“What are you doing here?” Corwin asked, drawing himself to his full height and glaring at Glauch. “We haven’t broken the terms of the agreement. There’s no need to be looking for Vash.”

Glauch’s expression didn’t change as he looked over at Corwin. “I’m here on the Duke’s business. We heard that our little friend here was to receive his evaluation, and I am tasked with providing a thorough report to his Grace on his capabilities.”

“Yeah? Why is that?” Jabez asked.

Glauch blinked as though the answer was obvious. “His Grace wishes to determine the likelihood that your group will succeed at the task he has given you. Surely you can’t begrudge him his curiosity. We have seen the Eth Mitaan in action, but we have never really had an accounting of their abilities and…weaknesses.” Glauch gave Vash an unpleasant smile. “It should prove quite illuminating.”

Vash suppressed a snarl. Watch all you like, mal’sodla, you won’t learn a damn thing. “I didn’t realize that I was going to be on display. I would have dressed better.”

Jabez waved an irritated hand at Vash. “Cut that out. We don’t normally have outsiders observing the Gauntlet, but I don’t see the harm, so long as you don’t interfere.”

“I’ll be a fly on the wall,” Glauch said, raising a conciliatory hand, “You’ll never know I’m here.”

“Good, now we can discuss the fee.” Jabez nodded.

“Fee?” Glauch quirked an eyebrow, suddenly unsure.

“To observe,” Jabez said, “You didn’t think we’d just let you do that for free, did you?”

The look on Glauch’s face almost made Vash smile. Instead, Vash adopted a more casual stance and nodded, as though what Jabez said made perfect sense. Corwin looked confused, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

“I think a fee of…three-fifty is fair.” Jabez mused.

“I’m sorry, if you think I’m going to pay three hundred and fifty silver—“

“No, that would be gold.” Jabez interrupted.

A dark look passed over Glauch’s face, his cheek twitching in suppressed rage.

That hit a nerve. Vash thought, looking over the Inquisitor and his team. Glauch’s men drifted towards their leader with an air of false casualness, hands drifting to weapons. They kept glancing towards the Inquisitor, waiting for a signal.

Glauch took a moment and gathered himself. When he met eyes with Jabez again, his careful, neutral expression returned. “That’s quite a sum. For that much, I would want to see something quite spectacular.”

“I don’t know what you’re expecting.” Another voice said from further down the common room. “The Gauntlet is a fairly straightforward affair.”

A well-dressed halfling joined the knot of soldiers that casually menaced both Vash’s group and the older woman at the reception desk. He had jet-black hair tied back in a neat braid that fell just below his shoulders. Deep onyx eyes swept over the assembled group, noting each individual as he passed. A pair of long daggers hung from the halfling’s belt, looking like short swords on a person of his size. “But Jabez is right, this isn’t a charity. You want to see our training methods? Then it will cost you.”

“Royce.” Jabez said, nodding towards the halfling who then joined the group, standing beside Jabez.

“Jabez.” Royce returned the nod, not taking his eyes off the Inquisitor. Vash could feel a low thrumming in his Core. It was coming from the halfling, and felt like a purring cat. Soothing, but with a hint of menace. “Now, gentlemen, I am quite busy and dealing with this evaluation is going to take up time I don’t have. So, I would suggest deciding whether you wish to pay the fee quickly. In the meantime, Jabez, if you and your students would follow me.”

Royce began walking towards the hallway at the far end of the common room. Jabez immediately followed. Corwin and Vash, after a moment, realized that they should follow as well and moved to catch up to the two masters.

“Just a moment!” Glauch called, frustration creeping into his voice.

“I’m sorry, m’lord.” Royce called over one shoulder. “This part is for Guild members only. Should you wish to observe, the secretary at the desk will take the agreed payment.”

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Vash risked a look back, seeing Glauch glaring daggers at him. He hurriedly turned around and kept his eyes forward. Inquisitors are always damn unsettling. Vash thought. Every encounter he’d had with those allied with the Duke’s Inquisition had been odd. Inquisitors showed a distinct lack of emotion, unless they were causing violence or pain, then they lit up like a child at the Hearth Festival. What did we do to earn the attention of creatures like that one?

Approaching the door on the far side of the common room, Royce took his Wayfarer medallion out from where it hung beneath his tunic and pressed it to a small bronze plate on the wall. The door made a soft thunk, as though something was being released, and then swung slowly open. Vash could feel the eyes of the Inquisitors on him until the door shut and sealed itself behind them.

“Thanks for that, Royce.” Jabez said, looking relieved to be behind closed doors.

“That was stupid, Jabez.” Royce said, giving Jabez a hard look that seemed out of place on the usually laughing features of a halfling. “Duke Adolphus and his damned Inquisition are all up in arms about you taking this boy on as your apprentice. I’m sure Eddar already gave you a tongue-lashing about that.”

