Mate for Life

"First warning," Daegon informed him. "What does Cain want with Glenn?"

"Fuck you," the warrior spat defiantly.

Taris let loose and another arrow bloomed next to the man's right eye. "Wrong answer."

The swordsman remained silent, though he was now visibly swallowing and trembling. Daegon shot again, this one sprouting at the apex of the prisoner's thighs.

"I don't know!" he shouted, panicked and shaking uncontrollably, gulping great gusts of air as it registered that his manhood was still intact. "Swear to Gods! I'm just here to guard her, that's all!"

Taris spat on the ground in front of the man in disgust. "This one knows less than nothing."

Daeg nodded in agreement. By this time, everyone was watching intently. Only the clerics seemed faintly disapproving, but they were not protesting. Daegon chose another prisoner, having deliberately placed Mordan in a position to fully view the proceedings. The man was pale but composed, his face blank as he watched his fellow party members get tied to a tree and shot at. Daegon saved him for last.

"You're not stupid," Daeg said conversationally, untying his bonds and shoving him in the direction of the tree. He hadn't retied the kidnapper, but all of the party members were surrounding him, cutting off any possible escape. Mordan slowly backed up toward the tree, looking wary. "You know I had no intention of killing any of your comrades. Not even the scum that took Emily."

Mordan didn't reply, but a small smirk twitched his lips. His eyes darted everywhere, seeking escape. Daegon smiled, and for the first time, Emily felt a chill looking at the face of her lover. Daeg's bow sang, and Mordan flinched out of its flight path with a small gasp.

"Got a secret for you," Daegon said as he swung another arrow from his quiver. "I'll have no issues killing you."

Mordan snarled, twisting as Daegon shot again, arrow narrowly missing his head. "I don't know anything!" He declared, ducking another arrow. "I didn't know Graphon had the wrong cleric until that spitfire sicced her wolves on us!" Mordan sounded less confident now, as it was becoming obvious that Daegon was deliberately aiming to miss...for the moment. The murderous look on Daeg's face was enough to unnerve the most hardened brigand. Mordan swallowed, constantly twisting and turning to avoid being made a pincushion as Daegon relentlessly plucked his bow, sending arrow after arrow at the hapless fighter. Taris' fingers twitched, and Emmy put a hand on his arm. Then Daegon took cool deliberate aim and an arrow sprouted from Mordan's shoulder. He bellowed in pain and rage, and Daegon shot the other shoulder.

"Tell me," he said, his voice quiet, but deep with deadly promise. "Or the next is through your eye."

"I didn't take her!" Mordan said, all but pleading. "I didn't even touch her! Cain wants Glenna, I swear, I was gonna give her back! Cain just wants the jewel," he almost sobbed.

"Jewel?" Glenna said blankly, but Daegon waved her silent.

"Give Em back, hm? Tell me another one," Daegon snarled. The prisoner's eyes cut right, a flash of guilty remorse on his face before meeting Daegon's furious stare.

"I kept the men from having fun with her," He insisted. "As soon as I saw it wasn't Glenn, I was gonna take her back."

"He lies," Emily said flatly, her voice steady but her face pale. "He couldn't risk me being alive to warn Glenn. Whatever Cain wants, Mordan here knows what it is."

Daegon nodded, feeling the slight buzz from Emily's spell of detection, and considered the man before him. Mordan was terrified, an arrow in both shoulders, but his eyes were steady and defiant as he looked back at his captor. "Tell us everything you know," he commanded quietly. "And I'll kill you quick."

"I'll be dead either way, what does it matter?" Mordan sneered. "Why should I?"

"Because if you don't, I'll shoot your balls off, one at a time," Daegon said pleasantly. "Then your knees." He paused. "Tell me everything, and I'll consider letting you live, or die quick and relatively painlessly."

"Promise to let me go, I'll tell you everything, and I'll never come near any of you again," he bargained.

"Geez, he's got balls the size of melons," Bran said, half admiringly. "If he hadn't been fine with kidnapping and raping Emily and Glenn...."

"I wasn't!" Mordan insisted. "Cain's got..." He snapped his mouth shut, looking even more panicked than when Daegon was shooting at him.

Emily moved forward, between Daegon's bow and Mordan, searching her kidnapper's eyes. Both Daegon and Glenna flinched ever so slightly as Emmy's power rolled across the prisoner. Mordan's eyes widened in alarm. "You were lying about keeping the men from raping me," she said in a low voice. "But that was because they weren't going to, were they?"

Mordan gulped and nodded.

