CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELEIF, I AM NOT DEAD!

Also contrary to popular opinion, I don't own Tammy Pierces Stories …or was that just wishful thinking? I think it was.

My family is remodeling our house so my computer isn't hooked up so I can't get in it to finish writing the next chappy of Prov. Be rest assured, few readers I have managed to sustain and who also read TfS. It might be hooked up within a week or so though so keep faith. I was having a little trouble writing this chapter of this story for some reason, don't particularly know why, but I'm under the suspicion that a sudden obsession with Naruto manga had something to do with it.

And no, I did NOT go on register as a Narutofan and get access to every single chapter of the manga they have on record (which is 298 by the way, that's 31 volumes) download and read each and every page of every one, then fantasize about Kakashi and draw excessive fanart…

Okay, fine maybe I did do that.

I'm actually good at drawing, though, so I was justified in the fanart thing…or at least not embarrassing myself with it. One day I'll post something for you guys. Maybe when I get my wacom tablet working again…damnable thing, we keep changing computers then I have to reload the software.

Anyways, Responses Galore!

Numair's lover, Oh my god, I do that to. Though it's usually when I'm writing essays for my demonic Engish teacher. That was last year though so I can try to forget him…try is the key word there, to took freaking ten points off my flippin' essay just because I didn't document my quotes properly! "Nyah nyah! You have to have only ONE period and it has to be OUTSIDE the parenthesis and you need ONLY the number inside and—," It was always something with him. Not to mention we were always reading two books at once, plus vocabulary tests, and quote tests and cliché tests and finishing up the essay of the LAST book we read…That class made me hate English.

About the Numy and Daine dealio, by all means if I think of a good enough story to feature them in, I'll write it, but I have to say that I haven't thought of anything yet, but we'll see. Numair is in this one a little, and we'll be seeing him and Daine a little more in Prov in the next Part, but I don't have anything that features them in the works at the moment. The other two stories I'm going to start posting (Either when I finish Part four of Prov. Sm or when I finish the entirety of this story, whichever comes first,) don't have either of them at all. One's on Alan mostly, but also shows a lot on how Kel and Dom manage things. The other is an Emelan Universe fic with Tris and Lightbridge, I already have a chapter and a half done on that but I'm not going to post it for a while.

You can check out more of that on my bio, it's at the bottom in the Soon To Come section. It's actually got a lot of relevant information there. You might want to take a look if you haven't already.

But like I said, it's got to be a REALLY good idea, or I won't post it. I also have to have a good idea on where it's going to go, because otherwise things end up like my last couple of fics, left to rot, if you know what I mean. Because I just think if you're not going to write a story that you think really rocks, you're just clogging things up and insulting the characters. I like Daine and Numair too much to just butcher them with some piece of crap, not that anything I or anyone else writes is a piece of crap by the way, I just want to make my point. I think you understand, though.

Anyways, hope you like and review me please, this fic only has six reviews…and I do love reviews. Any suggestions on a storyline for Daine and Numair is really welcome too, if you think of any. Can't promise I'll use them or even like them but they might help me think of something good for it. That goes for anyone, suggestions on plot line are welcome, although I'll tell you right now I don't do fan service. I might use them IF I like them enough and if they don't detract from where I want the story to go.

Nativewildmage thanks for the review, glad you like it. Review again! I love reviews.

Please RER: Read, Enjoy, Review!

Oh, and due to lack of relevant information (or relevant memory, maybe, could be either) I used some poetic/literary liaisons when it came to mage-robe ranks. If it doesn't match up with your perceptions, I'm sorry but that's just too bad. Just forget your issues and go with it. Then at the end send me a review, you can even flame me if you want, I give permission, not that you need it.

Something else important is I'm introducing the existence of a new country and culture that doesn't exist in the original canon. Once again, go with it. I would like the feedback though, at the end…even if it is flames.