“He may have mentioned some political issues.” Jabez conceded.

“Inquisitors have been sniffing around Lodges all over Galadon,” Royce continued. “No idea why or what they want. Now we have to show off one of our Gauntlets, so thanks for that.”

“Honestly, I just didn’t want to pay your fee,” Jabez said. “Thought it was an easy way to kill two birds with one stone.”

“Gods save us from fools and skinflints.” Royce made the sign of Bolban, the patron of the halflings. “Nothing to be done about it now, I suppose.” He glanced back at Vash, giving him a quick assessment. Royce grimaced. “I suppose we should be grateful they let you keep your boots.”

“This time.” Vash replied, not looking at Corwin.

“Has he got any Delver training?” Royce asked, turning back to Jabez.

“He’s had basic Talent training, decent mana reserve if the stories of his friends are to be believed.”

“I’ve met them,” Royce scoffed. “More assassins than rogues. How long was he with them?”

“Two years, give or take.”

Royce grimaced. “Enough time to gain some bad habits. Not so long that training can’t mend them.”

Vash kept his face carefully neutral. He was tired of having his skills belittled by glorified monster hunters. The Wayfarers had a reputation for being all talk and little action. So far, nothing he’d seen contradicted that reputation.

Royce came to a heavy oak door, banded with iron, and unlocked it with an odd-looking key. Vash felt a surge of mana as the lock disengaged. Protected by more than just deadbolts and clockwork, it seems.

The door opened quietly, oiled hinges making the heavy wood and iron contraption swing with the barest amount of effort from Royce. Beyond was a small, bare room with another door on the opposite wall.

“Well, boy, this is the start of the Delver’s Gauntlet.” Royce said, facing Vash. “The goal is simple: pass through each of the five doors. The rooms beyond will test the skills of a Delver, so keep that in mind as you go.”

“All right, what are the skills of a Delver?” Vash asked, peering through the imposing door at the empty room.

“Is he serious?” Royce asked Jabez, annoyance creeping into his tone. Jabez shrugged in response. Jaw tight in frustration, Royce turned back to Vash. “A delver is silent, observant, deft, and clever. In short, you’re a thief, boy. Get the goods and don’t get caught.”

Vash nodded. “All right, do I get any tools? Equipment?”

“I would say that you can use what you have on you, but…” Royce gestured to Vash’s tattered and stained clothes.

“Here,” Corwin said, drawing a long dagger from his belt and handing it hilt-first to Vash, “It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”

The plain dagger was well-weighted for hand to hand fighting and long enough to be effective in a tight space. It was also a weapon that Vash was familiar with, though he preferred the blackened blades used by the Eth Mitaan. Vash nodded his thanks and tucked the dagger into the waistband of his trousers. “What else?”

“That’s it. Get to the end using what skills you have,” Royce said. “We’ll be watching in another room using a scrying orb. Good luck, delver.”

Royce started off down the hall. Corwin hesitated, giving Vash an encouraging smile before following the halfling master. Jabez waited for them both to get some distance ahead before stepping close to Vash. “Be careful in there. Gauntlets aren’t designed to kill you, but they do challenge trained Wayfarer apprentices. You can get hurt, and accidents happen all the time.”

“What do you mean, accidents?” Vash asked, pointedly.

“I don’t think that Royce would intentionally do anything to harm you; however, this situation has put the Guild in a tough spot,” Jabez said. “If you were to fail the Gauntlet, and get seriously hurt, then it might remove some problems for the members around here. Just…be careful. That’s all I’m saying.”

Vash wanted to say that it would also remove some of Jabez’s problems as well, but he hesitated. He didn’t have to tell me that. Vash thought, feeling a twinge of reluctant gratitude towards the surly dwarf. He gave Jabez a slight nod of thanks and turned towards the entrance of the Gauntlet.

“Good luck, Vash.” Jabez said, then followed Royce and Corwin down the hallway.

Alone in the hallway, Vash tried to shake out the nerves that were creeping up on him. You’ve done harder things than this. He thought, remembering his initiation in the Sunken Grove. The memory of shadowy fingers lightly tracing beneath his eyes still sent shivers down his spine. A simple Wayfarer test shouldn’t be any problem. You’re a damn Hunter of the First Mask, anointed and accepted into the Taleuc ko’Sul eth Mitaan.

A tingle touched the space between his eyes, where Byar had drawn the elvish rune for spirit almost a year ago during the initiation, opening the channels between his will and his Core and setting him on this path.

“I fear no shadow, for I am shadow.” Vash whispered the words of the familiar prayer, calming his nerves like a soothing balm. He drew the dagger from his waistband and flipped it through his fingers to the toin’sur position, as Iona had shown him. “I fear not death, for I am death. Let my Hunt begin.”