“Apologize?! To that woman?” Lisal gasped. “Never!”
“Oh yes you will, and you’ll do it first thing tomorrow morning, or by nightfall, you will be betrothed. Dannon’s been sniffing around you ever since his wife died. He asked me again yesterday if he could marry you. If you don’t get this mess straightened out, I’ll tell him yes.”
“Dannon?” Lisal squawked. “He’s old!”
Kent shook his head. “Not all that old. But he’s old enough not to put up with your foolishness. Might be the best thing for you. Maybe you’ve had it too easy around here.”
“He’s got four children!” Lisal protested. “And they’re horrible!”
Emma nodded. “Actually, the two girls remind me of you, especially the older one. Mouthy little thing.”
“Mother!” Lisal shrieked.
“Well, it’s true,” Emma said with a shrug.
Lisal swung back towards her father. “You can’t make me marry him! I’ll die!”
“Then you better get this mess with Sister Hayley straightened out, and I don’t ever want to hear another word about you and Marcus. You are to leave those two alone, you hear me? And whenever Sister Hayley comes in, you will treat her with respect and be the epitome of a gracious hostess. Do I make myself clear?!”
“Yes, Father.”
“Good. Now get out of here. Go home and figure out what you’re going to say to Sister Hayley to convince her to forgive you.”
~~~~
Saturday morning Marcie was in the kitchen when Thom and Shel walked in the back door. “Hi,” Marcie said as she pulled out a bowl of cookies and set it on the table. “What brings you out here?”
“These.” Thom picked up a cookie and stuck it in his mouth as he sat down.
“He says he has something to tell us,” Shel said as she sat down beside her brother, “but he wouldn’t tell me what. Said he wants to tell us both at the same time.”
Marcie nodded and looked at Thom. “Want something to drink?”
“You wouldn’t happen to have any coffee would you?”
Marcie pointed to the pot sitting near the stove. “It’s not hot, but I could warm it up.”
Thom shook his head. “Just pour me a cup and sit down.”
Marcie poured Thom some coffee, handed it to him, and sat down opposite them. “So what do you want to tell us?”
“Have you heard about Lisal throwing Hayley out of the tavern?”
Marcie’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped. Shel’s jaw tightened as she clenched her fists.
Thom looked back and forth between them. “I take that as a no.” Then he told them about the incident at the tavern and that Brigitte and the women with her had left, too. “And you know Brigitte. By nightfall everyone in town knew what had happened and Lisal’s name was mud. From what I heard yesterday, the tavern was close to deserted Thursday night, and last night was worse. Last night some of the men were in my shop playing Octuro when Kent came by. He asked why they weren’t in the tavern and they said it was because their wives were upset over how Sister Hayley was treated. From what they told me, he didn’t know anything about it. Then this morning, Father dropped by to tell me Kent came to see him late last night. He wants Father to ask Hayley to please accept Lisal’s apology and come back to the tavern.”
“Lisal apologize?!” Shel asked. “Are you sure?”
“All I know is what Kent told Father.” Thom popped another cookie in his mouth.
“What I’d give to be there when that happens,” Marcie said.
Shell shook her head. “Lisal will want it all nice and private. That way she can tell her father she did it and deny it to everyone else.”
“Well, whether she admits it or not, an apology will do Hayley a world of good, even if the little snake doesn’t mean it,” Marcie said. “I hope this is the end of it.”
“I think it will be,” Thom said. “Lisal’s not used to people snubbing her, and from the bits I’ve heard, that’s what’s happening. And to try to win Hayley over, Kent said there won’t be any charge for anything she orders. He told Father he feels sure the only way he’ll get his customers back is if it gets around that Hayley’s an honored guest.”
“That’s going to eat at Lisal,” Shel said with a wicked grin.
“Good enough for her,” Marcie grumbled. Then she picked up a cookie, leaned back in her chair and slowly ate it. “If Marcus ever hears that Hayley was told to leave the tavern he’ll pack her up and whisk her out of here so fast…”
Thom shook his head. “Not if Hayley wants to stay.”
Shel looked at Marcie. “Has she said anything about leaving?”
“Not to me, but I’m sure she’s considered it. I’d already be gone.”
Shel frowned. “Maybe Marissa could find out. They’re pretty close.” Then Shel stood up and tapped Thom’s shoulder. “Come on. You can take me and Evan to visit Marissa and Parsyn. I’ll get her to talk to Hayley and find out what she’s thinking.”
Marcie nodded. “And then we can either relax or figure out what to do next.”
Chapter 36
South Port
Caelan dropped by Weldon’s office before the December meeting of the Council of Elders. “Are you expecting anything major to come up today?”
Weldon shook his head. “As far as I know, all we have to do is approve the list of instructors for the new warrior candidates. The only potential problem is Rhianna’s on the list.”
“At her request?”
“No. She doesn’t know about it yet.”
“Then why did you put her on the list?”
“This isn’t for common knowledge, but Hayden asked me to.”
“You know she and Myron are involved, don’t you?”
