“Everyone here in Winterstone will accept this as payment. I recognize you are in a hurry if you want to pay on time, which is why I am entrusting this letter to you now. Youwill, however, come to the el Greylune estate in the Silver Spires this evening to formalize the terms of the loan. Are we understood?”
Kraghtol was still largely incapable of answering and just looked at the towel-clad noble and the letter with bewilderment, before slowly taking the paper.
“Why?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Why did you decide to help me? Is it because of the solstice thing, or —”
Valir smiled a frosty smile.
“Quite the opposite. If you had tried to extort money from me because of that, you would have left with nothing. But as I said. I felt generous today and decided to help out a fellow student. Which, I trust, is in your best interest.”
Valir was lying — that much was clear — but Kraghtol didn’t question his half-shadow’s luck any further. Instead, he nodded so deeply that it might have been mistaken for a curt bow and mumbled,
“Thank you.”
“It was certainly a refreshing change here. But the next time you visit a bathhouse, you should actually use it, Krasen. I think I have seen something green behind your ear.”
Kraghtol just stared at the noble in disbelief but then decided to postpone this new situation. Pressing the sealed letter to his chest like a treasure, he hurried towards the militaristic halls of the Guild of Peace.
He had not visited this guild hall before, and immediately felt nervous. Unlike the Alchemists’ Guild, all people here seemed required to wear the characteristic red uniforms, which was responsible for the unofficial name the orderkeepers bore: bloodjackets.
Rumor had it that the guild chose that particular color because it made it difficult to see bloodstains on it. It was implied that the concern was not about the orderkeeper’s own blood, but their enemies’ blood they spilled. Having only thought the best about orderkeepers in general, he doubted it, but given Kraghtol’s latest experiences, he was no longer sure if the rumor was baseless or not.
Casting the stray thought aside, he stepped up to the first desk he saw. He had not looked at the clock tower while running here, but he did not remember having heard its bells either, meaning he should have a few minutes left at least.
“I’m here to pay a fine,” he huffed while catching his breath.
The clerk on the other side of the desk looked at him with no particular interest. He, too, was wearing red, although Kraghtol suspected him to be an indentured servant.
“Name?”
“Kragh — sorry. Krasen from Caemdir.”
The sudden appearance of the very man who had visited his practice yesterday, stepping out of a back room, distracted him. Roderic Hawke, Fist of the Guilds. He, too, had spotted Kraghtol and taken position next to the desk, his arms folded over his muscular chest.
“Krasen… from… Caemdir.”
The clerk searched his files unnervingly slowly and finally found what he had been looking for.
“Yes, insubordination against the guilds. Fined 100 gold coins until noon today. I trust you have the payment ready?”
Kraghtol nodded and handed him the letter. The guild official carefully studied the seal on the outside before breaking it and reading the contents.
“I am surprised. I did not think you would show up, let alone pay.”
Roderic Hawke did not sound as surprised as he claimed. If Kraghtol had to describe his tone of voice, his first guess would have been ‘disappointed’.
“I did my best,” Kraghtol answered politely. If the orderkeeper had sensed his unwillingness to continue the conversation, however, he ignored it and instead leaned over the clerk’s shoulder, scanning the contents of the letter.
“A writ of guarantee, and by the el Greylune family. Interesting.”
“Is there anything wrong with it?”
The clerk was still checking the writ for any inconsistencies, and the man with the mustache was now scrutinizing Kraghtol’s face with his hard eyes, as if searching for any kind of dishonesty.
“My mother mentioned she is teaching both you and a member of the el Greylune family. I sincerely hope you didn’t pressure him into giving you this guarantee.”
