Ok, prepare for many notes. =)

1) I made a small change to part 6; you can read the note appended to the top of it to see what exactly it is I changed. It's relatively minor, but would have been a major conflict with a scene I wanted to include here (and others elsewhere, though I haven't written them yet).

2) I read the last Herald-Mage trilogy x number of years ago, and the Mage Winds y number of years ago. I don't remember anything. Thus, I don't know how much is actually known about the history of the herald-mages and their disappearance by 'present day' Heralds or chroniclers. I seem to recall something about that spell of Vanyel's not only chasing away mages, but 'distracting' anyone who wished to delve more deeply into anything concerning magery. If anyone can give me a concrete explanation of that part of the working, I would very much appreciate it. I may have to revise the mention of it in this part if things conflict. (sighs I wish I still had all my books...)

3) Question - Am I going too fast? As I was re-reading my old chapters, it occurred to me that things kept...well, happening, with little time for the characters to catch their breaths, much less the reader. So, should I slow down, add more details, add more characters, add more sideplots, heck, add more plot? Lemme know, either through the review section or just by dropping me an e-mail. =) Thanks much in advance.

jt@paper-jungle.com

Again, thank you thank you THANK YOU to everyone who is not only sticking around, but dropping the odd note into the review board. Especially if you've gone through the effort of posting more than once. Rather than filling up the first two screens with notes, though, I've dropped the personal comments down to the bottom of the chapter.

Let the fic continue. =)

The Words Between - part 7

"Missed."

Kyn tightened his jaw, the tension already long past the aching point, and switched accordingly to the offensive, seeing his chance in Alberich's last lunge to deflect and then riposte, following with bold steps and lunge after swing after swing of the sword.

"Missed."

The calm word came a split second before he saw - no, before he recognized the opportunity for what it was...and which he had allowed to pass by. The rare frustration that he hadn't indulged in since he had been a child coiled in his chest, and he broke the rule of silence in engagement to give vent to it in a sharp cry, the sound lost in the rapid tempo of swords clashing once, twice, three and four times...

"Missed. Missed."

A hard shock shivered down Kyn's arm when he got too close, as the un-Herald unexpectedly rushed forward to lock their blades together, edge skirling down edge with a teeth-aching shriek until the guards themselves tangled. And by then, he knew it was already too late. Alberich's superior strength and extra height providing leverage would easily overwhelm him in such a position. Kyn was -

"Dead," Alberich proclaimed flatly as his free hand almost casually fisted in Kyn's tunic, pulling him close and angling their locked weapons so that it was a fair wager whether Kyn's throat would be slit by the weaponsmaster's sword or his own.

Kyn pushed away with a savage jerk, breaths uneven, only habit keeping him from hurling his weapon away as Alberich allowed him to escape.

Eight misses. Eight times in which he had the chance to wound Alberich, either lightly or heavily if not mortally, and he hadn't even consciously acknowledged half of them, much less been able to take advantage of them. Instead, he had saved himself, bided his time, waited and waited...until he had run out of time and ruses, and was metaphorically killed.

Alberich wisely remained silence, merely watched Kyn as he paced a small circle once, forced his breathing into a facsimile of its usual pace, and finally faced the un-Herald with as much aplomb as he was able to gather on such short notice. Only then did the weaponsmaster nod and speak.

"At least you recognize them now. Before, not even the openings could you see."

"What good is finally recognizing them if I don't have the time or the reflex to aim for them?" Kyn ground out.

Alberich shrugged, planting the blunted tip of his training sword in the ground and leaning both hands on the pommel. "A sign it is that you are improving, and are capable of adapting. With most, only slight trouble you would have. Already impressive your skills are for your age."

Kyn refused to acknowledge the compliment, heard only the scale to which it was held to and limited by. "My age. But if I encounter someone older? Someone such as yourself, with more experience?"

The man tilted his head, his expression and voice frank. "Then killed you would be. Most likely quickly."

Kyn's eyes narrowed as the weaponsmaster made his point for him, and wordlessly slid into a guard stance.

"No more today," Alberich unexpectedly announced, hefting his own sword but only to slide it into a soft leather sheath for carrying back to the training hall.

His determination interrupted by confusion, Kyn turned to gauge the sun's position through the stable's entrance. "But we're only halfway through our usual session."

The weaponsmaster nodded, holding out a hand and patiently waiting for Kyn to return his sword. "It is time that you join the others in regular practice."

"Why?" Kyn blurted out before the rest of his mind caught up, and he flinched, clumsily thrusting the faux weapon toward Alberich hilt-first as a distraction.

"Frightened?" Alberich asked, half-rhetorically from his lack of surprise when Kyn didn't reply, knowing the weaponsmaster would see through any lie that was attempted, even without benefit of a Truth Spell. "A new experience it is. Interesting it should be."

