(Charles)

  Charles disappeared bato the to grab a bar of soap and a bucket he was keeping in Dyn’s room. He reappeared and stepped through the doorway. Fu-tang looked as if he wao say something, but couldn’t decide what that was. Charles walked around bad plopped the bucket down uhe spout behind the arborhearth. He filled it to the top and then unfastened his belt.

  Fu-tang’s eyes went wide when he realized what Charles was about to do. He quickly turned away from Charles and looked around to see whose sensitivities might be offended in the few minutes.

  Charles fiaking off his boots and dropped his trousers. He folded and then id them across a chest on the arborhearth. Pig up the bucket of water and lifting it over his head, he doused himself with most of it, leaving only a sliver at the bottom.

  “I see the road has dulled your sense of decy,” Fu-tang said.

  Charles shrugged as he thered up the soap in the remaining water. The st of cardamon filled the air. “Decy’s never been a problem for me. It’s usually others that are far more ed with it.” He lifted one arm and started scrubbing u and then across his chest, making sure to wash everywhere his musk might be hiding from his ret trip.

  He heard a gasp from an elven woman as she noticed him. His eyes were closed, but Proprioception told him she took her time looking in his dire before moving on. The bucket filled up again uhe spout as he finished ing himself. Just before it overflowed, he shut off the water. Taking more care with the sed bucket of water, he made sure to rinse all the suds off.

  The chest hinge creaked as he thought of a fresh set of clothes along with a towel. They appeared itom of the chest. He removed them, toweled off, and got dressed. The soft fabric of the fresh tunic g coolly to his damp skin. The damp towel and dirty trousers went into the chest before he shut it.

  Fu-tang, hearing the lid snap shut, turned around. “What are you wearing?” he asked, eyebrows lifting in disbelief.

  Charles held out his arms, looking down at his attire. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? It’s .”

  “I’d imagine a professional outfitter might have something o wear to a dinner,” Fu-tang suggested.

  “I assure you, all of my clothes are equally as nice as the ones I’m wearing,” Charles insisted.

  “I was afraid of that,” Fu-tang sighed. “It’s time for us to go.”

  Charles followed Fu-tang into the guildhall. The polished wood floors echoed uheir boots as they made their way to an area of the stronghold he’d never been to before. They both waited outside of the door to the headmaster’s suite.

  “Ever been inside before?” Fu-ta pulling at his sleeves unfortably, trying to adjust them.

  “No. You?”

  Fu-tang shook his head. The steadfast torajin took a deep breath and then pushed the door open. The first room they entered was a reception room adorned with dark wood paneling and plush chairs in deep green hues. A faint st of vender filled the air. After a quarter turn of the clock, a drai with rose gold scales walked through another door to greet them.

  “Apologies for the wait,” she bowed her head. “Guildmaster Maeve is ready to see you now. Follow me.”

  Her attire suggested she was an adventurer, with fitted leather armor ated by intricate silver stitg, a very pretty o that. Her scales were pristine, glimmering in the light of the room. Her crest had scooped ridges, fanning upward and back.

  Charles leaned over to Fu-tang and asked, “Who is she?”

  “I’m not sure, she’s arrived with Guildmaster Maeve,” Fu-tang said.

  Both men stood and followed the drai to the headmaster’s personal dining room. Guildmaster Maeve rose from her seat at the head of the table. The room was softly lit by a delier made of entwined crystal and wood. Two empty chairs sat across from each other. The table easily sat eight, but was set for only three.

  “Please, have a seat,” Maeve said with a cordial smile.

  Charles got to his seat first, taking the one on her left. The chirps of his chair scooting further dowable, away from her, filled the room. Fu-tang shot him a disapproving look, which he ignored.

  The table was set with glinting crystalware and intricately carved ptes but was empty of food. Any moment now, Charles expected her attendants to file into the room and pce dish after dish of exotic foods in front of them, most of which would be wasted on just three people.

  A lone drai appeared, the same attendant as before, with a covered dish in each hand. Her scales shimmered faintly in the dlelight as she moved lightly on her feet. Fu-tang and Charles quickly found their pce settings now plete. Charles gave her an appreciative nod and a tightlipped smile as she lifted the cover to reveal his dinner. She left the ptes and took the covers with her.

  Fu-tang caught himself purring. “Excuse me,” he said, clearing his throat. “I haven’t had silvermoon trout ihe smell alone brings me back many years.”

