Rat packs usually form in the slums of large cities, and are mostly made up of orphans. These street urchins band together under the protection of adults who use them to carry out various minor crimes, varying from pickpocketing to couriering illicit goods. While most major cities around the world have such groups, the rat packs in Gerios are generally more organized and have much closer ties to the ever-present crime syndicates.

  Excerpt from 'Living Off the Land: Gerios'

  “And that is all we know so far,” Kell finished as she brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. She looked like she had not slept in days.

  Hans was astonished by what he had just heard. An all-out attack on the White Candle? Attackers who burn themselves to avoid capture? Raviel had warned him that things could get bad, but this was way beyond what he had expected. He said there wouldn't be a rampage. Was he wrong?

  The current meeting brought to mind the one they had had not even a week ago. Even the seating arrangement was the same, though this time they weren't inside a lavish mansion, but in the Stockade, the Whisper's headquarters located in the hill beneath the Winged Keep, seat of the royal family.

  Raviel leant back in his chair, staring at the room's ceiling. “So we have no idea who was behind it, then.” Even he seemed rattled by the nature of the attack.

  “None,” Kell answered with a tired voice. “Both the Daughters and the Lyceum are vehemently denying having anything to do with it.”

  “That's to be expected, of course,” Raviel said. “This is not something the Crown will take lightly, regardless of the vendetta.” A grin ran across his face. “And neither will Callium.”

  Kell shook her head in mock disbelief. “You don't say? I've heard they are handing out pamphlets at the markets, spelling out the finer points of the rampant aggression against them, and how it endangers the citizens of Rios.”

  “I thought they were eager to keep the vendetta quiet?” Hans asked with raised eyebrows.

  Raviel scoffed. “That was before they became the obvious victim. Now that they can play the martyr, they are going to do so with all their might.”

  Kell leaned back in her chair as well, and joined Raviel in staring at the ceiling.

  Neither she nor Raviel spoke, and Hans glanced upwards to see if there was something of interest there. Yet there was nothing but the dark wooden beams that could be seen in almost every chamber.

  The Stockade's architecture reflected its former purpose as the city's jail: dark, cramped and dreary. Hans had only been here a handful of times, and he didn't much care for the place.

  Turning his attention back to the uncomfortable silence, he decided to break it. “What's next?” he asked. “We did detain one of the attackers, right?”

  “Yes,” Kell replied. “Ven is with her right now.”

  “It was a woman?”

  “Why would that matter?” Kell asked, her fatigue momentarily forgotten. She looked at Hans with the icy gaze that had become familiar to him.

  “It doesn't.”

  He did not say anything more, nor did he try to explain himself. That would only serve to antagonize Kell further, something he wished to avoid.

  Kell leaned her head backwards once more. “I was present at the start of the interrogation, and only heard her claiming to be some girl from River's End who had absolutely nothing to do with the attack.”

  Raviel let out a chuckle. “She just happened to be there? If she wasn't part of the attack, then what was she doing there?”

  “We'll hear what she had to say about it later.”

  “How old is she?” Hans asked, realizing something. “If she is from River's End, I might know her.”

  “Young. Early twenties at most.” Kell brushed another lock of hair away from her face. “Good of you to mention that. I'd forgotten you used to live there.”

  I still do, and I doubt you forgot. But Hans knew better than to say that out loud. As far as operators went, Kell was much easier to anger than his former one.

  Kell opened her mouth to add something more, but was interrupted by the room's single door opening.

  A small, elderly man with white hair in a widow's peak, dressed in plain workman's clothes, entered the room.

  Hans did not recognize him, and wondered about the unannounced interruption. Then he noticed that both Kell and Raviel had jumped to their feet.

  Oh krat, is this somebody important?

  Before Hans could rise as well, the man waved his hand. “Please sit. No need to get all jumpy. It's just me.”

  “Grandmaster Lakrin,” Kell said, her hand drifting across her face as if to remove the lingering fatigue. “What brings you here?”

  Hans jerked upright, and blood rushed to his cheeks. Grandmaster Lakrin? The Whisper's grandmaster himself?

  Lakrin shuffled towards the head of the table and seated himself in a chair that was too big for him. It was a sight that might have been comical, had he been anyone else.

  “What brings me here, you ask?” he said, speaking in a soft yet clear tone. “I just came from the palace. The King had some concerns he wanted to share with me.”

  He looked around the table, his face barely reaching above its surface. “I'm sure you can guess what those concerns were, so I thought I should come see for myself how you are doing.”

  Kell drew a deep breath. “We aren't doing so well.”

  “I see. And why is that?” Grandmaster Lakrin raised a thin hand above the table. “And don't tell me that it's because of a lack of resources. I already know that. I even used it as an excuse with the King earlier.” He lowered his hand upon the table and leaned forward slightly. “He did not much care for it.”

