Luck in the Shadows - Chapter Twenty-Two
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i_read_whatSo last time, we learned of a possible scheme against Seregil, and had the least climactic reveal scene ever. That's not a criticism, by the way. It was actually pretty funny.
So anyway, it's time to buy a horse for the trip. Seregil's horse, by the way, is named Scrub. Not sure if I mentioned that. I found it amusing at least.
While they're shopping, the horse trader complains about the nearby slaughterhouse. Apparently, while some types of livestock (cows, pigs and sheep) don't mind the smell of blood, the horses freak out a little. Seregil recommends they petition the Queen's Court directly: the Queen (like Phoria and Klia) is an old soldier type who understands horses a lot better than the Council of merchants that the trader had been complaining to.
It's a nice little segment, that illustrates both Seregil's personal knowledge of important people and his political acumen.
Alec, you may recall, has a pretty good instinct when it comes to horses, and he ends up meeting a mare named Patch that has a thing for chewing on leather. She's a pretty good horse though: kind of plain looking, with a distinctive scar on her flank. Apparently, she fought off a wolf. They try her out and she rides well, so it's a sale. They ride off.
We're told that winter is starting in Skala, but there are still a lot of autumn scents in the air. In this comfortable atmosphere, Seregil brings up the whole Aurenfaie thing.
They’d ridden for some time in comfortable silence when Seregil turned to Alec and asked, “I suppose you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you sooner?”
“You never say much about yourself,” Alec replied with a touch of reproach. “I’ve gotten used to not asking.”
“Delicate manners will get you nowhere with me,” Seregil advised, nonplused. “Go on, ask away.”
“All right. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Well, at first it was because you had so many misconceptions about the ’faie,” replied Seregil. “You seemed to think we were all great mages or nectar-sipping fairy folk.”
Alec’s cheek went hot as he recalled the childish fancies he’d shared with Seregil in their first days.
Seregil shot him a sidelong grin. “Oh, you northern barbarians do have some strange notions. Anyway, I decided I’d better let you get used to me first. Then I got sick.”
That's a bullshit reason and you're passing the buck here. Alec's probably met a grand total of five people his entire life before you. Also, I don't really remember that many fanciful speculations, though admittedly, we didn't spend every moment of every day with these two.
Seregil's a bit more honest when he admits that he intended to tell him since they arrived in Rhiminee, but the right moment didn't come.
That said, Seregil actually DOES have a reason to avoid talking about this, that hasn't come up yet. I'm not 100% sure if it comes up in this book or the next one though. But Seregil being Aurenfaie is only half of the issue and half of the reveal, and it's the other half that could lead to some awkward and potentially painful questions.
We'll table that for now though. Hopefully I remember talking about this when we reach that part of the story. But just to clarify, I think, in his own way, Seregil was trying to avoid hurting Alec.
(I bitch about the guy a lot, but I do like him. And I like that there are a lot of things I can bitch about when it comes to him.)
So anyway, Seregil is proud of Alec and decides to give him the chance to ask questions. Alec leaps on the opportunity.
So we learn a few things about Seregil now. He's fifty-eight, which is not very old by Aurenfaie standards. A bit older than Alec, proportionally, but not yet old enough to marry or hold land.
He's VERY distantly related to the royal family. Lord Corruth, the Aurenfaie consort to an earlier queen that was mentioned a few chapters ago, was a cousin of Seregil's great grandmother.
Alec is sensitive enough not to ask why Seregil left his home and instead asks what it's like:
Seregil rode on in silence for a moment, his face half turned away. Alec feared he’d taken a misstep after all and was about to take back the question when Seregil began to sing.
The language was unfamiliar, yet so liquid, so graceful in the ear that it seemed Alec could almost grasp it—and that if he did it would reveal a depth of meaning his own language could never achieve. The melody, imple yet haunting and full of longing, brought tears to his eyes as he listened.
Seregil sang it a second time, translating so that Alec could understand.
“My love is wrapped in a cloak of flowing green
and wears the moon for a crown.
And all around has chains of flowing silver.
Her mirrors reflect the sky.
O, to roam your flowing cloak of green
under the light of the ever-crowning moon.
Will I ever drink of your chains of flowing silver
and drift once more across your mirrors of the sky?”
Looking out across the empty winter fields, Seregil said in a husky whisper, “That’s what Aurënen is like.”
Fucking dramatic bards.
Anyway, Alec expresses sympathy, and Seregil's response, quoting an Aurenfaie proverb has a different meaning later than it does now: "Even sour wine is better than no wine at all."
Anyway, they head to Watermead, which is Micum's home. Alec shoots some swans to bring as a gift. He's nervous, but Seregil reassures him and gives a run down of Micum's family. His wife is Kari, and he has three daughters: Beka, who is seventeen and a fighter-sort who is likely to be involved in Alec's sword training, Elsbet, who is fourteen and will be a scholar, and Illia, who is six but apparently apt to run things.
We meet them soon enough. There's a bit of awkward tension between Micum's wife and Seregil. Not like Thero, though. Kari and Seregil genuinely do like each other and enjoy each other's company. But Seregil's presence generally means a mission for Micum, and she's only just gotten him back.
