by C. Litka
01
After I finished relating our tale of the mission and misadventures that had brought us to Orchard Hill, and our hopes of returning home, the senior sage, Bright-eyed Sparrow Scholar, studied us silently as she considered her options. The six other sages gathered around the table waited silently as well, though one of them looked rather amused by my tale.
It had fallen to me to do the speaking, since Py was too bashful amongst the seven white-sashed Inner Order Laezans to make much headway. And since Py was the senior Laezan, it was not Naylea's place to speak in his place. As a fine-feathered barbarian, and a former tramp ship captain, I could talk to them, as I had with Bowing Pine, as an equal rather than as a subordinate, despite their dignity, age, and wisdom in the Way. The Way is kindness to all.
A gentle breeze, drifting in through the open panels of the pavilion from the cloister garden beyond, drew my idle attention to its picturesque beauty, while I patiently waited for Bright-eyed Sparrow to decide what to do with us.
Our arrival had been greeted with friendly curiosity by the Laezans and the students we encountered in the fields and cloisters. A young Laezan woman took charge of us, led us up to the fortress-house and summoned the elderly White Sash, Mossy Rock Hermit, who was in charge of the community's hospice. He greeted us serenely, as if fine-feathered Laezans and dragons were commonplace travelers and showed us to our guest rooms without questions. 'You have just missed dinner. I will see that a cold repast is prepared for you in the common room after you have washed the dust of your journey from your faces and out of your feathers,' he said. And with a bow, left us.
'It's encouraging to find that two Laezans from unknown islands, one of which is a fine-feathered barbarian, in the company of a non-Laezan barbarian, are welcomed without surprise by Mossy Rock Hermit,' I said. 'It would seem that we're not all that remarkable to the white-sashes of the Inner Order.'
'Mossy Rock Hermit likely earned his sage name,' said Naylea. 'I wouldn't read too much into his disinterest.'
'Ah, yes. Point taken.' Still...
Bright-eyed Sparrow Scholar shifted forward, glancing to either side at the other sages seated before their cups of tey, quietly invited comments. All smiled, but silently shook their heads, no doubt figuring that we were Bright-eyed Sparrow's problem.
'I hope you found Bowing Pine Scholar in good health,' she said, apparently still undecided as to her course.
'In fine health. Very spry and wise, though half blind with a film over her eyes. Can your healers remove that film?' I asked just to see how she might react. I knew that in the Saraime such an operation was possible.
She shook her head. 'No. May I take it that on your islands, clouded eyes can be cured?'
'Yes. Still, she gets along fine. And I doubt she misses much. She is well looked after, quite pampered in fact, so her eyesight is no great inconvenience. She is treasured.'
Little Sparrow nodded, and sighed a little. 'She is very wise, and wise to direct you to our Prime Community of Marsh Waters. I will follow her lead. It is, however, a long journey, best undertaken by carriage with an experienced crew. While the road is well traveled, the occasional storm, or bandits, are best dealt with by an experienced carriage crew. I should add that you needn't fear bandits - Laezans are not worth their trouble since we travel community to community and so need few coins. The storms, of course, spare no one, but they are rare and with an experienced wagon crew, shelter can usually be found.'
I nodded. 'I am glad the dangers are minor, since any danger must be risked. Where might we obtain the services of an experienced carriage and crew? Though shipwrecked, we are not destitute,' I said. 'We called to pay our respects and to beg for advice about our journey. I believe we have the coins to pay our passage to March Waters, so that need not concern your Community.'
'That would not concern the Community at all,' she replied. 'We are delighted to have the opportunity to meet fellow travelers of the Way from the barbarian islands. We will certainly do all we can to see you safely to Marsh Waters, though we hope you will not be in too great a hurry to leave us. I know that I speak for the whole Community when I say we are eager to learn more of the islands you came from. It is wonderful to know that the Way and its teachers has spread so far.'
'We would be happy to share our stories. The Way has, indeed, spread far - to islands neither of us have ever heard of - and thrives on the thousands of islands from which we came. However, my companions are advocates on a mission with grave consequence, and are eager to resume their mission - should it prove possible. That being the case, I am afraid we cannot linger more than what it will take to arrange our transportation. We have a fourth companion concluding some business in Devere who will join us within the next few rounds. Once she arrives, we would like to be on our way. Can the carriage be arranged by then?'
She nodded. 'We employ drivers and carriages from a co-op service in Devere. They are honest, reliable, affordable, and used to our ways. If you would like, I will have them send a crew for you. It will take several rounds for the message to be delivered and the carriage to arrive, but if you are waiting on a fellow traveler, I doubt it will delay your journey.'
'Excellent. Thank you. That would be very much appreciated. And if money needs to be sent with the order for the carriage, I would be happy to arrange that at your convenience.'
She nodded. 'The sleep watch is fast approaching. That and other details can wait until the new round. Now, I think, if we have finished our tey, our business in concluded. Please make yourselves at home here.
We thanked her, finished the last of the tey in our cups, and taking our leave, walked through the gardens for a while, before returning to our rooms to sleep.
