Luck in the Shadows

manifest and a terse scrawl from Seregil, explaining its significance.
    "Well, he was obviously in a hurry to follow this lead," he said. "I will scry for them."
    Seating himself at his desk, Nysander covered his eyes with both hands, murmuring the complex spell. After a moment he sat back. "It is difficult to get an exact sighting on them, but all appears to be well. Would you like to stay here for a few days, see if they turn up?"
    "I think maybe I will. You'd better send a message out to Kari for me, though. And keep a weather eye on her, too, while you're at it. I'm off to see Beka now. Her mother's worried she might be homesick."

38 The Key to a Poor Girl's Heart
    For three days Alec and Seregil kept their cold vigil and at last their patience was rewarded. On watch in the fir tree early the third afternoon, Alec saw Stamie emerge though the postern with a large basket on her back and set off into the woods.
    Seregil was napping at the base of the tree.
    Climbing down, Alec woke him and together they hurried off through the trees to strike the path ahead of the girl.
    Seregil remained out of sight among the trees while Alec took up his position on a log near a bend in the trail. In the distance they could hear the girl singing to herself as she approached.
    She caught sight of Alec ahead of her and halted abruptly. "Who's that there, and what do you want?" she called sharply.
    "It's Elrid. Remember me?" Alec stood up slowly, praying he didn't sound as awkward as he suddenly felt. "I came looking for Lord Teukros a few days back?"
    "Oh, the messenger boy from the city." Curious but still, on her guard, she stood where she was. "What are you doing back here again? And why are you lurking out here in the forest?"
    "You said you wanted a position in the city," Alec replied. "I heard of one—a good one—and come out to tell you. Your aunt didn't strike me as the welcoming sort, though, so I've been waiting out here for a chance alone with you."
    Seeing that she softened considerably at this, he added, "It was cold last night. I couldn't get a fire started."
    "You poor, simple thing!" Dropping her basket, Stamie hurried forward to chaff his hands between her own.
    "You're all ice! Don't they teach you nothin" in that city of yours? Imagine being outside on such a night and the stars as sharp as daggers! You'll catch the frostbite."
    A patchy flush colored her angular cheeks as she looked up, still holding his hands firmly between her own. "And you came all the way out here for me?"
    "I got to thinking about what you said and how lonesome it must be for you out here, and well—" Alec shrugged, feigning shyness to avoid her worshipful gaze.
    Lying to innkeepers and fat nobles was one thing; deceiving this plain, kind, desperate girl was quite another.
    Side-stepping his conscience as best he could, he pressed on, carefully doling out the tale he and Seregil had concocted.
    "There's a seamstress in the next street from ours wanting a girl to apprentice. It's clean work, and it would get you out of the kitchen." He paused meaningfully. "And it's just in the next street over from mine."
    "Is it?" Stamie smiled knowingly. "I've no complaint with that. Do you have a horse? Let's go before I'm missed."
    "We can't go now!"
    So much for charming her away, thought Alec. The trick was going to be holding her back long enough to get into the keep.
    "Why not?"
    "Well—"
    Alec scrambled for a plausible impediment. "You'll need to gather your things up and give your notice."
    "Notice? As if they'd let me go! I've been a slave to them since I was old enough to carry a pan. Just let me nip back and fill a kerchief, then we can slip away tonight!"
    Outflanked, Alec had to rethink his strategy again.
    "Two servants traveling in the night?" he scoffed. "The patrols would take us for thieves or runaways before we ever reached the city. And that's if the real outlaws and night riders didn't get to us first. You don't want to end up dead in the ditch, do you? Or worse?"
    Stamie's eyes widened in alarm. "No, but how do we get away, then? They'll never let me go, not Aunt or Illester or any of them."
    "They won't know." Alec slipped an arm around her waist and walked her deeper into the forest. "It's simple enough to manage. You wait until everyone's asleep, then gather your things up and wait until just before dawn. That's the time to travel. Anyone we meet on the road at first light will think we're off to market. Do you see?"
    "Oh,