Colors of Chaos

Colors of the Guild
XLIV

CERRYL SCRIPTED OUT the last of his daily report, his eyes running over the hand-written letters whose narrowness Tellis had insisted upon so long ago-at least it seemed so long ago.

A gust of hot wind from the high window that was barely open brushed his hair, and he glanced up. It had been more than a year, more like a year and a season, since he had become a Patrol mage, and he was still on morning duty. Another fall and another harvest was coming in another handful of eight-days, and little had changed. He still walked the streets with the area patrols occasionally, and while peacebreaking had dropped for a time, the number of offenders had seemed unchanged for the past two seasons.

There was still the occasional cart or wagon with goods and driver missing, but no other traces-and while Cerryl had kept personal records, he had not ventured beyond what Fydel would have called “simple peacekeeping.” Cerryl had his ideas, but without proof and/or more understanding, his ideas were but ideas. He’d learned early that to those without power patience was a necessity, however little he liked waiting. The incident with the iron arrow had reemphasized that lesson.

That also applied to Leyladin. He and Leyladin saw each other more frequently, but a sense of reserve had built between them, an unspoken wall. Behind everything Cerryl felt forces were building, forces he could not see but certainly could feel.

His eyes went to the Patrol report before him:

…Guarl, who is a laborer for the tanner Huyter, stole five loaves of bread from the baker Sidor. Guarl was caught by Duarrl’s patrol. Guarl claimed he needed the bread for his consort and children…given refuse duty for four eight-days…

Cerryl shook his head-he’d bent the rules on that one, but his truth-read had shown Guarl to be honest and desperate. Afterward, Cerryl had gone to the tanner’s and asked Huyter about Guarl. The tanner had said that he had only been able to pay his laborers half their normal pay because he had no coins left. The boot makers were getting their leather from a factor named Kosior, supposedly made from hides from Hydlen, where the maize crop had failed and the late rains had devastated the grasslands earlier parched by the late-summer drought. After a second year of grassland and crop failure, rather than have the cattle starve, Hydlenese farmers had sold many for slaughter, with the meat salted and the hides sold for what they would bring.

“So…” Cerryl murmured to himself, “cheap leather comes to Fairhaven, and tanners cannot pay their laborers. The Blacks use their ships to bring cheaper goods to Spidlar and then use the coins to buy scarce grain.” He shook his head. “And I keep the simple peace in the southeast sector.” He folded the report.

After a moment, he blotted his forehead, then called, “Orial?”

The messenger in red appeared.

“Here’s the daily report for the Patrol chief.”

“I’m leaving, ser.” With a smile, the redhead bowed and scurried out and down the corridor.

Cerryl stood. Gyskas had not arrived yet, since the older mage no longer hurried to relieve Cerryl, an indirect compliment or acceptance, Cerryl supposed.

He walked back and forth in front of the table-desk. Myral had cautioned patience, and so had Leyladin. Having few choices, and none better, Cerryl had been patient.

Jeslek remained High Wizard and had accompanied Eliasar to Fenard-and then returned, with a chest of golds from Prefect Syrma. Most of the “honor guard” of White Lancers had also returned, but according to Jeslek’s reports at the seasonal Guild meetings, the golds had continued to come from Fenard and Certis. Nothing came from Spidlar but cheaper goods smuggled on back roads, followed by protests that the prefect could not spare the armsmen to patrol every road in the desmesne of Gallos. Less loud demurrals came from the viscount of Certis.

Cerryl paused in his pacing as he sensed the rush of chaos that accompanied Gyskas.

“Anything new?” asked the balding older mage, blotting dampness off his high forehead.

“I put a tanner’s laborer on the refuse crew.”

“Beating a woman?”

“Stole some bread for his family because he wasn’t paid.”

Gyskas frowned. “That should be road crew.”

“I know, but I truth-read him. Child and mother are sick; they don’t have enough coins. The tanner can’t pay because of the cheap leather from Hydlen.” Cerryl shrugged. “I couldn’t let him go, but…”

“Cerryl, be careful that you don’t get in the habit of bending the rules. Especially now. We’re going to see more of that.” Gyskas took a deep breath. “I still say that whatever Jeslek did in raising those mountains changed the weather, and it’s hurt the crops and grass. Bread’s a copper for two of the big loaves. Ale at four coppers at The Ram?”

“I don’t see as many carts in the Market Square, either,” Cerryl pointed out.

“They don’t want to travel the roads when they can get as much or more in Hydlen or Spidlar.”

“Would you?” asked the younger mage.

“Probably not, but this can’t go on.”

“The High Wizard’s waiting until both the wealthy factors and the poor traders see that.”

