"We should go."
True. With the bounties on their heads, beingfound loitering around murdered soldiers was not a good idea.
"Agreed." Amaranthe picked up a jog again,heading for the broad street lining the waterfront. "We'll need tohurry to have a shot at finding the second Kendorian before hedoes… whatever it is he's planning."
Sicarius matched her pace, but the long lookhe slanted her suggested that was not the "go" he had in mind.
As her mind whirred with possibilities, theweariness from her run bled away. If the second man could turnhimself invisible, too, he could be anywhere. It would take somelucky guessing to suss out his destination.
When they reached theice-free channel fronting the merchant and naval docks, she slowed.Could one of the trade vessels be a target? Most ships sat dark.The gathering night and the snowfall had sent folks home for theday. Only one pier was lit up, its great steel steamship sending afew black wisps from its stacks. The IceCracker II must be heating the boilers inpreparation to leave in the morning. Soldiers paced the dock.Crewmen strode about the deck, stowing cargo, and-
Amaranthe halted so abruptly she almosttripped. "That's it."
Sicarius turned, watching her face.
"The ice breaking ship," she explained.
"You think that's the target?"
"What else would a Kendorianbe after at this time of year on the waterfront? The snow's alreadytoo high in the passes for the locomotives to plow the rail tracks.If the shipping lanes freeze over, the capital city goes withoutimports for the rest of the winter. Not to mention we'd be unableto get more troops in if something happened to the city. It'd beespecially bad this year, since the IceCracker I was decommissioned last month.There aren't any other ships in the Seven Lakes that can breakice." She hammered a fist into her open palm. "That's it, it has tobe."
Sicarius pulled her into the shadows of adark warehouse. "You have no evidence."
"No, but I have this lovely hunch, and it'dbe downright uncivil to ignore it."
"We have no way of knowingthe Kendorian is on board," Sicarius said. "We do know there are a hundred soldiersand sailors. Maybe more. Men who would be duty-bound to shoot us ifthey saw us."
"I know."
"Even if theKendorian is inthere, he can turn invisible. We can't."
"I know that, too."
Two soldiers marched along the street, riflesbalanced on their shoulders. Amaranthe put her hand on Sicarius'sforearm and guided him into an alley.
"I know this is dangerous," she said,"probably more dangerous for you than for me-my poster just sayswanted, yours says shoot on sight-but this could be a chance forboth of us."
For years, he had assassinated politicians,warrior caste scions, and wealthy entrepreneurs, never for themoney, always for the challenge. While she had won many victoriesin her adventures, her greatest might have been in convincing himthe most worthy challenge was in becoming a man the emperor mightone day be proud to know.
"But," Amaranthe continued, "you're going tohave to be seen doing some empire-saving heroics before the emperorwill consider lifting that mountain-sized bounty on your head."
"Heroics aren't my specialty," Sicariussaid.
"No, but I'm partial to them." She squeezedhis arm. "And I know when the current's too strong for my swimminglevel. I need your help for this."
A trolley clanged in the distance. A clump ofsnow fell from the gutters. Pale flakes gathered on Sicarius's darkshoulders.
"What's the plan?" he finally asked.
She rubbed her hands together. "I'll get onthe ship, get some information, and get the crew hunting forintruders. You start looking for the Kendorian."
"How do we get on?"
"I'll go my way, you go the assassinlyway."
"Assassinly?"
"You know, skulk under the docks to the ship,climb the dark side of the hull without so much as a rope, slipunnoticed onto the deck, ghost through the shadows without a sound,and surprise the enemy in the act." Amaranthe quirked a smile athim. "Isn't that your usual method?"
"I might use a rope," he said mildly.
"You didn't bring one. Also, make sure tocome find me before you leave. I'm guessing getting on board willbe easier than getting back off again."
"Likely."
"One more thing," Amaranthesaid before Sicarius could disappear into the shadows. "Youcan't killanyone."
A moment passed before he looked back at her,and she imagined an inward sigh despite the lack of expression onhis face.
"Heroes don't leave trails of dead soldiersbehind, no matter how practical it may be to dispose of anyone whowishes to harm you."
When he had disappeared intothe shadows, Amaranthe shook the tension out of her limbs andstrode toward the Ice CrackerII. On this section of the waterfront,frequent lampposts drove the shadows away, and soldiers spotted herlong before she turned down the dock. The two privates standingguard at the base of the gangplank watched her coolly, riflescradled in their arms, cutlasses hanging in theirsheaths.
As she neared them, Amaranthe held her handswell away from her own blade. "I need to report an incident. Isyour captain available?"
"He's busy."
"Would the knowledge that two soldiers weremurdered on the trail a couple miles down un-busy him?" she asked."Oh, and there's a dead Kendorian, too. Looks like he might havedone the murdering."
The two men exchangedconcerned looks, but the speaker merely said, "You'd need to reportthat to someone at Fort Urgot. We're detached to theIce Cracker and don'tpatrol the city."
"It's snowing and dark. I'm not running fivemiles to the fort. I just thought I'd try to help you boys out. Itlooks like someone inimical is around causing trouble."
Amaranthe turned to walk away, but a handclamped onto her shoulder.
"Who are you and what were you doing outthere in the first place?"
"I was jogging," she said, intentionallyignoring the first question. She doubted anyone was going torecognize her through the snow and wan lighting, but her name mightset their steam clocks to whistling.
"With a sword?"
"One never knows when one might have todefend against…" Bounty hunters? Soldiers? Enforcers?" Opossums."
Judging from the matching scowls thatblossomed on their faces, they did not appreciate her humor. Thesoldier who had grabbed her arm shoved her toward the other.
"Remove her sword and take her to the LT.She's all kinds of suspicious."