Jackal Among Snakes

Corentin sat in a group of near eight others, in the same house that he had just had his discussion with Argrave. The other southron elves were grizzled, scarred warriors just as he was—obvious war veterans. They were in a loose circle, some standing, some sitting.

“So, just as Durran did, this new arrival claims to have met my daughter?” one asked, a man with a missing nose.

“Yeah,” Corentin nodded, looking out towards the door. “Same tale as Durran, too. Gebicca was crushed beneath rocks. Same accounts. Only difference…” Corentin turned his head back. “Argrave brought Brumesingers with him. Seems to have tamed them, too.”

The warriors all looked greatly intrigued by this. One, who leaned against Corentin’s wall, asked, “How?”

“I don’t know,” Corentin shook his head.

“You didn’t ask?” the man pressed.

“What am I, a damned interrogator? You ask him,” Corentin crossed his arms and shook his head.

“What good are you, old bastard?” the man with the missing nose asked.

“Least I can still smell things, Morvan,” Corentin returned with a laugh. “You go outside, that cavity you call a nose fills up with sand. What kind of desert warrior loses to sand?”

Some of the others joined the man in laughter.

“You one-eyed prick,” Morvan leaned forward, a smile on his face.

“Let’s stay serious,” another man interjected—though he seemed the oldest, he was the least scarred. All of the others heeded his words at once. “Save the banter for when we don’t have an unexpected visitor. This man, Argrave, claims to be working with the Lord of Copper. This deserves serious treatment.”

Corentin raised his hands. “Of course, Florimond.”

Florimond looked about. “What is he doing right now?”

Someone stalked to the door of Corentin’s house. “Looks like… he’s letting the Brumesingers play with the children.”

That brief little description immediately made everyone stir.

“Either he’s not a bad guy, or he’s damned good at tugging the heartstrings,” Morvan shook his head.

“This is someone working for the Vessels,” another warrior posited. “With the intent to betray them, too. Maybe he’s a paragon. Maybe he’s a good actor.”

That sobered some of the warriors up, and their smiles faded somewhat.

“But what he’s saying—that the southern tribals are going to attack with the help of the Lord of Copper—it does match with what Durran told us. Everything matches,” Corentin ceded.

“Did you tell him anything about Durran? About the proposition the man’s made to us?” Florimond questioned.

“You think I’m stupid?” Corentin put a hand to his chest. “I kept my mouth shut, tried to let him say his piece.” Corentin lowered his hand.

“And that warrior with him?”

nodded. “Looked… I don’t know. Probably the type of guy I’d avoid on the battlefield. Strong, tough, hard. If a man

from anything, craven moron,” Morvan crossed his

stand before that damned giant and tell me how brave you are,” Corentin gestured towards the no-nosed elf. “His hand’s bigger than your head. Maybe that’s not saying

and even Morvan sunk back into his chair, shaking his head with

are we going to say to this guy?” Florimond looked around. “Do we tell him

we?” Corentin crossed his

I do think we need to hear more from

Lord of Copper if he’s a drooling imbecile. If he’s stupid,

But…” Corentin began. “Didn’t want to say this, because it’s just conjecture on my end. I brought this,” he pulled out the black cube with glowing purple runes on it. “He kept his eye on it, like he knew what it

have told him,” Florimond

young,” he shook his head,

loss. Someone patted him on the shoulder, but no words were

Morvan finally broke the silence, shaking his head.

in the room chuckled. Florimond heeded Morvan’s advice, continuing, “So—we ask him

said the

#####

in this place. I can hear nothing,”

help

like little balls of lightning, the southron elven children watching them and playing with

you like children?”

“No,” said Argrave immediately.

down.

“I don’t want to deal with other people’s children. Nephews,

“Sons, daughters?” he pressed.

head. “Wrong time to even consider considering

the

crossed

wasn’t ready, either,”

decent crowd moving towards them. The old warriors of the southron elves moved from Corentin’s home, striding towards them. Argrave

these men are full of

questioned, though

skill by sight alone. None can,” Galamon shook his head. “But

told Galamon.

keeping an eye on them as they

old veterans was quite a gruesome sight, but strangely, Argrave could not bring himself to pity any of them. They seemed too proud to be pitied. Some were

his nervousness or simply tired of playing with the southron elf children, rushed

be Argrave,” Florimund greeted. “And those creatures…” he eyed one of the Brumesingers, who kept their golden eyes on the southron elf suspiciously.

on Morvan. “You must be Gebicca’s father,” he stepped

held up his hand. He was missing a pinky. “Corentin told

aback by this reaction. At first, he dismissed the thought, presuming that the man had time to process his grief since Corentin had informed him…

known for a

to think of alternatives, another explanation for this scenario… but nothing came, and the only thing Argrave could conjure was that Morvan had been informed a long time ago. The southron elf locked himself away for a week in ‘Heroes of Berendar.’ Considering everyone else’s personality had remained the same, there was no