Verdan walked the group through everything they’d found, noting with satisfaction that Dirk seemed just as excited as he and Magnus had been about all the information on Sigils and their uses that they’d found.

  “Could you go into more detail on that?” Dirk asked, his voice holding a touch of frustration as he realised Verdan intended to skip over all of the real details about the Sigils. An understandable response from any Wizard, especially when new knowledge about Aether and its uses was available.

  “Not here. Come by this evening and we’ll take a look at them all together,” Verdan said with a shake of his head. “Magnus is working on them today, so we can see what we make tonight. Sinead, you should come by as well.”

  The Keeper cocked her head to one side questioningly, but Verdan didn’t explain. Much like with Dirk, that was a conversation for another time.

  “Have you seen any response from the Brotherhood yet?” Bastian asked, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. “I know you’ve barely made it back, but were there any attacks on the road?”

  “We encountered nothing, but we also moved as quickly as we could.”

  “I think we can all agree that some sort of response will be coming, so I suggest we spread the word to keep our people on watch for anything dangerous. The Brotherhood has proven they can move around with little difficulty, but we should still do what we can.”

  “Which is where the reason I called this meeting comes in,” Ciaran said with a heavy frown. “There are two important things to share. The first is that Clan Menteith has pulled out of the city and they are on the way back north. Osran told me that he had sent word back with a fast courier and had received the order two days ago. The area they’d taken over has been given to Clan Mhorgain, as we are receiving a steady trickle of their clansfolk arriving.”

  “Twenty this last week,” Sinead said proudly. “Mainly those young enough to have been children during the last days of Blackpeak, but a few older folk as well.”

  “I had wondered why there was no Clan Menteith clansfolk walking around,” Verdan said, shaking his head. “Did he mention our deal?”

  “He did,” Ciaran said, his expression turning as though he’d bitten into something sour. “He said that the deal was to establish the trading post, not to maintain it when the city is clearly too dangerous.”

  “Typical Menteith,” Dirk said in a low mutter that drew a swift elbow to his ribs from Sinead.

  “Well, I won’t pretend that’s good news, but the increasing number of the Mhorgain makes up for it. I believe Keeper Sinead might well be confirmed in her status soon enough as well, which will also help.” Verdan gave Sinead a pointed look, and she nodded slightly in response.

  “Truly?” Ciaran perked up, his distaste for Osran’s actions melting away to reveal a bright grin. “That is excellent news!”

  “It may take some time, or not happen at all,” Sinead said, shifting somewhat awkwardly. “I will let you know once the time comes.”

  “I look forward to it.” Ciaran’s smile slipped and his expression turned serious as his gaze swept the room. “The second thing I wanted to discuss is Darjee activity in the lost lands between the mountains and the holdings of Clan Thrain. We’ve been getting reports of Darjee groups from travellers and I’m worried that a warband might be forming or moving this way.”

  Verdan winced, remembering what they’d faced last time a Darjee warband had been sighed. “Any sign of anything other than Darjee.”

  Ciaran caught Verdan’s gaze and shook his head. “Not yet, but I had the same thought. We need to know more, and we need to be prepared to fight. I’ve spoken with Commander Silver and he said he has orders preventing him from sending anyone, so we cannot rely on the city to support us. All the same, my oath to my Clan demands action, so Maeve and I will be marching out tomorrow with our Thearns.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “A hundred Kranjir versus a potential Darjee warband numbering in the hundreds?” Verdan shook his head. “I have every confidence in both you and Maeve, but that’s dangerous, Ciaran. Even if there’s only half a warband out there, you’d be in trouble. Let alone if you see evidence of Gormagyr.”

  “I understand, truly I do, and I even agree,” Ciaran said, spreading his hands. “This is what we do, though. Dirk will remain here, with his contingent, to help the shieldguards secure our people in case of attack. That gives Maeve and I the freedom to do this carefully. We won’t just be charging in.”