A lot of stuff goes on here, it's pretty important. This is a long chapter, so be happy. ..if you want to.

Turn from Shadow

By LGR

Chapter Three: Spectral Evidence

"There he is!" Jamila pointed, trying not to seem too obvious. The group looked in the direction of her finger, to see a man standing idly in front of the Temple of the Graveyard Hag.

Thom understood why Nakik had said he would believe this man to be an assassin.

Even from this distance, Thom could see he was likely of mixed ancestry. Lacking the black skin tone of most southern Carthaki's, he looked more to be an olive tone that likely indicated at least one Carthaki ancestor somewhere along the line, although most of his facial features screamed to Thom as being from the north, having a thin, straight nose that was common to those in Tortal or Scanra, but virtually non-existent in Carthak blood. His hair was the black-brown of the locals, but lacked the frizz or curls; it was bone-straight, and shiny looking.

The man had the appearance of being quite tall, but as someone walked near to the supposed assassin, Thom could see he was only slightly above average in height. He was also surprised to see that the man was not very old, not even thirty.

But that wasn't what made him seem intimidating. The whole right side of his face was covered in a black tattoo of swirling, elegant arcs and symbols that continued down the man's neck to disappear beneath his clothes. Thom also saw evidence of corresponding tattoos on both his right and left hands.

For his clothes, he wore a light gray, high-necked, tailed-coat with long cuffs that would have covered the tattoos on his hands, except that they continued along his fingers as well. Darker gray trousers were also present, as well as steal-toed boots. Thom didn't see any weapon's on him, but knew that didn't necessarily mean anything. His own Father was assistant Spy-master in Tortall, and his sister was Spy-master in The Copper Isles and he'd learned a thing or two enough to know that appearances were sometimes deceiving.

"He doesn't look like a slave. He doesn't have his head shaved, like most Carthaki slaves, and he has nice clothes." Gordan observed, but Nakik shook his head.

"Maybe not, but look at his mannerisms; the defeated posture, no non-slave stands like that. He's a slave all right; I'd say a badly treated one as well. He doesn't only look conquered, he looks half-dead." He told them.

And it was true, as Thom looked again, a shadow hung over him as if he thought himself unworthy of the notice of the rest of the world. This could be feigned, but Thom thought it wasn't a trick; and his instincts were good.

But while the others were observing his outside appearance, Thom was trying to scan his inside. Those Tatoos might be ornamental, but he thought not. Thom recognized the few symbols he could make out from a diagram in book he owned. In fact, it was back in his room at the University. It was part of a spell that helped to stabilize and harmonize objects of power with outside magic. The man must have had quite a few magical workings done on him, to need something of that sort done to him.

After a few seconds of trying to find indications of Magical alterations done on in, Thom gave up. He didn't have the sight like his sister Aly. He couldn't just take look at someone and see that making was working on them, he could only make observations and guesses based on what he saw and felt. Either way, Thom was fairly sure that something had been done to the man, his outline looked faded or misty, making it hard to keep him in sight as a focus instead of part of the scenery, the mind didn't want to recognize him as there which was very good evidence in Thom's book.

And a working like that was definitely Black-robe level. No doubt about that. Few people could even fathom such a thing was possible.

"He's moving." Naranda observed, at the moment when the man began to walk towards the bustling crowd. Tahiri immediately leapt to follow him in what Thom assumed was supposed to be a 'stealthy' fashion. She looked like a heron wading through a swamp.

"Tahiri, what in Mithros's name are you doing?" Jamila asked, shaking her head at the girl's antics.

"I'm following him." She said in a whispered shout, after ducking almost violently behind a statue, then rushing to crouch behind a large palm-tree growing in a garden box in the street. She was drawing odd looks from some of the people nearby but mostly she was ignored.

"You're going about this all wrong. You're way too suspicious looking. You have to act casual." Thom instructed, and Naranda groaned, as he demonstrated by putting his hands in his pockets and strolled down the street while whistling.

