My return to the classroom wasn't exactly triumphant. Instead I was put on the spot and questioned on topics that I had missed classes on due to my confinement.

The moral lesson of this was that Creation would not care for any weakness on my part and I must hit the ground running to make up for any such failings. That didn't make it any less excruciating to have to stand up and endure the smug faces of Hunt and Doreg every time I didn't answer correctly.

There was no surprise that I was unfamiliar with the reading – I had been denied books while I recuperated. Some people would say that reading was my third delight in life, behind crafting with my hands and the practise of martial arts. And ahead of siring more children.

Frankly, the other three were not delights, they were simply absolute requirements if I was to survive and thrive in my past life. Reading is my first and foremost joy in life.

But the sad fact was, no one trusted a baby with books any more than they did tools. And I was very much on the other side of the child-making equation right now. I had given up trying to guess how I'd feel about it when the time came. Presumably hormones would kick in and I know all too well how much that can change a youngster's thinking.

Assuming that any conscious thought takes place on the subject in the head of an adolescent, which is quite a bit of credit to give them.

I was not looking forward to puberty.

But yes. The martial arts were the only one of those pastimes that I had had even the least chance to indulge in since I was reborn, and that with almost no chance to actually apply it practically. Working through kata can build reflexes but only sparring can polish those skills and I was still far too young to be given any chance to do that except under highly constrained and regulated circumstances.

Plus, I wasn't supposed to know half the arts I wanted to practise. It was frustrating.

The chance to read had been a great relief to me, but that too was circumscribed. The Realm had a healthy publishing industry with printing presses and the line to churn out scrolls covering any number of topics… but what they did not have was a great deal of creativity.

Virtually everything I read had been written centuries before and approved for publication largely because it held calculated messages – overt and covert – that supported the Realm's policies and social structure. Even a work of fiction was designed to educate the intended audience into their proper place in society.

Thus, I was only permitted to read that narrow slice of literature aimed at young dynasts. Formulaic, for the most part, with tales of young and virtuous dynasts doing as they properly should and being rewarded by Exaltation.

I have two books, allegedly written three hundred years apart by entirely different authors, and with the exception of the names of places and characters they were almost word for word the same. I still don't know if it was knowing plagiarism, someone ghost-writing their own work to make more money off it or just a blind lack of imagination on the part of the second author.

That may have had something to do with me sneaking into Demarol's rooms and going through his medicine chest. Lack of new books to read makes Alina go crazy.

I would not be surprised if, assuming the Realm avoids the disasters of the next century or so, if I don't somehow wind up with a hidden chest under my bed of illicit romance novels or such like.

(And yes, books brought in from outside the Blessed Isle are very much censured for inappropriate messages.)

I made some guesses about the contents of the book we'd been working our way through (the Dragon Knight of the Fire Mountains, if you care) based on the assumption that the sentiments and themes were puerile and repetitive. While I was wrong on some details, Sifu Shoku (who taught us literature as well as martial arts) was satisfied that I was being properly indoctrinated, even if I might not have actually read the book. I was allowed off with a reminder to get caught up on the chapters I'd missed as soon as possible.

Not exactly a punishment, since I would do that anyway. They might be predictable and unsophisticated, but they were all I had in terms of reading materials.

Nolly replaced Shoku at the head of the classroom, the shaven-headed man leaving the room as quickly as he could. He wasn't formally a monk but my understanding was that he had trained with the Immaculate Order and still maintained some of their ways.

I had mixed feelings about Nolly as a teacher. Maths was fine, but music was not my strongest subject.

"We've been doing some more complicated problems lately," she advised me brightly and started writing on the blackboard with chalk.

I exhaled in relief and Hunt did the same in disappointment. She knew that I was pretty good with numbers.

"Doreg and Nalan both managed this yesterday, so let's see if you can manage it." The woman finished drawing a triangle and some numbers along the two shorter sides. "What's the length of this side," she asked me, tapping the longer side with her chalk.

I made a face. Okay, one number was twice the other so… square root of five was…

I needed to try a couple of times to find that by trial and error but then all I had to do was multiply it by the shorter of the sides and there it was.

"You must have been cheating!" Hunt declared in outrage when I gave the answer. "Did Nalan tell you?"

"I didn't!" he protested. "I wasn't going to spend time talking about lessons."

Nolly smacked the board with the flat of her hand. "Alina is correct, that's the main point. And since you had to do some working out, I'm inclined to think that you did it alone. I must ask how you managed, since I haven't discussed this with you, Alina?"

"Uh, I do listen when you talk to the others," I pointed out. "So generally, by the time you teach me something, I'm hearing it for the second or third time. It helps."

"I don't recall discussing how to calculate a triangle before you fell ill," the teacher mused. "Hmm. Well, there's no argument with success. Now…" her eyes brightened. "Have you been practising your singing?"

I knew she'd get to this. She loved music, while maths was just a job to her. "No, teacher."

Nolly tsked. "You could have done that in your bed, I would have thought. Anyway, let's make a start on the March of the Thirty-Sixth Legion. How many of the verses do you remember?"

"Most of them," I said dubiously. My memory wasn't the weak point musically.

"Excellent. Everyone on the choruses, but Alina will carry the reverses."

Nalan flinched, the poor boy was sat in front of me and he'd have to endure my warbling. I think it was positively painful for him.

With a mental apology to Nalan, I started to sing. I couldn't see his face but the hunched shoulders told their own story and Nolly's face was just as illustrative. Sifu Shoku seemed just as disappointed when he returned with a scroll.

