Magi'i of Cyador (59 page)

The redhead turns and studies him. "You're going to make sure that everyone knows you're a lancer." She grins. "So much for a quiet consorting."

"Everyone in Jakaafra would know no matter what I wore," he points out. "Besides, they'll all be looking at you, not at me."

"Go get the mounts."

He bows with a smile. "As you command, my lady."

"Go." Both her mouth and eyes return the smile.

The clear mid-morning remains chill, but the breeze out of the northeast is light, sometimes even dying away, as Lorn leads both mounts from the small stable to the door. He had saddled them before he had washed and dressed. A carriage might have been more appropriate, but he knows of none for hire in Jakaafra.

He waits for a time longer before the door, holding the reins of the two mounts, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and wondering what other preparations Ryalth makes behind the privacy screen. He is almost ready to tie the horses to the hedge and go back inside when Ryalth steps out and latches the door behind her.

"You see? I wasn't long." She glances at his face. "Not too long, anyway."

"You're even more lovely than usual." Lorn offers a hand as she mounts.

"I should get consorted more often."

"I'm sorry it wasn't earlier." Lorn mounts easily.

They ride slowly toward the square and the center of town. As they pass one of the larger dwellings-on the north side of the road, two women standing outside the green ceramic privacy screen watch closely without speaking. Once Lorn and Ryalth have passed, the women's voices drift toward them on the barely perceptible breeze.

"...there! Looks like a consorting... ever I saw one...."

"...captain, all right, handsome as he is, but who be the lady?"

"That's shimmercloth, and the cloak-that says there's lancer and Magi'i blood in the union. Don't see that often, not here."

"Love match... I tell you... no other reason it'd be here."

Lorn smiles and leans toward Ryalth. "It is a love match, you know?"

"I know. I've known that for years. It took you a while."

He shrugs expansively, but the wide smile remains on his face.

The recording building lies on the west side of the small town square, around the corner and a good two hundred cubits from the side lane that holds Dustyn's establishment.

The square has more people on the porches around the square. A good half-score watch from the wide porch of the cooper's, and half that from the weaver's adjoining building.

"I've never seen so many people here," Lorn says quietly.

"Dear..." Ryalth laughs. "They don't get to see this often."

"A consorting? It happens all the time."

"There are many lancers, and few lancer officers," she points out.

"You're the one," he counters. "There are but a handful of trading houses, and none so large headed by a woman." Still, Ryalth's words nag at him. Despite his mother's words, he has never considered, not fully, how few lancer officers and Magi'i there truly are in Cyador. He pushes that thought away as he looks at the far side of the square.

Dustyn stands on the stone walkway to the right of the steps up to the yellow brick recording building. He wears a rich brown cloak, trimmed in blue, over brown trousers and a good blue tunic. Beside him is a silver-haired woman who smiles broadly as Lorn and Ryalth ride toward her. Alongside the factor and his consort stand an enumerator in blue-Eileyt, Lorn assumes-and a guard wearing merchanter blue.

Eileyt's gray eyes take in Lorn. Lorn smiles politely. The slender enumerator bows, a bow of respect.

Ryalth dismounts gracefully, barely placing any weight on the hand that Lorn offers. The guard steps forward to take the reins of both mounts.

"Greetings, Captain, and my best wishes to you, Lady Merchanter." Dustyn inclines his head first to Lorn and then to Ryalth. "This be my consort Wryul." The spirit factor gestures to the silver-haired woman.

"Thank you." Lorn nods, as does Ryalth.

"You look lovely," Wryul addresses Ryalth. "And to come so far..."

"We would have had to wait years for Lorn to return to Cyad," Ryalth explains. "I'm very happy to be here."

As the couple turns toward the steps of the small building, a closed carriage of polished golden oak and drawn by a pair of matched grays approaches from the eastern end of the avenue and enters the square.

"That be Kylynzar, I do believe," exclaims Dustyn as the coach draws to a halt and as a wiry white-haired man in a maroon cloak steps out. The white-haired man turns and offers his hand to a gray-haired woman in a matching maroon cloak.

"A quiet consorting?" Ryalth murmurs under her breath. "I told no one except the ones I had to," Lorn murmurs back. "Then why is half the town here?"

"It's not half...." Lorn protests.