Jamila, Ehoize, Nakik and Gorden stared confusedly then gawked even more as Tahiri when right along with him saying, "Oh! I get it now!" then proceeded to meander down the street behind him, looking in every direction other then the where she was walking, nearly tripping multiple times as her feet met unexpectedly with solid objects.

Everyone, even some of the passersby, winced as Tahiri collided with the back of a marble statue while looking in the opposite direction. There was an audible "guh!" as the wind was knocked out of her and she stumbled back just barely managing to keep her balance.

"Are you okay?" Jamila asked worriedly as Tahiri rubbed the side of her jaw where she'd bashed against the sculpture.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said slightly sulkily then muttered, "Damnable statue…" her jaw starting to turn pink.

"Ooo, that's going to leave a bruise," Nakik informed her.

"Not bad for a beginner, but you have to keep your eye-on-the-prize, as it were. An eye on the street might not be a bad idea either." Thom said, for all the world sounding as if he were serious; maybe he was.

Tahiri went rigid and raised her hand in a salute, "I will next time, sir!" she told him, sounding equally grave.

Ehoize and Nakik stood there blinking in disbelief, while Gorden was hunched over as if he was in pain because he couldn't stop his fit of laughter. Jamila turned to chastise Naranda, "See what he's done? He's corrupting her! Didn't you say something about keeping him out of trouble? Good job you're doing. Hmph!"

"I never said anything about keeping Tahiri out of trouble! It's her own choice if she wants to follow his nonsense. Your argument is groundless!" Naranda shot back, her voice placing her in a University debate session.

Finally she sighed, "You're right," Jamila admitted, "How do you put up with that sort of thing? It tires me out just watching them. Is he always like this?" She asked.

Thom and Tahiri were now acting like children playing battle, with Thom the officer giving orders and Tahiri the privet, obeying them. Gorden finished his laughing fit and joined in, treating the whole thing like a fabulous joke and occasionally snickering while Thom was 'giving instructions'.

"I've known him since I was twelve, I'm pretty much used to it by now, scary as that may seem." Naranda confessed.

"I feel for you." Ehoize added.

"Such," Naranda said profoundly, "is my fate."

Thom ordered the archers, (played by Tahiri,) to shoot down the evil general, (played by Gorden). Somehow in all of this Nakik was deemed the 'castle' and he and Tahiri ran in circles around Nakik chasing Gorden who seemed to be enjoying himself. Nakik just looked scared to death.

"So mote it be!" Thom yelled in response to Naranda's statement. Naranda then proceeded to smack her face in frustration. Apparently she wasn't quite as immune to Thom's foolishness as she let on.

"Hey pull yourselves together, he's still there you know." Ehoize informed them, meaning the assassin, as a crowd actually gathered to watch the ridiculous 'battle'. He shooed them away as Thom and Gorden whined that they'd been interrupted.

"We'll get you yet, evil Mage-General Gorden! Your reign of terror will end!" Thom mock scorned.

"Not if I get you first, short-goody-goody Mage-General Thom!" Gordan shot back.

Thom suddenly turned sober and with a frown said, " 'short'? Now that's just mean, Gorden."

"Yeah, it was a 'low-blow'" Gorden spouted, and then snickered at his pun, "'low', 'short',haha…"

"Agreed, it was below the belt." Tahiri added.

"You killed it Tahiri." Gorden said, his voice in mock disappointment, "It's not funny anymore."

"It was never funny to begin with." Thom said, moping. He wasn't as touchy as his little brother Alan at being short (Thom didn't know what he had to complain about, he was taller than Thom himself), but he was still sensitive about it.

"Hey, there he goes!" Ehoize said, drawing their attention back to why they were standing in the Temple district in the first place; that is to say, spying on the assassin.

Who was currently walking briskly away into a crowd.

The group went off after him, forgetting to be nondescript in the rush to not lose sight of the man.