  Hans felt a shiver run down his spine. Despite Grandmaster Lakrin being such a frail-looking man, his presence as he spoke was enormous. It wasn't just the fact that he held the highest position in the Whisper. His whole bearing when speaking projected a strength that could be felt by everyone.

  “I understand, Grandmaster,” Kell answered.

  She added nothing else. Hans and Raviel exchanged a quick glance.

  You say something then, Hans thought, shifting in his chair. The void may take me if I know what to say.

  Raviel seemed to agree as he cleared his throat. “Grandmaster, it's not just the lack of resources. We are also finding it very difficult to unearth even the slightest bit of information. The party that attacked Callium took great care in its precautions to remain unknown. Excessively so, one might even say.”

  “You might say that,” Grandmaster Lakrin said before waving his hand again. “Please continue.”

  “Yes, Grandmaster,” Raviel said, nervously plucking at his wrist chain. “There is also the lack of foresight that something was about to happen. Usually there are rumours and other signs that a major operation is about to take place. There were none this time. As far as we have been able to determine, last night's events came as a surprise to every major group in the city.”

  Lakrin tapped his index fingers together twice. “I see. You are saying that we have no leads, no motive, and no suspects.”

  “We have one suspect. She's being interrogated as we speak.”

  “She's not the kind of suspect I was referring to,” Lakrin said. “She's just a field agent, at most. I'm talking about the ones who sent her. Who are they?”

  “We don't know,” Raviel answered, clearly feeling uncomfortable under the grandmaster's enquiries.

  “And do you think your suspect does? People who go so far as to order their own operatives to self-immolate in order to prevent exposure will have taken precautions beyond that.”

  “I can't say for certain. I'm sorry.”

  “Then speculate.”

  Hans noted that during the exchange, Grandmaster Lakrin had not raised his voice, and had spoken in the same calm tone throughout. Still, his words managed to have more impact than if he had been shouting at the top of his lungs.

  He has truly mastered the art of speech. Hans now understood why both Kell and Raviel had jumped to their feet the moment Lakrin had entered the room. It wasn't just authority; the grandmaster was someone who had clearly earned his position.

  “Hans,” Lakrin said, “who do you think is behind this?”

  The sudden question bewildered Hans. He knows who I am?! I didn't even know who he was.

  “I'm sorry, gabron,” he stammered. “I'm not fit to answer your questions.”

  “Gabron?” Lakrin said, slightly narrowing his eyes. “That's a rather archaic term of address for a grandmaster, I haven't heard it in years. They stick to the old ways in River's End, don't they?”

  Hans bowed his head. “I'm sorry if I offended you, Grandmaster.”

  “No, no, gabron is fine,” Lakrin said, a faint smile crossing his lips. “However, I would like to know why you think yourself unfit to answer my questions.”

  Again, Hans was at a loss for words. Luckily, this time, Kell intervened on his behalf.

  “He's been assigned to me only recently from Sewer division,” she said. “He isn't aware of most of the background regarding the things we do in ?ther division.”

  Lakrin nodded. “I know. I'm the one who assigned him to you.”

  The silence that followed was deafening. Raviel and Kell were just as astounded by that revelation as Hans.

  Lakrin raised his eyebrows. “I take it you didn't know? Well, I suppose that's to be expected, considering our line of work.”

  The grandmaster himself assigned me? A number of possible explanations tumbled through Hans' head, none of them in the least bit comforting.

  “I'm uncertain why this surprises you, Kell,” Lakrin continued. “You have been asking me for additional members for your outfit for over a year now.”

  “I have and I'm grateful, I assure you, but—”

  “He was not what you expected?”

  “No.” She paused for a moment as if to gather courage. “I would have expected someone from an outfit in one of the minor cities.”

  Lakrin let out a sigh. “They are even more desperate for personnel than we are. Recruitment is bad all round, as I told you before, Kell. Did you think I was trying to stall you?”

  “I didn't mean to—”

  Lakrin cut her off with a simple gesture. “I don't hold that against you. Your responsibility is to do your job as well as you possibly can, and it's the leadership's responsibility to provide you with the means to make that happen. However, these days, talented young people can take up a trade that pays more and is less dangerous. The Whisper no longer holds any appeal.”

  There was another moment of silence.

  “What about duty?” Hans eventually said.

  Lakrin pondered that for a moment. “Duty? True, there is that. Yet the men who feel that way join the Royal Guard or the army. The women join the alluviums so they can help the needy. Again, the Whisper is left with nothing but rejects. Slim pickings at the best of times.”

  Kell covered her face with her hands. “I didn't know it was that bad,” she mumbled.

  “I wasn't planning to deceive you, Kell, and I wouldn't have told you about this now either, if it hadn't been for the urgency of the situation.”

  Lakrin turned back to Hans. “Sewer division is our only branch with a steady inflow of new recruits. Drawing from them and promoting them to the other divisions after a few years is our only recruitment option at the moment.”

