The Elven Stones_Family

by P. A. Wilson

  “They are afraid,” Springheart said. He knew that without the stone in place there were only a few centuries left for elves to survive, and as the older generations died without children, more would become the last of their line. When that happened all the remaining elves would become orphans. “I guess step one is to find out who stole the stone and get it back.”

  She read the message again. “How will we find that out?”

  He had no real answer for that. “We can only hope that the stone is on this island. Otherwise we don’t have a chance. I can only believe that fate wouldn’t play such games with us.”

  Chapter 8

  Maynard reflected that his hiding place had been very fruitful yesterday. Now he was the only human who knew the details of the contract. He’d spent a restless night trying to decide which was the better path. To make sure that his rivals failed, which would mean the elves would eventually disappear. It needn’t be by natural causes of course. A few assassinations, faked accidents, and an occasional skirmish were all it would take and suddenly humans would be running the world.

  The problem with that plan was that he had no reason to believe he’d be one of the humans in charge. The other plan was still the best option. Get involved with the contract, keep his knowledge to himself, and then he could be the one to save the elves. That was a sure way to fame and importance beyond the guild leadership.

  For a mad moment, the thought of selling the information crossed his mind, but that was just late night fantasy. It would destroy any hopes he had of becoming a guild board member. No amount of money would make up for that. And he didn’t have enough details to satisfy a purchaser anyway. His decision had nothing to do with the twinge of pain in his heart when he considered it. It was simply logical to take the most clear path.

  Now that he had made his choice, he had to find a way to get attached to the contract. And it wouldn’t be as a partner. The contract and Lisseline were clear on that. Only the two damn elves were allowed to fulfill it.

  His appointment with Reven Mistryn was set. After Lisseline he was most likely to have the power to help, and Reven was fond of good food and pretty women. Too fond for his own good. Maynard waited for him in a private room at The Gilded Trout where they would lunch.

  “Maynard Slack, my third favorite courier,” Reven declared as he strode through the curtain. “A perfect place for lunch. I love the food, and appreciate the service.”

  “The service is especially pretty today,” Maynard said, ignoring the resentment at being Reven’s third favorite. “I requested Mally. I think she likes you.”

  Reven sat and moved the place setting slightly to center it. “Then we must ensure my wife never knows about the food, or she will insist that I bring her here to experience it herself.”

  They exchanged pleasantries while the meal was served, Reven flirting boldly with Mally. Maynard’s anxiety had soured his stomach, but he forced himself to eat to avoid suspicion. When Mally left the room for the last time, until dessert at least, Maynard started his campaign. “I find myself at loose ends for the next couple of weeks. I wondered if there was anything I could do to help the guild.”

  Reven put the rib bone down and wiped his face. “There are plenty of contracts. Someone of your experience should be able to take any of them.”

  Maynard gave what he knew was a disarming smile. “But the younger couriers need to gain experience. I thought perhaps I could take on a supporting role with one of the larger contracts. Perhaps help out Gayan with the merchant guild contract.”

  “Gayan already has an assistant. We asked Lorelien to help him. She needs the experience with larger contracts, and he needs watching.” Reven didn’t elaborate on the reason the board members needed to spy on Gayan.

  “I see. Well are there any other large contracts that I can help with? Perhaps train a new courier,” he said, careful to avoid offering to help Springheart and Willowvine. That would raise suspicion even in Reven. Maynard would only mention it if the fool didn’t make the connection.

  “A new contract came in yesterday,” Reven said, picking up another rib. “I do not know how large it is, but it seems very important.”

  Maynard pushed the potatoes around on his plate. “Really. That’s odd for a board member to not know the intimate details of any contract.”

  Reven wiped his mouth and poured more wine for both men. “Part of the deal. I’m sure the gossip has gotten around.”

  “I know that there was a meeting, and that Aranate Devissial was there. Didn’t the contract go to the elves?”

  “Yes, by request.” Reven stopped shoving food into his mouth and regarded Maynard.

  Knowing as much as he did, Maynard had to be cautious of the knowledge he displayed. “I’m sure they are capable. They are a strong team and the top ranked couriers.”

  “Seemed to be a bit of tension between them,” Reven said. He sipped more wine. His second glass to Maynard’s half. “It would be good for the guild board to ensure they had all the help they needed.”

  Maynard nodded at the wisdom. “If they are willing, I can act as their assistant. And I can report any problems to you before the client knows.” He added a sly smile to the words.

  Mally entered the room with a wink to Reven. She cleared the dishes and then brought small cakes and caf.

  “I think that’s a splendid idea,” Reven said, pushing aside his caf in favor of one more glass of wine. “I will talk to the board and insist that they take you on. But you will report problems to me, not to the whole board. Are we agreed on that?”

  Maynard raised his own glass in agreement.

  Now let Springheart and Willowvine try to keep him out of the contract. This old fool would be the perfect choice when Maynard was ready for an opening on the board.

