mask’s temple. “And he’ll speak the proper language, you see, I’ve thought of everything.”
“It certainly appears you have.” Brianna nodded her head in approval, then turned to Earl Cuthbert. “Perhaps, under the circumstances, you wouldn’t mind loaning the mask to Tavis?”
“By all means,” the earl grumbled.
Basil handed the mask to the scout. “Good luck, my friend.”
“This will make up for a great deal of luck,” Tavis said.
“Before you go, there’s one thing I should warn you about,” the verbeeg said. “The larger the giant you impersonate, the quicker my magic will fail.”
“How long will I have?” the scout asked.
“I wish I could say,” Basil replied. “For a hill giant, possibly three days. You might last a day as a fog giant And-may the gods forbid-should you find yourself impersonating something like a storm giant you’d have only a matter of hours.”
“If there’s a storm giant out there, none of us has much longer than that,” Tavis replied. He slipped the mask into his satchel. “My thanks to you, Basil-and to you, Earl Cuthbert.”
“Wear it in good health.” There was only a touch of sarcasm in the earl’s voice. Cuthbert took a tallow stick off the map case and lit the wick from Brianna’s lamp. “And the strength of Stronmaus to you-you’ll need it.”
When the earl stepped forward to give the candle to Tavis, he stubbed his foot on Basil’s satchel. The sack toppled to the floor with a clack that sounded suspiciously like stone on stone.
“What’s this?” the earl screeched. He bent down and rolled the collar of the satchel back, revealing one of his biotite folios. He looked up at Basil with an utter expression of shock. “Thief!”
“I’m only borrowing it!” the verbeeg retorted, reciting his standard defense in such situations. “You weren’t using it, and books are meant-“
“Basil!” Brianna barked.
The verbeeg’s mouth snapped shut. He fixed his eyes on the floor. “Yes?” he asked quietly. “I warned you about this.” “But-“
“There’s no excuse!” Brianna yelled. “Since you’ve shown no inclination to respect our host’s property, I have no choice but to have you locked in a secure room.”
“Can I at least keep-“
Brianna silenced him with a gesture of her hand, then turned to Cuthbert “Can you arrange that for me?”
“With pleasure,” the earl replied. He handed the candle to Tavis, then stooped down to retrieve his beloved folio, groaning loudly as he struggled to pick it up. “Since he’s a member of your company, I’ll try not to make it too unpleasant for him.”
“Thank you,” the queen said. She glanced down at Avner. “The time has come for us to let Tavis go.”
The youth nodded and looked up to the scout. “I’m not a child anymore,” he said. “You should let me come with you.”
The scout shook his head. “Ill be back soon enough.”
“That would be more likely with someone to watch your back,” the boy grumbled. “But if I’ve got to stay, I’ll try to avoid trouble. At least you won’t have to worry about that”
“I didn’t think I would.” Tavis ruffled the boy’s hair, then said, “Take care of the queen for me.”
Avner smiled weakly. “Don’t I always?”
“Always,” Brianna agreed. She gave the lamp to Avner, then waved him and her other two companions toward the door. “If you’ll excuse us, I’d like to have a few words with Tavis.”
As the trio disappeared into the folio room, Brianna wrapped her arms around Tavis’s waist “Be careful.”
The scout did not meet her gaze. “Of course,” he said. “Ill be back with help as soon as I can.”
Tavis tried to pull away, but Brianna would not release him. “That’s not the only reason I want you to come back alive.” She looked up at his chiseled face. “You know that”
The firbolg closed his eyes and nodded. “I know,” he said. “But it’s the only reason that matters-at
“It certainly appears you have.” Brianna nodded her head in approval, then turned to Earl Cuthbert. “Perhaps, under the circumstances, you wouldn’t mind loaning the mask to Tavis?”
“By all means,” the earl grumbled.
Basil handed the mask to the scout. “Good luck, my friend.”
“This will make up for a great deal of luck,” Tavis said.
“Before you go, there’s one thing I should warn you about,” the verbeeg said. “The larger the giant you impersonate, the quicker my magic will fail.”
“How long will I have?” the scout asked.
“I wish I could say,” Basil replied. “For a hill giant, possibly three days. You might last a day as a fog giant And-may the gods forbid-should you find yourself impersonating something like a storm giant you’d have only a matter of hours.”
“If there’s a storm giant out there, none of us has much longer than that,” Tavis replied. He slipped the mask into his satchel. “My thanks to you, Basil-and to you, Earl Cuthbert.”
“Wear it in good health.” There was only a touch of sarcasm in the earl’s voice. Cuthbert took a tallow stick off the map case and lit the wick from Brianna’s lamp. “And the strength of Stronmaus to you-you’ll need it.”
When the earl stepped forward to give the candle to Tavis, he stubbed his foot on Basil’s satchel. The sack toppled to the floor with a clack that sounded suspiciously like stone on stone.
“What’s this?” the earl screeched. He bent down and rolled the collar of the satchel back, revealing one of his biotite folios. He looked up at Basil with an utter expression of shock. “Thief!”
“I’m only borrowing it!” the verbeeg retorted, reciting his standard defense in such situations. “You weren’t using it, and books are meant-“
“Basil!” Brianna barked.
The verbeeg’s mouth snapped shut. He fixed his eyes on the floor. “Yes?” he asked quietly. “I warned you about this.” “But-“
“There’s no excuse!” Brianna yelled. “Since you’ve shown no inclination to respect our host’s property, I have no choice but to have you locked in a secure room.”
“Can I at least keep-“
Brianna silenced him with a gesture of her hand, then turned to Cuthbert “Can you arrange that for me?”
“With pleasure,” the earl replied. He handed the candle to Tavis, then stooped down to retrieve his beloved folio, groaning loudly as he struggled to pick it up. “Since he’s a member of your company, I’ll try not to make it too unpleasant for him.”
“Thank you,” the queen said. She glanced down at Avner. “The time has come for us to let Tavis go.”
The youth nodded and looked up to the scout. “I’m not a child anymore,” he said. “You should let me come with you.”
The scout shook his head. “Ill be back soon enough.”
“That would be more likely with someone to watch your back,” the boy grumbled. “But if I’ve got to stay, I’ll try to avoid trouble. At least you won’t have to worry about that”
“I didn’t think I would.” Tavis ruffled the boy’s hair, then said, “Take care of the queen for me.”
Avner smiled weakly. “Don’t I always?”
“Always,” Brianna agreed. She gave the lamp to Avner, then waved him and her other two companions toward the door. “If you’ll excuse us, I’d like to have a few words with Tavis.”
As the trio disappeared into the folio room, Brianna wrapped her arms around Tavis’s waist “Be careful.”
The scout did not meet her gaze. “Of course,” he said. “Ill be back with help as soon as I can.”
Tavis tried to pull away, but Brianna would not release him. “That’s not the only reason I want you to come back alive.” She looked up at his chiseled face. “You know that”
The firbolg closed his eyes and nodded. “I know,” he said. “But it’s the only reason that matters-at
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