The Dagger of Trust

by Chris Willrich

  "Andoran. I don't have more specific plans. I want to see it. More of it. I might want to become an Eagle Knight." She spoke the last in a rush. "There, I've said it."

  The group went silent.

  "You don't believe in small ambitions, do you?" said Ozrif.

  "Says the would-be druid!"

  "You have to investigate dreams," said Gideon—to them, to her, to himself. "Even if you don't follow them, you have to understand them, why they speak to you. I was surprised, too. But Corvine needs to do this." As he spoke, some memory teased him, of a vision he'd forgotten. It spiraled away from his grasp.

  "Will you be showing her around, Mister Gull?" asked Hammerton.

  "I...don't know. I'll write to my family, for certain. It's been too long. But I may also have duties here. Corvine and I have much to discuss."

  "Well, if you need anything, Mistress Gale," Hammerton said, "you look us up. We're not the most well-connected people in Almas, Briar and I, but we're no slouches either." Briar grunted agreement. "And if your winds blow our way in the near future, maybe we can take you there, no charge. We're staying at The Cat and Feather."

  "Thank you," Corvine said. "I'll work my passage, if so."

  "We'll be glad of the help," Adebeyo said. "Tyndron amazes with the sword but he's all thumbs with the mop."

  "Feh," said Tyndron.

  They admired the city and moon and stars, talking of this or that, while the back of Gideon's mind flickered with dimly glimpsed portents. He half-expected Demonwake to return.

  But it was not a ghost-ship that was approaching, but time itself.

  Second Intention's crew made their farewells, then Ozrif and Viridia, and then Corvine and Gideon stood alone, save for the vast presences of past and future.

  "I feel like a stone," Corvine said, "at the very top of a high hill. At any moment the wind will blow and decide which way I'll fall. Even a man's breath would be enough to send me on my way." She put her arm around him. "But I want to hear him speak."

  "I don't know what to say," Gideon confessed. "I don't know what I am. I've allowed Taldor, and Sebastian, to turn me into a walking conundrum. An Andoren commoner who serves the nobles of Taldor. A performer who spies. A lover who kills."

  "This may simply be a more complicated way of saying you're human."

  "It's more than that, Corvine. I think you recognize that."

  She sighed. "Let the wind blow. What's your choice?"

  "I will join the Lion Blades. All the men I am, they must honor their obligations. Because all the men I was have spent too many years avoiding them."

  "And you and I? Do I have no claim on your sense of duty?"

  "I think you know the answer."

  "I think I don't."

  "If Ozrif and Viridia can attempt to divide themselves between bardhood and the druids, surely you and I can negotiate our way between Andoran and Taldor."

  "Now who's dreaming large? Ozrif and Viridia need only stroll the streets of Cassomir to find each other. We'll have whole nations between us!"

  "I suspect we'll find ways of spending time in Cassomir, too. And who knows? It may be advantageous to have a Lion Blade stationed in Andoran. I'll make my desire known to Rell."

  She laughed, hope and despair making a chord of her voice. "What if it's my destiny to hunt you down?"

  "If so, promise we'll write an opera about it."

  "I promise nothing. I fear you don't know what you're getting into. That you're too truthful a man to be a spy."

  He remembered Xeritian's words. You dislike lies, and that is admirable. Remember the value of truth. It is high. But it is not infinite.

  "But I'll try, Gideon. I'll try to make this work." They stood, embracing in the cold breeze, the sounds of the city washing over them. "I believe I just heard the finale of our first opera. Time to return to The Harp and Harpoon, I think."

  "You go," Gideon said, something at last crystalizing like a snowflake in his memory. "I have an errand. Something I'd forgotten until just now. I won't be long."

  "An errand? I suppose you're off to see another woman."

  "Not precisely. More an assignment for the Lion Blades."

  "I'll see you later, then. But be quick about whatever assignation or assassination you have in mind, Gideon Gull. You don't want your character assassinated by a bard."

  "Well do I know it."

  They parted down by the statue of General Coren, and both patted its foot for luck.

  As if walking in a dream, Gideon threaded his way to Canal Row, the Longnight revelers keeping its streets busy, until he found his way to the tavern with the wide-eyed cat upon its sign, feather in its mouth. There he asked after a server named Roesia.

