In the Shadows of Dragons, Part 7: To Put Away Childish Things
Most of Layli's things were already in trunks, the school's servants making quick work of it all once the word was given. One girl attended the budding sorcerer herself, carefully pulling Layli's long, straight, blue-white hair into an intricate plait that would hang down her back to the waist. It was more than Layli had asked for, but the servants seemed to think that she needed to be sent off in grand style. So she was in a traveling coat of the softest lambskin dyed midnight, wide legged pants of gray silk, and wholly impractical midnight suede boots and a hairstyle fit for a minor gathering. Layli resolved to change the shoes at the very least as soon as the over enthusiastic servants were gone.
While the servant was hard at her work, Layli let her mind and eyes drift. Turning her head slightly, she caught the sight of Nishal being helped into a carriage, a fleeting moment. Layli's hand strayed to the bracelet he'd given her. The poor servant nearly had an apoplexy when Layli had insisted on wearing the piece ornamented with red jade and rubies with her traveling clothes, but on that point, she had taken no argument or compromise. The rational side of her brain noted Nishal's chosen colors were Cathak, not Tepet. Things had certainly changed in the last weeks. She hoped he would heed her advice. She was beginning to realize exactly how saddened she'd be if anything happened to him.
Layli pulled her eyes away from the window with some effort as the servant finished the braid with a bit of leather and blue beads. Turning to rise from her chair, Layli found a man standing at the foot of a bed two down from hers and staring straight at her from hooded eyes. Before she could stop herself, Layli flinched with a hard startle. She reprimanded herself and looked at him again.
The man only raised one brow. Otherwise, he didn't move at all. The flickering light in the room reflected off his bald head, but his plain charcoal buff coat and pants seemed to suck it all in. Layli knew him, suddenly remembered all the years of her childhood being annoyed with him. She found it a bit curious that Nuwar Piodyan seemed to slip from her mind once she had been away from him. Perhaps it was an indication of how little she regarded him. “What are you doing here?” she asked, a bit more sharply than she wanted.
Piodyan raised both brows, revealing his intense green eyes. “My greetings to you as well, my lady Layli.” He gave her a bow that was just shy of being mocking. “I thought I was standing here politely silent and unseen until you finished your ablutions. Is that not acceptable?” His voice was both dancing and crisp at the same time.
Layli answered him with a faint scowl. “My greetings, Master Nuwar.” She intentionally put a bit of chill in her voice and turned away from him to look back out the window, trying to dismiss his presence for a moment.
“The coach is gone, by the way. Someone important to you, perhaps? I've heard some remarkable things since arriving.” The voice was closer to her than before. Layli turned her head and found herself face to face with Piodyan.
“I suppose you disapprove.” Layli grimaced inwardly at herself.
Shrugging widely, Piodyan gave her one of his little bows again. “I neither approve nor disapprove, merely see and search.”
“Talking in circles and riddles doesn't make you a wise man, Master Nuwar.”
He gave her a very slight smile. “I certainly have Ledaal Seshel fooled then.” It was something that Layli had pondered on once. Yes, she remembered doing so, wondering who this man was. Grandmother valued his counsel to the point he had a permanent place in the household, but she was never very forthcoming about where he'd come from. As far as Layli could figure, he was some sort of Outcaste laying low.
“Speaking of Grandmother, you haven't answered my first question.” She slipped away from him and busied herself with checking her trunks.
“I answered your question truthfully. It simply wasn't the answer you wished. Perhaps it was the question itself that was wanting.” She heard him sigh. “Another way to answer would be to say that I am charged with bringing your lovely person whole and unharmed back to the home of your grandparents.”
“And where are they?” Layli straightened and turned to him again, crossing her arms.
“Cynis Adel has thrown himself with great glee into planning a party to both celebrate your welcome home and your acceptance into the Heptagram. The word came shortly before I left.” He cocked his head and blinked at her, seemingly waiting for something. She blinked right back at him. “What, no response?”
She shrugged. “I had always thought to go there. I'm already a sorcerer.”
Piodyan surprised her with a very deep frown. “It was never a given. A handful of tricks does not make you a sorcerer. I think you will find yourself disabused of a great many things in the next few years.”
“What would you know of it?”
Giving her an enigmatic little smile again, Piodyan replied, “More than is wise, and less than I should, I think.”
Rolling her eyes, Layli let out a huff. “And what does that mean?”
“Questions, questions. Dear girl, you throw them around like grass, never thinking how each answer leads to a dozen more questions, on into the infinite.” He took a few steps and leaned toward her, uncomfortably close. “Knowledge is a burden, and your slim young shoulders still stand straight, not stooped for the carrying of it. Enjoy it while you can.”
Swallowing softly, Layli broke away from the odd little man, opening her trunk to find some better shoes. She wasn't sure why Piodyan suddenly made her so uncomfortable or why she let him bother her so. She let what he had said slide by and used the time it took to change her shoes to find her voice again. “You never said anything about Grandmother.”
“Oh, well, if Lord Adel is planning a party, then Lady Seshel is busy trying to keep him from excess.”
Layli thought about that for a moment. “I suppose that would take a great deal of her time.”
“Quite.” Layli found herself actually sharing a smile with Piodyan, and quickly erased it from her face.
Layli was content to let all conversation drop after that. She opened and closed her trunks several times, looked over the bed and dresser that had been hers to make sure nothing was missing. Finally she stood straight and ran her eyes over the dormitory. Without the students, it seemed empty and austere, as if it had already forgotten all their presences.
“Come then,” Layli heard from right behind her left shoulder. “It's time to put away childish things and find your place in the world.” Though she had never thought herself given to fancy, she shuddered at the tone of his voice and despite the smile Piodyan wore when she faced him. “Starting with your grandmother's house.” She swore she could see stars in his eyes.