The scent of roses hung in the warm air as they walked up the cobblestone path, and Alucent noticed that the hedges on either side were trimmed into precise geometric shapes, their edges sharp and clean. Somewhere among the greenery, a clockwork mechanism ticked softly.
Candice reached the canopy first, stopped at the edge of the gauze curtains, and turned to the woman seated within. "Joy. These are the ones Sir Vorn sent."
The woman rose from her chair, and her skirt settled around her as she stepped forward and looked at each of them in turn. She took her time about it, her blue eyes moving from Candice to Alucent to Gryan to Raya without any sign of hurry.
Candice gestured at Alucent. "Alucent Luci. Scribe, Thread 3. Tactical assessment and Threadweaving support."
Alucent inclined his head.
"Gryan," Candice continued, gesturing at the mechanic. "Combat support. Knows his way around Runeforce machinery."
Gryan nodded once, brief and respectful, the way a soldier might acknowledge an officer.
"And Raya. Weaveblade specialist. Primary physical protection."
Raya smiled at Joy, warm and open, and something in her expression suggested she had already formed an opinion of the woman and found it favorable.
Joy looked at each of them again, then said, "I am Joy Augusta. Scribe, Thread 3 Silverline of the Rune Threadweave, currently assigned to Weavefiber production oversight." Her voice was soft but clear, and she spoke without hesitation or unnecessary elaboration. "I thank you for accepting this assignment."
Thread 3 of the Rune Threadweave... Alucent glanced at her gloved hands. Same Threadweave as mine. Same Thread also. That must mean she has the Bloodmark as well.
Joy did not add anything further. She simply waited, her hands folded in front of her, until the silence had settled.
"Please," she said, gesturing at the chairs arranged around the small table beneath the canopy. "Sit. We should discuss the journey before we depart."
They moved to the chairs and sat down. The cushions were soft beneath Alucent, and the shade from the canopy was cool against the afternoon warmth. A pitcher of water and several glasses sat on the table, Alucent watched as Joy picked up the pitcher and poured for Raya first, then Gryan, then for him, her movements were unhurried and practiced. She poured one for herself last, set the pitcher down, and settled back into her chair.
Alucent picked up his glass and took a sip. The water was cold and carried a faint taste of mint. He swallowed and set the glass down on the table beside him.
"The route to Runespeak Vale passes through the Hinterlands," Joy said, folding her hands in her lap. "Candice has informed you of this, I assume."
"She has," Raya said. She picked up her glass, took a sip, and rested it on her knee. "She mentioned Shadebinder sightings and Hex Waros near the Hinter Villages."
Joy picked up her own glass and drank before answering. "The journey may not be smooth sailing," she said as she set the glass back down. "I hope that it will be, but I am not so naive as to expect it. The forces moving through that region are organized. They are not random attacks."
"Eloha's coalition," Gryan said in a low voice. His hands rested on his knees, and he had not touched his water.
"So I am told," Joy said. "I do not know this Eloha personally. I have heard only rumors." She tilted her head slightly, and the gauze veil stirred with the motion. "What I do know is what the Green Council has communicated to Sir Vorn. Eloha leads a coalition that includes Shadebinders and Hex Waros, and their objective appears to be the harvesting of individuals with threadweave potential."
At the mention of the Green Council, Alucent felt something tighten in his chest. He picked up his glass, took another sip, and swallowed before asking, "The Green Council. What can you tell me about them?"
His tone carried a faint edge that he did not entirely suppress.
Joy looked at him, her blue eyes steady. If she noticed the edge in his voice, she gave no sign of it. "They are elders," she said. "Eryndral natives, all of them. They make decisions about political matters that affect the region and, in some cases, the broader affairs of Senele." She picked up her glass and took a small sip. "They are drawn from various high-named houses. Beyond that, I know little. They prefer to remain opaque."
