Blackstone (Book 2)

by Honor Raconteur

  “From what I’ve seen. Even after all of this time with us, he still hesitates before offering his opinion, unless someone has asked for it.” Markl was charming, in his own quiet way, but not particularly handsome. He was an illegitimate child from a wealthy family, and from the beginning had been an unwanted burden. In spite of how his family loved him, that stigma would have still attached itself to his skin as permanently as a tattoo. All of that would affect his own opinion of how desirable he was to other people. Siobhan firmly believed that the reason why he had changed cities and guilds was for a fresh slate.

  But if she tried to explain this to Sylvie, her trader would smack her outright. To her, Markl was nothing short of amazing, and she wouldn’t hear a detrimental word said against him.

  Siobhan wisely bit her tongue and said instead, “I will now teach you the magic phrase to win his attention.”

  “There’s a magic phrase?” Sylvie repeated dubiously.

  “It actually works on almost every man,” Siobhan admitted cheerfully. “Beirly taught it to me ages ago. It goes something like this: ‘Markl, I need you.’”

  “That’s it?!” Sylvie demanded, spluttering.

  Giving a careless shrug, she grinned. “That’s it. Men, you see, need to be needed. Telling them that you need them, even if it’s for a simple thing, sets an emotional connection with them. Make it a habit with Markl. Have him help you, tell him that you need him, on a daily basis. Nothing hard, and things that involve direct contact with him would be best. He’s too nervous to touch you except a brush of the hand here or there. Get past that.”

  Sylvie opened her mouth to protest, paused, and her eyes went unfocused as she thought. “Mercy above…you’re right, he hardly ever comes that close to me. He always keeps a set distance between us. No wonder I was struggling to connect with him!”

  Satisfied she had gotten the girl on the right path, Siobhan made shooing motions with her hands. “You can get me the clasp later. For now, go. Find. Seduce.”

  “On it!” Sylvie assured her, already leaping lightly off the porch.

  Belatedly remembering what had started this conversation, she called after her, “Wait! When you find him, make sure he talks to Oh Jae Pyo!”

  Sylvie waved a hand in acknowledgement but didn’t pause or look back.

  Chuckling evilly to herself, Siobhan said to the empty air, “Brace yourself, Markl. A woman on a mission is heading straight for you.”

  ӜӜӜ

  That night they had dinner with Fei’s family. From the way Fei issued the invitation to them, it was clear that his mother would not take ‘no’ for an answer.

  Siobhan was not a parent, but she’d filled the role of mother before for people, and felt she had a grasp on what Fei’s parents must feel after seeing their son for the first time in nearly eight years. She also understood that she would be laying a lot of unease and fears to rest if she could show his family what the guild was like. So with no hesitation whatsoever, she accepted the invitation.

  Fei came and gathered them up that evening, escorting them to his house. Siobhan admired it as they walked in through the garden gate. The place was larger than she’d mentally pictured. It seemed to expand in every direction. There was a nice sized garden in front that seemed to wrap around the sides of the house as well, every bush and tree immaculately trimmed. The house itself was in the usual style for this area, and all the doors and windows were open, no doubt letting the evening air inside. It was a beautiful night, so no need to keep the house shut up.

  A slightly stooped man with white hair and a cane in his hand was standing in front door. Upon seeing them, he turned and called into the house. Playing watchman, was he?

  Fei went directly to the old man and grabbed one hand with both of his. In the most tender voice she’d ever heard from him, he greeted, “Harupachi.”

  The old man gripped the hand in return, beaming up at Fei. His reply was too fast for Siobhan to be able to detect any words, but the affection and joy in the tone were clear enough.

  From inside the house, people started appearing. Siobhan blinked at the number, not to mention the variety. Everything from a baby to the old man was here. So…it wasn’t just Fei’s immediate family they would meet today? It was the whole family?

  Denney’s voice whispered behind her, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’m no good in places like this,” Rune responded uneasily. “Best I go.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Denney assured him firmly. “They won’t eat you, Rune.”

