The Rain Wild Chronicles: The Complete 4-Book Collection. Robin Hobb
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Erek
Thymara had never felt comfortable meeting new people. Inevitably, they ran their eyes over her and realized that she should not have survived. It was even more uncomfortable to stand alone before a committee of some of the most revered Rain Wild Traders and answer questions about herself. There were eight of them, mostly middle-aged and male, all dressed in their formal Trader robes. They sat in solid chairs made of dark wood in the opulent chamber at a long heavy table. The floor under her feet was built from thick plank. Even the walls and the ceiling of the room were made of wood. Never before had she been in a structure so heavy and substantial. She and her father had journeyed far down the trunks to reach this place. He was waiting for her outside. It was the Rain Wild Traders’ Concourse, a structure so old and so close to the ground that it more resembled a Jamaillian mansion than a Rain Wilds house. Only this far down the trunk did such large and imposing constructions exist. She was oddly aware at all times of how massive it was; but instead of making her feel safe, the solidity of the structure seemed to threaten at any moment to crash to the earth below. Even the air seemed trapped and still inside it.
Only two of the committee seemed able to meet her gaze. The others looked aside, or past her, or down at the papers on the long table before them. Of the two who could look at her one was Trader Mojoin, the head of the committee. He looked her up and down in a way that plainly said what he thought of her before he asked her bluntly, ‘How is it that you were not exposed at birth?’
She had not expected such a bald question. For a moment, she stood dumbly before him. If she spoke the truth, how much trouble would she bring down on her family? Her father had broken all the rules when he secretly followed the midwife and brought his infant back home instead of leaving her exposed for the animals and weather to finish. She took a breath and hedged. ‘My defects manifested as I grew. They were not completely obvious at my birth.’
Trader Mojoin gave a brief snort of disbelief. One of the other Traders shifted in embarrassment for her. ‘Do you understand the terms of your employment?’ Mojoin asked her bluntly. ‘Does your family accept that after you leave with the dragons, we will not guarantee your safety or even your return?’
She was surprised at how calm her voice was when she replied. ‘My parents both signed the papers before you. They understand, and more importantly, I understand. I am of age to make this commitment.’ As Mojoin gave a curt nod and leaned back in his seat, she added, ‘But I would like to know more clearly exactly what my tasks are, and what our final mission is.’
He scowled. ‘Didn’t you read the contract you were given, girl? The offer states it plainly. The dragons have requested that humans accompany them up the river to their new home. You’ll be assigned a dragon or dragons. You’ll assist in moving the dragons upriver to a location more suitable for them, in ways the dragons may request or as you are assigned. You will help provide for your dragon or dragons by hunting or fishing. And you will remain at the dragons’ new location until they have established themselves there and are self-sufficient, or otherwise no longer need you.’
She spoke her next words coolly. ‘So if my dragon or dragons die, I’m free to return home.’
Mojoin sat up straight. ‘That isn’t the sort of attitude we’re looking for! We expect you to do all in your power to uphold the contract the Traders signed with the dragon Tintaglia. Your task is to help your dragon or dragons find a better area in which to live, and to become more self-sufficient.’ He shifted slightly in his seat and added, almost reluctantly, ‘It’s no secret that we are hoping the dragons can lead you to this Elderling city they claim to recall. Kelsingra.’
She bit back other words and questions to ask, ‘Is there a specific location that we are journeying toward? Has anyone scouted it out, so that we might know how long we should expect to travel?’
Mojoin’s mouth worked as if he’d tasted something foul and wished he could spit it out. When he spoke, his words were evasive. ‘The dragons themselves seem to have some inherited memories of where it might be. They will be your best guides in finding an appropriate place where they can establish themselves. While the ancient city may be your eventual destination, it’s entirely possible that you will discover a different area better suited to the dragons.’
‘I see,’ she responded curtly. And she did. Her father had been right. This was not an emigration, but an exile. A banishment of both the annoying dragons and an assortment of misfits from the population.
‘You see? Excellent!’ Trader Mojoin’s response was instant and relieved. ‘Then we are in accord.’ He picked up a seal from the table beside him and stamped the papers. ‘Once you sign, you are officially hired. When you leave this chamber, you will be given your supply pack and taken down to meet the dragons. You will receive half your wages in advance. You should make your farewells to your family quickly, for you depart as soon as is possible.’ He pushed a paper across the table to her. ‘Can you write? Can you sign this?’
She didn’t dignify that with an answer. She took up the waiting pen and wrote her name carefully. Then she stood up straight. ‘That’s all, then? You’re finished with me?’
‘That we are,’ one of the other men said in a soft voice. Someone else made a noise that might have been an uncomfortable chuckle. She pretended not to notice but inclined her head and stepped forward to receive her stamped copy of the agreement. She was surprised to find that her hands were shaking. It took her a moment to master turning the heavy knob on the large wooden door of the chamber, and then she pushed it too hard and nearly fell out into the antechamber. She caught her balance and then completed her humiliation by shutting the door so firmly that it slammed. The other applicants awaiting their turns looked at her with mild surprise and some disapproval.
‘Good luck,’ she muttered to them, avoiding meeting their gazes, and hurried out of the room. The doors to the outside were even larger and heavier, but this time she was prepared for them. She managed to get through them and out into the air. Even so, it was not the relief she had hoped for. This far down the trunks, so close to the earth and the river, the air seemed thicker and more full of smells. The light was dimmer, too, and she felt as if she could not open her eyes wide enough to see clearly. She spotted her father waiting for her at the edge of the large wooden deck that surrounded the concourse. She hurried toward him, grasping her contract. At more than arm’s length, waiting for her but obviously not with her father, stood Tats.
She spoke in a voice intended to reach them both. ‘I got it. They stamped it. I’ll be part of the expedition to resettle the dragons.’
Tats grinned at her, and as their eyes met, he waved his own rolled contract at her. Her father had been leaning with his back to the old-fashioned railing that surrounded the deck. He stood up as she approached and smiled. But her father’s voice was grave as he said quietly, ‘Congratulations. I know you wanted this. I hope it will be what you think it will be.’
‘I know it will!’ Tats burst out, and her father gave him a look. He hadn’t been pleased to see Tats when they arrived, and although he had greeted him politely enough, it had been without the usual warmth he showed the boy. Thymara suspected that her mother had said something to her father about Tats’ earlier visit, and had probably added significance to her report that simply didn’t exist. Thymara tried to mend the gulf by moving so that she leaned on the railing between them, linking all three of them into a group. She put her back to the Traders’ Concourse and looked out over the river and the swampy land that edged it. It felt odd to be so close to the ground. Behind her, she heard the Concourse door open and shut again. A boy’s voice proclaimed, ‘I’m signed up!’ The members of the committee were not taking long to grant their approval stamps. She wondered if they would refuse anyone. She doubted it.
‘It’s