"Interesting?" Kyn snorted, casting the man a dark look as Alberich sheathed the second sword and slung both over his shoulder. "You seem inordinately eager to see the results. It implies a touching amount of trust." The weaponsmaster paused, giving him a sharp look. He met it with a raised brow. "What?"

Alberich hesitated, before shrugging. "Sometimes, disconcerting hints of another's speech you give. But correct you are. Trust in you I have not, yet."

Honest, and disgustingly hopeful adding the 'yet', Kyn silently sneered.

"Still, require trust in your abilities to stay out of trouble I do not, just in mine to prevent or contain what occurs. And who would be more the fool - in hoping for something better, or thinking change will never come - you or I?"

Kyn flushed, eyes flicking away.

There was little to herald the weaponsmaster's approach beyond his lengthening shadow, and Kyn thought about resisting the tilt of his head back by a callused finger crooked beneath his chin, before giving it up as pointless. He refused to meet Alberich's eyes though, focusing on a bent nail in a rafter as his head was turned this way and that.

"How many lessons in grounding and shielding have you had?"

"Fourteen," Kyn answered flatly, still staring at the nail overhead.

"What do your instructors say of your progress?"

A short pause, and he admitted sullenly, "They make little comment." And it infuriated him, that he could not seem to grasp a concept that all but the most stubborn students have already practiced to relative familiarity. Master had never had cause to complain about his progress in anything, even strict as his standards were, and so it was more than perplexing that he was failing so utterly now. In nearly a month and a half's worth of lessons, he had only learned enough to know that he was the only thing holding himself back.

Kyn could not directly see the un-Herald's frown, but he felt Alberich's confusion keenly when the man stepped back to give the rest of him the same examination as had just been given his features. "It is true, you should have made much more progress by now. But it may be no fault of yours - perhaps not even theirs. Unusual your case is, to say the least."

Kyn's brows knit, and he finally chanced a quick glance toward the weaponsmaster. "Are you saying I might not be able to do this 'grounding' and 'shielding'? Because of what was done to me?" he asked sarcastically. That would be far too convenient an excuse. Still, there was a hint of uncertainty deep within, a small fear that this was something that was truly beyond his grasp. He knew so little of everything; he had little ability to judge what was normal or not, especially when it was applied to himself. Outside of the carefully outlined confines of Master's world, he had found little reassurance in trying to gauge his progress by other people's.

The weaponsmaster's mouth twitched, a touch of amusement that made Kyn feel hot with embarrassment at the implied foolishness of his question. "There is little, I think, that you would not be able to do if you wished to, faerth. While no guarantee do I give for my effectiveness in the teaching of anything but combat, there is much in common between the focus needed for grounding, and that needed for sword work. You already notice some things suffer for the lack of control - such as your shielding."

"What are you proposing, then?" Kyn asked suspiciously, head tilting.

"Simply that other avenues of approach you look for on your own rather than waiting for others to show you, should the current ones fail." Alberich swept up his cloak in preparation to leave. "A restlessness hounds you, Kyn, that interferes where unity in action and purpose is needed. There is little peace in you."

Kyn made a sour face at the perplexing statement, following the un-Herald to the door where their Companions waited. While there was no hint yet of the snow that would soon arrive to blanket Haven and the near countryside, Winter was already gaining a firm foothold in the curl of frost across window corners and the gleam of ice touching the edges of dew-laden vegetation in early mornings. Sear and scraggly, the once lush Companion's Field was now a skeleton of dried stalks and naked branches.

"What do you mean?" Kyn was forced into asking, not sure he would be able to puzzle it out for himself. And he had learned early on to ask what might be a stupid question rather than remain ignorant out of pride to, perhaps, fail his next lesson. Embarrassment was preferable to punishment for perceived slackness.

Alberich's brows knit in thought as he searched for an explanation, finally releasing a breath and admitting darkly, "The words slip from my grasp. It is as if...as if you hold little of yourself within when you set your mind to a task. Keep yourself separated, it seems - as if afraid you would not find enough will to complete the assignment should you allow yourself to fully contemplate your motivations." Alberich seemed to search for something more as Kyn remained broodingly silent, trying to understand the sentiment between the halting words, when the weaponsmaster added in low tones, "Not required it may be to learn this particular lesson as of now, but do not put it off indefinitely, even should you manage to succeed in everything without it. There are things waiting for you that I cannot see clearly. And what I do manage to glimpse...disturbs me. Hints give that it would be...highly preferable if you understood yourself in this."

