The table wasn’t silent in the wake of the last conversation, but it had left a need to escape from the accusations and theories with smalltalk or actually eating the food in front of you. I took that last route, and so did Adwyn, while Digrif chatted laughingly with Gronte and Hinte???—??and Staune, when the bird wasn’t whispering with Ushra or scratching inked talons on his sheet of leafpaper.


    gesture of relaxation and not a gesture of relaxation —??“about your trip into the Berwem,” he said, his tone sounding like he nursed venom in his glands.


    what, exactly, you two felt the need to slink out that late into the night. I will, however, tell you that sifting the Berwem is not something you can do on whim. You need a writ of permission, otherwise you will face a fine, and possible imprisonment,” he said, and let that hang in the air. Point made, he continued, “And I checked the records???— neither of you have such a permit.”


    merely wanted to smooth this out before it becomes an issue. In fact, I brought the papers with me. Consider it our thanks, perhaps,” he said, placing a small bundle of forms onto the slab, sliding it toward the dark-green fledgling.


    your descriptions, to a detail.” The orange dark clouded his eyes, and waited.


    Enkelin.”


    we reacted: Hinte flexing her frills and gazing at Adwyn with that same defiant regard I’d seen after the rockwraiths fled, while I was looking down, frills, wings, tails all waning small. It had felt good, was all I could think.


    sword, they were about to attack us.”


    did say that you antagonized them.” Adwym gave Hinte a half-smirk.


    experiment, just like old times. He’ll understand.” Ushra clouded his brilles, his head easing back.


    Why,” she warbled, “would a red-and-yellow have a sword? All red-and-yellows I saw have clubs and sticks, yes.”


    up to something.”


    severely burn???—??there exist salves to diminish the danger of this, but you could not acquire them without a permit, for they are all regulated. I take it you made it yourself?”


    invented glazeward.”


    dragons, who assuredly do not live in these cliffs,” the orange drake finished with a frill-wink, while Ushra frowned.


    he didn’t know that. He just assumed it.


    quite so greedy with the price.”


    could be called a rush.”


    finding the bodies, a few days will make no difference.” The alchemist was spinning a flourish with his pen just as he finished speaking.


    into the lake? Is that what the forms are for?”


    plan had been for Hinte to escort us into the lake???—??after all, if she was there last night to find the bodies she must have had her writ.


    odd for one so young to be licensed — so I confirmed my suspicions earlier this morning.” He takes a long drink of his mug, finishing the contents. “The new plan had me battling with the faer to schedule a nondescript investigation into the cliffs around the Berwem today and for I to accompany the guards therewith. A pain???—??but you have left us no choice.”


    <hr style="margin-top: 2ex; margin-bottom: 2ex">


    The conversation faded again to mixed smalltalk and silence, and those who hadn’t finished their food yet had another chance to???—??though not any more reason to. Hinte still didn’t touch her greens, Digrif still ate slow so he could talk to Gronte and sometimes Hinte (he didn’t speak with his mouth full), and Ushra scribbled alone instead of eating. Gronte, Adwyn and I had already finished our plates. And that was everyone, wasn’t it?


    Light Most Piercing?” At my blankness, she added, “It is the story of Jammra and Wauchu.”


    The Confusion of Underbrush? It’s???—??worth your time.”


    * * *