Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

getting Aerie inside and hidden under her cloak before they could open the door,

Chan forgot the subject of Lythande’s gender.

Beneath them, the noise of revelry in the Unicorn gradually faded to silence.

Wess forced herself to lie still. She was so tired that she felt as if she were

trapped in a river, with the current swirling her around and around so she could

never get her bearings. Yet she could not sleep. Even the bath, the first warm

bath any of them had had since leaving Kaimas, had not relaxed her.

Quartz lay solid and warm beside her, and Aerie lay between Quartz and Chan.

Wess did not begrudge Aerie or Quartz their places, but she did like to sleep in

the middle. She wished one of her friends were awake, to make love with, but she

could tell from their breathing that they were all deeply asleep. She cuddled up

against Quartz, who reached out, in a dream, and embraced her.

The darkness continued, without end, without any sign of dawn, and finally Wess

slid out from beneath Quartz’s arm and the blankets, silently put on her pants

and shirt, and, barefoot, crept down the stairs, past the silent tavern, and

outside. On the doorstep, she sat and pulled on her boots.

The moon gave a faint light, enough for Wess. The street was deserted. Her heels

thudded on the cobblestones, echoing hollowly against the close adobe walls.

Such a short stay in the town should not make her uneasy, but it did. She envied

Aerie her power to escape, however briefly, however dangerous the escape might

be. Wess walked down the street, keeping careful track of her path. It would be