~ Chapter Thirteen ~

Charming Amity Blightward

Luz awoke to a small sweet roll and a note from Willow, both sitting atop a new and clean set of college robe, tunic and pants.

Munching on the sweet roll, Luz read the note, choking down happy tears as she did so.

Good Morning Luce, Loose? Lulu You,

Left you my last sweet roll, so now you have to be friends with me. I enchanted it (I didn't, don't worry.)
Mirabelle dropped off some new robes for you this morning. If I'm not back from my morning run around the ring-wall, I'll be back soon. There's a water basin under the stairs, couple alcoves over (a room has a door; these are not rooms).
Didn't want you to get ink all over yourself, so I put your book, ink, and quill on my table. Tolfdir's lecture is at 9 - the font in the courtyard flares every hour and the floor is a twelve-mark sundial - not that it works without any sun, but it's still enchanted to keep time - the light casts a shadow on it.

Magic. Go figure.

Hope you slept well. And don't worry if you didn't figure out your spell. Tolfdir is really nice - if a bit foggy - and I'm sure he'd love to work with you to produce a spell. He loves that sort of thing.

Willow (call me Willamina in front of anyone, and I will make you disappear. Non-magically.)

There were a handful of hasty scratches at the bottom of the page, like a series of Xs and Os that had been rubbed out. and replaced with a doodle of creeping poison ivy.

Luz made sure the ink was dry and then folded the note into her journal.

She cleaned up quickly, and had just finished changing into her new robes - as crisp and clean as if no one else had ever worn them - when Willow popped her head in.

"Nice," she said before Luz wrapped her in a hug. "Oh, whoa. So you're a hugger?"

"Always have been." Luz squeezed her. "Willow, thank you so much for the note…"

Willow shuffled her boot. "I just… I was new here and it took me ages to open up to Gus. There aren't a lot of unkind people here, but everyone is in their own head. My family was always so tight-knit, it was hard to lose that coming here."

"Well, I will be your mage-sister if you want," Luz said, linking arms with Willow. "Inseperable and indomitable."

Willow beamed. "Thanks, Luz. It's almost time for Tolfdir's lecture, so we better get Gus and head out."

Waking up Augustus wasn't as hard as it had been the day before, though Willow still had to threaten him with setting his blankets on fire to get him up.

With some mild grumbling, the three hurried to the Hall of Elements.

In the vast hall, Luz gathered near the others, spying Amity sitting along the stairs that encircled the room, her back against a pillar, reading.

"Are we the only new students?" she asked, looking away as Amity looked up.

"Well," Augustus said. "We arrived just after Amity. There were three apprentices here before her. Brelyna is really interested in Alteration. Do not let her rope you into letting her try her spells on you. I'm still waking up with the taste of grass in my mouth."

"She turned him into a cow," Willow supplied to Luz's confused look. "Onmund is really sweet. Always willing to help, but a bit shy. He's really good at Destruction magic - helps Faralda out with demonstrations sometimes."

"Do not test J'zargo's scrolls." Augustus absently touched his eyebrows. "I've only just got these back. For someone covered in fur, he loves fire."

"And Amity?"

"She's the star pupil," Willow said, unable to keep some bitterness from her voice. "She keeps to herself. I don't know much about her. If she's not here, she's in the library, or off on an errand for the Archmage.

"Lilianthe knows her mom, I think. She's from Highrock. Knows a little bit of everything when it comes to magic."

"A lot of everything," Augustus corrected. "She disappears into the Midden sometimes. Got to have a secret lab down there or something."

"Midden?" Luz asked. "What's that?"

"It's this cave system under the college," Augustus said. "I've explored a little bit down there. It's not strictly off-limits, but Master Wizard Ervine doesn't like apprentices down there. Too dangerous."

"Alright then." The three looked up as an elderly Nordic man, dressed in dark blue and maroon robes, with wild grey hair and knotted beard, walked toward them. "Ah, Willow. Always nice to see you."

"Master Tolfdir," Willow said, bowing. "Good morning."