  Verdan opened his mouth, ready to argue further, only to sigh as he saw the look in Ciaran’s eyes. There was no talking him down from this, and if Verdan put aside his feelings, it needed to be done. If there was a threat growing near the city, it needed identifying.

  “Alright, if I can’t talk you out of it, at least let me help send you off with everything you need.” Verdan had spent a lot of time meditating on the way back north, and while he was far from at a healthy level of Aether, he had enough. “What do you still have of what I’ve given you in the past?”

  “A dozen temporary enchantments and twice as many healing medallions,” Ciaran said, grinning at Verdan’s confused expression. “We saved as many as we could and young Dirk was able to restore those that weren’t completely used up.”

  “I couldn’t make new ones, though,” Dirk said with a frown. “Only put more Aether into existing constructs you’d made. It wasn’t easy, either.”

  “I should think not, they weren’t exactly designed for that,” Verdan said, a little impressed that Dirk had managed it at all. Especially with him not understanding the spell itself. A display of excellent Aether manipulation indeed. “Still, that means you don’t have quite enough for everyone. Magnus and I can work on that this afternoon. I’m not sure we could outfit you completely, but we could certainly make sure that most of your Thearns have a medallion.”

  Ciaran let out a long, heavy breath. “That would be greatly appreciated, thank you, Verdan.”

  “I will gather some of my people to help you as well,” Zhalia said abruptly. “I will need Sylvie’s permission, but she will not withhold it. We will scout for you and find the Darjee. There may be wandering Frakti in the region who know more that we can call on.”

  Ciaran’s eyes widened slightly. “That would be a blessing indeed. I didn’t want to ask that of you, especially not with how much your people have been doing already. The Pathfinder will be glad of your aid, though.”

  Pathfinder Galstar was the leader of the scouts that had been sent with Ciaran. Kranjir scouts straddled the line between shieldguard and Thearn, acting in support of both groups. The Airta and the Pathfinders had clashed initially as each tried to establish themselves as the elite scouts of the group, but thankfully they were past that now. If anything, the two groups working together was the best outcome.

  “I can offer some minor support as well, depending on how long you intend to be gone for,” Bastian said, launching into a more detailed discussion with Ciaran about his plans. There wasn’t much more Verdan could offer directly, but he listened closely, there may well be something useful he could make for them.

  “There is one last thing to talk about,” Verdan said once they were done arranging how best to support Ciaran. “It’s regarding the documents that we were able to secure from the Brotherhood. A good portion of what we’ve read has been useless, but there was one thing that needs to be shared. The so-called ‘Disciple’ we encountered had a partially completed letter in her room, addressed to someone called the ‘Artisan’.”

  “Any information on who this Artisan is?” Bastian asked, leaning forward with interest.

  “None, but she seemed to be in command, and the letter came across as a progress report of sorts. This feels like the leader of the Brotherhood, or at least someone highly placed.”

  “Agreed,” Bastian said with a nod. “Not something we can take advantage of right now, but more information is always useful.”

  “Ideally, anything else we find will have more of an immediate use,” Verdan said in a dry tone, drawing a chuckle from the others. “Unless there’s anything else, I’ll head back.”

  -**-

  Verdan made his way back to the estate, his mind full of ideas for potential equipment they could send with Ciaran and his Thearns. In the end, though, it all had to measured against the potential benefit of a healing medallion. The medallions didn’t offer substantial healing, but they could save lives, and with such a small amount of time to work with, Verdan had to be strict.

  If Ciaran waited a few days, he could do so much more to outfit them, but that wouldn’t happen. Now that they were aware of the Darjee, every day they waited could lead to the death or capture of innocent people. Ciaran and the rest of the Kranjir warriors would rather risk themselves than the travellers and merchants the Darjee would prey upon.

  It was admirable, and Verdan couldn’t stand in their way. That wouldn’t stop him worrying about them, though.