I was amazed that this story got so many reviews. I must be getting somewhere with my ideas!

Thanks to everybody who reviewed. Now stand back as Thom's story unfolds!


"How much longer, Maude?"

Maude sighed for the twentieth time that morning. "Master Thom, you must gain patience. We have hardly been riding half the morning."

Thom gaped at the healing woman in shock. "Half the morning? So we aren't even close?"

Maude shook her head. "I'm afraid not. We'll stop at a nearby village in a while."

Thom pouted. Riding wasn't his strong point and it was starting to hurt being in the saddle. "Can I at least take off these skirts?" Thom groaned.

Maude nodded. "You've had permission to take off the skirts since we were out of sight of Trebond, Master Thom."

Thom groaned in frustration, fighting to get the dress and petticoat off of him. "Why didn't you say so sooner?" he yelled, red with fury and embarrassment.

"You didn't ask, Master Thom," Maude said complacently.

Thom would have spit on the road if he had enough moisture in his mouth and it wasn't improper. As it was, he lowered his eyes and stared at the back of his horse's head. A fly landed on his nose and he glared at it.

"Go away," he whispered stubbornly, annoyed. The fly didn't move.

"Really, child, can't you stay quiet even for a moment?" Maude asked, her patience wearing thin.

"All I'm saying is that the City of the Gods shouldn't be so far away!" Thom retorted.

Maude turned in her saddle to glare at him. "Take heed, young one: many people have to come ten times as far to train in sorcery. Some have to walk because their families are too poor to have horses. You should be grateful. You are much better off than most."

After that speech, Thom didn't make a sound. Instead he thought of what was to come. He was extremely grateful that he didn't have to spend the rest of his youth getting knocked about. He didn't feel any sympathy for his twin at all. After all, she wanted that.

No, what he was worried about was what his training would be like. All he knew was that he would study at the Convent for two or three years until could move to the Mithran cloisters. His father had neglected to talk much about the City because of his disapproval of magic. Thom grinned at the thought of what their father's face would look like if he found out they were doing this.

His thoughts were interrupted when his head banged against a tree branch. He fell out of the saddle and hurt his leg. He whimpered in pain until Maude rode back to tend to him. Thom watched earnestly as she called upon her Gift and healed his wounds.

Maude glared at him reprehensibly. "If I ever find out that you did this only to see my Gift, I'll sell you to the man who makes dumplings on the way to the City."

Thom rolled his eyes. It was an old threat that the healing woman used sometimes. "I didn't, I just wasn't watching the road."

Maude straightened up. "It would do you well to watch where you are going. Just because you aren't learning how to ride doesn't mean you should be careless."

Thom sighed and got up. It was going to be a long day.


That night, they stopped at an inn to rest and eat. They would finish their ride in the morning. Thom reclined after eating well deserved food. He had eaten nothing but traveling cakes all day and they hadn't sat well in his stomach. A tapping noise came from behind his door. Thom grunted getting up and opened it wide.

Standing there was a girl who looked two years younger than he was. He assumed that she had come to prepare his bed.

"Hallo, Master Thom," the girl mumbled. "Th' folks at the desk be telling me that you need room an' board for the night." Belatedly, she remembered that she was in the presence of a noble and curtsied.

Thom nodded wearily and waved her in. He was too tired to refuse. The girl started to change the bed sheets, glancing at Thom as she did so. Thom's eyes were half closed from the weariness of riding. However, he did notice that the girl looked as if she wanted to say something.

"What is it?" he asked sleepily.

The girl curtsied again. "Beggin' your pardon, Sir, but th' noble lady with you told me you was going to th' City of th' Gods to become a sorcerer," she said, her eyes filled with respect.

Thom nodded, smiling a little. The girl was obviously common born by the way she talked and from her tattered looking garb. Her family was probably living on the wages she made at the inn. "That's right," he said after a moment.

The girl sighed with longing. "That's fair wonderful. I want to go, but my dam says that our money's low enough as 'tis. I can use some magic," she went on blushing slightly. "But on'y a little."

Thom looked at her with renewed interest. "Really? Show me," he said, taking a seat on his newly made bed.

The girl went over to an unlit candle and concentrated. A small amount of red aura—her gift—surrounded her and illuminated her face. The candle suddenly lighted and she sighed from the effort.

"I c'n make fire," she said. "An' I can put it out," she added, using her gift to snuff the candle.

Thom nodded appreciatively. "You could be a hedgewitch," he said smiling. "You could contribute something. It's too bad you can't go to the City."

The girl nodded earnestly. "I c'n do other things," she said. "Sometimes I c'n see people's thoughts. But tha's on'y if they're really thinkin' hard 'bout it."

Thom laughed slightly. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was trying to impress him. "Well," he said lying down on his bed, "if you train hard enough, you'll probably get really good. You may be able to help people with your magic."

The girl's eyes shone. "Really? I never thought..." she trailed off. "Ma says that magic is bad...she says I ain't to have ought to do with it."

Thom looked at her sympathetically. He knew what it was like to have an uncaring parent. "My father feels the same way," he said. "My mother died giving birth to me and my sis-"

He stopped. He had to get used to not mentioning Alanna. "My brother," he continued,"so my father was angry. He thought that since she had the Gift, she could have been saved."

The girl nodded. "My Ma says that my Da were killed by raiders. They had a healing mage with 'em, but my Da wasn't close enough."

"What's your name?" Thom asked suddenly.

The girl brightened. "Okla Benson."

"Well we're leaving tomorrow, Okla. When I get my mastery, then maybe I'll come back."

Okla smiled. "I'd like that all right, your lordship."

Thom waved her off. "You should get going. You might get in trouble for staying her this long." The girl curtsied and left the room.

Thom sighed and fell into a dreamless sleep, his mind too tired to even think of one.