Luck in the Shadows - Chapter Twenty-One
Oct. 23rd, 2021 05:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kalinara posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
i_read_whatSo last time, Seregil confronted an Oracle and was given a "riddle" that pretty much stated "you're going to bang your hot jailbait partner eventually." Don't worry about Alec's age though. By the time Seregil a) figures it out and b) stops angsting about it, Alec will be legal and everything will be fine.
So we rejoin Seregil and Alec as they settle into life in Rhiminee. Seregil is going out most nights as "the Rhiminee Cat", doing thief/intrigue type jobs. I wonder how that works, given that Seregil was out of the city for like a year at this point. Does no one put together the absences?
Anyway, Alec "clearly resented being left behind." but well, Seregil hasn't actually thought about his student's emotional state in like ten chapters, so why start now. To be fair, he does have SOME justification: he doesn't want to expose Alec to the dangers of the city until he's ready. And he tries to make it up during the day by showing him "wonders" (not like that) and taking him through lessons.
I don't know, considering last chapter closed out with Seregil just noticing his apprentice had cried himself to sleep, I feel like he could be making a little more effort here?
Anyway, swordplay lessons are going pretty slowly, as Alec's a bit old to be just starting out. The other lessons, such as reading, lock-picking and whatever else suits Seregil's fancy at the time, seem to be going much better.
And a point of view shift tells us that "side from certain rapidly diminishing ethical qualms, [Alec] had never been happier. " That's good, I guess, but I'd like it better if it came from Seregil actually TRYING to be a sensitive and kind mentor as opposed to it happening by accident.
We're told that the dark days in Mycena are quickly fading to uncomfortable memories, and now that he's healthy again, Seregil is back to being the "wry dashing figure who'd first captured his imagination".
OH, of course he's feeling better now. He's horny. :-D
Anyway, Alec's still an early riser, which gives him a chance to spend breakfast with the innkeeper's family. It sounds nice and homey. (And poor Alec gets a chance to get over some of his modesty, as he gets used to seeing Cilla breastfeed.)
We get an example of Seregil's lessons: dining etiquette. Apparently Thyris had once been head cook to some of the finest houses in the city before Seregil "stole her away" (knowing Seregil, that might well have been literal).
This bit is rather fun, as Seregil lectures Alec about what the porcelain diningware may reveal about the host or the dinner:
“This is Ylani porcelain. Very delicate, very costly, and made only in a small town in the northern foothills near Ceshlan. Notice how translucent it is, held to the light; the green tint is in the overglaze. The simple design at the center of each piece is the traditional stylized marigold, always considered tasteful and correct. However, it also shows that your host did not spend the extra time and money to have a set made in his personal design. This could indicate several things. He is, perhaps, not as wealthy as he wishes to appear. On the other hand, he might simply be conservative or uninspired in such matters. Or it could be that he’s entertaining you on his second-best service, which is another thing altogether. You’d have to investigate further to sort out which.
“The use of this porcelain does portend the sort of dinner you will have, however. Only fish is served on it, never meat. Please note that a table knife is provided in addition to a spoon; never eat with your own dagger. The wine is Mycenian, a very fine variety called Golden Smoke. This betokens shellfish of some sort, for nothing else would be served with such a wine. Send in the first course, my good woman!”
The first course is a kind of urchin that basically everyone in the city eats, but there's a right or wrong way based on the surroundings. Seregil has him try blind, and he flubs it up of course, but that's part of the game. If Alec is presenting as an inland noble on his first visit to the coast, he should do exactly that.
Seregil demonstrates how to eat the urchins with "tavern manners" (appropriate to a workman or a farmer) and then in a fancier style:
“First, the hanging sleeves of a formal robe are pushed—never rolled—halfway back to the elbow, no farther. You may place your left elbow on the table, never the right, although it’s generally acceptable to rest your wrist on the edge. Food is handled with the thumb and first two fingers of each hand; fold the others under, like so. Good. Now pick up the urchin with your left hand, handling it lightly, and hold it so you can see the mouth. Now, crack the shell with a single sharp stroke of your knife. Once it’s open, clean out the waste with the tip of your knife, then use your spoon to scoop out the roe. The empty shell goes on your plate. Never speak with a full mouth. If anyone addresses you, simply curve a finger in front of your lips and finish what’s in your mouth before answering.”