Apparently, they had a messier type of rivalry once upon a time, but things have calmed down since then and they're genuinely friends. And it occurs to me that the Thero comparison might be apt after all. Seregil doesn't deal with jealousy well, I think.
They meet Illia, next. She seems quite precocious, but not obnoxiously so. At least not yet. Kari greets Alec very warmly. Micum had told her about the ambush and how Alec's saved his life, and she's quite grateful.
Micum arrives, and Alec also gets to meet Elsbet, who looks like she has a bit of a crush, and Beka, who is friendly but more interested in hearing news from Seregil.
Beka is the only one to get an involved description. Kari is dark haired with an oval face, and the other two daughters apparently look like her (with Elsbet being "the family beauty"). Beka on the other hand:
Of all the girls, Beka alone had taken after her father. Freckles peppered her fair skin, and an unkempt mare’s tail of coppery red hair tumbled over her shoulder as she leaned forward to clasp hands with Alec. She had rather too much of her father’s features to be beautiful, but her sharp blue eyes and ready smile would never let her be called homely either.
We can probably assume that Beka will have a more substantial role later.
Beka's the one who actually puts Alec at ease though, because she's interested in seeing his Black Radly bow.
So there's a lot of friendly domesticity in this scene. Seregil's brought presents: some hops from Kari's old home (she brews beer, but is never satisfied with her product), an Aurenfaie book ("the dialogs of Tassis") for Elsbet, a charm that summons birds for Illia, and some great news for Beka: she's been accepted into the Queen's Horse Guard! Yay!
(Elsbet also gets an invitation to come and visit with Nysander and see the Oreska library. She's shy about it, but Alec reassures her that Nysander's really nice and easy to talk to. For SOME reason, this just makes her blush harder. Aw.)
While the kids go play, Seregil and Micum talk real stuff. Namely the frame up conspiracy. And apparently Seregil is planning some kind of surprise for when Alec gets back. We don't hear what it is though.
Later, Seregil and Alec have their own conversation. Seregil reassures him that he has confidence that Micum will be able to teach him. Alec still thinks Seregil's trying to get him out of the way, and he's not completely wrong about that. To his credit, Seregil admits that, but he promises that while there are times he may not tell Alec everything, he won't lie to him.
They discuss Seregil's next moves (talking to a gem cutter known for forgery), and the chapter ends there.
I'd been complaining about Seregil's lack of sensitivity as a mentor, so I was glad to see their interaction front and center in this chapter. I think he's doing better at least being aware of and acknowledging Alec's concerns. The honesty helps too. I think he's making more of an effort to be a good mentor and it shows.
So anyway, it's time to buy a horse for the trip. Seregil's horse, by the way, is named Scrub. Not sure if I mentioned that. I found it amusing at least.
While they're shopping, the horse trader complains about the nearby slaughterhouse. Apparently, while some types of livestock (cows, pigs and sheep) don't mind the smell of blood, the horses freak out a little. Seregil recommends they petition the Queen's Court directly: the Queen (like Phoria and Klia) is an old soldier type who understands horses a lot better than the Council of merchants that the trader had been complaining to.
It's a nice little segment, that illustrates both Seregil's personal knowledge of important people and his political acumen.
Alec, you may recall, has a pretty good instinct when it comes to horses, and he ends up meeting a mare named Patch that has a thing for chewing on leather. She's a pretty good horse though: kind of plain looking, with a distinctive scar on her flank. Apparently, she fought off a wolf. They try her out and she rides well, so it's a sale. They ride off.
We're told that winter is starting in Skala, but there are still a lot of autumn scents in the air. In this comfortable atmosphere, Seregil brings up the whole Aurenfaie thing.
They’d ridden for some time in comfortable silence when Seregil turned to Alec and asked, “I suppose you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you sooner?”
“You never say much about yourself,” Alec replied with a touch of reproach. “I’ve gotten used to not asking.”
“Delicate manners will get you nowhere with me,” Seregil advised, nonplused. “Go on, ask away.”
“All right. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Well, at first it was because you had so many misconceptions about the ’faie,” replied Seregil. “You seemed to think we were all great mages or nectar-sipping fairy folk.”
Alec’s cheek went hot as he recalled the childish fancies he’d shared with Seregil in their first days.
Seregil shot him a sidelong grin. “Oh, you northern barbarians do have some strange notions. Anyway, I decided I’d better let you get used to me first. Then I got sick.”
That's a bullshit reason and you're passing the buck here. Alec's probably met a grand total of five people his entire life before you. Also, I don't really remember that many fanciful speculations, though admittedly, we didn't spend every moment of every day with these two.
Seregil's a bit more honest when he admits that he intended to tell him since they arrived in Rhiminee, but the right moment didn't come.
That said, Seregil actually DOES have a reason to avoid talking about this, that hasn't come up yet. I'm not 100% sure if it comes up in this book or the next one though. But Seregil being Aurenfaie is only half of the issue and half of the reveal, and it's the other half that could lead to some awkward and potentially painful questions.
