The Banished of Muirwood(24)

Maia was not sure what she wanted to say, but she was certain she could not reveal her true identity to him. She was rocked by the strange contradictions in his life and his demeanor. He was handsome, to be sure, but his agreeableness was clearly not born of rank or station.

“I will also add,” Jon Tayt said, interrupting again, “that Collier is a notorious flirt, so do not answer any of his questions. He is a rogue himself, despite his talk of bandits and thieves. Leave the talking to me.”

“When can we not leave the talking to you?”

“You have done very well for yourself, Collier. Push the tray nearer and I may be more quiet.”

“Wait for the broth and cheese, Tayt.”

“I am happy eating raw meat right now. But here they come with it.” Several of the serving girls arrived, carrying pots and iron stands and small oil lamps. The lamps were positioned beneath the pots in the iron stands so their flames would heat the bottoms. Maia had never seen such a setup before and she watched curiously as the cheese and broth began to seethe again.

Tayt skewered several pieces of meat with thin forks and then dipped them into the pot. He asked the serving girl for a tray of vegetables and pulled out the skewers a moment later. The meat had been cooked in the broth, and Jon Tayt offered a steaming portion of it to her. He himself used the skewers to eat, pulling a strand of meat off with his teeth.

“This little place has the best broth and cheese,” Tayt said to Maia. “The recipe is Pry-rian. I taught it to them.”

“Naturally, you taught it to them,” Collier said with an exasperated look.

“The quality of an inn is not determined by how many fleas infest the pallets. It is judged by the food.” Tayt grabbed a hunk of bread from the table and dunked it deep into the bubbling cheese.

“Your friend will not join us?” Collier asked in a low voice.

Tayt glanced over his shoulder, and they both saw the kishion standing at the counter with a cup of ale or some other drink, sipping it slowly.

“He is the sullen type and does not enjoy jovial company. Never disturb a man in his humors. Try the cheese,” he offered to Maia, ripping off another hunk of bread and dipping it into the molten cheese. It was pale yellow with a brownish powder floating on the top. Maia mimicked his action and dipped some bread in. It was hot enough to burn her tongue, but the flavors made her start with surprise. It was delicious! She was uncomfortable eating with the stranger, who seemed to be watching her very closely.

“Ah, she likes it,” Collier said with a grin. “Are you as quiet as your friend at the counter, my lady? What is your—”

“You said the Mark’s army is thirty leagues away,” Tayt interrupted. A flash of anger came in Collier’s eyes. “Is he bound for Roc-Adamour? I noticed the manor house looked dark as we arrived.”

Maia was grateful for Jon Tayt foiling the man’s attempts to draw her into conversation. She felt assured enough to speak to him without giving away too much, but the less he learned about her, the better.

Collier pursed his lips and shook his head. “No. He is not coming here. As I said, I was planning to ride to Argus to see you. You said you would not work for the Mark even if he paid you ten thousand. What about twenty-five?”

“Twenty-five marks?” Tayt asked incredulously.

“Twenty-five thousand,” Collier said. “You could almost buy your own Hundred for that. Perhaps you want a title to go with it? The king’s sheriff?”

The hunter dabbed the bread with cheese and stuffed the piece in his mouth. He brushed his hands together and wiped crumbs from his tangled beard. “The more he offers me, the less I trust him. I am not worth even five hundred marks. No.”

Collier nodded in satisfaction. “I told him as much.” He turned to Maia again, his voice dropping conspiratorially. “If I ask you about the weather in the mountains, are you permitted to speak? Or will Tayt interrupt me again?”

“It was quite windy,” Maia replied, a small smile dimpling her mouth. Despite herself, she was a little flattered by the persistence of his attentions. But she was equally resolved to limit her interactions with him.

“She speaks!” Collier said with a laugh, clapping his hands.

“I will not serve that man,” Tayt said, lifting another skewer from the pot of seething broth. He mumbled with delight as the hot meat burned his tongue; he was clearly savoring it. “Tell him no amount of coin will seduce me.”

“He is quite determined to remain poor,” Collier said to Maia. “Yet I respect him for it. You cannot buy integrity, as the mastons say. No man can hold his virtue too dear, for it is the only thing whose value will ever increase with its cost. Our integrity is never worth so much as when we have parted with our all to keep it.” He grinned. “I memorized that one, though I am not a maston myself.”