“It is not my place to take offense at anything you wish to do, sir,” she replied. She finished setting out the food she had brought. “Is there anything else I can do for you to make you comfortable?” she asked. There was courtesy in her voice, no more than that. She did not look at me at all.
“You could accept my thanks. Not just for the food, but also for the candles that freshened my chamber. I understand they are your handiwork.”
I saw her thaw slightly. “Lady Patience asked me to bring them here. I was happy to oblige her.”
“I see.” The next words he spoke cost him more. “Then please extend my thanks to her. And to Lacey as well, I am sure.”
“I shall. There is nothing more that you need, then? I have errands in Buckkeep Town for Lady Patience. She told me that if there was anything you required from town, I should fetch it for you.”
“Nothing. But it was kind of her to think of it. Thank you.”
“You are welcome, sir.” And Molly, empty basket on her arm, marched out past me as if I were not even there.
Burrich and I were left regarding one another. I glanced after Molly, then tried to put her out of my mind. “It’s not just the stables,” I told him, and briefly reported what I had seen in the barns and warehouses.
“I could have told you a bit of that,” he said gruffly. He looked at the food Molly had brought, then poured himself more brandy. “As we came down the Buck River road there were rumors and tidings. Some said Regal sold the beasts and grain off to fund the defense of the coasts. Others that he sent the breeding stock inland to safer pastures in Tilth.” He drank his brandy down. “The best of the horses are gone. I saw that at a glance when I came back. In ten years, I might breed stock up again to the quality of what we had. But, I doubt it.” He poured again. “There’s my life’s work gone, Fitz. A man likes to think he’ll leave his touch on the world somewhere. The horses I had brought together here, the bloodlines I was establishing-gone now, scattered throughout the Six Duchies. Oh, not that they won’t improve anything they’re bred to. But I’ll never see what would have come if I’d been allowed to continue. Steady will be studding rangy Tilth mares, no doubt. And when Ember drops her next foal, whoever rubs it off will think it just another horse. For six generations, I’ve been waiting for just that foal. They’ll take the finest coursing horse that’s ever been foaled and hook it to a plow.”