The last thing he needed was to be the cause of another accident like on the day that Caedmon had first taken off his original limiter, especially in front of his other uncles. Since there was nothing he could do about all of his jewelry, he could only hope that his uncles assumed he was the sort to wear such things for superficial sakes.
“There’s no fault in that. You know you best, after all.”
Alistar was the first to notice the sudden flare up of several life signals on the fringes of his magical awareness. Even though he suspected that they were partially masked by some sort of unknown method, he had never detected auras so vibrant and heavy. Interestingly enough, the signals in question disappeared almost immediately after they revealed themselves, though Alistar could still detect small traces of them along the distant pathway that led to Mayhaven if he closed his eyes and focused intently. He didn’t do this, however, and instead connected eyes with his teacher, who also hadn’t seemed to have noticed.
“What is it, Alistar?”
“They’re almost here.”
Anice gave a bitter groan and lay her head back down on the table.
“Where abouts are they?”
“They should have left the city’s west gate a few minutes ago. I think they were trying to let us know that they’re close, since they fully exposed their auras before masking them a moment later.”
Mr. Albeck nodded and stood up from his seat. “This is a pretty common way for mages to let others know of their presence.” Frowning, he went on, “It just makes one wonder why they would do this from so far away.” Giving the three of them a firm, encouraging smile, the sharp magus straightened his robes and walked over to Caedmon and Alder to let them know of their guests’ arrival.
For a moment, Lessa looked more intrigued than nervous. “Can you really sense all the way to the west gate? I can barely sense Mr. Harold and Mr. Rayson at the edge of the property. The city’s almost a thousand paces farther than that!”
Anice looked a bit jealous, but didn’t say anything, likely because she also couldn’t sense as far away as him.
“Maybe being surrounded by all sorts of magic crystals for most of my life made me more sensitive to inner energies? I used to carry hundreds of them at a time.”
“Hundreds?”
Echoing one another, both of the girls looked at him with raised eyebrows. It was a widely known fact that even the lowest quality magic crystals were worth more than their weight in gold.
They didn’t have time to marvel at the wealth of Melsian County, for it was at this moment that Caedmon stood up and called for everyone to head outside to greet their guests, including the house servants. Amid an odd air of unease and expectation, everyone shuffled out of the dining hall and over to the eastern entrance to the manor house. The ten servants that came along followed their master’s directions and lined up on either side of the double doors, standing attentively with their hands folded in front of them, just above the waist.
Everyone else took up positions at the beginning of the pathway that led from the manor house to the gate, just as five riders suddenly came into view from just outside of the property. Alistar had been expecting a luxurious carriage of the same sort that many minor nobles supposedly used in the other areas of the kingdom, and had been quite interested in seeing one. Caedmon had two carriages, but they were of simple make and solely existed to fulfill practical purposes like transporting goods.
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The riders stopped to greet Harold and Rayson, who quickly bowed in respect and stepped aside after being shown something that the foremost person had momentarily taken out of a pocket. Their steeds boasted lustrous black hair and lean, muscular frames, Alistar recognizing them as high-quality palfreys which were choice horses for many wealthy nobles. His own horse, who he’d named Star after finding inspiration from a particularly beautiful night’s sky, was also a palfrey, though Star was white. It was a shame that Stason was away from the property with Patricia and Madeline, because he would have loved to see such steeds.
The riders made their way to the manor house at a gait, all of them covered by long cloaks of fine dark fabrics, their faces masked by heavy hoods. Although they appeared a bit worn from weathering the road for over a week, the quality of their clothes betrayed their background as being one with very deep roots. Still, they looked more like a group of wealthy frontiersmen than anything else, each with a longsword scabbarded at their hips and heavy packs tied to their mounts. Seeing the high-class magic crystals that were embedded into the pommels of the swords, Alistar’s eyes widened with longing. These were weapons most suitable for arcanites to use, which hinted at the capabilities of those that possessed them.
The lead rider slowed his horse to a stop just in front of Caedmon, who opened his arms wide in a welcoming gesture as all of the house servants bowed in unison.
“Brothers, nephews, welcome to my home.”
The man at the front pulled his hood back to reveal a long mane of thick black hair, which was bound by a silver circlet that looked very similar to the one that Caedmon was currently wearing. He didn’t speak right away, simply looked down his nose and considered those gathered before him without much interest.
“It seems you’ve still yet to wed another wife. Are you that intent on letting Albert inherit your county?”
“It’s nice to see you too, Antoine. Why don’t you come down from there and let one of my people lead your horses to the stables? You must be tired from the journey, so let’s head inside to enjoy the feast that I’ve prepared for you.”
Alistar remained collected as his uncle Antoine sent an unmasked glance in his direction, meeting the man’s gaze with a pleasant smile. As per the advice he’d been given prior to this day, he bowed his head slightly and broke eye contact, attempting to appear as polite yet inconspicuous as possible.
“Is there pork belly?” A second man pulled back his hood, revealing a slightly rotund face that was defined by thick eyebrows and a narrow nose. “A six-day ride is pretty rough on the stomach, especially when your useless sons forget to pack your rations.”
The younger boys behind him both ducked their heads before exposing their faces and dismounting from their horses.
“Good morrow, Daniel. Rest assured, we’ve prepared every type of pork you can think of.”
“That’s what I like to hear!” Letting out a booming laugh, the man dismounted from his horse as well, landing on the ground with surprising grace considering his chubby frame. “Boys, don’t be rude. Greet your uncle.”
Both of the boys were older than Alistar, though he was around the same height as them. Judging by their builds, he could immediately tell that they had practiced swordsmanship for many years.
“Hello, Uncle Caedmon,” said the older of the two, who had long black hair that flowed like waves beneath a similar circlet as his father and uncles. “It’s been quite a while. Have you been well?”
Caedmon approached the two, resting a hand on the taller boy’s shoulder. “Good morrow, Edmun. I’ve been well, thanks. And you?”
Puffing out his chest in pride, a veneer of haughtiness slipped onto Edmun’s face. “I’m glad that you asked, Uncle. Now that my second Name Day has passed, I’ve officially been selected as the next lord of Caerson. As of last month, I’m now the lord-designate of a county that’s larger than yours!”
“Don’t get too excited.” Caedmon spoke with sincerity, unfazed by the obvious insult. “You’ll wake up one day and you’ll be my age, most of your life having been siphoned away by your responsibilities. Make sure to enjoy your youth, my nephew.”
Edmun glanced at Lessa’s sister, his eyes lingering. “Believe you me, Uncle. I most certainly will.”
“Greetings Uncle,” said the other boy, who bowed his head ever so slightly. “I’m glad to be back on your lands. It’s nice to get away from civilized society and relax here in the frontier.”
“Calum, it’s good to see you. From the looks of you two, I take it you’re keeping up with your sword lessons?”
“Of course. I’m already a third-tier apprentice of the Crown Style!” Calum parted his cloak to reveal a little badge that had been sewn onto the breast of his tunic, which was the shape of a kite shield with three horizontal black stripes on a white background. “My master just updated my stripes before we left.”