Cadderly’s, offering him the support she thought he needed. To her thinking, Cadderly wasn’t ready to return to the library. No doubt, he was still in turmoil over the last incident with Dean Thobicus, when he had forcefully bent the dean’s mind to his bidding. Beyond that, with all that had happened-the deaths of Avery and Pertelope and the revelation that the evil wizard Aballister was, in truth, Cadderly’s own father-the young priest’s world had been turned upside down. Cadderly had questioned his faith and his home for some time, and though he had finally come to terms with his loyalty to Deneir, Danica wondered if he still had a hard time thinking of the Edificant Library as his home.
They remained silent for several minutes, Cadderly staring up into the mountains and Danica staring at Cadderly.
“Do you fear a charge of heresy?” the monk asked at length.
Cadderly turned to her, his expression curious.
“For your actions against Dean Thobicus,” Danica clarified. “If he has remembered the incident and realizes what you did to him, he will not likely welcome you back.”
“Thobicus will not openly oppose me,” Cadderly said.
Danica did not miss the fact that he had named the man without the man’s title, no small matter by the rules of the order and of the library.
“Though he most likely will have recalled much of what happened when last we talked,” the young priest went on, “I expect he will solidify his alliances… and demote or dismiss those he suspects are loyal to me.”
Despite the grim reasoning, there was little trepidation in Cadderly’s tone, Danica noted, and her expression revealed her surprise.
“What allies can he make?” Cadderly asked, as though that explained everything.
“He is the head of the order,” Danica replied, “and has many friends in the Oghman order as well.”
Cadderly chuckled softly and scoffed at the thought. “I told you before that Thobicus is the head of a false hierarchy.”
“And you will simply walk in and make that claim?”
“Yes,” Cadderly answered calmly. “I have an ally that Dean Thobicus cannot resist, one who will turn the priests of my order to me.”
Danica did not have to ask who that ally might be, Cadderly believed that Deneir himself was with him, that the deity had assigned him a task. Given the man’s powers, Danica did not doubt the notion. Still, it bothered Danica somewhat that Cadderly had become so bold, even arrogant.
“The Oghman priests will not become involved,” Cadderly went on, “for this does not concern them. The only contention I will see from them, and rightly so, will manifest itself after I unseat Thobicus as head of the Deneirian order. Bron Turman will contest me for the title of dean.”
“Turman has been a leader in the library for many years,” Danica said.
Cadderly nodded and seemed not at all bothered.
“His will be a powerful challenge,” Danica reasoned.
“It is not important which of us ascends to the position of dean,” Cadderly replied. “My first duty is to the order of Deneir. Once that is set aright, I will worry about the future of the Edificant Library.”
Danica accepted that, and again the two lapsed into long minutes of silence, Cadderly staring once more at the majestic Snowflakes. Danica believed in him, and in his reasoning, but she had trouble reconciling his apparent calmness with the fact that he was out here, standing in deep contemplation, instead of at the library. Cadderly’s delay revealed the true turmoil behind his cool facade.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, and pressed her hand gently against the young priest’s cheek, drawing his gaze from the mountains.
Cadderly smiled warmly, touched by her concern.
“Up there is an unguarded hoard of treasure greater than anything in all the region,” Cadderly said.
“I’ve never known you to care much for material wealth,” Danica remarked.
Again Cadderly smiled. “I was thinking of
They remained silent for several minutes, Cadderly staring up into the mountains and Danica staring at Cadderly.
“Do you fear a charge of heresy?” the monk asked at length.
Cadderly turned to her, his expression curious.
“For your actions against Dean Thobicus,” Danica clarified. “If he has remembered the incident and realizes what you did to him, he will not likely welcome you back.”
“Thobicus will not openly oppose me,” Cadderly said.
Danica did not miss the fact that he had named the man without the man’s title, no small matter by the rules of the order and of the library.
“Though he most likely will have recalled much of what happened when last we talked,” the young priest went on, “I expect he will solidify his alliances… and demote or dismiss those he suspects are loyal to me.”
Despite the grim reasoning, there was little trepidation in Cadderly’s tone, Danica noted, and her expression revealed her surprise.
“What allies can he make?” Cadderly asked, as though that explained everything.
“He is the head of the order,” Danica replied, “and has many friends in the Oghman order as well.”
Cadderly chuckled softly and scoffed at the thought. “I told you before that Thobicus is the head of a false hierarchy.”
“And you will simply walk in and make that claim?”
“Yes,” Cadderly answered calmly. “I have an ally that Dean Thobicus cannot resist, one who will turn the priests of my order to me.”
Danica did not have to ask who that ally might be, Cadderly believed that Deneir himself was with him, that the deity had assigned him a task. Given the man’s powers, Danica did not doubt the notion. Still, it bothered Danica somewhat that Cadderly had become so bold, even arrogant.
“The Oghman priests will not become involved,” Cadderly went on, “for this does not concern them. The only contention I will see from them, and rightly so, will manifest itself after I unseat Thobicus as head of the Deneirian order. Bron Turman will contest me for the title of dean.”
“Turman has been a leader in the library for many years,” Danica said.
Cadderly nodded and seemed not at all bothered.
“His will be a powerful challenge,” Danica reasoned.
“It is not important which of us ascends to the position of dean,” Cadderly replied. “My first duty is to the order of Deneir. Once that is set aright, I will worry about the future of the Edificant Library.”
Danica accepted that, and again the two lapsed into long minutes of silence, Cadderly staring once more at the majestic Snowflakes. Danica believed in him, and in his reasoning, but she had trouble reconciling his apparent calmness with the fact that he was out here, standing in deep contemplation, instead of at the library. Cadderly’s delay revealed the true turmoil behind his cool facade.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, and pressed her hand gently against the young priest’s cheek, drawing his gaze from the mountains.
Cadderly smiled warmly, touched by her concern.
“Up there is an unguarded hoard of treasure greater than anything in all the region,” Cadderly said.
“I’ve never known you to care much for material wealth,” Danica remarked.
Again Cadderly smiled. “I was thinking of
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