Chapter 38: Barley and Daughters

Chapter 38: Barley and Daughters

The practitioner bookshop wasnt far from the church district. It was called Barley and Daughters, and the carved wooden letters affixed to the brick wall over the entrance were framed with thick glass globes that shone a cold white as the sun set and the buildings across the street cast their shadows long. For a while, Kalen just stood there staring at it. He was nearly overcome with hope and fear and longing.

What if everything he wanted was in there? What if nothing was? What if it was there, but he couldnt have it?

Through the large windows with their small bubbled panes, he could see so many books.

Hed always thought it was funny that Lander couldnt bring himself to walk up to girls and say he liked them once hed decided that he did. Now, he could understand. The pressure of approaching the store and learningwhatever it was you learned in bookshops full of magical texts. Hed never been to one; he didnt know. But the feeling was immense.

He worked up his courage and approached the green-painted door. A bell clinked as he stepped inside and took a deep breath of air that smelled like leather, ink, and paper. The store was lit by more of the same glass globes that decorated the sign outside. The light wasnt like fire. It was more like the sun crystals from the pig barn. Bright, clean, and clear.

There were three people in the room, and the thump of footsteps above indicated more upstairs. A woman in a kirtle stood on a ladder, running a dust cloth over a high shelf. A young man was by the windows, carefully going over a line of runes around the frame with sharp-smelling paint. And a brunette woman, round-cheeked and wearing a white smock over her dress, looked over her shoulder and smiled as Kalen entered.

Hello! she said, setting a pot of glue and a brush on a table where some kind of book repair work seemed to be in progress. Are you the one coming to pick up the order for Clywing? Father finished the spells on the bindings yesterday. Let me

ImIm here to buy a book, Kalen said. A spell book. Please.

The woman on the ladder and the man with the paint both glanced toward him. He was holding his breath for some reason. Maybe it was because he was half sure they were going to say, No. No books for you, Kalen. We dont sell them to Masterless children whove never set foot in such a nice shop before.

But the woman in the smock only looked him up and down once. For yourself? she asked. Or are you on an errand?

For me.

What are you looking for?

Kalen stared at her. His mind went blank. He couldnt think of the title of a single book, and he couldnt remember what it was he thought he wanted in a place like this.

Maybe you want to study for winter Entrance at the Enclave? she suggested when he remained silent. We have a couple of the common beginner manuals. Water, Earth, Flora, andoh, Moss, did we sell the last copy of Sigerismo, Volume 1 again?

She looked back at Kalen. Its good to study that one if youre hoping to be taken in for training by the livestock management wing. It always goes over well during the interview process.

Enclave. Livestock. Sigerismo. The familiar name triggered something, and Kalen finally found his wits.

I would like to purchase a wind magic text of some kind, he said in a rush. One for magicians. Or maybe two. But if you dont have any for magicians then Ill take any level if the patterns arent too complex. And Sigerismo, Volume 1 would be good. But not for livestock. I have the twelfth volume already and thats just too difficult for me right now. And some other bookscan I look inside all of them first and see what theyre about, or is that not allowed? Ill be very careful. And whatever reagents I might need for the spells in the wind magic book. And I need to know where to find a good healer and how much their services might cost, and

Wait! said the woman, holding up a hand. If your list is that long, lets start over. Welcome to Barley and Daughters, the best booksellers and traders in all of Circon, and the only ones in Granslip Port. Im High Magician Lily Acress, one of the Daughters. From the name. You are?

Nerth, said Kalen, reminding himself about the accent. He had been planning to debut it here, in a place where he and Yarda would not be seen together. But then hed gotten overwhelmed. From Tiriswaith.

Did your voice just change Nerth from Tiriswaith? Are your nerves that bad? Well..never mind. We have books. Do you have enough money to buy them?

I do. I think. He was just guessing that he did, based on what the prices of all his old mismatched books had been. He certainly couldnt turn over a whole bag of gold in exchange for a single spell as the enchanter couple from Elder Twin Island apparently had for Summon Blob. But he did have an amount that was supposed to last him for years. He could spend some of it.

Then were practically cousins, said Lily, leaning forward and holding out her hand. Let me show you around.

#

First of all, said Lily, pulling Kalen over to a shelf in the back corner of the room, why do you need a healer? And is it catching?

Its for my relative. Were traveling together, and she has a bad heart.

Im sorry to hear it, she said in a voice that was a little too brisk and businesslike to actually sound sorry. How do you know her heart is bad?

A sorcerer told her so last year. She couldnt fix it, so she said my relative needed to travel to find help from a very good healer.

He didnt think he should mention the Archipelago by name after the interest it had caused at the Office of the Post.

Lily paused mid-stride to stare at him. A sorcerer good enough to diagnose a heart condition sent her in search of a healer? Thats serious, then. You dont want some potion or a quick patch-up from a magician. You want a real healer.

Is there one? Kalen said worriedly. In Granslip Port?

A few hours walk from here. At the Enclave. Low Sorcerer Nigel. You cant buy his help, though.

I can save my money for

No, I dont mean you dont have enough money. I mean the Acress Enclave doesnt sell his healing services.

Acress? Like your name?

Just got into port, didnt you? Were the main practitioner clan in this region. My father didnt like Enclave life, so he decided to run a store here in the city instead. But were family members in good standing.

She resumed tugging him toward the shelves. Our Enclave has branches dedicated to various magics that boost Circons agricultural production. So we have a wide variety of affinities under our roof, but our supply of healers is limited in comparison to the total number of family members. And we only have the one practicing at the sorcerer level. Hes a tremendously valuable resource. Sohes not for sale.

But what if someone needs him badly? Kalen protested.

She gave him a small smile. The thing about excellent healers is that someone always needs them badly.

