Malrec disliked receiving messages from Helmar Ruskell.
The dwarf never used the Black Cord's proper channels, because using them would have created a record that someone above Malrec could examine. Instead, his messages arrived through merchants who did not know what they carried, sealed inside containers that appeared ordinary until the correct pressure was applied to the metal rim. The latest had reached Malrec inside a shipment of lamp oil. He had paid for the entire shipment, dismissed the carter, and opened the hidden compartment alone.
Three lines had been engraved into a thin plate of blackened copper.
Renn remains in Ironcloud. The ring remained with him. Helmar wanted both problems removed.
Malrec held the plate over a candle until the metal softened and the words distorted. He then dropped it into a crucible and watched it melt. Destroying the message did nothing about the demand it contained.
