look particularly happy to be going to Orin, but she never did. Her parents usually gave her trouble when she was within arm’s reach of them. Denney, Conli, and Grae seemed ambivalent with the idea. They felt the need to go and get answers and didn’t particularly mind if that delayed their departure home for a few weeks. Her enforcers were already gearing up for potential trouble, and, judging by that smile, Wolf looked forward to it.
Only Rune didn’t seem to care or have an opinion. He still didn’t face their direction, but only sat there because she’d called him into the room. Well, he was a problem she’d have to sort out later.
Siobhan blew out a breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding. “I think we have a general consensus here. You realize we’ll be walking into unknown danger?”
“I think I prefer that over keeping an eye on our backs for the next several months.” Denney raised a hand. “All in favor of going to Orin?”
Every hand went up into the air, almost without any hesitation.
She felt relieved at their willingness but also strangely tense, as she realized that she had taken on another set of problems and responsibilities as her own. Walking into unknown danger hadn’t been an exaggeration. But she truly felt that she didn’t have any other choice. “Well then. I’ll go find Jarnsmor and see if I can convince him.”
ӜӜӜ
Jarnsmor, as expected of a major guildmaster, could not be easily pinned down. Even with help, Siobhan spent a good hour trying to find him in this huge labyrinth of a compound. She only managed it because he always had breakfast at the same time in the same place. Once she found Nortin, he knew where to direct her. Otherwise she knew with absolute certainty that she would have spent the rest of the day searching for him in vain.
He sat in this out of the way little room that seemed to be made entirely of windows, like a greenhouse, with a single round table in the center that took up most of the space. She entered and abruptly slowed at the doorway to avoid running into anything. The windows let out over the same garden she had been in last night, only with the morning sun now pouring through, she could see much more of it. Waaahhh, what a pretty sight to stare at while eating. No wonder he had breakfast here without fail.
As soon as she stepped into the room, Jarnsmor looked up, a cup halfway to his mouth, and he dipped his head in greeting. “Guildmaster Maley. I trust your sleep last night was comfortable.”
“Quite, sir. Thank you. You are a good host.” Wolf had coached her to say that, just in case. It was the right thing to respond with, as Jarnsmor openly beamed at her. “I wanted to speak with you, if that’s alright?”
“Of course, of course.” He waved her into the chair across from his. “Sit, eat.”
Siobhan felt it odd to discuss business without eating, so she sat without further encouragement and loaded up a small plate with different foods before pouring a hot cup of tea. “I had a thought last night,” she began.
“About?”
“This whole odd situation. Markl mentioned that he found this nameless guild in Orin strange. If they knew about the monopoly you were forming here, why attack and try to destroy it? Why not join it instead?”
Jarnsmor grunted. “He’s quite right.”
“I thought so as well. I think that someone needs to go to Orin, investigate further, see if we can pinpoint who it was exactly that sent assassins after Blackstone and why. It’s the ‘why’ I truly want answered. My sixth sense is telling me that there’s a very deep and compelling reason for this reaction.”
Holding his cup with both hands, he stared over the rim at her. “You want to go.”
“Do you have a better candidate?” she replied, not trying to come off as arrogant or cocky. “One of my people is from Coravine. I have two that are from Orin altogether. I’ve traveled that continent many times. We are not tied down here for any reason and are free to go and investigate. More, we are fully aware of what the situation is and so know what to look for.”
His open palm accepted the argument. “I have no qualms with you going. In truth, I’m in a quandary over this. You see, I have my own people that are in Coravine to keep