Thread Slivers (Golden Threads Trilogy) (22 page)

After some time, Ditani regained his composure and sat drinking his arit and eating a pastry while Lebuin and Ticca swapped details of their recent experiences.

“I understand why you took those boots off the man, but I can’t figure out why you just left them at the hospice.”

Pointing at her boots that she still wore, she asked, “What are you talking about? These are the boots here.”

“No, they can’t be. The boots you had on in the hospice were patterned shades of grey that would have matched that cloak the attacker was wearing perfectly. These boots are amazing too, but they are tan and brown fur, which is a good match for what you have on now.”

Ticca looked at the boots.
Could they have yet another marvel? First they fit, then they climb, then they heal, then they move as silent as bare feet, and now he is saying they change to match what I am wearing? Lady, where did these come from?!
Taking them off, Ticca tossed them to Lebuin. “You’re the wizard, can you tell me? I swear these are the boots I took off the man, the same boots I have been wearing since last night.”

Lebuin caught the boots. “These feel unbelievable…” He looked them over closely. “They are amazingly clean considering you have been wearing them around town.” He turned them over and examined the making. “I didn’t realize we had the same-sized feet.” He slipped them on and stood.

“You’re right, they are amazing to wear.”

Ticca was watching in shock as the now obviously larger boots shifted almost imperceptibly to a darker shade of brown, matching well with the pants Lebuin was wearing.
Oh my, they do change to match. I hope I can get them off him now.

Lebuin sat back down and took them off easily, handing them over as if he handled such marvels every day of the week.
I guess he is used to these kinds of things.

“Truly useful.” He watched her closely as she put them back on. “Must be a simple spell based on coloration sampling. They also have the same cleaning incantations I use. The resizing to match the wearer is a really interesting trick. When I get my powers back I would love if you’d let me examine them a little more closely.”

“Only if you promise to not harm them. They might be simple for you, but to me they are a Godsend and I thank the Lady for them.”

“Oh of course, I just need to walk the enchantments for a few weeks to see if I can understand what they are doing, and possibly to learn a new pathway. That man who attacked you was certainly well-equipped. Do most Knives have cloaks that blend with shadows, boots like this, and burn to nothing when killed?”

Ticca snapped straight up, spilling some arit. “What do you mean burn to nothing when killed?”

“Well after you left, something in his pouch caught fire and it spread to consume his whole body. Leaving just the cloak, which being magical in nature might be a bit harder to damage than ordinary items.”

“He had Night’s Fire in his pouch? Is that what was smoking?”

“I’m sorry but I thought you said fire in the night earlier. What is Night’s Fire?”

“It’s a tool used by Knives that burns only the victim and any organic items, leaving almost nothing but some ash which is easily blown or washed away.”

“Interesting, must be a rather unique set of chemicals. I’d love to get a sample. But, yes, I believe you describe exactly what happened.”

Ditani had been staring silently past them both for some time. Standing up, he pointed and asked accusingly, “Where did you get that pouch?”

Looking back at her bed, she saw her pouch was sitting on the far side by the armoire. “I got that from the same Knife that attacked me last night. Same man who had these boots and the cloak Lord Lebuin has hidden in his room.”

Ditani rushed past her and picked up the pouch, examining it carefully. “This is Master Vestul’s pouch. I have put it away for him many times.”

Standing up, Ticca stepped over and looked at the pouch in Ditani’s hands as if new again. “Well it was on the Knife that I killed, he must have taken it from Magus Vestul when he killed him. I am very sorry, as he was a Knife, I figured there was zero chance of anything valuable being returned to a proper owner. So I took what I thought might be of use.”

Ditani looked at the boots. “Those must be Magus Vestul’s, too! They were a gift from an old friend of his. He treasured them and always put them up neatly.”

