He shook his head. “Not me. I have a temple to tend. My congregation may just be my cat and my memories, but I have a duty to them nonetheless.”
“I’ll join you for the journey,” Faryn said. “I’ve never ventured beyond the mountains. It will be wonderful to see what grows here, to see more of their forests and their farms. Perhaps I may even find plants worthy of study.” The elf’s forest-green eyes sparkled as she surveyed the trees around us. “But I’ll leave you to deliver Guildmaster Xilarion’s message. You are the guild's representatives, after all. It's bad form for me to be in your party.”
“Then we should get going,” I said as I set down my empty cup. “If there’s some “intervening” to be done, we won’t get anywhere here on our asses.”
“Ah, to be young and eager again.” Tolin held out a hand. “Could someone please help me up?”
While Kegohr helped Tolin through his venerable elder routine, I put out the fire and emptied the teapot. Master Softpaw dislodged from my lap and watched proceedings with suspicion until Tolin snatched him up. The movement was remarkably swift for a man of his age and supposed fragility. He deposited the hissing cat into his bag and tightened the top until Softpaw could only poke his head out and glare indignantly at his captor.
“Cease your hissing,” Tolin muttered. “You’ll enjoy the view, and I’m the one who has to do all the walking.”
Tolin said his goodbyes as he slung his bag over his shoulder and trudged over to me with the help of his walking stick. He laid a hand on my shoulder and looked up into my eyes.
“Tread carefully, Swordslinger,” he said. “Stay true to your path. You have a chance to make the empire a safer place. It would be a pity to waste it.”
Tolin turned abruptly and left without another word. Like a ghost, my first mentor vanished around a rocky outcrop, and I turned my attention back to the others. The fire was a smoldering mass of ashes, and our small camp was once again stowed in the haversacks over our backs.
Vesma’s map was on display again as she discussed the route with Faryn.
“It seems a shame not to see more of the forest,” Faryn said. “It’s all so beautiful.”
“The route through the farmlands will be quicker,” Vesma replied curtly. “You can always come back to the woods.”
“I know. And I know you have a message to deliver. It’s just that there are so many plants to forage. Do you know the properties inside the sap of a salted palm? A little Vigor, and it can be made into quite the tonic for stamina.”
“There will be other plants on the farms,” Vesma countered. It normally wasn’t like her to speak so brazenly to a higher ranking guild member, but Faryn wasn’t like the other masters. The wood Augmenter was the only master who’d slept with me a few times. That was my best guess for why Vesma was being so difficult.
“Farmed plants aren’t the same. They don’t have the spirit of the forest, that thrill of the wild.” Faryn looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye. “Sometimes, you want something untamed.”
“And sometimes, you just want to get walking.” Vesma rolled up the map and stowed it away.
“Uhh. . .” Kegohr looked from Vesma and Faryn and back again. “I’m thinking that’s not the way to speak to a master.”
“Oh?” Vesma pouted. “It’s not? My apologies, gracious Master Faryn. Please do forgive my verbal indiscretions.” She marched in the direction she’d indicated without another word.
Faryn stared at Vesma’s back. “She is rather spirited, isn’t she?”
“Sure is,” Kegohr said as he set out after her.
“I thought she was satisfied with our arrangement?” Faryn asked me.
“It’s not that she’s unsatisfied. She just had no idea you’d be here. Hell, none of us did.” I eyed her appreciatively. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“I promise to stay out of the way. I’ll only be here if you need my assistance.”
I took Faryn’s hands in my own and kissed them. “It won’t be a problem. It’ll just take a bit of time for Vesma’s disappointment to wear off.”
“As soon as it does, I would like a moment alone with you. We have a lot to catch up on.”
“I can’t argue with that. Come on; Kegohr and Vesma will be halfway to the guild house by now.”
Our route snaked along the riverbank and down a well-worn trail toward fields of green farmlands. The track soon widened into a surface packed hard from decades of trading carts and steeds, like those that now accompanied alongside us. Many of the drivers and riders made polite nods when we encountered them, and I guessed guild members were treated like a kind of nobility.
We left the trees of the forest behind us as we entered bright orchards of fragrant fruit. Faryn pulled a few leaves and budding flowers for later study. The orchards opened up to paddy fields spread across steps carved into the hills. All the while, the river ran along beside us, its waters singing a burbling song to the blue sky.
The wild forest was entirely behind us by the middle of the afternoon. Several streams from the mountains fed the river and turned it into a powerful watercourse. Mills stood proudly on both banks and creaked as huge water wheels turned tirelessly and powered simple machinery for grinding corn or sawing wood.
Farms and mill owners watched us warily as we passed. Kegohr’s muscular gray bulk and protruding tusks probably didn’t help. Faryn did good work at reassuring some, but I was sure we were leaving a trail of rumor and speculation in our wake. Little did