Kyn felt the tingling chill across his skin of blood withdrawing from his face to leave it pale, not knowing whether the shock of unease came from discovering that Alberich too had Foresight, that whatever he had sensed in Kyn's future was enough to worry even the hardened weaponsmaster, or that it was a premonition of his own that had too few details to form concretely yet.

:Alberich always had horrible sensibilities,: Sianni scolded the weaponsmaster obliquely as she rubbed her forehead against Kyn's shoulder in reassurance. :Leaving someone hanging with such dark words...:

Kyn unconsciously shifted to tangle the fingers of one hand in the Companion's mane as he watched Alberich and Kantor continue walking toward the training hall. Why were these things happening to him? Or, more correctly, going to happen. Was it some sort of divine punishment for his past deeds? On an intellectual level, he could understand that people considered what he had done for Master bad, perhaps even evil. The histories and stories he had studied had made that clear. But just like grounding, he couldn't quite seem to grasp the spirit of the concept, and there was a vague resentment at being judged by standards he had not been taught until well after the fact. Was it wrong to earn one's keep the only way one knew how? To earn the acceptance - if not the approval - of the one figure that remained constant throughout his life?

:You are not being judged, and you are not being punished, Chosen,: Sianni murmured, curving her head over his shoulder in her version of a hug. :Fate chose you as an instrument because you are special. Because events require someone with your skills to set things right.:

"What do I have to offer?" he whispered, fist tightening until he was sure he had pulled out a few strands of the spider-silk mane though she gave no protest. "I am given no master to replace the one refused me. I am not allowed to practice any of the skills that I have been taught to excel in."

:You do not need a master,: Sianni stated firmly. :And we merely wish you to learn other ways - to let you know that there are other choices other than what that detestable man has taught you. We have faith - I have faith, that whatever you choose in the end, when all that is possible is clear to you, you will make the best decision possible for others, for Valdemar, and especially for yourself.:

He pressed his lips together into a thin white line, refused to turn his head against her neck, to lean against her solid bulk, and willed the invading tremor from his muscles with sheer determination. "What was it Alberich called me?" he asked to distract himself. "It sounded like 'faith'."

:Faerth. Kantor says that it is an animal native to Alberich's homeland. One known for its ability to adapt to new conditions, to survive in seemingly inhospitable conditions.: There was amusement as she added, :It is also well known as a household pest, for it defies all attempts at extermination and stubbornly refuses to move from its chosen nesting grounds, no matter that houses have been built over it. It simply includes the alien structures as new territory, and seems quite happy about moving in with the new occupants.:

It was enough to make Kyn smile, however briefly or darkly. "And what is the un-Herald's homeland? He lets an accent slip in if he is intent on something else, and his speech pattern imitates that of a different language."

:Alberich can speak Valdemaran well enough if he wishes to. Personally, I suspect him of pure laziness - or, if I'm in a better mood, that he's being sneaky and trying to throw people off-balance.: She turned her head around to pin one eye on him. :'Un-Herald'?:

He shrugged. "Does he not seem like a Herald, but not a Herald? A dark gray uniform, instead of white. A willingness for expediency that I suspect many disapprove of."

Sianni snorted in amusement, dancing to the side a step or two. :I think he would be amused.:

"And you have not answered my question."

Sianni looked less amused, but answered readily enough, :Alberich is Karsite. He was a captain in their army when he was Chosen.:

Kyn stiffened and then turned to stare hard at Sianni. But when he finally determined for himself that she was not joking, he felt a laugh bubble up inside him, one that he was hard-pressed to suppress but which he managed somehow with only a little loss of dignity. Nevertheless, Sianni gave him a hard look and a none-too-subtle mental prod. He could forgive her the little indiscretion, but only because he would have thought himself a little mad as well if he had been someone else.

A Karsite. Valdemar's sworn enemy for generations. Become Herald, and not only that - a weaponsmaster, set with the task of training Valdemar's future defenses. Perhaps there's some hope for me after all.

Sianni took a step forward to reach for a last tuft of grass that remained stubbornly yellowish-green, cropping it as Kyn stopped three paces from her. An ear swiveled lazily toward him when the throw was flung down and then clumsily spread with a foot. The other joined its mate in orientation when the books and charcoal sticks followed. When Kyn finally followed them and plunked himself down on top of throw and behind books and writing materials, she swallowed and raised her head, nosing one of the texts curiously. :Did he try to feed you the marmalade jam and banana sandwiches again?:

Kyn grumped in silence before sweeping up one of the books, pointing it at her in lieu of a finger to emphasize his words. "That boy could make Karse withdraw completely and close its borders off to Valdemar for the next century, just to avoid him." He reconsidered his words, and then added even more sourly, "Then again, they might decide to redouble their efforts, thinking it's too dangerous leaving him running around loose in enemy control."

