Chapter 3: Part 1 - Immovable Objects

Vasha had never been to the Grove. In truth, before joining the Marauders, she’d travelled very little at all; her time aboard the ships she’d sailed with had been disappointing and hardly the chance to see the world she’d expected. The homeland of the sylvari immediately appealed to her, though. It was lush and verdant, yet there was an order to their city, a careful plan placed onto the chaos of wild growth. It was also, after the Shiverpeaks, blessedly warm.

The rest of the Marauders didn’t seem very impressed, but then they never did. The norn were sniping at one another again, for one thing. Frostpaw had got into trouble before they left Lion’s Arch, chasing a stray cat and crashing through a stall of fresh fish. Even now, both Haki and his wolf carried the faint odour of seafood; Gull sniffed loudly every time he came near.

Roan was steadfastly ignoring them, as he’d ignored everyone since leaving Rata Sum. He didn’t seem particularly pleased with the alliance he’d made, but Vasha didn’t blame him. Marissa Valpari was always out for herself; her idea of an ‘alliance’ was recruiting the Marauders as muscle she could order around.

She wouldn’t get much chance yet, though. Their arrival in the Grove had been determined by the drawing of lots; Yinn didn’t seem to think anyone had won the second round, or at least he hadn’t shown himself long enough to say so. Finding Light’s Memory at work in the hylek village certainly didn’t count. Vasha had the feeling all they’d done was annoy him even more.

She’d been the one to argue they should keep their distance from the Valparis. It wasn’t just that she didn’t want to spend any more time with Jean. The more the two teams associated with one another, the more suspicious Yinn would become – if Erin was right and they were being watched, anyway. That, in the end, wasn’t a theory anyone wanted to test, so for now, they’d act as though no alliance had been made. Vasha thought everyone was happier that way.

“This place is making me sweat,” Haki grumbled, as they left the asura gate and trailed down a ramp into the heart of the city. “What’s the chance of Yinn sending us back to the Shiverpeaks next time?”

“Hardly a chance at all,” Vasha said, watching a group of luminous sylvari snake past them. “Doesn’t Frostpaw like it here, either?”

In response, the wolf sneezed, then stopped to vigorously scratch his ear with a hind leg.

“He’s allergic to all the plants,” Haki said, prodding the wolf back to his feet. “Or maybe the sylvari.”

“Enough whining,” Roan said, over his shoulder. “We’ve got somewhere to be.”

That was the most puzzling part of the day so far. Vasha wouldn’t have been surprised if Yinn had sent them off to yet another city with little by way of direction; that was very much his style. This time, though, their game card had flashed up a time and place: three hours before dusk, the Maker’s Terrace. No-one knew what that might signify, but it was unusually specific for Yinn.

Vasha knew Roan had his suspicions, though. “We’re meeting someone,” he’d said, as soon as the card displayed its message. No-one had argued. Besides, Vasha half thought he was right. There were no other teams gathering, which meant the time and place were specific to the Marauders. This wasn’t another of Yinn’s shows. Perhaps he really was sending them to meet someone.

Vasha spotted only one other team as they reached the foot of the ramp. The Nth Degree loitered a short distance away, heads close together. As Roan came to a halt, not caring that he was directly in the middle of the flow of foot traffic, Vasha shuffled a few steps closer to the asura.

She could hear one of them chuckling in a manner that was almost sinister. “It’s about time we had a chance to play to our strengths.”

“Indeed,” another put in. “Problem-solving ought to present little difficulty at all. If the other teams are to stand a chance, Yinn must have made this round as easy as my first year of Synergetics.”

“That’s if Floxx was right–” another said, only for a chorus of shushing to drown him out. The asura had noticed she was listening, Vasha realised. She offered them a friendly wave, not caring that they’d caught her, and hurried to catch up with Roan.

Problem-solving, was it? Not the Marauders’ greatest strength, if she was honest; they were more use at bashing things into submission. Still, there were other problems in the world than purely intellectual ones. She wasn’t about to declare them out of the game just yet.

Roan and the norn weren’t far away – and they appeared to have company. Roan stood with his arms folded, as did another charr. The stranger leaned against a vine-twisted wall, grey fur muted against he Grove’s colour, as though he was nothing more than a shadow.

A shadow that pushed himself off the wall and walked directly towards them.

“The Nageling Marauders.” The charr’s voice was a touch higher than Roan’s, but still with that underlying charr roughness. His narrow face looked like it was perpetually set in a grin, though it was one that showed more teeth than Vasha was comfortable with. Still, it could be worse. At least Yinn hadn’t sent them to meet up with the Valparis.

Roan hadn’t moved. “And you are?”

“Grey,” the stranger said, which was appropriate enough – so appropriate that Vasha was sure it wasn’t his real name. Well, they all had their secrets, and someone who was working with Yinn probably had more than most.

Gull stepped forwards. “Did Yinn send you?”

“What do you think?”

Roan growled. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re going to get.” Grey spread one paw in what looked like an invitation. “The longer we stand here, the more time we waste. Are you with me?”

For a moment, there was silence, the sounds of the city receding. Vasha could feel the skin on the back of her neck prickle. This charr might be an impostor, might even be a trick by one of the other teams – but he was exactly where Yinn’s card had said he’d be. Besides, what choice did they have? If this was a clue, it was the only one Yinn had given them.

Gull cleared her throat. “Where are we going, exactly?”

