Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I am glade that you liked the last chapter and I hope that you like this one as well, as always I own nothing.

Karl continued on towards the college of the Fire Wizards. Before they had parted Clare had given him instructions as to how to get there she had warned him that the way to get to it could be difficult and somewhat frightening and Karl had had to restrain himself from telling her that he had faced far worse. Fortunately, the things which made the area so frightening also made it easy to find. The area around the college had suffered from a sever fire, though she assured him that the wizards had not started the fire. Moving through the burnt buildings Karl could smell the magic all around him. This helped him in his search, he focused on a collection of charred and largely collapsed towers around a burned-out plaza. Clare had told him to go there, that it was actually a barrier behind which the college lay. Even if she hadn't told him Karl would have been able to smell the magic condensed there.

He encountered some magic traps meant to mislead him but forced his way through to the barrier. He expected some further traps, but when he reached the barrier he simply walked through. On the other side his nose was almost overwhelmed by the twin smells of magic and the smells of multiple substances burning. He tried to ignore these by focusing on the college itself. It was surrounded by a wall and Karl was facing a set of double doors made of bronze and glowing with heat. The sight of them gave Karl a feeling of trepidation but he recognized the effects of magic and forced himself to keep walking forward. Before the gate was a small gatehouse, from which emerged a man who moved to subtly stand between Karl and the gate.

"May I help you sir?" Clare had warned him to expect this and he promptly replied.

"My name is Karl Richter. I am a friend of the student Clare Gustaf. We served together when she was serving under General Hassel against the Beastmen. I was hoping to see her if I may." The man did not seem surprised at the request, he merely nodded his acknowledgement.

"I shall see if she is available and wishes to speak with you. Please remain here." With that he turned and went back to the gatehouse without saying another word. The man did not offer Karl any refreshment and did not speak to him again. Fortunately Karl did not have to wait long, less than twenty minutes later Clare emerged from the college. She look much the same as when he had last seen her, save that she now had a key on her belt. As soon she saw him her face broke into a huge smile.

"Karl! It is you! Sigmar I hoped to see you again but I did not think I would see you again so soon!" Karl smiled deprecatingly.

"Well, they say that many beautiful women find predictability boring." At that she laughed and blushed furiously.

"Stop it!" She demanded with mock seriousness as she punched him in the arm.

"As my lady commands." He said in a tone of equally mock seriousness. This caused her to laugh again. After a moment she stopped and held up a bundle wrapped in a cloth.

"You came at a good time, they were just serving the meal when the message from the gatekeeper came. Normally students aren't allowed to see guests but my master agreed to let me come out and eat with you. So it seems that we have a little picnic." She looked around the area.

"Not very romantic I fear."

"Nonsense," Karl said; "Burnt rubble is all the rage at the moment. You know nobility, strange tastes." This caused her to laugh again.

They went off a little to put some distance between themselves and the gatekeeper. They brushed the ground off a little and then sat down. Once unwrapped the parcel was shown to contain a loaf of black bread, dried meat, a lump of cheese and several apples. From somewhere she produced a bottle of wine which they took turns drinking from. After they had eaten most of the food Karl began to speak again.

"So you have a new master?"

"Yes, they said that since I had seen a battle or two and not gone to pieces they decided that I have what it takes to be a Fire Wizard and that I needed new master as quickly as possible and, as it happened, there was one available."

"Who is it?" Karl asked

"His name is Sigric Holt."

"Is he a good teacher?" She seemed to have to think about it for a moment before she answered.

"I think so. He is younger than Hartnid and I am actually his first student. I honestly am not sure he quite knows what he is doing as a teacher. Fortunately, Fire Magic is relatively easy to learn, at least compared to other types of magic. It is more actually doing magic than studying it in books. I like that, it's a lot more fun to throw fire about than staring at a book for hours on end." Karl nodded in agreement, reminded painfully that he himself could not read.

"So, are you happy here, even after all that has happened?" Her mood became serious and she thought for a moment and then began to speak.

"Yes, it can be hard, frustrating and scary at times and the prospect of violent death and worse is always present. But, it is worth it. I am making a difference in the world rather than waiting around to be a victim." She smiled at him.

"I would rather be one who fights the threat to people rather than one who needs someone to fight for them. Like Hartnid once told me; we are Fire Wizards. Fire does not heal, fire does not make things grow, fire consumes and fire destroys. So Fire Wizards do not heal, feed or comfort the people of the Empire, all we can do is burn their enemies so they can live their lives in peace. Though they will never thank us for it." Karl nodded, in many ways she was walking the same path that he was. He wished he could tell her about what he did and why but he could not risk that, he could not risk how she would react. His thoughts were interrupted by Clare rising to her feet.