  Hans frowned. Steady inflow into Sewer division so they can advance later? What's he talking about? It was true that Sewer division had a steady supply of recruits. But these were usually people who were first-tier channellers at best. As such, they were unfit for many positions in Sewer division, let alone ?ther division, where being a third tier was mandatory. Hans himself had barely made the cut, as he was only a rank fourteen.

  The few higher-ranked channellers in Sewer division had either joined the Whisper at a very young age, like Hans, or had joined because of unique circumstances. Neither category could be seen as a steady supply.

  Hans opened his mouth to point that out, when he noticed something in Grandmaster Lakrin's eyes. A warning, telling Hans not to make the remark he was about to.

  With an audible clack, Hans closed his mouth again. What the blaze is going on here?

  Grandmaster Lakrin rose from his chair. “If you all understand, then I will be on my way again. I have little time and much to do.” As everyone else rose as well, he beckoned to Hans. “If you could walk with me. I would like to hear who you think might be behind this. Surely a former member of Sewer division would have a different view on things.”

  Hans nodded politely. “Yes, gabron.” He hurried to open the door for the grandmaster.

  “Carry on, Kell, Raviel,” Lakrin said as he walked out the door. “I will expect at least some ideas about who and what soon.”

  The two members of Hans' outfit bowed lightly in response.

  As Hans and the grandmaster silently walked through the dimly lit corridors, Hans wondered if he would be able to find his way back again. The Stockade wasn't very big by any measure, but its layout was very confusing to someone who wasn't familiar with it.

  Lakrin broke the silence first. “Do you want to know the real reason behind your reassignment?”

  He's certainly not wasting any time getting to the point. “Yes, gabron.”

  “I had wanted to talk to you earlier about this, but we have all had our hands full lately.”

  “I understand.”

  “The story I just told Kell and Raviel is the official reason for your reassignment. If anyone asks, stick with that. It won't be questioned.”

  It won't? And can he just talk about this in here? What if somebody overhears? Hans looked around to see if anyone was nearby.

  The grandmaster noticed Hans' unease. “We can speak freely. I have taken precautions.” He briefly flashed a runestone through Hans' field of vision.

  A voicesphere. Hans nodded in acknowledgement “You say they won't question it, but it is a very thin reason. Anyone who works in Sewer division would know. Honestly, I'm surprised Kell and Raviel believed it.”

  “They believe it because they know very little about Sewer division. Just like you knew little about ?ther division. The Whisper's branches are mostly separate and have few ties to each other, save for the leadership. This is intentional, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “You should not worry about it. Most people will believe you were reassigned because of the White Candle incident, despite the timing being off by a couple of days.” He fell silent for a moment. “And maybe we will find that that was the truth all along.”

  “Gabron?”

  The grandmaster lightly slowed his pace. “The real reason why I assigned you to ?ther division, Hans, is because I need someone in there who can be trusted.”

  “I'm not sure I understand,” Hans said hesitantly. He was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking.

  “There have been some shady things going on lately, Hans. I'm speaking of times before the White Candle incident. I won't bother you with the details, but I have reason to believe the Whisper might have been infiltrated.”

  The revelation did not shock Hans as much as he would have expected. “By whom?”

  “We do not have the faintest idea.”

  “That sounds familiar.”

  Lakrin nodded, a grim look on his face. “Quite so. I suspect that the unknown assailant who attacked Callium is responsible for the infiltration of our organization as well.”

  “You don't appear to be very sure there is an infiltrator,” Hans said.

  “We aren't. We have found no conclusive evidence to that effect, nor have our snitches turned up anything. Thus, logically, one had to assume that no infiltration occurred. However, I've been at this long enough to know something is going on.” The grandmaster's posture sagged a bit. “As it stands, it's merely speculation on my part. Nothing more.”

  “What does all this have to do with me?”

  “Given the bits of circumstantial evidence I do have, if there is an infiltrator, it is very likely someone in ?ther division. That's why I picked you. I need you to keep an eye out for anything that seems out of place. It should be easier for you to notice things that operatives like Raviel take for granted. That is the reason I assigned you here.”

  For a moment, Hans pondered what he had just heard. The thought of his reassignment having to do with some internal issue had crossed his mind. Nonetheless, he had never imagined something of this nature.

  And in the end, it doesn't matter. I committed myself to this days ago. This new task merely alters the path I'm following. He ran his hand through his hair, scratching an itch that wasn't there. It's clear that I won't be returning to my old position any time soon. If ever. The thought bothered him, but not as much as the one he asked about next.

  “Why me?” Hans asked. “I don't want to incriminate myself here, but if there is an infiltrator I'm a very likely candidate, considering my history. I didn't exactly join the Whisper voluntarily.”

  The grandmaster increased his pace again. “I'm aware of that. It is the reason I chose you.”

  Hans failed to hide his confusion.

