Ponu frowned as the others gave him a look that suggested they wanted him to answer her. “Well,” he said finally. “We know what it isn’t. It’s not caused by something in the Duchy. It’s not natural, in the sense that nothing natural like a rockslide is causing it. It’s been going on for years, actually, but most of the time no one notices it. Lately, it’s been getting stronger, and we are fairly sure it comes from the Capital.”

“So . . . something the Emperor’s mages are doing?” she hazarded.

He nodded. “We haven’t investigated it closer, because we don’t want anyone knowing we’re here.” He shrugged. “That’s the cost of being in hiding. There is a lot we can’t do without revealing ourselves. Or others.”

“Is it dangerous?” she demanded.

“It could be. It isn’t yet. And we think it’s related to Elemental magic. Probably Earth Elementals. That’s the best answer we have right now.” Ponu settled back in his seat with the air of someone who was done talking.

“Thank you all for speaking with me,” she said, knowing she wasn’t going to get anything more out of them for now. “And thank you very much for the bread, Sai.”

“Glad you enjoyed it,” the mage said with clear satisfaction, as another couple of people came in, attracted by the aroma. She got up, made a little sketch of a bow, and decided to go see if she could get anything out of Isla. It was clear there was something going on, something extremely important, and . . . to be honest, she was a little resentful that she was being kept out of it!

But as soon as she left the Circle’s tower, she almost literally ran into Isla, who took her by the elbow and said, “Delia! I’m running out of some wild herbs. Let’s go hunt for them.”

Now, as far as Delia knew, that was a lie. Isla never ran out of anything; she was fanatical about keeping supplies on hand. But Delia took the basket that Isla gave her, and followed her sister out of the manor, between two meadows full of grazing mares and new foals, and down to the woodlot that was deliberately kept wild to allow the propagation of certain herbs that not even Isla could get to grow in the garden.

Once they were under the cover of the forest, Isla grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along a thread of a path with some urgency, until they reached an odd cluster of boulders that formed a tiny cave. Isla gave her a little push, and squeezed into the cave beside her, then made a couple of motions in the air that Delia thought might be magical gestures.