"But they were going to kill me, and you tried to stop it." She looked at him, her gaze sharp, and saw the surprise in the blue depths of his eyes, even if she hadn't had her spell of detection in force. "You're really not a bad man," she said, switching gears, feeling the cool vibration of neutrality and goodness, fainter than she'd like, but unmistakably there. "Glenn, get over your snit and confirm it."

Glenna groused but tuned in her detection of evil and whistled low. "Em, I want to hate him," she said in protest. "Dammit, stop letting him off the hook."

"I'm not," Emily said gravely, holding Mordan's gaze, her green eyes serious. "He is. Who does Cain have, Mordan?"

"Just kill me," he whispered, trying to lower his eyes, but seeming unable to break contact with Emily. "Please, just do it. I can't...." He swallowed, wrenching his head around, trembling with pain and confusion. "No more," he whispered.

Emily took a step forward, ignoring Taris and Daegon's growls of warning, and took Mordan's hand in both of hers. "I will heal you, and give you peace, and help you, all of us will," she promised, taking his chin in her fingers and making him look at her. "We'll get them back, I swear. Just help us. You didn't want to kill me, or Glenna. You loved her once, didn't you?"

Tears pooled in Mordan's eyes, and he looked away, a sob catching in his throat. "It doesn't matter," he choked.

"Love is the only thing that does matter," Emmy said gently. "Let me heal you. Help us, and we'll help you."

"I can't," he slumped, defeated, and Emily just barely caught him, staggering under the big man's weight. "He's pure evil, he'll..." He seemed to cling to Emily, sobbing. "The only reason I want to live is...I can't tell you, he'll know."

Mendel stepped forward, his dark eyes piercing, taking one arm as Bran took the other, mindful of the arrows. "I can help," he said, so assuredly that Mordan blinked through his pain and nodded. "I have powerful friends, most of them right here. But a rogue mage must be dealt with. The Guild will protect you."

"I don't care about me," Mordan whispered. "Just get my family back."

"Family?" yelped Glenna. "You have a family?"

"A wife and a newborn daughter," Mordan said, utterly tonelessly. "Meg. And Isabel."

"Well shit," Glenna scowled. "It was easier to hate you."

"And what is the good in that?" Emily asked crisply. "Get those arrows out of him and help me heal this poor man."

An hour later, Mordan was healed and cleaned up, sharing their supper as they made camp. Mendel was satisfied that Cain could not detect the party through the wards he had set, and the prisoners were tied together, ankle to ankle, Emily's wolves guarding them. The dark mage had been allowed only enough freedom to eat, a wolf poised to tear out his throat if he so much uttered a sound. Not surprisingly, he ate little and submitted to being bound and gagged without protest.

"Glenna, I am sorry," Mordan said humbly as he chewed his bread and cheese. "I would never have done it if Cain hadn't..."

"Oh shut up," Glenna said, not unkindly. "He fooled all of us."

"So you two used to run together?" Fitz asked curiously. "With Cain?"

"Yeah," Mordan nodded around a mouthful of ale. "He was this scrawny little mage, but talented, and we needed a magic user. None of us had a clue to his ambition," he swallowed another sip of ale. "Glenna left ..." he cocked a brow at her, and she sighed.

"I left because Mordan and I broke up," she said, giving Bran an apologetic look. "Never date a party member," she added ruefully.

"Whatever you say," Bran said, straight-faced. "How's that one working out for you?"

"Pretty well, actually," Glenna laughed as Bran kissed her, everyone politely ignoring it.

"So tell us about it," Dehn demanded. "When did Cain go bad?"

"I think he always was," Mordan said slowly. "He's a right charming bastard, when it suits him, and far more advanced than he let on. I think he chose to travel with us because of Glenna."

"Me?" Glenna squeaked. "What in the realms for?"

"The jewel," Mordan explained. "He's mad for this rock he keeps talking about, and is convinced you have it. But you left, and he couldn't chase you down."

"I went home for a while," Glenna explained, puzzled. "But I haven't any jewel that I know of. How did he find me again?"

"Scrying, and keeping his ears open. He actually tried to convince me to go after you, patch things up," Mordan looked thoughtful. "I thought he was just being a friend, but shut it down. I knew you'd made up your mind, and agreed we wouldn't work, so I put him off and we kept taking jobs. I met Meg two years ago, two years after you left."

"I've been with Bran and his band about that long," Glenna said slowly. "Were you still with Cain?"

"No," Mordan said flatly. "I left, settled down to weaponsmithing and training fighters," he explained. "Meg's no adventurer, and I was beginning to feel uneasy about Cain. A couple of months ago, I was working late and my apprentice came rushing in, yelling about Meg and Isabel being gone. I was frantic, got a search party together, even the mayor of the village loaned me his dogs, but we found nothing. Not a trace. And a few days later, Cain showed up with this," he reached into his tunic and held up a tiny blanket, folded small. Emily touched it, the soft wool like cobwebs between her fingers. "He said I had to find you, and bring you to him, or he'd send back Isabel in pieces. Then Meg."

