They stepped out of the alley and into the street, turning back toward Bakers Lane. They didn't get far. At the very first crossroads, torchlight flared. "What-? " Tycho gasped as city guards came pouring into the intersection from every direction, swords drawn and ready. He froze.

Mard Dantakain stepped out from among his men and women. The captain of the guard was covered in soot. A fresh burn shone red and raw on his face. "Tychoben Ari-saenn and Kuang Li Chien, you are under arrest."

"For?" snarled Tycho.

"Kidnapping," Mard said coldly, "and murder. I went to your rooms looking for my daughter and I found my brother." His eyes were very hard. "I don't think even Magistrate Vanyan will listen to your explanations this time."

"He should," said Laera. Tycho stared as the young woman slipped around him to confront her father. "Tycho and Li haven't done anything."

Mard's hard eyes narrowed. He nodded at two of his men. "Take her home."

"No!" Laera held her chin high, and her voice was defiant. "I ran away. Tycho was looking out for me. And Uncle Jacerryl was killed by a halfling named Brin over abagofbeljurils."

"Brin?" Mard's eyes managed to grow even narrower, darting from Laera to Tycho then Li, finally settling on Veseene. Laera spoke again before he could say anything more.

"Brin killed her, too. He kidnapped her and left Uncle Jacerryl. He would have killed all of us if Tycho and Li hadn't stopped him."

Mard looked back to Tycho. "And Brin is now…?"

"Dead," Tycho said bluntly.

"So this story about beljurils is entirely your word."

"No, it isn't." Laera reached into her belt, pulled out a velvet bag, and dumped its contents into the palm of her hand. Mard stared at the winking gems and even his eyes went wide for a moment, and he scowled. His voice dropped low so none of the guards would hear.

"Give those to me, Laera, and go home."

She closed her hand over the gems. "Not until you let Tycho and Li go," she murmured back.

"They're under arrest!"

"For what? They didn't do anything. The magistrate won't hold them. You taught me the law yourself."

Mard's eyes narrowed again. "Who killed Brin?"

Laera's eyes narrowed just like her father's. "I did." Mard clenched his jaw. Laera raised her eyebrows and smiled thinly. "Or maybe not. You can put me before the magistrate if you like-or you can take my word that Tycho and Li didn't do anything and let them go." She clenched her fist over her heart. "Tyr's truth, father. They're heroes."

"Laera…"

Laera took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Let them go and I'll come home."

Tycho couldn't hold back a startled gasp. Laera twisted around and looked back at him.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you, Tycho," she said. "But I don't belong on the road. My place is here." Her smile faltered. "Like in the story of Dain and Eiter."

Tycho caught the meaning in her words. She was giving herself up for them. He gave her a crooked smile. "You would have made a fine apprentice," he said. Mard choked at his words. Tycho's grin grew just a bit and he added, "Let's hope no one cuts off your hand."

Mard choked again and whirled around. "Dismissed," he shouted sharply to his guards. "Return to stations." As the guards dispersed, he turned back to Laera with a glower. "So you have a brain after all," he sighed. "You chose a fine time to use it." He took her hand and held her close-then glared at Tycho and Li over her head and growled, "Get out of Spandeliyon."

"Father!" Laera protested. Tycho hissed at her and met Mard's gaze.

"A day to bury the dead," he said.

"Granted. Then I don't want to see you again." He looked at Li. "Either of you."

Li snarled at him in Shou. Mard glanced at him. "He said 'yes,'" Tycho lied.

Mard glared at them once more before stalking off. Laera tried to look back, but he held her firmly.

Then they were alone. Tycho sighed and held Veseene's frail body close. A day. It didn't seem long enough.

"What now, Tycho?" asked Li. The bard sighed again and looked up. He nodded along one of the cross-streets.

"There's a cemetery inland behind high town," he said. "I know a priest there. He'll take her in. Tonight even."

"I meant after," said the Shou. "You can't stay here. Even without Mard Dantakain, you've made enemies of two wizards and the Hooded today."

Tycho smiled crookedly. "Now you know why I didn't protest leaving Spandeliyon." He shifted Veseene in his arms and began walking toward high town. "I don't really know where I'll go. Around. It doesn't really matter. New stories, new songs. I still haven't been to Waterdeep and there's that 'vigorous harp' technique to try out there!"

Li fell into step beside him. "I'll be going back to Keelung. I need to tell my father what happened here." His hand twitched toward the pocket that held the scraps of the Yellow Silk. Tycho winced.

"Li, I'm sorry about the Silk."

"I'll give it back to my father. The master weavers of Kuang may be able to repair it." Li looked down at Veseene's still form. "Your loss can't be remade. I'm more sorry for that."

"Thanks." Tycho kissed his old friend's cheek. "She died with a song on her lips. I think her spirit is still singing."

Li smiled. "You know," he said, "the ship I came on should still be in the harbor. I'll be taking it back to Telflamm and starting east along the Golden Way once spring comes. Would you like to come with me?"

Tycho choked. "Bind me, yes!" His face crinkled. "I don't have much coin for passage, though."

"You can earn it." Li opened his coat and dipped his hand inside. There was the sharp rip of cloth. Tycho twisted around to stare. Li's hand emerged, unfolding to show three stones that gleamed black-red in the moonlight. "But here's a start."

"Li!"

"Your reward, remember? For helping me."

"I couldn't take-" Li's eyebrow rose. Tycho sighed. "All right, I can take it. Bind me, you're starting to know me too well!" He looked sideways at the Shou. "Li?"

"Yes?"

"Do I really speak Shou like a whore?"

Li looked up at the moon. "You have an accent," he said diplomatically. "We can work on it." He glanced back down. "Tycho?"

"Yes?"

"What's Thayan pox?"

EPILOGUE

Lander shivered in the cold darkness of his prison, blankets wrapped around him, waiting. How long, he wondered. Soon. Surely soon. His stomach had been growling for an eternity.

The hatch in the bottom of the door popped open. Lander darted forward eagerly.

Except it wasn't a bowl of food that appeared. A rope slithered through the door like a snake. He yelped and leaped back, but the rope was faster. It shot forward, twining first around his ankles to send him sprawling then around his wrists to hold him helpless.

As soon as he was securely bound, the door opened and Hanibaz Nassor walked in. Lander spat at him. The bearded mage just stepped aside. "Lander," he chided him, "remember, you accepted my help freely."

Brin's hand had flicked out-hurling his knife at Veseene, killing her. And Tycho had gone as mad as Brin. Pressing himself back into the collapsed shelter, Lander had felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to stare at Hanibaz's battered face. "You helped me," the mage had slurred, "let me help you." He had held out his hand. Lander had hesitated only a moment and seized it.

A word from Hanibaz and they had been here. Or at least he had. A prisoner of the mage. At least he had blankets and food. And he only had to put up with a little poking.

Hanibaz rolled him onto his side and tugged down his trousers to inspect the wound on his hip, touching it gently. The pressure of his finger stung, and Lander hissed. It was nothing compared to that first night after the spell that the mage had cast in the sty wore off. Lander had thought he was going to die from the pain. It had passed quickly, though, and if the wound Black Scratch had inflicted was taking its sweet time healing, at least it didn't hurt so much.