As the wagon approached the doors they began to swing open. They rolled through into a narrow courtyard. Another wall towered before them. They passed through a doorless entrance and into a covered, cobbled area.
There a short, thin man with grey streaking his black hair stepped out from between another pair of wooden doors, smaller than the ones at the front but still large.
“Lord Gilar,” Dakon said, climbing to the ground.
“Lord Dakon,” the man replied. The pair grasped each other’s upper arms briefly. As Jayan, Tessia and Malia disembarked, servants emerged from a side door. One stepped forward to murmur something to Tanner, who was now holding the halter of one of the horses. Another beckoned to Malia, who smiled and moved to the woman’s side.
“You have met Apprentice Jayan before,” Dakon said.
“Indeed I have,” Gilar said in a slightly husky voice. “Welcome back, young man. And this is your new apprentice?” He turned to smile at Tessia. “The one you mentioned in your letter?”
“This is Apprentice Tessia,” Dakon told him. “A natural – the daughter of Mandryn’s healer, Veran.”
“Welcome, Apprentice Tessia,” Gilar said.
“Thank you, Lord Gilar.”
He turned back to Dakon and gestured towards the double doors. The two magicians moved inside. Jayan followed. Tessia trailed after, noting that Malia had disappeared with the servants. She felt suddenly unsure of her place.
I’ve never been a part of a servant’s world, attending to the needs of people more important and wealthy than me. I’ve not been part of the world of powerful people either. She suddenly felt lucky to have grown up in that comfortable state between the two opposites, answering to a powerful man, but of a higher status and with greater freedoms than a servant. Though now that she considered it, the purpose of a healer was to attend to the needs of all who needed him or her, including servants. They served the servants. That ought to put them on the bottom of the service hierarchy.
“You were delayed?” Lord Gilar asked.
“Yes. I made you a temporary bridge today. When we came to the second bridge after the border post, we found it had collapsed.”
Gilar’s nodded slowly. “I know the one. I’ve been undecided whether to replace it for a while now. It was strong enough for light usage, but the road has been getting busier in recent years.”
“The rain and swollen stream probably contributed, too. A metal worker’s cart fell when it collapsed. A boy drowned.”
Gilar grimaced. “I’ll have to find out the details. I have to confess, I was hoping the bridge’s weakness would act in our favour if we were ever attacked.”
Attacked? Tessia thought. By who?
Dakon’s eyebrows rose. “More likely it would prevent locals from fleeing.” He shrugged. “The temporary bridge I made is rough and narrow. You’ll need to replace it with a proper bridge wide enough for vehicles to pass each other, and with railings for safety.”
Gilar shrugged. “Of course. But let’s leave the planning for later. Right now you and your companions would probably appreciate a bath and a meal. I’ve had the servants prepare rooms for you all.”
They’d entered a greeting hall that, despite the scale of the place, was modest in size. Gilar led them up a staircase to a corridor, then indicated rooms on either side for Lord Dakon, Tessia and Jayan.
“I’ll leave you to your baths,” he said. “I’ll see you at dinner.” A servant girl stood waiting outside Tessia’s room. As Tessia moved to the door the girl opened it for her. Within the room was the usual bedroom furniture, Tessia’s travel trunk, and a tub full of water. Two servants bent over the tub, one pouring water out of a large jug and the other holding a similar, empty vessel. The women turned, bowed to Tessia, lifted their burdens and filed out of the room.
The servant girl drew Tessia’s attention to scrubs and oils, combs and drying cloths.
“Would you like someone to help you, Apprentice Tessia?” she asked.
“No. Thank you.”
“Come out when you are ready and I’ll take you to dinner.” After the girl had left, Tessia heated the bath water with magic, then peeled off her travelling clothes. The hem of her dress was caked with dried mud. Her stockings were stained and her boots were a sad shadow of their former selves. The warm water soothed muscles aching from the jolting of the wagon and she lay quietly for a short while, glad to be still again, before climbing out and drying herself. Looking into the bath, she saw that the water was a soupy brown clearing slowly as sediment settled at the base of the tub.
I had no idea I was so dirty, she mused. And how did I manage to get mud as far up as my elbows?
She changed into a clean dress, then combed out her hair and tied it neatly back. Then she opened the door to her room and peered out. The girl servant was waiting outside. She nodded to Tessia.
“Follow me, Apprentice Tessia.”
“Have Lord Dakon and Apprentice Jayan left already?”
“Yes, Apprentice Tessia.”
They embarked on another journey through the house, down to the lower level. The servant stopped at a doorway and with a graceful gesture indicated that Tessia should enter.
“The Lady Pimia and her daughter Faynara await within,” she said.
Moving through the door, Tessia saw that two women were seated at a small round table. One was older, though perhaps not as old as Lord Gilar. Tessia guessed she was Lady Pimia. The younger woman was short and curvaceous, with a pretty face. Both looked up at Tessia, then rose to greet her.
“You are Apprentice Tessia?” the older woman asked then, not waiting for an answer, continued, “I’m Lady Pimia and this is Faynara. Please sit down. You must be starving. The servants are ready and will bring the first course immediately.”
Tessia let herself be ushered to a chair. As she sat, the other two women returned to their seats. Tessia looked around the room, though more to confirm her suspicions than to examine her surroundings. There were no other tables or chairs.
“Thank you for arranging the bath, Lady Pimia,” Tessia said. “Will Lord Gilar and Lord Dakon be joining us?”
Lady Pimia waved a hand. “No, no. The men will be eating together. They have important things to discuss. Magic. Politics. History.” She shrugged dismissively and Faynara made a face. “We would hardly get a word in if we all ate together.”
Tessia felt a pang of disappointment. Was it usual for women apprentices – or even magicians – to be excluded from “important” discussions? She felt a pang of jealousy and annoyance. Why should Jayan get to talk about magic, and not she? Well, I can’t be sure Jayan is there. It might just be Gilar and Dakon, two magicians nattering about whatever magicians natter about, while Jayan is eating somewhere on his own.
“So how did you come to be an apprentice magician?” Faynara asked.
Without warning, Takado’s leering face flashed into Tessia’s mind. She ignored it and the contempt it roused. “By accident. I didn’t even know I’d used magic until Lord Dakon told me, and then he wasn’t sure until he tested me.”
“You’re a natural!” Faynara exclaimed, smiling with delight. “How lucky for you. What did you do before then?” A tiny crease had appeared between Lady Pimia’s eyebrows.
“I assisted my father, who is a healer.”
“Ah,” Pimia said approvingly. “That would explain why you speak so well.”
“I have magical ability,” Faynara said proudly.
Tessia looked at the girl with interest. “How many years have you been learning?”
“Oh, I’m only a latent.” Faynara shrugged.