As soon as Lynn received the news, he went straight to the Harpers Alliance. He had to find out why they had passed along the information so promptly this time.
For years, news from the far side of the desert had generally come from followers of the Goddess of Magic.
That was Zhentarim territory, after all, and the Zhentarim were the Harpers' sworn enemies. Only mages skilled at sending messages through magical portraits could relay news so quickly.
The Arcanists of Ghost City belonged to the Evil Alignment, but they still gave mages a pass. That was why so many caravans crossing the desert hired low-level mages. They needed them for nothing else.
If a caravan was unlucky enough to get caught while passing through Ghost City's territory, it needed someone who could talk to the wraith mages. Paying money or handing over goods was fine—anything was better than having a single spell wipe everyone out.
Those Arcanists still clung to their old ways. To them, anyone who wasn't a mage barely counted as a person.
Mages generally accepted caravan work because they were headed that way anyway. Many stayed in the region, so the followers of the Goddess of Magic were well informed.
Some mages were willing to pass news to old friends among the Harpers. That didn't mean they would join them.
The Zhentarim couldn't do much about those mages, either. They belonged to the Neutral Alignment, and even some mages of the Evil Alignment sent tidbits to old friends.
Few mages insisted that their friends share their alignment.
So Zhentil Keep usually paid more attention to bards and rangers, let alone Holy Knights.
Lynn talked with the Harpers' leader for a long time. They circled the point enough times to go around Faerûn several times over before