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allowing the dinner guest—in the case of Talon’s, a striking woman of middle years with a lavish necklace of emeralds around her neck—to move in and be seated, pushing the chair in slightly as the guest sat. Talon was only a beat behind the others, but he managed the feat without a flaw.
    He anticipated his need to move down to the next chair and repeat the action, and quickly all the guests were seated. As Talon returned to his station, he saw Kendrick watching him and Lars move back to stand before his sideboard.
    The girls began serving food, and then Lars took up a pitcher of ale and a decanter of wine and moved to the head of the table. Talon hesitated, looked at Kendrick, whose eyes narrowed only in the slightest as he glanced first from Talon to the sideboard, then back to the young man.
    Talon duplicated Lars’s movements and was at the side of the man at the head of the table, offering his choice of wine or ale. The man spoke in a heavily accented speech, but the words were Roldemish, and it was clear that in the flurry of witticism and observations, he was instructing Talon to pour the wine. Talon did so, attempting not to drip upon the table or the guest.
    He then moved down the row of other guests, quickly filling goblets as instructed.
    Once that had been accomplished, the rest of the evening passed without event. Throughout the course of the meal he refilled goblet after goblet, and when his own pitchers and decanters were nearly empty, one of the girls fetched them to the kitchen for a refill.
    From Talon’s inexperienced point of view things seem to progress smoothly enough. Near the end of the meal he sought to refill the goblet of the man at the head of the table, who indicated he wished no more by putting his hand briefly over the goblet before him.
    Talon had no idea what to say, so he bowed slightly and backed away.
    Kendrick stood discreetly behind the head of the table, watching every move of his staff, looking for any need that was going unmet.
    When the meal was over, the guests indicated they were ready to leave. Talon hurried to a place behind the first chair as he saw Kendrick and Lars do so, and was only a half beat behind in gently pulling out the chairs so the guests could rise gracefully.
    When the last guest was through the door, Kendrick followed, and as the door into the common room swung shut, the door from the serving room swung open and Leo strode through, shouting, “All right then! What are you about! Get this mess cleaned up!’’
    Suddenly Meggie, Lela, and Lars were grabbing platters and dishes off the tables, and Talon did likewise. They hurried back and forth between the dining room and kitchen and the task of cleaning began.
    Talon quickly sensed a rhythm in this business, a matching of task to person, and he found it easy to anticipate what to do next. By the end of the night’s work, he felt comfortable in the tasks asked of him, and knew that he would be even better able to execute them the next time he was asked.
    As the kitchen staff prepared for the morning meal, several staying to prepare the morning’s bread, Lela came to him, and said, “Before you sleep, Kendrick wants to see you.’’
    He looked around and quietly asked, “Where?’’
    â€œIn the common room,” she replied.
    He made his way there and found Kendrick sitting at one of the long tables before the bar with Robert de Lyis on the other side, both enjoying a mug of ale.
    Kendrick said, “Boy, you are called ‘Talon’?”
    â€œSir,” said Talon in agreement.
    â€œTalon of the Silver Hawk,” supplied Robert.
    â€œThat is an Orosini name,” said Kendrick.
    â€œYes, sir.’’
    â€œWe have seen a few of your people by here from time to time over the years, but you tend to stay up in your mountains.”
    Talon nodded, uncertain if an answer was required.
    Kendrick studied him a moment in silence, then