Ter’rin Yaeru - the man who went by the name ‘Tellurin’ - looked over his shoulder and said, “Go figure out who he came with.”

The man who had knocked Fennery down said, “Yes, sir,” and dropped back as Tellurin led Fen and two of the guards through an ornate archway and down a corridor off to the right. Tellurin stopped abruptly and appeared to consider what to do next. “Let’s go upstairs.”

A short walk down a side corridor brought them to a door, behind which was a spiral staircase that was twice as wide as any Fennery had seen before.

The four of them trudged upward to the third floor and when they opened one of the two doors there, they were standing in a long room. To the left there were several windows looking out across the yard and trees at the front of the mansion. There was a balcony on the right, looking down over a straight set of stairs. There were chairs and some low tables and a couch, situated to take advantage of the view. But beyond that, at the landing for the stairs, there was a door, and they followed as Tellurin crossed through it, down another corridor and in through another door.

In that small room, there were just two chairs, a table, and a lamp, which came on when the door opened.

“Wait outside,” Tellurin told his guards as he drew Fennery in.

“Sit,” he said, waving his hand at a chair.

Fen did, and Tellurin remained standing, towering over him, blocking the door with his arms crossed. Fen thought he seemed tired.

“A Tassater, eh? In port in the winter? Isn’t that unusual?”

Fen raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “Yeah, I was’na planning on it.”

“Then what caused you to stay?”

Fen’s eyebrows drew together and he looked down at the floor. He didn’t want to get Gil in trouble, so he said, “My brother has a ship an’ a warehouse at the water - said he needed me ta stay an’ help.”

“And your brother’s name is?”

Fen looked up to see the tall man’s expression had turned stern.

Fennery inhaled, and then sighed. “Kintner Jissuh.”

For a split second, he saw Tellurin’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “Kintner Jissuh?” was all he said.

Fen nodded.

“I know Jissuh,” Tellurin said, “but I did not know he had a Tassater brother.”

Fen shrugged again. “Yeah. Our ma’s prolific.” He saw a quick flash of a smile across the tall man’s face.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Tellurin raised his hand to scratch at his throat. Then, he said, “But why would Jissuh’s brother be all the way up in the hills, in my home?” As he said it he shook his head and tilted it slightly as though inviting Fen to answer.

With the thought of Gil’s coldness toward him in mind, Fen replied, “Because I’m stupid, maybe.”

“Stupid? But you got to meet me, in person. Was that, perhaps, what you wanted?”

Fen looked straight up at him in surprise.

“No?” Tellurin looked away. “I’m disappointed. I was half hoping that you had come looking for me personally.”

There was silence for a minute, and then Tellurin asked, “Downstairs, in the hall, what did you hear?”

“A big creaking noise.”

“The door?” Tellurin chuckled. “You know that’s not what I meant. What was the conversation that you heard, between myself and the man who left?”

It suddenly occurred to Fennery that he might have heard something important. He struggled to remember what it was. When he finally looked back up at the man in front of him, he saw his eyes had narrowed and he looked serious.

“I’m not sure,” Fen said, “It was something like, tell Emery he won’t know what hit him.”

Tellurin’s eyes narrowed to little slits, and then he blinked, and stared into Fennery’s eyes. “Do you know,” he asked, “who Emery is?”

Fennery slowly shook his head. “No, but I feel sorry for him.”

“Why?”

“Because it sounds like something bad’s goin’ ta happen to him.”

Tellurin pressed his lips together and looked at the wall behind Fennery’s head. With slow deliberation he asked, “Your brother Jissuh, who are his main trading partners?”

Fennery blinked, surprised at the question. “Uh… he mainly just does whatever Tander tells him to.” He saw Tellurin was watching him, and waiting for him to go on. “So, uh… let’s see, most of his business comes by way of the Quart Isles and Jaral. Do you know who Tander is?”

Tellurin simply nodded, and focused his eyes on Fennery’s face.

Fennery licked his lips and inhaled deeply. “Well, I know most of the time Jissuh is moving Tassater osori and bringing in wheat and peas from Jaral. An’ sometimes if it’s important he’ll take his own ship out - that’s usually a few times a month.”

When he looked up again he saw Tellurin seemed to have spaced out. So he said, “I’ve seen you at Jissuh’s before.”

Tellurin looked at him with surprise. “When?”

“A few months ago. It seemed like you were waiting for someone Jissuh brought back.”

A look of recognition crossed Tellurin’s face and his smile softened. “That’s right. I do remember seeing you. Did you see who I was waiting for?”

Fennery looked around at the floor while trying to recall who it was. “It was somebody young. Someone about my age, maybe. He looked really educated. Light-colored hair. Long. Jaralese robes.”

Tellurin’s mouth twisted into an amused smile. “That’s right. You remember him.”

Fennery nodded and waited to see what else Tellurin might say.

The silence was beginning to make him uncomfortable when there was a tap at the door. Tellurin opened it, and the guard passed a slip of paper to him. He opened it, then folded it again and pulled the door open.

“Come, let’s have a drink,” he said.