  “You must understand,” Lakrin explained, “assuming I'm right and we have been infiltrated, then the party we are dealing with is extremely cautious. If they could convert anyone of the Whisper to their side, it would be someone we would never have reason to suspect.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “And not someone like me, because I am suspicious.”

  “In this respect you are. Anyone above second tier in Sewer division is, for that matter. So don't feel singled out.”

  “I imagine our proximity to Hyna adds to that as well.”

  “Ah, yes, Hyna,” the grandmaster said. “Another thorn in the Crown's side. That brings me back to the question I asked you before. Who do you think is responsible for the attack on the White Candle?”

  “I truly don't know. From what I've been told by Raviel, it seems unlikely that any of the magic guilds were responsible. The Lyceum doesn't seem to have the nerve to stage such a daring attack. The Daughters are more daring, but they would strike at Callium directly. They would not risk exposing the city to a m?lstrom. Not if you consider their archmagistra's involvement in the Callium Imperatus Schism.”

  Lakrin hummed a low tone. “Raviel has told you about that? Well, no matter. Go on.”

  “Then there is Hyna, of course. The secrecy surrounding the attack would be right up their alley, but Hyna would never do anything this big and blatant. If their goal was to retrieve something from the inner sanctum, they would never do it like this.”

  “How would they do it?”

  “They would wait for the right time, and then send one or two agents to steal what they were after. Either directly from the sanctum itself, or from Callium at a later time.”

  A smile crept across the grandmaster's lips. “Very astute, Hans.”

  “Gabron?”

  “Did you know that the woman they found in the tower claims exactly that?”

  “What? That she was a thief, sent by Hyna?”

  “Exactly,” Lakrin said, before halting beside an inconspicuous door. “But you should see for yourself.”

  The room behind the door was dark. The only light, not daylight, came from a window in the room's right wall. A man with a closely shaved head stood in front of it, looking at something in the adjacent room.

  Hans recognized him. It was Ven, the fourth and last member of Kell's outfit.

  Ven glanced over to see who had entered, and immediately sprung to attention.

  “Grandmaster Lakrin,” Ven said. “Welcome.”

  “Any progress?”

  “She's sticking to her story. No gaps.”

  Lakrin nodded slowly. “I see. Keep it up. I'm leaving Hans here with you. He might have some insights to offer.”

  “Yes, Grandmaster.”

  “Remember what I told you, Hans,” Lakrin said as he left. “I will leave some materials for you to peruse in a few days. I hope you will be able to resolve the matter to everyone's satisfaction.”

  I hope so as well. This job has become complicated enough as it is.

  “Insights, eh? What would those be, then?” Ven asked.

  Hans had only met him twice before, but he already knew that Ven was not one to waste time on anything but the immediate goal.

  “If she's from River's End, I might know her.”

  “True,” Ven answered. He pointed towards the window. “Take a look, then.”

  Hans approached the window. On the other side was a room similar to the one he was in. Sitting under the light of a single sun sigil was a young woman with messy dark-brown hair and eyes red from crying.

  “Felt?” The name escaped him before his surprise at seeing her had time to register.

  “Ah, you know her. That's good.”

  What the blaze is she doing here? Is she the one they picked up at the White Candle? Why was she there? Did she really do a job for Hyna?

  “Can she see us?” Hans asked after his thoughts had settled down.

  “No. There is a mirror on the other side. She can't hear us either.”

  “I thought they used Illusion magic for these kinds of things?”

  “They do. This is easier, however, as it doesn't require an illusionist on call. Illusionists we don't have.” He faced Hans. “Tell me about this girl.”

  “There isn't much to tell. I was in the same rat pack as her for two years, under a Duster called Jelabi Bajalim. After I left, I saw her around River's End on occasion. I have only had extended contact with her during a job concerning the Pale Rat. She helped us out then by obtaining some critical information. Not that it helped much in the end.”

  “The Pale Rat, you say? When was that?”

  “Five, maybe six years ago.”

  “I remember that operation. She has helped out the Whisper regularly?”

  “Not really. That particular job was a special case. All she wanted in return was information about a half-sister of hers. She doesn't have any direct affiliation with any of the major groups in River's End. Neither us nor any of the other gangs or syndicates.”

  Ven inclined his head. “The Whisper is a gang?”

  Hans couldn't suppress a smirk. The grandmaster was right. Members from one division really don't know anything about how the other divisions operate.

  “For all intents and purposes, Sewer division is. It's the only way to make it work, considering the type of members we have.”

  “Hmm,” Ven said. “What was the sister's name?”

  “Cassie, I think, or something like that. She was still a toddler back then.”

  “Could you see Felt working for Hyna?”

  “Doing a job for them? Sure.”

  “You said she did not get deeply involved with organizations.”

  Hans felt somewhat disturbed. Is he interrogating me now? He chose his next words more carefully.

  “Taking on a job for Hyna is nothing like doing regular work for a gang. Hyna operates out of the shadows. A neighbour you've known for twenty years could ask you for a personal favour, while in reality it's Hyna making the request. Most of their operatives don't even know who they are really working for. That's part of why it's so hard to find out anything about them.”

