Holdfast
The party rode into the town of Cheron in the late afternoon seven days later. The first thing Irenya wanted to do after washing away the dust was to see if Lake Tahir matched the description Leachim and Julis had given her. Aldine was equally curious and together they went looking for her brother. They found him savouring the comfort of a soft chair in the homey ambience of the inn’s private salon.
‘Lendel… please?’ Aldine stroked his arm. ‘Two ladies should be accompanied to the waterfront, should they not?’
‘Yes,’ he replied, a crystal wine cup in front of his nose. ‘But tomorrow you will doubtless see a good deal more of the lake than you want, so why the hurry?’
Aldine crouched beside the chair and gazed up into his face. ‘Dear Lendel. You have been much too stuffy these
