The White Road - Lynn Flewelling [77]
She scooped up the coin. "Just right. You can have the small room at the top of the house. The bathhouse is behind the kitchen. I'll have the cook put some cans of water by the fire while you carry up your gear."
Their room looked out over a chicken yard in the back but had a broad, clean, vermin-free bed and no holes in the roof, which was about all Seregil required of a place like this. An oil lamp stood on a small table. A washstand and a single chair stood by the window.
"Much better than last night, aside from the smell of the chickens," Alec said.
Micum sat down on the edge of the bed to test the mattress. "I'll take that over fleas any day."
They stowed their gear and went back downstairs to take turns in the cramped wooden tub, then sat down to a piping-hot rabbit pie, thick with onions and turnips.
"This was worth the ride," Alec said around a mouthful, digging in with his spoon for another bite. With his bangs cut long over his eyes, Sebrahn attracted little attention.
Seregil nodded absently, glancing around at the crowd. There was still no sign of Thero, upstairs or down.
They stayed, listening to the harper until she stopped for the night, then returned to their room.
"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to get some sleep," Micum said, stretching out on the bed with a happy groan. "Seregil, you can have the first watch, and don't the two of you get up to any mischief."
"That could be taken several ways," Seregil noted.
"And I meant all of them." With that, he threw an arm over his eyes. A few minutes later he was snoring loudly.
They waited for two days, passing their time as they could. Alec remained upstairs with Sebrahn while Seregil and Micum went out hunting with the innkeeper's daughters in the early morning. They added considerably to the house larder, for which they got much praise at supper. In the afternoon Seregil played his harp and made a bit of silver, which he parleyed up in the evening as he and Micum gambled with the other guests. They won more than they lost, but not so much that anyone would remember them for it. The second night Seregil had no luck at all, but his looks and charm had made him the darling of the tables. Everyone gave him a bit of their earnings at the end of the night, little guessing that a few miles away in Rhiminee, Seregil was a rich man.
Thero arrived at sunset on the third day as Seregil sat plucking his harp by the fireside. The young wizard was dressed in ordinary riding clothes and could have easily passed as one of the traders Micum was currently drinking with. His dark, curly hair was pulled back in a black ribbon, and a few days' worth of stubble darkened his thin cheeks. He caught sight of Seregil and pushed his way through the crowd to clap him on the shoulder. "Greetings, friend! I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."
"Not at all, friend. I have a room for us. Come. I'll show you."
"Hold on. You can help me first."
Thero led the way out to the stable, where Seregil and Alec's horses were tethered. Cynril nickered contentedly as Seregil leaned over the side of the stall to rub the tall black mare's nose. Alec's brown mare Patch and chestnut stallion, Windrunner, were in the next two stalls. Alec would be glad to have Patch back, preferring the scrubby brown mare to Windrunner, even if she did try to eat every bit of leather within reach, including belts and purses, not to mention tack left hanging unwisely in her stall. Seregil crossed to the other stalls and stroked his grey gelding Star's neck. "Hello there, boy. Ready for a proper journey after all that lazing around?"
Several heavy packs lay in a heap on the clean straw of another. "I didn't know what you wanted," said Thero, "so your man Runcer packed a bit of everything, including this." He handed Seregil a heavy money purse, then wrinkled his nose at the tunic Seregil had been wearing