“I am not chief warden. That position belongs to another, senior to me, appointed by the emperor. I was recalled from the eastern frontier to serve Prince Gevulin, at the specific request of the Elegant Consort, his blessed mother.”

“So, you were also kept in the dark about the road being blocked,” said Elen, seeing a crack in his armor. “Then you may be particularly interested in seeing the avalanche.”

“I don’t see what benefit it serves. From the carriages, we saw the road buried under rock. It’s difficult to imagine it can be shifted. Theurgists may be able to command spirits of air, but air cannot lift boulders. There’s no way across Grinder’s Cut, is there?”

Elen quickly rubbed a hand across her lips, reminding him that the archon’s sentinels stood nearby and could possibly hear.

“Yes, exactly,” he added awkwardly, catching her signal. “So I ask again, what is the point of going to see this barrier?”

She rubbed a hand along her pocket, feeling the hard shape of the ornament. It would be hard to explain without naming Oflidu, but Simo waved a hand in curt dismissal and turned back. Just then, the haunt appeared in the doorway. He paused to make sure everyone was looking before he strolled out with all the haughty posture and languid grace appropriate to a prince.

“Simo! Is there news?”

The warden pressed hands to heart. “Your Highness.”

“What news?” His impatience snapped like a whip.

“Nothing to bother yourself with, Your Highness.”

“Let me be the judge of that. Go on.”

A pause.

A long pause.

“Ah, eh, uh.” Simo really did not want to tell him. How odd. Elen cleared her throat softly, and the sound spurred the captain on. “It seems an hour’s walk from here there is a ridge from which one can survey the more severe of the two avalanches that block the road.”

“The avalanche that buried a village? Not the avalanche we saw from the road? Yes, let’s go at once. I need to stretch my legs and take the air. The incense inside those rooms is making me sneeze.” He punctuated his words with a healthy sneeze, then laughed as if he found the reflex of sneezing to be absurdly amusing.

Simo stared at him. “Your Highness? Are you well?”

“I am ready to depart!”

38 SOMEWHERE AMONG THE ROCKS

The archon emerged, desperately trying to explain to Luviara that nothing was too good for the prince if he would only let her know his needs, and there were two licensed courtesans in town who knew all the heartland customs and could cater to any taste, and if that was not sufficient then she had a daughter of fourteen, never touched, who would be honored to accept the prince’s attentions.