The apothecary on the market road had a blue door, which was the only blue door on the road, which told you something about how much the town cared for paint.
Iyla Sarn opened it, looked at him, and pulled him inside by the front of his shirt.
"You absolute idiot."
"Good morning."
"Do you know what's happened?" She got the door shut and put her back on it.
The shop behind her smelled of dried mint and something sharper underneath.
"I assume not much?" Soren asked with a small smile as he looked at her as she paced around slightly as she spoke.
"Bevan and Herrick were found by their people, even though you broke their hands and jaw, which by the way I can't tell if that's smart, dumb, or both"
She took in a deep breath and continued, pacing around even more.
"...But their leader has been getting people to nurse them back to health so they can point out who, and so far all they've managed to get is that the person wore grey, which is apparently all they needed."
"How so? That shouldn't be able to get them much no?" Soren asked confused.
"Yesterday they made guesses and figured out it was Callowmere's book boy cause those idiots can still nod when names came up," she pointed her finger at his chest aggressively, "because there is exactly one slave in grey linen who comes into this town."
Soren slowly looked down at the finger on his chest, his gaze fallen on his grey linen tunic and could only smile wryly.
Loraine.
<<Loraine: I said it on Friday.>>
You did.
"Brannick's put out that he wants a word," Iyla said, not giving the chance for Soren to say anything. She was fully intent in making sure she explained his current situation in full.
"That's what they call it. A word, which is far better than upright saying they want to beat you up since they don't believe it and they're debating if it's worth offending your master."
"And on top of that Ost hasn't been seen in days, and nobody has said the two things are connected out loud, but nobody's said they aren't either."
"How much for the word?"
"What?"
"Is there a price on it? Coin for whoever brings me in?"
Iyla stared at him.
"Two crowns," she said.
"Two." Soren considered that, rubbing his non existent beard. "That's insulting."
"That's insulting? That's your—" She pressed the base of her palms into her eyes. "You are a very strange person."
"I've had a strange month."
She dropped her hands.
Up close and in daylight she was a bit older than he'd thought, or a bit more tired.
There was a fresh burn on the back of her wrist from something in the workroom, and she looked at him for a second with an expression he was beginning to recognise on people who had decided something about him without telling him.
"Right," she said. "Sit down, don't touch anything, and listen, because I've been collecting this all week and I'd like it to be worth something."
He sat down.
"One. Brannick Sallow is first level Adept and he's been first level Adept for nine years, which my father says means he's stuck and knows it and is extremely bad-tempered about it."
"Two. He has about forty men and maybe six of them matter. The rest are Bevans, Unawakened or at best 1st level Apprentice"
"Three. The Hand has been moving people through Vail's yard, and don't look at me like that, everyone on this road knows and nobody says it."
Didn't think it was that common knowledge...but I guess it makes sense, groups like these often benefit from letting people know they run things from the shadows...
"And four." She folded her arms.
"Corben Vail got a letter on Monday from a Callowmere and he has not left his house since, and yesterday he sent his wife to her sister's in Hallow Ford. Which means whatever's in that letter, he thinks his own protection is about to become a problem for him rather than for anyone else."
Loraine.
<<Loraine: Vesper's letter has worked exactly as she intended and roughly two weeks faster than I projected. Vail is going to pay her, and to pay her he will have to take it out of money that is currently promised to Brannick Sallow.>>
And then Brannick finds out that a Callowmere is squeezing his yard.
<<Loraine: And then Brannick finds out that a Callowmere is squeezing his yard, yes, at approximately the same time he finds out that a Callowmere slave broke his man's leg, jaw and hands. He will not treat those as two events.>>
Soren put his hands over his face. I did not think that through as much as I thought.
"That bad?" Iyla said.
"Worse but thanks."
"Don't thank me, I want something."
"I've got sixteen crowns."
"I don't want your sixteen crowns, I want you to not die," Iyla said, "because I have thought about it a great deal this week and I've decided I'd find it very annoying."
Soren looked at her through his fingers.
"That's the second time you've said that."
"It's the second time it's been true." She turned away and started, entirely unnecessarily, aligning jars.
"There's a room above the Broken Yoke. Reia's father owns the licence and Reia keeps the key. If you're in this town after dark and you're not on your cart, don't be on the road, be in that room."
"You've thought about this a lot."
"I have a very orderly mind and nothing to do at night," Iyla said, to the jars. "Go away, you're going to make me burn something."
...
The Broken Yoke at four in the afternoon had nine people in it, and Reia was behind the counter with her sleeves pushed up, and she saw Soren in the doorway and stopped what she was doing.
She came around the counter, took him by the arm, and steered him into the corner furthest from the window.
"You," she said, "are the stupidest, handsome man I have ever met in my life."
"I get that a lot."
"You do not."
"I've been getting it recently."
Reia put both hands flat on the table and leaned down.
"Two of Brannick's lot came in here Monday asking about a pretty slave with a Callowmere band," she said quietly.
"And I said I'd never seen one, which was a lie I made up on the spot and did and now I've got to keep telling it for the rest of my life and now you're here."
"I'm sorry."
"You're not."
"I'm a little bit sorry."
Reia straightened up and looked at the ceiling and said something under her breath.
"Right," she said. "Cart back tonight or in the morning?"
"Morning. Hask drinks."
"Then you're not sitting in my common room until morning." She reached into her apron and came out with a key on a bent iron ring.
"Two crowns. Top of the stairs, at the back, the one with the window on the yard. It doesn't lock properly so put the chair under it."
Soren put two crowns on the table.
Reia looked at them. She did not pick them up straight away, which he noticed, and then she did, which he also noticed.
"I finish at eleven," she said.
It was not a question, and it was not really an offer either, and it sat between them on the table next to the two crowns while a man at the bar shouted for someone to bring him something.
Soren picked up the key.
"Top of the stairs," he said. "At the back."
"Put the chair under it," said Reia.
<<Lilith: Soren.>>
Don't.
<<Lilith: I'm not going to say anything.>>
You're absolutely going to say something.
<<Lilith: I'm going to say one thing and then I'll be quiet all night.>>
Go on then.
<<Lilith: Ask her properly. Same as you did with Nessa.>>
A pause, and then, unusually gently.
<<It's not for the points. I want you to know that it's not for the points.>>