Sianni snorted, edging another step closer as she graduated up to snuffling his hair, nibbling on the ends.

"Stop that," he said distractedly, trying to lean away and push her muzzle aside. "He asked me why I'm not rooming with the other trainees. He asked me if I ever left the grounds except on errands. He - asked - me," he finished in his most exasperated tone yet, punctuating each word with a shake of the book, "if I had a hobby!" He dropped the book in front of him without opening it, bracing his hands on his folded legs. "I don't know whether I'm more frightened of his curiosity, or the fact that he seems to think I'm too boring."

:Well, do you?: she asked as she happily ignored his warning to desist, moving around to sniff at the back of his collar.

"Do I what? I said stop it - And if you mean a hobby, I'm managing to fill my time somehow, aren't I?"

She planted her nose on the crown of his head and took a deep breath. :Are you going to dye your hair again?:

Kyn ducked his head and waved his arms over it with a wordless sound of irritation. "Are you even listening - havens! I don't even know why I'm chattering to you like a - it must be Brin's fault. Everything's Brin's fault. No, wait, it's Nadia. Nadia's the one encouraging that, that...I can't even call him anything worse than boy! That's how bad she is. And he is." Abruptly clamping his mouth shut, he resolved not to let another word pass his mouth as he realized just how silly he was beginning to sound and instead contented himself with gnawing on a thumbnail.

Sianni stepped back before one of his wild waves could smack her in the nose, tossing her head with a whicker of amusement. :Oh, certainly some of it is Nadia's fault, perhaps even Brin's too. But I think I am more liable to thank them than berate them. Besides,: she added with a wicked gleam in her eye. :I think it's kind of sweet how you've taken him under your wing.:

Kyn froze, then turned a look that he usually reserved for one of Alberich's more humiliating sessions on the Companion. "I think the more appropriate phraseology would be that he has taken me under his wing," he gritted, "whether I want to be there or not. And I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, responsible for anything concerning him."

:No, but you've yet to push him down a well or out a window.:

"Because my Foresight showed he's important to something," he muttered unconvincingly.

And isn't that the rub, he thought to himself darkly. Instead of chasing the boy off, he had left instead. And why? To spare Brin's feelings? To spare his own? For fear of Nadia if the boy went crying to her? He snorted. Ridiculous. Broodingly, he picked up the book he had dropped, opening it up to the marker left halfway through the pages. Master would die laughing if he found out. Either that, or write Kyn off as a complete failure.

:What's wrong, Kyn?: Sianni asked softly, this time moving close merely to place her chin companionably over his shoulder, jewel-bright eyes half-lidded as if on the verge of dozing off.

He stared at the words printed neatly across the pages, a thumb absently tracing the curls of an illumination decorating the upper border of the text. :Why am I here?: he asked with - to his shame - a touch of frustrated hurt. :Why did you Choose me?:

:Because it was time. Because you were the one.:

His jaw tightened as he scanned the passages with new interest, flipping quickly through until he had found the one he was looking for. "There," he proclaimed, stabbing a finger downwards at the unoffending words. "It said that the Herald-Mages had gone into decline before disappearing altogether...why?! Why were there no more mages when it seemed Valdemar needed them most? Why did you Companions, who supposedly Choose what Valdemar has need for, when Valdemar has need for it - why did you not Choose more mages?"

:That is not for me to say. It is simply the way things are, and I trust that whatever power decided that there would be no more Herald-Mages, made the decision based on what was best for Valdemar in the long run. And it didn't turn out so badly in the end, did it? We know certain things...and it is enough that it lets us preserve what we love most.:

"But it's not!" he cried, before the volume of his own voice shocked him into a little more somberness. Raking his hands through his hair and clutching his head with a frustrated sound, he perched his elbows on his knees, closing his eyes. "I don't understand. I don't understand why I need to understand. It never bothered me before, all the who's and why's and how's when I was with Master...he discouraged it, and now I'm wondering if that wasn't for the best."

:No,: Sianni stated firmly, butting her head against his shoulder hard enough to send him off-balance, even while seated. :It is a difficult process if you are unaccustomed to it, but growth is a natural thing. Master did you a disservice, curbing your curiosity like that.:

"But I don't even know myself now," he whispered, catching himself with a hand braced against the throw. "Why do I find myself talking to you more and more, on such insignificant matters? Why do I wonder what I might have called Master otherwise if he had not always introduced himself by that name in my presence? Why was I asking Instructor Killira how the birds manage not to collide in mid-air when they flock over the bushes? Why do I resent the choices given to me?"

