Chapter 2: Part 2 - A ‘Conversation’

Two things were vying for Erin’s attention. It did not surprise her, given the current state of her life, that both of them were Valparis.

Caolinn had appeared in the doorway of their inn room with an unconscious Ruby in tow. The girl was carried by one of Caolinn’s minions, an odd little construction of bone and sinew that seemed far stronger than its size suggested. As the creature deposited Ruby on the bed, Caolinn flexed her fingers and returned the minion to dust. To Erin’s surprise, the necromancer wore an expression of distaste.

“Not my usual style,” she said primly, picking up one of Ruby’s dangling legs and heaving it onto the bed. “I prefer my minions to be a last resort, especially when there are so many watching eyes.”

Indeed. Erin had no idea how Caolinn had managed to sneak the slumbering Ruby through the city, minion or no minion. Perhaps it was best not to ask.

As Erin watched, Caolinn drew a single dagger, made a gesture in the air, and bound Ruby to the bed with strands of shadow. “Let me know when she wakes up,” she said. “I’m going to take a bath.”

Erin would have stood there, hand on her greatsword, until Ruby had indeed stirred ‒ but there was that second Valpari to contend with.

The twins had turned up only minutes after Caolinn and refused to wait outside. When Erin entered the adjoining parlour, Oska was still pacing. It wouldn’t have surprised her if he’d worn right through the rug to the floorboards beneath.

“Where is she?” he snapped.

Erin folded her arms. “Caolinn?”

“Ruby.” Oska practically spat the name. There was enough venom in his tone that Erin carefully closed the bedroom door behind her, before Oska could see inside.

“She’s safe,” she said. “And before you say anything, we’re safe from her, too. Caolinn made sure of that.”

“Yes, Caolinn.” Oska hadn’t stopped pacing. In the corner of the room, Auri sat quietly, making little whirlwinds of fire in one hand and passing them across to the other before they snuffed out. It was a pretty trick, to which Oska was completely oblivious. “Is she here, too?”

Erin rubbed at her temples rather than reply. It seemed better not to mention that Caolinn was indeed here and so untroubled by Ruby’s presence that she’d gone for a bath rather than standing guard.

Oska didn’t seem to notice he hadn’t had a reply. “I was so close. So close. If only that necromancer hadn’t interfered‒”

Finally, his anger started to grate on Erin’s nerves. “Caolinn captured Ruby on my orders,” she interrupted. “There was nothing to be gained by you following her. For all you know, she wasn’t going anywhere more exciting than the weapons seller, or a bakery.”

“I like bakeries,” Auri said quietly, without looking up.

If he heard, Oska chose to ignore it. “Or she might have led me to whoever she’s working for.”

“Your grandmother?” Erin raised an eyebrow. “Oska, listen to me. You’re not thinking straight. We know where to find Taria Valpari. Trailing around the city wasn’t getting you anywhere. We’re better off with Ruby here, where we can keep an eye on her.”

“And we can talk to her?” Auri put in.

This time, they both looked at her. “And we can talk to her,” Erin repeated slowly. That was… one way of putting it.

Oska, finally, stopped wearing a path across the carpet. “An interrogation,” he said flatly.

That was exactly the word that had been in Erin’s head, but she wasn’t about to tell Oska that. He was far too keen to get answers from Ruby, using any means necessary. “A conversation,” she said instead.

“I do hope,” a muffled voice interrupted, “you’re better at conversation than kidnapping.”

Erin spun, half expecting Ruby to be standing behind her with a knife. Caolinn’s shadow bonds had held, though; when Erin opened the bedroom door, Ruby was awake and had managed to sit up, but she was a long way from breaking free.

Oska pushed past Erin, to stand at the foot of the bed. “Doesn’t look like we had any trouble kidnapping you, does it?”

“Your sylvari friend didn’t.” Ruby’s eyes shone in the low light. She seemed to listen, for a moment, to the sound of bathwater sloshing in the next room. “She’s a piece of work, that one. As far as I can tell, though, none of you lot had anything to do with it.”

Erin was fairly certain she could hear Oska’s teeth grinding together. “Enough small talk. What are you doing in the Grove?”

Ruby actually winked at her. “Working.”

“For Taria Valpari?”

“Dear old grandmother.” Ruby looked smug. She hadn’t, Erin noticed, exactly answered the question ‒ but she’d made Oska look even more furious, if such a thing was possible.

“You talked about a war,” Erin said.

The smile slipped from Ruby’s face. “I was starting to think you weren’t paying attention.”

“Oh, we’re paying attention,” Oska said.

Erin put a hand on his shoulder and his mouth snapped shut. “It’s Taria against the Archon, yes?”

