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Justifying the Means

Aballister leaned in close over Dorigen’s shoulder, en let her focus drift away froorously, purposely letting fly her long salt-and-pepper hair so that it smacked nosy Aballister in the face

The older wizard backed up a step and pulled a strand of hair froen

"I did not realize that you were so close," Dorigen weakly apologized

"Of course," replied Aballister in sier, but understood that he would accept her insult without toodevice, a ical mirror, and the experience had left him fearful of any en now, for she was quite skilled at the art "I should have announced my

presence and waited for you to complete your search," Aballister said, which was as close to an apology as Dorigen had ever heard from the man

"That would have been the appropriate course," Dorigen agreed, her a with

With what? Aballister wondered Open hatred? Their relationship had been on a steady decline since Dorigen had returned fro defeat in Shilmista Forest, a defeat she had suffered at the hands of Aballister’s own estranged son

The older wizard shrugged away the personal probleen could settle their score after the ireater probleo Rath had returned to Aballister the previous night, with the information that Cadderly was indeed on his way to Castle Trinity

The report inspired both trepidation and exhilaration in the older wizard Aballister was obsessed with conquering the region, a goal given to him by the avatar of Talona herself, and Cadderly certainly seens The wizard could not deny the tingle of anticipation he felt at the thought of doing battle with his formidable son By all reports, Cadderly did not even know his relationship to Aballister, and the thought of crushing the upstart youth, both in ical battle and erin across cruel Aballister’s angular features

The news of Cadderly’s en, however She had no desire to tangle with the young priest and his brutal friends again, especially not noith her hands still sore froiven them Many of her spells required precise hand ers bent crooked and joints smashed, more than one spell had backfired on her since her return fron of Cadderly," Dorigen replied after a long pause to study again the blurry iuess is that he and his companions have just recently left the library, if they have left at all, and I dare not send hold"

"Two hours, and you have found nothing?" Aballister did not sound pleased He paced the edge of the sers across a curtain that separated this area froen’s boudoir A sh, despite his trepidation, when he reen had enjoyed behind this very curtain

"I did not say that," Dorigen answered sharply, understanding the conniving grin, and she turned back again to the crystal ball

Aballister rushed back across the room to peer over his associate’s shoulder At first, only a gray radually, with Dorigen’s coaxing, it began to shift and take on definite form The tizards viewed the foothills of the Snowflakes, obviously the southeastern ht So hideous

The assassin," Aballister breathed Dorigen regarded the older wizard curiously

The spirit of Bogo was cryptic on this point," Aballister explained This thing you have discovered was one of the leaders of the Night Mask band, the one called, appropriately it would now seeical device, and now the wretched creature has coh your ball?"

"Of course not," Dorigen answered indignantly

Then go out to the rowled at her "We may have a powerful ally here, one that will eliminate our problems before they ever make their way to Castle Trinity"

"I will not"

Aballister straightened as though he had been slapped

"I have not yet recovered," Dorigen explained "My spells are not dependable You would ask erous son, without full use of my abilities?" Her reference to Cadderly as Aballis-ter’s sonthat this entire trouble was somehow Aballister’s fault

"You have at your disposal one far th of (his undeaddown in the least "One who can communicate with the creature if necessary and who can certainly learn more about its intentions than I"

Aballister’s wrath"Druzil," he replied, referring to his familiar, a mischievous ien echoed, her tone derisive

Aballister put a crooked hand up to his sharp chin and mumbled Still, he seeen purred "If I reht hang, her gaze directing Aballister’s to the curtain across the small room

Aballister’s dark eyes widened in surprise, and his hand drooped back down by his side "Continue your search for my s for Cadderly," Abailister said to her "Alert me at once if you discover his location After all, I have ways of striking at the foolish boy before he ever gets near Castle Trinity"

The wizard took his abrupt leave then, see flustered, but with an obviously hopeful bounce in his step, and Dorigen turned back to her crystal ball She didn’t ih, but instead considered the action she had just taken to prevent Aballister fro her away She held no love for thethe en had made a decision - a decision forced by her will to ride this whole adventure out to a safe conclusion She knew herself well enough to admit that Cadderly had truly unnerved her in the elven wood

Her thoughts led her to contemplations of Aballister’s intentions for his son The wizard had allies, enchanted es in his extradien to point the way

Dorigen looked down at her still swollen and bruised hands, remembered the disaster in Shilmista, and remembered, too, that Cadderly could have killed her if he had desired

They set their first cah pass in the Snowflakes, sheltered fro, wintry wind by a santic bulk standing to further block the gusting breezes (the cold did not see in the least), Ivan and Pikei soon had a fire roaring Still, the wind inevitably found its way in to the co their hands briskly near the flames Pikel’s typical moan of "Oooo," cah the sound

Cadderly, deep in thought, was oblivious to it all, oblivious even to the fact that his fingers were beginning to take on a delicate biue color His head down and eyes half-closed, he sat farthest from the flae of the natural alcove to feel the full force of the refreshing wind against his ruddy cheeks

"We’re needing sleep," Ivan stuttered, ai his comment at the distracted priest

"0 - o oi," Pikel readily agreed

"It ill be hard to sleep with the cold," Danica said rather loudly, practically in Cadderly’s ear The four companions looked incredulously at each other, and then back at Cadderly Danica shrugged andher hands all the while, but Ivan, always a bit bow, reached across the fire with it, and bopped Cadderly several times atop the head

Cadderly looked up at the dwarf "What?"

"We was saying that it’s a rowled at him, his clai each chattered word Cadderly looked around at his shivering co extremities for the first time

"Deneir will protect us," he assured thees of the Tood He heard again the flowing, beautiful notes of the endless song, and pulled fro it until its enchantment had touched all of his friends

"Oo!" Pikel exclaione; there was no better way to explain the sensation that instantly came over each of the enough," was Ivan’s last ainst the comfortable (to a dwarf, at least) mountain rock, clasped his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes

The dwarves were snoring in a ainst ar easily Cadderly had resu that soht away the temptation of sleep and kept a protective watch over hily open up to her, initiate the discussion that he obviously needed Danica knew the man better than to really expect that, knew that Cadderly could sit andover for hours, even days

"You have done so?" she asked as much as stated to hint "Or is it Avery?"

Cadderly looked up at her, and his surprised expression told Danica h she did not immediately elaborate on her suspicions

"I have done nothing wrong," Cadderly said at length, a bit too defensively, and the perceptive uesses had hit thehow co our quest," Danica said slyly

Cadderly shifted uncomfortably - more evidence for Danica’s perceptive eye The dean is a cleric of Deneir," Cadderly replied, as though that explained everything "He seeks knowledge and harmony, and if the truth becomes known to hi his h her expression remained doubtful