"I think that more practise is required," Nolly decided. "Come back here after martial arts practise and we'll work harder on that."

"Yes teacher." What else could I say? There was no point complaining though. Nolly had no say in what she taught us, and even Tepet Demarol and Tepet Yrina were doing no more than having us tutored in what was expected for anyone aiming to be enrolled in formal schooling. Every child of any family with the ability to hire tutors was put through this and unless I was ever in a position to change all of the Realm's education, I would never be able to alter this.

Nolly yielded the board to Shoku, who cleared her diagram from earlier and started marking numbers on the board. "We'll refresh on the Third sutra of the Fall of the Golden Anathema," he advised. "Alina, you missed the lessons on this so play close attention, this is your chance to catch up."

Ironically, I knew this sutra very well. In the time that was and maybe would be again, I had rewritten it and published it as a more accurate version, marketing it as an 'unedited version, based on certain pre-Contagion texts'. Oddly, there was considerable evidence that there had been copies of the Immaculate Texts in circulation back then that were more honest about the nature of the Anathema, so I'd attracted considerable support for the position in certain academic circles.

I'd also almost triggered a religious schism in the Immaculate Order and Peleps Deled had tried to murder me in broad daylight, which had been extremely entertaining. (Well, for me. He'd been rather less than pleased with the experience.) The 'religious debate of Wallport' had been recorded as a woodcut that I used on the second printing of my scrolls.

So, the main issue here, was remaining with the 'official version'. Because if Deled tried to skewer me in this life then he would probably have no particular difficulty and the psychotically fervent monk would probably hesitate not in the least in eradicating even a child for heresy.

My seventh birthday was marked by the announcement by Tepet Demarol that we would be hosting another gala at the estate. Not to mark my birthday, of course, more because he'd only managed to find a convenient scheduling moment to invite several of the older and more distinguished members of House Tepet at the same point that summer. My father-in-the-eyes-of-the-law was not one to keep such a feat to himself.

There was no grand celebration of my birthday anyway, and I'd rather been anticipating this summer ever since Opiha and I had moved out of the nursery to share a room next to Hunt's bedroom. There had been talk of the three of us sharing a room but this had been decided against since Ishah had a pretty good idea that there would be violence, possibly involving hairbrushes, if that happened.

Besides, the reason I was anticipating the summer was that at its end, once Calibration was over, the three older children would be departing for their primary schools. I'd kind of miss Nalan but Doreg and Hunt's absence would be more welcome, and it would leave me technically senior among the remaining children – even if that was just Opiha and the two newest babies. Hunt's mother and Tepet Yrina had announced their own pregnancies last year and both delivered boys in the spring.

"The gala will be a fine chance for our youngsters to make their mark," Demarol advised us as he visited the children's courtyard. He was addressing our teachers more than we youngsters, but we were there. "I am disappointed with Nalan's writing, but he is at least a good singer. Between now and the departure ceremony, I want you to work on his writing and prepare a performance. Many of the House's most distinguished members will be present, so making a good impression will open opportunities in the future."

"Of course, sir." Nolly bowed her head. "May I ask if you have a preferred piece?"

My lordly father (the jerk!) nodded. "General Arada will be joining us so it would be a very good time to honour him by singing of one of his deeds.

"The Wind Dancer's Ascent?" suggested the teacher.

Demarol considered for a moment and then pointed at Nalan. "Do you know that, young Nalan?"

"Yes, grandfather."

"You must be perfect then." He looked at the rest of us. "I planned on three of you accompanying the guests and our older children on the hunting expedition on the third and fourth days of the gala, which will include camping overnight. Since Nalan is in need of extra lessons, that means…" He paused, eyeing the two of us. "Which of them is doing better in their classes?"

Sifu Shoku took a half-step forward. "I believe that Alina might be better able to squire for the guests."

I almost managed to hide a disappointed look. What had I done to disappoint the Sifu that he'd throw me under a cart like that! Camping out in the woods on a hunting trip was not my idea of fun. And spending more time with distant relatives while expected to be seen but not heard would be miserable.

Most of all, I'd be stuck in close quarters with Hunt and Doreg unless I could convince one of the older children to shield me. Hmm, Icole would be back…

"Perhaps you are right." Demarol looked around the courtyard and then down his nose at us. "Let us test the children's familiarity with the matters that they should be aware of. Some simple questions, to make sure that they are not entirely ignorant."

"Of course, lord Demarol." Nolly clapped her hands to make sure we were all paying attention. "Children, please make the lord happy by answering quickly and clearly."

"I hope that you've been paying attention to discussion of the gala." My lawful father gazed at us. "Each of you name one of the Great Houses who will be represented among our guests."

"Cynis!" exclaimed Hunt immediately, knowing her father's house was heavily represented in Juche. It was a pretty safe bet they'd be attending – it was a rare social gathering they missed.

Doreg was almost as quick off the mark by claiming "Cathak," just a moment before his twin offered: "Ragara."

I thought Nalan's guess was a bit better, House Ragara's main focus – although like any house they had the sort of immensely diverse interests that naturally result from anything up to a thousand Dragon-Blooded pursuing their personal affinities – was banking and thus they would not wish to miss keeping close track of who was dealing with who. Galas like this one could have any number of unofficial business meetings that would set the agenda for financial and political matters over the next year.

I proposed House Nellens, and seeing that Opiha was hesitating, I caught her eye and touched the Tepet mon on the breast of my tunic.

"Tepet!" the white-haired girl exclaimed quickly.

