More swiftly than he’d expected the Herdkeeper motioned for the mare to leave then fussed around putting his paints to order. Whatever he had to talk about must be of great importance, Obbst had often waited for a few peals on other occasions when the Herdkeeper had been painting.

Once the Herdkeeper had his painting things sorted to his satisfaction, blood from a small vial attached to his belt floated into the air and with a feel like static electricity dispersed to form a dome surrounding them. Now Obbst was even more interested, he knew this spell well and it was one that defeated observation. Then the Herdkeeper turned and looked at him with a level gaze.

Just what was so important and secretive?

After an uncomfortable moment for Obbst where he was studied silently and expressionlessly, a smile lit upon the Herdkeepers face and he said, “Obbst my lad. I’ll get right to the point, I have almost enough support to take the Primacy from Folscach. I know you have little interest in the details of the politics but this is mostly because Councilman Ternial is willing to aid me in my run for the Primacy if I aid him in his run for the Chancellorship. Win-win for us and a loss for Folscach who has overreached mightily, it's well known to all that the Bloodmage Primus and the Chancellor should never be one and the same centaur.”

Obbst stayed silent and rigidly attentive, but couldn’t help a quizzical expression from flitting across his face.

The Herdkeeper said, “You seem puzzled. About why I’m telling you this?”

Obbst nodded.

“Well my boy it’s because I need your aid, the final vote I require is held by Herdkeeper Gersian, Matron of the Jerobar family. I need you to obtain her daughter so I can be absolutely certain of her support. She has been wavering of late, attempting to play myself and Folscach off against each other while she schemes her way closer to the Primacy herself. If we have her daughter she will fall squarely into my camp. You are willing to aid me in this aren’t you lad?”

Obbst nodded, a smile creasing his features. This could only help his own ambitions as well. A higher rank for his Herdkeeper would mean much better support for himself later when the time came to retire from army life. One of the new territories was almost a certainty if his petition and campaign was backed by the Bloodmage Primus.

“Excellent. Additionally I have contracted a Noble to accompany you along with his protected, he has not long been a Noble so only has three soldiers and a single servant. However that is not a particular problem, likely you will not even require his assistance. I can see your ire is rising but I am not impugning your capabilities my lad, the task is very sensitive and must be successful. You can understand the need for backup can you not?”

Obbst snorted, then forcefully reined in the anger the implied dismissal of his abilities had raised. No Minotaur would allow anyone to even imply they were not capable, it was a matter of honour and pride. Thinking he could see the Herdkeeper’s point though, if this was attempted and failed it would with certainty cause the matron to support his rival.

He nodded.

“Good, good. The Noble will meet you at the hall near the southern warrens entrance at eight peals. Now if you’ll excuse me, Chandria gets frisky after posing.” He winked, “Frankly that is the only reason I’m even painting her, I mean she’s pretty enough but she’s hardly a classical beauty and really not worthy of my talent. Still she’s quite lively as a partner so she’s not utterly useless, she can drain my balls for me.”

The Herdkeeper trotted out of the courtyard heading the same way the Centaur mare had earlier leaving Obbst with a frown wrinkling his brow. To treat a person so dismissively, especially under those circumstances was not honourable. But he was the Herdkeeper so by custom and law must be both respected and honoured.

He’d got to the villa slightly after six peals so if he wanted to be on time to meet with the Noble he needed to get moving, the Southern warren entrance was on the other side of the city. The Northern warren entrance which was quite close to the estate was for Royals only, not mere Nobles.

Obbst left the house and started running back toward the city.

*******

He was a few streets from the Southern warren entrance Noble's hall when the bells started tolling eight peals. It wouldn’t do to be late, it was dishonourable to not meet the given word of his Herdkeeper.

Blowing loudly Obbst reached the slab sided Nobles hall just as the eighth peal faded, he’d hurried to make it in time and was now paying for his haste.

As he walked in circles cooling from his run the short insectile four legged form of a Iaernide servant scuttled up to him and said, “You are Nrrkadriv Obbst?”

He nodded.

“Noble Trftdrwx will see you as soon as you are rested. We thank you for being so prompt. It will be acceptable to refer to him as Noble Trad as he is aware his name is not possible for your mouth to form and no dishonour will be attached to the incorrect form of address.”

Obbst nodded again and was glad this Noble was not a traditionalist otherwise all communications would have had to go through the servant because of the dishonour of addressing a Noble by a shortened name. A Nobles name was a listing of their life's achievements and to shorten it was to imply those achievements were of little worth. As a four syllable Noble, Noble Trad was young and only just past his time as a protected. The first two syllables were the names he’d held as a soldier and a servant during his time as a protected. The third was his standing during his Noble trials which controlled how many soldiers and servants he could hold in his protection and the fourth was his base name as a Noble. He was young as a Noble anyway, his actual age could be almost anything. Who knew how many turnings he’d served as a soldier and servant before learning ‘enough’ in the eyes of the royalty to be given a chance at the Noble trials.

Breathing calmed and straightening up, Obbst motioned for the servant to lead him to the Noble.

