AN: Longer than a week between updates, and less that I'd like but I want to update it really, especially on the crosspost forums. As always I encourage everyone to give their opinions.
-x-
Because of Pellas' great importance as a lord of the city and the admiral of its fleet the lord kept a house facing the Merchant's Plaza, that which Harald had once called Waterfall Square for its many ornate fountains. As they walked with the sun setting as their backs Harald realised he'd covered a great deal of the city today. From the hill and the squat castle of the King, to the great road between the ruined palace and the merchant's district, and finally here, at the end of the road, walking in a fine mist as the water from the many fountains splashed against the stonework.
He had of course been there before but Master Vinothren's office nearby was not on the square itself, but a few streets behind, close enough for a short walk between the square and the office, but also apparently rather less opulent than many of the buildings around them. This district was in essence a transitional one. Highest up the hill and nearest the King's new palace there was the high nobility of the Old Blood, now those men owning houses yet never staying them, kept only for visits, and predominantly living in their manors on estates outside the city. Next were the new nobility, men of great valour but less history who'd come down out of the north with Andorak's armies. They kept no estates, or at least small ones, outside the city, and relied greatly on finance and mercantile activity for their maintenance. Master Vinothren had explained that they filled many of the great office of state, with Lord Pellas being one example as the admiral of Wayrest's navy.
However, while Pellas and his companions were concerned with mercantilism and trade, they were not craftsmen. They kept no guilds or handiworks and scorned those who did. Master Vinothren had laughed then in his explanation a few hours before, condemning it as foolishness and pride, but Harald knew Master Vinothren also scorned such forms of work, preferring the elegance of trade over the clamour of hammers on anvils or stench of a tanner's workshop. The elf was occasionally a hypocrite. Nevertheless, both Pellas and Master Vinothren relied on the guildsmen to make the things they would then trade. As such the guildhalls and meeting places of the members were quite close to the merchant's houses, and Master Vinothren was often there speaking with some master or another about the sale of his works.
They walked through the heroes and monsters rendered in stone that made up the fountains and Harald saw a small crowd of people waiting outside one house.
"These are the servants." said Master Vinothren, "One result of their northern heritage is that the lords here tonight drink too much. The servants are here to help them home afterwards and make sure no one knifes them in the back. Before, and if they were still in the north they'd stay the night in the hall and sleep it off but that's not the case in Wayrest so accommodations have to be made. It's quite rare for those of Breton blood to get drunk, but that blood's mixed with that of Elves so that's not surprising."
Master Vinothren greeted a few others standing outside, apparently merchants rather than servants, for he spoke to them as equals and not in the same tone as he did the Argonians. The elf frowned and muttered something to himself, looking over the crowd.
Harald, who was not nearly so tall as Master Vinothren couldn't see what had disquieted him so and turned, "What's the matter? What do you see?"
"Redguards." Master Vinothren said simply, "Not unknown in the city I'm aware. But unknown here. I see a harp sigil and a ship. The ship is for the Lhotunics, but I haven't any idea what any of them would be doing here. Go around and see what that one with his back to us' sigil is."
Harald had caught sight of the men, and quickly went through the crowd, ducking between arms and around conversations of similarly liveried men.
The Redguards Master Vinothren had seen were standing a little apart from the rest of the crowd and regarded their fellows with a cold scorn, speaking quietly among themselves and seeming to have little interest in the conversations around them. As Master Vinothren had said, one wore a tunic with a blue ship, and another wore a green harp. While their fronts were to the crowd Harald had to move around them to see the other's chest, as his back was toward Master Vinothren and the others. He made to walk past them and feigned to forget something and walk back in the other direction, glancing to the side as he turned and catching the last one's symbol, or rather lack thereof, because rather alarmingly his doublet was blank with only some intricate stitching on it. He did however have an elaborate metal collar of sorts like a knight's gorget with a strange creature on it. Seeing this Harald went quickly back to his master and reported his findings.
"A scorpion? I don't know the crest. But perhaps Lainlyn." Master Vinothren replied, stroking his beard. "They are known for their use of the creature in alchemy in that region."
"Where is it?"
"Across the Bjoulsae, if you swam out of the harbour you'd reach it travelling south. It's the largest harbour in Hammerfell east of Sentinel."
Harald knew Sentinel was the largest harbour in Hammerfell, so Lainlyn sounded like the second largest. The second largest along the coastline on the southern side of the Illiac perhaps, as he'd always heard the island of Stros M'kai was a hub of all forms of maritime activity. No doubt that Master Vinothren knew it already, but Harald guessed that the Redguards were all from the northern coastline. Master Vinothren had mentioned but not properly explained the Lhotunics. All Harald knew was that they were hated by all and primarily kept to the city of Sentinel. If the servants of three lords, two of which had fiefs in Sentinel at one end of the Illiac Bay and the Lainlyn at the other then likely the third hailed from somewhere in between. He resolved to get a better explanation of it and ask Master Vinothren's thoughts, but for now he just followed the elf forward.