Weldon nodded. “And if it’s meant to be, a couple of years apart won’t stop it, but if it’s an infatuation like Hayden thinks it is, it’ll die with absence before they do something they can’t take back, like get married.”
“If anyone asks, what reason are you going to give for putting her name on the list?”
“I should say because she had the highest score when she tested, but that would cause problems with Owen. I thought I’d say it’s in honor of her role in getting Rolan’s men out of North Amden.”
Caelan nodded. “Go with that. Her part in it isn’t well known, but I can vouch for it, and if Owen wants more proof, I’ll get Glendymere to pay him a visit.”
Weldon grinned. “You really don’t like him, do you?”
“He’s so arrogant. He always thinks he knows what’s best for everyone. He bullied his daughter into going through training when she didn’t want any part of that life. Then, when she purposefully failed, he blamed everyone else, but the whole fiasco was his fault.”
“I know, but he’ll never see it.”
“And I’m sick and tired of him throwing aspersions towards both Duane and Rhianna. And if he keeps it up, he’s going to find out just how tired of it I am.”
“I know what you mean,” Weldon said. “For a while I toyed with the idea of making Carris tell him the truth about refusing help with the training, but I doubt it would make much difference. All it would do is make her life harder.”
“I don’t know about that. Her husband’s figured out how her father tries to dominate her. He’s asked me to help him find another place to live, somewhere outside North Amden, at least until their children grow up. He’s afraid Owen will try to do the same thing to them that he’s done to Carris.”
“Might not be a bad idea. There are other colonies of elves, or they could live among some of the other races.”
Caelan nodded. “I told him I’d take him around to some of the colonies after the new year. But don’t mention this to anyone. He doesn’t want Owen finding out until they’re gone.”
Weldon nodded. Then, before he could say anything else, Eldwyn knocked on his door and stuck his head in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but everyone’s here. Do you want me to open the chamb
er door and let them in?”
Weldon stood up and nodded. “Guess it’s time.”
~~~~
Everyone was ready to begin when Weldon walked into the room. After he called the meeting to order, he handed out several copies of the roster of instructors for the new warrior elf candidates. “As you’ll notice, we have a few new names. Some of our instructors have decided to take a break. Several are expecting children in the near future and want to be around home a little more.”
One of the elders smirked. “Well, if they’re expecting a baby, apparently they managed to squeeze at least a little time at home over the past couple of years.” After the laughter died down, he added, “Please tell them we thank them for serving and wish them the best in the future, and be sure to congratulate the expectant parents.”
As the council members turned their attention back to the list of instructors, Weldon kept an eye on Owen. He saw the moment Owen’s eyes hit Rhianna’s name. His nose wrinkled like he’d caught a bad smell, but the reaction faded as quickly as it came.
Five minutes passed with no objections. Weldon was about ready to breathe a sigh of relief and close the meeting when Owen spoke up. “We’ve had the new program in place for twenty years now, haven’t we?” Nods and murmurs of assent answered him. “The instructors on this list were all trained under the new program, weren’t they?” he asked Weldon. When Weldon nodded, he said, “We had a lot of reservations about this program when we decided to try it. Maybe it’s time we checked to see if any of our concerns were justified, or if any unanticipated problems have come up. I know the instructors turn in program evaluations at the end of each session, but none of them were involved with the old method so they can’t compare the two programs. We can.”
One of the older elves nodded. “He has a valid point. We said we’d take another look at it when we first approved it, but we haven’t done that yet. I agree it’s time.”
“I’m not saying it’s a bad idea,” Caelan said, “but I do want to point out that the only way to evaluate it is to observe all phases of it, and it’s a two-year program.”
“Are you saying whoever does it would have to live there? Like the instructors?”
Caelan shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s necessary, but they’ll have to be there at least a few days every month, maybe more during certain parts of it. And he needs to follow the candidates from the beginning trials to their final testing. There’s no point in doing it if we’re not going to do it right.”
“Agreed,” Owen said. “It’s a big undertaking and it’s going to take a lot of time. I realized that when I brought it up, and I’m willing to do it. My family’s grown now so I’ve got the time.”
Several members nodded and a couple thanked him for volunteering. Weldon couldn’t think of one reason to object but he had no doubt Owen was planning to use this to discredit Rhianna.
While Weldon was trying to come up with a counter proposal, Caelan spoke up. “Owen, I think this is a very worthwhile project and I’d be happy to help out with it. If we’re going to get a good evaluation, we need several eyes on it on a regular basis. With my key, I can be there several times a week. Anyone else want to help with this?”
One of the other council members nodded. “I’d like to. I can’t be there more than a couple of times a month, but I’d be willing to stay three or four days each time.”
“Me, too,” a second elf said. “Sounds like fun.”
Another elf said he wasn’t sure how often he’d be able to get there, but he’d like to be involved, especially during the second year, that’s when the advantages and disadvantages of the new program would be the most obvious.
