I sighed and pushed the door open. At least I knew this one was grumpy and irritating.
"Good afternoon." said Master Gareth. "What brings you here? If it is to buy a gown I do not know if I shall be pleased or terrified."
"Actually I wanted to ask you a question, about Mages. The Trade Minister and the City Librarian for example."
"Go ahead," he replied cautiously.
"Are all Mages arrogant, prejudiced, and self-centred or just the ones in high office?"
I credit myself that I managed to ask this question without raising my voice or projecting anything other than an aura of calm.
Master Gareth looked extremely amused.
"Oh no," he assured me, "all Mages are arrogant, prejudiced and self-centred. It is practically part of the job description."
"Thank you. I don't wish to buy a dress so I'll not keep you any longer".
"Please stay. Have a cup of tea with me. It is not as though I am expecting customers."
"Thank you for the offer but I do not drink tea."
"Wine then?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"So, if you do not want a dress, why did you come here? Surely not just for the purpose of one question to which you already knew the answer?"
"I do not really know," I replied slowly, and honestly, I really was not sure what had led me there.
"Perhaps it is because I like you, Master Gareth, your honesty is refreshing. Though I suppose I should ask you opinion of non-human races before I like you too well."
"Would you be referring to the Centaur Registration Act?"
"The one requiring performers to be members of a Guild bothers me as well."
"Yes. It is very unfair. Our ancestors welcomed the Centaur outcasts and treated them well but now we act as though we expect to be murdered in our sleep. Personally I think they are more peaceful than we are."
I decided to confide something to Gareth at that point.
"I am here because I want to find information that will help the Centaurs. I think my friend was mistaken placing her trust in me. She thought she would have less chance of getting the information because she is not human."
"A Centaur?" asked Gareth.
"No. An Elf. "
"So that is how you learned the language."
"You are friends with the Librarian then?"
"Just acquaintances. He has bragged to everyone he can find that the most amazing thing has happened. A woman can not only speak our language properly but write another one as well."
One would have had to be an idiot not to see that sarcasm.
"Imagine that. I thought he was going to die of shock when I told him."
"It is very unusual for anyone to be able to do it."
"It took a long time for me to learn it."
"Of course. So you think your Elf friend may have more luck?"
"She could not possibly have less but I will see how my application to see the archives goes before I worry her."
Master Gareth handed me a glass of wine.
"That is probably the best course of action."
"It is so frustrating though. I detest the city; I cannot stand the majority of the people who inhabit it!"
I sipped the wine, it tasted oddly bitter.
"Master Gareth, where did you get this wine?"
"Is it not to your liking? It was a gift from the Librarian."
"Really. Have you done anything to upset him?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I think it might be poisoned."
"What? That is a ridiculous suggestion. Why should anyone want to kill me!"
"All the same I suggest that you test it."
He dipped his finger in the wine and muttered a magic phrase of some kind. The wine started smoking green.
"Ground Tathess plant," he exclaimed, causing both glasses to disappear with a wave of his hand and another phrase. "It is one of the most lethal poisons known to humankind."
He stopped talking and looked at me suspiciously.
"Yet you are not dead. Were you sent to kill me?"
"No. I have lied to you but not in order to cause your death. I swear I had no idea the wine was poisoned until I tasted it."
"What would it be that you lied about?"
"When I let you believe I am human, when I let you believe that this necklace was a loan form a friend but when I said I learned to write the Elven language from an Elf that was not strictly speaking an untruth. "
"I see. Elf lass in disguise are you?"
"I am. Lheora Yhanni is my name."
"Leanni. That is a pretty name. So you came here to help the Centaurs. It sounds like a noble idea, but help them do what?"
"Land of their own but it is very important the people who own the land don?t know that I want to buy it for them."
"I assume you did not tell the Trade Minister that you wanted to see land records?"
"Of course not. I told him I was looking for my mother and wanted to see the records that might help."
"Smart girl. I suppose you were going to summon Lady Leanni after you found what you were looking for."
"Yes. That was the plan."
"No reason to change it. Your secret is safe with me on one condition."
Instantly wary I asked him what the condition might be.
"Please let me choose some dresses fit for a Lady." He gestured to the mismatched travelling clothes I wore. "Your taste is abominable."
"On the contrary, my preferences are what upset you, there is nothing wrong with my taste. I accept your condition, Master Gareth, as long as there is no pink."
"I would have to know what you look like though. Is that your natural coloring? I wonder because I have detected no illusions about you."
"No, it is not natural. If you will take me to the other room we can pick out some colors. Your workshop is secure?"
"Yes, very much so. "
I nodded and followed him to the back room.
"I still do not see how you can be disguised when I detected no... Blessed Gods!"
He interrupted himself as I, very abruptly, dropped the illusion I had cast.
"Simple Elven magic," I replied. "I realise that this is a difficult concept for a race that has only male magic workers."
"Not as difficult as trying to find colors to suit such remarkable coloring. I have seen elves before but never with such fine hair."
"I thank you for the compliment."
"Good. I can remember what colors to use now. I suppose you'll want round necklines?"
"Yes."
At that question, something clicked in my mind.
"It is the strangest thing," I said to him as I recovered myself with the illusion of a human form. "The Trade Minister and the Librarian did not see through the illusion covering my necklace but you did and yet you claimed you were a lesser mage. Could it be that I am not the only one who has given misleading information?"
"Yes. That could be so." He made the admission grudgingly, I waited patiently for him to elaborate.