"Well obviously!" exclaimed Doreg in apparent exasperation.

Demarol reached over and flicked the boy's forehead with one finger. "And yet it's correct. All of you are correct, in fact."

"Weren't we supposed to name Great Houses?" Hunt asked ingenuously. "I thought I heard Alina name a patrician family."

Shoku hissed and tried to secure the girl but Demarol raised one hand and stilled the sifu immediately.

"The use of Great House is a specific legal term," he reminded Hunt quietly, voice clipped and irritated. "The descendants of Her Scarlet Majesty's consort Nellens were granted that status over three hundred years ago. Very much in the way that another consort had his own descendants elevated to be a Great House shortly previous… that would be our own House." The last two words were all but hissed. "If I hear any remark of that kind around the guests then you may expect extremely swift consequences, granddaughter. And when I am done with you, I will move on to your mother, who has clearly paid far too little attention to keeping your tongue civil."

Hunt was white-faced and wide-eyed by the end of the tongue-lashing. Nolly was cringing almost as much, while Shoku seemed resigned. I wouldn't be surprised if they faced punishment as well for that conduct by a child in their charge.

"My second question," continued Demarol, "Is which Great Houses have declined to accept invitations to the gala. I will tell you now that I have invited members of all eleven. One at a time – Hunt, you are first.

"Sesus," she gasped.

For a moment silence hung and then the lord of the household inclined his head. Like the Cathak, the Sesus were a predominantly Fire-aspected house with a long martial tradition to rival that of House Tepet. And unlike us, they were descended from one of the Scarlet Empress' children, a point they liked to rub in. Being snubbed by them was no great surprise.

"Doreg."

The boy considered carefully. "I believe that none of House Mnemon accepted?" he responded.

That matched my understanding. It had left Demarol fuming and Yrina waspish for several days, according to the servants I'd heard gossiping. It was plausible since they were also descended from the Scarlet Empress and very proud of it. Mind you, so were House Ragara and they were attending.

Demarol nodded and then looked at Nalan.

"Peleps," he declared. "We're hundreds of miles from the sea."

"Wrong, actually." Demarol corrected him. "The Peleps are not entirely limited to nautical affairs and two of our guests will be from that house."

Nalan slumped in disappointment while his grandfather turned his gaze to me.

"Iselsi," I told him promptly.

The younger twin slapped his face, realising he'd forgotten an easy one. House Iselsi was almost extinct and very rarely made public appearances. As far as I know their elders haven't left the Immaculate Order temples they're hiding in for centuries.

Before Opiha – who seemed to be trembling just from being around Demarol's earlier fury - could tread on any landmines, I added: "And I'm fairly sure there's no fifth house, I've heard guests named from both House Ledaal and House V'Neef."

"That is correct," I was told. Demarol glanced over at Opiha and then turned to Nolly. "I believe my great-granddaughter is too young to ask more of her. Take her back to the nursery."

The young woman hastened to draw Opiha away, clearly glad to have an excuse to leave. I wished I was going with them – or that Hunt would be locked up given her gaffe, since the younger girl would be much better company.

Unfortunately, my feelings must have been visible enough to catch Demarol's attention. "And what do you find objectionable about Opiha's departure, Alina?"

I curtseyed. "I only hoped that Opiha might be able to go to the gala, so she could spend time with her brother Icole, father. I know she has missed him while he is at school."

"I do know who her brother is," he said testily. "And the two of them will have plenty of time over the summer, while this may be a rare chance for you to make contacts for the future. General Arada will certainly be too busy to attend any galas next year and it's likely that most of the House will converge on Lord's Crossing in the summer, so your own departure for school will be a far less illustrious gathering. You should be grateful for this opportunity."

"Please believe that I am grateful to you father." Yes, please believe that. "I think only of my family before myself."

He huffed, somewhat appeased. "Well think of the larger family. The three of you are to pay attention to your elders. In particular, Tepet Arada is among the Realm's greatest generals and his granddaughter is likely to replace him as our House's paramount military mind in a few more decades. When the gala is over, I will expect you all to be able to fully recount the great deeds of the Wind Dancer and the Roseblack to me."

Arada would be too busy next year? It couldn't be the Bull could it… No, I was sure it was still too early. Yurgen Kaneko – the Bull of the North – was perhaps the most infamous Solar Exalt of the early 760s. Having eluded the Wyld Hunt and allied with a second Solar, Samea, he had laid the groundwork for an empire in the Northern Threshold.

He was perfectly placed when the Solars returned en masse, recruiting four younger and less experienced Solars as lieutenants. But that was years away, as was the flare up in hostilities between the Linowan and Haltan tribal peoples that eventually brought the Bull's armies and the Tepet's legions into collision.

No, whatever was going on, it couldn't be that. Not unless things were drastically changed. I had spoken with Yurgen more than once and right now he was simply a respected elder within the Icewalkers of the North. It would be two or three years before he took a lone walk into the winter, expecting death but receiving the blessing of the Unconquered Sun.

I should pay more attention to the news of the outside world though. I was sheltered from much of it now, but sooner or later it would impact on me. And making contacts at the gala was the best way to start it.

So, the jerk was right. How unexpected.

"Now," he continued. "Since we have addressed the Great Houses, the next most important matter is military rank. We are Tepet and it would be a disgrace for you not to know and use an army officer's rank incorrectly. Hunt, I will let you redeem yourself, if you can. What are the ranks that an Exalt may hold in the legions?"

"F-fanglord," she started, and then seemed to gather more confidence. "Scalelord, Talonlord, Winglord, Dragonlord and finally General."