He followed the scuttling servant through the massive doorway of the slab built monstrosity of a building. Some peoples built so large for aesthetics and for social engineering purposes, aesthetics were never a concern for the Iaernide in their buildings. Some individual Iaernide maintained galleries and were renowned as artists, however functionality was everything they cared about in their buildings but it had to be granted that the intimidation factor of the massive building was significant.

Even the size of this doorway, roughly three times Obbst’s formidable height and more than four times as wide as he’d need was purely functional, some Nobles and most Royals used bodies large enough to need a doorway that big.

He followed the servant deeper into the hall and as they descended deeper into the earth the temperature dropped because like all Iaernide structures only the entrance poked above ground.

The surroundings as he walked made Obbst extremely uncomfortable, the air, though fresh and clean, felt dead and he could tell nothing down here other than him was breathing it. The spongy surface of the floor removed all sound from his steps and the uniformly dull grey-brown walls started closing in on him even though the halls were wide and the ceilings high.

Everything was also immaculately clean, unnaturally so. Not a speck of dust marred the walls, not a single scuff mark tattooed the floor. Nothing indicated that this was somewhere living beings spent any time at all, or should spend any time.

Obbst took a couple of deep breaths and calmed himself, he was a Minotaur, he was powerful, he was a veteran of more battles than he could easily count. There was no way he would allow the unnaturalness of this place get to him. He would meet the Noble, they would make a plan and they would carry it out successfully for the honour and advancement of his herd.

Resolve stiffened and incipient panic staved off he idly wondered what the true warrens were like as he’d heard these visitor halls were designed to make non-Iaernide more comfortable and it had still affected him that badly. No one had ever been in the true warrens and returned that he knew of. He did know some few who said they were gong to try and were never seen again and of course some who said they would and then found some reason not to.

The servant entered a room with a lower ceiling and with narrower doors, it was empty of furniture so the four beings who stood within were the focal point. Obbst studied the loose group of Iaernide standing before him taking in the gleaming metallic forms and deciding who he should address. Three were shorter than himself and slender looking, two of these held rifles. The fourth was a hulking brute who matched Obbst himself in size and whose form was liberally coated in spikes and protruding nodules that would make grappling with him uncomfortable if not outright dangerous. After studying them for a moment without a word being said on either side he turned to the weaponless one at the rear of the group. This one also had the green of a Nobles eyes rather than the red of servants or soldiers.

“N-N-N-No-” He paused, snorted angrily then began again in Fae rather than Harkag, “My apologies, Noble. I often find my tongue to be cursed and to stumble as if drunk. Changing the language I speak often helps, please accept my sincere regrets that I am unable to express myself effectively. There is no implication you are unable to understand and no dishonour intended.”

The Nobles voice when he spoke was warm and timbered, an orators voice, you wanted to listen to what he had to say. It reminded Obbst that this Noble had decades of experience as soldier and servant in all roles they were regularly contracted out for. From bookkeepers, housekeepers, and translators to ambassadors for their time as a servant and from regular army units, special forces, and bodyguards to command staff for their time as a soldier.

It was something to remember. Nobles were very dangerous beings, highly intelligent and highly skilled in many things.

He said, “I understand, Nrrkadriv Obbst. No dishonour is taken, a failing of such nature is no ones fault and should not be held against them. To business, Councilman Halas contracted us to provide support for your undertaking. I and my protected are to be under your orders and after reviewing your records this is agreeable to us, we will feel no loss of honour. We have maps, numbers of guards, servants and a loose itinerary of the household for your review before planning this operation. If you do not have a location which can be used, an establishment nearby by the name of the Blue Doe has rooms that may be rented by the hour and are warded most strongly against observation.”

“I find your suggestion to be of use and thank you for it. It would be pleasing to have one of your group lead us to the establishment.”

The Noble inclined his head and motioned for the servant to lead the group back out of the depths of the halls.

Speaking in Harkag again Obbst asked, “Just what was the reason for me coming down here? You could have met me at this Blue Doe just as easily.”

Replying in the same language the Noble said, “Information of course. We needed to make sure that you are who you say you are and that you are what you say you are. Politics is always a murky game and we do not allow ourselves to be played in it.”

Obbst snorted and said, “I can understand that I’m not overly fond of politics myself. But my Herdkeeper commands.”

“Really? Playing the obedient fool does not suit you Nrrkadriv, you are too intelligent for that so please do not insult us. We are aware you have ambitions beyond simple service to your Herd, your Herdkeeper and your land. That is part of the reason for this meeting. You will need aid, we need chances to experience new situations and learn new truths or new lies. We can aid each other in our wants after we meet the desires of your Herdkeeper.”

Voice prickly with undertones of violence, Obbst said, “I will do nothing which goes against the Herdkeeper, he is to be respected and honoured. I will defend that to my death.”

“After we meet your Herdkeeper’s desires Nrrkadriv, after. I can understand your honour’s demands and we will not be disrespecting or dishonouring your Herdkeeper in any way. I just want you to think about keeping up our relationship after we’re done. That’s all.”

Obbst grunted, but he nodded then walked on in silence.