us help, Mog,” Lemony said, “It would break my heart to think of you doing this alone. It’s too dangerous.” He sighed, conceding their point. Going alone to a foreign land he hardly knew or understood did seem foolish upon reflection. “Aye, let’s be goin’ then.” |