Grey shrugged. He wore leathers as grey as his fur, which creaked with the gesture, but he didn’t seem to be armed. If it came to it, surely they could overpower him. “North,” he said. “I’ll explain on the way.”

Vasha doubted that very much; Grey seemed like the type to keep those secrets of his. Abruptly, though, Roan grunted. “If that’s how you want it, fine. Lead the way.”

For the first time, Grey seemed to hesitate. Perhaps he’d realised, as Vasha had, that whoever led the party had to do so with Roan’s eyes on their back – and his weapons only a few feet away. Grey might be an unknown quantity, but Vasha didn’t envy him that.

Still, he didn’t linger long. As soon as he’d ascertained there was nothing else they needed in the Grove, he led them out of the city.

They went north, as Grey had promised. Vasha tried to keep her eyes on the charr, but in the end, she had to leave that to Roan. Caledon Forest was a marvel and she couldn’t stop staring at its vibrant colours, its glittering waters, its elegant organic buildings. Even the sylvari themselves seemed strange and new.

“Have you been here before?” she asked Gull.

Gull shrugged, and on Vasha’s other side, Haki snorted. “She’s been everywhere. You won’t find much that impresses my sister.”

“What about you?” Vasha was aware that she didn’t know Haki well, that he rarely talked about himself. “Have you travelled far?”

“Compared to you, girl, everyone’s a traveller,” Haki replied, but he looked uncomfortable. The siblings seemed inseparable, no matter how much they argued, but Vasha didn’t think they’d always been that way. Gull seemed to have a far greater knowledge of Tyria’s geography than her brother; he couldn’t have accompanied her on every journey.

That was the past, though. If Haki didn’t want to talk about it, Vasha wasn’t about to pry. She felt much the same way about Roan. Their leader might have snapped out of his fugue and taken command again, but Vasha couldn’t forget what Gull had said in Lornar’s Pass. She’d mentioned the death of Roan’s brother; Vasha had wondered more than once if that was what he’d relived under Maille’s illusions. Now that he was himself again, though, she didn’t dare ask.

Night began to descend on the Forest, bringing a new realm of luminescent colour to its landscape. Beautiful though it was, Vasha found her attention drawn to Roan. He followed Grey with his shoulders hunched, one hand always on the haft of his mace. He looked every bit like he was readying himself to hit something – or someone.

She wasn’t at all surprised, then, when Roan came to a stop. He growled, waited until Grey turned round, then said, “Enough. Where are we going?”

Grey didn’t immediately reply. They were beside a wide lake, the road curving along its shore towards the lights of what Vasha guessed was a village. Roan wasn’t in any hurry to reach it, though.

“I said I’d explain on the way, didn’t I?” Grey said.

“You haven’t explained a damn thing.” Roan had taken his hand off his mace, but the tension hadn’t left his body. “Either tell us where you’re leading–”

“Or what?” Grey sounded amused. “You’ll make me?”

For a big charr, Roan could move fast. Vasha didn’t think any of them saw it coming, certainly not quick enough to react. Roan lunged forward and grabbed Grey’s collar, hauling the smaller charr off the road and towards the lake. Grey struggled, but his feet couldn’t seem to find any purchase in the soft ground, and Roan’s strength was unstoppable. In only a handful of steps, he’d dragged Grey down to the water and, with a single colossal heave, thrown him in.

Nor did Roan stop there. The two norn shouted and plunged after him, but Roan had already waded into the water. He grabbed Grey again, thrusting the charr under the water. There was a gurgle and a frenzy of splashing, Grey’s claws ripping into Roan’s chest and arms. Roan was implacable, though – and with a flash of horror, Vasha realised this wasn’t about getting answers. Roan was gripped by an uncontrolled fury. He wasn’t trying to interrogate Grey, and he wasn’t going to stop.

Haki and Gull each had one of Roan’s arms. It was like trying to move a mountain, though, even for the norn. Nothing was getting through to him. Nothing but–

“We need him, Roan. He’s the clue.” Vasha was astonished at how calm she sounded, her voice carrying over the water with a piercing clarity. “Roan, listen to me. Grey is the clue.”

There were several frozen heartbeats, Grey’s thrashing growing ever weaker – and then Roan lurched away, striding out of the water as though he’d forgotten Grey was there. Vasha was dimly aware of the norn dragging the smaller charr onto the sand, but Roan was right in front of her, a towering shadow blocking out the stars.

“What did you say?” His words were almost inaudible beneath a growl.

Vasha sucked in a breath and met Roan’s eye. Calm. She had to stay calm. “I heard that team of asura back in the Grove. This round is all about problem-solving. I think that’s Grey. He’s the problem we have to solve.”

She almost expected Roan to say he’d been ‘solving’ Grey just fine. Instead, he stared at her for a long moment, then snarled, and thundered off up the slope towards the road. Vasha took another deep breath. Grey was coughing and heaving down on the beach, but Gull looked up, giving Vasha a nod. There was more appreciation in that, Vasha knew, than in a thousand heartfelt words from anyone else.

She hadn’t acted out of a need for gratitude, anyway. They’d come this far and she wouldn’t let them crash out of the game because Roan couldn’t keep his temper in check. They needed Grey – she was absolutely sure of that.

And Roan? He’d always been easily irritated, but this attack was something else. If he took offence at Grey a second time, or even at one of his team, would any of them be able to stop him? Vasha shivered, the humid air of Caledon Forest suddenly feeling cold against her clammy skin. She hoped, prayed even, they wouldn’t have to find out.