The White Order (The Saga of Recluce #8)(116)

Cerryl blinked. He'd known there were mages outside the city, but Sterol was suggesting there were far more away from Fairhaven.

“Too many mages means more concentration of chaos.” Sterol offered a wry smile. “That is also why I had you made a student-and years back, Kinowin, and later young Heralt. But those are points for you to consider in the seasons ahead.” He placed the fingers of each hand against each other in a pyramidal shape. “What have you observed here in Fairhaven?”

Cerryl swallowed. “Ah ... I have observed much, ser. I have noticed that most of the mages do not teach so much as force me to answer questions and to undertake tasks.”

“That is because that is what I have told them to do. All young people, even student mages, ignore or resist what they are told by their elders. They learn best by thinking and doing. What else have you observed?”

“I don't know what else to say, ser. There is so much, so many things I had not considered. I never would have thought sewers so important, or paved streets and walks or clean water ...” Cerryl looked almost helplessly at Sterol.

The High Wizard nodded, almost to himself, then glanced toward the door, then back at Cerryl. “Well... you need some rest, and you have a sewer to finish cleaning, I believe?”

Cerryl nodded, then stood.

“And ... Cerryl... best you be most careful out in the streets. We are not as loved or respected as should be, and Kesrik's family was well connected.”

“Yes, ser.”

After he closed the tower door to the topmost landing, Cerryl walked slowly down the tower steps. Sterol had been pleased, but Cerryl wasn't sure he liked the idea of his actions being passed to Jeslek. Nor did Sterol's parting caution help, although it was clear he needed to be careful just about everywhere.

Also ... there was one other thing that worried him-worried him a great deal. While he suspected Kesrik had been a poor mage, Cerryl doubted that the blond student would have tried something as involved as hiring bullyboys to kill Cerryl in the sewer. And Sterol's questions confirmed that-in a roundabout way.

Was this another convoluted test-or did someone else want Cerryl out of the way? And why? And if that happened to be so, why had Myral assigned Cerryl the sewer with the smugglers' tunnel? Or had that been Myral's choice? Was Myral right-that Jeslek himself viewed Cerryl as a rival?

And why had Sterol talked about chaos power corrupting? Cerryl was only a poor student mage .. . not exactly a respected and powerful mage like Jeslek or Kinowin. Despite Sterol's avuncular performance, Cerryl doubted that Sterol had said all that just to further educate him and that left Cerryl more worried than ever.

Still, he had managed to survive, and that was something for the orphaned son of a white fugitive.

So far, he reminded himself. So far.





White Order





LXXX




Cerryl opened the door and stepped into Myral's room. The heavyset mage finished a sip of cider and pointed toward the chair. Cerryl left the door ajar, hoping Myral wouldn't mind, but he wanted the breeze that existed with the open door. He eased into the chair and waited.

After a moment, Myral cleared his throat. “How long will it take you to finish that secondary tunnel?”

“Two, perhaps three days.”

“I need to inform Sterol about that.” Myral took a sip of cider. “Your meeting with him last night went well.” The older mage smiled as Cerryl raised his eyebrows. “No, I have not talked to the High Wizard. After yesterday, had it not gone well, you would not be here today. Jyantyl did tell me that you were forced to deal with Ullan, and that you handled his execution well.”

Cerryl swallowed slightly.

A series of coughs racked Myral, and Cerryl leaned forward in his chair.

The balding mage raised a hand, as if to insist Cerryl remain seated, coughed several times more, then took a very small sip from his mug. “Chaos dust does not do the lungs well, but when one is a mage, the dust follows wherever one is, and I'm not one for wasting away on a breezy hilltop.” Myral snorted. “You need to keep working on whatever you're doing to keep the chaos out of your system. It's effective, it appears, but sometimes you flicker very brightly. Do you understand?”

“I take it that flickering that way is not good?”

“Not if you are a very young mage, it's not.”

“I'll keep working on it.”

“Good. I will see you again tomorrow morning.”

Cerryl rose.

“And, Cerryl?”

“Yes, ser?”

“You can close the door all the way when you leave. I'm not as hot-blooded as you are.”

Cerryl flushed as he closed the door behind him. On the way down the steps, he took several deep breaths, then nodded to Hertyl. He went down the stairs to the foyer quickly and turned left toward the courtyard and the rear barracks, where he usually met Jyantyl.

At the doorway to the courtyard, he saw a blonde figure in green.

Leyladin smiled as he neared. “Good day, Cerryl.”

“Good day, Leyladin.”

She stopped, as if she wanted to talk. So did Cerryl.

“Cerryl. .. ?”

“Yes?”

“How did you find Myral this morning?”

Cerryl kept his pleasant smile in place. “He was in good spirits. He gets tired more quickly now, I think.”