Firebrand

Chapter 454: Under the Hood

Under the Hood

The next day brought another surprise, shaped as a scrap of parchment.

Master Martel,

I request a meeting.

Tonight if so convenient.

Same tavern as our

previous get-togethers.

Your Keeper of secrets

A rather short and to-the-point message for someone so wont to waste words as the Keeper; the coy signature line was the only part that actually sounded like him. Perhaps, like Ruby's message the other day, it betrayed a concerned mind.

Martel had more or less forgotten about the painted jester, as they had parted ways after recovering the relic together for the Friar. He was not even sure if he had any reliable means of contacting the man anymore. But he had no need either, as it turned out, and it seemed obvious that the Keeper wished to meet because of the upcoming Council. The question was whether he knew that Martel would be present or had been involved in the events leading to the summoning of the Nine Lords; Martel supposed he would find out tonight.

***

As Martel entered the tavern, he made sure to use his magical sense to check for gold. Not that he believed the Keeper would lure him into a trap; he if anyone respected the Pact. But there was always the chance that someone had impersonated him, luring Martel to the location under false pretences. That would explain why the note seemed to have diverged from his usual style.

However, the establishment had no patrons other than tired workmen and day-labourers – though one of them wore it as a disguise, grinning as he saw Martel. Preparing himself for the excesses of the rogue's personality, the wizard strode over to join him at his table.

"Master Martel, I am grateful at your swift response and willingness to meet. Time is a little sensitive, otherwise I would not have insisted."

"What do you want?"

"Straight to the heart of the matter, I see. Not even the most cursory of pleasantries. Very well."

Martel could not tell if the Keeper was actually a little insulted as his words implied, or if he just made use of the first available excuse to chatter on.

"You may have heard that the Nine Lords are gathering. In three days' time, hence why I thought it best we speak tonight."

"Why? It's got nothing to do with me." Not exactly true, but Martel saw no reason to tell his companion anything.

"There's been some rumblings. It might help heads to keep cool if an impartial force was present during the council, suppressing any tendencies towards violence."

Martel frowned as he digested the intention. "You want to hire me as muscle?"

"A strange proposition on the surface, perhaps. But you have already been present once. No secrets will be revealed to you by your involvement, and you are respected – or feared – by several of those present. More than any other mage in town, few as they are. As you are Pact-sworn, you will be seen as impartial, like me."

The wizard stared at the rogue. "I'm not a mercenary." Not the only reason for his refusal, of course; he had already promised his aid to Ruby. But this seemed a better reason to give.

"Not for gold, perhaps. You showed a keen interest in the artefact that we recovered, and you were allowed to inspect it as thanks for your services. The Faith has many others like it, which the Friar has access to. Very few mages have been allowed near any of them over the years."

Martel had to admit, it was well-placed bait. He almost felt tempted. But even if he had been available, putting himself in between a bunch of angry crime lords brandishing weapons and magic at each other seem the height of folly. At the first sign of danger, he would grab Ruby and run; that would be the extent of his involvement. "No thanks." He got up, turned around, and made for the door. For once, no clever remarks followed him; the Keeper simply watched him leave with a discerning look in his eyes.

***

As the night was still reasonably young, Martel did not return to the Lyceum; instead, he made for the bridge district. Whether due to instinct or unfounded fear, Martel felt watched. Or perhaps it was simply tension hanging in the air, like pressure building before a storm. Choosing to exercise a little more caution than usual, he kept his hood up and did not enter The River Pearl directly; instead, he gestured for a street urchin to approach. From his pocket, he dug out what proved to be three pennies. "These are for you," he told the child, "if you go in there, find Ruby, and tell her to come find me. Just describe how I look, and she'll know who I am."

The boy looked him over. "What, tall and ugly?"

Martel gave him a stare. "And wearing a red robe."

"Money first."

"You get one beforehand. The other two when you bring her out." Martel flicked the coin to hit the child on his small chest; rips could be seen underneath the skin, itself visible through the holes in his rags. Grabbing the penny with both hands, the boy turned around and ran across the street to enter the Pearl.

A few minutes passed before Martel saw the child again, emerging from the establishment. A few paces behind him came Ruby. "I got her for you," the boy declared excitedly, holding out his hand.

Martel dumped the remaining two coins into the urchin's palm. "There. Get going."

As the child ran off, Ruby reached him. "This is a subtle approach for a proud wizard. Normally, you stride in as if you own the place." Her smile, almost genuine, blunted any sting in her words.

"It didn't seem wise to announce myself, should anybody be watching and guess that I'm going with you to the gathering. It feels like everyone is getting ready for something to happen," Martel considered. "No point warning them to expect me as well."

"You can be clever when you want to. There's more than just school learning behind those blue eyes." Her smile changed to match the cheek in her words.

"Well, here's another clever idea. Tell your mistress to bring the Night Knives with her to the meeting. She'll have Flora and experienced warriors to protect her. I'll stay above ground with you, looking after the Pearl."

Ruby shook her head, her expression turning grave. "I'm not letting her go to that council alone. Martel, she took me in from the streets. She's like a mother to me and the other girls. We won't leave her side."

Martel sighed. He could not fault her for this, considering his own reason for going along was likewise based on emotion. "But what if it's not enough? What if my help is not enough?"

"Look, we're not new to this. We'll be well-equipped for a fight. We got eyes on the other mages in the city who've done work previously for any Ninth Lord – so far, nobody's been engaged. We're watching the gates and port, should any mercenaries arrive. If there's real danger, we'll know," she claimed.

"I still think you should stay up here and let the Night Knives go with her."

She shrugged. "If there is a fight, I have a lot more faith in you than Flora."

"I guess that's nice. But with everything I hear - it feels certain that something's going to happen. It just seems an unwise risk to take."

"Of course something will happen. But is it an attack during the council? On the Pearl while we're away? Or maybe it's all a ruse to scare Lady Pearl away, in which case, her absence confirms her weakness. How much longer do you think she'll be allowed to run the bridge district? And if she is removed, me and my sisters will be hunted down rather than risk us taking revenge."

Martel swallowed. It sounded so harsh, yet he did not doubt her. "Alright. I'll see you Pelday evening."

Her red lips turned upwards before she kissed his cheek. "Good. I'll head back before anybody wonders what handsome face lurks underneath that hood." With a wink, she pulled away and crossed the street, returning to The River Pearl.