Cast in Wisdom (Chronicles of Elantra #15) - Michelle Sagara Page 0,12

approached by similar agents of Ravellon?”

“No.”

“Then I suggest you ask him.” He exhaled less smoke; this time, when he gestured, the image of Candallar melted, the water that formed it flowing back into the basin. “This is what I know of what Candallar is. Records, fiefs.” The fiefs appeared instantly.

The fief of Tiamaris was gold, as was the fief of Nightshade. The rest of the fiefs existed in outline. “We know enough about the fief of Nightshade to be certain that these are its boundaries.

“The thick white lines between the fiefs represent the border zones. The lines vary in width by the subjective difficulty in penetrating them. My subjective difficulty,” Tiamaris added. “The borders are not entirely fixed. Lord Nightshade has crossed the borders between Tiamaris and Nightshade, as have you. I do not believe his crossing was as difficult. It is in the borders that some of the rules of magic as we currently understand them seem to break down.

“The Tower locations marked on the map are accurate. Tara does not believe that the Towers themselves can move or be moved. The street names in the border zone, however, are meaningless for the current investigation.”

“Why are they there, then?”

“They are taken from archival records. The Arkon’s,” he added before Kaylin could ask why those archives had not found their way into the Halls of Law. “We have rough maps and some odd biographical information from before the fall. Where those streets align with the shape of streets in the fiefs as they are now, I have chosen to identify them by the ancient names.

“Those names will mean nothing to the occupants of the fiefs themselves. Even the streets in my fief have been renamed in places. You will see streets in relation to the Tower and in relation to the fief boundaries. Unfortunately for you, the two fiefs that are bordered by wall and the Ablayne cannot be as easily crossed if you cannot fly. There are gates, but the gates do not, as you can imagine, see much use.”

“Not none.”

“No, not none. The fiefs are not entirely self-sustaining. But in my experience, the gates into Farlonne and Liatt require some permission to use. As the fiefs are not part of the Empire, that permission cannot be demanded.”

“You flew.”

“I did.”

“Farlonne and Liatt aren’t our problem.”

After a longer than necessary pause, Tiamaris said, “Not at present.”

* * *

Tiamaris’s map did have a marked route from the external border of each fief to their Towers. Those routes did not cross borders. “You spoke of the difficulty of the border zone. If you didn’t cross the border—”

“I did not say I did not cross the borders, but the border crossings—here and here, as an example—were attempted after the initial foray into each of the six fiefs. I wished to see where the borders were in relation to each other; it was an attempt to map the fiefs correctly. I do not suggest this as an investigative approach—but the Towers do not control the borders.” He glanced at Tara.

She took over. “We are aware of the borders of our own domains, or rather, we are aware of where they begin. My Lord is correct, however. Beyond the borders that were transcribed for us at our creation, we have no control. Nor can we see what occurs within them.”

“Are you more aware or less aware of which border is crossed?”

Tara considered this. “The border that would cause immediate alarm is the Ravellon border. Am I aware of other crossings? Yes, but not immediately, and not in the same way.”

“So if I came here via Nightshade, instead of the much safer bridge, you wouldn’t be alarmed?”

“Those borders are not the borders we consider dangerous. The crossing might be noted, but the borders are not entirely fixed, and there are occupied buildings that are at the limit. People at the edge flicker in and out from time to time, entirely due to the location of their living quarters.”

Kaylin nodded.

“If your supposition about Candallar is correct, two borders were crossed. The border that is formed by the Ablayne river, and the border adjacent to Ravellon. Candallar’s Tower may be aware of areas on the Ravellon-facing border that are weaker or more easily breached. I highly doubt that the Tower would allow anyone to both cross that border and return in secret, with the single exception of the fieflord.

“If, however, the fieflord commanded the Tower to accept passage into and out of Ravellon, the Tower would be on