  “Well, she knew who she was working for, and she isn't hiding it,” Ven said as he drew a circle on the window, making a sound that made Hans' skin crawl. Inside the other room Felt looked up at the window to see where the sound came from.

  Hans felt his stomach clench. Like a caged animal.

  Ven continued, undisturbed. “Normally, I would find such a thing hard to believe, but considering the circumstances of her capture...” His voice trailed off.

  “What were those circumstances, exactly? I get the impression I haven't heard even half of what happened yesterday.”

  Ven waved at the door. “I was about to go in for another round, so just listen.”

  In the hour that followed, Hans heard the entire story as Felt, staggering between anger and desperation, told her entire story again to an outwardly unmoved Ven. Halfway during the session, Raviel entered Hans' room and joined him in listening quietly.

  When Ven finished and came back into the room, Raviel immediately spoke up. “I have just obtained confirmation from the field. Her story checks out.”

  “Can't say I'm surprised,” Ven replied. “She kept it straight the whole time. If she was lying, there would have been inconsistencies by now.”

  “It's quite a story.” Hans added. And a very strange one at that. I have never heard of Hyna acting directly like this. Or is it just speculation on Felt's part?

  “What did you check?” he asked Raviel.

  “Among other things, the sunburst she claimed to cast before she tried to get into the sanctum. Several Callium members present during the attack confirmed that something like that happened. A bright light, screaming, and a shrouded person being thrown into the wall when trying to enter the sanctum. It was a good thing for Callium, as well. They would have been taken by complete surprise otherwise.”

  “So, she's telling the truth?”

  “That remains to be seen,” Raviel said as he paced back and forth in front of the window. “But it seems very likely that she wasn't part of the attacking group. Apart from a shade shroud and a blackshift, she had nothing on her that matched the spells used by the attackers. It appears she was at the wrong place at an even worse time.”

  “She could still be a bad seed, placed there to throw us off,” Ven said.

  Raviel nodded. “Could be.”

  “And the information that was provided to her?” Ven asked. “Did we recover it?”

  Raviel shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. There was a hidden compartment in the place she indicated, but it was empty.”

  “Hyna probably retrieved it the moment they realized she had been caught,” Hans suggested.

  “You think Hyna is behind it?” Raviel asked. “She doesn't seem to be entirely certain of that.”

  “I agree it's very strange, but all in all it has to be them,” Hans said. “I suppose it's okay to keep an open mind about it, but if she obtained the job through the Sasskin trading house, then I highly doubt it was one of the other magic guilds. They have no clout in River's End. Not that kind, anyway.”

  “That makes sense,” Raviel said, “especially as the information wasn't the only thing missing. According to her landlord, the little sister was taken by the woman who was treating her for some illness. Nobody has seen either of them since.”

  “And the one who gave her the assignment?” Ven asked.

  “A mediator who works at the trading house Hans mentioned,” Raviel replied. “The job was posted on the board there. She didn't know anything beyond that.”

  “And she had no idea who posted it?” Ven asked.

  A small chuckle escaped Hans' lips. “She would make it a point not to. And even if she had known, assuming that it was Hyna who ordered this, then the person who posted it would be just another dead end.” He nodded as he imagined how it would have happened. “The posting would not contain any details about the job itself in any case. Just requirements that would ensure only Felt would be eligible for it.”

  “How would only she be eligible?” Ven asked. “River's End is filled with thieves.”

  “True, but how many of them can blackshift?” Hans retorted. “I wouldn't be surprised if she's the only one. The way this entire thing was set up definitely points to Hyna.”

  “Which leaves us right back where we started,” Raviel said as he leaned his forehead against the window. “Not a single clue about the dark assailants, nor any real clue in general. This is starting to become a theme for us these days.”

  “Dark assailants?” Ven asked.

  “The shrouded attackers. I heard one of the Royal Guard use it to describe them. I suppose it fits.”

  “What were they after, anyway?” Hans wondered aloud. “The same mystery object Hyna wanted?”

  “Possibly,” Raviel said. “Callium claims that the attackers were more concerned with the sanctum than with them, trying to enter even after Felt here bounced off.”

  “But doesn't that mean we have a lead?” Hans said, kicking himself for not realizing this earlier.

  Raviel and Ven exchanged a quick glance. “I don't follow,” Ven said.

  “Hyna, or whoever, told Felt several things about this object. They didn't know what it was, but they knew it existed and that the White Candle magistrae had all gathered because of it.”

  Ven instantly realized what Hans was getting at. “Hyna knows something about this whole situation that we do not.”

  “Exactly. It is even possible that they know who the attackers were.”

