offered it to the young woman before getting another for himself.
“Good evening strangers,” Sebastian returned with a smile of his own as Ashleen slid in beside him on the left. Turned away from Yara on his right, the mage missed a less enthusiastic smile from the healer, which was echoed by Serrena’s slight frown. “We haven’t seen much of you since the king’s gala.”
Spreading her hands expressing her inability to change things, Ashleen replied, “It has been a busy time since then. Deiclonus and Lord Romonus have kept us occupied as they’ve been meeting with wizards and lords. We have also been preparing for our long trip back to Kardor, of course. It should be a little more comfortable aboard ship than a long cold ride in a carriage, though we’ll be covering more miles going around Southwall.” Catching her words, the wilder added, “No offense to our gracious guides and saviors. You can’t control the weather after all.”
With a chuckle, Sebastian shook his head, “I can cast an air shield around myself to keep warm and dry, but I am afraid changing the weather is well beyond my control.
“So you are traveling by ship this time? That seems odd. I guess that Lord Romonus tired of his carriage like you said.”
Wendle interjected from his seat by Liam and Nara, “The rumor is that you are about to take to the sea also. Did you get tired of your horse as well? Over two weeks away from the saddle wasn’t long enough for you?”
Spreading his hands helplessly in mirror to Ashleen’s earlier gesture, Sebastian replied frankly, “It’s just part of another mission. For the mages of Southwall, that is the way of life. They say, ‘Go’, and we go.”
Forehead crinkling in confusion, Ashleen asked curiously, “What kind of mission would force a battle mage to go on a voyage? Southwall has little to worry about at sea. The Dark One has been land locked for quite some time now and that has been the country’s focus for centuries. What would require you to go? Will you be led by a falcondi or wizard as well?”
Feeling a little uncomfortable discussing the secrets of his mission, Sebastian did what he could to mitigate hurting his friends’ feelings as he said, “Southwall still has political and social interests beyond fighting the emperor and his armies to the north. I would think the Winter’s Edge tournament is proof of that. Look at how many countries participated this year.”
“Oh, so it is a diplomatic mission much like ours?” Ashleen continued to dig, though she leaned back a little appearing casual enough in her questioning.
Not wanting to say more than he should, the owl in him tactfully locked onto her words and gave the answer, “We will be working with friends from Malaiy and Eremia, but since it is an official mission I really am not at liberty to give details even to my good friends.”
As if to save him from their questions, the entertainment took to their little stage, essentially a five foot square set aside for them by the inn. A musician with his mandolin began a tune that was quickly joined by a man with a lute and their drummer with his single drum. A woman of middle age stepped in front of them and sang the melody as the other three accompanied her. With the extra noise making it harder to speak anyway, Sebastian used the excuse to pull Yara away for a dance as the remainder of his table decided whether they would join the other couples already taking to the floor.
“That was good timing,” Sebastian breathed in Yara’s ear as they danced close with the medium speed song.
Yara shrugged as she reflected, “It’s not completely unusual to talk about a friend’s leaving, but I wonder why there was a ‘rumor’ about our particular trip. Who would have spread a rumor to those two anyway?”
“If the information came from Deiclonus or Lord Romonus, as they inferred, is that the source or just one more link a chain that has been informed of our impending
“Good evening strangers,” Sebastian returned with a smile of his own as Ashleen slid in beside him on the left. Turned away from Yara on his right, the mage missed a less enthusiastic smile from the healer, which was echoed by Serrena’s slight frown. “We haven’t seen much of you since the king’s gala.”
Spreading her hands expressing her inability to change things, Ashleen replied, “It has been a busy time since then. Deiclonus and Lord Romonus have kept us occupied as they’ve been meeting with wizards and lords. We have also been preparing for our long trip back to Kardor, of course. It should be a little more comfortable aboard ship than a long cold ride in a carriage, though we’ll be covering more miles going around Southwall.” Catching her words, the wilder added, “No offense to our gracious guides and saviors. You can’t control the weather after all.”
With a chuckle, Sebastian shook his head, “I can cast an air shield around myself to keep warm and dry, but I am afraid changing the weather is well beyond my control.
“So you are traveling by ship this time? That seems odd. I guess that Lord Romonus tired of his carriage like you said.”
Wendle interjected from his seat by Liam and Nara, “The rumor is that you are about to take to the sea also. Did you get tired of your horse as well? Over two weeks away from the saddle wasn’t long enough for you?”
Spreading his hands helplessly in mirror to Ashleen’s earlier gesture, Sebastian replied frankly, “It’s just part of another mission. For the mages of Southwall, that is the way of life. They say, ‘Go’, and we go.”
Forehead crinkling in confusion, Ashleen asked curiously, “What kind of mission would force a battle mage to go on a voyage? Southwall has little to worry about at sea. The Dark One has been land locked for quite some time now and that has been the country’s focus for centuries. What would require you to go? Will you be led by a falcondi or wizard as well?”
Feeling a little uncomfortable discussing the secrets of his mission, Sebastian did what he could to mitigate hurting his friends’ feelings as he said, “Southwall still has political and social interests beyond fighting the emperor and his armies to the north. I would think the Winter’s Edge tournament is proof of that. Look at how many countries participated this year.”
“Oh, so it is a diplomatic mission much like ours?” Ashleen continued to dig, though she leaned back a little appearing casual enough in her questioning.
Not wanting to say more than he should, the owl in him tactfully locked onto her words and gave the answer, “We will be working with friends from Malaiy and Eremia, but since it is an official mission I really am not at liberty to give details even to my good friends.”
As if to save him from their questions, the entertainment took to their little stage, essentially a five foot square set aside for them by the inn. A musician with his mandolin began a tune that was quickly joined by a man with a lute and their drummer with his single drum. A woman of middle age stepped in front of them and sang the melody as the other three accompanied her. With the extra noise making it harder to speak anyway, Sebastian used the excuse to pull Yara away for a dance as the remainder of his table decided whether they would join the other couples already taking to the floor.
“That was good timing,” Sebastian breathed in Yara’s ear as they danced close with the medium speed song.
Yara shrugged as she reflected, “It’s not completely unusual to talk about a friend’s leaving, but I wonder why there was a ‘rumor’ about our particular trip. Who would have spread a rumor to those two anyway?”
“If the information came from Deiclonus or Lord Romonus, as they inferred, is that the source or just one more link a chain that has been informed of our impending
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