  Chapter 9

  Springheart pushed aside the sheaves of paper that they’d scribbled on during the morning. The guild room was small, but still better than their apartment for this kind of work. It had been a whole day and still they had no idea who had taken the stone. He hadn’t expected much, but one clue would be better than this.

  There was still a list of informants to work through, names they’d gleaned from other couriers, people who always seemed to know what was going on. He was starting to think they were asking the wrong questions. It wouldn’t work to ask who didn’t like elves, too many people were afraid of the unknown. The only common knowledge about his people was that they were berserk fighters. Few outside the elven lands knew about the knowledge, the poetry, or the simple joy in nature that really defined the elves.

  Maybe the better question would be who of the local people had changed recently?

  A knock on the door of their private room interrupted his thoughts.

  Willowvine was interviewing sources, and she was due back in a few minutes, but she wouldn’t have knocked. He turned the papers over, and then went to unlock the door.

  The marshal waited in the hall. “The guild board wants to see both of you.” The man never wasted time on pleasantries with couriers, saving his manners for clients.

  “When?” Springheart was not expecting to meet the board. If the client didn’t want updates, the board should be hands off.

  “Where’s the girl?”

  “I expect her back soon,” Springheart replied. “When does the board wish to meet with us?”

  “As soon as she’s back come to the antechamber, and I’ll put you at the head of the line.” He turned and marched away.

  This was not a good sign.

  After this meeting, they would find a place outside the guildhall to use, so that it would be more difficult to demand meetings, information, or progress.

  He locked the door, and started packing the various papers into his satchel. As he finished, the lock turned and Willowvine entered.

  “I might have a lead,” she said, and then, noticing the tidiness of the room, added, “I thought we had the room as long as we needed it.”

  �
�We don’t need it any longer,” he said, explaining what had happened.

  She handed him a sheaf of notes to add to the papers he’d packed. “What do you think they want?”

  He shook his head and motioned for her to leave the room. “I hope it is nothing that will require us to give details. The Heart Oath is still in place so we won’t, regardless of the consequences. Let me do the talking this time.”

  The short walk to the antechamber passed in silence. Perhaps she was considering the wisdom of his words.

  They were standing in front of the marshal when Willowvine finally responded. “I’ll try, but if they want to change the contract, or reduce our payment, I won’t agree.”

  “We are not going to renegotiate.” Springheart would go to the client if that were the purpose of the meeting. This was too important to let guild politics or greed get in the way. “I suppose I can’t ask you to keep quiet if we don’t know what’s going on. Just don’t make things worse.”

  She grinned, which didn’t exactly comfort him, but the door to the boardroom opened and the marshal motioned for them to enter.

  Inside the room were only two of the board members. Lisseline and Reven. The red blotches on his face revealed that Reven was his usual half-drunk self at this time of day. They sat when invited, but Springheart couldn’t relax until he knew what was happening.

  “We have had a discussion,” Lisseline said. “The majority of the board members agree that you will need help fulfilling this contract.”

  The way she said it, Springheart was sure Lisseline wasn’t one of the people agreeing to help. Hoping to get her on their side, he asked, “Without knowledge of the details, which we cannot give you, how do you know what help we need?”

  “The importance of the client, Springheart,” Reven said. “We cannot allow you to be unsupported in this. The client is far too valuable.”

  Springheart glanced at Willowvine. Her eyes were closed. She was scanning them for intent. Scanning deeply, which drained her energy, and he wanted her to be conscious. He reached over and tapped her arm. She opened her eyes and gave a slight nod. There was no ill intent here, just unwanted help.

  “We cannot take on help without divulging details. We have taken an oath.”

  Lisseline waved away the objection. “This will be assistance. You assign tasks, and Maynard will carry them out. He doesn’t need to know any details.”

  Maynard Slack?

  “Isn’t he a little too high on the ranks to act as a runner?” Springheart wanted to say no, but he knew that it would just push them to insist.

  “He has time, and an interest in helping,” Reven said. “I understand there is a tight deadline on this. You need all the help you can get.”

  They were right about the deadline. He didn’t have the luxury of time to sit here arguing a lost cause. They’d find a way to get Slack out from under their feet while they did the work. “When will he be available?” he asked, not quite willing to agree outright.

  “Wait, I have a question,” Willowvine said before anyone could answer Springheart. “How will he be compensated? I don’t think we should pay him out of our commission. We didn’t request his help after all.”

  A good question, but Springheart realized he’d neglected to teach her how to negotiate with more finesse. Dumping all her arguments out on the first round was a sure way to lose the advantage.

  “But he will be assisting you. Why should anyone else pay his fee?” Reven was genuinely surprised.

  “Because we don’t need his help. You are insisting that we take him,” she said. “The guild is making a fat commission on this. And Maynard wants to help, you said so.”

  “She has a point, Reven,” Lisseline said. “This was your request. You should bear the cost.”

  Yes, Springheart thought, Lisseline was opposed to the offer. Perhaps she would be of help if things got awkward with Slack.

