cleaned her spectacles with a soft rag produced from one of her dress's many pockets. "The Voyants might be the most powerful men in the Republic, but they're not the richest, at least not in terms of things we can carry out. And I know they've got the best security."
"Captain's got a plan," Kail said. "She's always got a plan." "Do they always work, Little One?" Ululenia asked. It looked like she was asking innocently.
Loch decided not to field that one.
"I can't help you," Father Bertrus said shortly, adjusting the neckline of his vestments. "We've seen no one like that here. Other, more pressing matters have demanded our attention."
"What has demanded your attention, Father?" Pyvic asked shortly. "We know that the prisoners came this way after asking about wealthy temples in the area."
Father Bertrus stiffened. "Perhaps they were with her," he murmured, and then a grim smile lit his face. "It is good news for me if the woes of my temple involve you, though it may not be good news for you, Justicar."
"I'm listening, Father." Pyvic kept his tone polite and formal.
"Our temple was attacked by a death priestess." Orris lowered his voice to a grim whisper. "The temptress attempted to entice us with her unholy wiles, and when we were not swayed, she used dark sorcery to steal several priceless relics from our vault."
"Do you know which way she went when leaving town, Father?"
Bertrus gave him a sour look. "South, much good it will do you. The road hits a major crossroads a day or two out of town. She could be anywhere by now. Now, if you will excuse me." He stalked back into his temple without waiting for Pyvic to reply.
"Looks like we're out of luck now," Orris said with a snicker. "Bet you're wishing you'd paid a bit more attention to what I got us from Alms."
"I know where they'll be," Pyvic said. "Come. We're headed south."
"But you heard the man!" Orris grabbed Pyvic's shoulder. "We don't know where she's going! She could be anywhere!" He flinched as Pyvic took the hand off his shoulder, then sneered. "Get as mad as you like, you wanted to be in charge, and now you'll have to go explain why you didn't get the job done."
"Think for a minute." Pyvic glowered. "We don't need to know where Loch and Kail went if we know where they're going." Orris stared at him blankly, and Pyvic sighed and started ticking off points. "Wherever Loch went, something strange has happened—either a crime, like robbing the temple or cracking the dwarven safe, or this sudden peace with the ogres in Woodsedge."
"But Loch didn't do any of that." From Orris's mouth, it sounded more like a whine than an argument.
"Exactly, Warden. So what does that tell us?"
Orris thought for a minute, and then it hit him. "She's recruiting."
"That she is. She's going around with Kail to make contact, and she's asking them all to meet her somewhere. We don't need to know where she's going. We just need to know where the death priestess was headed, because that's where Loch will be."
Orris frowned. "I don't see it, Pyvic. That's pretty justicar thinking, there, but we still don't know where the death priestess was going."
Pyvic reached into a pouch and withdrew a small but serviceable folding map of the province. "Here we are," he said, pointing, "and here's the road south from town. Here's where it intersects the East-West merchant way. The death priestess can go in four directions. But going north brings her right back into town here, so she wouldn't do that." He crossed off that direction with a slash of his finger. "East takes her back to RosAelafuir, which is unlikely, since they've already attracted attention in the area."
"That leaves Ros-Sesuf to the south and Ros-Uitosuf to the west." Orris grunted. "Even odds."
"Not really. They'll be in Ros-Uitosuf." Pyvic gave Orris a frosty smile. "Do I have to remind you, Warden, what your prisoner was in for?" When Orris gave him a blank stare, Pyvic grimaced. "She was in for attempting to infiltrate
"Captain's got a plan," Kail said. "She's always got a plan." "Do they always work, Little One?" Ululenia asked. It looked like she was asking innocently.
Loch decided not to field that one.
"I can't help you," Father Bertrus said shortly, adjusting the neckline of his vestments. "We've seen no one like that here. Other, more pressing matters have demanded our attention."
"What has demanded your attention, Father?" Pyvic asked shortly. "We know that the prisoners came this way after asking about wealthy temples in the area."
Father Bertrus stiffened. "Perhaps they were with her," he murmured, and then a grim smile lit his face. "It is good news for me if the woes of my temple involve you, though it may not be good news for you, Justicar."
"I'm listening, Father." Pyvic kept his tone polite and formal.
"Our temple was attacked by a death priestess." Orris lowered his voice to a grim whisper. "The temptress attempted to entice us with her unholy wiles, and when we were not swayed, she used dark sorcery to steal several priceless relics from our vault."
"Do you know which way she went when leaving town, Father?"
Bertrus gave him a sour look. "South, much good it will do you. The road hits a major crossroads a day or two out of town. She could be anywhere by now. Now, if you will excuse me." He stalked back into his temple without waiting for Pyvic to reply.
"Looks like we're out of luck now," Orris said with a snicker. "Bet you're wishing you'd paid a bit more attention to what I got us from Alms."
"I know where they'll be," Pyvic said. "Come. We're headed south."
"But you heard the man!" Orris grabbed Pyvic's shoulder. "We don't know where she's going! She could be anywhere!" He flinched as Pyvic took the hand off his shoulder, then sneered. "Get as mad as you like, you wanted to be in charge, and now you'll have to go explain why you didn't get the job done."
"Think for a minute." Pyvic glowered. "We don't need to know where Loch and Kail went if we know where they're going." Orris stared at him blankly, and Pyvic sighed and started ticking off points. "Wherever Loch went, something strange has happened—either a crime, like robbing the temple or cracking the dwarven safe, or this sudden peace with the ogres in Woodsedge."
"But Loch didn't do any of that." From Orris's mouth, it sounded more like a whine than an argument.
"Exactly, Warden. So what does that tell us?"
Orris thought for a minute, and then it hit him. "She's recruiting."
"That she is. She's going around with Kail to make contact, and she's asking them all to meet her somewhere. We don't need to know where she's going. We just need to know where the death priestess was headed, because that's where Loch will be."
Orris frowned. "I don't see it, Pyvic. That's pretty justicar thinking, there, but we still don't know where the death priestess was going."
Pyvic reached into a pouch and withdrew a small but serviceable folding map of the province. "Here we are," he said, pointing, "and here's the road south from town. Here's where it intersects the East-West merchant way. The death priestess can go in four directions. But going north brings her right back into town here, so she wouldn't do that." He crossed off that direction with a slash of his finger. "East takes her back to RosAelafuir, which is unlikely, since they've already attracted attention in the area."
"That leaves Ros-Sesuf to the south and Ros-Uitosuf to the west." Orris grunted. "Even odds."
"Not really. They'll be in Ros-Uitosuf." Pyvic gave Orris a frosty smile. "Do I have to remind you, Warden, what your prisoner was in for?" When Orris gave him a blank stare, Pyvic grimaced. "She was in for attempting to infiltrate
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