  When the tall, red-haired woman with the cat's-eye tattoo came to his table, he couldn't help but notice the swell of her belly. She'd have to leave off work soon, he suspected.

  "Sir?" she said.

  "Please sit. I won't be long."

  She had tired eyes, but not hard ones. Somehow he was glad of that. She said, "I hope not, if you don't mind. The tavern-keeper's paying extra tonight, and I need the work."

  "I'll be quick. I have a message from Sebastian Tambour."

  She put her hands on the table, as if to steady herself. "Yes?"

  "He said to say he's sorry."

  Even after weeks of fog and wizards and ghosts, the silence afterward was more than Gideon could bear. And so he set his coin purse on the table, and slid it over to her. "And to give you this."

  She took the purse, hands shaking, and glanced into it. Her mouth opened in shock.

  Ozrif was right about Longnight, Gideon thought; he would probably hate himself in the morning.

  "Where is he?" Roesia asked. "Can you say?"

  "He's dead."

  She closed her eyes. "How?"

  He hesitated only a moment. "He died serving his country. I can say no more."

  "I'll tell his child that," she whispered. Her eyes narrowed. "If it's the truth...?"

  With this dagger, child, I will protect you, in the name of the child he was, weeping by the burned castle, and the child I was, shivering by the old, cold river.

  "You can trust me," he said.

  Acknowledgments

  I'm grateful for the efforts of: James Sutter, wielder of the +5 sword of editing; my agent, Joe Monti of the 18 in Awesomeness; the mighty He-Who-Was-Once-The-Slush-God, John Joseph Adams; and especially my wife Becky, who let me take an extended trip to Golarion. A raised mug of Bellis Mead to Fritz Leiber, for charting the territory.

  About the Author

  Chris Willrich is a former children's librarian best known for his sword-and-sorcery tales of Gaunt and Bone, which have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and elsewhere, and which continue in the novels The Scroll of Years (Pyr, 2013) and The Silk Map (forthcoming). Chris lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his family.

  Glossary

  All Pathfinder Tales novels are set in the rich and vibrant world of the Pathfinder campaign setting. Below are explanations of various key terms used in this book. For more information on the world of Golarion and the strange monsters, people, and deities that make it their home, see The Inner Sea World Guide, or dive into the game and begin playing your own adventures with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook or the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box, all available on paizo.com. Readers particularly interested in Andoran and Taldor should see the Pathfinder Player Companions Andoran, Spirit of Liberty and Taldor, Echoes of Glory.

  Abadar: Master of the First Vault and the god of cities, wealth, merchants, and law.

  Abrogail II: Current ruler of Cheliax.

  Absalom: Largest city in the Inner Sea region, located on an island in the Inner Sea.

  Abyss: Plane of evil and chaos ruled by demons, where many evil souls go after they die.

  Age of Darkness: The barbaric era following the apocalyptic fall of a meteorite called the Starstone.

&nb
sp; Almas: Capital city of Andoran.

  Andoran: Democratic and freedom-loving nation. Formerly controlled by the Chelish Empire, and before that by the Taldan Empire

  Andoren: Of or pertaining to Andoran; someone from Andoran.

  Archdevil: Powerful devils second only to Asmodeus in the rule of Hell.

  Aroden: The god of humanity, who died mysteriously a hundred years ago.

  Asmodeus: The ruling deity of Hell.

  Augustana: Port city in Andoran known for its shipyards.

  Azlant: The first human empire, which sank beneath the waves long ago in the cataclysm following the fall of the Starstone.

  Azlanti: Of or pertaining to Azlant; someone from Azlant.

  Bard: An artist or performer able to harness his or her innate magic through art. Often cross-trained in combat and other adventuring skills.

  Bellis: Town in northeastern Andoran famed for its bees and mead.

  Bog strider: Race of giant, intelligent insects that live in swamps and marshes.

  Carpenden: Agricultural town in eastern Andoran.

  Cassomir: Port city in Taldor.

  Cassomir's Locker: Network of old catacombs and tunnels beneath Cassomir, reputed to be full of monsters and lost treasure.

  Cassomirite: Someone from Cassomir.

  Chelaxian: Someone from Cheliax.

