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and that he d received more training with staff and truncheon, as well as.
instruction in his new duties. He told them not to worry and that he would
write as he could. What else could he really say?
On and off, he looked for Deybri at meals, but never saw her. Was she avoiding
him?
Even Anitra no longer plopped herself at his table in the mess, and it had
been eightdays since he d seen Khalyt around.
Then, on sevenday, Kadara found him on his way to the evening meal.
The Legacy of Diev ported this afternoon. That s the ship that you ll be
taking to Swartheld. You ll report to Captain Liedra before midmorning
tomorrow. As a clerk of the Nylan Merchant Association, you ll be expected to
help the purser in minor ways, copying manifests or cargo declarations.
Nothing you shouldn t be familiar with by now& You can take the gray trousers,
but I d leave the gray tunics. Those won t be that welcome in Swartheld.
What if I take one just for the voyage? Not to wear in Swartheld.
Kadara actually grinned. Might not be a bad idea. Especially since you ve not
been seafaring. The grin faded. Don t be late.
No, magistra.
With that, Kadara was gone.
After making his way to the serving table and filling a bowl and taking some
dark bread, Rahl made his way to the unoccupied corner of a table in the mess.
He sat down and looked at the fish stew over noodles. He ate one bite, then
another, before taking a swallow of ale. He looked to the west-facing windows
and the white-golden light slanting through them. Tomorrow?
He d known he d have to leave Nylan, but he hadn t expected it to happen quite
so suddenly. He was being sent to Hamor all because he didn t fit what the
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magisters expected of a beginning mage. Do it our way, or be on your way. That
was what it amounted to, and it wasn t as though he hadn t tried. He had
tried, but sometimes things just didn t follow their precious Basis of Order.
Of what use were rules and precepts when they didn t apply? And what wisdom
was there in denying mat sometimes the rules weren t applicable?
The problem was that it didn t matter what he thought or what made sense. The
magisters and the Council had the power to exile him, and he couldn t do
anything about it that wouldn t make his own situation even worse. 1
He slowly finished his meal.
Then, after rinsing his dishes and washing up, in the light of early twilight,
Rahl walked downhill, then eastward to Deybri s small house.
He hoped she happened to be there, although he saw no light behind the
curtains in the front window. Still& he rapped on the ancient oak door, its
surface golden brown and showing a tracery of age lines.
, There was no response, and he rapped again. He could sense someone there,
and he thought it was Deybri.
Finally, the door opened halfway, and Deybri stood there wearing trousers and
a short-sleeved collared shirt. She was barefoot. You would know that I was
here.
I came to say good-bye.
When are you leaving?
Tomorrow, I think. I have to be on the ship in the morning. It might be
oneday or twoday. I don t know how long it takes them to off-load and
on-load.
Usually a day, sometimes two, usually not more than three.
Rahl was puzzled by the combination of indifferent tone and the concern lying
behind her almost flat words. After a moment, he said, You ve been interested
in me, but you ve kept me at a distance. It s not just because I m younger, is
it?
No. Deybri smiled sadly. It s because you won t come back. She held up a
hand to forestall any interruption. If you fail to find what you need to.
discover, you won t be back. If you do, Nylan will be too small and confining
for you, and you won t be back. She shrugged. I m not someone who does
things by half. Or in smaller fractions. For some people, every small bite of
life can be tasted by itself. For me, it can t. So I pass on some sweet
morsels because the memory of their taste would turn bitter.
Rahl stood there, thinking about what she said.
You don t look back, Rahl. That s not in your Nature. I d wager you scarcely
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