"Ah!" exclaimed Master Vinothren, pausing on the threshold. "Before we go in, Lord Pellas' wife is of much older blood than he. Her family goes back to the days of the Direnni Hegemony. If and when she's introduced greet her as 'Lady Elegant', not whatever she's introduced as. Do you understand?"
Harald nodded. Excited to meet someone of such an ancient family. The Dirennni had been the rulers of Wayrest thousands of years ago, before even Ysgramor came to Tamriel.
He walked forward again with Master Vinothren up to the house of Pellas. If Harald was honest with himself he'd seen better in the month's he'd lived in Wayrest, for the city was full of wonders and while the house was fine and grand, it couldn't be compared with even a few of the churches he'd seen. There were carvings on the shutters but no glass that he could see, and Harald could see that many of the beasts or other icons were rather worn, with one creature's head guarding the door above it being so unclear Harald couldn't tell it if was supposed to be a dog or a dragon. The rest of the building was large and square, and showed little in the way of architectural skill. The impression he got of it was of sturdiness and an honest piety, rather than any great beauty. Master Vinothren stopped again with his hand raised to knock.
"Pellas also has a daughter. The old blood descends through the female line, so greet her in the same fashion as you do her mother."
Master Vinothren's knock was answered by a bowing servant, a rather swarthy man with thick arms who led them into the house with a loping gait Harald hadn't seen outside sailors of long experience. Harald thought it seemed proper that Pellas employed sailors in his house, for being the Admiral of Wayrest he'd likely know many of them.
Within the house they walked down a short corridor, coming up to a turn and emerging in a courtyard. There had been many tapestries as they'd walked that Harald had tried to look at but Master Vinothren had caught his shoulder and guided him on. A low rumble had built as they came to the courtyard, and now there Harald saw the cause. All around them stood a loose crowd of people. About half were merchants of Wayrest, and Harald even saw a few from the deputation this morning, but the rest were people of all sorts the most notable of which were several men who were clearly mages by their magical staffs and bright robes. The mages stood in one group near a large vase and talked quietly among themselves, but disappointingly did nothing immediately magical or otherwise unusual.
Master Vinothren thanked the servant and dismissed him, the later touching his forehead in salute. Master Vinothren didn't move into the crowd though as Harald expected him to, but stayed at the edge, peering over the heads of many there due to his height. The elf murmured something to himself and Harald looked up at him.
"We must find Pellas. I think I see him over there." Said Master Vinothren. "We will go through, follow me closely."
With that they set off into the crowd. It was not so dense that Master Vinothren had to push past people, but he did have to interject into conversations, always greeting the conversants by name and enquiring after their health. They greeted him warmly in return, asking the same and also asking various questions on a number of subjects that Harald was as yet unaware of. Some it seemed clear were mercantile contacts, and Harald thought he recognised one man as the representative of a shipwright's, so no doubt Master Vinothren knew them from his business. Others though seemed social contacts. From his strained tone, Harald knew his master was becoming most vexed with the interruptions.
Eventually they found Pellas in conference with several other men. The admiral was once again dressed most finely, with a rich blue doublet open at the front and with silver thread running in intricate patterns. His sleeves were slashed to reveal a fine white cloth underneath, pleated as to accommodate the billowing sleeves.
Next to Pellas there was a woman. While she was not beautiful, she must have once been and her hair was gold turning silver. Harald knew this must be Lady Elegant and like her husband she wore blue, with her dress being no less elaborate when compared with her husband's clothing. However, while Lord Pellas wore only his blue and white clothing, his Lady wore a fine red mantle.
The last person who stood out was a young man by Breton reckoning, perhaps ten years older than Harald. He had the broad shoulders of Lord Pellas, but golden hair where his father's was black. Likely he was the son of Pellas and Elegant, one of the boys the admiral had mentioned earlier than morning. The boy hadn't the thick beard of his father, but he had the same blue eyes and keen look.
The Lady saw their approach first and touched Pellas' elbow, who turned and gave a broad smile. "Well met Master Elf." He exclaimed, and he clasped Master Vinothren's wrist, who smiled and greeted him in turn. They exchanged some words and Master Vinothren turned to Lady Elegant, greeting her also. "Now lad, I said you should meet my sons." He said, clapping a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Here's my son Cynric, I've two others somewhere here but the Nine alone know where." The lord said looking about him and laughing.
Harald told Cynric that he was pleased to meet him. And Pellas continued. "And my wife Elyna"
As he had that morning he bowed politely to Pellas and his wife, greeting them as Master Vinothren had instructed. Evidently the elf had been correct in his instruction because while Pellas simply smiled again, Lady Elegant beamed.
