"The Hawk Knights?"
"It could be. I doubt that the Warlord has had time to return here, ascend, and start to descend again. Let's find a good place of concealment and await their arrival. If nothing else, we need to use the platform when the current riders are done with it."
Jack drew her back a little ways behind the rock, and they settled down to wait. The platform descended quickly, dropping hundreds of feet in no more than two or three minutes. It slowed and stopped soundlessly atop the square plaza in precisely the same manner as before.
Five figures stood atop the stone, encased in a dome of blinding light: Zandria, the Red Wizard; Marcus and Ashwillow, Knights of the Hawk; and the thieves Anders and Tharzon, knights of the post. Jack blinked in surprise.
"This is an unexpected alignment, to say the least," he muttered.
"I recognize the two Knights of the Hawk," Illyth whispered. "They're the ones who arrested you at the Blue Lord's theatre. And I saw the Red Wizard at your trial, but who are the other two, and what are they all doing here? Are they friend or foe?"
Jack realized that he honestly could not answer the question. Not only did he not know, he didn't even have a good guess. Marcus and Ashwillow would arrest him on sight. Zandria's reaction might be anything. And with Anders and Tharzon, it all depended on how much they resented his shadow-twin's humiliating assaults. But… even if all five wanted him dead on the spot, they had no quarrel with Illyth and might be counted upon to get the noblewoman out of the Underdark and back where she belonged.
"We will present ourselves and hope for the best," he told Illyth.
Before she could ask another question, Jack stepped out from behind the rock and dropped his spell of invisibility. "Good day, gentle persons," he called. "I must confess I am glad to see you all!"
All five whirled to face him, weapons ready. It was clear that they'd seen no little fighting recently, and their reactions were almost comical. Jack was careful not to smile. He gestured toward Illyth and then approached the light. Anders seemed relieved to see him, but Tharzon scowled darkly. The dwarf was clean-shaven, the first time Jack had ever seen him thus. Marcus and Ashwillow advanced on him, weapons drawn; Jack decided to blunt their attack before it began.
"If you are looking for the Warlord Myrkyssa Jelan, she is not here. We had a falling out, and she proceeded without us. But I can show you where she went, and I am afraid she is up to no small mischief."
Marcus wasted no time. "Where is she?" he demanded.
Jack pointed toward the dim green haze, far off in the darkness. "A short march from here you'll find a subterranean sea, and the Warlord somewhere out on or under its dark waters." He looked over the two knights again, noting the furrows gouged in their steel cuirasses and the various bruises and cuts covering their features. "Last I saw, you led a detachment of Ravenaar soldiers. Where are your men?"
"Dead or dying," Marcus growled. "Your mistress led us into an infernal ambush. You've much to answer for, street rat." He advanced again, blade weaving.
"Hold, Marcus," called Zandria. "Many people wish Jack dead, but that does not mean you are free to kill him." The wizardess stepped forward, intervening. "We have more important things to do."
"Indeed," Jack said. He turned to Anders and Tharzon. "Good friends, what brings you here, and in this company?"
Tharzon growled something unintelligible. Anders shrugged. "I'd thought I might break into Ill-Water and extricate you from your predicament, mostly because I believe you still owe me quite a large sum of money. And Tharzon agreed to help, so that he could kill you with his own hands instead of allowing the city to deprive him of his rightful vengeance. While it's true that Tharzon and I still hadn't resolved the question of what to do with you when we got you out, we both agreed that the first step was to remove you from Ill-Water. We rowed out in a black-painted dory and were about to commence our rescue when the Storm Gull appeared, and the Lady Mayor ordered your release. So we followed, hoping that we'd find it easier to free you from a small party surrounding the Lady Mayor. Then she led us straight into the darkest depths of Sarbreen."
"You truly intended to free me? After the misery my shadow wrought on both of you?" Jack found his heart swelling with pride. "What wretched thieves! Any cutthroat worth his salt would have let me swing!"
"Your untimely death would have left too many mysteries unresolved," Anders finished.
"If it turns out you weren't responsible for the incident on Manycoins Way," Tharzon added in a low rumble, "Anders convinced me that it might be possible that you can tell me who was responsible. I live to settle that account, Jack."
Jack turned to Zandria. "So I can explain to my satisfaction the presence of Marcus, Ashwillow, Anders, and Tharzon," he said amicably, "but I don't understand how you come to be here, dear Zandria."
"Three reasons," she said brusquely, "the ring, the dagger, and the death of Brunn at the hands of your simulacrum. Tempting as it is to blame you for the last, I know better. Whoever made that shadow of you bears responsibility for its actions. Like your fellow cutthroats, I intended to remove you from Ill-Water so that I could recover my property and discover the identity of your enemy. I followed the Lady Mayor as well, until I encountered these two ruffians and accosted them. We compared notes and resolved to join forces for the moment. Later, in the chamber of the stone dragon, we encountered the Hawk Knights here and struck a deal with them as well." She crossed her arms, eyes blazing.
"And, you rescued me from the burning tavern when you might easily have left me to die. Consider the debt repaid."
Illyth spoke up from her place by Jack's side, revealing herself. "So, what do we do now?"
Five hostile stares turned on her. "We have what we came for," Anders remarked. "We've found Jack. The sooner out of this place, the better."
"Unlikely, barbarian!" Marcus snapped. "I am taking Ravenwild into custody. He is staying right where I can see him, and I am not going back to the surface until I've caught the Warlord as well."
"I believe that we all have more important business here than bringing me to trial," Jack said. "You said it yourself, Marcus-the Warlord is down here, too, and she is much more noteworthy a felon than I."
Marcus scowled. "What of it? The accusations against you demand our attention." He advanced on Jack, sword ready. "Ash, watch the ruffians. We'll sort this out when we have him in custody."
"No one is taking anyone into custody!" Zandria raised her hand and created a flash of light to seize attention. "While we stand here arguing, the Warlord comes closer to reaching her goal."
"Stand down, Sir Marcus," Illyth said. "The Red Wizard speaks the truth. Regardless of Jack's guilt or innocence, the Warlord's plans proceed. You should concern yourself with matters of justice after we have addressed matters of the city's survival."
The two Hawk Knights exchanged dark looks but did not refute Illyth's point. "Agreed," said Ashwillow, speaking for both. "Stopping the Warlord's designs takes precedence, but I cannot make any promises about what happens when we return to the city."
Jack bowed. "Then may I suggest that we resume our quest? If you'll follow Illyth and me, well show you which way the Warlord went."