Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 188

“You come from Veiden?” Mina questioned Anneliese, trying to start a conversation.

Anneliese stared out at the doorway which Argrave and Orion had left, nervously braiding and unbraiding portions of her long white hair. She answered Mina idly, “It depends on how you define ‘come from.’”

Mina placed her hands loudly on the dining table the two of them sat at. “You were born there.”

“I was born on a coastal village in Berendar,” Anneliese shook her head.

Mina frowned, then tapped her fingers against the table for a time, staring at the white-haired elf. She bit at her lips in quiet deliberation, then questioned, “Why did your people invade Mateth?”

Anneliese was drawn away from her idle braiding and turned to face Mina completely. Though silent for a moment, she eventually answered simply, “They thought it their duty.”

“They?” Mina repeated.

“I do not envision myself returning,” Anneliese replied.

Mina tapped her fingers on the table once again, then questioned, “Who gave them this duty?”

“Veid,” Galamon answered. Mina looked at him blankly, and so he elaborated, “Our goddess.”

Mina nodded, then placed her head on her arms on the table. “Of course. Naturally. There must be something higher than yourself giving you a reason to kill, elsewise people will have to confront their deeds.”

“Better for some to die now to establish a thousand years of prosperity,” Galamon disagreed at once.

Anneliese didn’t seem to have any stake in the matter. She rose and exited, walking to where Argrave and his half-brother had left.

“I don’t see how it is all that different from what someone like Orion does,” Mina spoke to Galamon.

Galamon stared down at her coldly. He was easily twice her size. “This is a pointless conversation. I dislike that man more than anyone else here, I’m certain, but I put that aside.”

want Argrave to forget who he’s helping,” Mina said. “This place… these knights… it’s safe, sure, so long as you

door. Anneliese and Argrave

to talk to Silvic, meaning we’re soon to start planning the expedition. A week, maybe a bit longer, and we’ll leave camp.

Argrave. “I’d best be going,

lowered his head in a slight bow. “Once again, nothing

more than just words, I

face grew serious. “I know the gravity

his, then seemed to shudder from a chill. She

#####

provided without issue. It was a simple thing for Silvic to recreate the magic used to destroy the fortress—it had already been inscribed into the stone long ago. Silvic activated her strange magic usable only by wetland spirits of her kind, and the stones began

this, it was proof sufficient for the Holy Fool that there was

well, but they served merely as guards rather than participants in their meeting. Durran

Argrave moved it about with his fingers and said, “It

nodded. “The gods gave me a cartographer who once resided in this land in the form of a refugee—once I spread the word maps were needed, this

in a Medieval period—though Argrave couldn’t begin to guess how, he was sure magic had something to do in the map-making process.

man apart with ease roam the swamps, and poisonous creatures abound.” Argrave gestured towards the wetland spirit. “Silvic can aid us in travel, but this is still enemy territory. And I do mean

spoke. When another talked, his gaze

ideal,” Anneliese noted. “It would facilitate ease

He looked at Argrave and questioned, “The enemy—what foul manner of beasts

but they’re only in the

Orion tilted

whom you murdered in cold

see,” he nodded, unoffended by the accusation. “Yes, I recall. She broke my right gauntlet and my skin with one

two Giantkillers on his belt. Argrave fixed

long you do believe this journey will take?” Orion questioned further. “Where is this so-called

shelter here. The wetlands—you try and sleep out in the middle of them, they’ll swallow you whole,” Argrave said seriously. “The only places vaguely hospitable are the abandoned fortresses—and even then, they’re overrun by the nastiest of the

“Barring the one we reside in and the one this Jester resides in… six fortresses.

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