  Cheliax: A powerful nation in southwestern Avistan allied with Hell and its devils.

  Chelish: Of or relating to the nation of Cheliax.

  Darklands: Extensive series of subterranean caverns crisscrossing much of the Inner Sea region, known to be inhabited by monsters.

  Dawnflower: Sarenrae.

  Demonwake: Ghost ship from the popular opera Wanderloss.

  Desna: Good-natured goddess of dreams, stars, travelers, and luck.

  Devils: Fiendish occupants of Hell who seek to corrupt mortals in order to claim their souls.

  Diabolist: A spellcaster who specializes in binding devils and making infernal pacts.

  Druid: Someone who reveres nature and draws magical power from the boundless energy of the natural world (sometimes called the Green Faith, or the Green).

  Dwarves: Short, stocky humanoids who excel at physical labor, mining, and craftsmanship. Stalwart enemies of the orcs and other evil subterranean monsters.

  Eagle Knights: Military order in Andoran devoted to spreading the virtues of justice, equality, and freedom.

  Egorian: Capital of Cheliax.

  Elves: Long-lived, beautiful humanoids who abandoned Golarion millennia ago before the fall of the Starstone and have only recently returned. Identifiable by their pointed ears, lithe bodies, and pupils so large their eyes appear to be one color.

  Erastil: Stag-headed god of farming, hunting, trade, and family, also known as Old Deadeye.

  Evernest: Bog strider settlement in the Verduran Forest.

  Eye of Abendego: Enormous permanent hurricane southwest of the Inner Sea.

  Galt: A nation locked in perpetual and bloody democratic revolution. Fond of beheadings.

  Galtan: Of or relating to Galt, or a citizen of that nation.

  Garund: Continent south of the Inner Sea, renowned for its deserts and jungles.

  Gnomes: Small humanoids with strange mindsets, big eyes, and often wildly colored hair.

  Golarion: The planet on which the Pathfinder campaign setting focuses.

  Golden Legion: Branch of the Eagle Knights devoted to protecting Andoran's borders.

  Golden Legionnaires: Eagle Knights of the Golden Legion.

  Grand Bridge: The Grand Bridge of the Empire, stretching from Oppara to the southern shore of the Porthmos River.

  Gray Corsairs: Naval division of the Steel Falcons, the Eagle Knight branch focused on abolitionist military activities. Often focused on raiding slave ships.

  Gray Gardeners: The masked secret police of Galt, who dispense harsh revolutionary justice to those who cross them or the state.

  Half-Elves: The children of unions between elves and humans. Taller, longer-lived, and generally more graceful and attractive than the average human, yet not nearly so much so as their full elven kin. Often regarded as having the best qualities of both races, yet still see a certain amount of prejudice, particularly from their pure elven relations.

  Half-Orcs: Bred from humans and orcs, members of this race have green or gray skin, brutish appearances, and short tempers, and are mistrusted by many societies.

  Halflings: Race of humanoids known for their tiny stature, deft hands, and mischievous personalities.

  Hangman's Harbor: Small town on the Taldan side of the Sellen River

  Hellknights: Organization of hardened law enforcers whose tactics are often seen as harsh and intimidating, and who bind devils to their will. Based in Cheliax.

  Inner Sea: The vast inland sea whose northern continent, Avistan, and southern continent, Garund, as well as the seas and nearby lands, are the primary focus of the Pathfinder campaign setting.

  Iomedae: Goddess of valor, rulership, justice, and honor.

  Isle of Arenway: Druid-ruled island in the Verduran Forest, formed by confluence of the Sellen River and the Verduran Fork.

  Jagged Saw: Treacherous stretch of Inner Sea coastline in Taldor.

  Jalmeray: Island nation in the Obari Ocean, heavily influenced by the customs and cultures of distant Vudra.

  Katapesh: Mighty trade nation south of the Inner Sea. Also the name of its capital city.

  Katapeshi: Of or related to the nation of Katapesh.

  Kelish: The language of Keleshites, spoken in many southern and eastern nations.

  Kitharodian Academy: Bardic school in Oppara. Rival to the Rhapsodic College.

  Kyonin: An elven forest-kingdom north of Andoran. Largely forbidden to non-elven travelers.

