A pile of clothing and gear lay on the bed in the second room, which Alberich assumed was going to be his. Jadus worked quickly, it seemed. The arrangement suited him, actually. And comforted him. There would be no one sleeping between him and a direct line out of here. Oh, there were windows to climb out of, but that was awkward and had the potential to be very noisy.

“This has always been laid out with the idea that the Weaponsmaster shares quarters with his Second,” Dethor told him, then grinned evilly. “The Second’s closer to the salle, so if there’s a crisis in the middle of the night—?”

“The Second, the one who answers, is,” Alberich said with mock resignation. “Master.”

“Exactly. Just got one question for you. I have ’em bring my meals over from the Collegium—there’s a fireplace in the sitting room where things can be kept hot. Wastes my time to be hauling myself over there and back, three times a day. But you—you might be wanting to be around people more.”

It’s too painful for him to be dragging himself back and forth. Alberich found it very easy to read between those lines. But—he’s lonely. No, I won’t desert him, not even for meals. “If you, my master and teacher will be here—then going there of what use is?” he asked logically. “A waste of my time. Asking questions, having advice, I could be. Besides, soldiers are we. Understand each other, we do.”

Was it his imagination, or did Dethor actually soften a bit? “You’ll find that boy Kimel is another of our sort,” he said. “Head of His Majesty’s Personal Guard, that boy, and hard on himself. Always after someone to make him better and keener, but he just hasn’t what’s needed to be Weaponsmaster. Trained him myself, though.”

“Then, on himself, he would hard be.” Alberich knew that much for certain. “Like master, like man, at home we say.”

“We say the same thing here,” Dethor replied, and it seemed, with some content. “Not so different after all, in some things, at least.”

“No,” Alberich agreed.

“Right. I have a gaggle of youngsters coming in a moment. You get this room arranged to your liking, then come out and give me a hand with ’em. No time like the present to start.” Once again, Dethor was all brisk business, and as he limped out, Alberich made haste to follow his orders.