[Garen LiLorian]

The young apprentice stood nervously in the doorway, waiting to see what the mercurial temper of his master held in store in the same way a small bird might watch the rustling of leaves only a few feet away; He didn't know what was going to happen, but was pretty sure it wouldn't benefit him. Derek stood up from where he had been finishing Rhiannon's abandoned notation (where was that blasted woman?) and squinted in the glow of twilight that invaded his dark chamber.

"What?" He snapped. He was in a foul mood, no new occurance. Rhiannon had vanished and the reports of various apprentices had been less than encouraging. He had suffered a loss on the day, even with the purchase of the Umbarian silks, and nothing put him out of joint like losing money. And those blasted Elves still were nowhere in sight!

The boy stammered. "Your excellence, the Elves have arrived." He got out at last, and Derek's face lit up, a sight the boy wouldn't soon see again.

"Wonderful!" He cackled in glee, rubbing his hands together. "Well, don't just sit there, show them in!"

The boy made a little eep noise. "Uh, sir. They are, uh. Not here."

"What do you mean not here, boy? Didn't you just say they'd arrived?" As quickly as it had arrived, the man's good humor vanished, and his face fell once again into its accustomed scowl. "Well, don't just stand there, lackwit, tell me."

"Um. Your excellence, Mr. Findereg begs your leave, but he is tired from having ridden all day, and will attend you at your earliest convenience tomorrow." Actually, the Elf had made no such arrangement, but they boy felt it would be safer to lie now than be caught in one of his master's fully fledged tantrums. And, he considered, the Elf surely would be planning to meet with Mr. Dondarrion in the morning, so no harm was done.

Derek dismissed the boy with a wave of one hand. Truth be told, he was just as pleased to know ahead of time. So much to do, so much to do. Derek turned the affair over in his mind, trying to find some way to make the advantage his.