Spreading Scholarship
Thirty-First Day of the Seventh Month 293 AC
It was a widely recognized that Sorcerer's Deep was a blessed place. Here you could find those who would heal any ailments, trade goods from the four corners of the world and beyond, the offices of the great trading and manufacture companies belonging to the King and his Companions wherein one might find good work and steady pay, why even the weather was said to be blessed by some manner of god. Tyene Sand, one of those Companions, not to mention increasingly wealthy from partial ownership of one of said companies, happened to know the last part was true. She had even met the not-quite-godling responsible for reigning in the weather. Unfortunately, his idea of mild weather still included rain showers that sat poorly with her Dornish blood, not to mention her hair.
I would probably look like a wet cat by the time I got back to the keep to meet with aunt Elia and the others, the Dornishwoman thought.
So much for my resolve to walk more.
In a ripple of displaced air she was elsewhere, specifically the solar of Lady Alinor Torchwood, steward of the Crown Province of Sorcerer's Deep. For once the lady was not bent over a ledger or report nor meting with her underlings, for good reason too, since it was Tyene she was supposed to meet today, not that anyone in their right mind would call Tyene an 'underling'.
"How did it go?" Alinor asked.
"Better than we might have feared, worse than we might have hoped. They did not have a brawl over the final exam forms, but it was damn close. You did put two dozen Braavosi and an equal number of Volantenes, Tyroshi, and Myrmen in the same room and told them to agree to present a single report. Not even sensible people like craftsmen or soldiers but
scholars." Tyene feigned a shudder. "The most sensible people around were Velen's kin, you should have left the matter to them."
"With respect for both the phoenixes' dedication and their kindness, they are terrible at making anything standard. Every child is unique and all..." the steward of Sorcerer's Deep shook her head. "A lovely sentiment and probably true besides, but it does not help with making sure the person hiring a graduate know what skills they should expect, and that is the business we are in here, making sure we have more educated people to work in all the tasks that require them. Gods know just the
physical expansion we are going through is straining our ability to keep up, never mind all the improvements the King wants to make."
"Point," the Dornishwoman allowed. "I will probably have my children tutored at court regardless." She extracted a thick bundle of parchment from her enchanted bag: "Here's the final report." Then another about four times as large. "And here is the full compilation of dissenting opinions."
"Good, with that everything is in order and students can begin their studies starting next month," Alinor nodded firmly. "I'll use the consensus and have the other suggestions kept to verify against practical experience once the new school inspectors can formulate an opinion of their own. If any of it seems to be justified, we can make adjustments."
Public Schools Progress: 9/9 (Complete)
After setting the papers to one side, she added: "Thank you for playing messenger for me. Having you there there watching the last few days likely made the difference between 'just on time' and 'we need two more weeks'. If there is anything I can do to help..."
"How are you at translating obscure mystical texts of unknown origins?" Tyene jested.
"That's still giving you trouble?" Alinor asked sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but the best I can do is deal with writing that sort of
looks like gibberish or obscure code. The real thing is beyond my meager powers."
Golden Egg Deciphering progress 6/8
"At least it seems to be worth the bother," Tyene allowed. "They look to be the notes of an Asshai'i alchemist written in the city itself, not only his discoveries but an account of his life there."
"I wonder, do they truly deserve the title City of Sorcerers more than we here?" Alinor motioned to the window where two dragonlings were chasing each other in a complex mating dance.
OOC: The SSE and ACSEC profits will be in a Viserys update since there was no way to fit hem in here.
