Ru Emerson: Keep on the Borderlands

But the next door opened into a brightly lit hallway, its floor a warm, polished oak, the walls hung here and there with blue and yellow banners. Their guide passed two closed doors along the passage and stopped to indicate an open room dominated by a table covered in books and scrolls. Other than a grate in one wall and a door on the far side of the chamber, there seemed to be no other furnishings. A short, elderly man in green robes came from behind the table and smiled at them, dismissing the guards with a gesture.

“I am Ogric, Castellan Ferec’s master of table, at yourservice,” he said. “In a moment, I will bring you to the banquet hall. Wemaintain little protocol here. When the castellan enters, he asks that no one stand or bow, and you may eat and drink as soon as he gives you greeting.” Hebeckoned them to follow and led them across the chamber into the room beyond.

This room was enormous, clearly meant for feasting. A wide trestle ran the length of the room, with three shorter, narrower tables butted against it. Whitewashed walls were hung with pale blue or yellow banners, and a length of cloth in the same colors dipped from the ceiling. Several men already sat at the main table, though the central three chairs at the head were still unoccupied. At the other tables, Eddis saw everything from graybeards in soldiers tunics to men and women she recognized from the market and the shops. Ogric led them to places at the middle table, closest to the long trestle and opposite the empty chairs. Eddis let M’Baddah hand her into the first of thosebefore settling next to her, his son at his left elbow. Jerdren was across from her, Blor next to him. The rest of this table was mostly taken up by military-looking men, most of whom were curiously eyeing the newcomers. She glanced at Jerdren, who grinned back.

Servants came in to distribute bowls of bread. Men in dark tunics followed, ladling wine into cups. Other servants followed, pouring soup and setting out small pots of dried herbs for seasoning the steaming broth. It smelled wonderful, Eddis thought.

A sharp, echoing rap brought attention to the long trestle. Ogric tapped his staff on the floor a second time. “Castellan Ferec,” heannounced, and inclined his head as a tall, black-haired and black-bearded man in plain blue tunic and breeches strode into the room followed by two older men who also wore unfigured blue.

Eddis glanced across the table as Jerdren gasped.

“By my grandsire’s beard,” he whispered. “That’s the man whocalled himself Hollis!”

Blorys tugged at his brother’s sleeve. “The castellan? He’sthe man you talked to yesterday, the clerk?”

“I thought he was a clerk,” Jerdren replied. “I’m just tryingto recall what I said to him.” He fell silent as the three men stood at thecenter of the trestle.

Ferec waited for the low murmur of conversation to die away. “Guests, friends, protectors, and companions,” he said warmly, “eat and drinkwith me.” He smiled at the outsiders as he and his men took their seats. “Wedine first here in the Keep and turn to business later.”

Once the meal began, a low murmur of conversation filled the chamber. The castellan’s attention had been claimed by the man on his right.Eddis was talking to M’Baddah. Blorys got Jerdren’s attention again.

“You remember what you said to him?” he asked in anoncarrying voice.

The older man shrugged. “Nothing rude,” he replied in kind.“I was hoping to learn about the sortie against the bandits and put in a goodword for us, remember? Odd, though. I’ve heard of men in power doing that kindof thing-checking men and stories for themselves, rather than waiting for aclerk’s report. Never expected to be taken in that way myself.”

“He’s said to be a good judge of character, Jers.”

Jerdren picked up his soup and drank. “Good stuff. I hope so,Blor. I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”

Across from him, Eddis was nibbling bread she’d dipped in herbroth.

“Gods,” he murmured. “Doesn’t that woman ever eat? All I’veseen her do is pick at food!”

Blorys nudged him in the ribs with a hard elbow. “Be quiet,Brother, she’ll hear you!”

I heard that, Eddis thought, but decided to ignore him.

Soup cups were taken away, and platters of sliced meat and bowls of dripping juices followed. Feric spoke quietly with the men on either side of him and let his guests alone to eat and drink.

Halfway through the final course-baked, sweetened applesfilled with cream-the man nearest M’Whan began talking to him, too quietly forJerdren to make out what was going on. Then the fellow beyond Blor engaged his brother in conversation. Some moments later, both Keep men rose and went around to the head table, where they spoke at length with Ferec, who set aside his cup to listen gravely. Jerdren forced himself to continue eating and drinking.

More wine was served, and as the servants came forward to remove plates and cups, most of the other guests rose quietly and left the room, leaving only the military men, the older guardsmen who’d shared their table,themselves-and the castellan and his advisors. As the outer doors closed, Ferecrapped sharply on the table. All conversation ceased at once.

“Jerdren, I heard from you personally and from the hidemerchant Lodis about the service you and your men did us. And I learned this morning about your feats, Eddis-bringing those priests and their burden safelyhere, and personally stopping a thief so skilled none of my men had been able to catch him in the act. My thanks to you all, and the thanks of the Keep’s guardsand citizens.

“As token of our gratitude, my late master would have givenyou coin and gems. Unfortunately, he is ten years dead, and though we still hold these walls, we no longer prosper. But you deserve recompense.”

“Sir,” Eddis put in quietly, “there is no need. We did whatwe had to, nothing more.”

Jerdren’s boot pushed against her leg, hard, and he scowledat her.

Feric smiled. “I expected you would say that. But valordeserves recognition, and my close advisors and I believe we have found a way to reward you.” He got to his feet. “If you will come to my study, we can talkfurther.”

They followed him and his men out a different door and down a long hall, up a flight of stairs. “Men before us and behind us,” Jerdrenmuttered to his brother. “Think perhaps they still don’t quite trust us?”

Eddis nudged him and cast him a sidelong, warning look.

Ferec led the way into a room at the head of the steps. Like the old man’s chamber next to the banquet hall, this was a plain room, dominatedby a table piled high with rolled parchments, quills, and maps. A smaller table against one wall held two fat candles and a tray with pitcher and cups. Several cushioned stools stood about the room. The castellan took his seat behind the table and shoved everything aside but the maps. Eddis and Jerdren were shown to the stools nearest the table, and the rest chose for themselves.

There was a brief silence, which Feric broke, his eyes fixed thoughtfully on Jerdren. “Yesterday, you and I spoke for some time in this room.I am sorry if you feel deceived, but I find it often useful to use the guise of a simple clerk to learn what men think of me, of the Keep, and the way we care for what we have. Often, people will speak more freely to a mere lackey than to the leader-or so I’ve found.”

Jerdren shrugged. “You’ve the right, sir, to do as youchoose. Perhaps I’d have felt ill at ease, thinking I was coming here to talk toa guardsman and finding myself with the master.”

“Not ‘sir’, Jerdren. Castellan or Ferec. You told mesomething of your battle on the road. Give us the details now, if you will.”

“Well…” He made as terse and short a story of it as hecould and answered a few questions from one of the graybeards.