The Ruby Knight

‘Sparhawk’s going to need knights with him if he’s going to come up against Ghwerig.’
    ‘Sparhawk and Kurik can take care of it,’ she said complacently.
    ‘Isn’t it dangerous to take Flute along?’ Vanion asked Sparhawk.
    ‘Maybe so, but she’s the only one who knows the way to Ghwerig’s cave.’
    ‘Why Talen?’ Kurik said to Flute.
    ‘There’s something he has to do in Emsat,’ she replied.
    ‘I’m sorry, my friends,’ Sparhawk told the other knights, ‘but we’re more or less committed to doing things her way.’
    ‘Are you going to leave now?’ Vanion said.
    ‘No, we have to wait for Talen.’
    ‘Good. Sephrenia, go and get Olven’s sword.’
    ‘But -’
    ‘Just do it, Sephrenia. Please don’t argue with me.’
    ‘Yes, dear one,’ she sighed.
    After she had delivered Olven’s sword to him, Vanion was so weak he could barely stand.
    ‘You’re going to kill yourself doing this, you know.’
    ‘Everybody dies from something. Now then, gentlemen,’ he said to the knights, ‘I have a troop of Pandions with me. Those of you who are staying behind should mingle yourselves in among them when we ride out. Lenda and Obler are both quite old. I’ll suggest to Wargun that we put them in a carriage and that he ride along with them. That should keep him from being able to count noses. I’ll try to keep him occupied.’ He looked at Sparhawk. ‘A day or two is probably all I’ll be able to manage for you,’ he apologized.
    ‘That should be enough,’ Sparhawk said. ‘Wargun’s likely to think that I’m going back to Lake Venne. He’ll send any pursuit in that direction.’
    ‘The only problem now is getting you out of the palace,’ Vanion said.
    ‘I’ll take care of that,’ Flute told him.
    ‘How?’
    ‘Maa-gic,’ she said, comically drawing the word out and wiggling her fingers at him.
    He laughed. ‘How did we ever get along without you?’
    ‘Badly, I’d imagine.’ She sniffed.
    It was about an hour later when Talen slipped into the room.
    ‘Any problems?’ Kurik asked him.
    ‘No,’ Talen shrugged. ‘I made a few contacts and found us a place to hide.’
    ‘Contacts?’ Vanion asked him. ‘With whom?’
    ‘A few thieves, some beggars and a couple of murderers. They sent me to the man who controls the underside of Acie. He owes Platime a few favours, so when I mentioned Platime’s name, he became very helpful.’
    ‘You live in a strange world, Talen,’ Vanion said.
    ‘No stranger than the one you live in, My Lord,’ Talen said with an extravagant bow.
    ‘That may be entirely true, Sparhawk,’ Vanion said. ‘We may all be thieves and brigands when you get right down to it. All right,’ he said to Talen, ‘where is this hiding-place?’
    ‘I’d rather not say,’ Talen replied evasively. ‘You’re sort of an official person, and I gave my word.’
    ‘There’s honour in your profession?’
    ‘Oh yes, My Lord. It’s not based on any knightly code, though. It’s based on not getting your throat cut.’
    ‘You have a very wise son, Kurik,’ Kalten said.
    ‘You had to go ahead and say it, didn’t you, Kalten?’ Kurik asked acidly.
    ‘Are you ashamed of me, father?’ Talen asked in a small voice, his face downcast.
    Kurik looked at him. ‘No, Talen,’ he said, ‘actually I’m not.’ He put his burly arm about the boy’s shoulders. ‘This is my son, Talen,’ he said defiantly, ‘and if anybody wants to make an issue of it, I’ll be more than happy to give him satisfaction, and we can throw out the nonsense about the nobility and the commons not being allowed to fight each other.’
    ‘Don’t be absurd, Kurik,’ Tynian said with a broad grin. ‘Congratulations to you both.’
    The other knights gathered about the husky squire and his larcenous son, clapping them on the shoulders and adding their congratulations to Tynian’s.
    Talen looked around at them, his eyes suddenly very wide and filled with tears at his sudden acknowledgement. Then he fled to Sephrenia, fell to his knees, buried his face in her lap and wept.
    Flute smiled.

Chapter 23

    It was that same peculiarly drowsy melody Flute had played on the docks at Vardenais and again outside the chapterhouse in Cimmura.
    ‘What’s she doing now?’ Talen whispered to Sparhawk as they all crouched behind the balustrade of the wide porch at the front of King Obler’s palace.
    ‘She’s putting Wargun’s sentries to sleep,’ Sparhawk replied. There was no point in