The clothes were like nothing Glissa had ever seen before. They smelled like leather but were supple and flowed like water in her hands. She looked closely at the material. It appeared the leather had been cut into fine strips and woven together.
Glissa stripped off her jerkin and pulled the new blouse from the bundle. Slobad spun around and Glissa thought the goblin’s neck turned an even darker shade of red.
“No time for modesty, Slobad,” she said as she slipped the new shirt over her head.
She pulled off her tattered boots. The cultists had done a wonderful job repairing them, but they wouldn’t last much longer. She pulled on the new boots. They were a little large, so she tied them around her leg with a few strips of leather from her old boots, slipped the dagger sheath into her new boots, and stood up.
“I found out leader’s name,” said Slobad, still facing the wall. “She female named Bruenna. Live in big building, huh? Middle of town. Big building, huh?
“You can turn around now, Slobad,” said Glissa. She pulled the cloak around herself. “I’ll go pay Bruenna a visit.”
“Wait until the first sun is about to rise,” said Bosh.
“Why?” asked Glissa. “She’ll be alone now. This will be the best time to talk to her privately.”
“She will not expect a guest at night,” replied Bosh. “She will be suspicious. Go while she breaks her fast. You avoid the crowds but do not raise suspicion.”
“Fine,” said Glissa. “This is your plan. I’ll wait.” She pulled her hood over her head and walked to the back corner of the shed to lie down. “Wake me when it’s time.”
* * * * *
Bosh shook Glissa awake. “The blue sun rises,” he said.
Glissa looked at the metal man through bleary eyes. “What?” she asked.
“The blue sun,” he said again. “It will crest over the Quicksilver Sea momentarily.”
“Oh. Fine.”
She walked to the door, readjusting the hood to cover her ears and most of her face. She then folded her arms inside the folds of the cloak to hide her claws. Those parts of her skin that were still visible she covered with mud, hoping no one would notice her green hue. Slobad opened the door, and Glissa peered out.
“Most of the ships are gone from the docks.”
“Fisherman, maybe? They early risers, huh?” said Slobad. “All leave while you sleep.”
“What’s a fisherman?” she asked.
“A man who fishes, huh?” said Slobad. He continued as Glissa stared at him with a blank expression on her face. “You crazy again, elf? Humans catch fish-food-in sea. Bring home to eat, huh? Man who catches fish is fisherman.”
Glissa nodded. “Well, find yourselves a good hiding spot until I get back,” she said. “In case someone comes back needing parts.” She slipped through the door and crept to the side of the shed. She saw nobody walking about in the lanes between the shelters. It looked as if Bosh was right. She turned the corner and began walking slowly and deliberately toward the center of the town, keeping her head down and her hands tucked inside the cloak.
She passed a few humans heading toward the docks on her way through the ring of homes surrounding the main town building. She nodded at them as they passed, but they mostly ignored her. Glissa didn’t know what a fisherman would look like, but these people were all dressed in robes like her own and had an air of magic about them. She wondered if they used magic to catch the fish.
She found Bruenna’s home easily enough. It was the largest building in the town, larger than two storage sheds. While the shelters surrounding it were simple metal boxes with leather curtains for doors, this building was ornate. Metal columns supported the roof, and symbols had been etched in the wall above polished double doors. Glissa climbed the wide steps that led to the doors and knocked.
The door opened, and an old human female stood before Glissa. She had long white hair, and her face was almost as wrinkled as a troll’s. The old woman wore dark clothing similar to that which Slobad had stolen for Glissa, but her robes were dyed blue, and strands of silver ran through the woven leather. The dress glittered in the light of the blue moon rising behind Glissa.
“Bruenna,” began Glissa. “I-”
“Are you here to see Mistress Bruenna?” the woman interrupted.
“Yes,” said Glissa. “Tell her a messenger brings news from the vedalken.”
“Right this way,” said the woman. She showed the elf to a chair. “Wait here while I tell Mistress Bruenna of your arrival. May I take your cloak?”
“No!” stammered Glissa. “I–I am cold from my journey through the night. I will keep it for now.”
“As you wish.” The old woman left the room.
Glissa glanced about the room. It was bare. Taj Nar had been resplendent in gold and silver trinkets. The entire city gleamed in the moonlight from all of the polished metal. This house, though, which seemed so grand on the outside, was plain within. Bruenna’s home had few furnishings of any kind and no ornamentation on the walls or tables. For a leader of her people, Bruenna lived a simple life, thought Glissa.
The old woman returned. “Mistress Bruenna will see you now.”
Glissa followed the woman down a short corridor. They entered another room, where a beautiful young woman sat eating, long blonde hair curling around her face. She wore the same blue garment as the older woman, but hers had gold fibers woven throughout the garment instead of silver.
Bruenna was looking through a leather scroll. The table was strewn with piles of scrolls. It looked as if the leader of the humans hardly ever left this room.
“Yes? What is it?” asked Bruenna without even looking up at Glissa.
“I bring an important message from the vedalken.”
“What do they want now?” asked Bruenna. “More wizards? More goblin ore? Well, I don’t have any more wizards to send them, and the next shipment of ore isn’t due for days. Go tell them that, and leave me to my work.”
“They wish an audience with you, Mistress Bruenna,” said Glissa. “To discuss … schedules.”
Bruenna looked up at Glissa. “I–I’ve been called before the Synod?”
“Yes,” said Glissa. “I am to take you there myself.” She was amazed at how well Slobad’s scheme was working. Could she really get Bruenna to take them to the vedalken?
Bruenna was obviously agitated. She slammed the scroll down, almost toppling a plate of food. “I have done everything demanded of me. What more can they want?”
“Perhaps more serum?” ventured Glissa.
The human gave her a cold stare. “Who are you?” asked Bruenna. “Who sent you?”
“I told you,” said Glissa. “I am but a simple messenger of the Synod.”
“Did Lord Xauvrer send you?”
“Why yes,” said Glissa. “I believe it was Lord Xauvrer himself who dispatched me.”
Bruenna smiled grimly. “There is no Lord Xauvrer. Anyone-any human-would know that is not even a vedalken name. Who are you?”
With a quick wave of her hand, Bruenna released a ball of blue mana into the air. It expanded and washed over Glissa like a cold wind, pulling her hood back and ripping the cloak from her body. Glissa pulled out her sword and leaped onto the table.
“I’m no human,” she said, “but you are coming with me to this Synod of yours.”
Bruenna waved her hand again, and a stiff wind tossed Glissa and the table back against the wall. Glissa fell to the floor amidst a rain of scrolls. Her sword clattered to the floor beside her.
“What in the winds are you?” demanded Bruenna.
“I am an elf,” Glissa replied. “An elf who doesn’t want to kill you, but I will if I have to.” She snatched her sword from the ground and jumped to her feet.
“Let’s see you try.” Bruenna waved her hand again.
“You’ll need more than a little wind to stop me,” growled the elf. Another blast of wind slammed into her, but Glissa braced her back foot against the overturned table and held her ground. When the wind subsided, she dived at Bruenna, carrying the human to the floor beneath her.