guard,.
Gentlemen, this is my brother—Achmed—the Snake. Despite her drugged state, she felt embarrassment.
'I needed an ally at that moment, and you just happened to be there," she said. "It was the first scary name that came into my head, even if in hindsight it was rather, well—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to presume."
'That's not the part 'e's talkin' about," said Grunthor. " 'Ow did you know 'e's the Brother?"
'Whose brother?"
For a moment, Rhapsody thought it had gone too far, that she was going to pass out. With each question the sensation that he was severing her arm with his grip grew more urgent. Suddenly, he relaxed his hold on her and looked across the fire at his partner, then back at her.
'I certainly hope you're only pretending to be this stupid."
'No, I'm afraid not. I have no idea what you are talking about. Is your name supposed to mean something to me?"
'No."
'Then could you let go?"
Grunthor moved to help her stand as the man with the nightmare face released her and returned to searching her bag.
'What 'e's sayin' is, those troops after you were nothing next to what's chasin' us.
This is a serious business, miss. My friend wants to know 'ow you knew 'e is the Brother."
'I'm sorry, but I've never heard of the Brother, if that's your name. I was trying to convince them that you were my brother. That's why I asked if you would adopt me, so that it would be true. I guess this was an unfortunate coincidence. But I've already told you I never lie. So either believe me, or kill me, but do not break my instruments."
'I'll smash every one here if you do not tell me the whole truth. Perhaps you had well-meaning parents. Perhaps you were once a professional whore, perhaps you took a vow. Perhaps you now are the consort of some holier-than-unholy man who gets his jollies from your candor. Tell me now who you really are and how you knew to name me."
'First, tell me who you both are, and what you intend to do with me."
The piercing eyes regarded her sharply. "This is Grunthor. No one has concealed that."
The giant glanced at her quickly. "Although you can always call me The Ultimate Authority, to Be Obeyed at All Costs,' he said lightly. "My troops always does."
The joke had its intended effect. The robed man exchanged a look with the giant, then seemed to relax somewhat.
'At the moment, Achmed is as apt an appellation as anything for me, since that is what you chose to call me," he said sullenly. "As to who I am, and your fate, both of those are yet to be determined. You spoke my name and then changed it. Normally this would only be an annoyance, but those who are hunting us can make the dead speak, and surely will if they feel they can learn something. Those dead idiots heard what you said. What is a trollop doing with expensive instruments?"
Rhapsody rubbed her shoulder, feeling the pain begin to abate.
'I am not a trollop. As I told you before, I am a student of music, and I have achieved the status of Singer of Lirin lore; our word for it is Enwr. My goal was to go on to become a Namer, a Canwr; it is a rare accomplishment but the skills are useful.
'Four years ago I was accepted as an apprentice. I studied for three of those years with Heiles, a Namer of great renown who lived in Easton, but a year or so ago he vanished without a trace, and I was left to finish my studies on my own. I was completing my final research just this morning." "What can you do?"
Rhapsody shrugged, then held her throbbing hands closer to the fire.
'Assorted things. The main thing Singers study is lore. Sometimes lore consists of old tales or the history of a race or a culture. Sometimes it's the knowledge of a particular discipline, like herbalism or astronomy. Sometimes it's a collection of songs that tell an important story which would otherwise be lost."
-
The man now known as Achmed stared at her. "And sometimes it's the knowledge of ancient powers."
Rhapsody swallowed nervously. The subject of lore was
Gentlemen, this is my brother—Achmed—the Snake. Despite her drugged state, she felt embarrassment.
'I needed an ally at that moment, and you just happened to be there," she said. "It was the first scary name that came into my head, even if in hindsight it was rather, well—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to presume."
'That's not the part 'e's talkin' about," said Grunthor. " 'Ow did you know 'e's the Brother?"
'Whose brother?"
For a moment, Rhapsody thought it had gone too far, that she was going to pass out. With each question the sensation that he was severing her arm with his grip grew more urgent. Suddenly, he relaxed his hold on her and looked across the fire at his partner, then back at her.
'I certainly hope you're only pretending to be this stupid."
'No, I'm afraid not. I have no idea what you are talking about. Is your name supposed to mean something to me?"
'No."
'Then could you let go?"
Grunthor moved to help her stand as the man with the nightmare face released her and returned to searching her bag.
'What 'e's sayin' is, those troops after you were nothing next to what's chasin' us.
This is a serious business, miss. My friend wants to know 'ow you knew 'e is the Brother."
'I'm sorry, but I've never heard of the Brother, if that's your name. I was trying to convince them that you were my brother. That's why I asked if you would adopt me, so that it would be true. I guess this was an unfortunate coincidence. But I've already told you I never lie. So either believe me, or kill me, but do not break my instruments."
'I'll smash every one here if you do not tell me the whole truth. Perhaps you had well-meaning parents. Perhaps you were once a professional whore, perhaps you took a vow. Perhaps you now are the consort of some holier-than-unholy man who gets his jollies from your candor. Tell me now who you really are and how you knew to name me."
'First, tell me who you both are, and what you intend to do with me."
The piercing eyes regarded her sharply. "This is Grunthor. No one has concealed that."
The giant glanced at her quickly. "Although you can always call me The Ultimate Authority, to Be Obeyed at All Costs,' he said lightly. "My troops always does."
The joke had its intended effect. The robed man exchanged a look with the giant, then seemed to relax somewhat.
'At the moment, Achmed is as apt an appellation as anything for me, since that is what you chose to call me," he said sullenly. "As to who I am, and your fate, both of those are yet to be determined. You spoke my name and then changed it. Normally this would only be an annoyance, but those who are hunting us can make the dead speak, and surely will if they feel they can learn something. Those dead idiots heard what you said. What is a trollop doing with expensive instruments?"
Rhapsody rubbed her shoulder, feeling the pain begin to abate.
'I am not a trollop. As I told you before, I am a student of music, and I have achieved the status of Singer of Lirin lore; our word for it is Enwr. My goal was to go on to become a Namer, a Canwr; it is a rare accomplishment but the skills are useful.
'Four years ago I was accepted as an apprentice. I studied for three of those years with Heiles, a Namer of great renown who lived in Easton, but a year or so ago he vanished without a trace, and I was left to finish my studies on my own. I was completing my final research just this morning." "What can you do?"
Rhapsody shrugged, then held her throbbing hands closer to the fire.
'Assorted things. The main thing Singers study is lore. Sometimes lore consists of old tales or the history of a race or a culture. Sometimes it's the knowledge of a particular discipline, like herbalism or astronomy. Sometimes it's a collection of songs that tell an important story which would otherwise be lost."
-
The man now known as Achmed stared at her. "And sometimes it's the knowledge of ancient powers."
Rhapsody swallowed nervously. The subject of lore was
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