Yalishandela: In fact, nothing more is said about Akkarin's family in the books. I don't really remember what the Sonea trilogy says about them, it's been seven years since I read it.
Sonea is a very friendly person by nature. But if you put too much pressure on her ... well, I'm sure Akkarin and Sonea could make each other's lives miserable.
I totally agree with you about Akkarin. He is not just good. He's more of a light shade of grey, because he has good motives, but his methods are not always the best he could have used. That makes him human, I think.
Sighing, Akkarin looked at the paper in his hand: it was another report from Elyne to Ambassador Dannyl. The high lord's fears had been confirmed; the ambassador was following up on his research and travels. In the process, he was coming dangerously close to the inglorious end of his own little adventure - something he could not allow to happen. That was why the High Lord had ordered further investigations. From the looks of it, Administrator Lorlen had commissioned this research. This called into question how much Lorlen actually trusted him.
During their conversation at the spring, Akkarin had actually thought about telling Lorlen everything. He had toyed with the idea ever since Sonea had pointed out to him that Lorlen would surely understand his reasons, just as she herself had understood. But something had prevented him from doing so. Now Akkarin was glad that Lorlen only knew what was necessary.
For now he had to ask himself what kind of game Lorlen was playing. Had he tried to lull Akkarin into a sense of security in order to elicit as much information as possible that he could then use against the High Lord? Was Lorlen planning to reveal his secret?
In any case, it was time for a serious talk with his old friend. And it was time to prepare Sonea to succeed him - just to be prepared. And for that, her deficits in practical warfare had to be addressed first. He had tried to teach her himself for long enough, but she did not respond very well to his methods. So he had left the matter in the hands of Lord Yikmo, something he should have done much earlier. Martial arts would yet become vital for Sonea's survival. Especially now that she would be working regularly in the hospital in the slums and a new spy had appeared.
A week before her exams, Akkarin had had her entire timetable revised by Rector Jerrik. It had caused him some frowning, but the old mage had not dared to question his decision.
Akkarin put the papers aside when he felt Lorlen enter the residence. It was time to ask his friend some uncomfortable questions. To this end, he had invited Lorlen to a formal dinner, to which Takan now escorted his guest. Akkarin was already waiting for him at the much too large table his servant had set for them both.
"Ah, a rare guest," he greeted Lorlen with a small smile and lifted the bottle he had just opened. "Wine?"
"You'll just have to take me out to dinner more often," Lorlen responded to the comment.
Akkarin giggled and filled their glasses.
"Perhaps I should. After all, I'll never know what our little family is talking about when their High Lord is not around."
Lorlen also laughed softly. "Oh, at the moment the hospital is their favourite subject. And Sonea's new warrior teacher."
They interrupted their conversation when Takan entered and served the starter.
Hungrily, they both went at it. They were silent until they had both finished eating, then Akkarin returned to the subject.
"What do they say about the hospital?"
Lorlen leaned back, looking extremely pleased. "Nothing special. The healers are complaining about the extra work, the usual doomsayers say it was a mistake to open it when we can't even meet the needs of the houses," Lorlen summarised.
Akkarin nodded thoughtfully. "This is in line with what is being said at court. The king, on the other hand, is most pleased with the initial reports of the magical potential of the slums."
Lorlen's face twisted at the mention of the real purpose of this project.
Again Takan interrupted their conversation by bringing up the main course. While they ate, the conversation turned to various topics concerning the court and the guild, until Takan cleared the table and Akkarin decided that it was time to focus on the real purpose of the meeting.
"I hear Ambassador Dannyl is doing well," he remarked almost casually. Almost imperceptibly, Lorlen winced.
The administrator nodded in agreement. "I almost envy him the opportunity to travel. I understand he was in Vin and in Lonmar."
"Ah, Lonmar. A country that either whets your appetite for travel or spoils it".
"How was it with you?"
Akkarin thought about the question for a moment. Lonmar had seemed strange and repulsive to him, yet it had fascinated him just as much. "I think neither. The foreign culture often seems harsh and repulsive to the traveller, but you soon realise that, like everywhere, there are people who are good and sincere."
Lorlen nodded, lost in thought.
