As darkness fell, Kethry came to appreciate old Egon's craftsmanship even more, for he lit oil lamps around the room with shades of porcelain so thin that the light glowed through it easily. And when the first of the lamps was alight, the rest of the inhabitants of the little settlement began to arrive.
They crowded about the newcomers, treating them with friendly reserve, asking questions, but free enough with their own answers. Fairly soon everyone had found space on the hearth, and Kethry was able to examine them at her leisure. They seemed amiable enough. None of the women seemed to be in any distress. In fact, it didn't look to Kethry as if there were anything at all wrong here -- and this despite Need's unvarying pressure on the back of her mind.
Finally, while Tarma entertained the company with some Shin'a'in tale or other, the sorceress edged over to where old Egon was sitting alone a little off to one side.
He nodded to her, but waited for her to speak. She cleared her throat a little, then said, trying not to sound awkward, 'Egon, is everyone in your settlement here?'
He seemed surprised by her question. 'Oh, aye; all but the little ones. Well -- barring one.'
This sounded a little more promising. 'One?' she prompted.
His eyes went wary. 'Well -- she bain't a guilds-man. Stranger. Settled here, oh, three or four winters ago. She don't have much t' do with us, we don't have much t' do with her. Unchancy sort.' Egon blinked, slowly. 'Trades with us, betimes. I think she be grubbin' about in the ruins, yonder. Bits of metal she trades, old stuff, gone t' powder mostly, but good for makin' glazes.'
Something about this 'stranger' evidently made Egon more than a little uneasy. Kethry could read that in his shuttered expression, and the careful choice he made of his words.
'Are the ruins forbidden, or something?' she asked, trying to pinpoint his uneasiness.
'Forbidden?' He flashed her a startled glance, and chuckled. 'Great Kemos, no! It's just -- she seems witchy, like, but she ain't never done nothin' witchy.' He gave her a sidelong glance, as if gauging her response to that. 'It's like she was looking for something out there and mad as hops 'cause she ain't finding it. 'Cept lately she been acting like she had. Her name's--'
The door opened, and a bundled figure half-stepped, and was half-windblown, into the circle of light. She blinked for a moment, her eyes sunken into pale, pudgy cheeks, her flabby arms hugging her fur cloak tightly about her.
She'd put on so much weight since Kethry had last seen her that at first she didn't recognize her former schoolmate.
Then-- 'Mara?' she said into the silence the woman's abrupt arrival had imposed on the group.
The woman whirled; peered past the heads of those nearest her at Kethry. Her mouth worked soundlessly for a moment; one plump, pasty hand flew to her throat -- then she turned and bolted back the way she had come in a clumsy run.
The door slammed behind her. The rest of those gathered sat in embarrassed silence.
Finally Egon self-consciously cleared his throat. 'Tis a bit late, and we all have work, come the morning light....'
His kin and fellow guildsmen were not slow at taking the hint. Before too very long the house was silent, and empty of all but Egon and the two women.
There seemed no way to break that silence, and after a few halfhearted attempts at conversation, Egon excused himself and went to bed.
Kethry took a long while falling asleep, and not because of the unfamiliar surroundings. Mara Yveda was the last person she expected to see out here.