Demarol nodded approvingly. "Better. Doreg, how many soldiers would each of them lead?"

The boy moved his fingers slightly, counting out as he answered. "Five for the fanglord, then twenty-five for a scalelord. One… hundred twenty-five for a talonlord, twice that… two hundred and fifty for a winglord and five hundred for a dragonlord!" He paused in thought. "Five thousand regular soldiers for a general, but auxiliaries…"

"Half as many so seven and a half thousand," exclaimed Nalan.

"Approximately, yes." Demarol gave Nalan a reproving glare. "However, that was your brother's question. Perhaps you recall the ranks mortals can hold, hmm?"

"Ah… fang-sergeant, then scale-lieutenant." The grey-haired boy was moving his hands in much the same way as his twin, but using his left hand rather than his right. "Talon-captain…" He stalled.

Demarol waited, let Nalan twist for a good long moment and then looked at me. "Can you complete that, Alina?"

"In theory, Wing-major and Dragon-colonel," I answered him. "There's no mortal equivalent for a general because legion command is expressly reserved for the Exalted, and it's vanishingly rare for a mortal to rise past talon-captain."

"Well answered," my lawful father approved. "Very well. Some lapses, which I am sure Shoku will see to shortly, but at least you seem to understand the very basics…"

I'd found a more discreet corner of the estate to practise in, around the back of one of the guest courtyards, after the incident with Yrina's sweets. It was quiet most of the time, but as guests arrived for the gala it had been abustle with preparations and too risky.

Today though, as the main banquet welcoming guests was underway, I could have some chance of privacy there.

I worked through a kata of a style I'd learned from courtesans in the pleasure quarter of Lookshy, allowing motes of essence to work their magic as I unleashed the moves upon an imaginary foe. I would have liked to attempt Golden Janissary, but that had a nasty tendency to light up the area with golden sparks.

In daylight, I could risk that but not with evening setting in. Not only would it be obvious that I was practising a supernatural martial art, but a golden anima banner was the characteristic of the Solar Exalted, such that they were referred to as Golden Anathema. The Immaculate Order didn't just persecute golden janissaries because they encroached on the Order's status as the premier ghost and demon hunters.

Well, regardless of the style, I'd have really liked someone I could fight against properly. You can be the most perfect performer of kata on a dojo floor or training yard, but unless you're actually fighting against someone, it amounts to particularly aggressive dancing.

Alas, the chances were pretty slim that I'd run unto someone I could fight without witnesses who'd recognise that I was using improper styles. Or an opponent I could really cut loose against.

Doreg was annoying, but I didn't want to kill him. Or Hunt… most of the time, at any rate.

On the plus side, over the last year I'd been making rapid progress in getting to grips with the amount of essence I could handle now that I'd entered the second plateau of advancement. There were times when I even considered that it might be possible to reach the third plateau.

That would be ludicrous though. Even with the knowledge of my previous life, it was normally the work of decades to get even as far as I had now. Perhaps once I completed my primary schooling, in seven or eight years, I might be able to convince Demarol to allow me a year of martial pilgrimage and push through then?

Assuming I didn't exalt, the Immaculate Order was probably my best path for advancement. Sooner or later, someone would realise that I'd awakened my essence. It would be best if I was neatly slotted into a socially acceptable role. And if I got posted to the Threshold, I would be able to drop out of sight.

It would be far better than someone assuming I was a rogue sorcerer or upstart thaumaturge. It wasn't unheard of for such men and women to spark riots and lynchings.

I brought my hand around in a sinuous move that would, in theory, have torn armour away from an imaginary opponent, leaving them vulnerable. It lacked much of the grace that it should have – a true master of the style could bring someone down before they even knew that they were in a fight. Some had slain an aggressor in the middle of a crowded party and managed to be deniably distant before anyone realised that the fallen wasn't simply dead drunk.

My current skill was still short of that. I would have to keep working on it.

I was about to repeat the move when I heard the sound of someone on the far side of the wall.

The guest courtyard was the furthest from the manse, with only a comparatively narrow alleyway dividing it from the outer wall that surrounded the estate's community. Beyond it were the farmlands that supported us both directly (by feeding us) and indirectly (through the sale of crops to fund the household), as well as the sizeable hunting preserve that would be the site of the impending hunting trip.

The alley was wide enough for someone of my limited height and reach to practise in, but it was nowhere near any of the gates in the outer wall. What would someone be doing out there?

I ducked back and listened, narrowing the source to a point on the wall. Was someone trying to climb the wall?

It wasn't exactly a major fortification, but the wall was a good two yards tall. Was some bandit crazy enough to attack a Dragon-Blooded's home during a gala when they had scores of guests, many of them Exalted themselves?

No, that made no sense. But perhaps theft – if someone got into the guest courtyard and made off with valuables of the guest, it would be a major embarrassment. And that might even be engineered for that effect rather than for profit by the theft.

I should probably tell someone, I decided. Even if it meant losing the training spot, a major humiliation for Tepet Demarol would be much worse for me, on several levels.

Before I could run to find an adult, a head popped over the top of the wall and I ducked for cover. Fortunately, one reason that this part of the estate was relatively isolated was that it was often used to store empty crates and barrels that weren't immediately needed. With a gala underway, there were many of these, so there were plenty of them to hide behind.

The woman on the wall glanced around and then heaved herself up and threw one leg over it. She seemed surprisingly large until I realised that she wore a scale shirt of jade and that the sword across her back was far too large to be wieldy unless it was also of jade steel.