I really do like this a lot. It's fun worldbuilding, and it's clear that Flewelling put a lot of thought into these manners and customs.
Alec is not much of a fan of the urchins, but he'll have to cultivate his tastes.
-
We skip ahead a few weeks, and Alec is STILL having trouble with swordplay. It's clearly getting to both Alec and Seregil, and Alec's starting to look defeated. It gets worse when their sparring match goes a little awry, and Seregil catches Alec hard in the base of the throat. (There's a nice bit of superstition, when Seregil breaks the wooden blade to "break" the bad luck that comes of a weapon tasting the blood of a friend.)
Later, they eat (roasted birds and mushrooms, to Alec's joy, as he's a little sick of raw sea creatures) and there's a brief "oh no, he's hot" moment from Seregil:
He had thrown on a clean shirt while Seregil was gone, neglecting in his haste to tuck it in or do up the lacings. The linen swirled loosely around his lean hips as he hurried to fetch cups from a shelf. His fair hair, properly trimmed at last, shone when he passed through a patch of sunlight.
Seregil caught himself staring and hastily turned his attention to the food.
We'd best get used to this. Dumbass.
Anyway, it turns out to be another lesson in etiquette. Seregil explains the significance to a slightly annoyed Alec:
“I admit I’ve had Thryis make us some of the more difficult dishes, but if you master those, the rest will be simple,” Seregil assured him with a grin. “You mustn’t underestimate the importance of such customs. Say you’ve managed to gain admittance to some lord’s house by posing as the son of an old comrade he knew in the wars. You’ve studied the battles, you know the names of all the pertinent generals, your accent is correct, and you’re dressed perfectly. The minute you reach out of turn into the common platter, or spear a fried eel with your knife, you’re under suspicion. Or imagine you’re trying to pass yourself off as a sailor down in the Lower City. If you mistakenly call for a wine that would cost a month’s wages, or eat your joint with fingers folded daintily back, it’s highly likely you’ll next be seen floating face down in the harbor.”
Fair enough and Alec is duly chastened. He asks about sword training, and Seregil's come to a conclusion. He thinks the problem is him, not Alec. Basically, he's TOO good of a swordsman. Or rather, it comes very naturally to him and as soon as Alec makes a mistake, Seregil instinctively goes for the kill. And that's clearly not working.
So Seregil's got a new plan: send Alec to Micum for a week.
They're interrupted by Nysander's arrival. Nysander has news. And he has a document: specifically a letter, seemingly from Seregil, that admits to a carnal liaison (which offends Seregil) and also admits to treason and espionage.
Oops.
Obviously it's not real, but it does look damning, which means Seregil has a very brief window of time to deal with the situation. Nysander's Watchers intercepted this one, but there might be copies. Nysander notes that this would be an embarrassment for the Queen and a coup for the Lerans.
Which of course leads into a pretty hilarious revelation:
“Seregil? Is all this because you’re Aurënfaie?” Alec blurted out suddenly.
Thunderstruck, Seregil turned to stare at him. “Where did you hear that?”
“You mean after all this time you still had not told him?” exclaimed Nysander, equally shocked.
“Then it’s true?” Alec was grinning now.
Nysander takes his leave so that mentor and student can chat.
See, Alec isn't stupid. And he can do math. Seregil's backstory (which includes the clearly forty-something Micum as a young man) doesn't fit his appearance as a man in his mid-twenties. Half the books are in Aurenfaie (Nysander had shown Alec a sample at one point) and Nysander's comment about a coup for the Lerans confirmed it.
He's a little worried that Seregil might be angry that he figured it out, but Seregil is delighted. Alec has surpassed his expectation again - except for swordplay, but they have a plan for that.
