5.Death of Chaos
CXVII
AS THE FEYDR Queen eased up to the old stone pier at Land's End, the pier that was supposed to predate the Founders, one figure waited in the late afternoon sunlight. Almost no wind crossed the harbor, unusual for Land's End. I recognized the short hair and slender frame. So did my father, but he only looked and raised his hand.
“Your mother?” asked Krystal.
I nodded as she raised her hand in greeting.
“Landers off.” One of the sailors leaped onto the pier and looped a line around one bollard and then raced down the pier to take another.
“Easy in! Easy!”
The Feydr Queen edged toward the pier, her sides cushioned by heavy hemp bumpers, as the sailors doubled up the lines and made the old steamer fast.
“Pleasure serving you all,” said the captain to my father as he waited for the plank to be lowered. “Here's hoping you can do something about those Hamorians. Hate to turn the eastern trade over to them, too.”
“We'll do what we can, Captain.” My father inclined his head.
“... not want to get in his way...” came from one of the line-handlers.
“... avoid 'em all when you can, and be nice when you can't...”
Justen and his silver-haired Dayala stepped down the plank after my father. Then came Tamra, and Krystal and I, then Weldein and the rest of Krystal's guard.
My father had his arms wrapped around Mother for a long time, longer than I had ever seen, or perhaps only longer than I had ever noticed. I was afraid I understood. Whatever happened, it wasn't going to be good. My mother had almost never left Wandernaught. I glanced up at Dayala, her hand and Justen's twined together. Nor did druids normally leave the Great Forest of Naclos.
I squeezed Krystal's hand and could feel her sadness, as well, as we all gathered around my mother and father.
“Donara, this is Dayala, and this is Justen.” Even as he introduced his brother to my mother, my father held her hand, almost as though he never wished to relinquish it.
“Mother,” I added, “this is Krystal.”
“You are lovely, although that is certainly secondary to your abilities.” Her eyes took us both in. “I do not think you would have found each other in Recluce, and that is something to rejoice in.”
The guards and Tamra stood back, but I gestured. “This is Tamra, and Weldein, and Dercas, Jinsa, and Haithen.”
“You are all quite impressive.” Mother smiled.
Impressive? Then again, maybe we were. Impressive for the arrogance or desperation to think that we could stand up against scores of iron-hulled ships with thousands of large explosive shells.
“Cynical man,” whispered Krystal, but the words were warm, and so were the feelings behind them.
“I did prevail upon the Council for a warrant,” my mother explained to my father. “We have two of the guest houses at the old inn, but must pay our own meals. I've arranged for mounts. I thought everyone would be happier that way, rather than in a carriage.” She glanced at me, and then at Justen. “There weren't any mountain ponies.”
I grinned and shrugged. We walked slowly down the old pier, to the sound of the water lapping against the stones, and the shouts and rumblings as the Feydr Queen made ready to depart Land's End.
“Not even off-loading,” said Dercas. “Doesn't that beat all?”
“They don't want to be anywhere near Recluce,” responded Tamra.
“Would you?” asked Haithen.
In front of us, my parents walked down the damp stones of the pier, arm in arm, as did Justen and Dayala. The town was already in shadow from the western hills, although the ancient flag-the crossed rose and blade-flying from the old keep still caught the last of the sunlight.
We passed the single-storied harbor-master's building between the old pier and the newer pier-the newer one a mere six centuries old. From the staff above the building flew the current ensign of Recluce-the stark black ryall on a white background. The flag flapped twice in a sudden gust of wind from the hills as we walked past.
In front of us, Tamra gave her head a small shake, murmuring words to herself I could not catch. Weldein coughed slightly, and I looked back, and tried not to frown at him.
“Where's this inn?”
“To the left here and up that lane,” said Krystal. “The bigger building is the inn, and the stable is in back of it. On the low hill to the left of the stable are the guest houses.” She definitely knew Land's End.
The gas lamps flared on at the Founders' Inn as we approached, the yellow light reflecting off the time- and foot-polished black stones of the street.
Outside the inn, a girl in clean brown leathers jumped up as we approached. “The guest houses are to the left of the stables, and the evening meal is being served now.”
“Thank you.” My father gave a head bow.
“Is there enough space in the guest houses?” questioned Tamra.
“Each guest house has four bedrooms, and more than adequate water and showers,” my mother explained.
“... they believe in a lot of washing here...” grumbled Dercas.
“That will do you, and us, good,” said Haithen sweetly. We stopped in front of the smaller guest house. “If you don't mind,” said my mother with a smile, “those of us with more history will take the smaller place.”
The rest of us walked to the second guest house, where Weldein stepped ahead and held open the door. Tamra gave him an exaggerated nod.
Krystal and I got the bedroom at the west end, which combined a sitting area holding a table and two matching armless chairs with a bedroom, and a double-width bed with a simple red oak headboard, a dressing table, and two matching wardrobes. The coverlet on the bed was a simple design of silver and blue repeating circles, without lace, and the bed had real sheets. Beyond the large bedroom and sitting room was a bathroom, with a shower, but no tub.
We unloaded some of our packs into the wardrobes and hung up our spare outfits. I leaned the staff against one of the wardrobes.
“I am going to use that shower,” Krystal said. “You can certainly go first.” I sat down in the chair, conscious of how filthy I felt. My hair itched from salt spray, and my legs ached.
I must have been tired, because Krystal was suddenly standing there with damp hair and a towel wrapped around her saying, “You can take your shower.”
