"Assuming the usual antagonist is behind this." Tal gave the mirror one last look over, then handed it back. "Aldric's court seems to contain enough vipers besides."
Putting away the mirror, Aelyn's eyes gleamed anew as he leaned into the firelight. "Every court has its scorpions. But I have already cleared the most obvious subjects. No councilor in the King's Circle nor other close advisor is our traitor here. The greatest of the noble houses, too, appear exempt. If any of them were aligned with the Enemy, it would already be too late."
Tal kept his doubts to himself. "What of a servant? Or an unknown Jahn?"
The mage shrugged. "Perhaps. But this is not the work of a little man. There have been other disturbances of unnatural origin. Some I've felt myself. Others have been witnessed. And you have seen how the Enemy extends his power. Or was that tangle of quetzals not as far inland as you've ever seen?"
The memory of the feathered serpents scattering from around Garin cut through his mind. "'Tis true, I'll admit. But alone, it's not enough."
"It's not the only sign. At least three cases of madness have been reported among the nobility. A whole party of young noblemen swears they saw ghouls in a courtyard on a full moon night. And then there were the matters of sabotage that the King mentioned."
Tal crossed his arms and leaned back, careful to avoid pressing on his side, still sore from the quetzal attack. "It's certainly enough to make you wonder. Alright — say I'm convinced. What did you have in mind?"
"The same as any hunter." Aelyn reached inside his cloak, now a formal one rather than the traveler's cloak he'd worn on the road, and withdrew the white, silken bag that contained the Night-touched pendant. "We'll follow their scent."
Tal stared at it for a long moment, eyes narrowed. "Won't work," he said finally.
"What won't work, precisely?"
"Your plan. It has one major flaw."
"And that would be?"
Tal held out his hands helplessly. "If the Enemy is behind these events, he'll see it coming. He'll feel you probing and have fair warning. Either the traitor will escape, or the Enemy will claim you."
A sneer worked its way onto Aelyn's lips. "The latter will never happen, I assure you."
"Why? Because you have your glyph ward?"
"Because, fool, I am always vigilant and never trusting."
A snort escaped from Tal. "Check your finger and tell me that again."
The mage's lips pressed tightly together. "I underestimated you. I won't make that mistake with the Prince of Devils or his servants."
Tal shrugged. "Either way, your plan doesn't accomplish what we want — finding the traitor rather than driving him off. And we must find him. Only by discovering his identity can we hope to stop all the mischief he's put into play."
Aelyn narrowed his eyes. "I suppose you have a better plan?"
"I believe I do." Tal leaned onto his elbows and flashed his wolf's smile. "We hunt this traitor down the old-fashioned way. Every prey leaves tracks, and we have several leads already."
The mage shook his head. "It's no better than using the pendant. If it's you doing the hunting, they'll see you coming from a mile away."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I'm rather adept at playing the fool when I wish."
"Perhaps because it comes naturally."
Tal laughed softly. "No doubt. Now, feel free to risk your sanity if you wish to pry at the necklace — that's your business, and I can't stop you. But tell me what you know first."
Aelyn shifted his legs, a wince showing through his rigid mask. "Very well. Where do you wish to start?"
"The sabotage. I want to know who all would have had access to that bungled supply line and missing war rations."
"I'll provide a list. But you'll be interviewing them for weeks."
Tal tapped the side of his nose. "Not to worry — I have a keen sense of smell when it comes to trouble. Then the ghouls — I'll need the names of those witnesses as well."
"And I suppose you'll want the same for the victims of madness?"
"Exactly." Tal reached over and patted the mage's arm. "See how well we're getting along already?"
Aelyn's fiery eyes swirled, but he didn't shift. "If you want a full list of suspects, you should add Kaleras the Impervious to the list as well."
Tal flinched before he could stop himself. "The Warlock of Canturith? He's Avendor's first line of defense against the East. Why would he be suspect?"
The mage had found his smile again. "If I can be claimed by the Enemy, then that old warlock certainly can. Your 'first line of defense' may very well be a thrall to Yuldor."
Tal had to keep his fists from clenching. "It's possible. But I heard he arrived here a week ago, and the incidents happened before that, did they not?"
Aelyn inclined his head. "They did. But accomplishing deeds from so far away would be no great feat for a magician of his renown. And there remains the question of why Kaleras abandoned the Fringes to come to Halenhol. Suspicious, is it not? It would be prudent to investigate him — just in case."
What do you know? If he could have ripped the elf's head open and discovered the answer, he would have been sorely tempted. As it was, Tal painted on another smile. "Of course it would. I'll feel him out, just in case."
The mage rose from his chair. "Wait here a moment — I'll look up those names and give you that list."
"But aren't we searching for the traitor together?" Tal called softly after the mage as he disappeared into a dark doorway.
Aelyn didn't bother responding.
After several long minutes, Tal slowly eased from his chair and tiptoed across the fireplace to the shadowed table next to Aelyn's chair. There, he saw a bag sitting, as inviting to a thief's hands as a king's feast to a starving vagrant. Glancing at the doorway again, Tal reached inside the bag and pulled out the handmirror.
Little wonder it had been noticed — it wasn't a beautiful piece of work, but crude and roughly hewn, just sufficient for its job, as if it had been made with the brutal efficiency of goblins. Little more than a hand long, it wasn't difficult to find a pocket for it to slip into. Harder was the replacement object so that Aelyn wouldn't notice it missing. Tal hunted around the room before settling on a small journal that was roughly the same size, if a bit too rectangular for an exact match. But, with any luck, the mage wouldn't touch the mirror's bag again, having considered it useless for their hunt.
When Aelyn returned with the list of names, he was again lounging in the chair, a goblet of wine in hand, every bit the bored dandy. The elf's lips curled in distaste, but he made no comment as he handed over the lists.
His poor opinion suited Tal just fine. After all, a fool could do what a wise man never could, and he intended to do a great deal.
Lessons for a Legend
As the door slammed open, Garin shot upright from his bed and stared wide-eyed at the entrance, heart sprinting like a startled doe.