  “The board should bear the cost. We all voted,” Reven argued.

  Lisseline glanced at Springheart and Willowvine. “I think this discussion is best held with the other board members and no witnesses. You will find Maynard in the antechamber. Make your arrangements. Do not fail us.”

  Chapter 10

  Willowvine saw Maynard waiting for them in the antechamber as promised, an oily smile on his face as usual.

  “Where are we going to meet now?” she asked Springheart in a whisper. “It’s not like we can let him see anything we’re actually working on.”

  He took her elbow to slow her pace and said, “Let’s find a way to get rid of him for a while. There must be an errand we can send him on.”

  Willowvine wanted to tell Maynard to go away, but knew it wouldn’t work. She took the bag containing their papers and waited for Springheart to deal with the problem.

  “So, I am at your service,” Maynard said as he stepped toward them. “What can I do to earn my keep?”

  To anyone it would look like he was only trying to help, but Willowvine knew he was up to something. She couldn’t identify the emotion, but a blue stain in his aura tainted the graciousness that he tried to project.

  “We need some supplies,” Springheart said. “Can you gather them for us?”

  Maynard shrugged. “If that is what you need. Do you have a list?”

  Willowvine suppressed a smile as a sour yellow blush infused Maynard’s muddy aura. He definitely didn’t want to be an errand boy. But they needed time to find a way to keep him off their backs, and a long list of shopping would make that happen.

  Springheart called her over, and between them they came up with a list of items they needed that would have Maynard running all over town for a few hours.

  “Where shall I deliver this?” he asked when they were finished.

  Springheart looked around the hall. “We have a private room. I’ll have the marshal give you a key.”

  That arranged, Maynard left them.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Willowvine said. “I don’t want anyone listening in.”

  Springheart led her home. It was only a short walk from the guild, but he was right about leaving the room at the guildhall — home was the best place. They knew the layout and no one could approach them without her seeing the glow of their intent. There were few people around at this time of day and she would expend very little energy keeping a watch out for intruders.

  When the door was locked and they were settled around the small table, she felt safe in telling him what she’d felt from Maynard. “He was the presence earlier.”

  “What?” Springheart was spreading out the notes they had already gathered.

  “In the board room, remember? I said that I felt a presence and you said they must be outside?” The emotion she hadn’t been able to identify in Maynard was the same that she’d sensed yesterday.

  “He must have been hiding in the antechamber. I wouldn’t put it past him to try to spy on the board members.” Springheart placed the original message in the center of the table.

  “Yeah, like you said, he couldn’t have been in the room.” She wasn’t convinced of that, but there was no point in arguing. “So how do we know what we can tell him?” She didn’t want to learn what the oath considered revealing too much by having her heart explode.

  Springheart sat and sorted the papers before answering. “I think he knows who the client is, so we should be okay with anything about that. We might be able to ask him to use his contacts to find someone who suddenly has a different attitude about elves.” He groaned. “We’re much better at retrieving specific items from hard places. Subterfuge isn’t our strength, but I fear that it is Maynard’s.”

  Springheart might not be good at sneaking around for information, but this was something Willowvine missed since they’d left the elven lands. When she’d lived with her gang in the hills, they always had to find out where the best items were to liberate. That was her job, along with reading auras, she knew how to find where a treasure might be. “We need to talk to Deviss
ial,” she said. “He might have some information he doesn’t recognize. And Maynard is good at spying. So, let him spend time asking questions. We can give him a list that includes all kinds of unnecessary information too. He doesn’t need to know what we’re looking for exactly.”

  Springheart looked at her and she could see he was impressed. A flash of pride filled her. This was the first time she’d been able to contribute more than Springheart. It made her feel like a partner rather than a student. Maybe now he’d think about her idea of starting their own guild. She laughed and said, “Don’t look so shocked. I did this stuff all the time when I lived in the hills.”

  “I’m sorry that I underestimated your experiences with your gang,” Springheart said. “I’ll go now and see if we can meet with Devissial today. I don’t want to waste time with dithering. We might have to travel with this stone. You make up the list, and we’ll meet in an hour at the guild hall.”

  She nodded and started creating the questions. Maynard would think he was truly contributing with this. It would keep him busy until late tonight, giving her and Springheart time to do the real work.

  * * *

  The stack of supplies that Maynard had left in the guild room was enough to support any expedition. The speed at which he’d delivered worried Willowvine. He might get through the list of questions before they’d thought of another way to keep him occupied.

  Now she and Springheart were standing in Aranate Devissial’s foyer waiting for their client to join them.

  “I need you to read his intent while I ask the questions. Let me know if there’s a problem by rubbing your eyebrow.” Springheart was nervous, he’d told her this same information twice on the walk over.

  “Don’t worry. I think he’s telling us everything he knows. If there’s anything he missed, it’s because he didn’t think it was important, not because he’s withholding.” She glanced around to make sure they were still alone. “Are you going to tell him about Maynard?”