  Charles looked down to see his pte stacked with steamed vegetables. A light wisp of steam curled upward, carrying their loamy st. They were a mixture of cobalt beans aherscotch roots. A simple dish. The beans were mild and the roots bitter. A set of salt and pepper shakers were pext to his utensils. Maeve was far more informed than he gave her credit for.

  Maeve’s pte had just bee before her, and removing the cover revealed a simple thick steak with a minimal amount of garnish. The savory st of seared meat wafted across the table. Each of them had two mugs. The first re-poured with water. The sed was empty, to be filled with one of the fs of spirits that the attendant brought out.

  “Thank you, J’oni. It’s been a long day. Enjoy the rest of your evening,” Maeve said.

  “Of course, Guildmaster,” J’oni said, giving a respectful nod before exg herself from the room.

  Savreen juices leaked from the perfectly prepared steak as Maeve cut off a bite. The room remained silent with the exception of utensils cutting and scraping against dishes, evidence of a good meal.

  After a couple of bites, Maeve dabbed the er of her mouth with a napkin and said, “I appreciate you hum me, Charles. From my uanding, fk removes your appetite.”

  He shrugged and added another shake of salt. “I happen to enjoy beans and roots, but you already khat.” Another forkful found its way into his mouth. They really were delightful.

  Maeve slipped another bite of a steak into her mouth. Fu-tang was unsciously purring as he enjoyed another mouthful of the trout. Charles took a drink of cool water to wash down his bite. The mug ked softly as he set it back down.

  “Where did you learn to make fk?” Maeve asked after swallowing.

  ‘There it is. She’s after my fk,’ he thought.

  “It’s a family recipe,” Charles said curtly.

  “I see,” Maeve said, her gaze narrowing slightly before she ged subjects, “I only have until the end of the meal to speak with you. Then I must attend to yet more failings of the former headmaster. I hope you don’t mind if we keep this short?”

  “That’s acceptable,” he said. ‘Preferrable, even,’ but he kept that thought to himself.

  “I won’t patronize you by saying I know your reasons for leaving Ebonscale.” Maeve’s eyes briefly flickered with a hint ret. “But I certainly see why you might’ve made that decision. I haven’t brought you here to expin yourself or even list the many grievances you might have.

  “It’s obvious the Old Elf’s experiment failed. Ultimately, as the guildmaster, it’s my fault, and I take responsibility. Initially, I was ed with the resehat life debts would bring. Ken insisted it would ‘foster an enviro of innovation and resourcefulness,’ which are building blocks for ambition.

  “It was wildly profitable. I’m not proud to admit but that was one of the reasons I’ve let it run as long as it did. However, as I had expected, the true cost had been hidden and acg. Your departure was just one example of how alienating his experiment was.

  “Those that stayed,” she motiooward Fu-tang, who gave a slight nod, “with the exception of our stablemaster, were pushed into ts. Either jaded, resentful, and otherwise unmotivated to strive for more, or sycophants looking to use each other as a steppingstohat’s… not the upward mobility I was hoping for.

  “While I’m sure Ke well, it’s embarrassing walking through these halls with my face pstered everywhere as if I were the monarch of some great nd.” Maeve sighed.

  “I only wished I had made the time to visit soohen perhaps this disaster might have been avoided. I would’ve at least seen how far he’d goh his… obsession.”

  “Why aren’t you wearing the ?” Charles had been w about it since he first saw her. It was an iic feature in her images.

  Maeve scoffed. “That ridiculous tiara.” She took a moment to gather her posure, fingers drumming lightly oable. “It was a gift he’d given me when I first took my position as guildmaster, nothing more. I see that it mao make its way into every one of my many, many, portraits.”

  “Do you still have it?” Fu-tang asked.

  “I’m sure it’s somewhere in my colle,” Maeve said dismissively. “Now, I’ll ahe question you’ve no doubt been w since our chat at the pond. What is it that I want?”

  ‘Here it es. She’s going to ask for my recipe,’ he thought.

  “Fu-tang,” Maeve started. He paused—frozen with a forkful of trout mid-way to his open mouth. “I’m aware that you’ve had your eye on Charles to train as the stablemaster.” She paused, her fingers steepling thoughtfully, to let them both process.

