“Well, take your pick,” said Diedre. She waved her hand to encompass the rows of buildings lining the streets, flush with light and vibrating with energy. Creshen music, high, quick, and cheerful, danced on the air.

“Oh! Of course. Now, where can I find Captain Augustin?”

Diedre bit her lip. “Is only magic I does study, you know—runelore and theory of spellcraft mostly, but—” Abruptly, she put two fingers in her mouth and blew a high, piercing whistle that had everyone looking in their direction, including a group of young Creshen men across the street who were wearing their school uniforms.

“Hello!” Diedre called waving to them. She jogged over and Yenni had no choice but to follow. “Do you fine fellows know Captain Augustin?”

“Augustin? What about him?” This was from a young man who wore his dark hair in a short tail, like Harth Duval’s.

“Could you tell us where to find him?”

Another student, this one with shaggy hair like wheat that fell into his eyes, spoke up. “I’d try Les Canards.” He pointed to a building with wooden cutout of three ducks hanging in front. The boys exchanged a knowing glance.

“Thank you,” Diedre said sweetly, drawing Yenni away. They hurried toward the building with the hanging ducks. Stepping under a bright-green awning, they faced a door with peeling green paint. Diedre pushed it open and a dull roar of conversation assailed them. The place was dim and a bit run down in Yenni’s opinion, but there were quite a few people inside, filling almost all of the wooden tables and chairs. On closer inspection, she even recognized a few students from her classes. Serving men and women carrying trays full of food scurried between the tables, like at feasts back home. She supposed a pubs was something like a big feast where all the people were strangers.

One of the servers in particular seemed to stand out like a very bright star in the night sky. Men constantly called out to her, and even reached for her. She tossed back her yellow hair and laughed along with the men at one table, and lightly slapped away the reaching fingers of a drunkard at another, wagging her finger at him. Yenni felt for the poor woman, but she seemed to know how to handle herself. Eventually she breezed past them, enveloping them in a flowery scent. “Just sit wherever there’s room, ladies, be with you in a moment.”

Yenni stood on her toes, scanning the room for Captain Augustin, but she didn’t see anyone who looked remotely like him. She even led Diedre on an impromptu tour of the cramped pub, dodging pointy table ends and harried servers, but he was nowhere to be found.