Chapter Four:

Savil followed her protege into the Workroom, making sure the door was secure before turning to face him.

"Sit." He obeyed, perching on one of the high stools kept there.

"Good. Now, what in Havens has you so distracted these past few weeks?"

Tylendel groaned. "Your nephew, Teacher dearest."

"Vanyel? He hasn't been—rude to you, has he?" She queried.

"Gods, no," Tylendel shook his head. "He's been perfectly polite, and kind, and helpful, and overall just wonderful. The problem is that he seems intent on bedding every male in Bardic Collegium, and never once looking at me as more than a suitemate."

"Making up for lost time, I suppose," Savil said dryly. "Certainly he wouldn't have gotten much opportunity at home, with Withen being such an ass. But, 'Lendel, how is this a problem? There's a soundproofing spell on the rooms, so it can't be disturbing your rest. I can't very well tell him to stop his behavior, unless I want to come off looking as bad as his father."

"Savil, it's killing me!" Tylendel raised his head, and she saw that his face was rather drawn and haggard. "To look at him, and not be able to touch, when he's lovely, and sweet, and absolutely perfect for me in every way. It hurts so much to see him with other people." Tylendel was openly crying now.

Savil was shocked. She'd thought that maybe Tylendel was infatuated with her too-beautiful nephew, but this seemed far more serious than simple infatuation. In fact, Tylendel was displaying all the classic symptoms of a lifebond. She Mindtouched her Companion. :Kell?:

:Hmm?:

:Do you think Vanyel and Tylendel could have lifebonded?:

:What?: She could Feel Kellan's startlement. :Hmm. Now that you mention it, I can see the signs. Ask Mardic and Donni about it if you wish, but the lads themselves are the ones who'll know for sure. I'll talk to Gala about this, and try to keep it under wraps for a while.:

Ye gods, Savil thought. Why am I the one who ends up with all the lifebonded students? "'Lendel, you know I'm not very good with affairs of the heart, but—have you tried talking to Vanyel at all? Or have you just been worshiping him from afar, and relying on the Collegium gossip network to get news of him?" The guilty flush on her Trainee's round face told her that this was exactly what he'd been doing.

"Bright Havens lad! How are you ever going to know how he feels about you if you don't at least talk to him? The two of you have the suite to yourselves tonight, as I'm taking the lovebirds out for a field trial. I expect you to take advantage of the privacy and talk with him. You need to get over this distraction, 'Lendel."

Vanyel sat in the instrument workshop with the same group of Trainees as on his first day, cleaning a lute. There always seemed to be an endless supply of lutes to work on.

"How are your conquests going, Van?" Daria asked with a grin. "I need to live vicariously through someone."

"He's stalled out," Lerris answered for him, smirking.

"I've been celibate for weeks!" Vanyel exclaimed dramatically.

"Two," Lerris put in.

"It's not funny," Vanyel pouted unhappily. "He refuses to notice me at all. I'm lucky if I get a nod in the hallway."

"What? Someone is immune to your manly charms?" Trey mock-swooned.

"Not funny." Vanyel slumped down. "I can't get him to say a word to me. I'm getting extremely frustrated, and not just sexually."

"So move on," Ajela suggested. "I know you haven't gone through everyone in Court and Collegia."

"I can't," he moaned. "That's the problem. I don't want to even look at anyone else. My heart leaps just when he walks into the room. I'm reduced to writing terrible, sappy ballads whenever I try to compose. If I don't make some progress with him, I think I'll die."

"That's a bit melodramatic," Beryl remarked mildly.

"The Ice Prince has fallen in luuurve," Trey mocked.

"So who is it?" Daria wanted to know. "We're all on edge here, trying to find out who has finally captured your heart."

"Tylendel," Vanyel sighed.

"Ouch." Beryl remarked. "You live with him and you can't even get him to talk to you?"

"I'm starting to think that he hates me," Vanyel was getting gloomy. "Either that or he thinks I have some sort of horrible disease."

"I don't think he hates you exactly," Ajela ventured bravely. "But the Heralds seem to want to know their partners before jumping into bed with them. It takes a little more time. Have you tried actually talking to him? Or are you just exerting your charm on him?"

