Indeed, her elven eyes held not recognition but the fear of a trapped animal. Danilo felt a surge of remorse.
“Willow,” he muttered, and Arilyn was released from the spell. The half-elf’s uplifted sword arm fell heavily to her side, and the moonblade clattered to the cobblestone. Arilyn took no notice, for her gaze remained fixed on the tableau before her.
The strange pair fought fiercely, sword and staff twirling and clashing. The elfshadow brought its blade around in a broad arc, aiming for the Harper’s knees. Surprisingly agile, the man leaped up. His cape opened and floated upward as he fell, revealing a large, glowing blue stone hanging from a chain.
The elfshadow’s eyes widened at the sight of the stone, and its features, so uncannily like Arilyn’s, contorted with triumph. The moonblade—as if it were a living thing—skittered across the cobblestones toward the elfshadow. In the span of an eyeblink the elfshadow snatched up the sword with one hand, then it lunged forward with its own ghostly blade to tear the moonstone pendant from Bran Skorlsun’s neck.
Blue light flared from the moonblade, and an answering flash came from the stone. The two streaks of magic light met between the elfshadow’s hands with the sound of a small explosion, and a fierce crackling energy filled the sky. The air churned wildly around Jester’s Square, becoming a magical storm that swirled autumn leaves into dizzying eddies, overturned crates, and rattled the armor of Harvid Beornigarth’s fallen men. In the midst of the maelstrom stood the elfshadow in a halo of blue light. Its eyes met Arilyn’s and for the first time it spoke.
“I am whole again, and I am free,” the elfshadow said triumphantly, its clear alto voice ringing above the tumult. “Listen well, my sister. We must avenge wrongful deaths. We must kill the one who misled you and enslaved me!”
The magical current built into an inaudible scream around Arilyn and Danilo, whipping their hair and capes around them. The nobleman pulled the dazed half-elf to the ground, shielding her as best he could with his cape and his own body.
There was a second flash of light, and an explosion rocked the street and sent everything into blackness.
“This way!” shouted Siobhan O’Callaigh, brandishing her broadsword as she gestured for her men to follow.
Drawn by the sound of the explosion and the sulfurous scent of smoke, a detachment of the city watch charged through a small alley toward Jester’s Square. They skidded to a stop, stunned by the sight before them.
Captain O’Callaigh had not seen so bizarre a battlefield since the passing of the Time of Troubles. The courtyard looked as though an angry god had gathered up the contents of the square, shaken them, and cast them onto the cobblestones like a handful of dice. Huge branches had broken off a pair of stately elms, benches and flowerboxes had been tossed about, and crates and rubbish had blown in from the alley. Several twisted bodies lay nearby, some of them in pools of blood. The macabre scene was dominated by the glowing sword that lay in a blackened circle in the center of the courtyard. Wraithlike wisps of blue smoke still swirled about it, drifting lazily upward in the early morning light.
As the watch stared, one of the bodies stirred. A blond man sat up slowly, the fingers of both hands gingerly pressed to his temples. As he moved, his cape came away from the crumpled form of a half-elven female. Kneeling with his back to the watch, the man bent protectively over the pale figure and thrust one hand into the sack hanging from his belt. From it he drew a silver flask. As he held it to the lips of his companion, the unmistakable almond scent of zzar drifted into the air. The half-elf sputtered, coughed, and sat up.
“What happened here?” Siobhan O’Callaigh demanded in gruff, official tones. The blond man turned to face her, and the watch captain groaned in dismay and thrust her broadsword back into her belt. “Danilo Thann. By Beshaba’s bosom! I should have known you’d be a part of this mess.”
“Captain O’Callaigh.” Danilo rose unsteadily to his feet. “You’re looking particularly lovely this morning. Interesting oath, too. Quite visual.”
She snorted, completely unmoved by the young man’s flattery. “What have you been up to this time?”
“Is the Harper alive?” interrupted the half-elf in a dull, dazed voice.
“I am.” At the far side of the courtyard, a tall, dark-cloaked man rose to his feet and walked slowly toward the watch.
Siobhan O’Callaigh threw up both hands. “Tell me, is anyone on this battlefield going to stay dead?”
“I certainly hope so,” responded Arilyn in a grim voice. She accepted the hand Danilo Thann offered her and rose to her feet. “I’d hate to have to kill them all over again.”
“All right, since you admit to killing these men, perhaps you’d better tell me what happened,” Captain O’Callaigh demanded.
The tall man intervened. “I am Bran Skorlsun, a traveler to your city. I was passing and saw ruffians ambush these two. The young pair fought only to defend themselves. I gave them what aid I could.”
“Looks like you did all right, old man,” one of the watchmen said, crouching down beside a large, chain mail-covered form. He heaved the body over onto its back, then gave a grunt of recognition. “Well, I’ll be an orc-sired cyclops. I know this one. Harvid Beornigarth, a half-barbarian sell-sword. Nasty piece of work, but not a common cutpurse. Likes all kinds of political intrigue, he does. Or did.” The man cocked an eyebrow at Danilo. “What business would he have with the nobility, I’m wondering.”
“None,” Arilyn said firmly. “His business was with me.”
“And who might you be?” O’Callaigh growled. She crouched down to get a better look at the fallen man, swatting one of her own red braids out of her way.
“Arilyn Moonblade.”
“She’s a Harper agent,” Danilo added significantly, as if invoking the mysterious and highly respected organization would somehow mitigate the destruction around him.
Every member of the watch froze. In unison they turned to Arilyn, and several pairs of gleaming eyes fixed on the half-elf.
“A Harper agent?” Siobhan O’Callaigh questioned eagerly. “You were the one who was attacked?
Arilyn responded with a curt nod, and the men exchanged incredulous glances with their captain. One of the watch gave words to their excited speculation. “You figure one of these pieces of buzzard bait to be that Harper Assassin?”
“Look good on our record if it turned out that way, now wouldn’t it?” returned Siobhan O’Callaigh, grinning.
“No. None of these men is the assassin.”
The captain and her men again looked up, surprised by the steel in the half-elf’s grim voice. The captain pressed for an explanation, but Arilyn stubbornly refused to elaborate.
O’Callaigh’s face turned red with rage, and she looked to Danilo to vent some of that anger. “What caused all this?” she demanded, sweeping a hand toward the general devastation.
Danilo grinned sheepishly. “My fault entirely, I’m afraid. I’m not much on the sword end of a battle, don’t you know, so I tried to help things along with a spell. Something sort of, well, sort of went wrong,” he concluded lamely.
“Sort of went wrong?” O’Callaigh snorted. “What else is new? Young man, you still owe the city for damages done the last time your spells misfired.”
“On my honor, I’ll pay for all the damages in full,” swore the nobleman. “May we go now?”
The captain glared at Danilo. “Maybe you think it’s that simple, being Lord Thann’s son and all. From my corner of the pasture, I see things differently. There are five dead men to cart off and identify, a city square to clean up before the start of business, and a miscast spell to report.”
“Oh, must you report it? I’m afraid news of this little mishap is not going to enhance my reputation as a mage,” Danilo said ruefully.
“Good. The Mage’s Guild is not going to be happy about this,” said O’Callaigh, thrusting a finger at the young man. “They’re putting pressure on the watch to curb irresponsible uses of magic. It’s about time you started answering to them. When that group gets done with you, you won’t even be able to scratch your backside with your magic wand.”