UNMARKED

3: A Job Interrupted

Unsurprisingly, Seaver had a change of heart, for he joined them, offering to bring the Triad of Seekers up to the main keep himself. "Father should be home, I'm afraid my mother is as well." He gave Blayre a wry glance. She kept her face impassive.

This was part of the job: Facing inimical family members in a professional manner, while plastering a smile on her face.

Seaver's presence wouldn't necessarily stave the wound between Blayre and their father's wife, but she still felt a small boost in confidence having him by her side. In fact, Seaver's and their younger sister Darya's full acceptance of their bastard sister only irritated Lady Marianna even more. The Lady Blumore was the only one who could not reconcile that the fault in Blayre's parentage lay with Lord Darach Blumore and the woman he had bedded over twenty years prior during one of his many trips to treat with the mountain clans.

They strode across the courtyard toward the main keep, the grass springy and green between Blayre's booted feet. In just a few weeks, the damp mountain atmosphere would produce a vibrant array of colorful mountain flora. For now, she breathed in the cool air, free of all of the overwhelming sensations of the city.

The stone floors of the keep were decorated with plush navy carpets trimmed with gray - the colors of Blumore. Blayre took in the walls adorned with various pieces of artwork both new and old - Lord Darach often brought clan-made furnishings back from his trips. She allowed herself a small smile as Fletcher took in the interior of her former home with wide appreciative eyes.

Her father was a noble, but he may as well be a merchant trader what with his line of work - of course merchants did not dance the political dance the way Lord Darach could.

"My lord, may I be of assistance?" A nasally voice sounded to Blayre's right. Blayre's attention drew away from the keep walls to rest on Nigel, Blumore's master of the keep. Their eyes met and recognition dawned on the small slip of a man. "Seeker Blayre." He dipped into a quick bow "We have been expecting you and your party. Your fa- ah- Lord Darach is in his study at the moment. My Lord, if you wish i can take them from here, unless you would like to join them." The man's brown eyes rested on Blayre's tall brother.

"I'll join them for a moment at least," Seaver shrugged, "I've come this far."

"You should have notified me that they had arrived, my lord and I would have taken care of everything. Why didn't the guards tell me..." Nigel went off on a trail of muttered musings.

Blayre smirked, catching her brother's eye. Some things never changed.

Her father was not in his study when they arrived. Nigel sat them in the chairs in front of her while he fetched the Lord of the castle.

Blayre stood immediately once the high-strung butler had left, and walked the perimeter of the familiar room. Her father's study had always been her favorite room in the keep. A massive mahogany desk presided over the window side of the room, the walls were lined with old books and artifacts and it smelled of books and the cinnamon incense that Lord Darach always insisted on burning because it improved his concentration.

"Do you know anything about this job?" Blayre inquired of her brother while they waited for Lord Darach to arrive. She fingered the metalwork wolves that hung on the wall - her favorite piece in the entire keep.

"Apparently there's a ring of illegal Charm production going on in Mountainvale - those reporting it can't identify the source though, it seems. But a few of the illegal charms were discovered in an abandoned store-room beneath one of the inns. Whomever it is knows metalsmithing."

At that moment, Lord Darach himself made his entrance, nearly gliding into the room on long strides. To Blayre's vast relief, his Lady was not attending him at the present moment, though she seldom did come to the study.