Natural Ordermage

XC

On threeday evening, after supper, Rahl left the mage-guards’ mess and walked toward the pier-guard station. After five days of mostly sitting and writing, he was more than ready to leave the port area around the mage-guard station.

He’d already learned from the station manual that, during the working day, two mage-guards were stationed on the piers, one as a roving patrol, and the other with the two main pier guards at the entrance to the pier area. There were also guards armed with falchionas at the foot of each individual pier. After sunset, when the piers were cleared of vendors and wagons, only one mage-guard remained on a roving duty, and the two armed guards remained at the main guard post. There were no individual pier guards after sunset unless ordered for special reasons. The pier-duty mage-guard was supposed to remain close to the main guard post at night, except when conducting periodic inspections of the piers.

As he neared the main guard post, he could hear Dalya talking to the pier guards. “…still worry about the Jeranyi…good thing the Hydlenese left, but watch the crew on Byneget Bay if they come by…” As she caught sight of Rahl, she stopped. “You headed out?”

“Just for a walk. I need to refresh my memory about where things are.”

Dalya nodded. “Understand there’s a crowd at the Red Pier. If you go by there, I’d have the truncheon out.”

“I appreciate that.” Rahl smiled pleasantly.

Dalya turned back to the pier guards. “…probably not see much for a while yet…don’t take your eyes off the Jeranyi…”

Rahl continued south until he reached the avenue that ran from the northeast to the southwest and several blocks farther to the southwest joined the boulevard that fronted on the Nylan Merchant Association building. He realized he was coming close to disobeying Captain Gheryk, but so long as he merely walked by the Merchant Association, he wasn’t probing or seeking anything…and besides, it was on one of the main streets.

The fall evening was early enough that couples walked down the stone way in the center of the divided avenue under the false giant acacia trees, and carriages and a few riders traveled on both sides, although the traffic was far more sparse than in midday. Most glanced at Rahl-or his uniform-and nodded politely, but did not let their gaze linger on him long at all.

He did let his order-senses take in anything around him.

As he neared a bench on which a couple were entwined more closely than might have been decorous, he sensed someone behind the tree to their right, and he could sense a certain amount of greed-possibly a petty cutpurse. Rahl stepped past the couple, who barely seemed to note him and toward the tree, drawing his truncheon and wishing he had enough order control to become less visible.

A youth darted from the tree, then froze, looking at Rahl.

“Ah…ser…good evening, ser,” the young man finally stammered.

“What you had in mind could get you in most serious trouble,” Rahl said quietly. “Since you didn’t do it…I won’t take you in, but if I see you up to it again, it will go twice as hard.” Even projecting his displeasure, he doubted his words would have that much effect. An offense hadn’t actually been committed, and that meant he couldn’t do that much except warn the boy.

Surprisingly, the youth paled, actually quivering, and stepped back. “Yes, ser. I won’t even think of it. Please, ser.”

“On your way.”

“Yes, ser.”

The young man practically ran from Rahl.

By now the couple had disentangled, and Rahl turned. “I wouldn’t get so lost in each other in a place where cutpurses could make off with something.” Then he nodded and continued on.

Behind him, he could sense relief.

“…if he told…your consort…”

“…not as though it’s an offense…”

Rahl shook his head slightly.

Before long, he crossed to the boulevard, but to the paved sidewalk on the north side. Ahead to his right, he could see Eneld’s, where the lamps were still lit, but the lacemaker’s windows were shuttered and dark. Across the boulevard to his left, he could see the Nylan Merchant Association. As he neared it, he slowed his steps, realizing that he still had his truncheon out.

A clerk Rahl did not recognize walked swiftly toward him and passed him, giving Rahl a quick and perfunctory nod. Rahl didn’t sense any chaos or anything but faint worry and returned the nod.

Across the boulevard, the door to the Association building was locked, and the interior dark. The gates to the warehouse yard were also locked, but he could see at an angle a light in the upper-level window where Daelyt and his consort lived-or had lived, since Rahl had no idea even whether Daelyt was still working for Shyret.

Rahl shook his head.

Given the whiteness he’d sensed around the head clerk the year before, and Daelyt’s consort’s inability to walk far, he doubted that Daelyt had left the Association. Then, what would happen when Shyret was rotated to another port? Did the clerk remain? Follow the managing director? Find another position?

Rahl didn’t know and wished that he did.

He turned his attention to the cantina immediately on his right, glancing in through the one window. Seorya was serving a couple-obviously consorted or related, or they wouldn’t have been at the same table. She looked up as he passed, but he sensed no real interest or recognition, and that was for the best.

Rahl walked another two blocks, then crossed the boulevard and walked back on the south side. He did not change his pace as he passed the warehouse yard gates once more, although he did try to sense anything out of the ordinary. All he could feel was a sense of whiteness, not overpowering, but stronger than when he had been a clerk.

At least, he thought it was stronger, but, honestly, how would he know, with all the changes that had affected his order-abilities. He also sensed the presence of a pair of guards, not near the gates, but one near the doors to each of the two warehouses. The additional guard was a change. He did not sense anyone within the main building as he passed, but that did not surprise him greatly.

By the time he’d walked back to the avenue, the couple had vanished, and the walkway and the stone benches were all deserted. His boots echoed hollowly on the stone, the sound matched only by the clopping of the now-infrequent carriages.

He had to wonder about the greater chaos-mist around the warehouses-and the night guards-but there wasn’t much that he could say or do. Not for now. He continued to make his way back to the mage-guard quarters.