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Crow chuckled. “He can be persuasive with that sword.”

“Do you know what happened to Eilith?” I asked. The anxiety of her unknown fate was weighing on me. I wanted the answer now.

Crow delivered it, blunt and direct. “She was taken to Avanis by Paragon of the Light guards. Rangers in Skeioholm reported she wasn’t at home, and they found two dead dogs and a lot of blood outside her house. A couple travelers on the road said they saw a group heading southeast out of town, riding hard, with someone wearing a sack over their head and wrists bound.”

“Gods damn it.” My grip tightened on my beer mug and I fought tears at the thought of the dogs they had killed. One was likely Rose. She would have died fighting for Eilith before she let them take her.

“What do they want with Eilith in Avanis?” I said through the painful knot in my throat. Byrgir’s strong hand squeezed my shoulder in a comforting gesture. I glanced at him, and he furrowed his brow upward in melancholic sympathy.

“My guess is she’ll be taken to the Temple of Enos itself, where the blessed High Priestess Zisorah leads her faithful fuckin’ Paragons,” Crow said, his voice low.

“What makes you think it’s the High Priestess?” El asked.

“On account of the fact that it was Paragon guard that took her, not Evander’s boys,” Crow answered.

“Yes, but the order may not have come from the High Priestess,” El countered.

“Eilith has been pretty vocal in her disapproval of the Paragons in Skeioholm,” Byrgir said, “but arrest just for speaking against them is extreme.”

“I think there must be more to it than that,” Crow said.

“Like what?” El asked.

“Maybe they were coming for me too,” I said quietly.

Byrgir’s hand, still on my shoulder, squeezed again. “We don’t know who the main target was, Hal. Probably just Eilith. But you’re safe here, with us. No matter what.”

Byrgir’s touch eased my mind a bit, but Crow was watching me, sharp and measuring. Watching Byrgir too, observing how he touched me. Whatever he was thinking, his face remained a well-controlled mask.

“So what’s the plan?” El asked.

“I’m sending a small crew to Avanis tomorrow afternoon to find out where she is and why,” Crow answered, taking a swig of beer. “Then we can figure out our options.”

“I have approval to stay here and help. General Calder sent some replacements for me to Skeioholm,” Byrgir said, then added, “But the plan is up to the Council.”

“The rest can be up to us, if we choose,” El replied with determination.

Crow snickered knowingly and leaned back, rolling his eyes.

“What?” El retorted. “We have the skill sets we need seated right here, we have the means. We’ll do what we need to do when we need to do it.”

“First step is to gather information, El,” Crow said, then shook his head and lifted his mug. “Don’t even know the details yet and she’s already planning a fuckin’ unsanctioned jailbreak.”

Byrgir spoke, his easy, confident tone smoothing over El’s fiery one. “Council knows Eilith, she’s been around a long time.They care about her too. And they’ll care about getting her back. But one step at a time. Maybe they’ll send us all in to get her out anyway.”

“Maybe. Or maybe they’ll talk in circles for days instead,” El huffed.

“Talking like that won't do us any gods damned good right now, El. And this isn’t the place for it either,” Crow warned her, inclining his head toward the crowded bar room.

Byrgir changed the subject. The three of them caught up, well balanced in conversation in the manner that old friends are. Where El was bright and talkative, Crow was dark and thoughtful. Yet the three kicked banter and jokes back and forth across the table with a tempo of familiarity that comforted me. I listened quietly, still trying to suppress my grief at the news of Eilith and our dogs. I considered walking home, but didn’t want to be alone in that unfamiliar house either.

My sadness began to fade with the help of the beer and their quick wit. I listened to Crow intently. His accent was subtle but strange, and his proclivity for swearing reminded me of the north. It also masked his wit and intelligence, but only a little.

We ate a warm dinner and polished off another mug of ale each. By the time we started the next round, El was leaning on Crow’s shoulder, and I hardly restrained myself from doing the same to Byrgir. The band increased their tempo, and bar patrons slid tables and chairs out of the center of the main room, clearing a dance floor. Soon, pairs were spinning and dancing through the tavern. Byrgir eyed the merriment.

El grabbed Crow’s arm and tugged. “Come on, Bird Boy, give me a dance!”

“Fuck off, El, I haven’t had enough to drink for this,” Crow protested as she continued to try to pull him from his chair.