An Exalt? Why would an exalt sneak over the wall rather than simply walk in. No one would challenge their right to do so, at worst reporting to my adoptive father that we had an unexpected arrival.

Also, running was out. There was basically no chance of getting away faster on my little legs than an Exalt could chase unless they were particular unathletic. And this woman clearly wasn't.

She heaved her other leg over the wall and hopped down. The armour was unnaturally quiet as she landed, but a kitbag on the other shoulder from her baldric was less discreet.

So, stealth and escape were out. That left bluff.

"Who goes there!" I barked, trying to keep my voice steady.

The intruder started and looked around for the source. She was no beauty, I noted without particular judgement. Blunt featured, with her hair cropped into a practical bowl-cut that suggested she was used to wearing a helmet. She raised her hands – away from any weapons at her belt but it wouldn't take much for her to reach back and unsheathe the heavy chopping blade of her daiklave. "Peace, peace, I'm an invited guest."

I let scepticism colour my tone. "And you couldn't find the gate?"

She laughed ruefully. "Perhaps it's as hidden as the guards are? I am Tepet Elana, a kinswoman to the lord of this manse."

That seemed plausible, her armour was blue jade – the colour of an Air-aspect and that was the element most represented among House Tepet's Exalted. I could only think of one House that had a uniform elemental affinity and that was because House V'Neef was only two generations old with less than a dozen members so far. Every other house was mixed, but except for the Nellens they tended to skew towards the aspect of their founder or founders.

"Anyone can wear a Tepet mon." I couldn't even see the badge on her armour, but that might confuse her about where I was. If things went wrong all I could do was scream for help, but the longer I stalled her, the more likely it was that a servant might come here and notice her.

I say more likely, not very likely though.

"Might I ask who I am speaking to?" she asked instead. "I have given my own name, after all."

I hesitated. Would she know my name? Unlikely. I didn't know hers… or did I?

I can hardly claim to have met every Tepet in this life or in my last. And if she was indeed with one of the legions, which her clothes suggested, then she might well be among those that had fallen.

Yet there was something familiar about her.

"I am hesitant to give up any advantage against a suspicious intruder." I tried to sound confident. "But the name you give is familiar. Perhaps as a bona fide that you are who you say, explain why you desire to arrive without notice?"

She sighed. "If you know me, then I'm sure you'll understand I'd rather not face my mother without a night's rest."

Her mother… huh. What did…

Realisation sank in. I'd never met her, no. But I had heard of her. One of the Scarlet Empress' last magistrates – one of the roving law enforcers that answered only to the imperial throne's authority. They generally made enemies, but Elana had upheld the law to her last breath. And rumour had it that she did so mostly to avoid a marriage that her mother had arranged for her.

"I don't think your fiancé is present," I conceded and relaxed. This woman was much as Elana was described… although probably she was not a magistrate yet.

The Exalt sighed. "That doesn't make much difference. I would be grateful if I could put off making any public appearances until morning at least."

"Well," I stepped out from concealment and looked her up and down. "I'm not going to be dragging you anywhere, obviously."

The soldier lowered one hand and used the other to facepalm. "Ambushed by a child. My sergeants would never let me live this down."

I hopped up onto a barrel and sat on it. "I won't tell them if you don't." Cheeky, but I didn't think she'd stand on ceremony.

I was right. Elana laughed instead and offered me a hand. "It's a deal."

We shook solemnly on the pact and she leant against the wall facing me. "I'm serious about avoiding attention. It's been a long day on the road and mother will keep me up half the night complaining that I haven't taken enough leave to meet Peleps Kerel. Never mind that my legion is half of Creation's distance away. I barely had the time to make it here and – no offense – I would have rather spent the time in Chanos."

That was a military port on the north side of the Blessed Isle. It was a major hub for troop movements and had all the usual industries to support a transient force of legionnaires who had cash to spend and fairly uncomplicated demands.

"I can't speak for my father, but it's not my place to tell one of the Exalted what they should or shouldn't do – as long as they're not actually an intruder," I qualified. "But it's my place to play guide - to your guest room if you wish – and to take messages, such as directly and discreetly to let my father know that you're here but resting before making a public appearance. If you wish."

"That is very hospitable of you." Elana bowed towards me theatrically. "I would be grateful for your guidance, little lady Tepet. Grateful enough to not enquire as to why Demarol's daughter is sneaking around the back of his estate during a gala."

I shrugged. "If I'm not there, no one will ask me to sing. None of us want that."

The woman threw her head back and laughed. "I didn't much like it myself. Don't worry, once you're in the legions no one cares about the odd missed note. Or notices, when there's a few hundred soldiers making their own mistakes. You are going for the legions? Or do your parents have other plans for you."

"Well they probably have plans for me, but they haven't confided them. And likely it depends how I do at school and… well, you know…" Whether I exalted. It would be insane to commit to a plan for my future before there was reasonable certainty about whether I would or not.

Standing, I gestured towards the guest courtyard behind me. "Would you like to go to your room now."

She nodded. "Yeah, and I'll write your father a note. That way you don't have to explain anything where my noble and distinguished mother might hear it. I owe you one… even if you never told me your name."

"Alina." I paused and then gave her a formal curtsey. "Tepet Demarol Alina welcomes you to this most noble estate of House Tepet's son."

"I am made welcome and accept your hospitality," she remined formally, almost without thinking about it. "Alina, eh. Well, if we ever wind up serving together, look me up and I'll show you the ropes."

