After the confrontation in Guildmaster Thorne's room, things got tense and quiet. The immediate threat was over, and Thorne's own men had caught and killed the main traitor. However, the air was still thick with unspoken accusations and the scary implications of the Ironwood Ventures ledger.
Elias, who was now fully in charge of the Ashworth envoy, talked to Thorne for a long time, clearly shaken, about the details of the new trade agreement, the specifics of our newly granted oversight privileges, and probably more painful concessions that Thorne had to make in order to prove his loyalty. My attention quickly turned to the practicalities.
Keeping the prisoners safe was the most important thing. Borin, the Vane handler who stayed calm even when he was caught, and the guards who helped with the sabotage were locked up deep inside the Argent Accord's secure cells. Captain Valerius was in charge of their imprisonment, and his face was serious because he knew how bad things were.
This was the pivot. The moment to control the narrative, to ensure the truth served Ashworth's interests without igniting a wider conflict.
"I am Layn," I said, reverting fully to my cover, my voice calm, projecting the slight nervousness appropriate for a scribe caught in violence. "An auditor sent by Lord Elias Ashworth, currently in Brennus negotiating with Guildmaster Thorne."
I pointed to Borin, who looked shocked. "While I was going over the logistics, as Lord Elias told me to, I found Foreman Borin here making false records." My voice got a little stronger. "More investigation found proof of planned sabotage against House Ashworth interests, planned from inside this building."
I held up the black leather Ironwood Ventures ledger that Rolan was guarding. "This ledger shows illegal payments going straight from Ironwood Ventures, a known House Vane front company, to Foreman Borin. It has instructions for stopping Ashworth's trade, moving resources, and getting military equipment that is kept illegally on these premises."
I looked the officer straight in the eye and let the meaning sink in. "It looks like Foreman Borin's loyalty is not with Guildmaster Thorne or the Argent Accord. Instead, it is with the capital vipers who want to bring down both of our houses."
Captain Valerius stared at the ledger, then at Borin's terrified, guilty face. The pieces clicked into place. Suspicion of me warred with the undeniable evidence of Borin's treachery, and the known animosity between Ashworth and Vane lent my accusation immediate weight.
"Is this true, Borin?" Valerius demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl, his hand shifting to the heavy mace at his belt. "You conspired with Vane against your own Guildmaster, against our allies?"
Borin opened his mouth, a desperate denial perhaps forming, then closed it, trapped. He knew the ledger was damning. He sagged, defeated, sweat pouring down his face.
"Seize him," Valerius commanded his men curtly. "And these others involved. Take them to the Guildmaster under heavy guard. He will want this explanation personally. And secure that ledger."
His men moved efficiently, binding Borin and hauling the groaning guards to their feet. Valerius took the ledger from a relieved Rolan, his expression grim as he glanced at the Vane insignia. He looked back at me, his expression softening fractionally, a measure of respect entering his eyes.
"My apologies, Auditor Layn, for the rough welcome," he said formally. "It seems we had a venomous serpent coiled in our midst. Guildmaster Thorne values the Ashworth alliance deeply. He will be… profoundly displeased by this betrayal."
He offered me a respectful nod. "Will you and your man accompany us back to Brennus? The Guildmaster will wish to thank you personally for uncovering this treachery, and I am certain Lord Elias should be informed immediately."
I looked at Rolan, who gave me a small nod. Proof secured. Thorne's own men took care of the traitor. The alliance was kept intact, and it may have even gotten stronger because Vane's shady tactics were made public. "Lead the way, Captain," I said, easily slipping back into the role of the humble scribe who had stumbled upon a dangerous plot.
The trip downriver felt different. The tension of infiltration was gone, and in its place was the careful formality of allies dealing with a shared problem. Valerius rode next to me and asked me direct but polite questions about my "audit" from time to time. It was clear that he was trying to figure out how much I knew and could do beyond being a simple scribe. I answered carefully, sticking to my story and only saying what was needed.
We arrived back in Brennus shortly after sunrise. The town was fully awake now, the docks bustling. Valerius led us directly, bypassing all protocol, to the Argent Accord headquarters. The guards at the entrance recognized their captain and the bound prisoners, ushering us through corridors buzzing with sudden, alarmed whispers.