Looking down, Ticca nodded.
Damn. Well they were nice while they lasted. I can’t keep them, though.
“That explains why the Knife was so well-equipped; he had just taken all the best a powerful wizard had to offer. Ditani, I am truly sorry. These then belong to Vestul’s kin, or to you as his servant.” Taking the boots off, she held them out to Ditani.

Ditani looked at her for a moment and she could see in his eyes, he knew the code she had to adhere to. He shook his head and looked down to hide a smile of satisfaction. “Magus Vestul had no kin in the world and they would better serve you.” He held out the pouch. “This pouch included. So by the right of blood revenge I give them to you freely. They are yours.”

He is an odd fellow, for sure. Thank you, Lady, I really didn’t want to lose these, and he has given me a clear conscience in keeping them.
Ticca slipped the boots back on. “Thank you, truly. Yet I am still confused. I don’t understand how a Knife could kill such a powerful wizard. Until today I thought, like everyone, that you were mostly invulnerable to weapons.”

Lebuin was quiet for a few minutes and then he said quietly, “There are ways to penetrate a mage’s defenses.”

Ticca took the pouch back to the chair and cautiously opened it to the compartment with the papers. “If this is Magus Vestul’s pouch then these are his notes, or letters, or something. They might give us a clue as to why he was targeted... for Ditani’s sake.” Handing them to Lebuin, Ticca sat down as he started to examine them.

Ditani sat back down too and looked over the papers with Lebuin. “These are the letters from the Duke. The others look like the master’s quick notes, the ones he took before he would commit more careful notes to his research journal.” As Lebuin moved through the papers, obviously able to read what they said, Ditani looked startled. “And those are the notes that Magus Gezu had me take to Master Vestul a few years back.”

Lebuin looked up. “Well, these are intriguing hints at some significant discoveries. The letters from the Duke indicated Magus Vestul was coming here to share his latest research with the Duke for safety. Don’t ask, I don’t know what that means. It is just that the Duke in one letter agrees to ensure their safety. These papers were going to be handed over to the Duke.”

“What about Master Vestul’s key? He put it in the pouch when we left in the morning.”

Ticca shook her head. “It isn’t there now, most likely; it was left in the alley where the Knife burned up. It couldn’t be destroyed by Night’s Fire.”

Lebuin shook his head. “No, it wasn’t there. The rain washed the ash away almost instantly and I took the cloak. Are you sure it isn’t stuck in a seam?”

Ticca shook her head, then stopped.
I didn’t pull everything out of the vial compartment
. “No, not exactly, but I didn’t search completely.” She covertly shifted to the vial compartment while putting the pouch on the table between them. Opening it, she pulled the vial case out, as well as a few scraps of paper; and there under the paper was a Dolphin key similar to her own. Holding it up triumphantly, she exclaimed, “And here is his key then, as it isn’t likely to belong to the Knife. Problem is we don’t know the code to get in.”

“I do,” Ditani said.

Chapter 8

Keys open paths

T
ICCA AND LEBUIN BOTH LOOKED at Ditani for a moment before asking simultaneously, “Should we go in?”

Lebuin asked, “Would Genne care if we looked in that room?”

“Genne has a hard policy about spying and thieving, M’lord.”

Lebuin looked uncomfortably at Ditani. “Weren’t you staying with Magus Vestul here?”

“Yes I was, in Magus Vestul’s room.”

“Ditani, that is perfect! It isn’t stealing, or spying because it was a shared room, and Magus Vestul is dead. You said he didn’t have any relations that would claim his legacy, right?”

Ditani looked pained. “Master, he was more to me than just an employer, I knew him well and we grew to be good friends... to speak so plainly of his murder.” Ditani’s eyes watered as he spoke.

Need to pull him along a little.
Assuming a commander’s mannerisms, but with a gentler voice, “Ditani, wouldn’t your friend desire that we live to find the meaning to his death?” Waiting for him to mull it over, she kept her eyes firmly on him. Ditani nodded finally, looking her in the eye. For a moment she thought she caught a flash of light deep in his eyes, like a wolf’s reflecting the light, and they were slightly larger than normal now that she was looking into them.