Alec is dismayed that he's being sent away with Seregil in trouble, but Seregil's pretty sure they'll have time. And the chapter ends with Seregil stating that they have to buy Alec a horse for the trip.
So we rejoin Seregil and Alec as they settle into life in Rhiminee. Seregil is going out most nights as "the Rhiminee Cat", doing thief/intrigue type jobs. I wonder how that works, given that Seregil was out of the city for like a year at this point. Does no one put together the absences?
Anyway, Alec "clearly resented being left behind." but well, Seregil hasn't actually thought about his student's emotional state in like ten chapters, so why start now. To be fair, he does have SOME justification: he doesn't want to expose Alec to the dangers of the city until he's ready. And he tries to make it up during the day by showing him "wonders" (not like that) and taking him through lessons.
I don't know, considering last chapter closed out with Seregil just noticing his apprentice had cried himself to sleep, I feel like he could be making a little more effort here?
Anyway, swordplay lessons are going pretty slowly, as Alec's a bit old to be just starting out. The other lessons, such as reading, lock-picking and whatever else suits Seregil's fancy at the time, seem to be going much better.
And a point of view shift tells us that "side from certain rapidly diminishing ethical qualms, [Alec] had never been happier. " That's good, I guess, but I'd like it better if it came from Seregil actually TRYING to be a sensitive and kind mentor as opposed to it happening by accident.
We're told that the dark days in Mycena are quickly fading to uncomfortable memories, and now that he's healthy again, Seregil is back to being the "wry dashing figure who'd first captured his imagination".
OH, of course he's feeling better now. He's horny. :-D
Anyway, Alec's still an early riser, which gives him a chance to spend breakfast with the innkeeper's family. It sounds nice and homey. (And poor Alec gets a chance to get over some of his modesty, as he gets used to seeing Cilla breastfeed.)
We get an example of Seregil's lessons: dining etiquette. Apparently Thyris had once been head cook to some of the finest houses in the city before Seregil "stole her away" (knowing Seregil, that might well have been literal).
This bit is rather fun, as Seregil lectures Alec about what the porcelain diningware may reveal about the host or the dinner:
“This is Ylani porcelain. Very delicate, very costly, and made only in a small town in the northern foothills near Ceshlan. Notice how translucent it is, held to the light; the green tint is in the overglaze. The simple design at the center of each piece is the traditional stylized marigold, always considered tasteful and correct. However, it also shows that your host did not spend the extra time and money to have a set made in his personal design. This could indicate several things. He is, perhaps, not as wealthy as he wishes to appear. On the other hand, he might simply be conservative or uninspired in such matters. Or it could be that he’s entertaining you on his second-best service, which is another thing altogether. You’d have to investigate further to sort out which.
“The use of this porcelain does portend the sort of dinner you will have, however. Only fish is served on it, never meat. Please note that a table knife is provided in addition to a spoon; never eat with your own dagger. The wine is Mycenian, a very fine variety called Golden Smoke. This betokens shellfish of some sort, for nothing else would be served with such a wine. Send in the first course, my good woman!”
The first course is a kind of urchin that basically everyone in the city eats, but there's a right or wrong way based on the surroundings. Seregil has him try blind, and he flubs it up of course, but that's part of the game. If Alec is presenting as an inland noble on his first visit to the coast, he should do exactly that.
Seregil demonstrates how to eat the urchins with "tavern manners" (appropriate to a workman or a farmer) and then in a fancier style:
“First, the hanging sleeves of a formal robe are pushed—never rolled—halfway back to the elbow, no farther. You may place your left elbow on the table, never the right, although it’s generally acceptable to rest your wrist on the edge. Food is handled with the thumb and first two fingers of each hand; fold the others under, like so. Good. Now pick up the urchin with your left hand, handling it lightly, and hold it so you can see the mouth. Now, crack the shell with a single sharp stroke of your knife. Once it’s open, clean out the waste with the tip of your knife, then use your spoon to scoop out the roe. The empty shell goes on your plate. Never speak with a full mouth. If anyone addresses you, simply curve a finger in front of your lips and finish what’s in your mouth before answering.”
