Magi'i of Cyador

XCIV

LORN LOOKS UP from the patrol report he is writing as Kusyl stands by the door to the inner study.

“This came with the Engineers, ser.” The senior squad leader extends the white and green sealed scroll.

Lorn stands to take it. “Thank you. It will be a bit before I have the reports ready to go.”

“Myserk will stop back before they leave,” Kusyl replies. “He understands.” With a nod, he steps back and closes the door.

Lorn looks at the scroll, then forces himself to set it on the side of the desk. He picks up the pen and continues until he reaches the last lines of the summary that will be dispatched to Majer Maran.

… no casualties, and no creatures escaped. Patrol remained on station at the fallen trunk for two days until Mirror Engineers could respond. Return patrol without Accursed Forest events.

With a smile of relief, he lays the summary beside the completed full report for both to dry and finally picks up the scroll Kusyl had brought him. Lorn is not that surprised to see that the seal has been carefully slit from the paper and then re-heated-as shown by the blurring of his father’s “K” on the wax.

He breaks the seal and begins to read.

… is always good to hear how well you are doing. I have received favorable reports on your progress from many, including the officer who recommended you for lancer training so many years ago. He continues in that post today as well as then. Apparently, younger lancers are the ones who move more from duty assignment to duty assignment ….

Jerial has spent more time with me lately, and perhaps I was too hasty in my suggestions about future consorts. This is indeed something that we should discuss when you return, but I would like to assure you that I now believe your earlier inclinations may have true merit, and would be in your best interests if you still remain so inclined ….

Lorn frowns. Has Jerial talked about Ryalth to their father? Or has Ryalth’s success become more noted? Or is something else afoot about which Lorn knows nothing?

Vernt continues to pursue his efforts with both diligence and recognition. He has been raised to a lower second level, as has Ciesrt, although both are in very different aspects of magial endeavors. Myryan’s garden is a wonder, and she is most pleased with that aspect of her life and dwelling ….

Lorn winces. He suspects he knows exactly what his father’s words convey, and he can only hope his younger sister is not too terribly unhappy.

Sylirya has been taken as a consort by a cabinetmaker, so that Kysia has become the head of the household staff. She is good enough to run the household of a trading magnate and will in time perhaps have the skills needed to assist some high functionary in the Palace of Light, though we would certainly miss her here. In time, she will doubtless leave us for a younger family, but her loyalty cannot be faulted …

Lorn shakes his head with a wry smile.

In the end, little has changed within the house since last you were here, excepting that we all miss you, and wish you well in your struggles along the ward-wall of the Accursed Forest.

The lancer captain lowers the scroll, then lifts it and studies the writing itself, rather than the words. While his father’s writing retains its ability to offer detailed observations between the lines and the characteristic angular flow of the letters, there is something … Lorn studies the scroll more closely, noting the slight wavering of some pen strokes. Age? The toll of being a senior magus?

Lorn sets aside the scroll and fingers his clean-shaven chin, thinking about his father’s apparent change of heart-or thought-concerning Ryalth.

Does Ryalth’s scroll give any indication of any reason for that?

He takes out the other scroll-the one Suforis had delivered with two bottles of Alafraan from Dustyn the night previous, after Second Company had finally returned to Jakaafra, once again running almost three days late, this time because of tree-falls earlier along the southeast ward-wall. With only two of large moveable firecannons, and the need to recharge them after use, tree-falls close together meant one lancer company or another had to guard a fallen trunk forseveral days, at times. This time, it had been Second Company’s fate.

He unrolls the scroll.

My dearest lancer,

I told myself I would not be disappointed had you forgotten our discussion of a year ago. I would have been disappointed. That I can tell from my reaction to your scroll. I will be in Jakaafra for this venture as you have requested. The trip will allow me to visit some factors in Fyrad and in Geliendra and other towns along the route.

All is well with Ryalor House. We have been able to broker some additional timber shipments when the amount of timber increased past the anticipated contract levels, as I had suspected might well occur ….

Why had she suspected? Because the timber came from fallen trunks and because Lorn’s presence meant more falling trunks?

… our interests in coastal shipping have also offered solid results, for equally predictable reasons ….

Lorn sets down the scroll of his consort-to-be and laughs. His father and Jerial must have just looked. Jerial’s wagering ventures have let her overhear much of the gossip, and many of the facts could not have been hidden. Not when Ryalor House has trading spaces three times as large as before, its own warehouse, interests in coastal ships, and who knows what else that Ryalth has not told him.

And all because a student mage saved a pretty face from being attacked years before? A pretty face that hid so much more?

Lorn glances to the cold and sunlit green-blue sky beyond the study window. He hopes that Majer Maran will wait aseason or two before returning, but doubts he will have that much time. If … if Lorn is fortunate, he and Ryalth will be consorted, and she will have returned to Cyad before the majer reappears. If …