Mh'repha smiled sweetly. The effect would have been even sweeter had she not bared a shiny row of sharp teeth.
“Excuse me Sophromh'.” she said, with perfect restraint, belying the fire that was fiercely burning in her glare. “I am certain I did not hear you correctly. You are suggesting that Tam be sent with our hunters to an expedition of many days, creeping through the underbrush? When at present he requires alchemistic aid to even walk a short distance?”
“Yes, you heard that correctly, Mh'repha.” Sophromh' answered calmly. If he was alert to the menace in her voice (and Tam did not doubt he was, given his experience and Mh'repha's lack of subtlety), he chose to ignore it, forcing Mh'repha to initiate the offense. She gladly complied.
“It is an utterly ridiculous notion, Sophromh'!” she practically shouted, her restraint evaporated like morning dew on a summer noon. “You are taking gambles with my patients, and I would like you to stop! You first sent Phamh'rir to question him when he was barely conscious, and now you are asking him to take a dangerous journey while he has yet to recover fully!” Somewhere through this, she had jumped up of her seat and was pointing at the chieftain with a furious expression. “You should know better than to overrule my judgement when it comes to those in my care, Sophromh'-mhraw.” That seemed to be the formal address, Tam noticed in a detached way. The title is attached after the name, like we do it among my own people. The more different things are... His mind snapped back to the conflict at hand. She is deliberately using the formal name for hostility. How will he react? This situation could easily escalate in a game of power.
Fortunately, Sophromh' appeared to be far above that. His voice remained perfectly level as he responded. “Mh'repha, please be seated. There is no need for rash words.”
The healer remained standing for a moment, hesitated, then slowly backed down and took her seat. Her rage spent, she slumped in the chair, but her eyes continued to glower. After she sat down, the chieftain continued.
“Tam is in your care, but I believe you need not speak for him.” He turned toward Tam, questioningly, and waited.
Mh'repha was seething, Tam saw out of the corner of his eyes, but remained silent.
Caught in the middle, he thought wretchedly. I can either take Mh'repha's side and try to avoid this task – and in the long run, that is not a good way to start off my new life here. Or I can agree with the chieftain, despite Mh'repha's better judgement. Apart from her being probably right about my condition, it would make her angry. He did not want to make her angry.
He remained silent a while, lost in thought. Perhaps, by ignoring the problem they had cast at him, he could will it away. But after several seconds of the loudest silence Tam had ever heard, Mh'repha and Sophromh' were still looking at him expectantly. Like two quarrellers locked in struggle, waiting for the arbiter to judge. And that happens to be me. A most pleasant task. Finally, he spoke, hesitantly.
“Sophrom'h, what time did you have in mind for this mission you speak of? Would it be within the next week or the one after that, or tomorrow?”
Mh'repha' sent a calculated gaze of poison in his direction. First round, negative score.
Sophromh' looked a bit crestfallen as he answered. “Not immediately, but I fear it is sooner than Mh'repha would want it.
“The main limiting factor is the weather. A part of the journey will be made by the river, which has been known to freeze over in parts in mid-winter. The journey would need to be taken this month, or be postponed for many more, well into next year.
“And before you speak, Mh'repha, such a postponement would be highly unwise.”
“You read my mind, oh mh'raw,” she replied testily. “But you cannot avoid my objection that way. Why would it be unwise to take this journey in a warmer season with healthier weather? The ruins, you say, have been lying there for several centuries. They will not disappear over the next few months. Nothing about the situation will change in that time.”
“I am afraid this is not correct.” Sophromh' answered. “I would have preferred to get to this later, but the unfortunate fact of the matter is that we are not the only ones interested in the ruins.”
He turned his head slightly to the side and made a signal. Somewhere behind Tam and Mh'repha, a silent guard acknoledged it, passed it on soundlessly, and closed the doors. Another one – Tam turned his head and watched with interest – appeared to use magic to detect any other presence within the throne room, watching for eavesdroppers. A quick nod toward the chieftain – all is clear, Tam mentally translated – shortly followed, and Sophromh' continued.
“The Greywraith clan also discovered the ruins, shortly after our hunters had left. It is my belief that they will soon launch an expeditionary force themselves, hoping to explore the ruins before us. They believe that the cavern may hold an ancient magic that will prove of great significance and power, and that will further their goals and improve their status within the group of clans.