I really do like this a lot. It's fun worldbuilding, and it's clear that Flewelling put a lot of thought into these manners and customs.
Alec is not much of a fan of the urchins, but he'll have to cultivate his tastes.
-
We skip ahead a few weeks, and Alec is STILL having trouble with swordplay. It's clearly getting to both Alec and Seregil, and Alec's starting to look defeated. It gets worse when their sparring match goes a little awry, and Seregil catches Alec hard in the base of the throat. (There's a nice bit of superstition, when Seregil breaks the wooden blade to "break" the bad luck that comes of a weapon tasting the blood of a friend.)
Later, they eat (roasted birds and mushrooms, to Alec's joy, as he's a little sick of raw sea creatures) and there's a brief "oh no, he's hot" moment from Seregil:
He had thrown on a clean shirt while Seregil was gone, neglecting in his haste to tuck it in or do up the lacings. The linen swirled loosely around his lean hips as he hurried to fetch cups from a shelf. His fair hair, properly trimmed at last, shone when he passed through a patch of sunlight.
Seregil caught himself staring and hastily turned his attention to the food.
We'd best get used to this. Dumbass.
Anyway, it turns out to be another lesson in etiquette. Seregil explains the significance to a slightly annoyed Alec:
“I admit I’ve had Thryis make us some of the more difficult dishes, but if you master those, the rest will be simple,” Seregil assured him with a grin. “You mustn’t underestimate the importance of such customs. Say you’ve managed to gain admittance to some lord’s house by posing as the son of an old comrade he knew in the wars. You’ve studied the battles, you know the names of all the pertinent generals, your accent is correct, and you’re dressed perfectly. The minute you reach out of turn into the common platter, or spear a fried eel with your knife, you’re under suspicion. Or imagine you’re trying to pass yourself off as a sailor down in the Lower City. If you mistakenly call for a wine that would cost a month’s wages, or eat your joint with fingers folded daintily back, it’s highly likely you’ll next be seen floating face down in the harbor.”
Fair enough and Alec is duly chastened. He asks about sword training, and Seregil's come to a conclusion. He thinks the problem is him, not Alec. Basically, he's TOO good of a swordsman. Or rather, it comes very naturally to him and as soon as Alec makes a mistake, Seregil instinctively goes for the kill. And that's clearly not working.
So Seregil's got a new plan: send Alec to Micum for a week.
They're interrupted by Nysander's arrival. Nysander has news. And he has a document: specifically a letter, seemingly from Seregil, that admits to a carnal liaison (which offends Seregil) and also admits to treason and espionage.
Oops.
Obviously it's not real, but it does look damning, which means Seregil has a very brief window of time to deal with the situation. Nysander's Watchers intercepted this one, but there might be copies. Nysander notes that this would be an embarrassment for the Queen and a coup for the Lerans.
Which of course leads into a pretty hilarious revelation:
“Seregil? Is all this because you’re Aurënfaie?” Alec blurted out suddenly.
Thunderstruck, Seregil turned to stare at him. “Where did you hear that?”
“You mean after all this time you still had not told him?” exclaimed Nysander, equally shocked.
“Then it’s true?” Alec was grinning now.
Nysander takes his leave so that mentor and student can chat.
See, Alec isn't stupid. And he can do math. Seregil's backstory (which includes the clearly forty-something Micum as a young man) doesn't fit his appearance as a man in his mid-twenties. Half the books are in Aurenfaie (Nysander had shown Alec a sample at one point) and Nysander's comment about a coup for the Lerans confirmed it.
He's a little worried that Seregil might be angry that he figured it out, but Seregil is delighted. Alec has surpassed his expectation again - except for swordplay, but they have a plan for that.
Alec is dismayed that he's being sent away with Seregil in trouble, but Seregil's pretty sure they'll have time. And the chapter ends with Seregil stating that they have to buy Alec a horse for the trip.