:Because you are lost,: Sianni said softly, nuzzling him until he reflexively wrapped his arms around her neck to keep his balance. :And there is nothing from your past life to help the transition of your trust to something in the new. But though the break is clean, it is necessary...it will help keep things clear, without undue influences.:

At that, he found his arms slipping away from her. Oh yes, things were very clear. From the Companion and Heralds' point of views, of course. I'm sure they're all too eager to isolate me from Master's 'influence'.

He could feel Sianni's regard, the burgeoning questions at his sudden distance, when her attention was swayed by Brin's voice floating across the distance, calling out for Kyn. For once, he found himself honestly glad to see the boy, even if it was because of the distraction Brin could provide, rather than for the sake of seeing Brin himself. Pushing away from Sianni, Kyn gave him a spare nod of greeting when Brin trotted up within easy talking distance.

The tow-headed boy returned it absently with a polite bow, which he also repeated in Sianni's direction before facing Kyn again. He couldn't help thinking that Master would at least be impressed by the boy's manners before Brin began a little breathlessly, "I'm sorry to chase you down like this because I know you checked out all those books which I assume you intend on studying, but Fei's wandering around the grounds with her father giving a tour, so..." He took a big breath, finishing wheezingly, "I needed some place to hide."

Kyn stared blankly at him, before venturing slowly, "To...hide?" Perhaps it was the usual swing between hyperactive energy and lethargy. Or maybe it was the sheer contrast of Brin's run-on babble. Or maybe it was just all the mental headaches that the boy brought along with him. Whatever the cause though, Kyn abruptly felt exhausted in just observing him.

Brin nodded eagerly, looking not at all abashed at the cowardly admission. Then again, considering the one he was trying to avoid, Kyn couldn't really blame him. Fei was more than a match for Sten, for all the bully's physical stature. "Oh yes. I decided a long time ago that there's nothing wrong with being afraid of Fei - that it actually shows you have a properly working sense of self-preservation."

Kyn could have sworn Sianni snickered despite her innocent blink and the overwhelming sense of 'horse' she radiated. Casting her a reflexive glare, he shrugged. "And what, exactly, do you think I can do that you came running directly to me?"

"Well...I don't expect you to fight her like you did with Stef, or even get involved in anything on my part..." Kyn imagined that if Brin had his little cap with him, he would have wrung it along with the newly replaced feathers within an inch of its life, "but if Fei's the way she is, how much worse do you think her da's gonna be?"

Kyn shook his head slowly at the almost superstitious dread that had started to creep into the boy's voice. "There was nothing that you couldn't have prevented yourself," he began sternly, already sorting through other likely places on the collegium grounds in which he might avoid Brin and his social baggage when the other's words finally sank in. Fei. And her father. The duke. "Her father is here?" he asked quietly.

Brin nodded distractedly, glancing over his shoulder as if waiting for the two to come stalking over the field at any moment, personally looking to fillet him.

Master had wanted him to watch them. Fei had been easy, predictable in her movements and affiliations. Brin had been his source half the time; Kyn was constantly amazed at all that the boy found interesting enough to pay attention to, and often wondered how he managed to find the time to pick up the gossip from one end of the collegium to the other. And for all that the boy thought her the next female incarnation of Ancar, he was more than happy to listen for and pass on her latest triumphs and tribulations.

But Kyn had his doubts about maintaining surveillance on the duke, even for such a short period of time as a visit to his daughter would entail. Just the mention of the man was enough to make the back of his neck prickle. Should he depend on general skulking and third-hand information? Or would a direct confrontation be better?

"Come with me," he abruptly decided, grabbing Brin's wrist and dragging the boy after him. There was no use debating over the matter when he hadn't even caught a look at the man yet.

"W-wait, where are you going?" Brin stumbled after him, making only a few token tugs at the grip on his arm.

Kyn didn't answer, waiting until they were on the nearest walkpath before asking, "Where are they? You said she was giving him a tour?"

Blue eyes grew wide until he could see a rim of white all around them. "Y-you're not actually thinking of...of looking for them, are you?" the boy squeaked.

"I am," he stated unequivocally, turning to glare at Brin. "Now where are they?" The boy swallowed, turned slightly green, and then pointed weakly toward one of the dorms. "Follow if you want, but if you so much as open your mouth..." Kyn left the threat hanging, not even bothering to wait for a sign of compliance from Brin before he turned and strode in the indicated direction. He was honestly surprised as he heard the scuff of gravel only a heartbeat or two later that indicated Brin had taken him up on his offer. Remaining meekly silent, the boy kept pace two strides behind. Satisfied that his natural exuberance was being kept firmly in check, Kyn directed his attention to the building.

