The Riftwar Legacy: The Complete 4-Book Collection

‘What does that mean?’ asked Gorath.

‘I thought I had severed all ties, but I hadn’t. When I was placed in the brotherhood of monks, I was asked to work on behalf of the temple in Krondor. So I was back among my old haunts.’

He fell silent, as if reluctant to go on.

‘What happened?’ asked Owyn.

‘There’s a woman. She was a girl I knew when I was a basher. She was as tough as a boot and mean as an alley cat. That’s what we called her, Kat. Her name is Katherine.’

‘A whore?’ asked Gorath.

‘No, a thief,’ said Graves. ‘She was a fair pickpocket and tough enough to be a basher, but where she really excelled was boosting. She could steal your nightshirt off you while you slept and you’d wake naked and wondering where your laundry was.’ He sighed. ‘She was a little slip of a thing when I met her. I used to tease her and watch her get mad at me. Then when she got older I’d tease her and she’d tease back.

‘Then I fell in love with her.’

‘But you left her to take orders with Ishap?’ said Owyn.

‘She’s a lively thing, and she could do better than me. A lot of the younger boys would like to take up with her. I thought she would be better off with someone else. I thought it would be easy to put her out of my mind. But it wasn’t.

‘I saw her on the streets from time to time, and somewhere, somehow, a fellow named the Crawler got wind of her, and one night this Navon du Sandau comes up to me, bright as gold and sits down at a table at the Queen’s Cross and says, “We know about your little kitty cat in Krondor. If you don’t do what we tell you to do, she’s dead.” He said if I asked the temple for help she’d be dead.’

‘You believed him?’ asked Owyn.

‘I had to. He knew things. This Crawler had been looking for people for a long time, I guess, because he knew enough about my old life I knew he’d kill her before I could do anything.’

Owyn said, ‘So why are you getting ready for travel?’

‘I was expecting a message a month ago from du Sandau. Instead a Nighthawk tried to climb the wall of the abbey. The brother responsible for defending the abbey intercepted him and it was close, but the assassin died.

‘Then two weeks later, I was walking back from the centre of town when a crossbow bolt intended for me struck the brother walking next to me.’

‘Where are you going?’ asked Owyn.

Graves said, ‘I am owed some favours by a man in a village near Sloop. He has dealings in Kesh. I sent him a message asking him to help me get out of the Kingdom. Today a message came from him indicating he could help.’

Owyn said, ‘Michael Waylander?’

‘Yes,’ replied Graves. ‘How did you know?’

Owyn said, ‘There is a relationship here. Waylander, you, the Nighthawks, and this Crawler. I’m not sure I can begin to guess at it, but if James were here he might puzzle this out.’

‘I can’t wait. Even if Sandau is dead, there are other Nighthawks. The one who shot at me is still out there.’

‘True,’ said Gorath, ‘but won’t your order protect you?’

Graves shook his head and his expression was one of regret. ‘If I had gone to them at once, perhaps. But I didn’t, and I’ve broken my vow. My only hope is to get Kat out of Krondor, and to reach Kesh before the Nighthawks find me.’

‘We’re heading for Krondor,’ said Owyn. ‘Should we travel together?’

‘Your magic and your friend’s sword would count for a lot, but you’d be putting yourself in harm’s way.’

Owyn laughed. ‘I’ve been doing that on a regular basis since I met Gorath.’

‘Life is danger,’ Gorath said. ‘I do not understand how your love for this girl could blind you to your duty, but then much about you humans is strange to me. If Owyn says we should not kill you for your part in this business with the Nighthawks, I will follow his lead.’ He leaned forward, his boot on the bench on which Graves sat, until his face was before the Abbot’s. ‘But if you betray us again, I will eat your heart.’

Graves smiled back, and the old basher could briefly be seen, as he said, ‘You’re welcome to try at any time, elf.’

Gorath snorted.

Owyn said, ‘Well, we are lacking funds, so we must needs depend on your generosity to eat on the road.’

Graves stood up and called for his monks, who returned to help him finish packing. ‘If you get me to Krondor alive, you’ll have earned your meals and some gold as bonus.’

Owyn said, ‘If that Nighthawk is out there watching the abbey, he’ll know we’re here.’

‘We leave tonight,’ said Graves.

Owyn winced. ‘I wanted to sleep in a bed,’ he complained.

‘Sleep now,’ said Graves, pointing to his own pallet in the corner of the room. ‘I’ll wake you when it’s time to go.’

Owyn nodded. ‘If we must.’

‘We must,’ said Graves.

Owyn lay down on the straw-stuffed mattress on the floor, and Graves said to Gorath, ‘Would you like to sleep?’

‘Yes,’ replied the dark elf, but he remained standing, his eyes on Graves. ‘But after we’re on our way to Krondor.’

Graves nodded and returned to overseeing the preparations for his departure.

• THIRTEEN • (#ulink_63cd17bd-646e-56bc-92d3-da5b6c324585)

Betrayal (#ulink_63cd17bd-646e-56bc-92d3-da5b6c324585)

THE TROLLS LOOKED UP.

James said, ‘Just keep moving slowly, like we know what we’re doing.’

Patrus whispered, ‘Do we know what we’re doing?’

‘Don’t ask,’ Locklear replied.

The trolls were raising weapons and spreading out to fight. James slowed his horse and said, ‘Just keep moving, but be ready.’

The trolls were roughly human in appearance, with almost no necks. Their heads thrust forward from their shoulders, so they always looked as if they were shrugging. James knew their somewhat comical appearance was as far from the truth as it could be. The lowland trolls were little more than beasts, without language or the ability to use tools and weapons. Their mountain cousins were intelligent, if stupid by human standards, and knew how to use weapons. Very well. Their language sounded like grunts and squawks to humans, but they had a social organization and knew how to fight.

As the trolls approached, James held up his hand in greeting. ‘Where is Narab?’ he asked conversationally.