Cerryl.”
“Before what?”
“Before I leave for Lydiar.”
“You just got back from Hydolar,” Cerryl said, almost peevishly.
“I probably shouldn’t have left there as soon as I did, but Gorsuch said it was clear that the Duke was much better.”
“Gorsuch? Is he the mage there?”
“He’s the mage and the Council’s representative. He promised to summon me if things changed. Now I know why he and the High Wizard wanted me back in Fairhaven.” Leyladin spread her hands, almost helplessly. “Sterol has requested that I attend Duke Estalin’s only son. The boy is weak and ill from the bloody flux and does not seem to be improving.”
“Why you?”
“I’m young and strong, devoted to Myral, and attracted to you. My father relies on the roads.”
“What does all that about you-”
“Those are all reasons why I can be trusted to go to the seaport nearest to Recluce. Good healers are scarce enough in Candar.”
“People leave… I suppose.” Cerryl still wasn’t sure why people would leave Fairhaven. The city was orderly, clean. Life was good so long as you obeyed the rules, but any land had rules. “I wish you weren’t going.”
“So do I.”
Two fluted crystal goblets appeared on the table. “Here you be. Two of the good red. That’ll be six.”
“There.” Leyladin slipped a silver onto the table before Cerryl could even reach his wallet. “I’ll take care of it.”
Four coppers reappeared on the table, but the blonde healer left them there.
“You’ll let me get the dinner?” Cerryl didn’t like relying on generosity, even Leyladin’s.
“How about half of it?”
Cerryl wasn’t sure even about that, but he nodded, then looked back into Leyladin’s green eyes.
Leyladin took a sip from the goblet. “Not bad.”
Cerryl followed her example. To him, the wine tasted excellent, better than any he’d had except for the dinner at Leyladin’s. “It tastes good, but I’ve had a long day.” He yawned.
“It’s better like this, right now. You’re so tired, anyway.”
“I’m not that tired.”
“You’re yawning, and I just got back.” Her eyes danced in the lamplight. “You’re tired of me already?”
“That’s not-” He shook his head. “You are impossible.”
“I’ve tried to let you know that. So did my father. He agreed that I was the most trouble, if you recall.”
“I seem to recall something like that.”
The server slipped a heavy gilt-rimmed pale blue china plate in front of Leyladin and then one in front of Cerryl. One each was a boned chicken breast covered in a cream sauce. Beside the chicken was a dark rice that Cerryl had never seen, also topped with the cream sauce. A second small plate contained freshly cut slices of early peaches, covered with baby mint leaves and a clear glaze. Cerryl hoped he had enough silvers in his wallet. He nodded to the server. “Thank you.”
“We hope you enjoy your dinner, ser and lady. Would you like anything else?”
Cerryl glanced at Leyladin and got the faintest of headshakes. “No, thank you.”
The server nodded and left them alone in the quiet room, so quiet that only murmurs from the main dining area drifted to them.
Leyladin cut a small bit of chicken and tasted it, then smiled. “It’s good.”
Cerryl followed her example. The spice and cream chicken, flavored with orange, trilia, and peppers, was excellent. He saw why Faltar preferred eating out of the Halls, but then he had to wonder how his blond peer could afford such food. “I fear I could get too accustomed to this kind of food.”
“Furenk serves better than at the duke’s table in Hydolar. Much better.” The healer grimaced. “Much of the food in the mages’ Meal Hall is better than the duke’s fare.”
“That’s another reason why you shouldn’t go to Lydiar.”
“Duke Estalin serves a better table. That’s what Anya told me.”
“How did she know you were going?”
“She was with Sterol when he requested that I
“Before what?”
“Before I leave for Lydiar.”
“You just got back from Hydolar,” Cerryl said, almost peevishly.
“I probably shouldn’t have left there as soon as I did, but Gorsuch said it was clear that the Duke was much better.”
“Gorsuch? Is he the mage there?”
“He’s the mage and the Council’s representative. He promised to summon me if things changed. Now I know why he and the High Wizard wanted me back in Fairhaven.” Leyladin spread her hands, almost helplessly. “Sterol has requested that I attend Duke Estalin’s only son. The boy is weak and ill from the bloody flux and does not seem to be improving.”
“Why you?”
“I’m young and strong, devoted to Myral, and attracted to you. My father relies on the roads.”
“What does all that about you-”
“Those are all reasons why I can be trusted to go to the seaport nearest to Recluce. Good healers are scarce enough in Candar.”
“People leave… I suppose.” Cerryl still wasn’t sure why people would leave Fairhaven. The city was orderly, clean. Life was good so long as you obeyed the rules, but any land had rules. “I wish you weren’t going.”
“So do I.”
Two fluted crystal goblets appeared on the table. “Here you be. Two of the good red. That’ll be six.”
“There.” Leyladin slipped a silver onto the table before Cerryl could even reach his wallet. “I’ll take care of it.”
Four coppers reappeared on the table, but the blonde healer left them there.
“You’ll let me get the dinner?” Cerryl didn’t like relying on generosity, even Leyladin’s.
“How about half of it?”
Cerryl wasn’t sure even about that, but he nodded, then looked back into Leyladin’s green eyes.
Leyladin took a sip from the goblet. “Not bad.”
Cerryl followed her example. To him, the wine tasted excellent, better than any he’d had except for the dinner at Leyladin’s. “It tastes good, but I’ve had a long day.” He yawned.
“It’s better like this, right now. You’re so tired, anyway.”
“I’m not that tired.”
“You’re yawning, and I just got back.” Her eyes danced in the lamplight. “You’re tired of me already?”
“That’s not-” He shook his head. “You are impossible.”
“I’ve tried to let you know that. So did my father. He agreed that I was the most trouble, if you recall.”
“I seem to recall something like that.”
The server slipped a heavy gilt-rimmed pale blue china plate in front of Leyladin and then one in front of Cerryl. One each was a boned chicken breast covered in a cream sauce. Beside the chicken was a dark rice that Cerryl had never seen, also topped with the cream sauce. A second small plate contained freshly cut slices of early peaches, covered with baby mint leaves and a clear glaze. Cerryl hoped he had enough silvers in his wallet. He nodded to the server. “Thank you.”
“We hope you enjoy your dinner, ser and lady. Would you like anything else?”
Cerryl glanced at Leyladin and got the faintest of headshakes. “No, thank you.”
The server nodded and left them alone in the quiet room, so quiet that only murmurs from the main dining area drifted to them.
Leyladin cut a small bit of chicken and tasted it, then smiled. “It’s good.”
Cerryl followed her example. The spice and cream chicken, flavored with orange, trilia, and peppers, was excellent. He saw why Faltar preferred eating out of the Halls, but then he had to wonder how his blond peer could afford such food. “I fear I could get too accustomed to this kind of food.”
“Furenk serves better than at the duke’s table in Hydolar. Much better.” The healer grimaced. “Much of the food in the mages’ Meal Hall is better than the duke’s fare.”
“That’s another reason why you shouldn’t go to Lydiar.”
“Duke Estalin serves a better table. That’s what Anya told me.”
“How did she know you were going?”
“She was with Sterol when he requested that I
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