"I might call on that favour sooner," I said drily and indicated the end of the shorter alley that opened into a gateway into the courtyard behind me. I was fairly sure that Elana would be quartered there, it was where the more… martially inclined were staying. Perhaps to keep them out of immediate hearing of more cultured and civil examples of dynastic and patrician virtue. Or vice versa, for that matter.

I didn't see Elana other than in passing the next day – Doreg, Hunt and Nalan were more in display – but I did meet her mother briefly. I think I could have been twice as tall as I was and the Tepet Serakan would still have been looking down her nose at me. She never addressed me directly but her first words to Hunt's mother, who I was bringing her to, were on the unusual precedent of adopting a bastard when there were legitimate offspring already and when exaltation was still 'very much in doubt'.

My only recourse was to pretend obliviousness. I was entirely happy to do so since the alternative would have been spending more time with the two Exalted women and that would have been excruciating, even if I wasn't making the tremendous faux pas of arguing with older, wiser and more enlightened beings than my humble self.

The next day however, I was marched out to the stables along with the other children participating. We fell into pairs fairly naturally – Icole's cousins were walking together in the lead so he fell in at the rear with me, letting Doreg and Hunt form the centre of the little column.

"I'm sorry Opiha isn't coming," I offered the older boy. He was growing rather handsome in a polished fashion that would fit well with the bureaucratic and courtly circles that Demarol involved himself in. Naturally though, Icole was aspiring to the House of Bells – the Realm's most prestigious military academy – and legion service.

"It's fine," he told me, looking around. "I wouldn't be able to talk much to her anyway on the hunt. Father told me I'll need to get a recommendation if he's going to apply for me to attend the House of Bells. So, I need to make a good impression on one of the legion officers present."

"Well, we're supposed to shadow someone," I conceded. "And they probably wouldn't want a lot of chatter as we hunt. I won't be offended if you're not paying attention to me."

"I would never not pay attention to you or Opiha," Icole assured me, with a smile that must break hearts at his school. "I just have to do the same to whoever lets me accompany them."

We reached the stables, where not only the stable hands but several other servants with applicable experience were busy saddling horses for the mortals present and hitching up teams to the chariots that would serve the Exalted.

For some reason, living mounts don't like elemental energy flaring around their riders. It's quite literally wounding unless the Terrestrial Exalt has gone out of their way to learn not to do that. For that reason, Dragon-Blooded prefer chariots or their own feet to riding anywhere – unless you're a Wood-aspect or a particularly avid rider.

We still can ride horses of course. It's expected to be competent, but it's impractical and not even fashionable.

"Who do you want to ride with?" I asked.

"I was thinking the Roseblack." Icole indicated a redheaded woman in gleaming green-jade plate armour. (It might seem odd to wear battle plate into a hunt, but such artifacts are a mark of one's Exalted status so it was expected that you carried your panoply with you at all times. It was the same reason father carried his daiklaves around even to non-martial meetings.

I could understand the appeal to Icole – not only was Tepet Ejava beautiful but she had a rising reputation. A recommendation would carry great weight and could be the beginning of a fruitful relationship as one of her junior officers.

"I… uh-oh."

"What?"

I pointed to where Doreg was weaving through the crowded stable yard towards the same chariot Icole was looking at. "Intentionally or otherwise, someone seems to be getting there first."

The dark-haired boy muttered something under his breath and tried to follow, but someone picked that very moment to move their chariot out, blocking our path. By the time we could move, Doreg was already making his pitch to Ejava. The Exalted gave him a look of obvious scepticism but then shrugged and as Icole drew close, she shrugged.

Doreg bounded up on the chariot with her, pulling Hunt after him.

"Damn!" hissed Icole, having to step aside as the Roseblack snapped her reins and expertly moved her chariot out.

I tried to pat him on the shoulder but he was too tall now and I had to settle for his upper arm. "There are other possibilities."

"You're right," he agreed, looking up with a determined look. "How about General Arada? We can ask him."

That would be uncomfortable, I realised. I wasn't as familiar with Arada as I was with Yurgen Kaneko, but I had met both of them. In fact, I'd even been one of the witnesses when they fought a formal duel to 'settle any remaining issues' from their war. It had only been to first blood, fortunately, but they'd fought ferociously and I didn't doubt that Arada's record of defeating Solar Exalted in single combat was genuine.

To this day, I wasn't entirely sure the Bull had allowed the Realm general a win as a gesture of diplomacy or if he'd genuinely underestimated the old man. I was just glad I hadn't had any money riding on the matter.

The man who was mounting up his own chariot was a different man, years younger and not humbled by his great and shameful defeat. But still… I had spoken to him and one topic we'd touched on during a quiet moment at a campfire as we waited for our scouts to report contact with the enemy, saving our energy for the battle to come, had been our children.

I caught Icole's hand. "I don't think that that's a good idea. From what I've heard, General Tepet isn't fond of children. And even you're probably not old enough that he won't dismiss you. You need someone more approachable."

"It can't hurt to try."

"It can if everyone else is mounted and departs while you're trying to talk him around." I looked around the stable yard. Who was…?

"Aha!"

"What?" asked Icole.

"You need a Legion officer, right?" I pulled him towards a corner. "Quickly, we need to get there first."

"But no one else is heading this way!"

He was wrong. His cousins weren't heading this way but there was a dynast heading towards the chariot and I might just be able to upgrade the favour Tepet Elana owed me. Having a favour from a future magistrate could come in extremely handy given I suspected that I'd fall afoul of Imperial law sooner or later. She might not be willing to break the law, given what I'd heard of her character, but she might be persuaded to give me a running start – enough to be sporting.