"Such a courteous boy!" she exclaimed, "You've taught him well, he's picking up your accent." She said to Master Vinothren. She smiled again at Harald and he felt a warmth in his chest.
Before Harald had chance to reply Pellas spoke: "I pray that there will be time tonight to speak to you about your father lad," he said, "Has your master told you much of him?"
"Some, but I've seen his armour." Harald replied.
"That is good. A man should always know where he comes from." Pellas resolved.
Any sense of melancholy Harald felt at the thought of his departed father was swiftly erased by the continuing conversation though. As ever he dearly wished to hear more about his family, but now there was also a quick discussion between Master Vinothren and Lord Pellas regarding a number of seemingly related issues. Pellas' son was sent away on an errand by his father without the young man saying anything, leaving Lady Elegant and Harald alone to the side. While the lady seemed content to listen into the conversation, Harald ventured to offer a compliment and relayed his interest regarding the tapestries that he'd seen when they came in.
The lady smiled again, "Master Vinothren has taught you the Dunmer courtesies I see. I thank you though, I've been working on them for a long time."
"You have?" Harald asked surprised. Every wall he'd seen so far was draped in them and he'd assumed the works had been commissioned and made by some craftsman. The boy only realised after he'd spoken that he'd forgotten to use the lady's title.
She laughed and her voice was rich and warm. "A story goes that long ago one of my line called Elysana took a vow of silence. All her family had been killed in wars and the duty of remembering them fell to her. Because she'd sworn silence she couldn't tell their history to anyone, and so she wove it. Each day she wove a decade of history till blood from her worn hands stained the cloth, only to be washed away by her tears. Lady Dibella saw her sorrow and sent her pleasant dreams and a calming sleep. When Elysana woke the next day all the work was finished, and her hands had been turned to living silver."
Harald listened in amazement and glanced at Lady Elyna's own hands, which he was relieved to see were neither bloody nor silver.
"Because so much has been lost since the Demonmarch I remembered Elysanna and made it my own duty to do the same. I'm not as fast as Elysana but by daughter helps me. So far we've made 23 panels."
"Yes Master Vinothren said you had a daughter." Harald said, again realising he'd forgotten Lady Elyna's title after he's spoken and thinking himself very foolish for doing it twice.
"Did he?" replied Lady Elegant, "Perhaps you'd like to meet her?" the lady turned to her husband and touched his arm, saying something quietly and then gilded off with Harald following behind through the crowd. All bowed as the lady walked, parting for her as the clouds before the sun.
Harald wondered at the lady, for truly she was very elegant, yet also clearly wore great history about her just as she did her mantle. She family were ancient, and Harald guessed that 'Elegant' was a description for them rather than a name. It wouldn't be unusual for elves to describe a family as 'the Elegant Family', just as he'd read of the heroes of Alinor as all belonging to the 'Golden House'. Master Vinothren had explained it and so clearly knew more. However, for now he merely followed the lady closer into the crowd toward the centre of the courtyard. Above them the last light of day was fading and he saw the moon rising in the east. Rather than the sea he smelled fire and burning from the braziers spread through the crowd, for it was a chilly night as the city prepared for winter.
At the very centre of the courtyard stood a little fountain, set in a larger pool of still water. Rose petals had been scattered around the pool and gave of a sweet scent, driving away that of woodsmoke that filled the rest of the square.
Beside the pool sat a girl, arrayed in green and wearing a golden belt. He hair too was golden and as she looked up Harald saw that her eyes were as green as her robe, alight, alive and smiling. Like her mother she wore a mantle of scarlet, sitting beside the water as the last maiden of summer. Hers was the warmth of flowers and the freedom of the sea.
"Elaine," said Lady Elyna, "Here is Harald, your grandfather's sailed together and he has an interest in the tapestries, you must go show him some of them while I attend to your father." And with that the lady left them.
"Hello Lady Elegant, my name's Harald." He said to introduce himself.
"You know the story!" the girl exclaimed and her smile widened in friendship. "I'm Elaine." She said and while her mother's voice had been rich, hers was light and fair.
They bowed to each other and Harald noticed her hand was wet as she held her dress. She caught his glance and blushed. "I thought I saw a fish so I was trying to catch it."
Harald's confusion was evident, "Why would there be a fish there? How would it even get in?" All thoughts in his head were quite scattered by Elaine's explanation.
"Pipes." She said simply and with a hint of pride, "It could have swum along there. How else do you think the pool is filled? It's not like we use buckets to bring the water here."
That seemed sensible and frankly Harald was eager to change the subject. "Lady Elyna said you helped her with the tapestries." He ventured.
Elaine nodded eagerly, "Come on, mother said to show you some so let's go. I won't be able to find the fish now anyway."
Though Master Vinothren had always encouraged honesty Harald restrained himself from pointing out that there probably hadn't been a fish there anyway and followed Elaine off, her red cape bouncing as she walked.