As it turned out, the pages ate bread, cheese and fruit, all of which suited them much better than the offering of raw meat. The courtyard itself remained deserted, except for Tomoki's return. Goodwinson was obviously content not to begin whatever cruel schemes he had until later, or else was occupied with other matters. The three boys sat together, mutually trying to figure out a way to eat with the heavy metal collars around their necks. The chains, they had already found, were less prone to tripping them if they hung over a shoulder and down their backs.

Takuya looked at Kouichi. "So what happened in the courtyard? Why did you scream?"

Kouichi tugged at his collar. "These things are enchanted. I wouldn't try using your magic, it will punish you." He frowned and fiddled with some bread. "The spell is strange. What little I saw before I stopped, it was high magic."

Kouji blinked a few times, then shook his head. "You must have made a mistake. Humans don't know high magic. Even our people only have that ability once in ten-thousand."

"There's something very old and very dangerous keeping us from using our magic." Kouichi shivered. "And I don't think it's the 'mage'. Even Takuya has some magic about him most of the time."

"Well he certainly likes showing off," said Takuya. "Makes a big show over everything he does. Even when it does nothing." He ran a finger over his lips. "I can still speak. Would I have felt it if he tried to stop me, Kouichi?"

Kouichi nodded. "If magic ties you, you'd feel it." He shrugged. "Even if you could fight it, you'd still feel it."

Kouji got up and started to pace. "And none of us have any idea what Goodwinson wants with us? Just that he has no real idea on us or magic?"

"Or your sex," muttered Takuya, only to be glared at by Kouji.

"Sharper hearing, Takuya. Remember?" He kept pacing. "And no doubt those savages at the farm will be stealing all of our things. Our savings."

Takuya shifted uncomfortably. "How long had you been working there for?"

Kouichi looked sad. "About two months. We had about thirty silver hidden under the bed along with everything we owned. Our remembrances. And our weapons."

Takuya whistled. Thirty silver was no small amount of money. "And now…?"

Kouji snorted. "That rashete Mathew will probably have stolen it." He kicked at the ground. "And we'll probably never get our bows back; he'll have sold them as curiosities." He looked sad. "Those were the last gift for Life-day given to us by our Honoured-father. We weren't old enough, but he defied the council for us again to give them to us. Said it was what our mother would've wanted."

Takuya tilted his head. "I don't understand. Why wouldn't you be allowed a bow? Surely you're old enough. Even I've started to learn, even though I'm terrible at it."

Kouji looked angry. "Elves aren't considered old enough to take arms until their twenty-first summer. We were an exception. We're always the exception."

Kouichi sighed. "We are what we are, Brother. No amount of rage will change that."

"And what we are made our people turn their backs on us, Kouichi! Or did you forget that it was Honoured-Satomi that led the council to dismiss us?" Kouji kicked the stake holding them in the courtyard and was rewarded by not only a sharp pain in his foot, but a burning pain in his neck as the spell kicked in.

Kouichi covered his smile with a hand as his brother hopped about, cursing in Elvish.

"That's not funny, Kouichi, you bastard!" yelled Kouji, rubbing his foot.

Takuya started to giggle. "I don't know what you're saying, but it sure sounds funny."

Kouji flushed furiously, and sat down, away from them, muttering darkly.

"Don't mind him," said Kouichi. "Kouji just doesn't like to look silly. We think its Honoured-Satomi influence on him, rather than our honoured-parents."

"Who's Satomi?" asked Takuya. "You've never mentioned her before."

Kouichi shrugged. "I don't know what word you'd use for her. She was joined to our honoured-father by law, by the order of the council. She was to be his mate, but he'd rather had no need to take another after our honoured-mother died."

"Stepmother," said Takuya quietly. "Humans call them 'stepmothers'. So your father got married again?"

Kouichi shook his head. "He wasn't married to our honoured-mother. It's another disgrace on me and Kouji. In addition to everything else."

"What happened?"

"She died. In childbirth. All the magic our father had, even high magic, couldn't save her from us." He touched a hand to his hair. "He said we looked just like her. Especially Kouji." He smiled slightly. "Black hair is pretty rare amongst our people."

Takuya looked at Kouji. "Guess it must hurt. I get the feeling that he doesn't like your mother. That he blames her for something."

Kouichi shook his head. "He blames her for something that's honoured-Satomi fault. She despised what we are. It was only with honoured-father's protection that we were ever allowed to stay. When he died, we were forced to leave. We were told to take our corrupt magic, and leave."

"So you're like me." Takuya rested his head on his knees. "They saw your magic as a threat, and got rid of you."