  Rune clearly didn’t buy this. “Still….”

  “These are the same people that raised and taught Fei everything he knows. You really think it’ll be uncomfortable around them?”

  Siobhan glanced over her shoulder and found that Rune had a pole-struck face on, as if he hadn’t thought of it that way before. Smiling to herself, she let Denney take care of Rune as she stepped forward and gave a bow to the whole family.

  Fei extended a hand to her and announced in an unusually loud voice (at least for him), “This is my guildmaster, Siobhan Maley.”

  Siobhan straightened and gave the whole group a genuine smile. “I am very pleased to meet you. Thank you for the invitation.” Turning, she grabbed the basket from Tran’s hands and extended it, not quite sure who it should go to. “I brought loquat fruits for everyone to share.”

  A woman in her middle years came down the steps to accept the basket.

  “Siobhan-ajie, this is my mother. Man Hye Ri.”

  Hye Ri bowed to her. Siobhan’s first impression was that this was the most delicate woman she’d ever seen in her life. Even the way she moved was smooth and fluid, like water flowing downstream. “We are very glad you have come,” Hye Ri told her, her voice pure and clear. “Please, come in. We will do proper introductions around the table. It is easier there.”

  She had a table large enough to fit everyone? Siobhan had to see that. Agreeable, the whole guild trooped into the house, following their hosts. The inside was painted in whites and soft greens, almost teal in color. Siobhan liked it, as it felt homey to her. Especially the touches of artwork that were obviously done by the younger children.

  There was not a table large enough in the world to fit this many people at once. But they had opened all of the sliding doors, making the connecting rooms into one large dining area, and pushed together several rectangular tables to make it work. Their hosts kindly took each guildmember in and guided them to a padded cushion. Fei was the one that grabbed Denney and Rune, which Siobhan was glad to see. He must have realized from Rune’s reaction earlier that leaving him alone between people Rune didn’t know would not be wise.

  Once seated, Hye Ri made good on her promise and made the introductions all around. The names were foreign, something Siobhan wasn’t used to hearing, and there were a good thirty people seated. After memorizing Fei’s father’s name—Man Ji Sang—Siobhan quickly lost track of everyone else. But this didn’t seem to matter after they started eating.

  She found herself seated right next to Fei’s parents, with him on the other side of them, and both parents asked Siobhan many questions, most of them centered around what the guild did and why they had come. Siobhan answered honestly and ate quick bites between answering questions.

  With the plates more or less empty of food, she glanced up and found that people were having animated conversations all around them. Even Rune, as nervous as he had been, had relaxed enough to talk to the children, who were busy firing off questions. The whole dinner had gone off without a hitch. Relieved, she relaxed…or tried to. Her knees were not used to being folded like this under a short table for long stretches of time.

  The only complaint she had about Saoleord so far was their lack of chairs.

  Maybe her hostess realized this as she turned to Siobhan and asked, “Would you like to go sit by the garden and have some tea?”

  No drinks had been served with the meal—they hadn’t been last nig
ht either, come to think of it—so Siobhan was more than ready to drink something. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Then please, this way.”

  Siobhan followed her hostess out of the room and into an adjoining one that still gave her full view of the dining area. They sat at another short table, but this time there were chairs. Sort of. It looked like a chair, but it didn’t have legs to it. It sat squarely on the ground. But at least Siobhan had something to lean back against and she could stretch her legs forward. Just that was a relief.

  Hye Ri brought a light green tea pot with two matching cups, neither of which were larger than a child’s palm, and sat them on the round table before sitting opposite her. “We are pleased you came tonight. I have long wanted to see the people that my son chose to spend his life with.”

  “I’m very glad you invited us,” Siobhan returned. “I know how nerve-racking it is for parents to not know where your son is or who he’s with. Every time I gain a new member of the guild, I make sure to introduce him or her to my parents for that reason. If anything, our visit to you is long overdue. I am sorry for that.”