We were shown directly into the Guildmaster's private audience chamber. Elias was still there, looking weary but composed, seated across the ornate desk from Thorne. Several scrolls lay open between them. The arrival of Valerius with Borin and the other prisoners in tow shattered the diplomatic atmosphere instantly.
Elias shot to his feet, shock widening his eyes as he took in Borin's state, then his gaze snapped to me, demanding answers. Thorne, who had perhaps regained a sliver of composure during the night, went deathly pale again, gripping the edge of his desk.
Valerius made his report succinctly, his voice ringing with formal outrage. He presented the Ironwood Ventures ledger, laying it starkly on the desk between Elias and Thorne. He described the sabotage, the weapons cache, Borin's capture, and my role (as Auditor Layn) in uncovering the plot.
Thorne stared at the ledger, then looked wildly at Elias, then at me, his face slick with sweat. "I… I swear, Lord Elias, Lord Lancelot," he stammered, his voice cracking, abandoning my cover instantly in his panic. "I knew nothing! Borin… he deceived me! Vane… they must have coerced him!"
Elias's expression hardened, the diplomat replaced by the cold, assessing Ashworth lord. "You expect us to believe, Guildmaster," Elias said, his voice dangerously quiet, "that your own foreman orchestrated a massive sabotage operation against your primary trading partner, stockpiled military weapons in your facility, and took payments from our sworn enemies, all without your knowledge or suspicion?" He leaned forward slightly. "Either you are complicit, Guildmaster, or you are incompetent on a scale that beggars belief. Which is it?"
Thorne flinched as if struck. He wrung his pudgy hands, looking desperately between us. He was trapped. Admitting complicity meant ruin. Admitting incompetence meant ridicule and likely losing his position.
"I… Borin handled the granary," he pleaded, sweat dripping onto his velvet doublet. "He assured me security was enhanced due to bandit threats… the discrepancies were explained away… minor losses… I have been focused on southern expansion…" His excuses crumbled under Elias's cold stare.
It was clear Thorne was, at best, willfully blind, a weak man terrified of confronting unpleasant truths, easily manipulated by a subordinate serving a more ruthless master. His fear of Vane, and now his fear of Ashworth, radiated from him.
"Your foreman betrayed you, Guildmaster Thorne," I stated, stepping forward slightly, taking control of the narrative, offering Thorne the specific out he needed, the one that served our purposes best. "He allied himself with our enemies, House Vane. He used your facilities, your good name, to sabotage my House." I let the implication hang. "However," I continued, seeing the desperate hope flare in his eyes, "Captain Valerius acted swiftly. Your guild itself remains officially untainted, provided," my gaze hardened, "you cooperate fully. Now."
Thorne sagged in relief, grabbing the lifeline. "Anything, Lord Lancelot! Anything! The Argent Accord stands with Ashworth! This serpent Borin… he will be dealt with! Severely!"
"Good," I said. "Then you will provide Lord Elias, immediately, with a revised, accurate, fully transparent accounting. You will grant my House unrestricted access to review your security and manifests going forward. And Borin, along with the Vane agent we subdued," – Valerius glanced sharply at me, realizing there was another prisoner he hadn't known about back at the granary – "will be handed over to my custody for transport to Ashworth Keep for… further questioning regarding House Vane's operations."
Thorne quickly and enthusiastically agreed. Elias looked at me with a mix of emotions: grudging respect, lingering suspicion of Thorne, maybe even anger at my taking over his authority, but also undeniable relief at the alliance being saved. He smoothly stepped back inside.
Elias said, "My brother and I appreciate your help, Guildmaster Thorne," getting back to his diplomatic self. "We hope that this sad event will only bring our houses closer together." He subtly strengthened my position while also making it clear that he was the official envoy.
"Yes," I said, going back to Layn's role. "A full review will make sure that these kinds of... misunderstandings don't happen again."
The fight that was about to happen was over. Now came the hard work of keeping the gains, dealing with the fallout, and making sure Thorne's scared loyalty stayed firmly on Ashworth, not Vane. The truth had come out, but the game of shadows was still going on.