  “Hold on. Wait a longtick,” Raviel said as he turned around, a white spot from leaning his head against the window visible on his forehead. “What you said only holds if the disappearance of the White Candle guild, the mystery object and the attack are all related...” Raviel fell silent for an instant as he realized what he was saying. “Which, considering all the circumstances, is extremely likely.”

  He covered his eyes. “The lack of sleep is getting to me. For me to miss something that obvious...”

  He's not his usual cheery self, that's for sure, Hans thought. Even so, he felt pleased with himself. For the first time in days, he felt like he had made a worthy contribution to the outfit.

  Raviel rubbed his eyes and then looked back at Felt. “Are you certain she's telling the truth, Ven?”

  “As certain as I can be,” Ven replied. “There are still some magical means I can try, but I'm not expecting anything more. If Hyna sent her, and if they are as careful as Hans claims they are, then she won't know anything more than she has already told us.”

  “Try them anyway, just to make certain,” Raviel said as he walked to the door. “I'm going to take a nap before I fall asleep standing up.”

  “You do that,” Ven said drily.

  “I will see you all at tonight's meeting.”

  Raviel tapped Hans on the shoulder as he left the room. “Good work, Hans. We will make an agent out of you yet.”

  After Raviel had left, Hans' stomach let out a distinctive growl. He realized he had not eaten since that morning.

  “You should eat,” Ven said matter-of-factly.

  “I will.”

  Hans gave Felt one last look and then left the room in search of the canteen.

  As he wandered through the Stockade, he tried to wrap his head around recent events. The brief talk with Grandmaster Lakrin had decisively answered the question about his reassignment back to Sewer division: it was not going to happen. At least not until I shed some light on this possible infiltration.

  He sighed. Maybe I should be more proactive about this. I've been doing nothing but following Raviel's lead. He shook his head. No, that's not right. I only allowed myself to be content with following him.

  Nevertheless, it was becoming increasingly obvious that remaining passive would not do for the future. Felt's presence in the Stockade made things hit closer to home than Hans was comfortable with. He realized that they were in similar positions at the moment. Swept up in a current beyond their control and left adrift because of it.

  The grandmaster said I brought a unique viewpoint to ?ther division. Shouldn't I try to maintain that, instead of trying to shape myself after Raviel? It only took him a moment to answer that question. It was high time he took a more active interest in his fate, especially now that one of his former pack mates was involved.

  He had not been entirely truthful to Ven when asked about how well he knew Felt. It was true that they had only spent two years in the same rat pack, but he had known Felt a good deal longer than that. I need to do more, not just for myself, but for her as well.

  Savouring his new-found resolution, he stepped into the canteen to see if they had any cheese.

  ****

  When Hans sat down for the evening meeting, for the first time he felt prepared. He had read every single report and statement about the White Candle attack, and was convinced that this time he wouldn't be the one asking the dumb questions.

  They were seated in the same room as before. This time Ven was present as well, completing their unit.

  Kell appeared nervous. “Grandmaster Lakrin will be joining us in a moment.”

  “Again?” Raviel asked, his arms crossed, leaning back and balancing his chair on two legs. He looked fresher than he had this morning. “He's paying close attention to this, it seems.”

  “I most certainly am,” Grandmaster Lakrin said as he entered the room.

  Raviel almost lost his balance as he jumped to his feet, along with everyone else.

  Hans noticed that the grandmaster looked less calm and collected than that morning. Did something happen during the day?

  “Welcome,” Lakrin said, wasting no time getting started. “I have heard about the conclusions you have come to regarding our suspect, and I'm inclined to agree with your assessment. Until we find evidence to the contrary, I agree that Felt Terridos was there by sheer coincidence and that it was Hyna who sent her.”

  Hans relaxed his shoulders. That's a relief. If the leadership had chosen to believe that Felt was a member of the dark assailants, she would have been doomed for sure.

  “You believe it was Hyna as well, Grandmaster?” Kell asked. “I know she thinks so, but wouldn't the Daughters or the Lyceum be a far more likely candidate, considering the vendetta?”

  “It remains an open question,” Lakrin admitted. “But after speaking to Besta from Sewer division, Hyna remains the most likely suspect. He assured me that neither the Daughters nor the Lyceum possess enough clout in River's End to arrange for Felt's recruitment in the way she described.”

  Hans nodded, sharing that particular conviction as well. It has to be Hyna.

  “But that's only the case if it really happened as she claims,” Kell insisted.

  “I'm aware of that,” the grandmaster answered. “And normally I would have agreed with you, but the current situation isn't just about the attack. It's about the original disappearance of the White Candle guild as well. Thus we must pursue every lead, even if based on mere assumptions.” He took a moment to look everyone in the eyes. “As such, we are going to assume that Miss Terridos is speaking the truth, that it was Hyna who sent her, and that they have information we need to obtain.”

  “That's going to be difficult,” Raviel said hesitantly.

  Not just difficult, Hans thought. Nearly impossible. Considering Hyna's elusiveness, it was a small miracle the Whisper had even discovered they were involved. That's strange in itself, now that I think about it.

