‘At least the rain has stopped and the sky looks clear now,’ I sent, glad he could not see my face and hoping he would not ask where I had slept. ‘Come up to the turret room in half an hour or so. I am just changing into dry clothes and then I want to go to the Healing Hall to see if Darius and Kella have tried to rouse Miky.’

Chapter 14

14

The guilden arrived a half hour later at the same time as Aras and Zarak and we had an impromptu meeting over what had yet to be done for the Red Land expedition. Zarak reported that the futuretellers had given the members of our guild who were to go with the ships new boots, coats, a blanket and pack each as well as spare clothes for the journey. Some had also got weapons from the Coercer guild and the rest would have them by the morrow. Roland had his guild preparing small individual healing packs for each person, but they would not be ready for another day or so. Otherwise, we had simply to help the remaining guilds with their preparations, and fetch and carry for Alad and Javo, upon whom the job of providing our tithe had fallen. Our main task had been to provide information, and when I asked how that was progressing, Aras said that one more night would see the last of the information scribed and then she would take the parchment pages to the Teknoguild cave so that they could be properly bound, for it would be hardier as a true book. She had also scribed the measurements of the maps that were still drying, and had already asked the teknoguilders for a case to protect them. I was impressed with her forethought and said so.

It was as Rushton had observed at the guildmerge – we were well on the way to being completely prepared for the expedition. We turned our attention to the looming moon fair. Needless to say, the storms had wreaked havoc on the sites where tents had been erected, but Katlyn, who seemed to have an uncanny ability to read the weather, had declared that it would not rain again until after the moon fair. Such was her record of accuracy that Ceirwan and the others accepted her word as a decree. I hoped she was right, especially given the recent arrival of several small wagons and carriages carrying traders and their families and wares.

I had not seen them on the farms, but then I had not seen anyone but Rushton. For a moment I saw him, his face flushed, lying beside me, smiling.

‘Elspeth?’ Ceirwan said.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said, feeling myself flush. ‘What about the choosing?’