"Ponjee is a medium sized town in the Kingdom of Ruvan, which is just below Karse. Although it does not have the extraordinary mix of people that Tarann has. Tarann is in close proximity to Jkatha and Velvar not to mention being very close to the shin'a'in trade road. Or the marvellous architecture of the Throne city it is still an interesting place to visit."

Tade sighed dramatically, "To sum it up there is absolutely no point to visit there and I have no idea why we have to learn about this awfully boring place."

There was a general giggle fro the general vicinity and Tade smiled at himself, he new he was shamelessly looking for attention but he was bored and this essay was going nowhere.

He peeked above his book to see Rellinda or Relly to most of them glare at him from across the library table before miming at him to be quiet and looking towards the main desk at the glaring librarian, Mistress Quain. A minute or two later she leaned over and whispered quietly,

"You know why, we talked about this already, Karse is an ally and so it's only polite for us to know a little about its surrounding neighbours. We don't have to know much or anything and anyway you're the one who made a fuss in class, that's why Herald Vin made you do the essay, it was probably the first town that came into his head. And your grammar in atrocious an essay should flow." With that she slouched determinedly in her chair and raised her book and started scribbling on a sheet of parchment.

Tade shook his head leaned over and pulled the book down,

You'll go cross eyed if you read it that closely, how was I meant to know that he came from the gods'b'damned country, it just seemed pointless at the time…." A deep bell sounded down in the city which could be spied from the window they were sitting by, "Lunch!"

"Oh, you," exclaimed Relly, "all you think off is your stomach," a second bell rang closer to them and they picked up their books and papers and ran out off the library as quickly as possible, for Relly looked forward to meal times as much as Tade did though she would never admit.

Getting from the Old library to the Dining hall was an interesting journey as the old library was situated near to the healers and the Unaffiliated part of the complex, each had their own library now, of course, but the old library was still popular as it was somehow calmer and more relaxing. It looked out over the city and was the oldest part of the collegium complex. The thick stonework, arched ceiling and ancient tapestries were historical feeling in summer, but in winter none but the brave ventured into the old library as it was cold!

Tade turned around and then looked back at Relly, something was bugging him, had he forgotten something? No. He'd have to ask Melken…Melken.

"Relly, you seen 'elk recently?" Tade said.

Relly turned around at him and stared at him like she could not believe what he had just said,

"You…you…you," her face went red, "he's been at healers for three days and you only just noticed!"

Tade tried to look innocent and failed, "Guy's just don't notice these things," he said shoving his hands into his pockets and walking off briskly for a few paces and then stopping. He slowly turned around and leaned his head to the side inquisitively,

"Healer's you said, what's wrong wit him?"

Relly just had to laugh at Tade's obvious lack of any knowledge. Tade never knew what was going on, he didn't need to know what the gossip was because usually he was or what he had done was the gossip. But she couldn't help but tease him he deserved to work for any information he got out off her.

"Oh you know," she said evasively, "the trouble they had up with the mages. At his uncomprehending look she smiled a little and decided to give in,

"When that girl tried to gate into the colligium, and got tangled up in one of the 3rd year's mage lessons. Melken was in the group they were involved in something terribly complex and involving quiet a bit of power and the backlash of the gate sent the lot of them back a few days. But Sare at healers was saying they will be out within the week. Poor things, she said they were very tired and achy."

"Whoa," yelled Tade "slow down, please, what girl, what and when…how did I miss this?" he jumped in front of her demanding to know what was going on.

Relly just giggled Tade was so funny to tease when she got the chance. She looked at him again then burst out laughing at his bemused expression. Turning around and starting to run she called back,

"I'll tell you over lunch,"

The dinning hall was huge and loud with trainee's running back and forth between the kitchens and the main hall, not to mention trainees moving up and down the table to grab at bread rolls and juice laid out. The nise was defining, it seemed sometimes that they talked just to prove that after an hour of study that they still could. Many of the younger ones were swallowing their food as fast as they could so they could spend the rest of lunch with their new companions. If the truth be told, if you happened to walk past the companions field there would be several companions trying not to be obviously waiting for said trainee's to stop eating everything in sight and come out, but companions were never anxious or needy, no!

At that moment across a lawn behind a wall, past a garden and through a door another herald trainee was eating his lunch although he was alone and confined to his bed. He looked out the door to the garden beyond swung he legs of the bed to get up and winced slightly, he really shouldn't be walking but he was lonely. He looked down meat roll in his hand but he wasn't hungry. That girl's scream as she came through the gate was haunting him, it was all his fault.

No it wasn't

'elk smiled at the assertion from his companion.

You are wallowing in it and you now it, you just happened to be present, she was the one who gated that close to the heart stone. And her scream wasn't the noise that I remember it was the abject spoilt wailing afterwards, the banging of fist on the floor, the 'its not fair's'.

"What?" elk finally replied, "why didn't I hear of this already"

There was a long silence and elk got the mental picture of an embarrassed silence and a companion's twitching hide.

I kinda wasn't meant to say anything until who she is, is worked out and all that but she was your classic spoilt little lordling's daughter. I heard everything from Rolan. Anyway she's fine, unconscious still but fine.