  “We are very far from your home and business after all,” Hye Ri said in complete understanding.

  “It must be hard on you, being so far away from your son,” Siobhan said in true sympathy.

  “That is so,” Hye Ri agreed, but her expression was one of resignation more than anything else. “I cannot complain, however. I realized years ago that my husband and I pushed him into this vocation.”

  Siobhan blinked. “You did?”

  “Unwittingly, yes.” She picked up the green tea pot and poured them both a cup as she explained. “We have always been a scholarly family. Most of our ancestors were priests, architects, historians, or something of that ilk. So we encouraged our children to choose occupations similar to what their ancestors did. But Fei Lei…” she let out a soft, lady-like sigh. “His temperament was never suited to such.”

  Siobhan struggled to picture Fei in some musty library, studying day in and day out, and couldn’t. In fact, her eyes crossed at just the attempt. The only time she had ever seen him still and quiet for a stretch of time was when he was sneaking up on someone or spying on them.

  “So you feel that because you pressured him to that path, that he rebelled?”

  “His master at that time was not surprised at the rebellion.” Her nose wrinkled up, a flash of amusement crossing over her face. “None of us anticipated just how far that rebellion would take him.”

  “I bet.”

  “If I may ask, how did he become a part of your guild?”

  Siobhan took a sip from her cup and was surprised at the fresh taste that exploded in her mouth. “This is excellent. What type of tea is this?”

  “Mint,” her hostess supplied, pleased she liked it.

  Siobhan made a mental note to buy a bundle of the stuff to take home with her. She stole another quick sip before answering. “Fei had hired on with a caravan guard that left here and went down to Channel Pass. You knew how he left? Oh, I see. He’s never forthcoming on details like that. Anyway, that caravan had contracted us to take them from Channel Pass to Winziane. I met him through the caravan boss, as he had taken a liking to Fei and wanted him to find a good guild to belong to. When I met him, I saw this quiet young man with the fighting prowess of a tiger.” Siobhan smiled at the memory. “Anyone that can fight on par with Wolf and Tran catches my eye. I noticed him for his skills alone. But the quiet personality made me think he didn’t go looking for trouble, so I was more than willing to take him on.”

  Hye Ri cocked her head, not following this last statement. “This is important to you?”

  She made a sour face. “Half my guild thinks trouble is fun.”

  “Ah, I see.” Hye Ri was polite enough to not snicker, but she was obviously laughing internally. Her eyes sparkled with it.

  “Anyway, we hired him on short term, just feeling out how well he worked with the guild while on a job. He was, of course, excellent. So when we reached Winziane, I asked if he wanted to just stay on with Deepwoods permanently.” A realization she had never made before popped into her head. Slowly, she added, “I’m not sure if he would have stayed if we had been a different type of guild. Fei was very hungry to see the world, and experience as much of it as he could. He liked us, I could see that, but if we hadn’t been an escorting guild, he might not have stayed with us.”

  His mother nodded, not surprised. “It was his strong desire to see the world with his own eyes that drove him out of the comfort of his own home.”

  “He only recently told me why he left.” Siobhan shrugged ruefully. “None of my men are really talkers, not when it comes to themselves, but Fei’s got them all beat. I thought for years that he had gotten into trouble at home and that’s why he left. He finally disabused me of that notion and said simply his family didn’t approve of his choice.”

  “We do not,” Hye Ri stated simply. “I wish him closer to home.”

  No mother would say differently. Siobhan wasn’t the least surprised. “Now that I understand that he won’t be in trouble if he comes here, we’ll try to come up at least once a year.”

  Hye Ri went abruptly still in shock, her eyes flying up to meet Siobhan’s. “You can promise me this?”

  “I promise it to all my guild members.” Siobhan found this reaction endearing and amusing all at once. “Hye Ri-jia, you must understand, we travel for a living. Organizing an escort that lands us near one of my people’s hometowns isn’t much more than a challenge. If I have a whole year to work with, I can manage it just fine.” She’d have done it for Fei earlier, if she’d known what kind of reception he’d get. But even he hadn’t been sure.

