"Lord Piergeiron would undoubtedly be interested in your mission," the old ranger went on.
"I prefer to chart my own course for the time," Baylee stated evenly. "Gifted as Lord Piergeiron may be in other matters, this is my field of experience."
"I understand perfectly," Cthulad replied. "I only sought to offer an alternative that may be more palatable at a later date."
"We'll consider it then," Baylee said. "Until such time, I still have to find Uziraff."
"Shouldn't we have overtaken Kerrijan's Hammer by now?" Cordyan Tsald asked, shading her eyes as she peered out over the Sea of Swords.
"Thirteen hours to be precise," Westalfe Sternrudder replied. The dwarf captain stood beside Cordyan on the specially built box in the prow of his ship that gave him a higher perspective than his short size would normally have provided. He was thick-bodied and able, with a square-cut black beard and a weathered, pinched face. "And we lay fallow for two days early on in this venture, as I'm sure you recall, while waiting for the winds to become more favorable. There was every chance that Kerrijan's Hammer wasn't so encumbered by fate." He patted the railing of the ship with genuine affection. "Tsunami Dancer is a proud ship. She'll do fine by you in the end. You'll see."
Cordyan gave up staring across the blue-green expanse of sea. She hated traveling by ship. The only way to truly see the world was from the saddle of a horse. "How far out from Caer Callidyrr are we?"
"Another two or three days," the dwarf captain answered, "should see us in the anchorage. Even if Kerrijan's Hammer wasn't mired in the windless sea as we were, we should arrive within a few hours of her. One way or the other."
Cordyan excused herself and walked back amidships.
'Troubled?" Calebaan asked. He sat in the shade of the main mast, reading a tome of magic that was written in a language Cordyan had no comprehension of.
"No," she answered irritably.
Calebaan closed the book, using a cloth ribbon to mark his place. "You received this ship when you asked Lord Piergeiron."
"Somewhat reluctantly, it seemed to me."
"Yet here you are." The watch wizard paused. "There are times in your life, Cordyan, when you just have to trust to the gods."
"I would," the watch lieutenant agreed, "except that I know there are those among the gods themselves who would only see evil wrought. Cyric casts a long shadow these days."
"So you see Cyric's hand in this?" Calebaan seemed slightly amused.
"Stuck aboard this ship this past tenday, especially with the two days of lackluster sails," Cordyan snapped, "I've had time to see this pursuit from all sides."
"Don't give up on your ranger," the watch wizard counseled. "From the time I knew him, and from the stories Ciwa Cthulad knew of him, Baylee Aravold is quite a resourceful man."
Cordyan silently hoped it was true. But then, she knew the enemies the ranger had were also quite resourceful.
Krystarn Fellhammer's eyes ached from constant staring at the crystal ball Shallowsoul had charged her with. She had used her contacts among the docks of Waterdeep to find out all the ships that had left within a few hours of Baylee Arnvold's disappearance from the city. It had been twelve days, and she still could not believe so many had left at that time, nor that she had been through them all, yet hadn't found the ranger.
Still, he was one man among a whole crew. It would have been easier searching for a party rather than an individual.
She silently damned his soul once more, and leaned back from the crystal ball. She stood and crossed the room to the wine flask in the corner, pouring herself a small drink.
Shallowsoul had allowed her to bring the crystal ball to her rooms within the subterranean complex, convincing Krystarn that the lich was indeed concerned about the ranger's actions. She couldn't understand why. The Moonshaes were a long distance from the depths beneath Myth Drannor.
The crystal ball, though, was a blessing. When she had brought the device through the dimensional door leading to the library, she had felt within the crystal ball the resonance that opened the door. After working on it for a time, she felt certain she might be able to open the door with a spell of her own, triggering the release of the magic Shallowsoul already had in place.
But a more proper time awaited. She was beginning to think it might be in her best interests to see that Baylee Arnvold did in fact arrive at Myth Drannor, providing a diversion for the lich.
The twisted path of her plan delighted her. It was the first of any sort that she'd found with any hope of achieving her own goals. Mother Lloth willing, she could soon act like a true drow for the first time in over four years.
She returned to the crystal ball and peered into the glass. It was still tracking the latest ship she searched. She waved a hand over it, thinking of Chomack, Taker of Dragon's Teeth and Chief of the Sumalich Tribe.
The crystal ball clouded for a moment, then opened again to an image within the vast caverns outside the library area. The hobgoblin chieftain was locked in battle with another hobgoblin.
Krystarn watched in growing fascination as the hobgoblin chieftain cracked his whip across his opponent's face, wrapping the strands about the other hobgoblin's head. Then he lunged in with his short sword, knocking aside his opponent's axe and burying the blade in the hobgoblin's heart.
With a shudder, the other hobgoblin dropped to the cavern floor.
Chomack stepped back, holding his bloody sword aloft in victory.
Opening her perspective of the view offered, Kiystarn saw that the hobgoblin chieftain was surrounded by nearly four times as many hobgoblins as the day she'd found him. Evidently the one-on-one fight had been for the control of the tribe recently encountered.
"Chomack," Krystarn said into the crystal ball.
The hobgoblin chieftain stared up, searching. "What do you want?"
The other hobgoblins drew their weapons and stepped back. Some of them yelled for Chomack to take cover.
"I look in on you today," Krystarn said, "only to offer my congratulations. Your tribe has grown."
"Because I am strong enough to take them," the chieftain roared back.
A ragged cheer broke from the ranks of the hobgoblins. Many of them beat their swords against their shields.
"I also remind you of your promise to me," Krystarn said.
"I will keep it," the hobgoblin growled. "As long as you keep your end of the bargain."
"Chomack," Krystarn said, thinking of the gold and silver that must be secreted away in the library, "I shall give you even more than I promised." She waved over the crystal ball and picked the next ship on her list. Its name was Tsunami Dancer. She had scried it twice before, feeling an empathy within it when she'd searched for Baylee Arnvold.
20
"Uziraff Fireblade is in the back, but I wouldn't go in there if I was you."
Baylee looked at the whiskered barkeep behind the scarred counter of the Fickle Mermaid. The place was one the ranger vaguely remembered from a time when he and Golsway had been through the area to talk to Uziraff before. The decor was bawdy, featuring a few dozen carved mermaid statues in various forms of debauchery with mermen, humans, and even unicorns. All of the statues had been glued to whatever surface they sat on to keep the tavern's patrons from walking off with them.
"And why not?" Baylee asked.
"He's talking business with someone."
From behind the door to the barkeep's left came the sound of blows being struck, leaving no illusions about what was going on.
“Talking?" Baylee asked. "Or listening?"
The barkeep gave an evil grin. "Uziraff owns the Fickle Mermaid. I don't think anyone could make him listen in here."