Books and Magic

Tessa woke up early, the sun was just barely rising above the hills beyond her new window. Tessa wasn't sure if the sun rose later in Tortall than in Tyra, but she was sure that she didn't want to sleep any more. She was having dreams about a burning village and Harpi killing Angeline with a long thin blade.

She wasn't sure how she felt about Harpi yet. He was her father, her mentor and her strength. And he was an assasin. All the things that he gave her, paid for by blood money. Tessa shivered, it was colder in Tortall, that was for sure.

Angeline. That was what her mission was about, saving Angeline. Harpi, well she owed him for raising her, and caring for her. And this would be payment for that. After this was over she could search for her real family. If they still wanted her.

It was much too early to do anything, and her day was empty. The court would convene tomorrow night and she already had a beautiful silk dress of black and gold threads, accenting her hair and eyes. Kylee would do her face paint and her hair all afternoon the next day. But what to do now? With no acquaintances as of yet she had nothing to accomplish.

Killing the Lioness would be a tricky business indeed. Getting close to her as a courtier seemed next to impossible. Did the Lioness even attend balls? Tessa sighed. Her stay would have to be a long one. Long was bad, Harpi and Angeline would be scared, possibly hurt. Jennis could not be trusted to be a man of his word, Tessa knew that. But there was nothing to be done. Not until the ball.

Tessa considered entertaining herself with practicing her punches, kicks and holds, but she wasn't sure how much Kylee should know about her abilities. She decided to explore the library that she had passed the other day. She left a note for Kylee, and dressed in a plain cotton dress, leaving her worries in the room.

Finding the library was a little difficult, Tessa thought she had gone too far at one point, and had to turn back only to find her room again. Determined to find the place herself she took a deep breath and went off again.

She found it on her third try, and smiled in relief. The scent of unread pages brought her forward. Perhaps she might not mind staying her for a little while. Tessa stroked the binding of the books casually letting her fingers find one that she might read. Tessa closed her eyes and walked down the long shelves.

Had Tessa's eyes been open she might not have come down quite so far, a brilliant light hoovered over a young man with fire red hair and clear green hazel eyes. His nose was deeply ensconced in a book, he didn't notice the girl coming toward him.

Tessa always had a natural ability to evade people's senses, that combined with her training made her invisible in the dim library, even when she walked into the circle if magical light she went unnoticed. Only when her solid form collided with the young man's did he notice her.

The collision made several things happen.

The magical light extinguished. Leaving the two of them in the poor light of the nearest crystal lamp.

The young man swore and dropped the stack of books with a loud clatter.

Tessa opened her eyes. Shocked and startled by the sudden warm force.

And their eyes met. Hawk gold and green hazel paired in the semi darkness.

"Hey," said the young man angrily. "What are you doing here?" Tessa didn't reply, the man spoke with authority, with pride, so Tessa did the only thing she could think to do. She bent down and scooped up his books. Unfortunately the man decided to do the same thing. He cursed as she dropped them again in suprise.

"Do you have any business here? Does your Mistress even know your here?" he asked rudely. He thought she was a servant! Tessa frowned. Some disguise! But she was too shocked at his words and his manner to say anything at all.

"Well?" he demanded. Before Tessa could gather her wits a light popped on above their heads and Tessa had to blink to regain her sight.

A large mage appeared in the circle of light saying, "Thom? Who are you speaking- oh, Hello Miss." A friendly smile was visible under a long nose and deep brown eyes. Black hair framed his thin face and pointed chin. Tessa immediately straightened with one of the fallen books tucked into her arms. Tessa could only bow, mutter a sorry and flee from the room, embarrassed at her actions.

Numair Salmalin watched as the girl with the golden eyes ran off and turned to Thom of Pirates Swoop. "What happened, Thom?"

"I found it, Numair," Thom said, "I was reading the translation until that serving girl barrelled into me. I dropped my books and completely lost my place."

"And your temper," Numair said mildly. "Honestly Thom, you scared the poor girl half to death. She didn't mean any harm. You didn't have to treat her so poorly."

"But she-!"

"Thom."

Thom paused a moment, pushing his red mop of hair from his hazel green eyes and said, "Yes, you're right. I did yell a bit."

"A bit?"

"Well you know how I get Uncle Numair. When I get sucked in..."

"We've all been there, Thom," Numair said with a sheepish smile, undoubtedly thinking about the cleaning woman who interrupted one of his experiments many moons ago. "You should apologise to her."

"I will," Thom said. "I can ask around. It shouldn't be hard to find a girl with eyes like hers."

"Yes," Numair said absently.

"What's wrong?" Thom asked.

"Did you take a good look at her, Thom?"

"Not really, the lighting was poor, I just-"

"No, you misunderstand, I mean magically. I couldn't see anything."

"So she has no gift. What's odd about that?"

"Well. You see we are all made with a core, a spirit of sorts. And I can see every core of a person, and then I can see the gift, if they have it, over laying that core. It is much the way wild magic is seen."

"Yes..." Thom replied, confused.

"Well, I couldn't see anything on the girl at all, no core. It was blank space on my radar." They remained silent for a moment, processing this.

"That doesn't make any sense," Thom finally said.

"Perhaps I wasn't looking properly," Numair said.

"Perhaps," Thom replied.