  “Me?” Charles pced his utensils down to look at Fu-tang.

  He was unprepared and put on the spot. “Well, I was going—”

  Maeve saved him and said, “But I’d like for him to sider aiming for a higher position. This chapter needs—”

  “No,” Charles answered before she could finish.

  Maeve ughed, leaning ba her chair as she took a sip of water. Then she said, “Charles, you haven’t eve me ask the question. I’ve already told you ‘hard to get’ makes things iing for me. I’d hoped you would’ve extrapoted that I find ‘impossible to get’… irresistible.

  “I propose you let me ask my question. At least pretend to ponder over it. Maybe, act like it was a difficult decision, and then tell me you aren’t ied,” Maeve said.

  “Fine,” he said.

  “I’d like you to sider leading a team of adventurers. You could hand pick your team out of the initiates or recruit from outside. I’d make sure you’d have a dedicated mender,” Maeve said, her gaze steady and unwavering.

  Charles swallowed hard, unsure he heard correctly. “You’re me an adventuring team?”

  In the past, he had to e up with increasingly creative ways to bend the rules around being a crafter to take regur tracts. Crafters were too valuable to send on most quests or tracts. Now she was him his own team. ‘Where’s the catch?’ he wondered, uo see where this pn led.

  “Yes, but that’s not the goal. I ’t appoint a on-ranked adveo be headmaster of the chapter. Running group tracts was how I advao where I am… Unless you have a better suggestion?” she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

  “You want me for headmaster?” Charles g Fu-tang, eared just as fused as him.

  “See? This is far more iing than a one word versation,” Maeve said with a smile.

  “I don’t want anything to do with Ebonscale,” Charles said ftly.

  Maeve leaned forward. “And that’s exactly why you should sider it. This is your ce to ge everything. As my previous mistakes have proven, I tend to give my headmasters free rein to run things as they see fit.

  “Even if you don’t agree to it, we’re still doing away with the life debts. Ultimately, I believe it was the cause for the attack.”

  “You think it was a guild member who betrayed us?” Fu-tang asked.

  “One of the many reasons I don’t have time to properly court Charles for the position. I’d sider it a personal favor that any jecture tonight remaiweehree of us.” She took another sip of water.

  “Please do give it some thought. I’ll be here for a while. You should go get some rest and then travel back to that friend of yours, what was his name again?” she inquired.

  “Dyn,” he said.

  “Dyn…” Maeve repeated, the ers of her mouth twitg upward as she quickly suppressed a satisfied smile.

  She had distracted him with her charm, delicious food, his own team, and a ake a real difference. Feints, all of them. Her true goal didn’t involve him being headmaster or even learning his recipe for fk; they were merely a bonus. He just gave her exactly what she wanted all along, and he didn’t eve ing.

  Maeve stood up, having finished her meal. “Responsibilities wait for no one. Fu-tang, Charles,” she turo ea kind and said, “Thank you for your pany. It’s been very insightful.”

  Charles stood abruptly, his chair barked in protest. “About my debt—”

  Maeve turo him. “I thought I made that clear. We aren’t dois fuild members anymore. Fu-tang will see to your mount’s care and rehabilitation.”

  “But I’m not a guild member,” he said.

  “You will always have a home at Ebonscale, Charles. I hope one day you see that.” Maeve walked to the door and paused, gng back. “Give me your answer when you return in three months. If you meet anyone you’d like to have on your team, Dyn for example, I’ll make sure they have a pce at Ebonscale as well.”

  Attempting to dissuade her, Charles said, “He’s currently on a trial fhtshade.”

  Maeve gave him a casual shrug. “There’s a reason they call them trials; they don’t always work out. Regardless, there’s a pce for him at Ebonscale.”

  Fu-tang talked about how delicious the fish was all the way back to Charles’ arborhearth. The cool night air carried the st of damp soil and distant pine.

  “You don’t have to leave tonight. You could rest up and go tomorrow m,” Fu-tang said.

  “No, I o get back. There are a few things I o take care of,” Charles said as he climbed up into the driver’s box, his jaw set with determination.

  The snapping of roots sounded as the bramble spawn worked to free their hooves, the crisp night air punctuated by the rustling of leaves. It was time for them to be on their way. Charles set with himself. He let Maeve manipute him into giving up Dyn. It might have been only his name, but that’s all she o find him. He’d have to do something about that.