*
Tilda and Dugan stood up as a middle-aged Jobian woman approached in a long blue dress and a leather apron. The Builder’s device was stitched on the apron and her hair was wrapped in cloth in the style of an Orstavian bushka. She was of a matronly demeanor, and smiled warmly.
“The Builder’s blessing be upon you. I am Sister Paveline. I am told you seek some folk who may have sought our aid?”
“Yes, Sister,” Dugan answered and Tilda allowed him to speak, figuring he was more familiar with Codian priests and their customs.
“It would have been as many as five men, but maybe less. All Codians, Beoan or Gwethellen, from their twenties to one balding fellow about forty. They may have seemed like Legion men in their manners, though they were probably not in uniform.”
Sister Paveline raised a brown eyebrow with a grey streak.
“Veterans?”
“Ah, no Ma’am. They are renegade.”
The priestess frowned sharply.
“Their leader would have had green eyes, Sister,” Tilda said. “Very striking.”
Sister Paveline looked surprised, but she shook her head.
“I am sorry, but the only men we have seen here who looked like legionnaires, were actual legionnaires. There was a green-eyed fellow and two others, but they were in full uniform. Nor did they seek our aid, nor succor.”
“Wait,” Dugan held up a hand. “The Empire has soldiers stationed here?”
“I did not think so, but these men were on a mission.” Paveline looked between Dugan and Tilda. “The two of you arrived here with the pair from Daul, yes?”
“Yes,” Tilda said. “Why?”
“Well, the Legion men were here specifically to greet anyone from Daul seeking refuge in the Empire. Given the cost and danger of traversing the Wilds we hardly expected anyone like that to show up here, and no one had. Until tonight.”
Tilda stared, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down her spine to the small of her back under her layered clothing and armor. Something was terribly, terribly wrong. She did not know quite what it was, but she was sure of it.
“Where did Claudja and Towsan go?” she asked.
“Those are your friends from Daul? I understand Brother Heggenauer was taking them to meet the legionnaires at their inn, south of here.”
“What inn?” Dugan asked calmly. Sister Paveline winced.
“It is called the Dead Possum. Five blocks down at an intersection with a willow tree in the center. You can’t miss it as the sign is very…graphic.”
Tilda was still for one second. Then she dropped her pack and saddlebags and was running flat out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Sable City Page 54
