Dannyl smiled. “A little.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Dannyl said. “We all need to rant a little now and then.”

Tayend chuckled and nodded. “Indeed, we do.” He sighed. “Well, that’s enough for now.”

They gazed out over the moonlit fields, the silence stretching comfortably between them. Suddenly Tayend drew in a sharp breath. Leaping out of his chair, he hurried inside the house, swaying a little from the effect of the wine. Wondering what had caused his friend’s sudden departure, Dannyl considered going after him, but decided instead to wait and see if he returned.

As he was pouring himself another glass of wine, Tayend appeared again.

“Look at this.”

The scholar spread one of the drawings of the tomb over Dannyl’s lap, then held out a large book. On the pages of the book was a map of the Allied Lands and neighboring countries.

“What am I looking at?” Dannyl asked.

Tayend pointed to a row of glyphs at the top of the tomb drawing. “These say something about a place - the place the woman came from.”

His finger tapped at a particular glyph: a crescent and a hand surrounded by a square with curved corners. “I didn’t know what this meant, but it was familiar, and it took a while before I remembered what it reminded me of. There’s an old book in the Great Library that’s so old the pages crumble into dust if you touch them too roughly. It belonged to a magician many centuries ago, Ralend of Kemori, who ruled part of Elyne before Elyne was one country. Visitors would write their names and titles, and purpose for visiting, in this book - though most of it was in the same handwriting so I suspect a scribe was hired to take the names of those who couldn’t write themselves.

“There was a symbol similar to this on one page. I remember it, because it was a mark made by a stamp, not a pen. And it was red - faded but still visible. The scribe had written ‘King of Charkan’ next to it.

“Now, it’s not unreasonable to think that the woman in the tomb came from the same place - the glyph is so similar to the stamp. But where is this place called Charkan?” Tayend smiled broadly and tapped the map. “This is an old atlas Orrend’s great-grandfather owned. Look closely.”

Dannyl lifted the book out of Tayend’s hands and brought his globe light closer. Near the end of Tayend’s finger was a tiny word and a drawing.

“Shakan Dra,” Dannyl read aloud.

“I might have missed it if it weren’t for that little crescent moon and hand.”

Looking at the rest of the map, Dannyl blinked in surprise. “This is a map of Sachaka.”

“Yes. The mountains. It’s hard to tell from this, but I’d bet twenty gold that Shakan Dra is close to the border. Are you thinking what I’m thinking about a certain unmentioned person making a trip to the mountains some years ago?”

Dannyl nodded. “Yes.”

“I think we have a new destination to explore.”

“We still need to follow our planned route,” Dannyl reminded him. He did not much like the idea of entering Sachaka. Considering its history, he had no idea whether the locals would welcome him. “And Sachaka is not one of the Allied Lands.”

“This place is not far from the border. No more than a day’s travel.”

“I don’t know if we have time.”

“We can be a little late returning to Capia. I doubt anyone would question if we were delayed.” Tayend returned to his chair, and collapsed into it.

“A few days, perhaps.” Dannyl regarded his friend carefully. “But I wouldn’t have thought you’d want to be delayed.”

Tayend shrugged. “No. Why not?”

“Isn’t there someone waiting for your return?”

“No. Unless you mean Librarian Irand? He won’t be concerned if I’m a few days late.”

“Nobody else?”

Tayend shook his head.

“Hmmm.” Dannyl nodded to himself. “So you don’t have your eye on somebody, as you hinted at Bel Arralade’s party.”

The scholar blinked in surprise, then looked at Dannyl sideways. “I’ve got you curious, haven’t I? What if I said that there’s no one waiting for my return because this person doesn’t know of my interest?”

Dannyl chuckled. “You’re a secret admirer, then.”

“Perhaps.”

“You can trust me to keep your secret, Tayend.”

“I know.”

“Is it Velend?”

“No!” Tayend looked at him reproachfully.

Relieved, Dannyl shrugged apologetically. “I’ve seen him at the library a few times.”

“I’m trying to discourage him,” Tayend said, grimacing, “but he thinks I’m only doing it because I’m keeping up appearances for you.”

Dannyl hesitated. “Am I keeping you from pursuing the one you’re interested in?”

To his surprise, Tayend winced. “No. This person is, ah...”

Hearing footsteps, they looked up and saw Mayrie walking toward them carrying a lantern. From the sound of her steps, she was wearing heavy boots underneath her dress.

“I thought I’d find you here,” she said. “Would either of you like to accompany me on a walk through the vines?”

Dannyl rose. “I would be honored.” He looked at Tayend expectantly, but was disappointed to see that the scholar was shaking his head.

“I’ve drunk too much, sister dear. I’m afraid I’ll step on your toes or tumble into the vines.”

She clucked her tongue disapprovingly. “Then stay where you are, drunkard. Ambassador Dannyl will be more suitable company.” She hooked her arm into Dannyl’s and steered him gently toward the vineyard.

They walked in silence for a hundred paces or so, then turned into the gap between the vines. Mayrie questioned Dannyl about the people he had met at court, and what his opinion of them was. Then, as they reached the end of the row of vines, she gave him a measuring look.

“Tayend has told me much about you,” she said, “though not of your work. I get the impression that is a secret matter.”

“He probably doesn’t want to bore you,” Dannyl replied.

She glanced at him sideways. “If you say so. Tayend has told me everything else, however. I would not have expected a Kyralian magician to be quite so... well, I would not have expected you to remain friends, at least not such comfortable friends.”

“We have quite a reputation for intolerance, it seems.”

She shrugged. “But you are an exception. Tayend told me of the rumors that caused you so much trouble as a novice, and that the incident has given you a greater understanding than most magicians have. I think that has also given him cause to count himself lucky for being born Elyne, too.” She paused. “I hope you do not mind me talking about this?”

Dannyl shook his head and hoped he was managing to look unconcerned. It did make him uneasy, however, listening to someone he had just met talk about his private past in such a matter-of-fact way. But this was Tayend’s sister, he reminded himself. Tayend would not have mentioned anything to her if he didn’t think she could be trusted.

They reached the end of the vineyard. Turning to the left, she started back toward the house along the last row of vines. Looking back at the house, Dannyl noted that the chair Tayend had been sitting in was empty. Mayrie stopped.

“Being Tayend’s sister, I am very protective of him.” She turned to face him, her expression serious and intent. “If you do think of him as a friend, have a care. I suspect he is besotted with you, Dannyl.”

Dannyl blinked in surprise. Me? I’m Tayend’s secret love interest?

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