Dinner was served mere moments after the bards finished their performance, and Telanya's terrified steward filled our glasses with a blue elven wine that was so sweet it was almost painful. I struck a balance between polite conversation and stuffing my face, and at times it almost felt like I was a ghost at the table. Beloran probed Kaseya for details about Nol Krovos, and she happily told him everything he wanted to know even when his eyes remained fastened on her breasts. Telanya took almost the exact opposite approach: her attention rarely left Valuri, and she endlessly quizzed the other woman about the Inquisitrix and the Senosi. I added useful information when appropriate, but for the most part I was content to eat and observe, in that order.
I also spent an absurd amount of time thinking about what was going to happen if and when we got out of here. Valuri would demand that I feed her, and afterward Kaseya would probably want some attention, too. She could deny being jealous all she wanted, but loyal amazon or not, she was still human. Just because she was willing to share me didn't mean she actually wanted to.
It wasn't until the servants removed our plates that the conversation finally shifted back to the matter at hand--specifically, why the two most powerful channelers in Highwind had decided to free us from the Gray Citadel.
"Now that you've all had the chance to settle, we have more important matters to discuss," Telanya said, twirling her long finger around the rim of her empty glass. "Half the reason my husband and I decided to help the three of you was because we hoped you would be able to tell us more about our enemy to the west."
"I just explained that the Inquisitrix is hell-bent on killing or converting every channeler in the Northern Reaches and conquering Highwind in the process," Valuri said. "I'm not sure what else you need to know. The people of this city need to be ready for war."
Beloran grunted softly. "Her armies are no match for ours. The Duskwatch and the Silver Fist have kept Highwind safe for generations."
"Your knights and rangers are powerful, but they're not invincible," Valuri told him. "The Inquisitrix has almost two hundred Senosi at her beck and call, and she endeavors to train more every day. Combined with a conventional army, they can neutralize enemy channelers and transform your paladins into little more than glorified foot soldiers."
The Archmage leaned back in his chair. "You believe that is her plan, then? To weaken our defenses before launching a full-scale attack?"
Valuri shrugged. "She's a lot more subtle than that--and more patient. She will sow division in your ranks first. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she's been helping the Black Mistress throw the city's underworld into chaos."
"We've been considering that possibility for a while now," Telanya replied gravely. "I wish we had proof of a connection--it might finally convince the Council to take the Vorsalosian threat seriously. Their fanatical focus on the Black Mistress has blinded them to other problems."
"There's another connection you don't know about," I said. "The Senosi have a new commander--another amazon from Nol Krovos named Ayrael."
Beloran frowned. "An amazon joining forces with the Senosi?"
"It is an isolated incident," Kaseya said. "Ayrael betrayed our people. She is the reason I was sent here."
"The point is that she's very dangerous, and Highwind needs to be ready for anything," I said, jumping in before Kaseya inadvertently revealed anything else. These people didn't need to know that Ayrael was her sister or any other specific details. "She already tried to capture us once, and I've no doubt she'll try again."
"To be blunt, I'm more interested in her plans for this city than her plans for you," Telanya said. "I'm disappointed you don't know more."
"Information was only half the reason you and your husband decided to reach out to us," Valuri pointed out. "What's the other half?"
Telanya shared a long look with her husband. "You're right. I do need your help with something--something vitally important."
"Magister Rethon told us about your excursion north of the Duskwood about a week ago," Beloran said. "By now, I'm sure you've figured out the truth: the Black Mistress had bribed Artificer Dieran and several other Guild mages to deliver the cargo to her rather than us."
I nodded. "But the Senosi stole it before it reached the city."
"Yes. You can see why this is a source of concern. The Mage's Guild has spent decades carefully cultivating a pristine reputation. Our wizards are supposed to be beyond reproach, yet apparently several of them are in the pocket of the criminal underworld. If word of their treachery spread to the public..."
"The people might start to think that trained wizards and untrained sorcerers aren't so different after all."
I regretted the words the instant they escaped my lips. I knew better than to let my bitterness overwhelm my good sense. I was here to impress these people, not insult them. Apparently, Kaseya's bluntness was rubbing off on me...
"Something like that," Telanya murmured. She smiled faintly, though I could see a dangerous glimmer behind her blue eyes. "The Senosi's involvement adds several more wrinkles to our problem, especially considering the nature of the cargo in question. Tell me: what do you know about vatari crystals?"
Valuri's ears perked up. "They absorb Aetheric energy--they're the source of the Senosi's power. I don't know all the specifics, but somehow the Inquisitrix crushes them into powder and then tattoos it beneath our skin."