"I wish I could stay longer but the meal time is ending and Holt will be annoyed if I am late." Karl also rose.

"It was good to see you again and I hope I can do so again." He told her.

"I hope so as well, but it may not be for some time. We students are rarely allowed to have visitors. Holt was sympathetic today but if you make a habit of showing up he'll begin to thing that I am being distracted from my studies." Karl managed a smile.

"Well, I am sure that there will be another war sooner or later, perhaps we can meet there. We certainly got to spend time together last time." She laughed at that.

"Indeed, if only we could have a war without any battles." They both laughed at that and before Karl could react she seized him and kissed him hard on the mouth. She then turned and began to head back into the college. Before she could go Karl remembered that he had come to give her his present.

"Wait!" He called out. She turned back to him, a puzzled expression on her face.

"I was out of the city recently on a little treasure hunt." He saw her amused look.

"It is the truth I swear! While I was there I came across something that I thought that you would like." As he said this he drew forth the sword that he had found and presented it to her. As soon as she saw it her eyes grew wide with surprise and delight.

"Karl, this sword is of elven make! Have you any idea how much this is worth? This is truly a magnificent gift! "With that she seized and kissed him again. He smiled down at her.

"Whatever its worth, seeing you smile is worth more to me." She smiled at him and then turned and was gone. He did not say it, as he did not want to spoil the mood, but he had a feeling that she would need the sword more than he would need the money that he could get from selling it.

He made his way through to more populated parts of the city. It was getting late and the streets were only lightly populated and Karl soon become bored and made his way back to his new home. The door was locked and so he used the key he had been given to let himself in. He looked at the house and was surprised to see that the place had been cleaned thoroughly. The floor had been swept and the furniture dusted, he heard the sounds of soft snoring coming from the room he had given to Olga. Smells from the pantry told him that she had purchased food. Well, that saved him the trouble of doing it himself. He was very tired and he moved up the stairs to his room.

Even this had been cleaned, though the chests containing the money and his other gear she had left alone. The fireplace had been cleaned and a fire burned there. Karl sat on the bed and pulled off his boots, he was about to pull off his cloths as well and then paused looking at the mantel above the fireplace. It, like everything else in the room, had been cleaned and to Karl it seemed strangely bare. He got one of his poaches and rummaged through it till he found what he was looking for. It was a small statue of a Dwarf warrior. It was made of stone but gilded with gold leaf and set with small gemstones. It had to be hundreds, if not thousands of years old, and something about it had called to Karl.

It was truly a work of art and it had lain in darkness for Sigmar knew how long before he had found it. He went over to the mantel piece and set it in the center and then went back to the bed and stared at it. It was something which was believed lost forever now thousands of miles away from where it had been crafted, away from the Greenskins and safe. He shook his head at the flight fancy. He finished undressing and went to sleep. The smell of food cooking in the morning woke him and after a moment he realized that there was someone in the room with him.

"Olga?" He muttered.

"I fear not." The figure said, which caused Karl to come completely awake. Wilhelmina was standing in front of his bed. She was clad in the clothing of a page and as always she could be mistaken for a boy if one did not look too closely.

"Don't worry," she said when she saw the concern look on his face. "Your little servant is fine, she did not see me enter. I must say, I thought you wolves mated for life. You have your mistress, your little fire-thrower and now that beast downstairs. You seem more an Araby sheik in his harem." Karl, just coming completely awake, found himself annoyed by her tone.

"What do you want?" He growled in an annoyed tone. Her response was a sardonic chuckle.

"Puppy must not be cross, I am merely the messenger. I come bearing a message from our master. I am to bring you to him at once." Karl was about protest but she interrupted him.

"I know that he said you would have some time to rest but I fear things have changed, events are occurring sooner than anticipated and we have no time to waste." She gave him a look and Karl was prepared to swear that he saw a hint of fear on her face.

"We are being hunted."

Author's Notes: Hey everyone, sorry it was on the short side, I promise that the next will be a long one. Who do you think is hunting them? Just something to ponder. While you do that please pray for Dona Perry, a missing woman with Alzheimer's, a child in the hospital after being hit by a car in Florida and all who are injured and victims of illness, human trafficking and kidnapping, the victims of the Japanese earthquakes, the fireman shot in Maryland and the family of the one who died there and the people suffering and missing from the Ecuador earthquake, those effected by the flooding in Texas and all others who need prayer, including the refugees whose ship capsized in the Mediterranean. Bye and may Jesus bless you.