  “Quite so,” Lakrin agreed. “Our normal channels are useless when it comes to Hyna. Which means we need to find a way to contact them and try to reason with them.”

  Hans tilted his head in confusion. Contact Hyna? I wonder how they are planning on doing that? He then realized that everyone was looking at him.

  “Did I miss something?” he stammered.

  “We need to know if there is any way to contact Hyna,” Lakrin said.

  “Are you asking me? I thought ?ther division had a way to contact them.”

  “We don't,” Kell stated flatly. “Hyna may be a magic guild, but as I told you before, our division spends little if any time on them. Most of our information comes from Sewer division, which operates in the same parts of the city that Hyna does.”

  “Besta told me there has been some contact in the past between your old division and Hyna,” Grandmaster Lakrin added.

  Hans felt flustered, his earlier confidence evaporating. “Well, yes. But those meetings were always initiated by Hyna and on their terms. Never ours.”

  “There has to be some way to at least let them know you want to talk to them,” Kell insisted. “How do they operate otherwise? What if someone tries to warn them?”

  Hans took a deep breath as he tried to order his thoughts. “I don't know anything about their internal operations. Nobody does. What I do know is that they neither have permanent representatives to contact, nor a fixed place to leave messages. It all shifts, changes.” Hans moved his hands in a waving motion. “The only thing you can do is toss something in the wind and hope it reaches the right people.”

  “Are you saying that it is impossible to bring something to their attention?” Kell asked incredulously.

  “No, it is possible. As I said, you can throw something in the wind and see where it lands. Of course, there is a considerable downside to that method.”

  “You start a rumour, right?” Ven said. “I have heard about that.”

  “Start a rumour?” Raviel asked. “I don't follow.”

  Hans regained some of his confidence; this was a subject he knew well. “All you do is go to the local tavern and start talking about the things you want Hyna to know about. The rumour spreads, Hyna will find out about it, and they may or may not contact you as a result.”

  He looked around the table, ending at the grandmaster. “The downside is that every person in the district will know about it.”

  Grandmaster Lakrin nodded. “If you say too little, Hyna won't bother with you. If you say too much, all your secrets are out on the street.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “See where the wind takes it, indeed. I had hoped there was a better way.”

  “I'm afraid not, gabron,” Hans said. “Besides, I'm quite certain Hyna will not speak to the Whisper regardless. Not unless they want to.”

  “Isn't it worth a try anyway?” Raviel said. “We have nothing else.”

  “We cannot do it,” Grandmaster Lakrin said, his expression darkening. “Besta has also told me that panic is growing across the population, especially since the attack. If even the slightest rumour gets out that we have so little control over the situation...” He did not finish the sentence as its implication was clear to all.

  Mass panic in the streets, Hans thought. Something similar had happened during the Callium Imperatus Schism. Many citizens had died as a result.

  “People are leaving the city in droves,” Ven said. “They suspect the situation is grim.”

  “Over eight thousand,” Lakrin added solemnly. “And their numbers are growing.”

  Eight thousand?! Hans knew people had been leaving the city, but the sheer amount surprised him. I suppose stories about the last Rios m?lstrom are very much alive, despite it happening over a hundred years ago.

  Grandmaster Lakrin put his fingertips together and stared at the room's far wall. “To return to our problem. If, as you say, Hans, contact with Hyna is only on their initiative, we should find someone who they want to contact.”

  Hans immediately realized who the grandmaster was referring to. “Felt.”

  “Yes,” Lakrin said. “I'm certain Hyna would love to speak with her. Still, this presents its own problem. How do we arrange for that to happen without Hyna becoming suspicious?”

  “I could talk to her,” Hans said, a little too eagerly. “I'm sure I can convince her to help us out. She has been willing to cooperate thus far, so if we make a deal where we let her go she—”

  Lakrin cut him off. “That's not possible, I'm afraid. Letting her go is not an option. Even if she wasn't part of the attack, what she confessed to is damning enough by itself.”

  “But she only trespassed,” Hans objected.

  “Into a magic guild's seat that was under lockdown by royal decree. That makes it a serious matter. Furthermore, Callium has expressed the wish to question her as well.”

  Fear crept into Hans. Callium wants to question her? That can't possibly be good. Who knows what they will do to her? He could tell that the other members of his team shared this sentiment, except for Ven, who was looking stone-faced as usual.

  “We are going to refuse that request, I take it,” Kell said. “She's our only lead, and even if Callium manages to obtain some additional information, there is no telling if they would share it with us.” She tried to sound confident, but her face betrayed her uncertainty.

  “There are some additional things at work here that make it impossible for us to refuse,” Lakrin said.

  “Are these the same reasons why Callium was assigned to the White Candle in the first place?” Kell asked in a manner that indicated she already knew the answer.

  “That is not for anyone here to know.”

