“Enough of that, Arilyn Moonblade,” Khelben said irritably. “You have every right to dislike the man—Mystra knows I do—but not to misjudge him. As I said, he had no choice but to leave your mother. She took that choice out of his hands. At the time, he didn’t even know about you.”
“It is true,” Bran said sadly.
“You see?” Khelben asked Arilyn, who listened, unmoved by the explanation.
“No.”
The wizard raised his eyes skyward in exasperation over her stubbornness, then beckoned them toward the tower. “Come in, come in.”
Once they were inside the reception area, Arilyn faced down the archmage. “You knew about this all along.”
“I had suspicions,” he admitted, “but I was not free to discuss them with you. Dan says you know who the assassin is. Who?”
“In time,” Arilyn said grimly. “First, tell me why my … why Bran Skorlsun carried the moonstone.”
“It was decreed by the elves of Evermeet,” Khelben said.
“To what purpose?”
The archmage glanced from Arilyn to the aging Harper. “Have you two talked?”
“She knows,” Bran said.
“She also knows that her mother was the Princess Amnestria,” added Danilo.
Khelben nodded to Arilyn. “Good, because there’s no way for me to explain this otherwise. Amnestria married a human and carried his child. The elves don’t look kindly on that sort of behavior in their princesses.” He let out his breath in a deep sigh. “In an unconscious attempt to span her two worlds, Amnestria added a potentially dangerous power to the moonblade. The moonstone was removed before the power could be fully absorbed into the stone.”
“That would be the elfgate,” Arilyn broke in. When Khelben leveled a glare at Danilo, she raised her eyebrows and added, “Your nephew did not give away the game. The elfgate is a dimensional door between Evermeet and Waterdeep. How else could the elf who killed King Zaor on Evermeet be found dead in Waterdeep that same day? Not an easy feat.”
“Impressive. You’ve put all the pieces together,” noted the archmage.
“No,” Arilyn said. “I still don’t understand why the moonstone was given to Bran.”
“Punishment,” Khelben said. “Amnestria was sent into exile and pledged to protect the elfgate. She knew that as long as Bran carried the stone, they could never be reunited.”
“Why was I not told any of this?” Bran demanded.
“That knowledge would put the key to the elfgate in your hands,” Khelben said. “The elves of Evermeet did not have that much faith in you. Since they did not think that a half-elf could inherit the moonblade, they did not foresee the possibility of a father and daughter reunion.”
“Kymil made sure we met,” Arilyn stated bitterly. All three men looked puzzled, so the half-elf turned to Bran. “Who hired you to follow me?”
“Some Harpers from Cormyr contacted me,” he said.
“Lycon of Sune? Nadasha?” Arilyn asked tersely. Bran nodded. “It figures. Kymil often worked with them, but they never fully trusted me. I imagine it was easy for Kymil to convince them that I was the Harper Assassin and that they should put you on my trail.”
“So Kymil Nimesin arranged the death of Harpers to lure Bran to you, hoping to reunite the stone with the moonblade. Appalling,” Khelben muttered. “But what would he want with the elfgate?”
Arilyn’s smile was chilling. “I’ll be sure to find out before I kill him.”
“You can’t go after Kymil,” Khelben protested. “Now that the moonstone is back in the sword, the moonblade’s very presence could help anyone—particularly an elf—find and use the hidden portal.”
“She could meet Kymil before he finds the portal,” Danilo suggested.
“Too late. He’s already there,” Arilyn said. “He left a message for me telling me where to meet him.”
“Where—Oh, yes. Evereska,” recalled Danilo. “He left word that he was going to Evereska. Well, let’s go get him.”
“Don’t be a fool, Dan,” Khelben snapped. “The moonblade must stay far away from Evereska. I take it you’ve already guessed that the elfgate was moved there,” he said to Arilyn.
“Yes. Perhaps the moonblade can’t go to Evereska, but I can.” She unbuckled her sword belt and offered the magic sword to Khelben. “Here. The thing will be safe enough in your vault.”
Khelben shook his head. “You can’t go to Evereska without the sword, either. With the moonstone set in the hilt once more, the link between you and the weapon has been finalized. A wielder can’t be separated from an active, intact moonblade for any length of time and live.”
Arilyn regarded the sword in her hands for a moment, then hurled it across the room. It landed with a clatter. “So be it. If I can live long enough to meet and overcome Kymil Nimesin, I’ll be content.”
“Why?” Danilo demanded. He took her shoulders and shook her. “Why would you throw your life away?”
She met his eyes, defiant and resolute. “My life has never been completely my own, so it’s not mine to keep or throw away. I must make amends for my misused sword.” Her voice was firm and wholly devoid of self-pity. “I’ll do so, but on my own terms. I may be a half-elf and a half-Harper, but I refuse to be half a person. I will not be the moonblade’s shadow any longer.”
“That has never been the case. You command the moonblade, not the other way around,” Bran told her.
“If that were true, then I could choose to leave it behind,” she said stubbornly.
“I don’t suppose it would do any good to try to dissuade you,” Khelben said.
“None.”
“Then I’ll keep the moonblade for you. You’re right, the sword should stay here,” the archmage conceded. “So should you, for that matter.”
“Thank you, Khelben. I would ask one more thing from you. Can you lend me transport to Evereska? A griffon, perhaps, with a speed enchantment?” she asked.
“Very well,” Khelben agreed. “If you insist upon going to Evereska, I’ll get you there. But with one condition. Danilo goes with you.”
“No.” Her tone was implacable. “I go alone.”
Khelben glared at Bran as if this were somehow his fault. “She is your daughter, beyond a doubt.” He turned back to Arilyn. “All right, you’ve got transport. An enspelled griffon should suit as well as anything.”
“Good. Where do I need to go for it?” Arilyn demanded.
“The stables are on the top of Mount Waterdeep.” The wizard went to his desk and scrawled something on a bit of parchment. He pressed his signature ring to the note, and his rune magically burned onto the paper. Khelben handed the note to the half-elf. “Give this to the griffon master. He’ll give you everything you’ll need.”
“My thanks.” She started toward the tower’s exit.
“Arilyn.”
She froze at the sound of Danilo’s voice but did not turn around. “You’ll need a new sword.” He faltered. “Permit me to lend you mine.”
Arilyn nodded and accepted the blade Danilo offered her, then she stepped through the magic door.
Danilo watched her go, swearing under his breath. “Did either of you see that coming?”
“I should have,” the Harper replied. “It’s too much like something I would have done at her age.”
Before the archmage could respond, a sharp rap that seemed to come from the center of the room drew his attention.
“Piergeiron’s timing is about as good as usual,” the wizard grumbled, stalking to the door that led to the basement and the secret tunnel to the palace of Waterdeep’s lord. “Wait here,” Khelben instructed his visitors.
Danilo paced back and forth before the door, muttering imprecations against the Lords of Waterdeep and their preoccupation with protocol. Danilo had little patience for the processes of law and order. He worked independently and under cover so he could keep free of the sacred cords of propriety that bound all aspects of Waterdeep life. Never mind that Kymil Nimesin ran free, that the elven kingdom’s safety had been compromised, that Arilyn was walking willingly into what was surely a trap. The Lords of Waterdeep were probably consulting Khelben about a new monument or some such foolishness.