Opaque... Alucent turned his glass slowly in his fingers. When the turquoise-colored moon had appeared without warning, and the currency system had fractured overnight. The old Silverweaves had remained stable, their soft pale silver glow still trusted in every market and transaction, but the Council had issued new notes with different stabilization runes. Notes that merchants examined with suspicion. Notes that vendors sometimes refused. And the Green Council, in their wisdom, had paid him for a completed mission in the new currency. They had known the old notes were more valuable. They had access to both. Nonetheless, they paid him in the new ones anyway. I'll never never forgive them for doing such, that was unfair of them, getting me embarrassed in public by a bread seller. He scoffed inwardly.
He set his glass down and did not pursue the topic further.
Joy seemed to sense this. She set her own glass aside and turned her attention to the group as a whole. "I will need a few minutes to gather my things," she said. "The Council has arranged transportation that should arrive shortly."
She rose from her chair, her skirt settling without a sound, and walked toward the Steamcottage. Her boots clicked softly on the cobblestones, and a moment later she disappeared through a side door.
Alucent watched her go, then turned his attention to the garden around them. The hedges were trimmed to sharp angles and soft curves in alternating patterns, and rose bushes lined the path in neat rows of red and white and pale pink. A small brass mechanism mounted on a post near the canopy ticked steadily as its gears tracked the position of the sun. Everything was precise. Nothing was wasted.
The garden reflects her, he thought. Orderly and Controlled.
At that moment, Raya leaned back in her chair, picked up her glass, and took a sip. "She's not what I expected," she said as she set the glass down.
Gryan finally picked up his own glass and drank. "What did you expect?"
"Someone more nervous," Raya said, turning the empty glass in her fingers. "She's a high-value target traveling through hostile territory. Most people would show some fear."
"She's a noble, or close enough," Gryan said as he set his glass down. "They train that out of them early."
Candice, still standing near the edge of the canopy, crossed her arms. "Joy knows what she's walking into. She's just not the type to let it show."
Alucent picked up his glass and drank the last of the water. Same threadweave as mine. Same Thread level. Same abilities. And yet she carries herself like someone who has been doing this for years, though she might have been doing it for years, while I'm still trying to keep my nose from bleeding... He set the glass down and looked toward the Steamcottage. Either she was remarkably brave, or she had faced worse things before. Or perhaps both.
Not long after, Joy emerged from the side door carrying a small leather traveling case. She walked back toward the canopy, her stride unhurried, and as she approached, Alucent heard the sound of hooves on cobblestone from beyond the garden fence.
He turned to look.
A cart was approaching along the lane, drawn by two pure white horses whose coats gleamed in the afternoon light. The horses wore subtle green barding in the colors of the Verdant Vale, and their harnesses were trimmed with brass fittings that glinted as they moved. The cart itself was painted white with gold accents along the edges and wheels, and as it drew closer, Alucent noticed discreet sigils etched into the side panels in gold leaf. An eagle and a dragon coiled around a pillar, and at the top of the pillar sat a crown.
That must be the Green Council's emblem... He watched the cart approach and said nothing.
The driver sat at the front in livery of green and gold, his expression stoic, his posture straight. When the cart stopped at the gate, he climbed down, walked through the garden gate, and approached the canopy. He stopped before Joy and bowed slightly.
"Lady Augusta," he said, his voice flat and professional. "The Council has sent me to convey you to your destination."
Joy inclined her head. "Thank you."
She turned to Alucent, Gryan, and Raya. "Shall we?"
Alucent stood and picked up his cane, then adjusted the pouch at his belt where the Journal and the Caster rested against his hip. Beside him, Gryan shouldered his toolkit, and Raya checked the position of her Weaveblade at her hip.
Candice stepped forward and clasped Joy's hand briefly. "Safe travels," she said. "I'll send word ahead to Sir Vorn that you've departed."
Joy nodded once, then walked toward the cart with her case in hand, her boots clicking on the cobblestones. The driver took the case and secured it in the back of the cart, then opened the side door and extended a hand.
Joy accepted the assistance and climbed inside, settling onto the cushioned bench within.
Alucent looked at the Council sigil one more time, the eagle and dragon coiled around the pillar, the crown at the top, then climbed in after her. Gryan and Raya followed, and the driver closed the door behind them.
The cart lurched once as the white horses began to move, and the journey to Runespeak Vale began.