Ahead of us, the Legion officer was mounted on her own chariot and I saw the moment she realised that her mother was closing in. If I read her right, Elana would jump at any chance not to be trapped travelling with her mother – and the chariots were really only large enough for two or three. Certainly not for two adults and a pair of children.

"Lady Elana," I greeted her, calling out and waving. "May Icole and I ride with you on this hunt?"

The Air-aspect was quick up on the uptake, as a good officer should be. "Of course, I would be honoured to have Lord Demarol's youngest daughter and his great-grandson with me as guides," she said loudly enough to carry.

I didn't see her mother's face, which was probably for the best.

"Thank you, Talonlord," Icole greeted Elana formally. It figured that he'd know her rank, which was the same as Ejava's now that I thought about it. But Ejava was a good fifty or so years younger than Elana if I recalled correctly.

"Ah, Elana will do. I'm not on duty now and we're kin, after all." The Exalt reached down and hoisted me up beside her, letting Icole board on his own. "I got the kinships right, didn't I?" she asked under her breath.

Icole nodded. "Yes… Elana. Alina is my great-aunt… by adoption." He shot me an apologetic look at letting his need to be precise overweigh any offense it might cause.

I wasn't that bothered, instead gripping the side of the chariot as Elana took up the reins and the horses started to pull it after those already in motion. "Good hunting, mother," she called as we went past the older dynast.

There was a reply but I didn't hear it as I tried to flex my legs against the rattling of the chariot over the paving of the main avenue.

"You've just saved me from a fate worse than death," Elana joked. "So why are you two so eager to ride with a reprobate like me and how can I repay you?"

Icole gave her a blank look. "Uh…"

I sighed. "Father wants me to be able to recite the deeds of Tepet Ejava and Tepet Arada, and as I recall, soldiers love to gossip."

"That's true! That's true!" she agreed merrily. "And your companion? Be honest now."

He flushed. "I need a letter of recommendation from a Legion officer before father will apply in my name to the House of Bells."

Elana gave him a serious look. "Now that I can't just give you, but show me your qualities on the hunt and I'll consider it. That's all I'll offer when we're meeting for the first time."

He straightened and then had to cling to the rail himself as we hit a slight bump in the road. "I'll do my best to impress you."

"That's what I'm afraid of. Just try not to fuck up like a Fanglord on his first posting!"

We weren't actually hunting from the chariots, that would be ridiculous. Over anything but open ground they would be useless and any prey with an ounce of survival instincts would head for denser trees and bushes to escape.

Instead we disembarked and made our way into the forested preserve on foot, leaving the chariots and horses at the edge. The preferred prey would be some of the deer, herds of which were maintained for events like this, but in addition there were wild boar deeper in the forest. A hunt the last year had thinned the boars considerably so we were all warned very firmly that it would be as unsporting to hunt them this year as it would be to take out the fawns of the deer herd.

"That doesn't count if a boar attacks us," Elana warned the two of us as we passed out of sight of the chariot. "Just don't loose an arrow at one. You'll only provoke it." A thin line of hunters was sweeping through the woods – I could just barely tell that Elana's mother was off to my left but the hunters to our right were beyond my ability to see or hear. The Dragon-Blood seemed confident they were out there though.

The three of us had bows and Elana, of course, had her daiklave across her back. In addition, Icole had a boar spear in his hands. I could hold it for him if he needed to shoot, but I certainly wasn't going to try carrying seven feet of hard wood and the sturdy metal spearhead with its cross-bar. The weight and balance made it highly unwieldy.

"Ejava exalted on a hunt like this one," Elana mentioned absently, keeping her voice low. "She was… I forget how old. Perhaps your age Icole. It would have been further south because she was ambushed by a tiger and killed it in the first rush of her power."

I glanced at Icole. "Tigers don't range this far north, do they?"

"Only in the mountains, or so I hear," he said, somewhat less than reassuringly. That didn't imply any sort of land barrier.

"Tiger hunting is quite the sport but they're quite rare here," Elana offered reassuringly. "But if one turns up just hide behind me. Their claws can be quite hazardous to mortals – they never quite get all the rotted flesh off them. I don't have to worry about getting infected off just a minor gash."

I nodded. Such sport had never appealed to me. If something needed killing, just do it and get it over with. "How did you exalt?"

"Some petty brawl at school. There was a teacher who had it in for me and in the end Mela walked with me when I killed him." She shook his head. "Tepet Arada's old school, I think. Neither of us was what you might call model students but the Realm has a place for unruly students. I don't think either of you has the makings of that sort of thing but if you ever wind up in the Tamed Storm then remember you probably earned it. No family wants to admit they had their children sent there."

I rubbed my head. "The Tamed Storm?"

"I've heard of it," murmured Icole. "Not officially, but word gets around. That a student might simply be taken away overnight."

"It's a school for the otherwise irredeemable." Elana's eyes were far away. "My brothers died when I was quite young and they were the only family I really cared about. Without them… I blame my mother for a lot, but sending me to the Tamed Storm was the right thing to do. I learned discipline, got direction… I assume it was the same as Arada. He exalted before he got there, long before me of course. He's a century or more my elder. Nasty piece of work, by all accounts. But you don't get to be a general of the Realm by being nice to our enemies."

"I thought he was a great hero."

"Sure, he is. One of the greatest Dragon-Blooded alive. But he doesn't have many friends. Even the elders are scared of him. Did you hear what he did with the head of Jochim?"

