dipped hastily to one knee with heads bowed.
Brodas touched their shoulders with a satisfied grin. “Please, no such formalities are required. You are my guests.” When they rose, he offered his hand to each of them intending to give a gentle, aristocratic handshake. Both women clasped his hand with surprising strength. “I understand you must be very busy,” he said. “Warrick and I appreciate the time you took to visit, and we’ve got a wonderful meal prepared.”
Aminda inclined her head. “We always enjoy meeting members of the community we serve, but forgive my surprise. Had I known you were a cleric we would have brought an offering. If there’s something the Sisterhood can do for you, by all means let us know. We are at your service.”
Brodas caught Warrick eyeing Lilalian with a lusty half-smile and clapped him hard on the shoulder. “I believe dinner’s nearly ready to serve. Why don’t we go right to the dining room and have some wine while the kitchen staff finishes their preparations?”
He led the way to the dining hall and stood at the doorway to usher the ladies in. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. You may lean your weapons against the wall behind you.” The women unstrapped their short swords and set them in the corner.
Brodas sat at the head of the dining table, with Warrick on his right. Aminda sat on Brodas’s left and Lilalian beside her. Aminda smoothed her hands across the embroidered ivy that crept along the tablecloth, while Lilalian’s eyes scanned the plaster-patched walls in the soft light emanating from the new sconces. As the manservant poured wine and water for them, Brodas gestured to the room with a sweep of his arm.
“You wouldn’t believe the condition of this home when I acquired it,” he said. “Doors hung off their hinges, paint peeled from the walls, and one of the sconces had torn loose. Who knows how long it had lain on the floor.”
“Did you inherit it?” Lilalian asked.
Brodas considered lying about the previous owner, but did not want to arouse suspicion with different versions of the story. The last thing he needed was a visit from the Lordover Sohan regarding his acquisition of this fine manor. “No, she was a young widow and had fallen ill. None of the healers she summoned had been able to help her. I believe she had the yellow lung blight.” Brodas took a sip of wine. “I was very fortunate to have inquired when I did, as the home was about to go to auction.”
Aminda asked, “Aren’t you worried that the vapors which caused her death are floating in the air above your own bed?”
“No, not at all. We’ve cleansed the manor top to bottom and smudged with all manner of spices and herbs. Most unfortunate for a woman so young.”
Lilalian cocked her head. “You knew her, then?”
“Oh, no,” Brodas said quickly. “I didn’t know her, but I asked my new neighbors about her. Had the timing of my arrival been better for the poor woman, I might have cured her.”
“Your healing skill must be powerful, indeed,” Aminda said.
“The healing skill of Asti-nayas is powerful,” Brodas said as he made the practiced gesture of subservience over his heart. “I am but His humble servant. In fact, I have a gift for you both. If you’ll excuse me for a short moment.” He stood and bowed slightly, then went to his library for the two amulets he’d purchased from a jeweler that morning. He’d paid only a few copper coins for each and replaced the worthless jewelry-grade gems with high-quality magic-grade gems.
“...allow men to visit the compound?” Warrick was saying when Brodas returned. The man had only one thing on his mind when women were present.
Guiding the conversation back on its intended path, Brodas said, “Here we are. Each of these amulets bears a high quality onyx blessed with water from the Holy Temple Argatha. They’ll protect you from harm by magic and by steel. I would like each of you to have one as a token of my
Brodas touched their shoulders with a satisfied grin. “Please, no such formalities are required. You are my guests.” When they rose, he offered his hand to each of them intending to give a gentle, aristocratic handshake. Both women clasped his hand with surprising strength. “I understand you must be very busy,” he said. “Warrick and I appreciate the time you took to visit, and we’ve got a wonderful meal prepared.”
Aminda inclined her head. “We always enjoy meeting members of the community we serve, but forgive my surprise. Had I known you were a cleric we would have brought an offering. If there’s something the Sisterhood can do for you, by all means let us know. We are at your service.”
Brodas caught Warrick eyeing Lilalian with a lusty half-smile and clapped him hard on the shoulder. “I believe dinner’s nearly ready to serve. Why don’t we go right to the dining room and have some wine while the kitchen staff finishes their preparations?”
He led the way to the dining hall and stood at the doorway to usher the ladies in. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. You may lean your weapons against the wall behind you.” The women unstrapped their short swords and set them in the corner.
Brodas sat at the head of the dining table, with Warrick on his right. Aminda sat on Brodas’s left and Lilalian beside her. Aminda smoothed her hands across the embroidered ivy that crept along the tablecloth, while Lilalian’s eyes scanned the plaster-patched walls in the soft light emanating from the new sconces. As the manservant poured wine and water for them, Brodas gestured to the room with a sweep of his arm.
“You wouldn’t believe the condition of this home when I acquired it,” he said. “Doors hung off their hinges, paint peeled from the walls, and one of the sconces had torn loose. Who knows how long it had lain on the floor.”
“Did you inherit it?” Lilalian asked.
Brodas considered lying about the previous owner, but did not want to arouse suspicion with different versions of the story. The last thing he needed was a visit from the Lordover Sohan regarding his acquisition of this fine manor. “No, she was a young widow and had fallen ill. None of the healers she summoned had been able to help her. I believe she had the yellow lung blight.” Brodas took a sip of wine. “I was very fortunate to have inquired when I did, as the home was about to go to auction.”
Aminda asked, “Aren’t you worried that the vapors which caused her death are floating in the air above your own bed?”
“No, not at all. We’ve cleansed the manor top to bottom and smudged with all manner of spices and herbs. Most unfortunate for a woman so young.”
Lilalian cocked her head. “You knew her, then?”
“Oh, no,” Brodas said quickly. “I didn’t know her, but I asked my new neighbors about her. Had the timing of my arrival been better for the poor woman, I might have cured her.”
“Your healing skill must be powerful, indeed,” Aminda said.
“The healing skill of Asti-nayas is powerful,” Brodas said as he made the practiced gesture of subservience over his heart. “I am but His humble servant. In fact, I have a gift for you both. If you’ll excuse me for a short moment.” He stood and bowed slightly, then went to his library for the two amulets he’d purchased from a jeweler that morning. He’d paid only a few copper coins for each and replaced the worthless jewelry-grade gems with high-quality magic-grade gems.
“...allow men to visit the compound?” Warrick was saying when Brodas returned. The man had only one thing on his mind when women were present.
Guiding the conversation back on its intended path, Brodas said, “Here we are. Each of these amulets bears a high quality onyx blessed with water from the Holy Temple Argatha. They’ll protect you from harm by magic and by steel. I would like each of you to have one as a token of my
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