Treachery's Tools

 

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For Dashiell

 

CHARACTERS

REX

LORIEN D'REX
    Rex of Solidar

CHELIA'D'LORIEN
    Lorien's wife, sister of High Holder Ryel

CHARYN D'LORIEN
    Eldest son of Lorien

BHAYRN D'LORIEN
    Second son of Lorien

ALORYANA D'LORIEN
    Daughter of Lorien

HIGH HOLDERS

AISHFORD D'ALTE
    Nordeau

BRUESSYRD D'ALTE
    Liantiago

CAEMRYN D'ALTE
    Yapres

CAERVYN D'ALTE
    Fleuryn

CALKORAN D'ALTE
    Vaestora

CRANSYR D'ALTE
    Head, High Holder's Council, Ilyum

DELCOEUR D'ALTE
    L'Excelsis

GUERDYN D'ALTE
    Nacliano

HAEBYN D'ALTE
    Piedryn

LAEVORYN D'ALTE
    L'Excelsis

MOERYN D'ALTE
    Khelgror

MEINYT D'ALTE
    High Councilor, Alkyra

NACRYON D'ALTE
    Mantes

NUALT D'ALTE
    Barna

OLEFSYRT D'ALTE
    High Councilor, Noira

PAELLYT D'ALTE
    Sommeil

REGIAL D'ALTE
    Montagne

RUELYR D'ALTE
    Ruile

RYEL D'ALTE
    Rivages

SOUVEN D'ALTE
    High Councilor, Dueraan

STAENDEN D'ALTE
    High Councilor, Tacqueville

THYSOR D'ALTE
    Extela

THURL D'ALTE
    Extela

VAUN D'ALTE
    Tilbora

ZAERLYN D'ALTE
    Rivages, brother of Alyna

IMAGERS

AKORYT
    Maitre D'Structure

ALASTAR
    Maitre D'Image

ALYNA
    Maitre D'Esprit, wife of Alastar

ARION
    Maitre D'Structure

CYRAN
    Maitre D'Esprit, Senior Imager

GAELLEN
    Maitre D'Structure, healer

KHAELIS
    Maitre D'Structure

OBSOLYM
    Maitre D'Structure

SHAELYT
    Maitre D'Structure

TARYN
    Maitre D'Structure

TIRANYA
    Maitre D'Structure

 

ARTHOS
    Maitre D'Aspect

BELSIOR
    Maitre D'Aspect

BETTAUR
    Maitre D'Aspect

CELIENA
    Maitre D'Aspect

CHERVYT
    Maitre D'Aspect

CLAEYND
    Maitre D'Aspect

DYLERT
    Maitre D'Aspect

JULYAN
    Maitre D'Aspect

LHENDYR
    Maitre D'Aspect

NARRYN
    Maitre D'Aspect

PETROS
    Maitre D'Aspect, stablemaster

SELIORA
    Maitre D'Aspect

TAUREK
    Maitre D'Aspect

THELIA
    Maitre D'Aspect, Collegium bookkeeper

WARRYK
    Maitre D'Aspect

 

CHARLINA
    Tertia

DAREYN
    Secondus, Aide to Maitre

ISKHAR
    Chorister of the Collegium

KAYLET
    Tertius, assistant stablemaster

LYNZIA
    Tertius

LYSTARA
    Seconda, daughter of Alastar and Alyna

ZHELAN
    Maitre of Westisle Collegium

FACTORS

CUIPRYN D'FACTORIUS
    Brass/copper

DUURMYN D'FACTORIUS
    Livestock, stockyards

ELTHYRD D'FACTORIUS
    Timber, lumber, Factors' Council

ESTAFEN D'FACTORIUS
    Banque D'Excelsis

GOERYND D'FACTORIUS
    Pumps, plows, implements, Factors' Council

HULET D'FACTORIUS
    Grain and maize, Chief, Factors' Council

KARL D'FACTORIUS
    Iron, smelting

KATHILA D'FACTORIA
    Spices, scents, and oils, Factors' Council

MAARTYN D'FACTORIUS
    Brick and stone

NAATHYN D'FACTORIUS
    Coaches, carriages, wagons

VASCHET D'FACTORIUS
    Machinery and armaments

WEEZYR D'FACTORIUS
    Banque D'Aluse

WYLUM D'FACTORIUS
    Woolens and cloth, Factors' Council

OTHERS

HEHNSYN D'CORPS
    Subcommander, procurement, son of High Holder Cransyr

HEISYT D'PATROL
    Captain, Civic Patrol

LYTARRL D'ANOMEN
    Chorister, Anomen D'Excelsis, brother of Elthyrd

MARRYT D'CORPS
    Commander, Chief of Staff, son of High Holder Caervyn

MAUREK D'CORPS
    Commander

MURRANYT D'PATROL
    Commander, Civic Patrol, L'Excelsis

SAERLET D'ANOMEN
    Chorister, Anomen D'Rex

TYNAN D'NAVIA
    Sea Marshal

VAELLN D'CORPS
    Vice Marshal

WILKORN D'CORPS
    Marshal of the Armies

 

1

In the deep gray before dawn on Mardi morning, Alastar stood at the bedchamber window. Beyond the glass, water poured out of the sky in a rush that suggested a waterfall more than mere rain. So heavy was the downpour that Alastar could barely make out the stone-paved walkway that led from the covered porch below the window south toward the center of the Collegium, but he didn't have to see in order to know that the twin lanes flanking the green that led past the cottages of the master imagers were at least boot-deep in rushing water being channeled to the River Aluse, a river that, after the continual rains of the past week, was less than two yards from the top of the high granite riverwalls that surrounded Imagisle. So much rain in late Agostos was bound to destroy much of the grain harvest in the areas around L'Excelsis—and everywhere the near-continual downpour had struck.

As if matters weren't unsettled enough.

He turned from the window to find that Alyna was sitting on the side of the bed looking at him.

“You're not going running in that, I hope?”

Alastar shook his head. “Running in drizzle or light rain is one thing. Running through a torrent is another.”

“Sometimes…” Alyna paused. “You're worried … again.”

He nodded. “The rains … and Chief Factor Hulet … and High Holder Cransyr. I'm afraid matters are going to get worse.”

“You'll figure a way through it.” Her words were warm.

Alastar just looked at her for a long moment, a slender, almost petite woman, with short brown hair and black eyes … and with physical strength, determination, and imaging ability so at odds with her appearance, as many had discovered, at times fatally. He chuckled. “No …
we'll
find a way through it.”

Less than a glass later, after a hot breakfast, Alastar and Alyna stood in the front foyer as their daughter, Lystara, hurried down the stairs toward the front door.