“Given what we know of them, I do not believe that they would stop at anything to accomplish their goal. You know what I speak of, Mh'repha.”
Mh'repha looked flabbergasted for a second. Quite a bombshell to drop, Tam thought. An exploratory mission... which, oh I forgot, happens to be also a race for magical supremacy against a ruthless rival clan. But Mh'repha seemed to be surprised by something else.
“How the hell do you know that?” Her tone was slightly incredulous, but mostly shocked. “The Greywraith clan are feared and renowned for their secrecy. It is they who know everything that goes on in our clan a day before we ourselves know it – not the other way around. How can you find things out with such certainty? What good are our best spies against the shadows that stalk among the Greywraiths?”
Sophromh' looked a bit smug, if that was possible. “Not spies. Reasoning. I know what they are going to do, because I know what they want – of course I know; all the clans want it. It is power I am speaking of – power in magic, knowledge, and political power among the community of nearby clans.
“And I know that they are going to investigate the ruins because I know they have found them – that is just about the only thing I did not reason out.
“And do you know why I know this?” He practically had to keep from laughing.
“They told me. They told me right after they found it, because they were so awfully arrogant and smug about their discovery that they forgot how to keep their mouths shut. Isn't that hilarious? The spies turned blabbermouths in an instant by pride and arrogance.”
Mh'repha was not convinced. “Sophromh', are you sure you are thinking straight? The Greywraiths are not only noted for the skill of their spies, but also for their reclusiveness. They would as soon catch mice and purr as tell us anything about what they did or discovered, no matter how smug. Are you sure it is not a trap?”
“Reasonably sure, Mh'repha. Because, in spite of what I said, they did not tell me as such. Not directly, and not intentionally. Dikhar sent a message to old Hmh'arr of the Ratbane clan. Those are just about the only allies he has left, and that is just because the Ratbane clan controls his access to the river and is large enough to defend itself.” He grinned mischievously.
“Unfortunately, the Hmh'arr has less trust in the Greywraiths than they do in him. He knows that if they had the power, they would not hesitate to rid themselves of the Ratbane. Remember that while the Ratbane are not a minor player by any means, they have not the strength to gain real independent power against a strong alliance. Thus, their strategy is to play the bigger clans against each other, hoping to pick up scraps.”
Mh'repha's eyes lit up in understanding. “And so he has chosen us to set against the Greywraiths. What an honor.”
“Indeed. And this gives us a very valuable advantage. The Ratbanes' message to me was not intercepted – old Hmh'arr is a master at what he does. We now know that the Greywraiths are moving on the ruins, but they do not know that we know. That keeps the competition less fierce, for now – and it means they will hopefully not expect a fast move. If we did not know of Dikhar's ambitions, we would have no reason to rush.
“And that is why I hope you will understand that we need to press our advantage by leaving this month.”
“But I cannot allow--” Mh'repha began, and then interrupted herself with a side-long glance at Tam, remembering that Tam had not yet made his decision.
Tam had to pause for a bit to take in what had been said. It seemed there was no possible way out: The task had to be done now, and it was either with him, or without him. And without him along, they had little chance of deciphering the ancient symbols, or analyzing the magical structures they came upon. He was their only expert on Vahnatai lore.
And what if the Greywraiths win? he wondered for a bit. All I heard from them has come from the Claw – I can hardly expect to get an unbiased view of them. Then he remembered: That doesn't change that I am presently with the Claw, pretty much for good or ill. Barring outright treachery, this is my side. Also, there is Mh'repha, he silently added.
So that was decided. He had to help the Claw, and to do that, he had to come along. But – wait. There was one thing he would insist upon, and given Sophromh's predicament, he had little choice but to grant it...
He began to nod, slowly. “I will go.”
Mh'repha turned on him furiously, but her expression sagged as she realized that the decision lay beyond her control now. It was more in a tone of exasperated despair that she added: “Under the condition that I may come along as well.”
Tam laughed. “I was going to insist on that. There is no way that I am going anywhere without you. That is my condition, Sophromh'. I will help your expedition if Mh'repha can be there to watch over me.”
It was Sophromh's turn to laugh.
“Much time could have been saved, had you not interrupted me earlier. Mh'repha, I would not dream of sending away a patient of yours without the proper care – I was going to ask you to join the expedition too.”