Weldon frowned. “If you’d like to observe some of the second year exercises, you can do that without being involved in the evaluation project, but to evaluate it, you need to be involved in the whole process. Think about it and let me know before the new session begins. In fact, all of you who volunteered should talk to your wives and take some time to consider the time involved. If you still want to do it, get in touch with me before the qualifying trials.” Weldon paused to see if anyone else had anything to say. When no one did, he asked, “Any other new business today?” He waited a minute and then nodded. “Our next meeting will be on Monday, March 15. Until then, the Council of Elders is adjourned.”
~~~~
After the other council members left, Caelan joined Weldon in his office. As they sat down, Weldon said, “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For volunteering to ride herd on Owen. We both know that evaluation has nothing to do with the training program and everything to do with his grudge against Rhianna.”
“True, but it’s still worth doing. When we first made the switch, we said we’d give it a few years and then see if it was working. To my knowledge, we never did follow up on that even though a few of us have been instructors under it.”
Weldon shook his head. “But at the same time, Owen’s hardly the one to do an impartial evaluation. Even if he can’t find fault with Rhianna, he’ll find some way to blame the program for his daughter’s failure.”
“I know, but his eyes won’t be the only ones on it. I’ll be there, more often than he will. And I bet we’ll end up with at least four or five others out there.”
Weldon grinned. “I think we will too, which is why I left it open. Some of the council members need time to muddle things over before they make up their minds.”
“When will you send out the letters?” Caelan asked as he stood up.
“Later this week. Why?”
“No reason. Just wondering.”
“You’re thinking Myron or Rhianna might come to see you about it?”
Caelan shrugged. “I’m not expecting them to, but I can’t say it would surprise me either. They know I’m on the council.”
“Do they know the council has to approve the list?”
“I don’t know, but if I’m asked about it, I’ll say her name was on the list and the list was accepted without discussion. If anyone asks why it was on there, I’ll say I don’t know, that they need to ask you.”
Weldon rolled his eyes. “Thanks.”
Caelan laughed as he turned his key and left for home.
Chapter 37
Back in Milhaven
Wednesday morning, Debra had just sat down to enjoy a midmorning cup of tea when there was a knock on her door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Wanda, and even more surprised to see that Wanda was by herself.
Wanda lived about five miles outside town with a houseful of children, a husband, and assorted dogs, cats, and horses. It was rare for Wanda to find the time to make it into town, much less by herself.
“Hi, Wanda, nice to see you,” Debra said as she held the door open. “Come in. Can I get you some tea?”
“I don’t want to put you to any trouble,” Wanda said. “I’ve only got a few minutes. Korman is putting new shoes on a couple of our horses. I asked my husband to let me bring them in because I wanted to speak with you.”
“Well, come on in the kitchen. The kettle’s already on.”
After both women were seated at the table with a fresh cup of tea, Debra asked, “What did you want to see me about?”
“I’ve got a question, and I hope you’ll either know the answer or know who might be able to tell me. My oldest, Jenni, wants to be a castle page. She’s talked about it for a couple of years now. She’s only twelve, and I know that’s a little young, but I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it. Your daughter works up there, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, but she’s more involved in the housekeeping end of things. She works out of Cryslyn’s office.”
“But she’s been there a long time, hasn’t she?”
Debra nodded. “Pretty much all her life if you count the time we lived with Korman in one of the castle houses. When Korman opened his shop down here, she stayed up there.”
“How does she like it?”
<
br /> Debra smiled. “She loves it. She likes being in the middle of things, and since she works with Cryslyn, she is. I can’t see her leaving there anytime soon.”
Wanda nodded. “I don’t know anyone up there well enough to ask how Jenni might go about becoming a page. Do they take local children? Or is this the type of thing where their father has to be a minister or something?”
“I’m not sure where they get their pages, but I know a couple of them were originally slaves.”
“Slaves? I had no idea,” Wanda said slowly. Then, after a moment, she asked, “Is there some way I could let them know she’s interested? Someone I could talk to? I know it’s possible nothing will ever come of it, but I’d like to be able to tell her I’ve talked to someone about it.”
“I don’t know who you need to see, but Serra might. Let me ask her and see what she says.”
“I’d appreciate it if you would,” Wanda said as she stood up. “Guess I’d best be on my way. I imagine your husband’s done with my horses by now. I’ll check back with you in a week or so.”
~~~~
A little later that morning Chris walked into Kevin’s office with a stack of messages in his hand. “These are yours.”
Kevin held out his hand. “Any of them interesting?”
“Not really. Mostly routine stuff, but they’re from the sorcerers, so you need to answer them. I’ve got the rest.” Chris sat down. “But there’s one I want to ask you about before I answer it. It’s from Ridgeville.”
“Thanzer?”
Chris shook his head. “His mother-in-law, Kyra. She and Serra’s other grandmother want to visit. They suggested that instead of Serra going up there this Saturday, they come down here. She said they’d like to see where she works and meet the people she works with. They also want to meet Debra.”
Kevin shook his head. “If they’re upset that Debra didn’t find them when she first got here, I don’t want them anywhere near her.”
“I didn’t get that impression. She said they want to thank her.”
“I don’t know. Yani was pretty upset with Debra at first.”
The Rambling Spy Page 35