"Oh my gods," Glenna breathed. "You poor guy."

"We didn't part friends," Mordan said quietly. "But you have to believe after I got over being angry, I never wished you harm. I was appalled, but what could I do? She's just a baby. And Meg...." He gulped, bowing his head. "I can't let her be forced to watch as they torture and murder our daughter."

"Of course not," Glenn said sympathetically. "What if..." she paused, looking around, and her gaze rested on Bran.

"No," he growled instantly. "Don't even think about it."

"It could work," Glenna said, obviously thinking hard. "A memory charm, let these scumbags take me in...."

"Forget it!" Bran nearly shouted. "All it would accomplish is your death. You don't have the jewel, or whatever it is."

"Cain doesn't know that," Mendel said thoughtfully, meeting Glenna's eyes. "Sure you have no idea what it is he's after?"

"Nope. But...." She rummaged in her pack, tossing gear onto the grass. Mendel pounced on a ring with a polished, unfaceted deep purple stone large enough to reach her knuckle when worn. She looked at it with confusion. "I've had that for years," she protested. "Totally worthless. Picked it up on the run just before Garrick died. I thought it was pretty, and had it set as a ring. Just a polished crystal."

"You used to wear it when we weren't on a job," Mordan said, remembering. "Cain once commented on it."

"Not to me," Glenna shrugged. "You think this is it?"

"Unless you own some other bauble with a stone, yeah," Mordan said.

"There's deep magic in this," Mendel muttered, passing a hand over the stone. "Did you have a mage with you?"

"Sure, but he was mostly useless," Glenna said skeptically. "If it's so damn powerful, why didn't I detect anything?"

"You wouldn't, unless you were a mage of some talent and experience," Mendel said positively. "May I?" He cocked a brow at Glenna, who nodded.

"Be my guest."

Emily could have sworn the ring was too small even for Mendel's pinkie, but it slid on without difficulty, and his eyes widened, hastily taking it off and handing it back to Glenna.

"Keep it," he said sharply. "Until I can find a way to destroy it."

"What's wrong?" Glenna took a chain out of the pile and strung the ring on it, fastening it about her neck and tucking it under her robes. "What does it do?"

"It's evil," Mendel rasped. "That short time I had it on...." He shivered. "I think it doubles the power of the mage that wears it, but only if they're as black as it is. That sort of darkness corrupts and twists. Anyone pure of heart would soon be gazing at hell."

"You got all that from six seconds?" Dehn asked dubiously.

"When you can cast spells, I'll let you decide," Mendel snapped.

"Whoa, hey buddy, just sayin'," Dehn put his hands up apologetically.

"If it's that bad, I don't want you wearing it," Bran said forcefully to Glenn. "Let me have it."

"Not a bad idea," Mendel said thoughtfully. "Safer with one that hasn't any magic."

Wordlessly, Glenna handed over the chain, and Bran tucked it away, under his armor.

"So now we know why," Daegon spoke up. "Glenn's idea isn't a bad one, you know."

"Over my dead body," Bran snarled.

"Daeg, we can't risk one of our own like that!" Emily protested.

There was a general outburst of agreement, even from Mordan. Glenna, Daegon, and Mendel remained silent.

"If Mordan goes with them...." Mendel mused.

"And Bran has the stone...." Glenna said quietly.

"And we follow right behind, with the might of the Guild...." Daegon suggested.

"Absolutely not," snapped Bran. "We don't even know where Cain is, anyway."

"Ah, but we do," Mendel said triumphantly. "This scroll should take us right to him." He held up the other teleportation scroll. "Glenna and Mordan go ahead, stall Cain until we follow, she'd be in danger only a short time. And they'd be inside; Mordan's family should be with Cain, too risky to hold them somewhere else. Glenn and Mordan can free them as we fight our way in."

"Assuming Cain doesn't kill them on the spot," Taris said dryly.

"He shouldn't," Mendel argued. "He wants the stone, and Glenn knows where it is. If Cain doesn't know Mordan's on our side, he can protect Glenn."

"What if I go?" Emily said quietly.

"He knows me, Em," Glenna said dismissively. "Wouldn't work."

"We look alike," Emily pointed out. "He hasn't seen you for what? Four years now?"

Glenna blinked at her. "I joined up with Cain and Mordan after you stayed in the abbey," she said slowly. "Left after a year and went home for almost that, worked in the Guild for a while, then met Bran and been with him ever since. So about that, yeah."