“He’s waited long enough.” Gyskas walked around the table-desk and pulled out the chair. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Till tomorrow.” Cerryl nodded and left, passing the assembly room before the second shift patrols filed out.

The wind on the street was hot and dry, as always in the height of late summer. Cerryl turned south, toward the Way of the Tanners, eyes and senses studying everything as he moved quickly along one block, then another.

“Afternoon, ser Cerryl!” called the washerwoman who had set her basket on the narrow porch of Esad’s-a store of odd items, neither a chandlery nor a miller’s market nor a weaver’s shop, but a place that held items partaking selectedly of all.

“I hope it has been a good one for you,” he answered, not recalling her name but knowing he had seen her in the assembly room a season back for something.

“Some days are good, some bad, but Ikor does not beat me now. The foul words-those he may keep and use.” She smiled and lifted the basket.

Cerryl nodded and resumed walking.

When he reached the Way of the Tanners, he turned eastward and continued on for another two blocks until he reached a narrow building with a single window and a wooden boot hung over the doorway. He stepped under the wooden boot over the open entry and into the shop.

The black-haired boot maker at the bench looked up. “Ser Cerryl, your boots were ready the day before yesterday.”

“I know. I had to take part of a duty in the northeast section.” Cerryl shrugged. Isork had only let Cerryl cover the time until dinner, saying that it wasn’t Cerryl’s lack of experience, but that he didn’t want to overwork anyone. So Cerryl had taken the first part and Klyat the second, while Wascot recovered from a flux from bad food.

“They say there be more peacebreaking there in the past eight-days,” offered the boot maker, turning toward the shelf on the wall where rested a pair of white and thick-soled Patrol boots. He lifted the boots off the shoulder-high shelf and turned back to Cerryl. “You keep the peace good here. Fairer ’n most, too.”

“I try, Miern.”

“That’ll be a gold, you know?”

Cerryl extracted a gold and a half-silver from his wallet. “There.”

“You need not-”

“Good boots are worth it.” Cerryl reached for the boots.

“For that…at least…” Miern fumbled under the workbench and came out with a worn cloth sack. “…don’t need this anyway.” The boot maker put the boots in the gray sack, splotched with faded patches nearly white, and extended the sack.

“Thank you.”

“Got to take care of those who pay in these days.” Miern smiled.

“Is it that bad for you? Someone told me that leather is getting cheaper,” Cerryl ventured.

“Cow leather,” Miern affirmed. “I make my boots, the sturdy ones, from bull leather. Don’t care for that cheap leather from Hydlen. One thing that Beykr and I agree on.”

The Patrol mage had to grin. “I didn’t know as you agreed on anything.”

“Precious little, ser mage. Precious little.”

“Thank you, Miern,” Cerryl said again.

“Thanks be to you, ser mage.”

Cerryl stepped out onto the walk that flanked the Way of the Tanners and turned westward, toward the White Tower and the Halls of the Mages.

Ahead of him, he could see clouds building and darkening. He hoped the storms weren’t too bad. With harvest hardly begun, a heavy storm could ruin much of the wheat corn, and that would only lead to higher prices, prices that had continued to rise since the previous winter, driving up the price of bread and, unhappily for him, the amount of small theft, even if other forms of peacebreaking seemed to be declining in his section.

Leyladin was waiting in the fountain court at the Halls of the Mages, as she did when she could.

Cerryl couldn’t help smiling, and smiling more broadly when she smiled back. “You still make me smile.”

“Good. You weren’t here yesterday or the day before. I was afraid I’d done something.”

“No. Wascot was sick, and I had to take the first part of his afternoon duty. Isork took the second part one night, and Huroan did last night, but it was late when I got back.” He paused. “You have something to tell me? What’s wrong?”

“It’s not that bad. The High Wizard has requested I go back to Hydlen. The young duke is ailing, and Gorsuch suspects all is not well.”

Cerryl frowned. “That sounds like a different turn on an old tale.”

“I think as much, also.”

Neither needed to spell it out. The old Duke, Berofar, had died just after Leyladin had been there to care for his son Uulrac, and both Cerryl and Leyladin had suspected Gorsuch, as the Guild representative to Hydlen, had not been uninvolved. Yet now Gorsuch was practically demanding Leyladin return.

Cerryl nodded. Of course, an underage ruler needed a regent. If the boy died, then one of his older cousins would become duke and Gorsuch would return to being an adviser, if that, and Jeslek would have to contend with a more independent duke who probably had no love of Fairhaven. “Uulrac’s six?”

“Something like that.”