Sandrian Hall was the best dorm to room in, or so rumor had it. It seemed that even amongst the righteous Heralds - or whoever had been placed in charge of the rosters - there were ways to grease one's way into a favorable position. It could have been coincidence that Fei was placed in this particular hall, with its backside porch, little awnings and balconies, and cozy rooms boasting all the most modern amenities including fireplaces - but somehow, he doubted it. Not to say that the Heralds would allow any of the dorms to fall into disrepair. Kyn had to give them that much, that they honestly took care of the trainees and students. But there was always something that would place one choice over another, and according to the female population, Sandrian Hall was the top one to be had.

Rounding a wall composed of dense rosewood hedges trimmed into blocky shapes, he had to admit that it held a sort of beguiling charm. Ivy and miniature rose vines had been allowed to twine their way about available banisters and up walls - now brown and faded from the season - the facade freshly painted in a pale, pastel yellow trimmed by a bold blue. Carefully tended flower beds covered the immediate area around the building, punctuated by the odd sculpture or fountain and framed by narrow, wending paths. Three stories high, the architecture hinted at styles that had been predominant two centuries ago, quaintly homey and the very picture of what Kyn supposed a lord's 'country house' might look like in the literature that had been pressed on him.

"They're inside?" he asked Brin, searching the windows for signs of people passing by.

"I...I guess so. They were going inside when I was walking past. And then I ran straight to you." Kyn spared a moment to look back at the boy, wondering if he should be alarmed that trouble seemed to find Brin nearly as much as himself, and that the boy seemed to have developed the habit of making a bee-line for Kyn whenever it did. "Unless they're planning on calling for dinner to be sent up - oh, that's one of the people that arrived with him."

Kyn quickly turned back around to see a short, slender man of advanced age exiting the dorm, waiting expectantly beside the open door with the straight-backed posture and severe expression of a lifelong manservant. His livery consisted of a black tunic and leggings trimmed in purplish maroon, and a shirt of the same red-violet hue, elegantly simple and yet tailored by undeniable wealth. Staring off into space, it wasn't long before he abruptly stiffened to attention, and voices preceded the arrival of Fei and her father.

Mennifei had the sort of hard-edged beauty that displayed best in cold, marble busts of warrior queens, but lacked some essential quality that made her any more approachable than the statues. She bore her burden of fortune well; fully conscious of her worth every waking moment, and confident enough in her position that she felt no need to be grandiose in its display. Rather than flaunting herself and her money until she looked trite and gaudy, she let her disdain and boredom speak for her. If it weren't for the genuine malice and calculating interest with which she viewed everything and everyone, she could have claimed a position of rulership on charisma alone. As it was, she was a walking gallery of lost or ruined potential, all her gifts and talents subtly distorted until Kyn could hardly glance at her without feeling a strange twinge inside.

Her father though...it was clear who Mennifei inherited her mannerisms from, if not her features. He might not be handsome by classical definitions, but he exuded a lazy grace and regalness that would have done a gryphon proud - complete with unsheathed claws and the sharp gleam of a predator in the eyes. Gray touched the dark auburn locks, the hair meticulously coifed, and faint lines radiated from the corners of the hazel eyes, as if from a lifetime of laughter. Kyn received the distinct impression though, that they resulted from something far less innocuous than mirth narrowing the duke's gaze on a regular basis.

"What are you looking for?" Brin whispered, making Kyn start and shoot him a glare.

"Nothing," he hissed, returning his gaze to the duke as the man escorted his daughter from the dorm as if they were exiting their palace, chatting amiably while the manservant fell into step behind them after closing the door. "How long is he staying in the capitol?"

Branches rustled as Brin shrugged, his back pressed against them. "Six days, I think. He had business in the capitol. He might stay a day or two more, to spend time with Fei, and then he'll be traveling down the East Trade Road back to his holdings."

East Trade Road. Something about it tickled the back of his mind before Kyn dismissed it in favor of focusing on the nearing duke and heiress. Stepping fully behind the hedge, he followed their progress with ears and narrowed eyes, watching the flicker of movement through the net of dried leaves and twigs. "What do you know of the duke's business?"

There was a pause in which the pair's conversation became loud enough to snatch the occasional syllable from, Kyn shifting yet again to press himself close to the hedge when they had nearly walked far enough to draw abreast of them. "I don't think it's wise spying on one's elders," Bryn finally whispered timidly.

Kyn nearly laughed out loud, strangling the urge just short of the sound emerging. He opened his mouth, about to retort -

When the duke suddenly stopped. Frowned, and then turned his head. Ten paces away, he looked unerringly toward Kyn, standing in the shadow of the hedges, and brought his daughter's attention toward the two boys with a soft word and a deeper frown.