Kouichi nodded. "About that, yes. No protector, no chance."

"What did your father do? How did he die?" Takuya blushed. "You can tell me to shut up if you don't want to answer."

Kouichi smiled. "He was a council healer. Our ruling council would be made of two healers, two herbalists, and two hunters, one of each sex, and an elder, who had to be at least nine hundred years old. Most of the positions would be passed to offspring. If Kouji or I had been healers, one of us would have been expected to take our honoured-father's position. Honoured-Satomi was the other healer on the council, and was very much against our honoured-father's ideas about humans. He believed that we could no longer afford to hate each other, as a great war was coming. He said we should learn about humans, like he had when he was a younger man. Not that he was old when they killed him."

Takuya sat quietly. "How old?"

"He was five-hundred and forty-three," said Kouichi, simply.

Takuya looked shocked. "How… how old are you?"

Kouichi laughed. "We're only eleven, Takuya. Still almost babies by our peoples standards."

Kouji came back. "Are you sharing our ways with dirt-folk, Kouichi?" he asked icily.

"They aren't dirt-folk, Kouji. And besides, Takuya is our friend, and we should trust him."

"You think our honoured-father trusted them as they shot him?"

Kouichi was furious. "How dare you! What one band of humans did on the Great Road is not what they all do, or do you think yourself responsible for everything I do? You forget your place, second-son."

Kouji made an elven submissive gesture, baring his forearms at Kouichi. "You are my elder, and my superior." He returned his hands to his sides. "Doesn't mean you're right about them."

"Doesn't mean you're right either, Kouji. Sorry Takuya, just, you know, brothers arguing."

Takuya nodded. "It's okay. Me and Shinya argued a lot too. I even originally thought my magic was because of him."

Kouichi smiled. "Why don't you tell us about your family?"

Takuya sighed. "My family was a totally normal farming family. Until I burnt the barn to the ground and they called me demon and threw me out."

"That's because that's what you are, Demon." They looked up to see Goodwinson standing just out of view, holding his cane. "I am here because I want to know what magic you foul creatures do."

"Manners will get you everywhere," retorted Takuya. "Say 'please'."

Goodwinson snorted, then waved his staff in an extravagant manner. "Though chains still bind, my spells do not. Release these retched creatures from their bondage."

They all looked at him curiously, then Kouichi again tried to test the chains. This time they didn't burn. He looked surprised at Goodwinson. "You're releasing us?"

"No." He smiled thinly. "I merely want to know what magic it is you do, and to see it done."

Takuya looked scared. "I… I don't know any magic." He moved closer to the twins.

Goodwinson looked angry. "I have no patience with games, creature."

Kouji stood protectively in front of Takuya. "He doesn't know how to control his magic. He has not been taught how, but he is a fire mage."

"A fire-demon?" Goodwinson peered at Takuya, like a housewife picking out a piece of fresh meat. "How intriguing a plaything. I've not had one of your kind before. And untrained!" He smiled. "All the better to learn as you do." He slapped Takuya on the back. "You will surely find yourself here, in service to your betters."

Takuya bit his tongue to prevent himself from replying in an obnoxious manner.

Goodwinson turned his attention to the twins. "And what is the power you both share?"

Kouji shook his head. "We don't share. I can move things about and create barriers." //And I'm not telling him about this, and neither are you, Kouichi.//

//For once, we agree. This guy isn't the best example of humans, is he?// "And I can see things. I see the future in dreams, and things far away in mirrors and water." Kouichi shuffled nervously. "And I see magic as colours."

"Intriguing" Goodwinson moved closer, then grabbed Kouichi's face, tilting it up at an uncomfortable angle, and appeared to examine Kouichi's eye. "You creatures have sharp eyes anyway, but I never heard of you seeing magic before."

Kouichi started to struggle. "Let go…" He winced as Goodwinson gripped harder for a moment, then released him.

"You should be glad I'm this merciful, elf. You are fed and watered, which is more than some other nobles would do for you." He swirled his cape around himself imperiously. "Most would've shot you long before now." He stormed out, and as he left the courtyard the boys again felt a burning sensation at their necks.

Kouji hurried to Kouichi's side, and checked his face, stroking gently. "Are you okay?"

Kouichi nodded. "Just sore. Nothing too bad, I hope. The man is a menace, and there's not a drop of magic in him." He shivered as rain started to pour from the sky. "Great. Rain."

Takuya made a face. "Rain helps the crops grow." He scurried to under the lean-to to take shelter. "Not that it's that pleasant or anything." He curled into the hay looking miserable.