"It is if you look behind us around the square." Ryalth touches his hand to call his attention to the two who have arrived in the coach.

"Captain, Lady," offers the man in the maroon cloak, "with your decision to honor Jakaafra in your place of consorting, we could do no less than to honor you." A wry smile follows the words. "We have not met. We have corresponded. I am Kylynzar, and this is my consort Mylora." Lorn and Ryalth incline their heads. "We are pleased to meet you," Lorn says. "Not so pleased as are we."

Dustyn clears his throat. "Ah... ser... lady. Wasyk be waiting for you." Ryalth lifts her eyebrows. Lorn finds an embarrassed grin on his face. They walk up the two stone steps to the open double doors of white oak, then step inside.

The recording hall is but fifteen cubits deep and half that in width.

The floor is over-polished white marble. Four tall windows-two on each side-provide the illumination. The panes are glazed with ancient, blue-tinged glass. The hall is empty of all furnishings except for a single white sunstone pedestal.

A heavy-set figure stands behind the open book that rests on the stand of white sunstone. Each page of the book is a cubit in height and two thirds that in width. The man wears a sash-like white shimmercloth scarf wide enough almost to conceal his brown tunic, despite his bulk.

"I am Wasyk, the recorder of consortings. Approach... you who wish to record your consortship here in the town of Jakaafra." The recorder inclines his head to the couple.

Lorn and Ryalth walk slowly toward the book and sash-wearer.

Only Dustyn and Wryul and Kylynzer and Mylora have followed the couple into the building, and the four of them stand at the back, just inside the doors.

Lorn and Ryalth stand two cubits back from the sunstone pedestal and the book upon it. Both look to the recorder.

"Do you two-Captain Lorn of the Mirror Lancers and Lady Ryalth of Ryalor House-declare your intention to take each other as consorts?"

"I do," Lorn replies.

"I do." Ryalth's words are as firm as Lorn's, if more melodic.

"Would you each inscribe your name in the book before you, signifying that such is your choice of your own free will, in the prosperity of chaos and light and under the oversight of the Emperor of Light?" Wasyk extends a shimmering white pen.

Ryalth takes the cupridium-tipped pen and writes her name. She passes it to Lorn, who in turn, writes his name.

Wasyk takes the pen and replaces it in the ceremonial cupridium holder, then clears his throat before declaiming, "As entered in the book of Jakaafra, you are hereafter consorts." Wasyk beams at the couple. "May you always be fulfilled in the light and in the fullness of time."

Lorn slips the shiny silver onto the pages of the book, as Dustyn had told him. He stands there for a long moment.

"You could kiss me," Ryalth murmurs.

Lorn does.

He can hear a gentle sigh from the back of the small building.

"Such a lovely couple..."

Arm in arm, the newly consorted pair walks toward the door.

Kylynzar steps up, coughs gently, and speaks. "It be forward, we know, but Dustyn and Wryul and Mylora and me, we'd like you to come to the Brick Hearth. Our treat, if you would. It not be that often that a consorting such as yours happens in Jakaafra."

How can they refuse?

"We would be more than happy to join you," Ryalth says brightly. "Our families are far from here, and your hospitality is most welcome."

"Most welcome," Lorn adds.

"It has been three generations since a lancer officer has lived in Jakaafra, leastwise with his consort, if only part of the time," says the gray-haired Mylora.

"We'll be here when we can," Lorn says, recalling his mother's words just before he had left Cyad-her observation that lancer officers were almost as exalted and rare as the Magi'i outside of Cyad.

When they step inside the Brick Hearth Inn, propelled forward by Dustyn and Kylynzar, Lorn's mouth drops open. The public room has been cleared, and a table set against the side wall. On the green linen of the table are platters heaped with slices of melons, wedges of cheeses, and baskets of bread. At the left end of the table are a score of bottles of amber wine.

Kylynzar and Dustyn both laugh.

"Little enough we can do," Kylynzar says. "If you'd not mind, we did ask a few other folk to join us."

"Of course." Lorn hopes his voice does not betray too much surprise.

Kylynzar gestures, and within moments near-on a score of others have flocked into the public room, all dressed in their best. Lorn recognizes only one couple-the ostler from the compound-Suforis-and his consort Lesyna. Both wear cloaks of brownish red. Suforis smiles broadly as his eyes meet Lorn's.

