Taime Théa sat at her window, thinking wistfully of the north, where she had been born and raised. Beckoning with one finger, a thread of wind came and combed the knots out of her curly red hair. She stood up, straightening her long tunic. She wore nothing but the tunic, leather thongs in her hair, and her brass-rimmed spectacles. Here, in Tharios, everyone went barefoot. Taking her spectacles off briefly and rubbing her blue-gray eyes, she walked through the pavilion, feeling the pre-dawn winds whip around her. She had been given this pavilion in the Royal Palace for just that reason—Aure needed a lot of air to work with. There was a huge pool in the middle of the pavilion, since Nirvelli needed water. Of course, Aure and Vel were asleep, or at least, Taime hoped they were. They needed to be rested. Taime, or Tai as her students and friends called her, sat by the pool, dipping her feet in. The water was cool and reassuring. Tai had a lot to do that day—she needed to talk to Vel about streamers for Aricia's dances, talk to Aure about how to predict hurricanes, talk to Aricia about managing her dances, and teach Vel, Aure, and Aricia how to go into deep meditation for harder spells. Vel, Aure, and Aricia were her students. All were ambient mages, Vel with water magic, Aure with air magic, and Aricia with dance magic. Aricia was the Queen of Tharios, or acting Queen ever since her mother took sick, and Vel and Aure were orphaned sisters. Taime didn't mind teaching them—after she was abandoned by her teacher six years prior, she learned to fend for herself working as a weather-mage, which she was.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the approach of Aure.
"Tai?" Aure sat beside her semi-chubby teacher. "Is something wrong?" Taime sighed. "Look, Tai, it was six years ago. It's behind you—all of it. Whatever it was, everything is behind you. Your home is here now—we like that. We need you here, Tai, and we won't ever abandon you, I promise."
"You know we love you, Tai." Vel sat on Tai's other side. "You're our big sister, the mother we never had, but most importantly, you're our friend."
Tai sniffled, and wiped away her tears.
"Thank you. Now, let's see what you guys can do. Vel, you first—the streamers. I'll be easy on you for now—blue. You did them yesterday, right?" Vel nodded an affirmative to Tai's question. "Well, you should be able to do it now."
Vel thrust her hand over the pool, concentrating. A silver glow protruded from her hand, in Tai's vision, and lanced into the water. A column of water reached out to touch Vel's hand; she pulled it back. The water stretched, trying to reach it. Vel brought her hand down abruptly in a crescent, cutting into the base of the water column, cutting it neatly. The water lengthened, then coiled in Vel's now outstretched hand. Vel handed the coiled water to Tai, panting slightly.
"Does that work?" Vel asked, grinning. Tai looked over it, then nodded, beaming with pride.
"Aure, could you pass my papers?" She asked Aure. Aure nodded, and concentrated. Several papers floated towards Tai. Tai caught them quickly. "Thank you."
"You are improving, Aure. Thank you, Vel, I will take those." Vel, Aure, and Tai spun around. A graceful, queenly woman of about twenty-three stood in the doorway. She had long black hair that flowed down her back, and piercing blue-gray eyes that could seem to read your thoughts. She wore a long purple toga, with gold trim. Aure motioned, and the streamers flew gracefully to the woman. The woman sighed, and also sat by the pool.
"We're having visitors coming today—otherwise I'd wear a tunic, like you. I do not like having to act like a Queen—it annoys me." She said.
"Aricia, who are these visitors?" Vel asked the woman, Aricia.
"Some delegates from Winding Circle, in Emelan, looking for the mage Niklawen Goldeye and his student, Twisana Chandlew." Speaking in Tharian, she mispronounced the names, pronouncing the 'r's as 'w's, as was the accent in Tharios—Aricia was "Awicia" and "Aure" was "Auwe".
"Trisana Chandler…" Tai trailed off. "They're looking for her? What're their names?"
"Lady Daja Kisubo, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, Lord Briar Moss, and their students, Pasco Acalon and Evumeimei Dingzai. Also Dedicates Rosethorn, Lark, Frostpine, and Crane." Aricia recited.
"Crane? Why's Crane coming?" Tai murmured. When Vel, Aure, and Aricia stared at her, she sighed. "I didn't tell you about my past—I'm not going to now."
"You know the ways of the Winding Circle, don't you, Tai?" It was impossible to see Aricia's hidden motives.
"Possibly. Why?" Tai asked.
"We'd like you to help us. Your Imperial is much better than ours, and you have no accent, and you know their ways."
"No."
"Tai, what happened all those years ago?" Aure was talking now.
"Nothing happened," Tai growled.
"Tai, I ask you not as your student, or your queen, but as your friend." Aricia knelt beside Tai. "Please help me with this." Tai looked at Aricia, then sighed.
"Fine. But this doesn't mean you get to skip lessons, I fully expect you to continue working." Vel and Aure nodded fervently. Tai had been teaching them to read and write in Imperial, and now they were getting a chance to practice.
"Now, Aure, back to work…"