After giving her a long and gentle kiss, I did take a shower, but the water was getting cold, probably because the sun-warmed cisterns on the roof only held so much warm water, and a lot of people were showering. Still, it felt good. Then I rinsed out my dirty clothes and hung them over the shower.
Krystal was dressed in greens, without her vest, by the time I dried off. “What are you going to wear?”
“The grays.”
“Tamra will laugh.”
“Let her. I'm filing perverse.”
“Good. I hope you do later.” The warm, almost-leering smile I got was worth it.
After I pulled on the grays, we walked out through the hall and down the narrow street to the inn, where the girl in brown leathers opened the door. Her eyes lingered on my grays, but only for a moment.
The public room was pleasantly cool, with some of the ancient leaded-glass windows ajar. A handful of tables were occupied, mainly by men, except for a couple in one corner and two women near the door. In the far corner, Weldein, Tamra, and the other guards sat at a large circular table. Weldein gestured. “Commander.”
Krystal acknowledged him with a nod, and we walked across the room and joined them. Several of the men glanced from Weldein to Krystal and to the deadly blade that still seemed a part of her.
“... greens... Kyphran... what about the gray?”
“... must be a gray wizard... looks like trouble...”
“... another gray wizard outside.”
“... no good'll come of that...”
“... mercenaries, the lot of them... woman commander... colder than the Roof of the World...”
I gathered that the general consensus was that we looked dangerous, and I had to admit to myself that pleased me.
“You're terrible,” Krystal murmured.
“Not so much as you.”
The table was polished red oak, smoothed by care and age, with real pewter cutlery and gray tumblers. We sat down at the two chairs left, with me beside Haithen and Krystal beside Tamra.
“Redberry's in the white pitcher and ale in the gray,” offered Weldein.
“Bread's good,” mumbled Dercas, jabbing a dark crust toward the basket. “Real good.” Another basket rested between Tamra and Krystal.
“Those will be your dying words,” laughed Jinsa.
The blond serving girl stopped beside Krystal. “They told me to wait for you. Tonight you can have either whitefish, with baked quilla on the side, or grilled chops. They also come with the quilla, and we do have honeyed maize cakes as a sweet.” She nodded at each request and was gone.
I filled Krystal's glass with ale, then mine with redberry. “Could I have some bread?”
“Nervous?” Krystal sipped from the gray glass, then passed the basket.
“A little.” The warm and crusty dark bread carried the scent of trilia.
“So am I.”
“Who wouldn't be?” asked Tamra.
That was the first time that Tamra ever had admitted anything.
“There's a first time for everything,” Krystal added quietly.
Tamra's brow wrinkled for a moment, but she didn't respond.
I tried not to shiver, even as I felt her concern. Each of us was definitely feeling more and more of what the other thought and felt. I chewed on a corner of the bread, then offered the basket back to Krystal.
“No, thank you.”
“You two are getting more alike,” offered Tamra.
I shrugged. If Tamra had been able to see the order tie between Justen and Dayala, she could see the one that linked us, fainter though it was.
Krystal smiled. “Let her guess.”
Tamra raised her left eyebrow.
Weldein cleared his throat.
“Bread's really good,” said Dercas.
The serving girl returned with the fish, serving Krystal first, then Tamra, and then me. Krystal, wielding her knife as efficiently as ever, cut a slice offish. My stomach growled-twice. How long had it been since we'd had something to eat besides bread and cheese and dried fruit-or mutton?
My parents and Justen and Dayala slipped into the public room, and sparked another round of comments.
“... another fellow in gray... and a druid... has to be... barefoot...”
“... think the big guy in black is a storm wizard...”
“... never seen so much trouble in one place...”
Two men left coins on the table and hastily scurried out.
“I can see why people hate Recluce,” Haithen said after swallowing a mouthful of redberry.
My mouth was so full of warm and tangy fish I didn't dare open it.
“Oh?” asked Tamra.
“It's rich, and the food is good.”
Quilla was good food? A small bite showed me it was as crunchy as I remembered, and it still reminded me of sawdust. But the whitefish was firm, and the golden sauce gave it just enough tang.
When we finished, the serving girl whisked off the big brown plates and replaced them with smaller light brown dishes, each containing a large honeyed maize cake.
“Really good stuff!” marveled Dercas.
“He travels on his gut.”
“Not a bad way to go.”
Still, for all the size of the cakes, Krystal and I did finish ours, as did everyone else. I'd forgotten how good honeyed carna nuts tasted.
As the serving girl passed, I touched her arm. “How much?”
She shook her head. “The black mage there is paying for your party.” She smiled as my mouth dropped open.
Tamra frowned. “Something's not right.”
Krystal and I turned to her.
“No,” she said, “it's not that at all. It really isn't.”
“Just a moment.” I told Krystal as I eased out of my chair and walked over to my parents and Justen and Dayala. “You didn't have to do that.”
“After you've traveled so far?” My father grinned. “Besides, the Institute can afford a few meals. Especially now.”
Although his expression was cheerful, like Tamra, it bothered me, but I couldn't say why. “Thank you. It's the best dinner we've had in a long while. A long while.”
“We're glad,” my mother said. “Enjoy the guest house. Things will be more cramped when we get to Wandernaught.”
“We need to leave right after dawn,” my father added. “Pleasant dreams.”
While they weren't quite a dismissal, his words indicated that anything serious was going to wait, and, in a way, that was fine with me.
“He said the Institute could afford it,” I told Krystal.
“It probably can,” observed Tamra. “Still...”
Weldein just looked puzzled.
“We're tired,” I explained, as Krystal rose.
Of course, we weren't that tired, but my mother had been the one to suggest we enjoy the guest house.