The waiting tapenti’s coppery scales gleamed in the sun. The hood at his neck flared wide, the delicate pink of a conch’s heart. His snakelike eyes glittered, half hidden in the shadow of a black, flat-brimmed hat. A red leather vest snugged tight over an otherwise bare chest, and red pantaloons were tucked into knee-high black boots, their tops folded down. A pair of magestones dangled from his leather belt like enormous silver teardrops, and he held a long, slim dagger out and to the side in his left hand, the right open and ready by his waist.
He used his free hand to adjust the brim of his hat and smiled, his tongue flickering out to taste the air. “Hail, wanderer.” His accented voice caressed the vowels in the manner of his kind.
Astryx’s stance managed to seem relaxed, despite the fingertips touching the hilt at her shoulder. “Hail,” she replied patiently. “It appears you think you have some business with me.”
“Oh,shit,” breathed Fern, leaning forward despite herself.
“I do.” The tapenti gestured at Zyll with his dagger, which looked somewhat anemic when compared to the impressive length of Astryx’s blade. “A simple exchange. Her, for safe passage onward.”
Fern blinked at Zyll, who wasalsoleaning forward with great interest, her bound hands clasped between her knees in the folds of her ridiculous coat. “How highisthe bounty on you, anyway?”
The highwayman’s smile slipped for a moment into a confused frown. The point of his dagger dropped a handspan. “Is . . . is that ahazferou?”
Beside Fern, the devil bird made a very un-chicken-like hacking sound deep in its throat and ejected a handful of bones from its beak.
Astryx ignored them both. “I decline.” In a sure, swift motion, she drew her blade and held it ready and slightly across her body. Her arms bunched and corded with lean strength.
“Ah, at last,” sighed a voice that Fern thought she recognized. “Thank you, my lady.”
A veryfussyvoice.
She realized with a start that it was coming from thesword.
The sword in question continued, “I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out this one’s, er,magelyinclinations. Silver stones such as his are common as clay, of course. A favorite of hedge wizards, I believe.” She could almost picture the blade fidgeting with long, silver mustaches. “Which reminds me of an amusing anecdote involving—”
“I’m aware, Nigel,” replied the elf, in the resignedly affectionate tones of the long-married.
“Ah, an Elder Blade,” murmured the tapenti, his reptilian eyes going wide. “Astonishing.”
Fernwas certainly astonished. She’d read any number of stories featuring the fabled talking swords forged of mooncraft and the souls of fallen warriors. She hadn’t been aware that Astryx wielded one—much less one that sounded like the Territory’s least interesting professor—which seemed like a huge oversight as far as the history books went.
And speaking of histories and legends, she couldn’t hold her peace any longer about this one. She cupped her paws to her mouth and hollered, “Excuse me, do you have any idea who thisis? I think you’re out of your depth here.”
“But of course,” the tapenti called back politely, without pause. “She is Astryx One-Ear, Blademistress, Oathmaiden, the Silver Hawk, the Endless Blade. I am not so foolish as all ofthat. Still,” he gestured in a general way at the cart, horse, and the passengers therein, “she has clearly fallen on lean times.”
“I personally saw her dismember two dozen fish monsters, so I don’t know, maybe you’re alittlefoolish?” replied Fern.
Astryx looked over her shoulder at the rattkin and squinted.
The tapenti chuckled good-naturedly. “I warrant I am a greater student of her legends than any other you might chance to meet. I do not spring from ambush, nor do I come unprepared.”
The Elder Blade in Astryx’s hands pompously cleared its nonexistent throat. “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that point.”
“Astryx, Warden of the West, since there can be no accord without action, I, Chak the Pathless, challenge you for custody of the criminal, Zyll.”
A thrill shivered up Fern’s spine, and the daring tales recounted inScarred by Purposecrowded to the front of her mind.
They seemed a lot less far-fetched all of a sudden.
“To death or disarm?” replied Astryx. She might have been asking how he liked his eggs.
Chak doffed his black hat and held it before him. “I would never knowingly deprive the Territory of your greatness.”
“That’s nice. You’re very polite,” replied the Oathmaiden. “It would’ve been a shame to have to kill you.”
9
At some signal invisible to Fern, the elf and the tapenti broke into action at once.