"Your hair was longer then, and redder," Emily said, warming to the idea. "Only our eyes are really different. And I doubt Cain would notice."

"No, Em," Glenna said firmly. "I can't let you risk it."

"But I'm a better choice," she argued, ignoring Daegon's black looks and growl. "I have an advantage. There's bound to be animals around."

"Cain keeps dogs," Mordan said. "But they're vicious, loyal only to him."

"Not a problem," Emily smiled. "I'm sure I can charm them."

"Emily," Daegon said carefully. "It's too risky. If Cain makes you, he'll kill you."

"I don't want either of you doing it," Taris chimed in with a scowl. "Em, don't be crazy."

"He's scryed Glenna," Daegon said, dangerously patient. "He knows what she looks like now."

"I scry, and it's not as clear as you think," Emily said stubbornly. "I can cut my hair. And he wouldn't have any reason to try it if he thinks Glenn's right in front of him."

"I don't want you to do it," Daegon set his mouth in a thin line. "I don't want Glenna going, either," he said fairly. "We'll think of another way."

"Fine," Emily snapped. "What do you suggest?"

"Full on assault with the Guild," he said promptly.

"Never work," Mendel said with certainty. "He's just teleport away. It's what I'd do. He needs to be distracted, and hoping to reach his goal." His look softened. "Daeg, Bran, I don't want to risk either of your ladies either. But Em's right. She's the best choice, if she can be Glenna just long enough to get us in."

Glenna looked stricken, Bran grave, and Daegon furious. The rest looked back and forth between the clerics grimly.

"Daegon, I'll see her safe," promised Mordan quietly. He paused. "But you should have killed me," he offered seriously.

"Damn right," Daegon growled.

Much to Emily's surprise, Daegon didn't argue with her over the plan after it was agreed on. She had expected a huge debate, but he remained silent, and helped her with setting the wolves to guard their prisoners. Mendel and Bran teleported directly to the Guild, deciding reinforcements were needed sooner rather than later. Mendel flatly refused to carry the stone, and Bran wouldn't let anyone else keep it. The night passed uneventfully, save the grumbling of the prisoners and the occasional growl of warning from a wolf. They arrived back mid- morning with the Master of the Mage's Guild, Balthar, and a few more mages that radiated confidence and capability. Daegon retreated some, wary of so much magic in one place. Emily followed.

"Daeg?" she looked at him cautiously, and he smiled a bit lopsidedly back. "Why aren't you...." She hesitated, searching his face.

"Talking you out of this hare-brained idea?" he finished helpfully.

"Well, yes," she said uncomfortably.

"Would you, if it was me?" He cocked his head at her like one of the wolves, and she smiled a little wistfully.

"No."

"That's your answer, then," he shrugged. "I hate it, but...I can't deny you a risk you feel you need to take, any more than you can me."

"Thank you." The simple words seemed inadequate, but it was all she had.

"I'll find you," he said softly. "Whatever it takes."

"I know," she said, and kissed him.

"The stone stays with the Guild," Balthar said imperiously.

"No." Mendel's voice was absolute. "It stays with Bran until we discover how to destroy it."

"A thing of such power should not be in the hands of a mere warrior," one of the mages interjected, and Bran scowled.

"Who are you calling mere?" he snapped.

"Bran, love, he's a very powerful mage," Glenna murmured as he scowled.

"Then let's see him take up a sword and fight me for it."

Fizzy stifled a laugh, and Em bit her lip to keep from joining in. Daegon and Taris grinned, and Dehn looked ready to fight the whole lot of them if they took a step toward his leader. Mendel merely looked irritated.

"Sir, I understand your concern," he said, an edge of steel behind the mild words. "But there's no one I would trust more to keep it safe and not be corrupted. Bran? Let him wear it, but don't take it off of the chain."

Bran obligingly held up the ring, and Balthar slid his finger through the circle. He went pale, jerking the ring off and all but throwing it away from himself.

"Good Gods!" he gasped.

"Any more objections, Sir?" Mendel smirked.

"Your next assignment is the destruction of that abomination."

"As you wish, Guild Master."

The next day had all the brigands' memories altered, with the bulk of the party melting into the woods to watch them go. The dark wizard Graphon had been transported to Guild headquarters, awaiting trial and imprisoned in the strongest cell they had warded against magic. They weren't so much concerned about him escaping -- Mendel had been right that the mage was mediocre at best -- as they were about Cain finding him. They couldn't risk sending him back; even lousy magic users had a good chance of breaking a memory charm. All of the would-be kidnappers now believed him dead. Mendel had had the brilliant idea of planting the suggestion that they themselves had killed the mage out of rage that he was going to cut them out of their share of the reward for kidnapping Glenna.