Somehow he easily dodged the moving people as if they were standing still and ten feet from each other. He set off toward an even denser flood of bodies, and completely disappeared.

"Where'd he go! Where'd he go!" Gorden chanted, looking around almost violently.

"…What? How could he disappear like that? They're a lot of people to be sure but it wasn't like he was that far away or that ordinary looking. In fact, he downright stood out from the crowd." Naranda thought aloud in puzzlement, "That just shouldn't have happened."

"That's all the proof I need he's an assassin, or at least involved in some crafty business," Ehoize stated, they all agreed. Thom didn't mention the spell.

After lunch at a nice inn, they took a cart ride back to the University. "Well, at least the trip out here wasn't all for naught," Thom said as they walked through the halls. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a coin of Carthaki currency, "Someone threw a coin for me after our 'performance!'" he showed them, with a laugh.

"I bet it was more like threw a coin at you, Thom." Gorden told him.

"Hey, you were out there too, you have no room to talk."

"I suppose."

"Don't bother denying it."

"I'm not denying it…per se."

"Whatever. You're just jealous they threw me a coin and not you."

The rest of the group watched the two with condescension as their argument echoed down the gilded halls. One of the doors was shoved open and a Carthaki mage scolded them about keeping their voices down while people were actually working.

The two mages apologized profusely to the glaring older man, as the others snickered behind there backs. The mage must have been satisfied because after the initial lecture he returned through the door, as more snickers were heard from students within.

"Oh, Thom, it is you." A voice said behind them, and they turned to see Numair with multiple other mages behind him looking to see what the ruckus was about. Apparently the non-Tortallans of the group didn't realize he was the Black-robed mage Numair Salmalín, else wise they'd have been gaping like fish.

Thom laughed nervously, "Ahaha…what gave me away?" he asked in jest. Other than Thom and Naranda who were used to this behavior, those in the group were confused when Numair took the question seriously and shrugged.

"Instinct I suspect." He told Thom, and then changed the subject with excitement, "But come in! You four as well! This fellow from some foreign country has an absolutely ingenious way of combining Dampening and Disruptive spells along with Personal Wards together using Clemell's Law of Instantaneous-Digression and Fleming's Law of Reverse-Exertion Effects to produce self-sustaining wards that don't affect any magical working inside but cause magic to Disperse, and become unable to sustain itself, upon contact with the ward. It utilizes the magic employed upon it to power itself, and can be set by means of another spell to only activate when magic is used within a certain area, then subside to conserve use of energy!"

"Really?" Naranda asked wide-eyed in interest, "That's so clever! This has so many applications!"

"May I see it? Please!" Thom begged, "This could be useful, especially for sensitive magical objects one might not want disturbed!"

"That was my thought exactly!"

"Did you get any of that?" Gorden asked Ehoize, murmuring behind his hand.

"Er, not really."

"I am so confused, I can't keep up with all these different Laws and whatnot. It's hard to visualize everything." Tahiri confessed with a sigh.

"Don't worry about it," Naranda told her, "You'll understand what we're talking about once we see it, come on." She said, and motioned for them to come in as Thom was already following Numair in, discussing the theory of how the spell could be set under different conditions.

"Oh, my!" Naranda heard Tahiri gasped, and the others were taken aback as well, as a mage in the room with teal magic was casting high-powered spells on a small, carved, wooden-chest. Such enchantments should have rendered the little box into ashes, but the energy swept across the face of a mysterious barrier around the item, then converged on the opposite side and dissipated as if it had never been. The ward flickered then it to was gone.

"Master Xiāo-Yáng Zhá, this is absolutely wondrous!" The teal-magiked mage said excitedly then turned to shake the hand of the man next to him, both of whom were obscured from view. The large room itself seemed tiny with so many mages crammed in to see the new spell displayed.

"I thank you greatly for the compliment." They heard the man return, in thickly accented Carthaki.

