darkened blade_ A fallen blade novel - Kelly McCullough Page 0,89

in a distinctly apologetic gesture. I’m sorry, could you repeat that? You spoke quickly, and your mind flavor is . . . odd to these ancient tasters.

That was a surprise and a half, but I nodded. What? I was going to say no to the enormous but thus far polite fish who could as easily have devoured me?

I’m sorry, I sent, aiming my thoughts forward now instead of inward, and trying to enunciate as slowly and clearly as I might when trying to make myself understood in a language I had not yet mastered. I was speaking to my companion, and I didn’t realize you could hear me. What I said was: “Well, hello there.”

Ahh, sent the fish. Much better. May I make an enquiry?

You may, I replied, unsure of how literal minded it might be.

Companion?

Yes. Triss? I carefully directed the second word down the link between me and my familiar. Make yourself known, please.

Of course, he replied and my shadow shifted, assuming the form of a small dragon that flicked its wings to rise and hover beside me in the water.

The shadow of a dragon without the dragon, sent the fish. Excellent. I was sent to find the one called Kingslayer, and now I see that I have.

Sent? I enquired, wondering without asking, by whom? And, for what? Also, may I ask whom I am addressing? It’s customary among my kind to introduce oneself.

Oh. How odd. I am: image of scales flashing bright in a cloud of churned-up bottom mud. In your tongue . . . Mudlight? Yes, I think Mudlight is closest. The chief of my clan/school/pod, Slitherstrong, asked that I find and lead you to the gullet of Namara.

I felt a surge of excitement, and wished that I could mindspeak to Triss without any danger of sharing my message with other ears. I responded to Mudlight instead. If that is what I hope it is, I should collect some of the others first. . . .

Mudlight flicked his barbels again. Slitherstrong has already anticipated you. Others were sent to find Mythkiller, Ghostwind, Deathwalker, and . . . Is it Dukesbane? The translation didn’t make much sense. Oh, and the two who do not yet own proper callings . . . Kumi and Roric, I think they are . . . named. The huge fish sounded out the syllables as though the idea of names that didn’t describe were utterly alien to it.

I thank you, Mudlight. Though I must admit surprise that you know all of our callings.

We watched you cross from the . . . groundsea? Would that be the word in your tongue? Doesn’t matter. That is how it ought to translate, that is how I will call it. We watched your passage through our realm to the dirtplace of the goddess, guarding your flanks and unders as we promised your Namara that we would when we made our bargain with her.

Thank you, sent Triss, his mental voice possessing a sort of weird echoey quality as he projected it outward. We did not know that you were there to protect us.

The fish bobbed its head in a sort of bow. Namara is gone, but as long as her children, both of flesh and shadow, remain and return, we will watch and ward you, just as we watched and warded when you raised the head of the goddess. Or when our shamans listened from the pool while you made the Ghostwind one of you. There is very little that passes through our realm that escapes our attention.

I guess I’m ready then, I sent. Lead on.

We will go faster if I tow you. May I hold your hand? It will not harm you.

All right, I sent, though the idea made me nervous.

Mudlight turned his head and reached out with his long right barbel. It wasn’t until he actually caught my hand that I realized the last ten inches of it could split apart, giving the fish a pair of large and very flexible tentacle-fingers. Before I had time to do much more than register surprise, Mudlight rolled sideways, pulling me away from the rocks. Then, with a sort of sinewy twist, he began to slither through the water at a speed that would have torn me free of his grip were it even a tithe less firm. As a mode of travel it lacked something, and we left my stomach far behind in the first few seconds.

If you don’t mind my asking, I sent once I had recovered