Page 16 of A Fractured Song

They followed it for almost two hours before it finally reached its destination. By that time it had cleared the ring of low hills that surrounded the region. The plain area beyond sat between the rich farmland of Zev’s home and the capital city of Tarandon, further to the southwest. It was a familiar area, and the presence of several large tents therefore stood out starkly.

“What’s that?” Ramsey interrupted his own chatter to point to the tents.

“I think that’s its base,” Zev said.

As if in confirmation, the parchment sped forward and disappeared into one of the tents. Zev pulled his horse up a safe distance away, frowning as he scanned the set up. A few people were coming and going between the tents in a leisurely way. A second look showed Zev that each tent sported a banner with the symbol of the Council of Singers.

“Let’s go.” Ramsey seemed excited, but Zev put out a hand to stop his friend.

“Hold on. It might not be wise to show ourselves.”

Ramsey just laughed. “It’s an official group from the council, Zev, not a bunch of traveling bandits. What are you afraid of?”

He spurred his horse across the grass, Zev following with a sigh. He dismounted near the entrance to the tent where the parchment had disappeared. To his surprise, no one appeared to challenge their entrance. To his even greater surprise, when he tried to stride into the tent, he found himself bouncing backward as if he’d run into an invisible wall.

“Magically protected from intruders,” Ramsey commented cheerfully. “That’s proof these people are singers, in case the council symbols weren’t enough.” He eyed Zev sideways. “Oh, is that why you’re reluctant to approach? You don’t like singers, do you? Well…” His annoying grin was back. “With one exception.”

“Of course that’s not why,” said Zev shortly. “I’m not reluctant.”

It wasn’t entirely true, but he tried to convince himself it was. Turning away from Ramsey, he raised his voice.

“Hello in there?”

After a moment, a stranger popped his head out of the tent, eyeing the two of them. “Can I help you?”

“Hopefully,” said Ramsey before Zev could speak. “We followed that flying parchment here. We want to know what it is.”

The man sighed, clearly irked at being interrupted from whatever essentially important work he was doing for the council.

“It’s the surveyor.” He took in Zev’s posture, arms folded. “And you two had better not have interfered with it.”

“We didn’t,” Ramsey assured him, his compliance only making Zev feel more mutinous.

“Although we could argue our right to do so if it enters our land without authorization or even notice,” Zev said. Judging by the way the council worker’s eyes narrowed, his mild tone wasn’t fooling anyone.

“The Council of Singers has authority over all land in Aeltas,” the man said crisply, blissfully unaware that his choice of words had his listener bristling. “The surveyor was sent under the council’s express instruction and is fully within its jurisdiction to enter farms in this region.”

“But what is the surveyor?” Ramsey asked.

The man’s eyes flicked to the younger farmer, and his posture relaxed. “It’s a document assessing and recording the state of the farms around this region.”

“Recording what about them?” Zev pressed. “And why this region?”

“Their capacity, health, and yield.” The man was growing visibly more impatient. “It’s not just this region. We were instructed to start with this area, but we’ll be undertaking a survey of the whole country.”

“Is this because of that Oleandan delegation?” Ramsey asked, surprising Zev with the astute question.

The council worker also seemed surprised. “You’ve heard about the delegation, have you?”

“Of course we have.” Ramsey laughed, glancing at Zev. “In fact, Zev here—”

“I heard all about it, too.” Zev cut Ramsey off before he could describe Zev’s involvement with the delegation. He’d drawn far too much attention to himself at the time, no need to repeat his errors. “Everyone was talking about it. Word is they were trying to find out if our land is failing like theirs, and if not, why not.”

“That’s about the sum of it,” the council worker said, nodding in reluctant acknowledgment of Zev’s accuracy, while Ramsey gave him an odd look.

“So your survey is trying to ascertain the same thing?” Zev pressed. His thoughts were tense underneath his impassive expression. This type of enquiry was precisely what his family had been afraid of when they learned the purpose of Marieke’s delegation.

“We have no need to ascertain that our land isn’t failing.” A hint of stiffness had entered the stranger’s voice. “Aeltas continues to thrive as it always has under the leadership of our council.”

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