like a barracks room. There were a few men there, talking about people and places he did not know. He listened for a minute, but none of it seemed consequential, so he moved on through the barracks area until he came to a door that led outside.
The courtyard was similar in size to the one at White Rock. The arrangement was different, of course, but he positioned himself on the north side, pressed against a wall, close to a buttress where nobody would pass close by, and watched the doors.
The sea was to the south, and he reasoned that the Faer Karan would have their chambers on the south side. From what he had seen of the Faer Karan at White Rock they were as fond of views as any other creature, and the view here was all the sea.
In a few minutes he had identified the doors where people came and went, the ordinary doors, and those that were less used or even avoided. These unpopular doors would be more rewarding, he guessed, but also more dangerous.
He picked one and went to it, making sure that he was not observed in any way. He opened the door, slipped through, and shut it behind him. It was very quiet now. The staircase was dark, and he stood for a moment more trying to pick out sounds, but there were none. He moved up the stairs and came to a door. He listened again; nothing. He opened it and found a bare room, not even a stick of furniture.
Up two more flights and there was another door, more silence, another empty room. The whole stair was deserted, it seemed. He smiled wryly to himself. It was the more obvious explanation for the lack of activity, but it had not occurred to him.
He went back to the door that led to the courtyard. This was one of the most dangerous moments. The door must be opened without any idea of what was passing on the other side. He pushed it open an inch and listened. He heard no footfalls, and eased it open until he could slip out. It was badly timed. A group of guardsmen was walking directly at him, passing by, and he had no time to close the door behind him. He pushed it, leaving it a little ajar, stepped quickly across their path and stood, waiting for them to notice the accusing gap that remained.
The men were talking easily among themselves. He caught a few words of their conversation, and as they passed by the open door, not noticing it in the least, his interest was piqued by what they said.
“I wish we had a reason for doing it,” one of them was saying. “It’s dangerous going into White Rock lands at any time, but with no reason …”
He shut the door quickly and stepped after the men.
“It’s an order,” an older man replied. He looked senior, an old soldier used to discipline. “You don’t question orders, not from them; not from me either if you don’t want a kicking.”
“But how do we know what we’re looking for?” the younger man asked.
“Just follow the order. Search any old buildings, deserted buildings, and bring back any items that seem unusual.”
The young man shook his head. “What do you think they want?” he asked.
“Something from before,” the third man said.
“You just keep your mouth shut,” the older man warned him. “You start talking like that and they’ll start listening.”
The third man glanced up at the windows on the south side and Serhan felt a small thrill of confirmation. His reasoning was right; the Faer Karan were indeed on the south side. More than that, though, he was intrigued by what he had overheard. It was an unexpected bonus. Ocean’s Gate was sending groups of men into White Rock’s domains, searching old buildings for something, something from before. Before what? Before the Faer Karan? That would mean it was more than four hundred years old, whatever it was.
He knew very little about the time before. There were stories, legends, perhaps, but he did not have much faith in their veracity. Men had been lords, kings, even mages. He believed that much to be true. Even he could work the small magics that had
The courtyard was similar in size to the one at White Rock. The arrangement was different, of course, but he positioned himself on the north side, pressed against a wall, close to a buttress where nobody would pass close by, and watched the doors.
The sea was to the south, and he reasoned that the Faer Karan would have their chambers on the south side. From what he had seen of the Faer Karan at White Rock they were as fond of views as any other creature, and the view here was all the sea.
In a few minutes he had identified the doors where people came and went, the ordinary doors, and those that were less used or even avoided. These unpopular doors would be more rewarding, he guessed, but also more dangerous.
He picked one and went to it, making sure that he was not observed in any way. He opened the door, slipped through, and shut it behind him. It was very quiet now. The staircase was dark, and he stood for a moment more trying to pick out sounds, but there were none. He moved up the stairs and came to a door. He listened again; nothing. He opened it and found a bare room, not even a stick of furniture.
Up two more flights and there was another door, more silence, another empty room. The whole stair was deserted, it seemed. He smiled wryly to himself. It was the more obvious explanation for the lack of activity, but it had not occurred to him.
He went back to the door that led to the courtyard. This was one of the most dangerous moments. The door must be opened without any idea of what was passing on the other side. He pushed it open an inch and listened. He heard no footfalls, and eased it open until he could slip out. It was badly timed. A group of guardsmen was walking directly at him, passing by, and he had no time to close the door behind him. He pushed it, leaving it a little ajar, stepped quickly across their path and stood, waiting for them to notice the accusing gap that remained.
The men were talking easily among themselves. He caught a few words of their conversation, and as they passed by the open door, not noticing it in the least, his interest was piqued by what they said.
“I wish we had a reason for doing it,” one of them was saying. “It’s dangerous going into White Rock lands at any time, but with no reason …”
He shut the door quickly and stepped after the men.
“It’s an order,” an older man replied. He looked senior, an old soldier used to discipline. “You don’t question orders, not from them; not from me either if you don’t want a kicking.”
“But how do we know what we’re looking for?” the younger man asked.
“Just follow the order. Search any old buildings, deserted buildings, and bring back any items that seem unusual.”
The young man shook his head. “What do you think they want?” he asked.
“Something from before,” the third man said.
“You just keep your mouth shut,” the older man warned him. “You start talking like that and they’ll start listening.”
The third man glanced up at the windows on the south side and Serhan felt a small thrill of confirmation. His reasoning was right; the Faer Karan were indeed on the south side. More than that, though, he was intrigued by what he had overheard. It was an unexpected bonus. Ocean’s Gate was sending groups of men into White Rock’s domains, searching old buildings for something, something from before. Before what? Before the Faer Karan? That would mean it was more than four hundred years old, whatever it was.
He knew very little about the time before. There were stories, legends, perhaps, but he did not have much faith in their veracity. Men had been lords, kings, even mages. He believed that much to be true. Even he could work the small magics that had
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