News
Disclaimer: All locations and characters within this story are the property of Tamora Pierce. Plot and actual written words belong to me.
The cloth for his protective gear was coming along wonderfully, Lark had said. His work was improving so much. He should be proud. And she'd smiled generously and gone into the main room, where a boy was waiting with a message from the Hub. When she came in again, she was still smiling. Comas was overjoyed -- her compliments so rare, but so gratifying.
"Guess what, Comas?" she said cheerily.
"You got a message," he said, his fingers toying with the shaft of a spindle.
She nodded. "Remember my former-student, Sandry? You met her, didn't you?"
"Yes," said Comas. He remembered. The girl who could spin magic, the duke's niece, the one with all the famous friends, the one who helped the harriers solve crimes.
"And you remember her friends, the ones I told you about?" Lark went on.
"Yes," Comas said again. He knew what was coming.
"Well, they'll be back, soon," said Lark, her eyes shining. "Dedicate Frostpine and Master Niko have met up in Ninver, and are on the way here right now, with their students. Dedicate Rosethorn is also on her way from Yanjing, but she won't be back for months yet. Isn't this exciting? You know how much I wanted you to meet these friends of mine."
"Yes," said Comas heavily.
"Now, Comas," Lark was reproachful, "don't be so gloomy! I want you to meet other ambient mages. You can learn a lot from them."
"But I learn more when you teach me, Lark," said Comas. "Please, I don't need any other teachers."
Lark tilted her head and looked at him quizzically. "You knew you wouldn't have me to yourself forever, my dear," she said.
He nodded miserably.
"There, now, you're being silly," she insisted. "It shan't be as dreadful as you seem to think. All my friends are perfectly amiable, and you can take your time getting used to them."
"But…" he hesitated. "There will be a lot of people here, at Discipline. I don't want it to be… crowded, like in the novice-houses. And I don't want to go back there, either. It was so much fun here, just you and me."
"Did you think I'd turn you out, just because my old charges were coming back?" asked Lark.
"Ye- no! No, not really," confessed Comas.
"Good." Lark's voice was firm. "You stay where you are right now, and that's that. I won't have you at the lodges, too far to come and do some work when you can't sleep at night."
"And your students, the other ones?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, Comas. You are my student now, my only student. The others passed out of my charge already, they don't need me like they used to. they have their own students now, and they're growing up. Discipline will always be a home for them, whenever they need one, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for you."
"What if they want their students to have their old rooms?" asked Comas.
"You're being difficult," replied Lark. "We'll build another room, if we must."
"You're too good to me, Lark," said the boy, head in hands, smiling ruefully.
"Nonsense. Discipline is about acceptance, unflinching and unconditional. Besides, you haven't met Rosey, yet." There was a sparkle in her eye, and Comas laughed. "Now there's something we haven't heard often. You should do it more." She tousled his hair, and he laughed again.
"I'd best get back to work," he said then.
"I want you to finish this before dinner, so we can start on invisibility first thing tomorrow," said Lark, ever the teacher, briskly.