Chapter 117 Lord Sevaril (2/2)
He had short hair and wore a gray robe, with a smoothly shaved face that showed no signs of old age. Had it not been for his paper-white hair, Arran could easily have mistaken him for someone in his thirties. Yet as Arran looked at him, he saw that there was a wizened look to the man's eyes, as if they had seen countless centuries pass.
”Young Lady Snowcloud,” the man said. ”You took a great risk in coming here.”
”Lord Sevaril,” Snowcloud said, offering a slight bow. ”I always heard that of all the places in the borderlands, Goldhaven ranks among the safest.”
”For others, that holds true,” Lord Sevaril replied. ”But for one such as yourself, who has such value to so many, things are different.”
”Value?” Snowcloud asked, her expression uncomfortable. ”I'm just a lowly novice. Why would I have value to others?”
”You're the granddaughter of the Sixth Valley's Patriarch,” Lord Sevaril said plainly. ”And Elder Fang is so concerned with your wellbeing that he has offered a reward for your safe and rapid return — a sum large enough to catch even my interest. I suspect that even as we speak, there are hundreds of people looking for you.”
”He did what?!” Snowcloud asked, her expression now turning ugly. ”He has no right to force me to return!”
”Perhaps not,” Lord Sevaril replied. ”But in the face of such rewards, rights matter little. Still, he should be the least of your concerns.”
”The least of my concerns?” Snowcloud gave him a questioning look, some worry in her eyes.
”There are others who are even more interested in you than Lord Fang,” Lord Sevaril said. ”And unlike him, they would prefer for you not to return safely.”
Snowcloud remained silent for a moment, but then, to Arran's surprise, she answered in a sharp voice, ”Then let them come. I'll burn the eyes from their heads.”
At this, Lord Sevaril let out a high-pitched laugh.
”Your mother's blood runs strong in you,” he said once he finished laughing, his voice now holding a warmth that had been absent earlier. Yet then, his expression grew serious, and he continued, ”But you must know where her path led. Are you certain you want to follow in her footsteps?”
”So you know what I'm looking for,” Snowcloud said, ignoring his question. ”Can you help me?”
”Wait,” Arran cut in. He now understood that Snowcloud somehow knew Lord Sevaril, but other than that, none of what was said made any sense to him. ”What the hell is going on here? What path are you talking about?”