To the right of Suforis is Eileyt, and he smiles as well.

"Quiet consorting?" Ryalth murmurs.

"I had no idea...." He whispers back.

"I can tell. You look like a stunned bullock."

"One moment!" bellows Dustyn. "Kylynzar's better with words 'n me, and he's got a few."

The hubbub dies away.

"Just a few," announces the grower. "Most of you know I never was too fond of lancer officers, and outside of Dustyn, not passing fond of factors, either. These two are different, and I wanted to let them know that the real folk of Cyador are most glad of it. Now, let 'em have a first bite, and then join in."

Still flushing, Lorn edges toward the table.

Dustyn extends two mugs in which he has poured the ruddy yet amber vintage. "You haven't tried the like of this."

Lorn grins and accepts the mug, as does Ryalth.

Lorn tries a wedge of the white cheese, and sips some of the amber wine as he steps back from the table and turns to his redhead. "This is different, sweet and dry at the same time."

She takes one sip, then a second. "It's strong."

Kylynzar approaches. "That's my amber melon ice wine." He glances at Ryalth. "Perhaps you might... Later, of course." The wiry grower flushes. "I did not mean to talk of trade."

Ryalth laughs gently. "It is good, and we will talk later."

"You are gracious, and you have dealt fairly, yet firmly." Kylynzar shakes his head. "I will talk no more of trade." He bows slightly to Lorn. "We have not seen exactly eye-to-eye, Captain, yet you have lived up to your duty. And my cousin, he has told me that you always face the wild creatures first, and not last like so many officers." He laughs, "And your consort has done far better by us than all the other factors of Cyador combined. In fact, much of our decision to be here and offer hospitality arises from her, and it is a pleasure to see that she is as beautiful and charming as she is an effective merchanter." The grower inclines his head to Ryalth again.

"She is beautiful and charming, and very effective," Lorn agrees.

Eileyt slips through the crowd and bows. "Captain, my best wishes to you."

"Thank you. My gratitude to you for all the assistance you have provided to Ryalth and Ryalor House."

Before either can say another word, a heavy-set man in a brown tunic so dark it is almost black steps up. Lorn recognizes Wasyk without his shimmercloth scarf.

"Never seen such a handsome couple," says the recorder. "Really created a dither here. Hasn't been a lancer consorting or a merage consorting here in more than a score of years."

"We didn't know," Lorn admits, keeping his eyes on the big man, even as he wonders how long the not-quite-impromptu festivities will continue.

"You both from Cyad?"

"I grew up in Fyrad mostly," Ryalth explains, "until I was older."

"I was raised in Cyad," Lorn acknowledges.

"Won't talk long, but wanted to tell you both that folk'll remember this day." Wasyk raises his mug.

Lorn takes but a tiny sip, knowing he will have many sips yet to come.

After taking a sip of her wine, Ryalth reaches out and squeezes Lorn's hand, warmly. "We'll remember it a long time, a very long time."

Lorn has no doubts about that. And he'd thought it would be a quiet consorting....

CII

Lorn stretches gingerly, yawning, his arm still around the redhead sleeping beside him. The mid-morning light seeps through the closed shutters of the dwelling's bedchamber, thin slivers of light angling toward the floor. The air is chill, because they had gone to bed early the night before and not stoked up the ceramic stove in the main room.

Smiling reflectively, and looking at the peaceful and lightly freckled face of his consort, Lorn still finds it hard to believe that the festivities of their consorting two days earlier had lasted most of the day and into the evening. He and Ryalth had finally slipped away near sunset, to more than a few knowing looks. The day after the ceremony they had spent quietly-the first day Lorn can remember in years where he or Ryalth had not had to rise early for some reason or another.

"Mmmmm." Ryalth nuzzles up to his cheek and kisses him gently.

"Mmmm to you, too, sleepy-head."

She yawns quietly, then snuggles against him. "You don't know how good it feels to sleep in the morning."

"I was just thinking that."

"But you woke up...."

"It is mid-morning," Lorn points out.

"It's still cold." She shivers and pulls the worn quilt up to her ears- one-handed.

"I'll start the fire in the stove."