"Charms," he admitted reluctantly.

"So try my tactic," she said triumphantly. "If that doesn't work, then you can come back and complain."

"Very well," Vanyel agreed. "I'm not nearly as confident in this plan as you are though."

"If worst comes to worst, you can always seduce him with your music," Lerris suggested. "It worked perfectly well on me."

With a laugh, the conference broke apart before Master Arnor could notice that they hadn't accomplished anything.

Tylendel scowled as he worked his way through a particularly boring history text. Doesn't do much good to have Savil and the lovebirds gone if His Loveliness is absent as well.

As if the thought had summoned him, Vanyel wandered into the suite. "Hullo," he greeted Tylendel. "Where's the rest of them?"

"Out," the other Trainee replied. "Savil's in some sort of a meeting that's supposed to last most of the night, and the other two are out on a field trip."

"Ah," Vanyel smiled absently. "I did know of the meeting—Breda's at the same one—but I seem to have forgotten in favor of thinking about myself. Well, my harp is waiting for me to practice, so I'm off to my room for the night."

"Wait!" Tylendel burst out.

"Yes?" Vanyel turned back towards the other boy.

"Could you practice out here instead? This text is awfully dry, and I could use a distraction."

Vanyel raised an artful eyebrow. "Well, if you'd really like to listen to a Trainee fumble his way through his assigned work, then who am I to refuse? Besides," he grinned unexpectedly, "no Bard ever turns down an audience."

Some time later, Tylendel had put aside his reading in favor of admiring the picture that Vanyel made. It really is quite cozy in this room, despite the storm outside. Vanyel's room is bound to be cold, with that garden door. Hmm...I wonder if I can use that to my advantage somehow...Offer to keep him warm? He was startled out of his musings when the other boy flung his harp aside.

"I have no Creativity," the musician announced.

"Creativity?" Tylendel asked, puzzled. "I think you're plenty creative."

"Oh! It's different for Bards," Vanyel explained. "There are actually three Bardic Gifts: Talent, Creativity, and what we all call the Bardic Gift because we don't know how else to describe it. Talent is just being musical and Creativity is being able to compose your own music. You only need two out of the three to become a Bard, and I have Talent and the Gift."

"I think I understand," said Tylendel. "So you can play a variety of instruments, and do whatever it is that Bards do to their audiences, but you can't come up with a wholly original work."

"Right. Or at least, it's very difficult to come up with something original. But Master Donovan still wants me to compose something for his class. I'm limited in what I can play, anyway, because of my hand— "

"What's wrong with your hand?" Tylendel interrupted.

Vanyel grimaced. "Another legacy of that...unfortunate incident with the armsmaster at home. Along with a cracked skull, I also broke both bones in my arm. Nobody cared to make sure the arm healed perfectly, so I lost some feeling in the fingertips. When I start my instrument lessons, I'm supposed to visit the Healers, to see if they can do anything to help."

"That's terrible!" Tylendel burst out.

Vanyel looked sober. "My family didn't think music was terribly important. Aunt Savil's the only adult in my family who actually cares about me. Did she ever show you the letter my Father sent when he found out I was a Bardic Apprentice?"

"No! That's a private family matter."

Vanyel shrugged. "She showed me. It was nothing I didn't expect. He was outraged. Said he'd told her explicitly to keep me away from Bards, and she went and handed me over to them. I've been cut off from the family purse, and the only good thing about it in his viewpoint is that he's free to make Mekeal his heir without having to arrange to get me out of the way."

Tylendel was amazed. "And I thought my family was bad. At least I have my twin."

"I have a sister who loves me," Vanyel offered. "Look, this subject is depressing me, and it's getting late. If we're not going to bed, can we at least talk about something more pleasant?"

Tylendel cocked his head at him. "Was that an invitation?" He teased boldly.

Vanyel flushed. "I didn't mean for it to sound that way, but if you want it to be, then yes."

Tylendel groaned. "I do want it, very much, but I'm so bloody tired...look, your room's bound to be cold as ice. I can at least keep you warm tonight."

Vanyel looked at him. "You can keep me warm any night." He gathered up his belongings and turned to go. "I'll be waiting for you."