Gemstone

Learning Sindhian alchemy felt like when he first arrived at the Lyceum, struggling to acquire even the simplest control over his magic. He could create a few effects, use his powers a little, but none of it actually helped him accomplish what he was meant to do.

Nora did her best to encourage him, explaining it had taken her almost a month before she had cracked it. Martel had not been trying that long yet, so it was too early to despair. He would have to devote his spare hours to more practice. He wished that he could afford the few tools and items needed to try making potions on his own, but given that half his wages went to paying for Julia's room, Martel would have to make do without. And as for this Solday, rather than practise, he had an engagement to meet.

***

With a staff borrowed from the school's armoury, Martel went once more to The River Pearl. This time, he did not have to announce his arrival; as soon as he stepped through the doors, a guard waved at him and gestured for the mage to follow.

Instead of going deeper into the complex, Martel was taken through a nearby door to reach a courtyard on the other side of the building. A carriage stood, painted in colours though notably lacking an insignia, showing it did not belong to any nobility. A handful of guards milled about as did the driver, smoking a pipe in the cold.

They greeted Martel with small nods at most, keeping their distance. Either because he was not of their number or because he was a wizard; perhaps both. Not that Martel cared much. He had no intentions of befriending them.

A woman joined them, though not the Lady Pearl herself. She was younger and most notably had hair, auburn in colour. As for her clothes, she wore an expensive, fur-lined cloak with a dress underneath that sat tight around her form, unlike the more flowing garments favoured by her mistress.

The woman's appearance reminded Martel that during the meeting in the Undercroft, Lady Pearl had been attended only by other women. Yet here, her guards seemed like ordinary men; the typical brawlers that filled Morcaster.

While Martel tried not to stare at the newcomer, she had no such reservations, scrutinising him unabashedly. He was almost grateful when Lady Pearl arrived. "You are all here," she remarked with her usual wide smile. "Let us not tarry." She stepped into the carriage, followed by the young woman.

Meanwhile, the driver climbed up, and the guards formed a square around the wagon. As for Martel, he walked over to stand alongside the horses, content to walk by himself.

"Oh no, master wizard, it would not do to have you trudge around like a commoner. Please, come and be seated."

Not sure how he felt about the invitation, Martel deposited his staff underneath the driver's seat and climbed into the carriage, sitting down on the empty side opposite Lady Pearl and her attendant.

"Ruby, you've yet to meet Master Martel."

The redhaired woman smiled like a peddler sizing up a naïve customer. "The vaunted battlemage. So young."

"They train them early at the castle," Lady Pearl said.

Eager to steer the conversation away from himself, Martel decided to learn what he could about what lay ahead. "Can you tell me the details of this meeting, milady?"

"He is so polite. One reason I like him," Lady Pearl told her attendant. "Naturally, darling. You are familiar with the Island Trading Consortium, I take it."

He was not, but revealing ignorance could be a weakness, so Martel simply nodded.

"You can imagine the amount of silk I buy, keeping my gems in suitable clothing." She pinched Ruby's cheek. "Not to mention many other purposes. Now the dreadful Consortium has a stranglehold on the trade, but this enterprising fellow has promised to sell me bolts and bolts of silk at half price."

"How can he do that?"

"By cheating both the Consortium and the Asterian toll collectors, I can only assume. Any details of what happens beyond our shores, I leave to him," Lady Pearl continued. "My interest is only once the goods reach land, specifically Smallport. So the good fellow will give us a little tour of his warehouse, we'll talk business a while, and so on. Really, the meeting is for us both to get a feel of the other person."

A warehouse as the meeting location, agreed upon in advance. That gave this trader plenty of time to set up an ambush. Martel tried to consider what to do if it came to a fight. In such confined spaces, archers would not be of much use, except maybe one or two inside to start the ambush, and a few outside to prevent any from fleeing.

If arrows came against Lady Pearl, Martel would not be able to do much; his magical shield could protect himself, but not anybody else. He could stand in front of her, maybe. But really, the best would be to leave the fighting to her guards and get the woman out, as long as he went first in case of archers outside.

Of course, if she happened to die despite Martel's efforts, she could not very well complain about his failure, being dead and all. Perhaps he should think mostly about keeping himself safe.

"What is our wizard thinking, would you say?" Lady Pearl asked of Ruby. "He seems awfully pensive, and quiet."

"No doubt great and important matters," the redhaired woman replied with a teasing voice. "Though he has the look of someone planning his next move. Calculating."

Realising they spoke about him, and caught off-guard, Martel stared from one woman to the other. Well, sometimes the best defensive spell was an offensive spell. "What of you, Ruby? What purpose do you serve for your mistress?"

"My dear gem is a good distraction." Pearl patted her attendant's arm. "Men find it harder to focus on business when distracted by thoughts of what comes after."

Ruby's only response was to wink. Looking through the opening of the carriage door, Martel saw the gate as they rumbled by, leaving Morcaster to travel on the narrow road to Smallport.