Looking around to see where Numair had gone, Thom saw him already in the thick of things having a theoretical debate with a group of mages from Scanra. "Did Numair saw where the mage who made the spell was from?" Thom asked Naranda, who always seemed to be able to remember everything.

"No, he didn't." Naranda answered.

"Oh well," he said disappointedly, "I was curious. I don't recognized the accent, kind of reminds me of Yamani…"

"It's not Yamani. I know Yamani, remember?" Naranda told him slightly snappishly.

"Yes, I hadn't forgotten." Thom said in monotone, as if this were an old arguement, "I said it was similar to Yamani, I didn't say it was Yamani."

"Actually, you said it reminded you of Yamani." Ehoize said from behind Naranda. The rest of the group nodded agreement.

Thom shrugged, "Well, either way, I didn't call it Yamani. Anyways, I want to see this person."

Naranda winced, and the rest of the group snickered, as Thom danced around like an idiot, trying to get a better look; most everyone in the room was taller than him by an inch or so, most more.

"Excuse me," he said and finally poked his head between two disgruntled Mareners to see the spell-crafter.

Five mages were in the center of the display area. One, Thom recognized as the mage with Teal-colored magic, an extremely old man with skin the color of fine paper, and just as translucent, with a kind smile on his face that said he wasn't a scrooge.

The Second was the foreign mage, who actually could have passed for a Yamani, to the ignorant observer. He had the characteristic almond-shaped, amber eyes, short cut jet-black hair, small stature, and light skin of the Yamani islanders, but there were subtle differences that one didn't notice at first glance. Like the different angled tilt of the eyes, the rounder face, and the different clothing.

While, Yamani men and women were both known for wearing garments called kimono, the foreign mage wore a stiff sleeved high-necked long, loose gray, silk shirt that was lined with black buttons of looped and twisted braid, from top to bottom. The entire sleeves were embroidered in white, black and gold Cranes. The loose pants were plain black silk covering little black shoes.

Definitely not Yamani clothing.

"Are all mages of Xhíanyin great spell-crafters?" the Teal-mage asked.

"We all have our strengths and weaknesses." He answered as the other three mages, who Thom knew to be Emperor Kaddar and Empress Kalasin (or Kally, as he used to call her when they were little) wearing severely paired down versions of imperial garb with only golden circlets and sparse gold and black eye paint to distinguish their rank, and Master Negus, who seemed to be simultaneously impressed and absolutely disgusted, examined the little box.

Thom had thought there was something off about Master Negus from the beginning, and this second encounter was no different. Watching the other Black Robe ask something of the foreign mage, Thom's eyes grew itchy and started to water.

He reached his hands up to rub his eyes, and then opened them to see a far different view than he'd expected.

A shadow of a man held the black robe by the throat, and had him clutching at the man's arm, trying to pry it from his neck. Master Negus's face was sweating and red, as he poured his steel-gray magic into his attacker in vain. It broke onto a ward and made kaleidoscope patterns of color as it swept around him and disappeared.

"I MADE YOU!" He sputtered in desperation as the hand grew tighter and tighter. "YOU CANT DO THIS TO ME!"

"You made it so I could." The shadow said, his voice like lightening leaping from the sky as symbols erupted and spread neon blue light on the scene, bringing the shadow into focus. The shadow closed his eyes, then his fist clenched around the mage's throat while neon blue magic pulsed into him, and the mage's head exploded.

No one noticed as Thom grew pale and shook slightly, for no reason that was apparent. Getting himself under control, Thom realized no time had passed, and tried to analyze what he'd seen.

It had been a vision. His Mother was adept at healing. His uncle had been able to read minds at times. To Numair, breaking other's spells was second nature. And Naranda was an area-spell specialist. All mages had things they were particularly good at, but usually these weren't self-manifesting things that you had no control over, like having visions.

