reading of the pastoral romances that had been popular in Armethalieh—the market square. On three sides of the square were rows of neat one- and two-story whitewashed thatched-roof cottages, and here in the center of the square was a well, with a windlass and bucket, surrounded by a curved stone trough with a rim wide enough to sit on. All around them, people were going about their everyday tasks—or so Kellen supposed, as it was all new and unfamiliar to him. Everything he could see was built wide enough and high enough to accommodate Centaurs as well as humans, and Kellen wondered what he'd see if he looked inside some of the cottages. Stalls? Or beds?
'Idalia!' a familiar voice squealed, off to the right. There was a thud of hooves on the packed earth of the square as they turned toward the source of the voice, and Merana pranced to a stop in front of Idalia. 'Oh, you've come to visit! And you've brought Kellen!'
The young Centauress curveted like a restive filly as she turned to gaze flirtatiously at Kellen, but now he was prepared for her and her ways, and was able to keep his composure a little better than he had at their first meeting. He just smiled, and made sure that he kept Idalia between him and the apprentice Healer.
By now a crowd had started to gather around the visitors, humans and Centaurs greeting Idalia by name and darting curious—and none-too-friendly—looks at Cormo. Evidently Cormo was not nearly as well thought of as he had boasted. Somehow, Kellen wasn't at all surprised.
'Idalia.' An old man in a long worn blue robe, its knees stained as if he'd been kneeling in his garden all day, made his way through the crowd. His hair was silvery white and very long, done in a braid that trailed down his back. A small neat beard adorned his weathered face, and there were lines formed by laughter and smiling around his eyes. He was leaning on a long staff, its wood polished with years of use, and he gently moved Merana out of the way with a hand on her withers as if he was well used to her ebullient nature.
'We are both delighted to see you, child—and in such company.' He raised his eyebrows, looking over Idalia's shoulder at Cormo. The Centaur male looked very much as if he wished to slink away, but didn't quite dare.
'Master Eliron—just the person I was hoping to see,' Idalia said. 'You are still on the Council, aren't you?'
So this was Merana's Master? Kellen had made the assumption—obviously a mistaken one—that the old Healer must be another Centaur.
'Nothing short of death will make them accept my resignation, so they tell me,' the old healer said with a gentle smile. 'But surely you cannot have need of my services in either of my capacities, not with a Wildmage of your own to call upon?' he added, nodding toward Kellen.
'Nothing like that,' Idalia assured him. 'But I healed Cormo today, and I have a price to pay as my part of the healing. Tell me, is Haneida here, by any chance?'
Eliron looked surprised by the question. 'Why, yes. She came to see me this afternoon, and I persuaded her to accept my hospitality for the evening. As I hope you and your brother will as well. It's too long a walk back to that cabin of yours to make tonight.'
'We were hoping someone would tender us an invitation to stay,' Idalia confessed cheerfully. 'And you set a fine table, Master Eliron. Could someone fetch her, if it wouldn't be too much trouble'—she held out a minatory hand to Cormo, who looked as if he was going to bolt—'not you, Cormo!—then I can pay my price and spend the rest of the evening in amusing myself. Kellen is eager to see your village.'
'As we are to show it to him,' Master Eliron assured her gracefully.
'I'll go,' Merana offered quickly.
She half reared and pivoted neatly in place on her hind legs, then moved nimbly off through the crowd, which was already buzzing with expectancy at the prospect of great revelations in store. Several others at the edges of the crowd also faded off to spread the word that something terribly interesting was about to happen, and as word spread, the crowd grew, until Kellen was sure that everyone in all of Merryvale was crowded into the market square. As he looked around, he could see people crowded at the open windows of the cottages that had upper stories as well, leaning out of the windows and looking down into the square. If Cormo had wanted to keep the terms of his price a secret, there was no way he was going to be able to do it now.
Which was probably exactly as Idalia had planned, the clever thing.
A few minutes later Merana returned, walking slowly and carefully. Seated on her back was an old woman whom Kellen guessed must be Haneida. She sat very straight and held her walking staff across her lap. The crowd parted to let them through, and when they reached Eliron and Idalia, Merana knelt gracefully to let Haneida dismount. The old lady looked around the square, her blue eyes bright and sharp.
Kellen thought she looked amused. He also had the distinct impression that she was not going to be much surprised when she heard Cormo's price.
'Well. All this fuss can't be for one old lady, now can it? Or is it that young Cormo has been up to more mischief than usual?'
'He'll be up to less in the future,' Idalia said, stepping forward. 'This afternoon I healed him with the Wild Magic, and Cormo accepted half the price. His price was this: that for a year and a day, he is to help you haul your cart to and from the market, Haneida.'
