"Take care, Miro," Tuok said. "You are a stranger here, do nothing except what you are told." He roughly pushed Miro away from him, his one-eye blazing. Miro had never seen him so angry.
Miro resolved to stay quiet for the remainder of their journey.
Finally the group entered the district of market houses, the financial centre of the Tingaran Empire. Each raj had its own market house: great square structures where the goods manufactured by the raja were bought and sold. Services could also be bought — for the right price even elementalists could be hired.
Tuok’s good humour returned. "Want to buy a magic sword, build a big glowing fortress, blow it up with prismatic orbs, and have little wooden men put it back together? This is where you come."
It was also well known that the market houses were the diplomatic centres for the raja, where information was worth good gilden. They had all been told to be on the lookout for spies.
Some said that the origin of the term ‘house’ being used for the raja came from these buildings.
Miro saw the Torakon raj hada on the huge building they were currently passing. Then it was the raj hada for the artificers of Loua Louna. The Veznan market house was on the other side of the street. Then, next to the animators’ building, they came to the Alturan market house.
The delegation from Altura had arrived.
~
THE men were quickly settled in their new lodgings. Miro, Tuok, and two others were sharing a room in the east wing. They had barely been there for five minutes when Captain Sloan called the soldiers out.
After they lined up in front of him, he regarded them for a moment, and then assigned various guard duties. "Remember, men, we’re far from home. Keep your wits about you and do not trust anyone."
He signalled Tuok and five other soldiers, ignoring Miro. "We’re on special duty, come with me."
"And Miro?" Tuok ventured.
Captain Sloan regarded Tuok with a level gaze. "If you can find someone who would rather stay here."
Miro wasn’t sure what that meant. He looked over at Tuok, who grinned at him and nodded.
~
THE streets were quieter in the market district, populated with a less lively crowd. The men wore golden rings on their fingers and some had their noses or ears pierced. Many openly displayed an affiliation with a particular house — emerald for the green of Altura, amber for the brown of Halaran, or turquoise for the blue of Loua Louna. Many perhaps prudently wore imperial purple, or showed no affiliation at all.
One of the bladesingers spoke briefly with Captain Sloan, then was followed a moment later by the other nine bladesingers and High Lord Tessolar himself. Lord Marshal Devon said something to High Lord Tessolar, who nodded.
It was the first time Miro had seen the High Lord up close. Lord of the Sky, he was old! His eyes were sunken and what was left of his hair tufted out in wisps. Miro wondered if Lady Katherine’s death had affected him badly.
Tessolar wore a flowing green cloak with an immense collar, the sword and flower raj hada woven into the fabric on his chest. The cloak was covered in runes; Miro assumed they gave the cloak similar properties to the armoursilk worn by the bladesingers.
The soldiers fanned out, with the bladesingers occupying the inner circle close to the High Lord.
Miro was surprised to see that it was only a short journey they took, to the market house of Raj Halaran. The Halrana raj hada was displayed proudly above the formal entrance — an open hand with an eye in the centre.
The heavy doors opened, and a tall man stood regally in the centre of a crowd, his arms open with welcome. Miro realised this must be Legasa Telmarran, High Lord of Raj Halaran.
The Halrana High Lord wore a brown robe, his raj hada on a torque around his neck. So this was the man whose sister had been married to the Emperor, and whose father died in the Rebellion.
High Lord Legasa’s hair was stiffly erect in the formal Halrana style. In contrast, High Lord Tessolar cut a less imposing figure, but seemed wiser in his years.
High Lord Tessolar touched his fingers to his lips and then his forehead in the Alturan manner, and then High Lord Legasa touched his breast and swept back a leg, looking briefly at the ground before meeting High Lord Tessolar’s eyes.
"Raj Halaran welcomes Raj Altura to our House," the Halrana High Lord called loudly. "I, Legasa Telmarran, High Lord of Raj Halaran, give welcome."
In a thinner voice but audible to all, High Lord Tessolar responded. "I, Tessolar Mandragore, High Lord of Raj Altura, accept the welcome of our traditional allies. We thank the Lord of the Sky for bringing us together."
"We thank the Lord of the Earth for bringing us together," said High Lord Legasa.