* * *
Maliar sat by the heat crystal in the rental house in Tir na nOg, dressed in a flowing red robe. Her gloves and boots were purple silk so dark they seemed black, and a sword lay on the table in front of her.
She glanced at the lurikeen sitting on the table next to her. "You don't know what has become of the sheevra?"
Shaidar shook his head, smoking on a tiny wooden pipe. "The people give conflictin' information. The survivors from that little town south o' Dun Bolg say they saw an elf wearing blue an' purple scale talkin' with another elf in black and purple. The ones in the village east of nGed say they saw the elf in black and purple going north days, almost a week, before the sheevra was supposed ta arrive. There's a village between both keeps where nobody claims ta have seen either one." He paused, puffing his pipe for a few minutes before continuing. "The attack by the Northmen killed a lot of people. Your sheevra friend is probably dead."
She stood abrubtly, reaching for her sword. "That is not acceptable, Shaidar."
"Lady Dergan, there's nothing I can do ta get any more information! The villages are burned, most of the people are dead! The Northmen killed and raped throughout the area! They could have gotten your sheevra, killed him or captured him!" The little lurikeen sounded a bit hysterical. He was not, she remembered, the type of assassin who hunted realm enemies. This had probably been his first true brush with the realm war.
She changed her grip on the sword, slipping it into her sash. How did the dergans handle the clunky thing? "Very well. Ambonumutil will see to your payment."
Shaidar nodded, and cleaned up his pipe. He hopped down from the table and left without a backward glance.
Maliar waited until Ambonumutil entered the room. "I trust that the watcher saw you?"
The lurikeen underhill nodded.
"Good." She stared at the room with Glamoured blue eyes. "I am the Dergan enchantress Faalien Nar'Kilesk. I have hired the lurikeen to investigate the Delegation for me, as I fear for my brother in these troubled times." She ran a hand through her Glamoured white hair. "And now I go to buy supplies."
* * *
Hours later, after ducking into a jeweler's shop to Glamour Ambonumutil into the non-existent Faalien's shape and send her back to the rental house, Maliar knocked on Lasaiena's door.
Lasaiena opened the door, hope fading from her face when she saw Maliar. "...Come in, Maliar."
Maliar entered the house and took a seat by the fire. "Lasaiena, you know of the troubles brewing with the Court." She didn't wait for the sheevra woman's nod before going on. "I have reason to believe that the Court has moved against us."
Lasaiena blinked, then her hands flew to her face. "You mean Isliffell."
"Aye." Maliar bit her lip before continuing. There was so little hard information, but what she did have painted a bleak picture. "He left a little over two weeks ago. The day after he left, Cirig fell into a feverish state. So, we have no way of knowing if his bond still exists." She frowned. "The day Isliffell was supposed to arrive for his meeting, the Northmen attacked the whole region he would be in."
"It could be coincidence-"
"No. Not with Cirig out of the way. It's no coincidence that this all happened at the same time, but someone wants us to think it is." Maliar stood abrubtly and began to pace. "I can't believe anyone in the Court could have enough clout to work with the Northmen. Perhaps whoever he was sent to meet was supposed to kill him and Isliffell would be reported as merely another casualty of the frontier. Cirig might not live through this fever. If he doesn't, all the better for whoever plots against us. If he does, though...." Maliar looked at Lasaiena, green eyes flashing.
Lasaiena nodded, her blue eyes darker than normal. "I see. We will have to rouse Cirig then."
Maliar reached out, touched her arm tentatively. "If whoever did this thinks they have gotten Isliffell out of the way, then they can move against the rest of the Delegation next. We don't know when they'll strike, so we don't have time to spend on Isliffell yet." She swallowed. This could get nasty. "He is probably dead, Lasaiena."
The sheevra woman looked at her. "We won't know till Cirig awakes."
"No, we won't. I've set Erinara to tending him, but her magics aren't working." Maliar breathed deeply. "I am afraid that for now, we must leave him be. We must- We must take control of the Delegation. The Delegation must be ready for any action on the Court's part, and it will not be if it is reeling in confusion over Isliffell's death."
The End