Shade gaped at him, then glanced back toward the warrior. “Does Jala know? I think she believes all her family is dead.” He spoke softly, not wanting anyone else to overhear them.
“They might as well be. Vaze has been here at least three hundred years and considers his only family to be the Fionaveir,” Charm replied with a shrug. He hadn’t bothered to keep his voice low and Shade glanced back to Vaze and Lutheron again to make sure they hadn’t overheard. It wasn’t that the topic was a bad one. He simply didn’t think they would consider it any of his business.
His attention was pulled away at the sound of commotion on the opposite side of the courtyard. Several men were breaking up a fight, from what he could tell. From what he could see, the combatants were a slender Firym and a much larger blond man that was Delvay by the look of him. The Firym was dressed simply in the typical vest of his people and a pair of leather pants. He had no swords on, that Shade could see, but still he fought against those that held him to rush back in at the larger, armored foe. With a quick look at the Delvay man who had to be near six foot eight and towered over those that were attempting to restrain him, Shade decided it wasn’t a fight he would have picked. The Delvay was armored in thick leathers and heavy chain and had an axe across his back that looked big enough to split a dragon’s skull. The blond man wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth and spat in the Firym’s direction.
“What’s that all about?” Shade asked Charm when he noticed the rogue was watching the disturbance as well.
The Firym was fighting against those holding him again, writhing like a trapped wildcat in an effort to break loose. The crowd parted slightly to admit a slender dark haired Fae in shining plate mail. The Firym seemed to calm a bit as the man approached and resorted to waving a hand toward the Delvay and from the looks of it cursing violently to the Fae.
“That’s Havoc. He has been pissed since he received word of his Aunt’s death. Who can say what started the fight. Crasmin might have said ‘good morning’ in the wrong tone, for all I can guess. When Havoc wants a fight he is a bastard to be around. Still, I can’t say that I blame him, considering,” Charm explained with a shrug.
“Considering what?” Shade asked, glancing away from the men to look at Charm.
“Considering she was assassinated and all fingers are pointing toward her son as the killer. Havoc’s own blood. No one knows for sure, of course, but the suspicion is strong.” Charm seemed to be lost in thought for a moment and then nodded. “Well there is the rub, actually, RenDelvayon was killed last night. That would explain the fight with Crasmin. If the brute was stupid enough to throw that death into Havoc’s face, he earned that bloody lip. Anyone that has been in the Fionaveir longer than a year knows better than to fuck with Havoc. He is like a Bendazzi with a burr in its foot. Cranky and dangerous, and that’s on a good day, unless you are his friend.”
“How can they know for sure that it was her son?” Shade asked, a bit confused. Assassins as a rule were rather secretive and they didn’t exactly sign their work.
Charm snorted in amusement and glanced at Shade. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be as obvious to you since you don’t know Havoc’s family. Havoc’s true name is Kijani Firym. His aunt was Adana Firym the High mage of the Firym nation. There are only a few people that could have gotten into her rooms while she slept, and only two that I know that are Assassins. One is named Hemlock and is locked away behind a Barrier in Sanctuary. The other is Sovaesh, her son.”
“Finn’s father?” Shade gasped, and looked directly at Charm. “But Finn is on our side. Why would his father be killing our allies?”
“Just because Finn is helping us, doesn’t mean Sovaesh is. Sovaesh serves the Avanti. It’s a long story but the short of it is, he fell in love with the wrong woman. He ended up getting exiled and suffering through several trials to prove his loyalty in order to marry the woman.” Charm paused and stared at Havoc a moment, then shook his head slowly. “Still, I would have never guessed that he would kill his own blood. There is scarcely a sin that is greater in the Firym’s eyes. If they find proof that Sovaesh truly killed her, not even the Avanti will be able to keep him safe from his own family.”
Shade turned back to regard the Firym who seemed calmed down now and was sitting by the Fae knight. His temper did remind Shade of Finn. The duelist had always seemed too eager to fight. He tried to imagine an entire nation of men like that and shuddered at the thought. No wonder his father had never started conflicts with the Firym in the past. “Hey, Charm,” he said after a moments consideration.
“Hmm?” Charm looked over at him, still chewing on the strand of grass.
“Which will be more important to the Firym, stopping the Blights in Faydwar or punishing Adana’s killer?” he asked, watching the rogue’s expression.
The grass stem went a bit limp in Charm’s mouth and the rogue turned his gaze back toward Havoc. “That is a very good question, Shade,” he said quietly and shook his head again. “If it’s not the Blights then the Firym are fools. If they turn their back on Faydwar right now they will be the next overrun.”