As Kyn felt his heart stutter in shock and consternation, Fei turned as well with annoyance plain on her face at the interruption to some anecdote she was relating. Upon seeing them, however, her expression blanked in confusion, before a familiar, feline smile spread tulip-pink lips. "Oh, why, it's my dear friend Kyn and his shadow." Despite their one-time meeting and her studious avoidance of anything connected to the event, she had apparently managed to pick up his name from somewhere regardless. Not too hard, when one was the center of attention of what amounted to high society in the collegium.

How could the duke have detected them? Granted, Kyn had not been actively trying to hide himself, but he also knew enough to be able to position himself with the knowledge of how easily he might be spotted by those he was watching...and at that angle... "Lady Mennifei is too generous with her affections," he said automatically, stepping boldly out of the plant's shadow.

Inside, he trembled. He knew nothing of the duke. He knew nothing of what the man meant to Master's plans. He couldn't remember a single assignment in which he had been prepared so little on the subjects involved, had been given so few instructions as to how to act. He quailed at the thought of a misstep, of having already tipped some invisible hand with the discovery of his presence, if not his intentions. It was only the latter that pushed him forward, that formed the courtly words drawn from books and tutors and Master's sneering regard, the hope that if he was able to distract and assuage, that no lasting harm had been done. But even as his body went through the practiced gestures of social graces, his mind yammered to him constantly with the 'how'. The man had turned to find him as if expecting him there. Surely he was not Gifted as well...

"Not generous enough, it appears," Fei murmured with a brow lifted like a gull's wing in pleased surprise at the manner of his response, her words low as if spoken in confidence but with just enough of a curl to her lips to indicate that Kyn had been intentionally included in the speculative comment.

The duke revealed nothing at all as he looked Kyn over as blatantly as if he was stock at a horse show, giving Brin the same regard when the boy stumbled after into the wan sunlight, before finally allowing a thin-lipped smile to show itself. "Kyn? You must be extraordinary indeed to have worked yourself so quickly into my daughter's favor. I do believe this is the first I have heard mention of you - and Fei works very hard at keeping me abreast of all the local gossip."

"Father!" the girl mock protested, half-lidded eyes never leaving Kyn and ignoring Brin completely. "I do not lower myself to 'gossip'. I thought you wanted a taste of what the atmosphere is like in the heart of the capitol? I merely pass on the more...colorful bits of local news."

"I am sure the only extraordinary thing is that your daughter appears to have deemed me worthy of her regard, My Lord - ?" He trailed off suggestively, a brow quirked upwards in question after the duke's name even as he began to dip into the customary bow of respect to someone of unknown rank.

"Duke Aisner Se'Fannouel," the man answered as Kyn knew he would, but then did something that he had most certainly not expected. Se'Fannouel extended his right hand in a clear invitation for a handclasp. "I am pleased to make the acquaintance of such a well brought-up young man."

Kyn blinked, was sure his surprise was evident on his face at the uncustomary method of greeting, and absently accepted the waiting hand with his own. He was still wondering at the possible motivation that would drive the duke to such a lowly and personable gesture when -

Steel, teeth, claws...and the chittering. The mad clicks and squeaks that merged into a single, low, discordant roar of insanity that pried at the edges of the mind like nails on slate. Blades flashed around him, swords and kitchen knives and everything in between, stabbing wildly at shadows...shadows that gleamed with edges white and sharp and which bore blind, hungry eyes within...

Circles within circles within circles...no corners, no ends, chasing itself without surcease. The duke, bearing dagger and sword, both blooded, stood within - as Master did. Does...will. The two raised weapons in simultaneous gestures, cried hideous and unknowable words in twinned voices, looked down upon him with identical mad gazes...but the duke stood before him, Master behind, and it was forward that he stepped...

Ice banded his chest, stole his breath and made his heart stutter, while his mind faltered before the duke's bloodied and twisted visage...and the living shadows beyond the last circle that hinted at shapes his mind refused to recognize, leering yellow gazes sliding in and out of focus as they waited...so patiently...inched closer with each slow drop of blood that pattered on the ground. He could feel the hot trails winding down the icy surface of his skin, the regards of a thousand alien eyes fixed hungrily on the scarlet paths drawn over their bodies to mix in a slowly growing pool, connected drop...by drop...by drop...

He would have gasped, if his torso hadn't felt so constricted that he was barely able to draw a natural sip of breath. He might have staggered, if a body hadn't unexpectedly leaned close, a comradely arm thrown awkwardly over his shoulders by someone of a shorter stature. As light and sound rushed in with the harsh clarity that only the real world boasted, Kyn could only blink and try queasily to settle a protesting stomach while sorting the sensations out as fumblingly as a newborn might.

"...my cousin Kyn. Father would never have managed that shipment otherwise, after the pests had their way with the bales. Don't your holdings lie near the border, on the East Trade Road, m'lord? If I remember, that region is favorable toward the growing of rosenthyme."

