Landomist Port
In which Maelyn tay’Nordif encounters Landomist’s curious local customs.
Jela’s having a rough time of it, though presumably not as rough as he would have had if he’d tried going it alone. The portmaster’s first impression of him backs up what Cantra told him about how out-of-place he is.
In the process, we see that Maelyn tay’Nordif doesn’t regard him as Cantra did, though she does have some concern that her friend and patron’s gift not be too badly damaged. (I wonder if there is such a person as Panthera vas’Chaler, really?)
Incidentally, I find that I can’t refer to Scholar tay’Nordif as just “Maelyn”. She’s not that kind of person.
Though I notice the portmaster was warming to her quite a bit by the end of their encounter. I suspect the influence of the famous aelantaza pheremones.
Also, I just have to mention: carnivorous roses.
I hadn’t considered the effect of pheromones in the softening of the portmaster. The Scholar is unaware of them, and therefore isn’t guarding other people from them.
As for carnivorous roses, perhaps they defend themselves more actively against parasites? Or possibly you can get some colors that you can’t get with ordinary roses? I also suspect that giving someone carnivorous roses sends a message that you can’t give with the more ordinary variety.
I hadn’t considered the pheremones either until this read-through. (In fact, I’m not sure I even still remembered about the pheremones when I got to this point the first time around. The first time I read a novel I tend to go fast and lose details.) It makes sense, though: softening up authority figures and greasing the wheels of the con is presumably a large part of what the aelantaza were equipped with the pheremones for in the first place.
Huh. I still had not considered the pheromones here, but I agree that they totally make sense.