Ditani’s voice trembled, but he answered, “Yes, Magus Vestul outlived all his relations and he had no children I am aware of.”

Oh, this will kick him. Self-interest is usually a good motivator.
“Well then, it isn’t thieving to enter your room and take your stuff. It also isn’t thieving to claim any remaining personal belongings, as you were his servant and without an heir, a personal servant may claim everything. Congratulations, Ditani, you just inherited the entire legacy of a great wizard.”

Instead of looking excited by the news, as she expected, Ditani looked scared. “Ticca, Master, no. I couldn’t claim it all. I would be afraid to approach any of his research, and I wouldn’t know what to do with his library. I do not want for much and have no need of his wealth.”

What kind of servant would deny what is likely a small fortune?
Looking at Lebuin to see if he was thinking the same, she saw he wasn’t. Lebuin’s eyes were lit like the noon-day sun.

Lebuin’s eyes gave away that his mind was racing with possibilities. “Well then, Ditani, perhaps you would grant me what you don’t desire. This could resolve many issues for me. I would be immeasurably helped by his library. I could even ensure his legacy of knowledge is not lost and complete what work he started but now will not be able to complete. I would of course give him full accolades with the Guild. His name would not be forgotten. Where is his research?”

If he follows through with the credit, it would be a good legacy. I hope we can trust this wizard.

“Master, everything save what was intended to give to the Duke is at his home in Algan. I know how to open it physically, and with his death, many of his magical protections should be gone as well. Perhaps with you to investigate it would work well. My wife will not believe our good fortune.”

Lebuin truly smiled deeply for the first time.
Lady, he is a handsome man when he smiles.
“Ticca, Algan is leagues away up river, too far for Magus Cune’s ally to continue attacking. If we can get there, all this mess could blow over, and I can find everything I need for years to come. There is even a Guildhouse there, so I have no need to return to Llino for some time.”

Algan is a large enough city to have a Dagger Home. I could probably get some kind of guard or messenger commission back to Llino. Lebuin would be safe with his own base of operations. So all I need to do is get him there in one piece and, job done.
Her heart agreed it was a good plan. “True, it would solve that problem and some, if not all, of your questing requirements. What about who killed Magus Vestul? Do you want to investigate that?”

Lebuin’s neck went a little red. “Well, yes, but I think that is beyond my ability. With your information I can write a letter to the Guild and let the council take care of it. I need cycles to recover, in which time they could have solved it and brought the guilty to punishment. Also, there is the matter of the price on my head.”

He has coin, and it is a good point.
“Very well M’lord. What would you have me do?”

Lebuin straightened,
He feels the power of leadership and likes it, I think
. “First help me collect what Magus Vestul had in his room, next I need some time to go over these notes before I write letters to the Guild. Can you get a note to my family’s business and one to the Guild?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll write one tonight asking for a passage for all three of us and our cargo on the next merchant ship heading towards Algan. It will likely be a few days or perhaps a week before passage can be secured. Will we be safe here for that long?”

A week sitting in the Dolphin, that doesn’t sound very entertaining. ‘Course I cannot leave them totally unguarded, even here.
“I can keep you safe here that long. The trick will be to get you and Ditani out of here and to that ship unseen.”

“Well you’ll have some time to come up with a plan. Now let’s go see what Magus Vestul left behind.”

“Ditani, where is Magus Vestul’s room and did he leave the shutters open?”

Ditani looked at her. “It is the end room on this floor. Yes, I am pretty sure the shutters are open.”

Lady, we are being observed, and open windows at night does not sound like a good idea. Genne said Magus Vestul was paid through the cycle, so we have three whole weeks before the room is reclaimed.
She held up her hand. “M’lord, the room is secure and paid for three more weeks. The shutters are open, we know we are being watched. Let’s wait until morning.”