Free Songs & Swords 1 by Elaine Cunningham Page B

could.”
    “Really? Hmm. Why does your pretty Harper agent draw this assassin? Apart from the obvious reasons, naturally.”
    “She has a moonblade,” Khelben explained tersely. “It’s a magic elven sword, very powerful. It is possible that the assassin, whoever he is, is after Arilyn’s sword.”
    “Arilyn,” Danilo repeated the name absently, looking down at the picture once more. “It suits her. Arilyn what?”
    “Moonblade. She has taken the sword’s name as her own. But we digress.”
    “Indeed. So, what can this magic sword do?”
    Khelben took his time before answering. “I’m not aware of all its powers,” he said carefully. “That’s where you come in.”
    “You said that already,” Danilo observed.
    The mage’s face darkened with exasperation. “Apart from you and me, do you see anyone in this room?” he snapped. “There’s no need to continue playing the fool.”
    Danilo smiled apologetically. “Sorry. Habit, you know.”
    “Yes, well, please attend to the matter at hand. The possibility exists that Arilyn Moonblade has been targeted for her sword as well as her talents. If we find out who has an interest in the moonblade and why, we have a better chance of finding this assassin.”
    Danilo sat quietly for a long moment. “One question.”
    “Go ahead.”
    “Why me?”
    “Secrecy is vital. We can’t send someone obvious.”
    “Oh,” Danilo crossed one knee over the other and flicked a lock of hair over his shoulder in an exaggerated, effeminate gesture. “Is it my imagination, or was I just insulted?”
    Khelben scowled. “Don’t belittle yourself, boy. You’ve proven to be a more than capable agent, and you’re perfect for this job.”
    “Indeed,” Danilo agreed wryly. “Protecting a woman who doesn’t seem to require my protection.”
    “There’s more. We need information about the moonblade. You have proven to be very successful at separating women from their secrets.”
    “It’s a gift,” Danilo modestly agreed. He tapped the portrait and added, “Not that I’m trying to get out of this assignment, mind you, but someone’s got to point out the obvious: why don’t we just ask her about the sword?”
    Khelben faced the young nobleman, his expression grim and earnest. “There’s more to this than meets the eye, although an assassin of this skill, systematically wiping out Harpers, is trouble enough. No one must suspect that you work with me—not the assassin, not the other Harpers, and especially not Arilyn.”
    “Intrigue within the ranks?” Danilo asked mockingly.
    “It is possible,” Khelben answered cryptically.
    “Marvelous,” Danilo muttered, looking genuinely appalled by Khelben’s unexpected response to his jest. “Even so, I don’t see why we need to keep this from Arilyn. If the assassin is after her, shouldn’t she be forewarned? Once she knows I’ve been sent to help her, she may be more prone to work with me.”
    Khelben snorted. “Far from it. For all her talents, Arilyn Moonblade is one of the most stubborn, hotheaded, and unreasonable persons I’ve ever met. She wouldn’t agree to protection, and she wouldn’t take kindly to the notion that she couldn’t handle the assassin alone.” Khelben paused, and a grimace tugged the corners of his mouth down. “She reminds me of her father, come to think of it.”
    Danilo regarded the mage with a skeptical expression. “This is all very interesting, but I sense that you’re skirting the real issue. It’s the sword, isn’t it? You know something about it that you’re not telling me.”
    “Yes,” Khelben agreed simply.
    “Well?” Danilo prompted.
    Khelben shook his head. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to trust me. The fewer people who know, the better. I doubt even Arilyn herself knows the full extent of the sword’s power. We need to find out what she knows about the sword, and that’s—”
    “Where I come in,” Danilo finished glumly.
    “Indeed. You have a knack for