No, that was a rare ability. Thom thought it had some connection with The Sight, but there was no way t tell, they simply didn't know enough about where magic came from to distinguish that. Either way, Thom had it, and dealt with it. This was only the eighth time it had made itself known, and shown him a future, but every time it had happened, it had been something important.

Thom just hoped he wouldn't have nightmares about that one. He was feeling pretty green right now, that scene was right up there with when Alanna had been forced to behead a pirate, who had broken into their castle at Pirate's Swoop, right in front of him when he was seven.

He told himself not to think about it and tried to look normal as he realized Master Negus had broken off his conversation and drifted through the crowd someplace out of sight.It was now Kalasin and Kaddar who were speaking with the Foreign Mage.

"It was so good of you to come with the delegation of mages from the Yamani Isles, you seem to be much of a traveler." Kalasin observed and Kaddar nodded beside her in agreement.

"Traveler? Yes, I am very much a traveler. Very few of us leave our land, and fewer still go beyond the Islands of the Yamanis to the east or the Silken Mountains to the west. I am very honored to be apart of this great collaboration of Mages of different nations and teachings." The Xhíanyian Mage said with a bow, that differed slightly from both the standard bows of the eastern lands and the Yamani bows.

Both Kaddar and Kalasin were very interested in the mage's origins but understanding that others around them were also waiting to question the mage, and on matters pertaining to the actual spell. They made their questions politely few then stood back to allow others a chance to have their inquiries answered. Being curious mages themselves it wasn't hard for them to show quiet interest in the theory and applications of the spell.

"I can't wait to stick that on my box of truth-spelled jewelry." Thom heard Naranda say next to him. Somehow she and the others had finagled their way into the inner ring to see as well. "Every time I want to cast area based spells on some of my other things, I have to move it out of my room. All the jewelry goes haywire." Looking at Thom she frowned, "Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine." Thom said and tried to prove it with an idiotic grin but she didn't seem convinced and gave him a look that said you and I are going to have a little chat later…Thom laughed nervously.

"I'd put it over my mercury vials their always absorbing one spell or another in my workshop." Jamila commented.

"Aly will want all the mages to learn this I'm sure." Nakik added and he pulled out a blank notebook from nowhere and started scribbling things down.

"Now that I see it, it really isn't that complicated. It would be awesome if one could get it to store the energy away, you'd need a gem or something to hold the magic, though…" Tahiri stated, looking over the spelled box with concentration.

"And you said you were new at this." Naranda rolled her eyes, and Tahiri smiled at the compliment. Thom stuck his nose right up to the spell and walked around it, looking at it from all angles.

" A gem? Hm, you could do that but it wouldn't be worth it unless you don't expect it to be around much magic to absorb and store." He said, "Gems break really easy if they have to much magic stored in them. They can usually only hold about one-spell's worth, and those are the big ones too."

"Oh, well what do you suggest, Short-Goody-Goody-Black-Robe-Mage-General Thom?" Gorden asked sarcastically. Thom didn't seem to notice.

"What I would do," Thom said, "Is use a gem, say a Black Opal—or actually I think a large Amber would be better in this case. That or a Blue Topaz if I could find one—anyways, use the gem to hold a magic-containment spell, and integrate a siphoning-spell into the absorption part of the original spell. Of course either way you do it you'd have to fiddle around with the absorption part so that it only siphoned the excess magic, not what's needed to power the spell itself."

Tahiri had her eyes closed trying to picture it while Naranda said something about maybe being able to substitute a Star-Sapphire for Blue Topaz in the spell, with modifications of course, and everyone else seemed slightly confused.

"A Magic-containment-spell? There aren't any spells like that." Jamila said, "If there was you wouldn't have to store magic in crystals any more!"

"Well, how do you think I got my Black robe? You can't just ask for one you know, you have to do something pretty spectacular." Thom said, showing the first bit of cockiness about his rank since they'd met him. Apparently, Thom was human after all.