“When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

That didn’t surprise Cerryl much, either. “Perhaps you should move to Hydolar and I should petition to become Gorsuch’s assistant.”

“You have to stay here.”

“Why? Myral’s visions?” Why does she keep bringing them up?…I’m no Jeslek, or even a Kinowin.

“And other things,” she replied obliquely. “Can you join me and Father for an early dinner?”

“I’d be happy to, and even happier were you able to invite me for tomorrow.”

“Perhaps you could come as soon as you wash up. Then we could talk.”

“I will hurry.” Cerryl bowed.

“So will I.” She squeezed his hand.

Cerryl strode quickly to his room, where he stripped to little more than smallclothes, and marched to the bathing room. The cold water felt good, even for shaving.

Back in his quarters, still stripped to the waist as he dried and changed, Cerryl’s eyes went to the scar across his shoulder-barely a thin white line, yet it had been a wide red welt. Had it healed so well because of Leyladin’s continual presence?

And now she was headed off, just as matters seemed to be getting worse throughout Candar. Hydolar…again?

He shook his head and donned a clean white shirt, then a crimson-trimmed sleeveless white tunic and the red patroller’s belt. Some of the Patrol mages didn’t wear the red belts, but the belt felt right to Cerryl.

He hurried down the corridor and out of the Halls, nodding to a few that he passed-Myredin and Bealtur and Disarj. He saw Redark from behind, but since the overmage didn’t turn, Cerryl didn’t feel as though he had to acknowledge the High Council member.

After stopping for a moment on the shaded walk outside Leyladin’s to catch his breath and to cool off, Cerryl knocked firmly.

Soaris opened the carved and polished door for Cerryl and bowed. “Good afternoon, ser Cerryl.”

“Good afternoon, Soaris.” Cerryl found the coolness of the house was refreshing as he stepped through the foyer and into the marble-tiled entry hall.

“I’m in here, Cerryl.” Leyladin waited, on the settee before the portrait of her mother.

Cerryl’s eyes went from daughter to mother and back again before he sat down beside the blonde healer. “How are you feeling? You look very serious.”

“I talked to Myral this morning.”

Cerryl waited.

“He doesn’t think he’ll see the end of the troubles ahead.”

“We’re likely to have troubles for many years,” Cerryl pointed out. “That’s what I see, and that could be a long time. He could be around for years.”

“Cerryl. He’s getting weaker.”

“You’re worried that if you go…but if you stayed…?”

She nodded. “He might survive, and I don’t know that’s what Jeslek wants.”

“Jeslek has a problem. If Uulrac dies, things can’t help but get worse in Hydlen. If Myral dies, some will say that Jeslek invented Uulrac’s illness.” He paused. “Do you think…?”

“No. Jeslek is worried about the boy. But he also doesn’t care much for Myral. If Myral dies, who will speak out?”

“I will.”

“You do already, but the older mages don’t listen, except for Kinowin and a few of the Patrol types.”

Cerryl patted Leyladin on the knee, mostly because he had no idea what he could do or say.

She sighed. “Usually there have been more than one or two Black healers in Fairhaven, but the numbers are fewer and fewer.”

“They go to Recluce?” Cerryl frowned. “There was a Black healer that came through here last year.”

“One of their exiles or pilgrims? Even if we could find him, he couldn’t take Fairhaven. Sometimes I even get headaches so bad that I can’t see, and I was born here.”

“You haven’t told me that…I’ve never sensed…”

“I’ve not let anyone see that.” She turned directly to him. “How could I let any word of that get to Jeslek?”

“Maybe it’s better for you to go to Hydolar.”

“It’s not better for Myral or you.”

“I’ll be fine. I can look in on Myral.”

“You will, won’t you?”

“I promise. I’m not a healer, but I’ll let you know by messenger if you’re needed.”

“If he gets really sick, and Uulrac’s not too bad…”

Cerryl nodded, not knowing for what he hoped.

“So how are the two not-quite lovers?” boomed Layel from the entry hall.

“Just talking, Father.” Leyladin’s voice was cheerful, with a forced spirit Cerryl could sense was painful.

“Are you two ready to eat? Been a long day at the Exchange, and I’m starved.”

“If you would tell Meridis, Father, we’ll be right there.”

“That I can do, Daughter. That I can.” With a loud chuckle, Layel left the entry hall.

“You have to be careful, Cerryl. More cautious than ever before.”

“I know.”

Leyladin stood. “Father will be calling again if we don’t get to the dining hall.” She grinned. “Food is almost as important as trade to him.”

“Almost?” Cerryl raised his eyebrows as he took Leyladin’s arm.

“Sometimes, it’s more important.”

They walked from the sitting room to the dining hall, where Layel stood behind the head chair.

