CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: RETURN OF KIPESS
PeyPey spat Kipess out at Fawkes' boots. The nissling jumped to his feet with a glare at the large dog.
JuJu growled from behind Kipess.
"Sskaaa!" The nissling jumped straight up against the tent ceiling. With a flop, he fell back to the deck in a tangle of wings and limbs. Both dogs panted out laughs as Kipess once again got to his feet.
"Good of you to visit, Kipess."
Kipess glared at JuJu then looked at Fawkes.
"Findss bad boss'ss hidey-hole."
"Where?"
"Sstone housse." Stone house? Wha— oh one of the crypts in the cemetery, where I sent him to look.
"Thank you." Fawkes stood up from the bench and unlocked the cabin door before carrying the crate of brandy inside. Setting it on the other bed, he grabbed his haverpack off its wall peg. His mask was already in his pouch. Rummaging through the pack, he took out an orb and added that to his pouch. From the other corner barrel in the cabin, he took out a crowbar, chisel, and hammer. Those he added to his pack before shrugging it on. Stepping back out, he locked the door, again blocking the glow with his body and slicker. Fawkes turned to the nissling.
"Well, Kipess, why don't we go and loot the place?"
Kipess looked up at him with adoring eyes and a blissful, toothy grin.
"Yess!"
"Take care to not be seen on our way through town."
The nissling nodded with a snort. "Sskin peopless blind without light. Eassy."
The two dogs shared a look, then JuJu plopped down on the deck under the tent. PeyPey jumped onto the dock. Fawkes flipped his hood back up.
"Let's go."
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: STROLLING ALONG
They walked through the rain, with Kipess keeping to the darkest shadows until they were on the track outside of town. As soon as they were past the last house, Fawkes relaxed. No need to worry about the Hand or the watch out here tonight. They were all busy in town, and the wizard was too busy being forced aboard the Eddy Rider to notice what was about to happen. Finally, I can do something easy. Hedug out his mask and put it on.
"Why wearss thiss?"
"So I can see like a nissling in the dark."
"Oooo," Kipess dug in one of his pouches. He took out a strange leather headband with dark panes of glass set into it. The nissling put it on and the dark panes rested over his eyes. "I ssee likess sskin peopless."
"Very nice." Fawkes swallowed while Kipess put away his headband. Nisslings were now able to be as troublesome in the day as they were in the dark? Great. He shivered under his slicker.
A few minutes later, they came to the turn-off to Bootshill Cemetery. Kipess skipped along. The nissling was as eager for a bit of thieving as Shyri, Fawkes thought with a laugh and a shake of his head.
They soon reached the closed gate. PeyPey moved to the wooden fence, backed up, then charged it, jumping high. His paws caught the top rail and he pushed off. The wood creaked and groaned but held as he launched himself to the other side. He landed with a thud but still on his paws. Fawkes climbed over the fence while Kipess flew over to land close to the dog.
"Where did you find it?"
"In the sstone housess." The nissling pointed towards the back quarter of Bootshill. With the rain, they could not see the half dozen or so square crypts Fawkes remembered being there.
"Lead us there."
"Yess!" The nissling eagerly agreed and took a step in that direction.
"Don't leave yet," a voice said from behind them.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: YELLOW FLAME
Fawkes whirled around, drawing the dagger at his hip. PeyPey leaped in between Fawkes and the figure in a heavy cowled cloak that suddenly appeared near the fence.
"Sska-a-a!" Kipess fluttered straight up several feet, where a wind moving at odds with the rest of the weather pushed him into the branches of a tree.
Fawkes frowned. Bardigan magic. This is indeed a sorcerous elf.
"Owss!" Kipess fell to the ground in a tangle of wings, tail, and desperately grasped twigs that had failed to hold him.
"Greetings, Young Fairchild," the figure said with a soft laugh. The higher-toned voice spoke with words with a lyrical lilt to them. An elf's voice.
Fawkes sucked in a breath and blinked. How does she ... he? ... know who I am? Is this the sorcerous elf from my spell? An elf after the book?
"Easy." Fawkes ordered his companions but he did not sheath his dagger. PeyPey stayed in place but his snarl changed to a growl.
Kipess got to his feet and hurried over to Fawkes, where he unslung the crossbow on his back. He checked it for damage then reached into a strange hip quiver.
"Sskaa!" The nissling swore again as he pulled out two broken bolts. The third one was whole and he finally managed to load his crossbow.
The elf chuckled.
"So you know who I am and why we are here." Fawkes said, making a point to not return the humor.
"Yes. But that is not why I am here."
PeyPey grunted and tilted his head to the left as he looked at her. Fawkes blinked. Both dogs could smell when others lied. PeyPey had just reacted to the elf telling the truth.
"Well then," Fawkes cleared his throat. What else could an elf be interested in? "Since you know who we are you should let us know who you are."
"I suppose I should," the elf agreed with that hint of humor still in their voice. "You may call me ... Krysala."
Fawkes swallowed the urge to snort at the fake name. A female elf with a name like that. And she's one of THOSE elves. Knowing her real name is a privilege I will have to earn. He huffed out a breath. Little chance of that happening.
"Well met, Krysala."
"Since we are all interested in the same place for different reasons, it would be most advantageous for us to examine it together." Krysala said with a more serious tone to her voice though Fawkes was sure he heard a faint laugh in her words.
Why? She obviously has decades, possibly even centuries, of magical training and study over me and Kipess obviously has no magic to offer. He frowned. We are about to break into the hiding place of a wizard eager to kill. She wants us to spring any unpleasant surprises, I bet. Still, PeyPey is not growling or even bristling. He watches her close but more like a stranger and not an imminent threat.
"I admit we are not exactly overburdened with ways to overcome serious magical obstructions." Fawkes made sure to use a more 'civilized' vocabulary as Grandfather had taught him to do when talking with elves.
"Whatss magicalss?"
Fawkes looked over at the nissling, shrugged a shoulder, then sheathed his dagger. "Put away your weapon, Kipess."
"Very wise, young Fairchild."
"Whatss?"
"She's with us now."
"Cutss loot for three?" The nissling asked with a sniffle.
"Peace, Kipess." Krysala deliberately pronounced his name with the extra s's Fawkes used. "I am not after loot."
The nissling suddenly brightened and put away his crossbow.
"Lead the way, Kipess," Fawkes ordered.
