Chapter Text
Day 3, on the road out of Dol-Makjar:
Aranessa nudged her horse forward to catch up to Julien at the front of the group. With the immediate dangers of Dol-Makjar left behind them and the city now fully hidden behind the trees on the horizon, another concern wormed its way to the forefront of her mind, which only one of her companions could possibly address.
Julien scowled at the road ahead as though he suspected the well-worn stones themselves of concealing an allegiance to House Tachonis. At her approach, he glanced up, his scowl hastily rearranging itself into a moderately more neutral expression.
“My lady.” He inclined his head.
“Julien.” She returned his nod, riding alongside him in silence for a moment. “About what happened at the Palazzo…” she begin, finally.
His expression darkened again, but he grunted an acknowledgement.
“I have to ask.” She hesitated, glancing back to check the distance from the others, unsure how far their hearing might extend, particularly that of the strange elf. She groped for words that would not reveal too much. “Were you still keeping the… 'flower mirror' in your quarters there or had you taken it with you to the Barrowguard?”
Julien remained grimly silent for a few moments, but she could tell he had already thought of this. “It remained at the Palazzo,” he said, finally.
Aranessa let out a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut for just a moment where none of their companions could see. “I assumed as much, though I hoped otherwise.” She paused. “We have to assume, then,” she said with deep reluctance, “that it is now in the hands of the Tachonises.”
“They cannot use it to spy on us,” said Julien immediately. “At least not by mundane means. And if they use sorcery, I do not know that its nature would pose an inherent advantage to House Tachonis over many other items they might discover within the household. That being said,” he added, grimly, “it would probably allow them to deduce my survival.”
Aranessa stared at him, appalled. “Julien! That is not why I am concerned!”
He shrugged, avoiding her gaze. “No? It seemed to me a risk that must be considered.”