The pillars of creation

"Showing us such a weapon proves nothing. The fact is, we don't know who the knife belongs to."

Surrender.

"It's mine!" Jermsen insisted.

The Mord-Sith straightened and lifted an eyebrow. "Really."

The captain folded his arms. Sebastian, standing to Jermsen's side, didn't move. Jennsen fought to contain tears of panic trying to surface. She endeavored to show a defiant face, instead.

Jennsen. Surrender.

"I have important business on behalf of Lord Rahl," Jennsen said through gritted teeth. "I don't have time for this."

"Ah," the Mord-Sith mocked, "business on behalf of Lord Rahl. Well, that does sound important." She folded her arms. "What business?"

"It's my affair, not yours."

The cool smile returned. "Magic business? That it? Magic?"

"It's not any of your concern. I'm doing Lord Rahl's bidding and you would do well to remember that. He'd not be pleased to know you were meddling."

The eyebrow lifted again. "Meddling? My dear young lady, it is impossible for a Mord-Sith to meddle. If you were who you say you are, you would know that much, at least. Mord-Sith exist only to protect Lord Rahl. It would be a dereliction of my duty, don't you think, were I to ignore such curious goings-on?"

"No-I told you-"

"And if Lord Rahl finds himself bleeding his life away, and asks me what happened, before he dies I can tell him that a girl with a pretty knife danced in here and demanded to have a very suspicious and tight-lipped prisoner released, and, well, we were so dazzled by the knife and by her big blue eyes that we all just thought we ought to let her have her way. That about it?"

"Of course you have to-"

"Do some magic for me." The Mord-Sith reached out and tested some of Jennsen's red hair between a finger and thumb. "Hmm? A bit of magic to prove yourself. A spell, a charm, a dazzling show of your craft. Call some lightning down, if you will. If not that, maybe then just a simple flame fluttering in midair?"

"I don't-"

"Do some magic, witch." Her voice was a deadly command.

Surrender.

Angry at the voice, but more so at the Mord-Sith, Jennsen slapped the hand away from her hair. "Stop it!"

Faster than seemed possible, Sebastian went for the woman. Faster yet, her Agiel spun into her hand. She rammed the tip against Sebastian's shoulder as he was still flying at her.

Sebastian cried out as the weapon stopped him cold. The woman calmly pressed the Agiel against his shoulder, driving him to the ground. Sebastian screamed as he lay crumpled on the floor.

Jennsen rushed toward the Mord-Sith. In one swift movement, the woman stood and had the Agiel before Jermsen's face, halting her. At their feet, Sebastian writhed in agony.

Thinking only of Sebastian, only of getting to him, only of helping him, Jermsen grabbed the Agiel, pushing it and the woman's hand away. She went to one knee beside Sebastian. He had rolled to his side, holding himself, trembling, as if he'd been struck by lightning.

He calmed under her gentle touch as she told him to lie still. As he recovered somewhat and tried to sit up, Jennsen put an arm behind his shoulders and helped him. He leaned against her, panting, clearly suffering the lingering effect of the pain of the weapon. He blinked, trying to clear his watering eyes, struggling to focus his vision. Jennsen, horrified by what the touch of the Agiel could do, stroked a hand down Sebastian's face. She lifted his chin, trying to see if he recognized her, if he was all right. He could hardly sit up on his own, but he gave her a little nod.

"Stand up." The Mord-Sith towered over them. "Both of you."

Sebastian couldn't, yet. Jennsen shot to her feet, defiantly facing the woman. "I'll not tolerate this! When I tell Lord Rahl about this, he'll have you horsewhipped!»

The woman was frowning. She held the Agiel out. "Touch it."

Again, Jennsen seized the weapon and shoved it aside. "Stop it!"

"It works," the Mord-Sith muttered to herself, "I know it does-I can feel it."

She turned and experimentally pressed the awful thing to the captain's arm. He cried out and went to his knees.

"Stop it!" Jermsen caught hold of the red rod, pulling it back away from the captain.

The Mord-Sith stared. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Touch it without being hurt? No one is immune to the touch of an Agiel-not even Lord Rahl himself."

Jennsen realized then that something unprecedented had happened. She didn't understand it, but she knew that while the situation was confused, she had to seize the opportunity.

"You wanted to see magic-you saw it."

"But how-"

"Do you think that Lord Rahl would allow me to carry the knife if I wasn't competent?"

"But an Agiel-"

The captain was coming to his feet. "What's the matter with you? I fight for the same cause as you."

"And that cause is protecting Lord Rahl," the woman snapped. She held her Agiel up. "This is my means of protecting him. I have to know what's wrong lest I fail him."