Jackal Among Snakes

In the days that passed, Argrave’s strong suspicion that the Margrave intended for him to stay became a certainty. The head of House Parbon lacked subtlety and had all but said ‘you will stay here.’ It definitely did not have the same atmosphere as the first time Argrave had been restrained by Reinhardt—he was not yanked about by a rope and tied to posts, and though their party of four was guarded strictly, there was never a hostile atmosphere.

The Margrave continued to insist that the men he sent to the Low Way of the Rose had not yet returned. Argrave had asked some pointed questions to figure out if the Margrave was hiding anything, as though he had something planned for a few days later… but Anneliese insisted that the Margrave bore them no ill will, which was surprise enough.

They were watched quite closely. The only place they had a chance to talk without knights shadowing them was in their assigned quarters, and even there, they waited just outside. A ward was sufficient to stop most of their talk from leaking outside.

“Never would have pictured the fearsome patriarch of House Parbon is just a family man,” Durran shook his head, his glaive laid out across his lap. “That gray-haired woman was quite the pretty one.”

“Don’t even try,” Argrave shook his head. “She has a fiancé. And if you mess that up, I’ll flay you.”

“Too shy for my tastes, don’t worry,” Durran held his hand out. “The Margrave seems an interesting man… but never a chance to talk to him. Such a shame.”

Argrave shrugged, sitting across from Durran in a circle alongside his other two companions. A ward blocked their conversation from any listeners. “To be fair, he spends most of his times in meeting with his vassals devising measures for the war.”

“Yeah. He goes to work so his family stays safe, and then once he’s home, he spoils them. A family man, like I said.” Durran tapped the tip of his wyvern bone glaive. “Though… I guess that’d give him reason to fight harder against our invasions… More to fight for.” Durran looked up at Argrave. “Why are we milling about here?”

Argrave uncrossed his legs, then recrossed them, anxious. “This guy keeps coming up with contrivances every damn day to keep us here. He said there was a cave-in at the lower levels of the castle, and he wasn’t sure it’d be safe to leave. What the hell is that? A five-year-old can come up with better lies than that.”

Galamon locked eyes with Argrave. “Press the issue,” he suggested.

“I may have to, but…” Argrave lowered his head. “Why is he doing this? The only thing I can guess is that he’s waiting for a response from someone… Duke Enrico, maybe…”

“I suspect he wishes to ask you a favor,” Anneliese suggested, eyes staring off into the distance. “He is merely probing whether or not you are trustworthy. That would explain why he and his daughter are asking you so many questions… indeed, asking all of us questions.”

“Why not just sneak out?” Durran questioned. “Force our way out, even?”

“Difficult,” Galamon shook his head. “It was hard enough for me to… replenish my rations,” he looked to Argrave as he said those words with a bitter sarcasm.

Argrave smiled, then supported Galamon’s claim, saying, “And I don’t want to make the Margrave toss aside what little goodwill I’ve built up in that icy heart of his. Doing something like that… sneaking out isn’t the problem. Someone’s going to get hurt, I’m sure of it,” he said, pausing as he recalled the unfortunate circumstance with the Stonepetal Sentinels. Argrave held his hand out to amend, “Not us, but them. And the Margrave would care about something like that. His heart might be icy, but that just makes it bigger. He cares for his men.”

“Then what do we do?” Durran held his hands out in a shrug.

“Tonight, we’re having dinner with them. Again. And I’ll press the issue, as Galamon suggested.” Argrave rubbed his thumb against his knuckles. “Failing that… I definitely don’t plan on staying another night. If no answers come, we’ll devise a plan the next morning.”

#####

their lot with me. The unanimous consensus is that this plague is

finally got into that thick head of yours, eh?” he paused, thinking he might be acting overly familiar. “Erm, forget I

Margrave cleared his throat, then cut into the unseasoned beef he ate every meal. Argrave wasn’t sure the man got

you think should be the priority moving forward?” Margrave

he briefly considered changing the subject… but in the end, he might

abated entirely… or until better methods are found to combat it… it’s the most harmful to the world,” Argrave finished by pointing to the Margrave. “It’s not the pragmatic thing to

Durran raised his glass of

stirred by Argrave’s words. He set his elbows on the

who they are. That’s why I intend to head northwest, where people have had it longer. Examining them may help me

and chewed his cut of plain beef all the way

foot to inform of his

talked about it? None of us felt it? And hell, it happened despite this castle being so heavily enchanted not even one

embarrassed as Argrave recounted the excuse

a… six-hundred-year-old castle,”

Argrave nodded with a plastic grin on his face. “And those riders you sent to the Low Way—I

long drink of water. “No word,” he said, setting the cup down loudly. Anneliese tapped

He looked to Rose, and then to Ridia of Jast, almost as if asking

think we’re going to set off tomorrow, Reinhardt,”

he

crossed

snowstorm… comes,”

far south?” Argrave noted, almost mockingly by this point. “And with not a

Margrave remained firm.

this anymore,” he said. Argrave looked at

about to burst,” Durran continued. “Need

practically sprinted out of

tapped his foot, and he came to attention.

a bit brighter at that moment, and took her

for half a second, but he gave a long

he directed her quietly, and she nodded in agreement, casting the druidic spell beneath the table. In not a second, the bird

truth is… there is something important you should be let in on,” Margrave Reinhardt said