Yorrned was one of six. The others were Tivete, [Magic Merchant], Lolsed, a [Merchant] who specialized in north-south trades via Liscor during the fall and winter, Anlam, the one with the most wagons, who had held down a lot of the farming enterprise past Remendia by buying and selling crops, and Raeta and Jobbi, a couple who had joined forces and funds to occupy a lot of the glassware importing.
He knew each [Merchant]’s wagon by the look and where they hung out. After Raeta and Jobbi had mysteriously not answered him rapping on their door—and glass windows of their personal wagon-home—and Lolsed had gone for a quick jog around the caravan, then ducked into another one, Ylawes cornered Miss Tivete.
“Failed farms. Mine went under, and Lolsed offered me a contract on the new lands. The rest are either the same or looking for a fortune in the New Lands.”
“Lolsed reads. He’s got all the paperwork between us and too many books. Anlam’s taking in the scenery. Yorrned? I think he’s mostly concerned with the prospecting and figuring out how to establish a trade route. And Tivete is using her time trying to save as much magic as she can. She’s lost the most, poor woman.”
Lolsed didn’t show his face most days. He sat in his wagon and read. When asked, his assistants claimed he was reading from his collection or writing letters to be sent once they had a [Courier]. He had apparently requested one via Falene earlier, but the lack of direction and the calls for many Couriers in the New Lands meant Ylawes didn’t have hope for one to show up.
Ylawes overheard him speaking curtly to one of his assistants before he shut the door of his wagon. From the way Lolsed met Ylawes’ eyes before vanishing, the Captain took that to mean all of this was tolerable until conditions improved.
But not like Lolsed. He had been just one of the Consortium and, prior to this moment, the wealthiest, or the one with the most wagons, if not the oldest like Lolsed.
But not like Lolsed. He had been just one of the Consortium and, prior to this moment, the wealthiest, or the one with the most wagons, if not the oldest like Lolsed.
He was actually paler-haired than Lolsed, who was greying, but that was just genetics, and he had a curl of hair that he’d combed up with alchemical products. When the magic had begun fading, it had turned more into a sagging flop of hair.
The [Ore Merchant] compressed his lips as Ylawes folded his arms. The rest of the Consortium was there, but they hesitated when he asked for one. Ylawes saw Raeta begin to protest, Jobbi lay a hand on her arm—Lolsed’s card face gave nothing away.
