Merry Madness

Lord Estarfin refused the wineskin, saying he had an early drill in the morning with Lord Veryacano, and burst into laughter. It made me laugh anew, and I looking over at the Lady Danel, saw that she was not laughing; instead her eyes were bright as dwarf-steel, and they flashed a sharp warning. Her look and her grimace quite killed the merriment in my heart; my laughter died on my lips and my smile faded, but Lord Estarfin was still smiling just as broadly. Smiles often hide the truth, but the eye doth not deceive, so I looked closer into his eyes and saw at once it was true. There was no helmsman at the deck of this ship, his place was abandoned and empty; there was no guiding light shining in the harbour; no hitch holding the boat to its mooring.