Azi smiled sadly.


"Disturb us?" she whispered, waving her hand. "Nonsense. Crispian is going through a bit of a troubled time. I'm pleased to have someone to talk with to pass the hours while I stay with him." She watched as the handsome lad's eyes wandered to her sleeping friend and rested there.


"That is, if you care to stay and talk," she smiled softly.

He felt his cheeks warm as another blush rose, and shyly nodded. "I have no pressing obligations, Lady," he said quietly, indicating a recessed bench near to where Crispian slept. He sat, tucking his legs up under his robe and leaning against the wall. He wondered just how much Azi knew, or had guessed. The fact that she was a wizard gave him no pause, but every woman he had known seemed to have deep flashes of insight about matters of the heart.


"ou say he is having a troubled time. This has been spoken of in the League's hall a time or two, but none care to speak much on it." He watched the dark-shadows of the hedges move as the moon slid behind a cloud. "I fear I may be part of the cause."

Crispian groaned in his sleep. Azi shifted nearer to him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. She watched him for a moment, his breathing calmed at her touch. She turned back to Tobyas.


"Why do you say that?" she asked quietly, following his gaze to the shadows of the garden.

With a near shudder, he swallowed, loud enough for Azi to hear in the silent garden. His gaze went distant for a moment. With a sigh, he began.


"Lord Crispian is responsible for my station, as it is today, Lady Azi. Twas he who...bought my freedom from endentured servitude," he paused, lacing his fingers together and placing them on his lap. "I was he with whom Crispian spent a night in the Guild of Shadow's quarter. I, I think there was some sort of visitor that night, but I don't recall." He smiled as he recalled that night, near to three weeks ago now, or longer? "He is a, um, gentle companion compared with some. But when I awoke in the morn, he was gone. He left a note, some gold, a ring and instructions to find his squire. I did as he asked, then joined the church as an Acolyte, and after that, the League." He paused, the smile having faded as he talked. Now, a slight scowl decorated his face.


"I have seen him but twice since, and the last he was deep in his cups, but warmer than he was this day." He raised a hand to wipe a tear away. "I fear he blames me, in some way, for all that has happened since."

Azi blushed as Tobyas revealed his story to her. She had only recently known Crispian, as the troubled young lord. It warmed her heart to hear that even through such a difficult time he would offer his help to another with such kindness. In her heart she knew that the old Crispian was still alive inside the troubled shell now sleeping beside her.


She gazed at Tobyas, the poor soul. If only he knew that Crispian's troubles went much deeper than either of them could imagine... She sat for a moment, watching the breeze rustle the young cleric's hair, thinking of the best way to word what she wanted to say.


"Tobyas," she said softly, "Crispian does not act of his own free will. Something haunts him, something unnatural. I don't know what it is...except that it is powerful magic. He has not been himself, and I am almost certain he doesn't blame you."

Allowing silent tears to roll down his cheeks, Tobyas gave a rueful laugh. "I have so heard, Lady. But I cannot help but feel myself even to some measure bearing a burden of the blame. Perhaps it is best that I felt a call for the Church." He leaned his head back against the wall, staring at the black expanse of sky, dappled with clouds. "But how I feel for him, and what we share," he said in a dead whisper, "are prescribed by law, and punishable, even in the face of enchantment."


He raised his hands and wiped his face dry. "And I have enchantment not as an excuse, for it is but how I feel."

Azi drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Crispian shuddered restlessly. Resting a cheek on her knee, she contemplated Tobyas' words. She didn't know how to comfort him, for he was right. She sighed inwardly at the ridiculous thought of being punished for feeling. She admitted to herself that she did not understand how one man could love another man so, but it was not her place to judge.


She sat in silence, waiting politely for Tobyas' tears to subside, thinking of his description of the night he shared with Crispian. The Guild of Shadows...she thought. A visitor...


"Tobyas, are you certain you can't recall anything of the visitor you mentioned?" She asked suddenly, her voice a bit louder than it should have been.

The sudden shift from the wallowing in self-pity he had started jolted Tobyas. The visitor. His eyebrows nettled in thought as he ran a hand through his coppery-red hair, fingers lightly brushing the coin-sized tonsure.


"I think not, Lady." He bit his lower lip in thought a moment. "Crispian arrived somewhere near the nineth hour I think." He laughed slightly. "I was releived to see he was a handsome young man," he dropped his eyes for a moment, "as you can imagine most that come to such places are not. We, uh, well, were, ah, together, and I recall drifting off as the watch called eleventh hour clear." He paused, closing his eyes and reconstructing it. That horrid little room, so squalid, the narrow, hard cot. The smaller Crispian lying in the crook of his arm as they slept.


"ES!" he hissed excitedly. "es, there was someone. The room was dark except for a small candle, and Crispian had almost shouted something that woke me. Then, just as I was drifting, I heard a noise, feint but there. And," he shook his head, "someone must have knocked me out at that point or something. By the Almighty, I did have a headache in the morning like we had been drinking rather than," he stopped and shook his head, "well, like we had been drinking."


He peered closely at Azi, "Why is this important now?"

As Azi raised her voice, Cripsian stirred. He looked around the burning hallway. He knew that voice, that was a good voice. Other voices hissed at him, tormenting phrases, questions that hurt him to think about answering. He shrank against the wall in fear, hearing above all the laughter, the wild, insane laughter that seemed everywhere.


Then another voice. A voice he knew, recalled some clearly. He turned, moving deeper down the hall. If he could maybe find those voices...

 

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Azi frowned and shook her head. The moon had fallen low to the horizon as they spoke, lightening the sky to a purplish hue. So many fragmented pieces of Crispian's plight floated in her head, but none of them fit together enough to make any sense. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and pulled her cloak around her, shivering in the damp pre-dawn breeze.


"I don't know that it is important at all, sir," she said aloud, too tired to think on it any longer. She brushed a strand of hair from her eyes and looked down at Crispian. He stirred, and she rubbed his arm gently, looking at Tobyas again. "Tell me, do you know where to find Lord Tannir or Lady Mirashta?"