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afforded him some privacy. He looked around his comfortable cottage and, after
taking in the dust that had settled since his last visit, decided he would
need to ask Nathara to suggest someone who could do some discreet cleaning.
Lokynen sat down on a large chair, took the carry ball out of his pouch that
his wife Amberlin had been thoughtful enough to pack and send him by way of
one of her shape-shifting apprentices, and tapped it with a word of command.
The sitting room promptly filled with all of his favorite things, including
three casks of his favorite beer. Lycan mead was tasty, but could not match
what came up by ship along the Blood Coast to Rowanhart where Amberlin had her
shop.
He sat the casks on a stand in the kitchen, popped in a spigot, and filled a
large tankard, which he carried back to the sitting room to drink while he
considered where to put everything.
A soft scratching came at his door, like a small creature with claws seeking
entry. Lokynen had seen enough strangeness in his long life to recognize a
summons. So he sat the tankard on a low table and went to the door. As soon as
he opened it, a black and orange, tiger-striped cat darted inside and jumped
onto the sofa.
Lokynen returned to his chair, took another swig from his tankard, and nodded
at the cat. Welcome. Have we met?"
The cat's form shimmered in an orange field of arcane energy and became a
tall, lean mon. No, but it's impossible not to recognize the Battle-Master."
Lokynen chuckled. No one whomps Lokynen. What's your name?"
"You can call me Kerry."
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"What's your business?"
"Advance scout. I need to make contact with all the yuwenghau currently lodged
in Wolffgard so that my mission can be coordinated with theirs."
"Are there a lot of us?"
"Enough. Pandeena, Hathura, Meleajys, Toniqua, Gyongy, Seoshef, Jushan."
"There's fire born too. Caimbeul "
"He's dead."
Rage flushed Lokynen's face. How?"
"He was ambushed in his home. Sa'necari and lycans."
"I'll wring someone's neck for that."
"I'm sure you will. Do you know if Dynanna is going to appear?"
Lokynen nodded. She's supposed to be."
"Toniqua is my main contact. The Guild is going after the Serpent. We owe him
for the murder of one of our agents, a lycan named Dyllys. She got too close
and he rited her. That makes it personal."
A broad nasty grin spread over Lokynen's ugly face. Someone is in a lot of
trouble."
A small knock came at the door and Lokynen frowned, irritated by the thought
of more company when no one was even supposed to know that he had returned
yet. He opened the door and Bodisaniwi waltzed inside.
"Hiya, Lokynen! I was just ... oooooh, that's some cat you got there!"
Lokynen glanced and saw that Kerry had resumed his tiger cat form, curled up
licking his paws with an insouciant air. His name is Kerry."
"I been needing a cat. In fact, he's perfect."
Before Lokynen could stop him, Bodi had scooped Kerry up and raced out with
him.
Kerry squirmed out of Bodi's arms, dropped to the ground and backed away,
hissing. I've had quite enough of this lately."
Bodi blinked. You talk. Are you a catkin?"
"Hardly. Kerry shimmered into his human form. I'm Shivari. Tigerkin."
To prove his point, he shifted shape again and became a five hundred pound
tiger.
Bodi's eyes bugged. I gotta show you to Cooley."
Kerry changed back to a form in which he could comfortably discuss matters
with the child. You're not showing me to anyone. I have a job to do."
"Did Dyna send you here? She sent us."
Kerry knew Dyna in several of her guises and realization struck him between
the eyes. You're not a child at all. You're Badree Nym."
"Me and my big mouth. Bodi sucked in a sharp breath and sat down on a large
rock.
"Explain yourself, little one. Just what game are you running for the
Trickster?"
"The assignment is to protect a cub from the Butchering Serpent."
"What's so special about the cub?"
"He's the son of Dawnreturning."
That got Kerry's immediate attention and interest. The Guild owes him several
debts. Tell me more."
* * * *
Rachel Wiggins had made herself a necklace of rowan twigs. When she felt the
first pull of the come-hither from Malthus, she placed it around her neck and
went to the basement of the Difficult Horse. It muted his summons. She knew he
would come after her if she failed to go to him and had decided that she would
never be free so long as she lived. Melisande's decision had to be her own.
She went to a corner and dug behind a pile of grain sacks for the things she
had hidden there earlier. She came out with a rope that had a strong noose in
it. Rachel threw the rope over a rafter and moved a chair beneath it. She
climbed onto the chair, put the noose around her throat, and kicked the chair
away.
* * * *
Betrys bedroom above the shop was cozy. The curtains on her windows matched
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her quilt in shades of sea green. Her bed was large with sturdy posts. She
threw back the covers, turned, and unlaced her bodice. Her white breasts
appeared, their roseate nipples erect and ready, crying to be touched.
Panting with nervousness, Artair watched Betrys undressing and half-considered
locking himself in the closet. I'm not certain I can do this."
"What? She shoved her skirts to the floor and stepped out of them.
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