I'd heard that one in the last life but Icole apparently hadn't. "I thought he cut it off – you mean the Anathema, right?"

"That's the one." Elana smiled thinly. "The elders had been holding Tepet's sword out as 'bait', something that they might award to Arada or one of his generation if they distinguished themselves. It was really getting the general's goat, not because he wanted it but because the elders thought the was stupid enough to fall for something so transparent."

I nodded. "I think I heard this."

She waved her hand dismissively. "No one would have told a little girl this the way it should be. So, there they were in the war camp, debating what to do about Jochim's army. All anyone's heard from Arada in weeks was that he was on patrol. Most of them thought he was dead – it wouldn't be the first Dragon-Blood to fall. They'd been fighting Jochim for years."

The woman turned to look at us, eyes alight with pleasure. "And then word comes in that he's back. That he has something to report. So, they call him in – his father and his uncles - figuring to roast him for being overdue. And Arada, he walks right in, looks them in the eye and – wham!" She stamped her feet. "He smacked Jochim's head down right on the map table. 'So, is that distinguished enough?'"

Icole winced. "He was mad."

"Sure, but he won the war. None of them could argue with that. And as soon as they were back on the Isle there was a big ceremony, and they gave him Tepet's sword. He was very humble, he said all the right things, but he had this smile…" Elana grinned broadly. "I've seen it just once. Just once when he was doing an inspection. They say it's exactly the smile he had that day. And when he was done inspecting my legion, fourteen officers were given a choice: resign their commission or walk down to the training ground and prove they were fit to serve. The smart ones resigned."

Icole shook his head. "It's hard to imagine."

"Yeah. It's hard if you've never been out in the field. But we're Tepet. I may not have gone to the House of Bells like he did – don't worry, recommendation letters don't require that – but most of us do time in the Legions. Even Demarol did, even if he didn't like it enough to make a career of. And we're not like the Sesus or the Cathak. They're warmth and charm, being mostly fire. They can do the politics of rising through the ranks. And sure, some of us are like that too."

There was a long pause as we walked.

"But there's a lot of us - like Arada or at least we want to think that we are. The rough men and women who make our lives out there, taking the Realm's law and order to the satrapies so that you kids can grow up safe, so that the Thousand Scales can weigh coins and the Immaculates can pray… and sure, all that's important and the Realm wouldn't work without that. But if the Realm wouldn't work without them, it wouldn't even exist without the Legions. And a lot of that hard core are Tepet enough that it counts."

The boy next to me swallowed. "I don't… I don't understand that."

"Of course, you don't," she told him tolerantly. "I don't expect you to. But sometime, if you get the Bells or just join up through some other school like I did. Then you'll see it for yourself and maybe you'll get it there. It's no kindness if you do, but if none of us did then -"

She broke off and we stopped, looking at her. I nocked an arrow, thinking she might have seen a deer.

Then she cursed, like the soldier she was, and reached for her daiklave. "Tree, find a tree!"

There was a rustle through the bushes, more of a tearing sound, and Icole dropped his spear, grabbing me by the wrist and yanking me back.

I dropped my bow and followed. I could guess what was happening and they were doing the right thing.

There was an infuriated squeal from behind us as we headed for a tree with branches low enough to get up them. I didn't bother turning around, but Icole looked back over his shoulder right as there was a roar of exertion from Elana.

I vaguely registered the sound of Elana's daiklave hitting flesh and bone, but my eye was on Icole as he missed a root and his foot came down wrong, ankle twisting at just the wrong angle.

The boy fell, almost dragging me down before he let me go.

"Keep going," he screamed.

There was another curse from Elana, I guess as she saw what had happened. And a squeal that told me that she had not finished whatever the threat was.

Logically I should have followed their instructions.

But like hell was I going back and telling Opiha that I'd let Icole get himself killed being a hero. Instead I skidded to a halt, turning as I did so, dropping to a crouch braced on one hand.

I found myself facing a boar. A second boar, for one already lay bisected behind it, brought down by Elana.

The Dragon-Blood was trying to get to us, but she'd thrown herself at the first one and it would take precious time she didn't have.

And the piggy eyes met mine with rage and fury. In that second, I saw the arrow in its haunch and knew why.

But I also knew that it was bigger than me, faster than me and that I'd thrown away the chance to escape.

Irresistible force, meet one dynast girl of seven whole years of age.

Icole shouted, trying to attract it away but he didn't need to.

I lunged into its charge, hands reaching out and feet securing themselves on the forest floor.

And Creation was one with me.

That's how it felt. That's how it always feels. Like it's not my essence, not my hands. Like I'm part of everything.

And we just said "I will not be moved."

My hands met the tusks… gripped them… and several hundred pounds of boar came to an abrupt and unexpected halt.

I cannot say how long we held there. Probably only a few heartbeats. But it seemed like forever.

And the world around me was full of light. Full of glorious white light, pure as only that colour ever will be to me.

That perfect moment was ended with a brutal crash as Elana's daiklave smashed down and severed the boar's spine. Along with most of its ribs while she was at it.

The beast that had been about to kill me died with a stunned look on its piggy face. Unable to comprehend what had happened to it.

And Elana looked at me and then at Icole. I turned and saw that he was alright, just sprawled on the ground and staring up at me with an almost worshipful look on his face.

"Uh, what now?" I asked, still trying to catch up with what I'd done. I hadn't really been thinking. Just reacting and with instincts that… well, turned out to have been right.

Elana threw back her head and laughed almost hysterically.