Thieves World 4 – Storm Season by Asprin, Robert

He looked about for a cleaner tunic. “No matter what, don’t stop looking for

Illyra, hear me? If you find her you take her back to the bazaar. The S’danzo

will help, and Dubro. They won’t ask about your past. Do you understand?”

She nodded and watched without interest as he cast his filthy tunic aside and

pulled another one over his head.

“You should wash first,” she told him. “You shouldn’t stink before the Prince.

You won’t win any bargains.”

Walegrin glared at her, dropping the second tunic to the floor as he stormed

toward the stream where they washed.

“I wasn’t always like this,” she shouted after him.. “I know better ways.”

Dripping, but clean, Walegrin returned to the room to find his tunic lying

neatly on the mattress. Somehow the girl had gotten the extra wrinkles out. His

bronze circlet had been given a quick polish and some of the mud was gone from

his sandals. But Cythen herself was gone from the shed, the courtyard and the

villa. Coming on top of the loss of Illyra and Thrusher it was almost more than

he could endure. Had he found her right then he would have cheerfully beaten

her.

But the girl had been right, damn her. He felt better clean. His few men

straightened up as he assembled them in the courtyard. He told them what he’d

told Cythen. They grumbled and he doubted they’d wait more than a day before

going their separate ways if he did not return. He looked for Balustrus too, and

found only his share of the swords. The ore, the necklace and the metal-master

had vanished. He was getting used to that.