sure," he answered.
South of the Market Square, Leyladin turned left, and they walked the block to her house. There the blonde healer took out a large brass key and inserted it in the lock. "Soaris is off today, and Father is back in Vergren again. Then he's going to Tyrhavven."
"He was in Vergren the last time I talked to you."
"He's worried about something, but he hasn't said much about it. I think it's timber this time. That's why he has to go to Sligo." Leyladin opened the door and held it open.
Inside was cooler than in the afternoon sun, much cooler, and Cerryl blotted away the dampness on his forehead, hoping he would cool inside the granite dwelling.
"Meridis!" The blonde walked through the foyer into the silk-hung entry hall and then through another door.
Cerryl followed her into the kitchen.
The gray-haired Meridis, wearing a pale blue shirt and no overtunic, looked up from the worktable where she was rolling out something. "Lady, I did not expect you so soon."
"We need something to eat. Nothing fancy. Fruit, cheese, some bread ..."
"Aye, those I can do." Meridis wiped her hands on the weathered gray apron cinched around her. "Go and sit down. Be but a bit. Even have some cool redberry. Now ... you sit down."
Feeling almost shooed from the kitchen, Cerryl followed Leyladin into a small room where a golden oak table with four chairs sat halfway into a hexagonal room, the outer three walls comprised of floor-to-ceiling windows facing north. Leyladin plopped down in a chair on one side of the table, her back to the windows.
Cerryl sat across from her. "Redberry?" I drink it when I can. Too much wine or ale, and I have trouble with healing. They say that the full Blacks on Recluce don't drink wine or ale or spirits."
Meridis appeared with a warm loaf of dark bread, a bowl filled with early peaches and green apples, and three wedges of cheese-one yellow, one yellow-white, and one pale white. Setting those down, she departed, only to return immediately with two platters and cutlery. A third trip brought two of the crystal goblets and two pitchers. "Redberry and golden ale. Now ... eat afore you both melt." A brusque nod preceded her departure.
"Ah ... she ..."
"Meridis is family. She's not hesitated to let me know when she disapproved. She likes you. That's why the ale."
"How would she know?" Cerryl couldn't help frowning. "She's only seen me once-that I know of."
"She makes up her mind quickly. She doesn't change it easily." A smile crossed Leyladin's lips. "She's usually right. Not always, but enough that I'd never wager against her. Neither would Father." She poured ale for Cerryl and redberry for herself.
Cerryl waited for her to take a sip of her redberry before tasting the ale. "It's good. Then, everything here is good."
"Everything?" She arched her eyebrows.
"Everything."
"I'm glad you approve. Have some cheese ... or something. You're pale."
Cerryl cut several slices of cheese off each wedge and nodded to her.
"Thank you." The healer took a wedge of the white and one of the yellow, then broke off a chunk of the dark bread.
Cerryl tried the pale white with bread. Before he knew it, he'd eaten three wedges of cheese with bread.
"You were hungry."
"It's been a long day," he admitted.
"Yesterday was for me. I just about fell into my bed last night."
"How is Duke Estalin's son?"
"He will recover. He wasn't that sick." Leyladin shook her head. "Sometimes ..." She looked at Cerryl. "You heard about Duke Berofar, didn't you?"
He frowned. "Heard what? I don't hear that much, not on gate duty, and not when I really don't know that many of the full mages-the younger ones, I mean."
"It couldn't hurt to eat with a few others," she pointed out. "The more who know you as a real person..."
He nodded. That made sense. "What about Duke Berofar?"
"He died. Gorsuch ... I just don't know."
"Don't know what?" Cerryl continued to feel that the more he learned about anything, the less he really knew. He
South of the Market Square, Leyladin turned left, and they walked the block to her house. There the blonde healer took out a large brass key and inserted it in the lock. "Soaris is off today, and Father is back in Vergren again. Then he's going to Tyrhavven."
"He was in Vergren the last time I talked to you."
"He's worried about something, but he hasn't said much about it. I think it's timber this time. That's why he has to go to Sligo." Leyladin opened the door and held it open.
Inside was cooler than in the afternoon sun, much cooler, and Cerryl blotted away the dampness on his forehead, hoping he would cool inside the granite dwelling.
"Meridis!" The blonde walked through the foyer into the silk-hung entry hall and then through another door.
Cerryl followed her into the kitchen.
The gray-haired Meridis, wearing a pale blue shirt and no overtunic, looked up from the worktable where she was rolling out something. "Lady, I did not expect you so soon."
"We need something to eat. Nothing fancy. Fruit, cheese, some bread ..."
"Aye, those I can do." Meridis wiped her hands on the weathered gray apron cinched around her. "Go and sit down. Be but a bit. Even have some cool redberry. Now ... you sit down."
Feeling almost shooed from the kitchen, Cerryl followed Leyladin into a small room where a golden oak table with four chairs sat halfway into a hexagonal room, the outer three walls comprised of floor-to-ceiling windows facing north. Leyladin plopped down in a chair on one side of the table, her back to the windows.
Cerryl sat across from her. "Redberry?" I drink it when I can. Too much wine or ale, and I have trouble with healing. They say that the full Blacks on Recluce don't drink wine or ale or spirits."
Meridis appeared with a warm loaf of dark bread, a bowl filled with early peaches and green apples, and three wedges of cheese-one yellow, one yellow-white, and one pale white. Setting those down, she departed, only to return immediately with two platters and cutlery. A third trip brought two of the crystal goblets and two pitchers. "Redberry and golden ale. Now ... eat afore you both melt." A brusque nod preceded her departure.
"Ah ... she ..."
"Meridis is family. She's not hesitated to let me know when she disapproved. She likes you. That's why the ale."
"How would she know?" Cerryl couldn't help frowning. "She's only seen me once-that I know of."
"She makes up her mind quickly. She doesn't change it easily." A smile crossed Leyladin's lips. "She's usually right. Not always, but enough that I'd never wager against her. Neither would Father." She poured ale for Cerryl and redberry for herself.
Cerryl waited for her to take a sip of her redberry before tasting the ale. "It's good. Then, everything here is good."
"Everything?" She arched her eyebrows.
"Everything."
"I'm glad you approve. Have some cheese ... or something. You're pale."
Cerryl cut several slices of cheese off each wedge and nodded to her.
"Thank you." The healer took a wedge of the white and one of the yellow, then broke off a chunk of the dark bread.
Cerryl tried the pale white with bread. Before he knew it, he'd eaten three wedges of cheese with bread.
"You were hungry."
"It's been a long day," he admitted.
"Yesterday was for me. I just about fell into my bed last night."
"How is Duke Estalin's son?"
"He will recover. He wasn't that sick." Leyladin shook her head. "Sometimes ..." She looked at Cerryl. "You heard about Duke Berofar, didn't you?"
He frowned. "Heard what? I don't hear that much, not on gate duty, and not when I really don't know that many of the full mages-the younger ones, I mean."
"It couldn't hurt to eat with a few others," she pointed out. "The more who know you as a real person..."
He nodded. That made sense. "What about Duke Berofar?"
"He died. Gorsuch ... I just don't know."
"Don't know what?" Cerryl continued to feel that the more he learned about anything, the less he really knew. He
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