We'll table that for now though. Hopefully I remember talking about this when we reach that part of the story. But just to clarify, I think, in his own way, Seregil was trying to avoid hurting Alec.
(I bitch about the guy a lot, but I do like him. And I like that there are a lot of things I can bitch about when it comes to him.)
So anyway, Seregil is proud of Alec and decides to give him the chance to ask questions. Alec leaps on the opportunity.
So we learn a few things about Seregil now. He's fifty-eight, which is not very old by Aurenfaie standards. A bit older than Alec, proportionally, but not yet old enough to marry or hold land.
He's VERY distantly related to the royal family. Lord Corruth, the Aurenfaie consort to an earlier queen that was mentioned a few chapters ago, was a cousin of Seregil's great grandmother.
Alec is sensitive enough not to ask why Seregil left his home and instead asks what it's like:
Seregil rode on in silence for a moment, his face half turned away. Alec feared he’d taken a misstep after all and was about to take back the question when Seregil began to sing.
The language was unfamiliar, yet so liquid, so graceful in the ear that it seemed Alec could almost grasp it—and that if he did it would reveal a depth of meaning his own language could never achieve. The melody, imple yet haunting and full of longing, brought tears to his eyes as he listened.
Seregil sang it a second time, translating so that Alec could understand.
“My love is wrapped in a cloak of flowing green
and wears the moon for a crown.
And all around has chains of flowing silver.
Her mirrors reflect the sky.
O, to roam your flowing cloak of green
under the light of the ever-crowning moon.
Will I ever drink of your chains of flowing silver
and drift once more across your mirrors of the sky?”
Looking out across the empty winter fields, Seregil said in a husky whisper, “That’s what Aurënen is like.”
Fucking dramatic bards.
Anyway, Alec expresses sympathy, and Seregil's response, quoting an Aurenfaie proverb has a different meaning later than it does now: "Even sour wine is better than no wine at all."
Anyway, they head to Watermead, which is Micum's home. Alec shoots some swans to bring as a gift. He's nervous, but Seregil reassures him and gives a run down of Micum's family. His wife is Kari, and he has three daughters: Beka, who is seventeen and a fighter-sort who is likely to be involved in Alec's sword training, Elsbet, who is fourteen and will be a scholar, and Illia, who is six but apparently apt to run things.
We meet them soon enough. There's a bit of awkward tension between Micum's wife and Seregil. Not like Thero, though. Kari and Seregil genuinely do like each other and enjoy each other's company. But Seregil's presence generally means a mission for Micum, and she's only just gotten him back.
Apparently, they had a messier type of rivalry once upon a time, but things have calmed down since then and they're genuinely friends. And it occurs to me that the Thero comparison might be apt after all. Seregil doesn't deal with jealousy well, I think.
They meet Illia, next. She seems quite precocious, but not obnoxiously so. At least not yet. Kari greets Alec very warmly. Micum had told her about the ambush and how Alec's saved his life, and she's quite grateful.
Micum arrives, and Alec also gets to meet Elsbet, who looks like she has a bit of a crush, and Beka, who is friendly but more interested in hearing news from Seregil.
Beka is the only one to get an involved description. Kari is dark haired with an oval face, and the other two daughters apparently look like her (with Elsbet being "the family beauty"). Beka on the other hand:
Of all the girls, Beka alone had taken after her father. Freckles peppered her fair skin, and an unkempt mare’s tail of coppery red hair tumbled over her shoulder as she leaned forward to clasp hands with Alec. She had rather too much of her father’s features to be beautiful, but her sharp blue eyes and ready smile would never let her be called homely either.
We can probably assume that Beka will have a more substantial role later.
Beka's the one who actually puts Alec at ease though, because she's interested in seeing his Black Radly bow.
So there's a lot of friendly domesticity in this scene. Seregil's brought presents: some hops from Kari's old home (she brews beer, but is never satisfied with her product), an Aurenfaie book ("the dialogs of Tassis") for Elsbet, a charm that summons birds for Illia, and some great news for Beka: she's been accepted into the Queen's Horse Guard! Yay!
(Elsbet also gets an invitation to come and visit with Nysander and see the Oreska library. She's shy about it, but Alec reassures her that Nysander's really nice and easy to talk to. For SOME reason, this just makes her blush harder. Aw.)
While the kids go play, Seregil and Micum talk real stuff. Namely the frame up conspiracy. And apparently Seregil is planning some kind of surprise for when Alec gets back. We don't hear what it is though.
Later, Seregil and Alec have their own conversation. Seregil reassures him that he has confidence that Micum will be able to teach him. Alec still thinks Seregil's trying to get him out of the way, and he's not completely wrong about that. To his credit, Seregil admits that, but he promises that while there are times he may not tell Alec everything, he won't lie to him.
They discuss Seregil's next moves (talking to a gem cutter known for forgery), and the chapter ends there.
I'd been complaining about Seregil's lack of sensitivity as a mentor, so I was glad to see their interaction front and center in this chapter. I think he's doing better at least being aware of and acknowledging Alec's concerns. The honesty helps too. I think he's making more of an effort to be a good mentor and it shows.