"And without a steady supply, she would be unable to train new Huntresses," Beloran said. "Her minions have been mining the crystals from the Shattered Peaks for several years, but the Guild recently learned that the local deposits have nearly run dry. The Inquisitrix has been searching for new sources, and we have been trying to stop her."
I nodded solemnly as a few more pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. "You found other deposits, and you've been trying to mine them and store the crystals here in Highwind."
"Pure vatari is rare in this part of the world, mercifully, but we have located a few deposits in the north and south," Telanya said. "We've kept their location secret for obvious reasons, and we've spread out deliveries and caravans to try and conceal our true intentions. But now that the Inquisitrix knows what we're doing, I've no doubt that the Senosi will attempt to raid more shipments. This cannot be allowed."
"I heard whispers about a shortage when I was in Vorsalos, but I never had the chance to investigate the truth," Valuri said. "This is huge--the Inquisitrix uses vatari dust in basically everything these days. Armor, weapons...the Senosi can't function without it."
"We don't know precisely when her supplies will run out, but the more we sabotage her resources, the more we embolden her enemies," Telanya said. "An open war between our cities would be devastating. Starving her may be our best option for preventing one."
Kaseya frowned. "I do not understand. You said that the Black Mistress bribed your wizards into helping her, but from what we've learned, this woman is interested in harboring refugee sorcerers and smuggling illegal magical items. What use does she have for this crystal?"
The Archmage snorted. "I'm sure the Black Mistress would be more than happy to sell her plunder to the Inquisitrix in exchange for gold or fugitives. What other motivation does a criminal need?"
"She could also be trying to stock up on it in preparation for her own private war against the Mage's Guild," I reasoned. "Assuming the rumors about her having a personal vendetta against you and your wife are true."
The Headmistress's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly--the movement was so subtle I doubt that anyone else picked up on it. Had I struck a nerve?
"I suppose that's possible," Telanya said after a moment. "Though if she truly believes she can stand against the full might of the Guild, she is delusional."
"Perhaps it's just a backup plan in case something goes wrong," I suggested. "I don't know, but the point is that she definitely has a reason to get involved. And if word of this cargo's importance gets around..."
This time, it was Telanya's cheek that twitched. "That is another reason I wish to hire you and your friends. You don't have any connections in this city, but I know you all have personal reasons to hate the Inquisitrix. Helping us is in your best interests."
I frowned and studied her face. Something about her expression and tone of voice...
"The Council doesn't know you've been hoarding vatari crystals," I reasoned. "That's the reason you wanted to speak with us here and not in the Citadel."
Her lip twitched again. "You really are more cunning than you look, aren't you?"
"He gets that a lot," Valuri said. "But you didn't answer his question."
Telanya poured herself another drink. "No one on the Council knows anything about these crystals," she said. "About a year ago, I proposed that we should attempt to starve the Inquisitrix's supply, but at that point I had only been in the city for a short while. They didn't trust me, and more to the point, they didn't want to antagonize Vorsalos. They refused to see the full nature of the threat before us."
"As did I," Beloran murmured solemnly. "It was the first of many times I learned not to question my wife's wisdom."
Telanya wasn't even looking at him; she was too busy scowling at her drink. "I can hardly blame you," she said. "Your people have such short lifespans that you're doomed to forget the past. Barely anyone in this city even remembers the War of the Three Cities, and the Council had to appoint another outsider as Ranger-General before they took the orc and gnoll threats seriously."
"Is that why you came here from Nelu'Thalas?" I asked. "To show all the 'foolish humans' the error of their ways?"
Telanya eyes lifted to meet mine. "Outsiders often have an easier time seeing the truth than those around them. You and your friends of all people should appreciate this."
I smiled. "We do. That's why I'm optimistic about working together."
We held our gaze for a few long, tense moments before Valuri broke our trance. "So basically, the two of you are waging your own private war against the Inquisitrix. You steal all her crystals, and you hope that no one here has to suffer the consequences of their complacency."
"More or less," Beloran said. "It may not be a perfect plan, but we don't live in a perfect world."
"No," I agreed. "We most certainly do not."
"You still haven't said exactly what you want us to do," Valuri said.
Telanya sipped at her drink as if she were giving herself one last chance to back out of her own plan. "There is another shipment of crystals en route to Highwind from Falcon Ridge in the south," she said. "I hired a band of mercenaries--the Falcon Guard--to protect the caravan, but I suspect they will need assistance."
"An amazon, a Senosi Huntress, a self-taught sorcerer...you are all dangerous and skilled in your way," the Archmage said. "And more to the point, you know our enemies better than anyone."
