Taegan stifled a laugh as he stumbled to his feet. “I would agree with you, but I think we both know that won’t last long.”
Chapter Seven
Thenextdaywasmuch of the same, though they had a leisurely breakfast with Tom in the morning before he and Zorvut went out into the small backyard again to continue their training. Taegan watched with idle half-interest from the kitchen, but soon busied himself with other tasks as much as he could. Now that they were safely settled in town, he retrieved a set of parchment and a pen from his belongings, writing out a letter to his father, as they had agreed.
It took a few scrapped drafts before he decided on a letter that seemed the appropriate balance between vague and recognizable to Ruven, so that he might understand what Taegan wrote to him, but any potential interceptors would not.
Dear Castien,
I write to you with tidings of good health. My partner and I have arrived safely in the port of Naymere where we will stay with his tutor while he begins his studies. No news from the road, as our journey was unremarkable in every way. We hope you are remaining just as safe, and this letter finds you well. I look forward to your response, but it is with greater anticipation that I look toward the day we will be reunited once more.
Sincerely,
T. G.
Satisfied with his work, Taegan tossed the scrapped letters into the stove where the embers from the morning’s meal still glowed, and carefully folded the final draft of the missive into thirds and sealed it with a few drops of red wax. Now he would just have to find a courier.
He peeked through the back door where Zorvut and Tom were training—seemingly satisfied with fire for now, Tom was explaining to him the way to shift from summoning flame to calling down lightning.
“Forgive my interruption,” he said quickly, the two men glancing over at him in surprise, and he held up the folded and sealed piece of parchment. “Tom, I wondered if you might know of a trustworthy courier service I might take advantage of. One that would be able to deliver a letter to Aefraya.”
“All the way to Aefraya?” Tom repeated, running a hand along his graying beard. “Well, the courier I’ve used in the past has never given me any problems, but I’m not entirely sure they’ll be able to travel all the way to the elven capital, times being what they are. If you go to the courier service in the town square, ask for Edwin. He should be able to help you out, or at least point you in the right direction.”
“Much obliged,” Taegan answered, and met Zorvut’s gaze. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Be safe,” Zorvut replied with a stern nod, and Taegan smirked.
“Always,” he said as he walked away.
The day was still young, with the sun not quite having reached its peak in the sky, so Taegan walked leisurely as he stepped out the front door and out onto the street. A few workers were heading toward the dock, presumably returning to work after taking a break, but otherwise the street was mostly empty. He strolled on the stone path toward the town square, taking in the sights. A few gulls called overhead as they soared toward the ocean, and when he glanced up to look at them, he could see a human woman hanging laundry out to dry from the rooftop of one of the buildings. The nearer he got to the town square, the more lively the street became.
As he walked, he could feel Zorvut’s range of emotions through the bond, a rhythmic cycle of focused concentration becoming either a tinge of frustration or a flash of satisfaction. It was a bit odd, being able to tell exactly how his training was going, even from this distance. The town square was less than a mile from Tom’s home, though, so he was fairly certain they would remain connected.
In contrast to the quiet streets, the square was bustling with activity. The Snoring Seagull and the other small restaurants and food carts seemed calm so far, though the lunch rush would likely be upon them soon. Some stalls were set up in the empty parts of the square where merchants were selling their wares, calling out to the people walking along the stone paths—the stalls ranged from textiles and simple clothing to fresh seafood and other provisions.
Nothing looked immediately like a courier service, so he made a slow circuit around the square, looking at each door or sign on every building until he could finally track it down, a narrow red door without a window or outward sign but simply the word “Courier” painted on the red surface in clean black lettering. It was the only such one he had found, so this must have been the courier service Tom meant. He placed a hand on the doorknob, twisting it; it was unlocked, so he stepped inside.
The shop was a narrow and long room, with a few austere decorative items on shelves but rather empty save for the long counter that stretched along the right-hand wall, a dark wood that went pleasingly with the dark forest green paint on the walls. Behind the counter was a tall, gangly human man with a clean-shaven face, neat brown hair parted on one side, and large spectacles that gave him the appearance of some kind of very long insect.
“Welcome,” the human said, looking up from some papers on the countertop in front of him as Taegan entered. “How can I help you?”
“I was told to ask for Edwin,” Taegan replied, taking a few careful steps toward the man. The human glanced at his ears briefly, but if he was surprised at all to see an elf in his establishment, he gave no outward sign of it.
“That would be me,” the man replied with a nod of his head. “At your service, sir.”
“Excellent,” Taegan said, and he pulled the letter from his cloak pocket. “I’m unsure what services you offer, but this letter needs to be delivered to the city of Castle Aefraya.”
The man’s eyebrows twitched but he bent down beneath the counter to bring up a ledger book without missing a beat.
“Hmm,” he said, pursing his lips and pulling up another stack of papers. “Let me see what routes we have planned out for the month...” He shuffled through the papers and brought out a few maps, some which Taegan recognized and others, which seemed to be more local and narrow in scope, that he could not pinpoint. Each had a few routes highlighted in red with small notes scribbled next to them—the maps that he did recognize as Aefraya in did not seem to have any highlighted routes.
“Unfortunately, sir, times being what they are, we don’t have any regular line going to Aefraya for the foreseeable future,” Edwin said, folding his arms across his chest as he met Taegan’s gaze again. “I can arrange an independent delivery for you, but it’s much more expensive than going on the regular routes.”
“Money is of no concern,” he replied with a wave of his hand.
“In that case,” the man said with a nod, and he leaned over the maps again, tracing his finger along the demarcated roads, his lips moving in silent mutterings to himself. “How soon do you need this delivered?”
“The sooner the better,” Taegan said with a nod, and the man straightened up once more.