  After a brief moment of silence, Raviel leant forward. “If she can't leave, then how are we supposed to have her contact Hyna? I doubt any of them will be crazy enough to come to the Stockade.”

  “That is part of the problem,” Lakrin admitted. “We will have to create a situation in which Felt remains under our control, but Hyna feels confident enough to approach her.”

  The conversation continued, with Raviel and Ven making suggestions about how to proceed. Hans felt disillusioned. He had hoped that by absolving Felt of being one of the dark assailants, he had improved her situation. But it turned out that hope was in vain. She was going to be tossed into the tempest even though she didn't know anything.

  I can't let that happen. I need a way to make her so valuable to the Whisper that they won't give her up. The only way to do that is to guarantee she can help us contact Hyna. Hans leaned on his elbows and ran his hands through his short hair. But how? If we can't let her go, there is no way Hyna will ever approach her. I doubt they are that eager to hear from her.

  He leaned back and stared at the wooden crossbeam above him, ignoring the ongoing discussion. Isn't there anything else? Some other way to make her useless to Callium? So she can escape the fate that—

  He jerked forward in his seat and slammed his hands onto the table, his mouth slightly agape.

  A silence fell as everyone stared at him.

  “Do you have some insight to offer, Hans?” Grandmaster Lakrin asked, somewhat bemused.

  “Escape,” Hans said. “We let her escape.”

  Nobody responded. If anything, his words had added to the confusion.

  Hans began to rapidly explain what he had in mind, stumbling over his words. “Felt. We let her escape. That way we will have an excuse for Callium and Hyna both.”

  Lakrin eyed Hans with a peculiar look. “Go on.”

  “We can't let her go. Not officially. So we let her go unofficially. If we let her escape, Hyna will be far more likely to contact her. They will want to pick her up to prevent her from being recaptured.”

  “So, what you are saying is that we calculatedly look incompetent to Callium, while gambling on the assumption that Hyna will take Felt as bait?”

  “Yes.”

  “I see,” Lakrin said. ”There might be something there.”

  Kell looked from Hans to the grandmaster. “Can we do that?”

  “Perhaps,” Lakrin said. “Now, tell me, Hans. How do you imagine this escape would take place? Because nobody is going to believe someone could escape from the Stockade all by themselves.”

  Hans knew what the grandmaster was hinting at. “I'll help her. She knows me. I can make up a story. She'll believe it. I will let her out. Then, after she's escaped, we'll put a spell on her so we can follow her anywhere.”

  “You don't want to let her in on the true nature of her escape?” Lakrin asked, eyebrows raised.

  “No. That way it will seem more real. If she believes it, Hyna won't have any way of learning the truth.”

  “That would be prudent, yes,” Lakrin said, before turning towards Raviel. “Do we have a spell to keep track of her?”

  “Several. But I need some time to figure out which one would be best.”

  The grandmaster nodded and placed his fingers to his mouth. He was clearly considering the plan's potential. Nobody said anything as they waited for the grandmaster to finish his musings.

  “This... could work.”

  Hearing those three words lifted an enormous weight off Hans' shoulders.

  “Really?” Kell asked. “I don't mean to be disrespectful, but a moment ago you were quite adamant about Callium taking ownership of Felt. That would be impossible if we go through with this plan.”

  Lakrin gave her a solemn nod. “As I said earlier, it's not just about the attack on Callium. I have a strong feeling that the longer we remain in the dark, the worse the situation will become. If we let Miss Terridos escape, it will make us look bad, yes, but it will circumvent several other problems. I can live with a reputation hit, as long as we get results.” His expression turned serious, and he looked Hans straight in the eye. “At least, if Hans here takes responsibility for his part in the escape.”

  Hans remained silent. There was the price he was going to have to pay for his plan.

  “You will need to play the part of one who has betrayed the Whisper,” Lakrin said.

  “Betrayal?!” Kell exclaimed. “But that means that we would officially have to detain Hans as well. And if we keep him here, then Callium will want to interrogate him.”

  “Indeed,” Lakrin answered. “So Hans will need to go to ground for the duration of this operation. Or perhaps even longer, and the only people who will know the truth are the five in this room.”

  The grandmaster spoke heavy words, yet Hans felt calm. It was as if his earlier rambling had rid him of all his agitation.

  “If you are prepared to do that, Hans, I'm willing to consider authorizing this operation.”

  “I am prepared,” Hans answered without hesitation.

  It was the truth. It wasn't just because of Felt. At long last, he felt he was contributing again. Having to hide in a filthy shack with enemies everywhere was of little concern to him. That used to be his regular life when he was younger anyway.

  “Good,” Lakrin said. “Kell, please set this up as seamlessly as possible. Ignore everything else. I need this operation ready for review by tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Yes, Grandmaster.”

  Grandmaster Lakrin nodded to himself. “I feel that this could be a turning point for us. Let's make it happen.”

  Hans had no doubts. It will happen. I will make sure of it.