Lupi 04 - Night Season

suspect,” Ruben said. “Gnomes may prefer misdirection and prevarication, but I’m inclined to believe that First Councilor wouldn’t lie about anything significant when so much depends on your finding their medallion.”
    â€œSo Bilbo will be our traveling companion if we have to take to the road.” Of all the gnomes, why did he have to be the one deemed most likely to form a good bond with the medallion? Of course, he might be thinking the same thing, considering the consequences if the medallion decided he wasn’t such a great fit, after all.
    â€œTake to the road?” McClosky said. “You think they’re right about it not being in the City anymore?”
    Cynna shrugged. “I’ll find out tomorrow, I guess.”
    They’d reached a wide place where three halls and a staircase converged. Cullen came to a stop. “I hope someone has been paying attention,” he said, “or I’ll have to Change and sniff out our trail.”
    â€œIt’s this one,” Cynna said, and started for the right-hand hall.
    â€œI guess you don’t get lost,” McClosky said to her.
    â€œWell, I can if I don’t pay attention—knowing the direction doesn’t tell me which road or hall or whatever will take me there. Or if I don’t have a pattern for where I want to go.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t understand how your Gift works.” Then, as if the words had been pent up for hours, he burst out, “Can you do it? No one’s asked that. Everyone assumes you can find this medallion. Can you?”
    â€œProbably. I’m pretty good.” It occurred to her that McClosky was the only one of them who had no idea how she worked. Since his life depended on her ability, she ought to explain. “Tomorrow I’ll do the sorts. I’ll need a pattern for the medallion, see—the better the pattern, the more likely I am to Find it. I’m hopeful there. A magical artifact as powerful as this sucker ought to leave strong traces.”
    â€œWhat does this sorting involve? Does it take long?”
    â€œSorting is a spell, not part of my Gift, but I learned from the best—an actual patterner.” Cynna hadn’t known that Jiri was a patterner back when she’d been Jiri’s apprentice, but that was beside the point. “I expect it will take most of the morning. I’ll have to sort the medallion’s pattern from things it’s been in contact with—”
    â€œLike that poor female, whatever she is.”
    Or was. Cynna grimaced. “Yeah. And the chancellor’s body. I’ll be looking for a strong, magical pattern they have in common, see? Plus they’ve got an engraving of the medallion.”
    â€œAnd then you just go to it?”
    â€œMore or less, if we’re lucky. If it’s warded—which they think it is, since they can’t locate it with their own spells—or if it’s outside my range, I’ll have to Find its trail instead of Finding it. That’ll take longer.”
    â€œYou can Find the trail even if you can’t Find the medallion itself?”
    â€œProbably. See, everywhere an object has been carries some trace of its presence. Inanimate objects leave so little behind, I can’t Find ’em that way. A living being or something with a lot of magic leaves better traces. Something that’s both alive and magical leaves the most. I can Find those if not too much time has passed.”
    â€œIt’s been missing for two months.”
    True. And that wasn’t exactly optimal, but…“It’s powerful enough to impose order on a whole realm,” Cynna said firmly. “It will leave powerful traces. Speaking of which…” She glanced over her shoulder. “What’s a Great Artifact?”
    â€œA magical construct created shortly before or during the Great War,” Cullen answered promptly. “By which I do not mean either of the piddly conflicts of the last century. The Great War was fought in multiple realms over better than a century by adepts and gods. Also lupi,” he added. “We were created then to fight on behalf of our Lady.”
    McClosky’s voice was thick with disbelief. “Created?”
    Cullen made a graceful gesture. “All peoples have their creation myths. You will allow us ours.”
    The meal was served as soon as they arrived in the common room. The food