His friend can go on the compassion days, the woman called Moss said, as she moved her ladder into a new position for dusting.

I was just about to tell him that! Lily said. Every half month, on the sixteenth day and the thirty-second, some Enclave practitioners offer help to outsiders. For free. Including the healers. If your relative arrives well before dawn and can wait all day, shell probably be able to see someone. And if her problem is urgent, maybe Nigel himself will be available.

Kalen heaved are relieved sigh. This was excellent news. One of the special days would be coming up before the week was out. And then there would be another and another.

No matter how long they stayed here, Yarda could keep going and visiting the healers at the Enclave. It wasnt as good as Arlade meeting them, but it was much better than Kalen had feared.

Now, books! said Lily. She spun so quickly that some of her dark hair came loose from the clip holding it.

You wanted a wind magic text of some kind. For magicians. Or any level. One or two. I know a customer whos eager to make a purchase when I meet one. Even if he is a little young and grubby. These She reached out to tap a small brass badge affixed to the bottom of the shelf in front of her. These are for you.

Kalen stared at the piece of brass. It had a rune etched on it instead of a word.

Moss raised an eyebrow at her. Thats a strangely specific prediction.

Well, I dont usually have so long to study a customer before I make one, do I? She unclipped her hair and shook it out, then stretched her arms over her head and stepped over to lock the door.

Which book is it, then?

The first one he picked up.

You do realize nobody else watched or cared enough to pay attention to exactly which book he picked up first?

New Developments in Swift Wind Magery, said Lily.

Oh, Lily, you mean creature. Dont let him buy that. A mage text? Whats a child his age going to do with it? Use it to prop open doors?

Lily shrugged. On top of that, its a text full of swiftened spells. Im sure they all eat through your reserves like a swarm of locusts. But thats the one. And Im here to sell books.

#

Kalen stalked back toward the inn fretting and steaming. I should be practicing new spells by now. Theres magic all around me. I have nothing but time. The only thing between me and learning a real wind spell that isnt some mixed-up cantrip isme.

He was a magician. It was supposed to be a simple choice for him to buy the magician books. The store had several options, and though they were obviously intended for practitioners more advanced than him, they held many useful basic spells. But the patterns were all so hard! It was going to take Kalen weeks to master one of them. He might as well be back on Hemarland, practicing while he waited between auroras.

And if he was going to be stuck plucking at his pathways for days before he could even cast, then he should make absolutely sure he was getting the most out of it, shouldnt he? For some reason, the mage book patterns were only a little more difficult than the advanced magician ones. Something about how they were modified for faster casting?

Ha! More like painstakingly slow casting.

But if it was going to be that way no matter whatwasnt a mage spell better? Did it even matter?

Maybe Im just not used to having choices, he thought. If any one of the books had shown up on his shelf at home, he would have loved them to death and been ecstatic. He was only having such a hard time now because he was disappointed in himself and intimidated by the fact that he could only have one book now.

That was what hed decided. Since his funds were more dear than hed thought, he would buy one. He would learn every single spell in it. And only then would he allow himself to have another.

He entered the inn and spotted Yarda at a table waiting for dinner. She was happy about the trip to see the healer in a couple of days. They were going to take a carriage overnight together and arrive at the Enclave before sunrise.

Kalen walked over and plopped into the chair across from her. He let his arms sprawl across the table and rested his chin on the wood.

No books again? Yarda asked, looking at him curiously over her mug.

No, Kalen said. I cant pick between a bunch of magician books I should be able to use but cant. And a mage book I shouldnt be able to use andalso cant.

Pick the harder one, said Yarda, as though the solution were perfectly obvious.

Kalen blinked in surprise. Why?

She smiled broadly. Youve come all the way across the ocean to be a practitioner, havent you? And done She leaned forward and whispered, And done the thing we dont talk about which is why even your own mother thought it might be best if you finally had yourself a proper education.

Yes, said Kalen. I did do that thing.

She slammed the mug on the table, slopping out some of the cider, and laughed. Then pick the harder one! If you fail at that, you can always step back. But you shouldnt assume youre going to fail at all!

Kalen sat up a little straighter. Youre right.

Of course I am!

#

The next morning, Kalen showed up at Barley and Daughters just after dawn. Hidden away in his pockets, purse, and shoesso robbers might not find every coinwas exactly the right amount of money for his purchase.

The door swung open with the familiar clinking bell sound, and Lily smiled at him.

Nerth! Back again, I see.

Im here to buy my first book, he said. I want New Developments in Swift Wind Magery.

Ahdont you want to ask if we have a novice manual in the cellar?

Kalen tipped his head. No? Do you, though?

Of course not! Why would we? She bustled over to the shelf to grab the book for him. Silk flags?

Two of them.

Ha! she snapped her fingers and opened the glass cabinet where the squares of silk were stored.

Kalen was already shedding coins from all over his person. He bent to pick up one that had rolled away and added it to the pile he was making on top of the table.

You know, youre the youngest person I ever sold a text this advanced to, Lily said conversationally, counting each coin and transferring them to her smock pockets. What are you going to do with it?

Learn everything in it, said Kalen firmly. By midwinters day. And then come back for another one.

Madness, said Lily. But good luck to you.

She wrapped the book and the flags in so much brown paper that Kalen was already anticipating the number of pages hed get out of it when he chopped it up and used it for note taking, then she waved him out the door.

All the way back to the inn he felt like he was holding something amazing in his arms. Hed already flipped through the pages enough times to know the names of the spells he was most interested in. He recited them to himself as he walked.

Ears of the East. Casting Pearls. Gale Bottle. Startled Bird. Magnify Breath.

Now all he had to do was decide which one he wanted to start with first.