  Lion Blades: Elite Taldan espionage agents. Often bards and other performers.

  Longnight: A winter holiday often celebrated by staying up all night to greet the dawn.

  Mendev: Cold, northern crusader nation that provides the primary force defending the rest of the Inner Sea region from the demonic infestation of the Worldwound.

  Mendevian: Of or pertaining to Mendev.

  Mwangi Expanse: A sweltering jungle region south of the Inner Sea.

  Mwangi: Of or pertaining to the Mwangi Expanse; someone from that region.

  Night of the Pale: Night of morbid revelry celebrating the ghosts of the last year's dead.

  Oppara: Coastal capital of Taldor.

  Opparan: Of or related to Oppara; someone from Oppara.

  Osirian: Of or relating to the region of Osirion, or a resident of Osirion.

  Osirion: Ancient nation south of the Inner Sea renowned for its deserts, pharaohs, and pyramids.

  Pesh: Type of narcotic drug made from a type of cactus.

  Pharasma: The goddess of birth, death, and prophecy, who judges mortal souls after their deaths and sends them on to the appropriate afterlife; also known as the Lady of Graves.

  Porthmos: Major river in Taldor.

  Qadira: Desert nation on the eastern side of the Inner Sea.

  Qadiran Satrap: The ruler of Qadira.

  Qadiran: Of or related to Qadira; someone from Qadira.

  Rhapsodic College: Legendary bardic school in Oppara; also the site of a secret Lion Blade training facility.

  Rippleden: Small town on the Andoren side of the Sellen River

  River Guard: Branch of Taldor's navy devoted to protecting traffic on the Sellen River from pirates.

  River Kingdoms: A region of small, feuding fiefdoms and bandit strongholds, where borders change frequently.

  Sarenrae: Goddess of the sun, honesty, and redemption. Often seen as a fiery crusader and redeemer.

  Screaming Pillars: Nickname for Whitehall, the headquarters of Oppara's constabulary.

  Sellen River: Major river that acts as the border for Andoran and Taldor.

  Ses'h: Bog striders' name for their race.

  Shackles: Pirate isles so
uthwest of the Inner Sea.

  Shadow School: Secret training facility for Lion Blade agents.

  Shadow Taunt: Training challenge in which Shadow School students must achieve a covert task in public without arousing suspicion.

  Shelyn: The goddess of beauty, art, love, and music.

  Solscrene: Small town on the Sellen River.

  Sovyrian: Mysterious realm to which the elves retreated after the catastrophe of Earthfall.

  Starstone: Stone that fell from the sky ten thousand years ago, creating an enormous dust cloud that blotted out the sun and began the Age of Darkness, wiping out most preexisting civilizations. Eventually raised up from the ocean floor by Aroden and housed in Absalom, where those who can pass its mysterious and deadly tests can ascend to godhood.

  Stavian's Hold: Plains town in eastern Taldor.

  Taldan: Of or pertaining to Taldor; a citizen of Taldor.

  Taldor: A formerly glorious nation that has lost many of its holdings in recent years to neglect and decadence. Ruled by immature aristocrats and overly complicated bureaucracy.

  Talmandor: Heavenly patron of Andoran.

  Thuvia: Desert nation on the Inner Sea, famous for the production of a magical elixir which grants immortality.

  Tian Xia: Continent on the opposite side of the world from the Inner Sea region.

  Tian: Someone or something from Tian Xia, the Dragon Empires of the distant east.

  Ukobach: Type of devil associated with malign creativity and innovation.

  Ulfen: A race of warlike humans from the cold nations of the north, particularly the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.

  Varisian: Of or relating to the region of the frontier region of Varisia, or a resident of that region.

  Verduran Forest: Huge forest between Taldor and Andoran.

  Verduran Fork: Tributary of the Sellen River stretching from the Fog Peaks to where it joins the Sellen in the Verduran Forest.

  Vudra: Exotic continent far to the east of the Inner Sea.

  Wanderloss: Famous opera about ghost ships.

  Westport: Aristocratic district of Oppara.

  Whistling Plains: Open plains along Taldor's eastern border.

  Whiterush: Small town on the Andoren side of the Sellen.

  Wildwood Lodge: The seat of druidic power in the Verduran Forest, on the Isle of Arenway.