15.6 Left Ajar

General Summary

Day 179

Overnight we heard yelling from Drakken’s tent. Mostly it sounds like Drakken yelling, though I hear Amytri’s voice as well.   In the morning a few servants arrive at our tent bearing loads of delicate, fanciful pastries which Hella eyes appreciatively. Miriam, however, remarks that they are simply ‘too much’. The balance of flavours is overpowering, she sniffs, and that it’s just excessive to have rosewater, nuts, butter, and powdered sugar all at once. She and Alder begin preparing a proper breakfast for us instead, though we politely thank the servants before they leave.   Amytri joins us eventually and is very appreciative of our food. I ask him for his analysis of the situation and he obliges:   Drakken is a man who thinks he is strong and clever and is used to winning and outsmarting his opponents. It is unlikely that he will back down from our confrontation and he seems very afraid that I will destroy his plans. Amytri counselled him that the advantage he has against other humans (decades of experience) is exactly what I have over him, but on the scale of centuries.   With an air of sadness Amytri also notes that his son seems frozen in his anger and hurt - feelings that ought to have dulled after so many years. He wonders if the Master is preventing him from moving on.   Over our quiche and pastry breakfast we examine the options:  

1. I challenge Drakken to a duel in which the consequence for losing is going home. Aside from the allure of forcing him to return to his homeland, it’s certainly intriguing to think about what the magic of Council Rock might do to the Barrier if I were to lose. Still, it’s not terribly appealing.
2. Drakken and I agree to refrain from direct conflict. If we run into one another, we agree to talk in good faith before fighting. Critically, this needs an expiry date, perhaps a year.
3. I simply walk away. By all of our evaluations he needs this agreement more than I do. Amytri says this is an appealing option because it lays out a consequence for his behaviour already.

  Throughout all of this conversation I am concerned about the consequences of pacts made here. Kadia says that broken oaths might kill someone, and that previously people would meet here to dissolve a pact before moving against one another. I can’t imagine the threat of death or pain will actually influence someone whose current leash-holder threatens the same. I came here specifically to dissolve the weak promise I made to Drakken in the forest - that we’d stay out of each others’ way until we met here to discuss.   And so we decide to simply leave. Amytri will stay behind to pass along the message.

1. No agreement currently exists between us.
2. No agreement is possible at the moment.
3. My interest in future agreements will depend on Drakken’s behaviour in the time between now and next we speak.

  This last, I hope, is enough encouragement to prevent willful destruction. If he fancies himself clever he will know not to interfere in what I’m doing or make any moves against my people.   While the others break camp, Amytri has a word with me in private. He makes a gift of two pieces of magic: The first is the instructions for his book of many pages, as promised.   The second is perhaps even more precious - a small carved pigeon that will apparate letters between it and its pair, which will remain with him. He has a small box of these pigeons so that he can exchange letters at a distance with many people both here and across the sea. It’s an extraordinary small piece of magic and I am grateful for his sharing. It will be nice to have someone to write to, and I’m eager to give one to Magdalena and try sending one across the Barrier.   As we part ways and ride off, Bran’s eyes begin to glow and he remarks that he can see the unusual deep thread more clearly now, having been here. And that we will see Amytri again and he may be very important to us. Thoughtfully, he remarks that he may find more in common with Amytri than expected - both such long-lived humans.