The duke looked decidedly bemused as he nodded slightly to Brin's stream of words, his daughter less so as she looked up at the sky, back toward the dorm's gardens, anywhere but at them and trying not to fidget in her boredom. "It is indeed," Se'Fannouel murmured. "It is exactly because of that plant that I am in the capitol. Conditions have been ideal this year; I have several bids for this year's harvest which may allow me to expand next year's crop further."

Brin fairly beamed. "Congratulations! Rosenthyme has traditionally been just a luxury because of its fickleness, but with a steady and reliable source of supply..."

Se'Fannouel nodded again, this time with a remarkably genuine smile. "Precisely. You have a remarkable grasp of a rare market, Brin."

The boy blushed in pleasure at the praise, eyes dropping modestly. "Oh no, M'lord. My da - my father's always been interested in the exotic. He didn't want to settle on the traditional, established trade. He's the one who really had the time and energy to research all of the particulars - I'm just trying reassure him that the business will fall into good hands once he retires."

"I am sure he sleeps easily each night with just that thought."

"Father, we will be late for dinner with Saedil," Fei interrupted peevishly, just managing to smooth out her tone enough to keep it from being an outright whine.

"Yes, Dear," the duke absentmindedly patted her shoulder with unconscious condescension, earning him a hooded glare that contained a surprising amount of real hurt. "I'm staying at the Moon Lady's Inn. If you ever have time to spare from your studies, perhaps I can treat you to a lunch or dinner sometime."

It was a moment before Brin managed to gather enough wits to make an exuberant acceptance of the invitation, smiling fit to split his face in half as the duke tendered a distracted farewell and led a fuming Mennifei away.

"Bright Lady! Kyn, can you believe that?! I just got invited to a private meeting with Duke Se'Fannouel!" Brin crowed as soon as the two were out of earshot, all but dancing in place with his eagerness, wriggling like a puppy. "Da will be ecstatic...if he became broker for the duke - why, we could become lords in our own right from the commissions alone!"

Kyn barely acknowledged him with a wordless sound, all his responses belated and sluggish as if he was subtly out of synch with the world. And perhaps he was. It was quite obvious that he had lost quite a bit of time during the dizzying bout of visions, time which Brin had somehow managed to fill and cover for his lapse by squeezing him out of the focus of the duke's attention altogether. It was a wholly unexpected bit of cleverness and talent that he had hitherto not suspected of the boy.

But the implications of Brin's new ties to the duke, the unrefined potential he had just displayed, was all pushed aside for later mulling by one overwhelming thought: he must kill the duke. The sooner, the better.

Maphiko - blush With that kind of review, I will most certainly write more. =) I just hope I don't disappoint as things are steadily revealed in the later chapters.

Megan - grins It's good to see you still hanging in there. All in all, it was a truly amazing feat how quickly I belted that one out considering my writing history. Unfortunately, I think I made up for the time I saved on that one by taking up extra days with this part. o.O*

ola - snickers Thank you so much for the support, and I would definitely understand if you don't review every single chapter that comes out. ^_~ Just drop a 'hi' every handful of parts or so to let me know it hasn't lost your interest completely.

haiiro - wiggles happily and then sighs Too bad I can't live off reviews...I wouldn't mind ditching the job and school to write all day long...

drunkenfairy - Oof, that would be a dream come true. =) But I dunno how appreciative she would be if I just dumped the thing into her box one day. _ (Btw, I love that pen name of yours.)

M'cha - You wouldn't happen to also know what they use to refer to minutes and seconds, would you? =P (No, I'm not really trying to milk you of all the information you're worth rather than hieing myself of to the bookstore to look it up myself... eyeshifts) There's so many books out there that make up their own ways of calling units of time and days and weeks...it's hard to keep a track of what goes with who...

LOL. I wasn't really planning for that effect (re: creeping you out), but I can't say I'm exactly displeased either if it's managing to keep you coming back for more. =) As for Kyn's current situation and future...well, Fate (for lack of a better word for now) hasn't even really started with him yet, but rest assured, he isn't going to be thrown in completely unprepared. ;) And my vocabulary comes from nearly a decade's worth of reading in which I averaged about a book a day (yes, I had no life back then - actually, I still don't have a life, even now). Thus, you will find that I occasionally mis-use some words (ones which I inferred the wrong definition for when I was too lazy to get a dictionary) since I didn't learn them the 'proper' way. But I do try to check myself on ones that I'm not absolutely certain of.

Hmm...now that I think of it, maybe my reading at that mad pace accounts for why I can't remember the majority of the stuff I've read beyond half a year ago...backward interference and all that... -.-