purse hangs in here. Your meal and your drink’s on me tonight, Eddis,” he added, and strode off to his counter.
“Nice going,” Jerdren said admiringly. “I didn’t realize youwere that fast!”
Eddis shook her head. “I was angry. Still, if I’d been wrongabout him…”
“Well, you weren’t,” he replied, “so why worry about it?” Heled the way back to their table.
It took time, and Eddis was red faced by the time she resumed her stool. It seemed everyone in the tavern wanted to grip her hand and thank her. Jerdren grinned as he settled over the map once more.
“Funny, though,” said Jerdren, “
Eddis cast up her eyes.
“Well, I laughed, didn’t I, Blor? But you didn’t answer me.You can deal with this dinner tomorrow night- right?”
She groaned as she resumed her seat. “If they don’t have mein the cell next to that nasty little thief for starting a brawl. Yeah, Jerdren. I can do this.”
4
Sundown the next evening found the party being escorted byhalf a dozen polite guards in dress tunics past the inner gates and across the inner bailey. Eddis eyed the stone bastion with trepidation. The place was intimidating with its narrow windows and high walls, and armed guards seemed to be everywhere. Two flanked the doors. What if they believed that gangly young cutpurse after all-and I’m about to be arrested for brawling in public? Shetried to assure herself that she’d have been led away from the tavern at once.M’Baddah touched her arm and gave her a reassuring smile. She drew a deepbreath, smiled back, and tried to relax.
She’d never before taken a meal with people of rank. So weall don our breeches a leg at a time, she thought. Still, some of us pull on roughspun, and others are helped into silk.
They waited outside the great doors while the leader of their escort spoke quietly to one of the guards. The man nodded gravely and turned to pull the door open. It was thick as Eddis’ fist and appeared to be solid iron,but it was so well balanced that it took only one man to move it, and it swung silently and easily. They entered a vast, cool chamber, and the door closed after them.
“Wager those two men’ll know each of us again,” Jerdrenmuttered.
The sound echoed. Blorys tapped his brothers arm and minutely shook his head.
Eddis looked around curiously. The room was large and empty, and shadow hid the far walls. A few candles in tall sconces lit the way between the outer doors and another heavy door straight ahead. Their boot heels clicked on polished slate, and the sound echoed. It was cavernlike, she thought. Impersonal.
But the next door opened into a brightly lit hallway, its floor a warm, polished oak, the walls hung here and there with blue and yellow banners. Their guide passed two closed doors along the passage and stopped to indicate an open room dominated by a table covered in books and scrolls. Other than a grate in one wall and a door on the far side of the chamber, there seemed to be no other furnishings. A short, elderly man in green robes came from behind the table and smiled at them, dismissing the guards with a gesture.
“I am Ogric, Castellan Ferec’s master of table, at yourservice,” he said. “In a moment, I will bring you to the banquet hall. Wemaintain little protocol here. When the castellan enters, he asks that no one stand or bow, and you may eat and drink as soon as he gives you greeting.” Hebeckoned them to follow and led them across the chamber into the room beyond.
This room was enormous, clearly meant for feasting. A wide trestle ran the length of the room, with three shorter, narrower tables butted against it. Whitewashed walls were hung with pale blue or yellow banners, and a length of cloth in the same colors dipped from the ceiling. Several men already sat at the main table, though the central three chairs at the head were still unoccupied. At the other tables, Eddis saw everything from graybeards in soldiers tunics to men and women she recognized from the market and the shops. Ogric led them to places at the middle table, closest to the long trestle and opposite the empty chairs. Eddis let M’Baddah hand her into the first of thosebefore settling next to her, his son at his left elbow. Jerdren was across from her, Blor next to him. The rest of this table was mostly taken up by military-looking men, most of whom were curiously eyeing the newcomers. She glanced at Jerdren, who grinned back.
Servants came in to distribute bowls of bread. Men in dark tunics followed, ladling wine into cups. Other servants followed, pouring soup and setting out small pots of dried herbs for seasoning the steaming broth. It smelled wonderful, Eddis thought.
A sharp, echoing rap brought attention to the long trestle. Ogric tapped his staff on the floor a second time. “Castellan Ferec,” heannounced, and inclined his head as a tall, black-haired and black-bearded man in plain blue tunic and breeches strode into the room followed by two older men who also wore unfigured blue.
Eddis glanced across the table as Jerdren gasped.
“By my grandsire’s beard,” he whispered. “That’s the man whocalled himself Hollis!”
Blorys tugged at his brother’s sleeve. “The castellan? He’sthe man you talked to yesterday, the clerk?”
“I thought he was a clerk,” Jerdren replied. “I’m just tryingto recall what I said to him.” He fell silent as the three men stood at thecenter of the trestle.
Ferec waited for the low murmur of conversation to die away. “Guests, friends, protectors, and companions,” he said warmly, “eat and drinkwith me.” He smiled at the outsiders as he and his men took their seats. “Wedine first here in the Keep and turn to business later.”
Once the meal began, a low murmur of conversation filled the chamber. The castellan’s attention had been claimed by the man on his right.Eddis was talking to M’Baddah. Blorys got Jerdren’s attention again.
“You remember what you said to him?” he asked in anoncarrying voice.
The older man shrugged. “Nothing rude,” he replied in kind.“I was hoping to learn about the sortie against the bandits and put in a goodword for us, remember? Odd, though. I’ve heard of men in power doing that kindof thing-checking men and stories for themselves, rather than waiting for aclerk’s report. Never expected to be taken in that way myself.”
“He’s said to be a good judge of character, Jers.”
Jerdren picked up his soup and drank. “Good stuff. I hope so,Blor. I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”
Across from him, Eddis was nibbling bread she’d dipped in herbroth.
“Gods,” he murmured. “Doesn’t that woman ever eat? All I’veseen her do is pick at food!”
Blorys nudged him in the ribs with a hard elbow. “Be quiet,Brother, she’ll hear you!”
I heard that, Eddis thought, but decided to ignore him.
Soup cups were taken away, and platters of sliced meat and bowls of dripping juices followed. Feric spoke quietly with the men on either side of him and let his guests alone to eat and drink.
Halfway through the final course-baked, sweetened applesfilled with cream-the man nearest M’Whan began talking to him, too quietly forJerdren to make out what was going on. Then the fellow beyond Blor engaged his brother in conversation. Some moments later, both Keep men rose and went around to the head table, where they spoke at length with Ferec, who set aside his cup to listen gravely. Jerdren forced himself to continue eating and drinking.
More wine was served, and as the servants came forward to remove plates and cups, most of the other guests rose quietly and left the room, leaving only the military men, the older guardsmen who’d shared their table,themselves-and the castellan and his advisors. As the outer doors closed, Ferecrapped sharply on the table. All conversation ceased at once.
“Jerdren, I heard from you personally and from the hidemerchant Lodis about the service you and your men did us. And I learned this morning about your feats, Eddis-bringing those priests and their burden safelyhere, and personally stopping a thief so skilled none of my men had been able to catch him in the act. My thanks to you all, and the thanks of the Keep’s guardsand citizens.
“As token of our gratitude, my late master would have givenyou coin and gems. Unfortunately, he is ten years dead, and though we still hold these walls, we no longer prosper. But you deserve recompense.”