"I hear he has developed a great interest in my old research," Akkarin continued in a chatty tone, seemingly equally lost in thought, playing with his almost empty wine glass. Not one of Lorlen's reactions escaped him.
"really?" he feigned surprise. Akkarin raised an eyebrow.
"Are you really that surprised after commissioning the research, Lorlen?"
His counterpart literally sank into himself.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find out? I was really surprised and disappointed when my friend in Elyne told me about it."
Lorlen visibly struggled for words. "I thought it would shed some light. You never said anything and it's only logical that whatever happened to you on your travels led to you learning black magic."
Akkarin's face darkened.
"And instead of asking me about it, you let others investigate my past behind my back," he resented. Disappointment and anger alternated inside Akkarin.
"I asked you about it," Lorlen reminded him, no less upset. "But you kept me at a distance with half-truths and innuendos."
"And it never occurred to you that I had good reason? But it doesn't matter, because you're going to call Dannyl back."
Lorlen snorted softly. "And again you change the subject. What happened then Akkarin?"
The two men stared at each other defiantly, neither willing to give an inch.
Every year, the approaching winter holidays put the guild in an unusual mood. Servants prepared the departure of many mages who would use the time to visit their families. Novices were often found hunched over their notes, while teachers had particularly stressed expressions.
For Lorlen, the holidays also meant a little respite, at least from the requests of the mages who were travelling. After his argument with Akkarin the night before, he even thought about taking a few days off himself. He had lain awake all night wondering how he could have been so wrong. How could he trust Akkarin when he did not trust him? Had he made a big mistake by telling him about Sonea's discovery?
When Akkarin had sent him a message in the morning to meet him at the arena at noon, Lorlen had even thought about sending him a refusal. But he was the High Lord and you don't just cancel on him.
So Lorlen had arrived at the arena on time, only to find that Sonea's class had also gathered there, along with Lord Garrel.
Frowning, he watched as Garrel had them line up in pairs, presumably according to magical strength and ability.
"Greetings, Administrator," Lord Yikmo snapped him out of his thoughts. Sonea's new teacher in the art of war, Lorlen remembered. "Lord Garrel should let her fight someone else," Yikmo remarked before Lorlen could greet him too.
"Ah, I see it differently. Sonea would be quite capable of beating Regin," Akkarin intervened. Lorlen winced a little. Where had the High Lord suddenly appeared from? Involuntarily, the administrator thought of how furiously he had thrown him out of his house the night before, after Lorlen had insisted on finally learning the truth. A shiver ran down his spine. The night before, he had been convinced that he was the next unexplained dead.
While Lorlen was still searching for the right words, Yikmo had crossed his arms in front of his broad chest.
"Sure she could beat Regin. But she is not ready for it yet"
"Is that her?" asked Akkarin back. At that moment, all but Sonea, Garrel and Regin left the arena. So the test began.
Lorlen watched intently as Sonea and Regin eyed each other, one more emphatically composed than the other. Neither had yet erected a shield.
"She isn't. If she were ready, she would attack him instead of letting him dictate the tactics," Yikmo commented.
At that moment Regin attacked with a power blow and Sonea responded with a strong shield. But just before Regin's attack reached her shield, it dissolved into many small stun blows.
Lorlen shook his head. "I expected better style from him in the exam, the way Lord Garrel always raves about his abilities".
"He is trying to make Sonea angry and lead her into rash attacks".
Out of the corner of his eye, Lorlen could see Akkarin lift one corner of his mouth into a mocking smile. "The tactic sounds familiar"
Lorlen snorted softly. "Not that she was ever any use to me."
"Oh, it was really close once or twice" Akkarin's voice became quieter at this, as if he was remembering something else.
"For some reason she hesitates to attack every time. I don't know why yet, but something is blocking her," Yikmo murmured, more to himself and almost inaudibly. But as so often, this did not escape Akkarin's notice.
"An interesting thought"
At that moment, Sonea's shield shattered under a particularly powerful attack. Lorlen glanced briefly at the High Lord. His disapproval was clear in his eyes. But at the same time there was something else. Concern? Annoyance? Lorlen could not interpret it and brought him back to the question: what did Akkarin intend by this?
