The Riftwar Legacy: The Complete 4-Book Collection. Raymond E. Feist

Abbot, James killed the leader of the Nighthawks.’

      ‘Navon is dead?’ asked Graves.

      Before anyone could react, Gorath had his sword drawn and the point levelled at the Abbot’s throat. Two monks leaped to their feet, one trying to put as much distance between himself and the moredhel as possible, while the other assumed a fighting stance, as if ready to defend the abbey’s leader.

      ‘Wait!’ shouted Owyn, putting his hands out.

      ‘How did you know du Sandau was the leader of the Nighthawks?’ demanded Gorath. ‘We could have been killed for lack of that knowledge.’

      Graves held up his hands. ‘Because he was extorting me.’

      Owyn put his hand on Gorath’s sword and slowly forced the point down. ‘Let’s talk,’ he said calmly.

      Graves motioned for the monk who was ready to attack to withdraw and the young cleric nodded and departed, the other monk a step behind him.

      Gorath said, ‘Explain this “extorting” before I kill you.’

      Owyn said, ‘Sandau was forcing Graves to do something against his will by threatening him with something. Isn’t that right?’

      ‘Yes,’ Graves replied. ‘He found out something about me and used it to gain my help in whatever he was plotting.’

      Owyn sat on the table where the monks had been working and said, ‘How can anyone force a priest of Ishap to do anything? You have magic and a powerful church to call on. What did he do?’

      Graves said, ‘As I told Jimmy – James, I have ties from my old life that aren’t completely severed.’ Graves sat and Gorath put his sword away. ‘I used to be a thief, a basher, for the Mockers in Krondor. I provided protection for cargo we were running in and out of the city, and kept anyone else from setting up a gang, and I protected our girls, so no one roughed them up.’

      He looked down and his expression was one of regret. ‘When I felt the call and went to the Temple of Ishap, I tried to put that life behind me. The church trained me for two years, and I took vows. But I wasn’t honest in my vow.’

      ‘How could you lie taking a vow in a temple?’ asked Owyn, his expression showing astonishment. ‘It can’t be done!’

      Graves said, ‘It can, if you don’t know it’s a lie when you make it. I honestly thought I was rid of my past, but I was lying to myself.’

      ‘What does that mean?’ asked Gorath.

      ‘I thought I had severed all ties, but I hadn’t. When I was placed in the brotherhood of monks, I was asked to work on behalf of the temple in Krondor. So I was back among my old haunts.’

      He fell silent, as if reluctant to go on.

      ‘What happened?’ asked Owyn.

      ‘There’s a woman. She was a girl I knew when I was a basher. She was as tough as a boot and mean as an alley cat. That’s what we called her, Kat. Her name is Katherine.’

      ‘A whore?’ asked Gorath.

      ‘No, a thief,’ said Graves. ‘She was a fair pickpocket and tough enough to be a basher, but where she really excelled was boosting. She could steal your nightshirt off you while you slept and you’d wake naked and wondering where your laundry was.’ He sighed. ‘She was a little slip of a thing when I met her. I used to tease her and watch her get mad at me. Then when she got older I’d tease her and she’d tease back.

      ‘Then I fell in love with her.’

      ‘But you left her to take orders with Ishap?’ said Owyn.

      ‘She’s a lively thing, and she could do better than me. A lot of the younger boys would like to take up with her. I thought she would be better off with someone else. I thought it would be easy to put her out of my mind. But it wasn’t.

      ‘I saw her on the streets from time to time, and somewhere, somehow, a fellow named the Crawler got wind of her, and one night this Navon du Sandau comes up to me, bright as gold and sits down at a table at the Queen’s Cross and says, “We know about your little kitty cat in Krondor. If you don’t do what we tell you to do, she’s dead.” He said if I asked the temple for help she’d be dead.’

      ‘You believed him?’ asked Owyn.

      ‘I had to. He knew things. This Crawler had been looking for people for a long time, I guess, because he knew enough about my old life I knew he’d kill her before I could do anything.’

      Owyn said, ‘So why are you getting ready for travel?’

      ‘I was expecting a message a month ago from du Sandau. Instead a Nighthawk tried to climb the wall of the abbey. The brother responsible for defending the abbey intercepted him and it was close, but the assassin died.

      ‘Then two weeks later, I was walking back from the centre of town when a crossbow bolt intended for me struck the brother walking next to me.’

      ‘Where are you going?’ asked Owyn.

      Graves said, ‘I am owed some favours by a man in a village near Sloop. He has dealings in Kesh. I sent him a message asking him to help me get out of the Kingdom. Today a message came from him indicating he could help.’

      Owyn said, ‘Michael Waylander?’

      ‘Yes,’ replied Graves. ‘How did you know?’

      Owyn said, ‘There is a relationship here. Waylander, you, the Nighthawks, and this Crawler. I’m not sure I can begin to guess at it, but if James were here he might puzzle this out.’

      ‘I can’t wait. Even if Sandau is dead, there are other Nighthawks. The one who shot at me is still out there.’

      ‘True,’ said Gorath, ‘but won’t your order protect you?’

      Graves shook his head and his expression was one of regret. ‘If I had gone to them at once, perhaps. But I didn’t, and I’ve broken my vow. My only hope is to get Kat out of Krondor, and to reach Kesh before the Nighthawks find me.’

      ‘We’re heading for Krondor,’ said Owyn. ‘Should we travel together?’

      ‘Your magic and your friend’s sword would count for a lot, but you’d be putting yourself in harm’s way.’

      Owyn laughed. ‘I’ve been doing that on a regular basis since I met Gorath.’

      ‘Life is danger,’ Gorath said. ‘I do not understand how your love for this girl could blind you to your duty, but then much about you humans is strange to me. If Owyn says we should not kill you for your part in this business with the Nighthawks, I will follow his lead.’ He leaned forward, his boot on the bench on which Graves sat, until his face was before the Abbot’s. ‘But if you betray us again, I will eat your heart.’

      Graves smiled back, and the old basher could briefly be seen, as he said, ‘You’re welcome to try at any time, elf.’

      Gorath snorted.

      Owyn said, ‘Well, we are lacking funds, so we must needs depend on your generosity to eat on the road.’

      Graves stood up and called for his monks, who returned to help him finish packing. ‘If you get me to Krondor alive, you’ll have earned your meals and some gold as bonus.’

      Owyn said, ‘If that Nighthawk is out there watching the abbey, he’ll know we’re here.’

      ‘We leave tonight,’ said Graves.

      Owyn winced. ‘I wanted to sleep in a bed,’ he complained.

      ‘Sleep now,’ said Graves, pointing to his own pallet in the corner of the room. ‘I’ll wake you when it’s time to go.’

      Owyn nodded. ‘If we must.’

      ‘We must,’ said Graves.

      Owyn