“One of our most frustrating issues,” the captain continued, “is our lack of knowledge, or rather, our loss of knowledge concerning the arcane arts and ancient craft, such as that used to construct the D’Yer Wall. Why or how we lost it, who can say?” She shrugged. “If certain knowledge were to fall into the hands of the enemy? Then perhaps it was deemed necessary to destroy anything that documented important creations like the wall to safeguard them. There is a chance, however, that one document has survived through the ages. Merdigen told Garth he had a dim recollection of a book kept by one of the mages who helped build the wall, a log of sorts that may offer Alton clues as to how he can bypass the guardians and begin restoring the wall.”

“You believe this book is in Selium?”

Captain Mapstone sighed. “We don’t know. Chances are it no longer exists at all, but if it does, the one person who might know something about it is the Golden Guardian.”

“Ah.” The Golden Guardian, Aaron Fiori, was Estral’s father. He was, in a sense, the lord-governor of Sacoridia’s arts, history, and culture, and he oversaw the school of Selium and the city of the same name that surrounded it, though more often than not he was traveling the countryside collecting stories and songs, playing music, and seeking talented children to bring to the school. Actual day-to-day management of the city and school was left to the lord-mayor and the dean.

“Lord D’Yer is already having his people turn their archival collections upside down for the hundredth time,” Captain Mapstone said, “and Dakrias Brown and his clerks will be doing the same here.”

Karigan smiled when the captain named the king’s newest chief administrator. Recognizing the immensity of the undertaking, she didn’t envy him his task, though he might receive aid from a ghost or two.

“It may be that the book is under some spell of concealment,” the king added, “which is why it has not come to light before. If Lord Fiori can search for it with this in mind, it may guide him. You will bear a message directly to Lord Fiori, personally written by me so he understands the urgency of the matter. And if he is on one of his travels, then I suppose you will have to approach Dean Crosley.”

There was a knock upon the door and the king’s secretary, Cummings, poked his head in. “Pardon me, Your Majesty, but the Huradeshian delegation is awaiting you in the throne room.”

The king nodded and stood, all three Riders rising with him. On his way out he paused in front of Karigan, no longer an ethereal being of light, but an ordinary man, his king’s mask slipping again. “May your journey be a safe one, Karigan,” he said. “And may it prove successful.”

Karigan could not meet his gaze. “Thank you, sire,” she murmured, but he had already left the room, the door sweeping shut behind him.

She tore her gaze from the door only to find the captain watching her closely. Then with a blink of her hazel eyes, the captain shifted her attention to Garth.

“You may be excused,” she said. “The rest concerns Karigan’s other errands and I’m sure you’ve much to catch up on now that you’re back.”

“Thank you,” Garth said. On his way out, he squeezed Karigan’s shoulder and said, “We’ll talk later.”

Karigan nodded and smiled at him as he departed.

“Now then,” the captain said, settling back into her chair, “shall we continue?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“As I mentioned, the errand is threefold. Your first and most urgent errand is to Selium. If Lord Fiori should produce this book we’re looking for, or if he should know something of it, you are to return immediately and report, and disregard the other two errands. They are of lesser importance, understood?”

“Yes.”

“The likelihood of the book existing is slim in any case, so should nothing come of your visit with Lord Fiori, the king is permitting me to send you on two additional errands while you are in the west.”

“These are not king’s errands?”

“They’re Rider business. As you may have noticed, we’ve more Riders than horses these days.” Here the captain smiled, as she often did when the subject of her new Riders came up. “I need you to visit with the man from whom we purchase our horses and tell him our needs. I’m afraid we aren’t likely to get the horses till spring or summer, but it will have to do.

“The horse trader’s name is Damian Frost and his farm is located on the outskirts of the town of Aubry Crossing.”

Karigan searched her mental map. “The border with Rhovanny?”

“Yes, and also where the boundaries of Wayman and Mirwell provinces meet as well. It’s something of a crossroads as the name implies.” The captain unrolled a map that had been lying across her lap and spread it over the king’s desk. She planted her forefinger on a speck in western Sacoridia. “Aubry Crossing’s small. People mainly use it to travel between Rhovanny and Sacoridia. There’s a garrison of boundary guards there, a few shops and outfitters, and a couple inns, and that’s about it. You’ll have to ask around for directions to Damian’s place. Everyone knows him. And if anyone else tries to sell you horses, we buy only from Damian.”

The captain told her how many head she had in mind. “We’ll give you an official certificate that Damian can redeem for currency at the garrison—much safer than carrying around purses of king’s gold. Damian will receive the rest of his payment when the beasts are delivered. Don’t worry about haggling for a price; that comes later, and it will probably be Hep closing the deal anyway.” Then she rolled her eyes. “Not that Damian has any competition, and he knows it. We just try to keep things fair.”