01 - Thieves of Blood

by Tim Waggoner - (ebook by Undead)

  Makala gave Diran a sad smile, then came forward and pressed her cold lips to Diran’s.

  “Farewell, my love.”

  Her form blurred then, and with a sudden rush of wind, she was gone.

  Diran remained sitting there, alone, for quite some time.

  * * *

  “Is it done?” Ghaji asked as Diran stepped onto the deck of the Zephyr.

  Diran didn’t answer, and Ghaji decided not to press the matter. Whatever had occurred, Diran would share it in his own good time.

  The priest stepped over to the starboard railing and looked out upon the moonlight reflecting silver off the water. Ghaji walked over and joined him.

  “The Nightwind is ready to sail, but Hinto thinks we should wait until daylight to depart. It’ll be easier to navigate the winding passage out of the cove then.”

  Diran nodded, though Ghaji didn’t think his friend had really heard him.

  Their plan was simple. The Zephyr would lead the Nightwind—piloted by Hinto and Tresslar and crewed by a number of former prisoners—along the shoreline of Orgalos until they found a suitable place to set anchor. They would then begin ferrying the freed prisoners onto land.

  The half-orc wasn’t certain what would become of Grim-wall. Tresslar wanted to pick through Erdis Cai’s collection to retrieve whatever magic items might be of interest, while according to Yvka, her employers in the Shadow Network would most likely wish to do the same. Hinto wanted them to take over Grimwall and use it as their base of operations, just at the crew of the Seastar had so many years ago. Ghaji had tried pointing out to the halfling that there was no them, and thus they had no need for Grimwall-—not to mention there were still undead hobgoblins lurking about somewhere—but Hinto had ignored him.

  “How much longer until sunrise?” Diran asked.

  Ghaji looked up at the sky. “A little less than two hours.”

  “Where’s Yvka?”

  “In the cabin, meditating.”

  “Why don’t you go join her and get some rest,” Diran turned to Ghaji and managed a smile, “or whatever. I think I’ll stay here and wait for dawn.”

  “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather let her be. Though she won’t admit it, piloting the Zephyr takes a lot out of her, and she’ll need her rest for tomorrow.”

  “As you wish,” Diran said.

  The two companions stood silently side by side as they waited for the first rays of sunlight to come chase away the darkness.

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