Ruby nodded slowly. “You really are smarter than I thought. Most people don’t know the good old Archon exists.”

“We know all about Artair,” Erin said. She could feel how tense Oska was and dug her fingers tighter into his shoulder. She knew she was holding on too tight. She knew, too, that if Oska was concentrating on not buckling at the knees, he might be too busy to interrupt. “Two sides. Are they the only ones?”

Ruby shrugged, suddenly casual again. “As far as I know.”

“What are they fighting over?”

The sly look that crossed Ruby’s face was unmistakeable. She looked like she was enjoying herself far too much. “Not too smart, then.”

Oska was practically vibrating beneath Erin’s grip, but finally, she let him go. She’d had enough of holding onto him ‒ but more importantly, she’d also had enough of Ruby’s games.

Erin stepped up to the side of the bed. It was gratifying to see Ruby’s eyes widen, but it also made Erin wince inwardly. She didn’t like using her size to get what she wanted, especially not when she was surrounded by mere children. She couldn’t help feeling that time was running out, though. Ruby was clever and cunning; she’d escape, given half a chance, or maybe even be rescued. And then there was the greater urgency of being embroiled in a war they still knew nothing about.

"Artair turned half of Tyria upside-down to recruit for his new guild,” she said. “And now Taria Valpari brings you out of the woodwork, talking of a war. You say we need to pick a side, but right now, I see nothing but fools butting heads. Tell me what you’re fighting over.”

Ruby was silent for a long time. She seemed cowed, finally, and not only because there was a norn towering over her. It didn’t last long ‒ she sniffed and pulled back her shoulders, meeting Erin’s gaze ‒ but it was enough to get her talking.

“A weapon,” she said. “They’re fighting over a weapon.”

Erin matched Ruby’s previous silence. She thought the sound of splashing bathwater from the next room had fallen equally still. Even Oska had stopped fidgeting. “What kind of weapon?”

Ruby’s hesitation was long enough to make it clear she didn’t know. “Why would I tell you that?” she said, valiantly trying to maintain the deception. “Not until you’ve chosen a side.”

“We don’t want to choose sides,” Erin replied ‒ and then, because there was no point forcing a deception of her own, “but we’re more likely to sprout wings than to ally ourselves with Archon Artair. Is that what you want to hear?”

Even Erin, who bore the girl no ill will, had to admit Ruby’s smile was insufferably smug. “It’s a start. Now, who’s going to untie me?”

“I am.” Caolinn spoke from the far doorway. She was fully dressed, a dagger in one hand. If she’d put even a single finger in the bath, there was no sign of it ‒ but, Erin reflected ruefully, she always did look immaculate. “When we’re done with you.”

Ruby rolled her eyes, but Erin thought there was a hint of tension in her shoulders. The girl made a show of not caring, but she was more wary of Caolinn than she was of the rest of them ‒ and for good reason.

Erin stepped back into the parlour, beckoning for the sylvari to follow. Caolinn glided silently across the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Erin nodded to it. “That might not be a good idea.”

Caolinn gave an easy shrug. “Because the girl will escape, or your boy thief will gut her? He’s impulsive, I grant you, but he’s no fool.”

Erin almost sighed. No, Oska wasn’t stupid. Sometimes, that was the problem.

She pushed a lock of stray hair off her face and said, “What do you think?”

“About this weapon? It’s plausible, given what we know about Artair. If you’re asking if I’ve heard anything specific, though, I’m afraid not.”

Erin nodded. She’d known the answer was coming, though she didn’t relish hearing it. “Then there’s someone I need to call back in.”

Caolinn actually grimaced. “Our resident weapons’ expert, you mean? Are you sure she’ll come?”

Caolinn’s lack of faith in her guild master’s leadership ability would have been galling, except Erin almost shared it. Where this particular guild member was concerned, nothing was ever certain.

“You should take Amber,” Caolinn said.

Erin snorted. Now there was a complicated history that really didn’t need digging up. She nodded towards the bedroom door. “Not this time. Oska comes with me. You stay here and keep Ruby under house arrest.”

“Can I come, too?”

Erin almost jumped out of her skin. She’d forgotten Auri was even there, but the elementalist still sat in the corner, playing idly with a ball of fire. Oska could learn a thing or two about spying from his sister, Erin thought. The girl had heard the entire conversation simply by keeping her mouth shut.

Slowly, Erin’s thundering heart rate returned to normal. “Yes, you can come,” she said. All the way to Black Citadel, in search of an ornery engineer, with a thief and a child elementalist in tow. Raven’s talons, she needed a drink.