  Tears welled up in the other woman’s eyes and she bowed her head deeply. “Thank you very much.”

  Siobhan felt like giving the other woman a hug, but realized that wasn’t something she could readily do in this culture. Instead she reached out and clasped the woman’s shoulder. “This time, you’ll see him sooner than that. We do have to bring the delegation back home again after we’ve borrowed them after all.”

  “Yes,” she agreed, drying up one tear with the pad of her fingertips. With a soft laugh, she gave Siobhan a brilliant smile. “I’m glad that he became a part of your guild. It is a mercy to know that he is surrounded by good people.”

  “Oh, we’re very grateful to have him,” Siobhan assured her, deadpan serious. “Fei has more wisdom in his little pinky than I have had my entire lifetime. He’s always the source of good questions and advice. One of my newest members relies on him heavily for guidance and he’s an excellent teacher and brother to him.” Without Fei, she might not have ever gained Rune. It was Fei that taught Rune how to interact and accept people. “We would be sorely lost without your son.” She still worried, in the back of her mind, that he would choose to stay and not return with her. But she wasn’t about to say that to his mother.

  “I am glad.” Hye Ri smiled and lifted the tea pot. “Another?”

  “Please.” Siobhan glanced around the room, seeing what everyone else was up to. Rune and Beirly were on the floor with some of the younger cousins, probably teaching the impressionable children things they weren’t supposed to know. Markl, Fei, and Conli were gathered around with the older men, discussing something in quiet tones. From the happy expression on Markl’s face, the conversation was a good one. Denney and Sylvie were with the younger girls and it looked like a teaching session on intricate braids was going on.

  She glanced out the side door, into the garden, and found Wolf, Tran, and some of the older cousins out there teaching each other sparring tricks. That or admiring Wolf’s iron right hand. He’d gotten a lot of attention because of that hand through dinner. The dogs seemed to find the people outside more interesting, as they were circling the group and poking their noses into people’s sides, getting absent pats on the head in return. Everyone seemed comfortable where they were and enjoying the evening. Sat
isfied, she turned back to her cup and took a slow sip, enjoying the taste. “Mint. Is this a plant?”

  “Yes, indeed. It grows wild here in the mountains.”

  Siobhan looked into her cup thoughtfully. “Does it really. I wonder how well it would grow in Robarge….”

  “Is your climate similar to ours?”

  “Year round? I’m not sure.” She’d certainly ask though. And still take a few seeds home so she could try growing a few plants in pots. Leaning forward, she said in a confidential tone, “The deal I have made with everyone else so far is, if you tell me stories about Fei, I’ll do likewise.”

  A mischievous glint appeared in Hye Ri’s eyes. “What type of stories?”

  “Whatever comes to mind.” Siobhan grinned at her. She knew she liked this woman for a reason. “Would you like to start?”

  “I don’t mind if I do.”

  Siobhan settled in for what would surely be an entertaining evening.

  Wolf was rudely awakened that morning when a dog landed on his gut, nearly squeezing the breath right out of him. Grunting, he half-flailed upright, eyes popping open wide. “What the—”

  “PYPER! DROP IT!”

  Blinking to clear his eyes, he saw Denney darting into the men’s rooms, her feet skidding on the slick wooden floors, bed hair sticking up every direction. Pyper, the culprit that was still sitting on his stomach, glanced back at her nervously but seemed to feel that if she sat on Wolf, the man would protect her.

  The dog was wrong.

  Grabbing her by the scruff of her neck, he demanded of the dog, “What did you do?”

  The collier turned enough to face him, eyes round and pleading, tail wagging hopefully. From her mouth a suspiciously fuzzy tail was hanging and the oddest squeaking noises were coming from the dog’s mouth. Frowning, he tried to bend his neck so that he could see better, but the dog turned her face away to keep it from him.

  “What’s in her mouth?”