The Ambassador's Mission

Cery watched his daughter thoughtfully. She wasn’t doing well in her lessons today, but then Gol had also made some uncharacteristic blunders. Both were still too wound up from their morning visit to the Guild to focus fully on the training session.

They shouldn’t be letting that affect their concentration, he thought. I guess I’m going to have to make sure I can protect myself, if my bodyguards are ever treated to a glimpse of the life of the rich and powerful again.

A knock at the door drew everyone’s attention. They were back at the Grinder Bolhouse, and Cery’s people had been sent out to inform those who had requested a meeting with him that they could see him now.

At a nod from Cery, Gol strode to the door and opened it a crack, before pulling it open. The man standing in the corridor outside had the same awed look on his face that Anyi and Gol had worn for hours after their visit to the Guild.

“Black Magician Sonea, Lord Regin, two women and two children to see you,” he said.

“Send them up.”

The man nodded and hurried away. Anyi and Gol stood and grinned at each other.

“Well, come on. Take your places,” Cery ordered.

They hurried over to stand on either side of his chair. Gol struck a pose that looked more ridiculous than imposing. Anyi flexed her fingers as she always did when nervous. Shaking his head, Cery sighed and waited.

The sound of footsteps grew louder, then the room seemed to fill with magicians’ robes. Sonea’s black ones first, then Regin’s red. Following the pair and looking very plain and meek came Forlie and a younger woman. The latter was carrying a small girl in one arm, and a slightly older boy clung to her other hand.

Anyi and Gol bowed awkwardly, but with enthusiasm.

“Cery,” Sonea said, then she nodded to his daughter and friend. “Anyi and Gol. Thank you for coming to the Guild. I tried to prevent it, but the Guild, when it is investigating something as serious as a rogue magician, tends to be overly thorough.”

“That’s fine,” Cery replied. He turned to Gol. “Bring them some chairs.”

The chunky old chairs that normally sat in the centre of the room had been moved to one side to allow room for training sessions. Gol took a step toward them, but Sonea raised a hand to stop him.

“I’ll do it.”

Anyi, Forlie and the other woman gaped as the heavy chairs rose and floated to the middle of the room, arranging themselves in a square incorporating Cery’s seat. Gol merely grinned in knowing satisfaction. He’d seen plenty of magic back when Cery had been working for the former High Lord.

“We came to tell you the results of our investigation,” Sonea said as she sat down. “And to ask a favour.”

“A favour?” Cery rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. “Here we go again.”

She smiled. “Yes. Can you find Forlie, her daughter and her grandchildren a safe place to hide?”

Cery looked at the women. They smiled back at him tentatively. The younger woman had not let go of either child as she’d sat down. The girl was in her lap, and the boy was sitting on the arm of the chair.

“They’re in danger?”

“Yes. She was set up to take the place of Lorandra – the real rogue.”

“But you have the real rogue … don’t you?”

“We do. And we don’t.” Sonea paused and considered him for a moment. “Lorandra is Skellin’s mother.”

Cery felt a chill rise up from somewhere behind his chair and flow through all his body. His heart began to thump in his chest. Skellin’s mother. That’s why he was annoyed to learn that I’d seen the rogue fairly clearly and hadn’t told him. It would have told him his ploy of setting up Forlie wouldn’t work. Well, it would have failed anyway because he didn’t know that some of the Guild’s magicians can read minds.

“I can’t imagine he’s a very happy man at the moment,” Cery said dryly.

Regin chuckled. “No. Unfortunately for us all, he evaded the magicians sent to capture him, so we now have a rogue on the loose who knows we’re after him.”

Cery stared at him. “Skellin is a magician?”

Sonea nodded. “Which is why we need you to help Forlie. He blackmailed her by taking her daughter and grandchildren and threatening to kill them. We’re hoping he’s too busy hiding himself from us to worry about seeking revenge on her, but we’d rather not take that risk.”

Cery looked at Forlie and shrugged. “Of course I’ll help her.”

“You’ll want to take some extra precautions yourself,” Regin added.