Punishment
Kinloch Hold, 9:22 Dragon
In the four years since Eve had joined the Circle, she'd managed to make some good friends and they'd been instrumental in helping her settle down to her new life. One such friend was Solona Amell, a young mage who had arrived at the Circle a few months after Eve. The two had hit it off straight away and spent many a night discussing what their life would be like now that they were part of the Circle. Some of the conversations had ended in tears which had drawn them closer together. Within each girl there was an edge of bitterness at the hand fate had dealt them. This, in turn, led to the two friends finding some relief in their unhappiness by carrying out the occasional pranks.
It was a warm sunny day as Eve and Solona trudged down the corridor towards their next class. "I'd rather be doing anything than sitting through another lesson with Sweeney."
Solona nodded. "Theory lessons are bad enough, but he's so boring."
"Yeah," Eve agreed. "The fact that he falls asleep in his own class shows just how boring he is. Shouldn't he be put out to pasture now?"
"I don't know. You can't exactly retire from being a mage, can you?"
When they entered the classroom they found that Senior Enchanter Sweeney hadn't yet arrived. A devilish gleam entered Eve's eyes and she pulled Solona over to the large blackboard. "He can't really teach if he hasn't got a blackboard to write on," Eve said.
Solona stared at her, a mischievous smile curling her lips. "What are you thinking?"
In answer, Eve placed her hand on one side of the board and ice crystals started creeping across the dark slate. Solona caught on quickly and moved to the other side. Soon the blackboard was covered with a thick layer of ice. The other children in the class laughed and clapped at what they considered to be the best joke yet.
The two girls moved to their seats and sat down, looking for all the world like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. Sweeney walked into the room and placed his books on the desk without noticing the state of the board. There were a few muffled giggles as they anticipated the teacher's reaction. He stared at them, and following the direction of their eyes, turned and discovered the prank. His face became red and he spun around to face the classroom. The children just laughed harder.
"Who did this?" The fury in his tone cut through the hilarity and silence descended over the room. He slapped his stick against the board. "Do you think magic is a joke? Something to be used for trivial mischief?"
A few nervous giggles were his only reply. Amidst the hush, a creaking, groaning sound could be heard, starting low but quickly becoming louder. Eve looked at Solona, a puzzled frown on her face, and her friend returned the look with a lift of her shoulder.
Then the unthinkable happened. The blackboard, weighed down by the ice, fell from the wall and landed squarely on Sweeney. There was a collective gasp of horror, then Solona and Eve ran to the teacher. Staring at the blood pooling from beneath the man's body, Eve's stomach curdled at the possibility that she'd killed someone. Solona grabbed her arm. "He's still alive. Go and get help."
It took a moment for her friend's words to sink through the fear that clouded Eve's brain, but then she stood and ran to the classroom next door. "Wynne, we need help."
Seeing the pallor of the girl's skin, Wynne didn't waste time with questions, and after telling her class to continue reading, she followed Eve.
It was touch and go, but through Wynne's healing, Sweeney was saved. When the man had been taken to his quarters to rest, First Enchanter Irving addressed the class. "Who was responsible for this?"
Without hesitation, both Eve and Solona stood up. "It was me," they said simultaneously. Eve shook her head. "It was my idea."
But her friend refused to back down. "Yes, but no one twisted my arm to help you."
Irving banged his staff on the ground. "I want both of you in my office, right now!" The two girls, heads hung in shame, followed the First Enchanter.
Standing in front of Irving, Eve twisted her hands nervously. She was trying desperately to keep her lunch down, but the image of the thick pool of blood kept intruding upon her thoughts. The door opened and the Knight-Commander walked in, looking grim. "These are the two responsible for that atrocious prank?"
Irving nodded. "Sit down, girls."
Eve gratefully obeyed, glad to take the weight off her trembling legs. When Solona had followed suit, Irving spoke, "What in the Maker's name were you thinking? Do you understand just how dangerous your silly joke was?"
They nodded. Eve could hear her mother's voice whispering in the back of her mind, telling her how dangerous she was. A shiver crawled down her spine as she wondered whether her mother had been in the right of it.
Greagoir slammed his hand down on the desk, pulling Eve from her unpleasant thoughts. "Answer him!"
Eve flinched, but managed to stammer, "Yes, First Enchanter." Solona's answer was spoken in a clear, confident voice, and Eve felt a swell of admiration for her friend who refused to be cowed.
"Magic is not something to be trifled with. We're trying to teach you that, but it doesn't seem to be getting through to either of you. What excuse do you have for playing such trick on the Senior Enchanter?"
Before they could answer, Greagoir said, "This isn't exactly their first prank, Irving. There have been numerous such incidents carried out on both Templar and mage. It's got to stop!"
Irving rubbed a hand over his face. "I know, Knight-Commander, but I'd still like to hear their reasons."
Eve shifted nervously in her chair. "It was just to get out of class. We didn't mean for him to be injured."
"You don't think theory lessons are as important as the practical lessons?" Irving asked.
Solona answered. "It's not that so much, although the practical lessons are more fun, it's just that Senior Enchanter Sweeney isn't the most lively teacher."
With a nod, Eve backed her up. "That's right. He takes ages explaining things and by the time he's finished, you've forgotten what he was talking about. Also, he falls asleep."
Irving coughed to cover up the smile playing on his lips, however, Greagoir was most certainly not amused. "This is no laughing matter, First Enchanter, they nearly killed someone. I expect these two troublemakers to be punished."
"What would you suggest, Knight-Commander?"
"A week in isolation."
The First Enchanter raised a shocked brow. "I think you're forgetting that they are still just children."
Greagoir met the troubled eyes of Irving. "I'm not, but you seem to be forgetting that their actions today nearly resulted in a death. It was only Wynne's skill at healing that prevented this situation from becoming a tragedy. They need to learn that magic is not for their amusement."
Shaking, Eve stood up. "It was my idea, therefore it should be my punishment."
Solona exclaimed at this, but Knight-Commander Greagoir overrode her. "Agreed." With a gesture, he ushered Eve from the room.
