Therelin woke up groggily. Was the sun even shining? He had heard a thump in another room that had awoken him. His tavern was not as comfortable as his home in Keth city had been, but it served its purpose fine. He rolled up to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes.
It was the morning, but the glow on the horizon was from the shine of a hidden sun. He would be attending Master Ethraw’s market stall once again. The coin pouch on his dresser looked plump from where Therelin sat. The merchant’s generosity was certainly appreciated by the wayward magician.
Therelin rubbed his shoulder and forced himself out of bed. He grabbed his reed skirts from the trunk at the end of his bed. He discarded them each night on top of the chest. He cinched the belt around his waist and grabbed the wash bucket from near the covered embers in the tiny fireplace. After a quick wash, Therelin went downstairs in search of breakfast.
The chef of the Skyfire Hearth smiled when Therelin marched into the common room. From the top of a cupboard behind the bar, he grabbed a bowl of salad and passed it to the broad-shouldered foreigner. Therelin’s strange diet had been the topic of several conversations, but the staff of the inn complied as amicably as they could. Therelin was still put off by the regular appearance of meat in the meals around him. In Keth, harming an animal was as disrespectful to the spirits as harming a person.
Therelin soon set out with his driftwood staff. It was a long walk to the latest market Master Ethraw had been attending. Therelin only walked five steps from the front porch before he was stopped by a young man brandishing a letter. “For you, sir,” the youngster said and handed it to him.
“Thank you,” Therelin said, blinking at the small scroll. It was secured with a length of twine, nothing identifying its sender. The courier held out his palm expectantly. Therelin smiled and passed him a coin. Then he stepped back to put his back against a wall and opened the message.
He read it in his head. “Therelin of Keth, your keen studies pursue secrets that are not yours to know. If you desire to risk your safety investigating the Conclave, you will leave Maia out of it. Risk only your own life.”
Breath held in his lungs, Therelin stared at the unfurled page. Maia must have told someone, he thought. It was unlikely they had been overheard in the Library of the Atmos Septi. He read the letter again. If it wasn’t Maia, how did the sender know Therelin’s name? Even if someone had overheard them, they should not have known what they did. Maia, Master Nolicrin… the other apprentices of the Hall of Three Winds? he wondered.
Therelin read the letter a third time. The phrase, “Leave Maia out of it,” stood out to him. It was like the writer of the letter was daring Therelin to continue his investigation. It didn’t tell him to stop, only to risk himself not Maia. His suspicions of Master Nolicrin grew.
He let the scroll roll up, then folded it and tucked it into one of his alchemy pouches.
The walk toward the harbour market was uncomfortable. He kept wondering who might be following him. He didn’t know to whom he could speak—who could he trust? Therelin contemplated his options: should he leave Saanazar and return after learning how to properly defend himself? To stay in the city seemed it would be to continue inadvertently stumbling onto the secrets of dangerous parties. He also wondered if the taunt to pursue the Conclave further was a test of his worth…. He could not ignore the portions of the letter that seemed to invite further investigation.
The shift of selling Ethraw’s glass wares was slow and stretched the day into an eternity. As the sun passed its zenith, Therelin wondered if he should continue visiting the Hall of Three Winds. He had been there twice already since Maia’s abrupt departure last week. She avoided him, but he had not been in danger. He suspected that the letter would not change that. According to the letter, he mainly had to avoid involving the apprentice.
With great hesitation, Therelin did wander toward the Hall of Three Winds after his day of work. When he entered, Maia left. It was hard not to sigh or scowl. He had enjoyed getting to know her—but now a rift had been driven between them. Why had Maia been so happy to help him research the Conclave only to suddenly dart and hide? When she had left, she had asked him if he had ever been to—and had cut off. What place could Therelin possibly have visited that would make her response normal?
Master Nolicrin left not long after Maia, though he left at his usual time. The mage spent only his days at the Hall, before retiring to his home. He smiled and bid Therelin a “Good evening,” before leaving. Therelin smiled, but then watched with narrowed eyes as the Master exited the Hall. What could be done?