Despite popular opinion, Therelin was not built of muscle. He had a sturdy stature and was not weak, but he was not a champion of might as Ethraw had imagined. Thankfully, most of the merchant’s crates were not immensely heavy. The trick was to move them without breaking any of the contents. During his first week, Therelin broke two glass bowls off each other. Ethraw had only chuckled and said, “You get three mistakes before you pay for them.”
Of course, each of Ethraw’s wares sold for a portion of what Therelin made in a month. He quickly learned how to pace himself to avoid damaging the merchandise.
Exactly one month after his first adventure to the Hall of the Three Winds, Therelin sought to check for Master Nolicrin’s return. Of course, Therelin had other responsibilities to address as well. He awoke at the Skyfire Hearth a few minutes early and hurried through the streets of Saanazar before the day’s hubbub had really begun. He found Ethraw sitting in an armchair in his front yard.
The merchant lived in a large house with his orphaned nephew and niece. The property was nice, but it was secure. A spiked fence surrounded the plot of land, and a hefty wooden gate kept unwanted guests in the street. Ethraw’s second employee, Tuckler, served as guard and steward, and let Therelin onto the land with a polite nod. Ethraw, who was scraping seed paste from a plate with a corner of bread, raised the morsel in an amicable wave to Therelin. “Good morning, friend!” he called, around his mouthful. “No new deliveries today, so just what’s in the shed.”
Ethraw’s shed, secured with fence panelling and a hefty padlock, was the storage room for all his expensive imports. But Therelin didn’t go to the shed; instead, he walked up the hill toward his employer. “Master Ethraw,” he said politely, “Could I have the day off?”
“A day off?” Ethraw asked. “Today?”
“Uh, yes. Please.”
Ethraw pursed his lips. After a moment, he raised his voice: “Tuckler, are you busy today?” The servant had just begun clipping clothes to a line that ran from the house to the shed. He nodded emphatically and continued with his work. Ethraw turned back to Therelin. “No.”
Therelin sighed, but stood waiting. He would have to go that evening, and hope Nolicrin was still at the Hall.
“You can have the last day of the week off,” Ethraw decided. He finished up the jam on his plate and fit the rest of his bread into his mouth. He chewed, then nodded approvingly of his own idea.
“That’s tomorrow,” Therelin said. “It’s the 24th.”
Ethraw’s eyes narrowed. The heavyset man was usually more on top of things, despite his eager diet. He shrugged. “Then the last day of next. The 30th.”
“Very well,” Therelin said. Without waiting for more, he hurried across the turf to the storehouse.
It was a long day. They were busy at the stall and Ethraw sent Therelin back twice to bring another crate of merchandise. Not only that, but the merchant did not decide to pack up until an hour later than usual. Therelin didn’t pick Ethraw as being a cruel man, but it seemed oddly coincidental that their longest day that week was the day he had asked not to work.
When he was finally finished returning crates to the merchant’s property, Tuckler locked the shed up and Therelin hurried across town to the hilltop shrine. The sun was starting its decline, casting scattered bands of light around the gleaming clouds. By the time Therelin reached his destination, the apprentices and scholars were already locking it up. A simple bronze lattice slid across the doorway, to be locked in place by one of the male students. Maia stood waiting for him nearby, while another wandered ahead on the path down the hill. They waved when they saw Therelin coming up the trail.
“Is Master Nolicrin here?” Therelin asked, eagerly. “I couldn’t get here sooner today.”
Maia shook her head. Her long brown hair, almost to her waist, shook behind her. “Sorry friend, but he left early today. You haven’t had the best of luck finding him, have you?”
Therelin shrugged. “Will he be here on the 30th?”
“I think he will,” replied one of the other apprentices, a young man with a thick sandy-brown beard. He had finished with the shrine’s gate, and folded his arms.
Maia gave Therelin an added nod. “Will we see you then?” she asked.
“You certainly will,” Therelin replied. “And at a more reasonable time.” They started down the hill together, while Therelin prepared his mental patience for another week of anticipation. He was not even certain if Master Nolicrin would be what he hoped, but it was one of his two main leads in Saanazar. Studying from books alone was not enough for him. He would find the right teacher, sooner or later.