“Good! We can eat.” The factor seated himself, as did the others, Cerryl waiting slightly for Leyladin.

No sooner than the three were seated did Meridis appear with a large steep-sided china bowl that she set before Layel.

“Meridis? What might this be?”

“Fowl casserole, ser.”

“Fowl casserole? That be a dinner?” Layel glanced at Meridis.

“Begging your pardon, Master Layel, but all the beef is tough and stringy, and so are the fowl in the market. Stewed and with wine and spices and cheese, and even the broad mushrooms…”

Layel lifted his hands. “You did the best you could, and for that I am grateful.”

Meridis returned to the kitchen and came back with another platter, which she set before Layel. “Quilla, as you wished.”

“That is better.” A broad smile crossed the factor’s face.

Standing behind Layel, Meridis rolled her eyes, then set the bread platter before Leyladin, before again retreating to the kitchen.

“You said it was a long day at the Exchange?” Cerryl said as he poured the white wine from the clear bottle into the factor’s goblet.

“Yes…ah, thank you.”

“Why might it have been so long?” Leyladin asked, her eyes twinkling.

“Grain prices…they go up, and then down a little, and then up…Recluce is buying more grain in Sarronnyn. That means-” Layel eased half the quilla on the platter onto his own plate, then glanced at Leyladin. “You won’t be eating this, I know.”

“Recluce is buying more grain,” Cerryl prompted.

“There isn’t enough left to ship to Hydlen at the old price, and that means that grain prices, and the prices of flour and bread, will rise all through the fall and winter, even until next harvest, perchance. Ah…would that I had seen it earlier. Saw it early enough for a modest gain, but, oh, had I seen it far earlier.” The factor shook his head and spooned out a moderate helping of the casserole, his nose wrinkling slightly.

After Leyladin served herself, Cerryl took a modest helping, as well as bread and but a small serving of quilla, a serving he hoped he could eat without merely choking it down. He started with the casserole and found himself taking another bite. “This is good.”

“Meridis makes a good casserole…when Father lets her.”

“A man’s food is meat untainted with all such delicacies, or where such delicacies add to the flavor and do not bury it,” Layel mumbled through a mouthful of quilla.

“I often prefer the delicacies,” Leyladin said.

“I like both,” Cerryl confessed-truthfully, since he’d had little enough of either growing up.

“Spoken like a mage.” Layel laughed.

“He is a mage, a very good mage.” Leyladin took a sip of wine.

“I work at it.”

“Everything takes work. Trading does.”

“How did you get started being a factor?” Cerryl asked.

“Long time ago…my father, he was a cloth merchant, one step above a weaver, and I asked myself, ‘If Da is a merchant, why can’t I be a factor?’ I went to the Market Square and watched what people bought and what they paid…and when they bought, and I saved every copper until I could go to the weavers in the late spring, for that is when times were the worst, and buy all that I could, and I saved it until after harvest…”

Cerryl and Leyladin listened as Layel spun out his tale of rising from the son of a cloth merchant to a powerful factor. Layel barely paused when Meridis cleared the empty dishes and returned with three cups of egg custard.

“Egg custard?”

“You told me to take care with the honey and the molasses, that they would be hard to come by in the seasons ahead,” answered the cook.

“So I did. So I did. Egg custard. There’s worse. There’s no custard, and no eggs,” mused Layel. “And, you know, there were times like that. Bought my first coaster…and lost her on the second voyage…Folk said I was failed. They were wrong…”

Leyladin smiled at Cerryl.

He smiled back.

“…wrong ’cause I had coins saved, not enough for another ship, not then, but I took a share in an Austran spice trader that ran the Black Isle leg-can’t do that now…no, you can’t. Can’t do this, and can’t do that…world’s not the same now, not by a long bolt…”

Later, when the lamps cast all the light in the house and in the front foyer, Leyladin and Cerryl stood by the door.

“I’m sorry it’s so late,” Leyladin apologized. “Father, he was so pleased to be able to tell someone how he got to be a factor. You have to get up early.”

“So do you. I don’t have to ride to Hydolar.” Cerryl wrapped his arms around Leyladin, ignoring her wish for an almost chaste hug for just a moment before releasing her. “Be careful, very careful.” Myral doesn’t have any visions about you, Leyladin. He concealed a wince at the thought that he might be accepting what Myral had said.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Make sure that you are,” he insisted.

“You take care of yourself, and watch out for Jeslek and Anya.” For the first time, her lips met his, warm-and loving. “And keep doing what Myral told you…I want to be able to kiss you again.”

So do I. Cerryl held her for a long time, without speaking.