He was not, but he couldn’t very well ask to go appraise the troops and pick one out, as he would a batch of fruit or a cut of meat at the market, so meeting the guildmaster would have to suffice.
“I am,” Adrissu replied. “Would you take me to him?”
“Her,” the boy corrected, then added quickly, “Of course.” He set down his broom and led Adrissu back into the entryway.
Adrissu followed him up a flight of stairs and through the first door on the second floor. Inside, a stern-looking woman was sitting at a desk with a pile of papers in front of her and a quill in one hand. She glanced up as they entered, a slight frown on her face. Adrissu looked her over quickly: she was an older woman with graying hair pulled into a tight bun. A hooked-shape scar curved from her lower left eyelid across the bridge of her nose, and the frown remained on her lips even as her gaze flickered from the boy toward Adrissu.
“Lord—er, that is, the mage Adrissu asked to see you, ma’am,” the boy said, gesturing toward Adrissu.
“I see,” the woman said, looking him over. Between her stern face and no-nonsense clothing, Adrissu guessed that she was a retired soldier or seasoned warrior in her own right—past her prime, maybe, but still more than capable of training up others. She stood as they appraised each other. “I have heard of you, Adrissu. Your presence here honors us. I’m Maya Graylight, the guildmaster of Polimnos’ branch of the mercenaries’ guild. How can I help you?”
“Thank you for speaking with me,” Adrissu said, bowing his head slightly. She gestured for him to sit across from her desk. He stepped closer, but remained standing, one hand hovering anxiously over the chair. The boy who had led him here quietly backed out, his footsteps echoing back down the stairs. “I’ve recently considered hiring a personal guard to keep an eye on my tower, and thought your organization would be a good place to start looking.”
The lie came easily. A sorcerer needed no guardian, and a dragon less so, but there was a sense to it. After all, he was the only mage in Polimnos, and he was sure the humans assumed that he had all sorts of rare and powerful items and ingredients that would need safeguarding, especially as the town expanded and the population grew with it.
“A guard, eh?” Maya mused, setting down her quill. “I’m sure some of our recruits would be up for the job. If you want to leave your information, I can pass it to our instructors.”
“I was wondering if I might have a look at your current crop of recruits,” Adrissu said quickly, before she could continue. “I am rather... particular about those I would allow in my tower. I’m sure you can understand why I would prefer to select someone myself and extend the offer in person.”
At first, the woman was silent, eyeing him suspiciously. After a tense moment, though, she shrugged and stood.
“I think that should be fine,” she said, stepping around her desk. “We have a class going on right now. I’ll take you to the training ground.”
Adrissu nodded and followed her back out of the room, stifling the self-satisfied smile that threatened to spread across his face. His lie had worked. He would meet his mate.
He shook the thought from his head as they descended the stairs, regret bubbling up inside him once more. What was he going to say to the man when he arrived? What if he didn’t want to come guard Adrissu’s tower at all? His chest filled with dread, even as he followed Maya outside and into the back courtyard. But he kept the same neutral expression, while Maya went on about the guild’s activities since its founding the year prior.
She opened the door to the courtyard ahead of him, flooding the walkway with light. The sounds of shouting and the clash of wooden swords filled the air as they stepped out. Although the group gathered in the courtyard must have been around thirty people, Adrissu’s gaze was immediately drawn to him—his fated mate.
The man was swinging his sword, focusing on the instructor near the center of the yard. He wore a sleeveless tunic over tight breeches, and his exposed arms glistened with sweat in the sunlight, as did his short auburn hair.
“Here,” Maya said, gesturing toward one of the instructors. “I’ll let you talk to Ederick here. He should be able to help you.”
The man was noticeably older than the recruits, closer in age to Maya herself. Ederick wore a short beard, the same dark gray as the rest of his short-cropped hair; and although he seemed to notice Maya’s attention, he only glanced briefly in their direction before looking back at the trainees. He was observing, rather than instructing.
“Ederick,” she repeated in a louder tone, and this time the man turned to face them. “This is Adrissu, the resident mage. He’s looking for a personal guard. Will you point out some of the more promising recruits to him? Anyone that might be interested in taking the job.”
“Sure,” Ederick said gruffly, nodding to both.
“Thank you,” Adrissu said smoothly, as Maya stepped away. “Hello, sir.”
“Hello, Adrissu,” he answered, looking him up and down. “I don’t believe we’ve met, but I’ve heard of you. Good to finally meet you.”
Adrissu smiled. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, then, as I’m not aware of you.”
The man laughed. “Ederick Shay,” he said, gesturing toward himself. “I’m a retired mercenary and one of the lead instructors here at the guild. I’ve worked with most of these recruits one-on-one at least once. You say you’re looking for a bodyguard?”
“Not quite, although I suppose that would be part of it,” Adrissu said. “I’m considering hiring a personal guard, more for my tower than my own person. I have no concerns about my own ability to protect myself, but my... supply of arcane items and ingredients has grown enough that a second set of eyes might be better to have sooner rather than later.”
“Understandable,” Ederick agreed, and he started to look out toward the group of recruits. “Hmm. You’d want someone responsible, who you could trust not to go through your things themselves. I have a few in mind.” He pointed at a few in turn—none of them were the man who kept Adrissu’s focus. “Let’s see. There’s Seta, Glenn, and Hostus... Those would probably be my first choice. Not top of their class, so they’re not going to consider themselves above a guard job, but more than capable of what you need.”
“Hmm,” Adrissu said, pretending to look around the field. The people he had pointed out did appear capable and strong: it was unfortunate for them that he had no interest in their ability. “What of her?” He gestured toward the only woman that he had spotted on the field.
“That’s Ketlin. She can hold her own, certainly, but I don’t think she’s well-suited to guard work. She’s better with ranged weapons, and frankly, Adrissu, she’s too ambitious by far to accept a guard position. I don’t think she’d be interested, unfortunately,” the other man replied, scratching his beard.
“What about that one, over there?” He pointed at the auburn-haired man, trying to sound casual. The man hadn’t seemed to notice him at all, his focus still on the instructor who was guiding them through different stances.
“Ah,” Ederick said, a chagrined expression crossing his face. Adrissu watched him closely, noting the change as he spoke. “That’s Ruan. To be honest, he’s probably too mischevious for something like guard duty. He’d get restless and bored, and that’s not something you’d want to deal with.”