"What, you mean…you made one?" Gordan asked still a little confused, and Thom nodded, still looking fairly proud of himself. "But…how did you get passed the Law of Unstable-Energy-Decomposition?"

"You can see my notes later." Thom said, "It's not as difficult as it sounds."

"Yeah, well that's nice and all, but I want to figure out what anchors the spell to the box. I don't see any markings…" Naranda mumbled looking over the little box and coming up short.

"It's an area-selection spell set to incorporate a certain amount of space around an established point anchored to a symbol carved on the bottom of the box." A heavily accented voice said and they all finally noticed the foreign mage listening in on their conversation. And they were slightly surprised to see he was only about twenty-five. They also noticed they were all alone; the other mages had left.

"Oh! Master—Er…what was it?—Jow-yan-Zah?" Tahiri spluttered unintelligibly.

"Master Xiāo-Yáng Zhá. But just Xi­āo is well enough," He said easily.

"Jow?"

"Jz-ee-ai-oh."

"Jayo?"

"…close enough, I suppose." The mage decided with a sigh, as Naranda picked up the box to look at the bottom and confirm the symbol's existence.

"Does it have to be a magic symbol?" Naranda asked.

"No."

"Hmm, I suppose that ugly butterfly painted on the bottom of my jewelry box turned out to have a purpose after all." Naranda mumbled to herself.

"Er…" Xiāo looked confused.

"This is a really good spell. What robe are you?" Thom asked.

"Red." Xiāo said and everyone other than Thom and Naranda looked bug-eyed.

"Was going to say, if you weren't a red robe that spell would qualify you." Naranda told him.

"Actually, it's what did qualify me."

A Mage's strength, skill, experience, and knowledge of theory and application were measured by tests and the Ordeal of Sorcery, and depending on their performance, would be awarded with a robe: black being the highest, and descending to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and lastly white.

Blue, purple and white robes, however, were considered "novice" ranks and not "mastery" ranks and were awarded without an ordeal of sorcery. The spirit of the Chamber of the Ordeal rewarded the others, and one could always retake the ordeal to secure a higher robe, however, if one failed, they usually died. That was why Mages had to prove to councils and the like they were ready to take higher ordeals; most universities and Mage schools hated to have their students and staff die because of over-confidence on the Mage's part.

"Figured as much." Naranda said, "The spell that qualified me for Red-robe was a traveling-mute-shield." The others had their jaws hanging open both at the surprised that Naranda was a red robe and that she'd managed to make a traveling ward, that is to say, a ward that moved with the spell-caster and was not anchored to the ground.

"er…whatsa mute-shield?" Tahiri asked Thom, embarrassed at here lack of knowledge.

"A mute shield is a ward that wards-off sound within the shield." Thom murmured to her.

"Ah…no fair, you all are high class mages and I just got my Green robe credentials two weeks ago!" Tahiri said sadly.

"We're hardly high class mages Tahiri, I'm only an orange robe myself," Nakik said.

"Jamila, Gorden and I are only Yellow robes." Ehoize told her, "I mean we can't all be red or black robes or what would the point be?"

"I suppose you're right."

"Come on. It's dinnertime. I'm half-starved." Gorden said, "We can continue this over some of that awesome cinnamon-spiced-rice and raison stuff. Whoever thought to put rice and cinnamon together should win a prize or something, I swear." And he started walking out the door as everyone else agreed, and followed him.

Eating their dinner in the dining hall of the University, Xiāo had somehow managed to be incorporated into the group. The rest of the mages seemed to think it was befitting, after all he was only about twenty-five even if he was a red robe. Being a black robe hadn't managed to win Thom any points with old-timers, so this wasn't that unexpected.

Thom was silently embarrassed for the Dean of the Carthaki University, he would have thought they'd have the courtesy to treat a foreign mage at least slightly more exaltedly than regular-everyday Tortallans, Scanrans or Mareners. It was a show of respect to mages of other cultures.

Not that Thom was complaining. He had been serious when he'd said he'd rather sit here than at the high table. Everyone else was glad Xiāo was seated with them as well. Although he did talk a lot, everyone found. Thom would have thought he was more the shy type like Nakik. But he chattered more than most girls he knew, which was decidedly unusual.

Thom realized something, "Where's Master Negus?"

"Who?"

"Master Negus," Tahiri supplied then whispered to Xiāo, "He's a black robe that we have suspicions about. He has an assassin that kills mages."

"He has an assassin that kills mages?"

"Is there an echo in here?" Naranda deadpanned but everyone ignored her.

"You're sure he has an assassin? Why hasn't he been arrested?" Xiāo asked.

"No one can prove it." Nakik said.

"Well, who is this Master Negus person, maybe we can find some evidence."

"I don't think we'll find anything if all the Carthaki authorities haven't managed it by now." Thom answered, "But you must know who he is at least, Master Negus was looking at your spell earlier."

"My spell? Er…Oh, you mean that really sour looking guy in black?"

"Yes, I'd say that's an adequate description." Thom said as the rest of the table snickered slightly. "What was he looking at your spell for? I mean, besides that fact it was interesting and all."

"Umm, he asked what sort of alteration you might need to do in order for the spell to work on a living object…I told him it would be easier, and safer, to make the spell have a large spread and place it on a worn object but he seemed to think I was an idiot or something—,"

"A living object? Why would he ask about that?" Thom wondered. He'd stopped paying attention to his food ages ago, and right now he was absently swishing it around with a fork.

"He was probably just speculating. Anyways it could be useful to place something like that on a person. It could really protect them from Mage attacks and the like." Naranda justified then realized what she had said.

"Protect from mage attacks… he's putting it on the assassin…" Thom mused. It went right along with what he'd observed on the man earlier. Master Negus was experimenting on that assassin. That would also explain how he managed to kill mages despite the fact he was ungifted himself.

"Maybe," Jamila said, not really buying it, "But don't you think you're jumping to conclusions? This is a mages convention; he could just be here to gain knowledge, like the rest of us. You could easily use that spell to, say, protect the Emperor from a mage attack. Either way, putting a spell on a person isn't a crime. It doesn't prove anything." She told them angrily.

"Jamila you were the first one to say something was up from the start—," Gorden began but didn't get to finish.

"Here me out! I'm just saying, this is all a little too easy, don't you think?" she told them as they all thought it over. Everyone was taking this seriously, even Xiāo, who'd only been clued in recently.

"Fine." Thom said after a moment, "We won't jump to conclusions, like you said…But hunches run in my family, and I have a hunch something is going on here. Maybe it's not as simple as an Egocentric Black robe thinks he can pick off mages one by one, or maybe it is. But we'll find out eventually." He promised them.

He still hadn't said anything about either the vision or the spell on the Assassin, but the look Naranda was giving him, demanded he do so soon.

I'll tell you later he told her with a glance.

You had better came an answering expression.

"I think we should go to bed." Ehoize suggested. No one had touched the remains of their dinner in a quite a few minutes, seeming content to stare off into other worlds as they pondered in silence.

Gorden wasn't making snappy jokes, Xiāo wasn't talking excessively, Tahiri wasn't inferring she was stupid, Naranda wasn't being sarcastic, Jamila wasn't being bossy, Nakik was looking more nervous than ever, and Thom wasn't acting like a fool. In fact, his expression was what many of them were pondering, aside from the current puzzle of the assassin. He had his hands together, close to his mouth staring at the table in a way that made Ehoize think it would catch fire any second. Thom looked like Black robe, and it was slightly unsettling.

"Bed," Thom answered, "Sounds like a great idea to me. G'night, everyone. " And he got up from his seat just as Naranda opened her mouth and Thom interrupted without even looking at her, saying "I know Naranda, I'll tell you tomorrow. I promise." She sighed in worry as he walked out the hall.