"Ah, oh," Tolfdir said, waving her away. "I've told you, I'm not a master. Eh, yet." He chuckled. "Better hurry up though, man of my age.

"Augustus. Good to see you. Wards are very important, even for those who do not engage in violence. Skyrim has become even more dangerous in the passing months. Always a good idea to brush up on the basics."

He paused, looking Luz up and down. "Well, I know I'm old, but I'm pretty sure you're new."

"Yes," Luz said, bowing slightly. "Ah, Lucaeda Nochtim. Just Luz is fine. Spelled with a 'z.'" She winked at Willow who nudged her. "This is my first day here."

"Oh, splendid, splendid," Tolfdir exclaimed. "My, I don't think I had a turnout like this among my last spate of apprentices. Well, alright then, let's get - oh! Miss Blightward. Are you…?"

Luz followed his gaze to Amity, who had risen from her ball of book reading to approach them.

"No, Master Tolfdir," she said, with a polite smile. "I'm well versed in warding magic. Mistress Lilianthe asked me to attend. She will be along shortly, but didn't want to make you wait."

"Hm. How very kind of her," Tolfdir said, in a voice that implied that he knew she wasn't being kind at all. "Well. Good. Let's get started.

"Today's topic is wards and warding spells. Now, do you all know how to cast wards?"

Luz's felt a tinge of embarrassment when Agustus, Amity, and Willow all nodded.

She shook her head. "I… I don't. I mean, I've been practicing. But I'm not really confident that it will work."

"Oh, my dear," Tolfdir said, but his face broke into such a friendly smile that Luz's tension started to ebb away. "Not to worry. This is perfect. Come on, step forward. Always better to start fresh, I find. I'll show you the basics and everyone else can make sure they know them… unlike some students who should really be practicing them more…"

Luz did so, glancing at Amity, whose face remained impassive.

"Now," Tolfdir said. "I had planned on a very interesting lecture on how wards work for each School, but I think we will stick to just the Restoration School's version for now. Let's see how fast you can master it.

"Now, Luz, do you know any Restoration magic?"

"No."

"Oh. Well, let's see… Alteration?"

Luz smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Ah, I know a magelight spell? I can learn others, just…"

"She cannot use magicka, Master Tolfdir," Amity said, smiling at Luz. "Not her own."

"Oh," Tolfdir said, looking between the two. "Well, that is a conundrum. But you said you can cast a spell? Magelights? Show me that."

"It's just the staff, Master Tolfdir," Amity said, earning a glare from Luz. "And any common man or mer can use a staff."

"That's not true." Luz bristled, her jaw setting. She unslung Eda's staff from her shoulder and planted it with a thud, causing a flicker of fire to flicker up its length.

"Oh my," Tolfdir said. "Such exquisite craftsmanship. And look-" he peered at the knotted head of the staff. "This is Valenwood make. Ha, an owl. My goodness, do you see? Just wonderful. How did you come by such a thing?"

"My teacher," Luz said, trying not to transfer her glare from Amity to him. "I… I have stunted magicka. But I can use the charge inherent to an enchanted object."

I sound so confident, she thought, as she marked out the light rune on the floor.

Globes of light floated up by Tolfdir's nose, his old eyes wide with amazement. "My word…"

Amity sniffed dismissively, but the old man clapped his hands.

"Yes, yes! Marvelous! I've read about this. Runic magic. Very rare, not very practical. Fell out of favor for its complexity, yet…" He hummed to himself for a minute, thoughtfully stroking his beard braid. "Yes, wonderful, simply wonderful. I'd love to help you grow this understanding, Luz. But… well, I'm afraid if you can't channel magicka on your own, I can't teach you a warding spell today."

"Nonsense." Lilianthe strode into the hall, her boots clicking purposely against the stonework. "Runic spells are based upon Daedric sigils. Very simple, and with great variety - if you know what you're doing."

Tolfdir huffed into his mustache. "Lilianthe. So glad you could join us."

When he turned back to Luz, she was already starting to scribble more sigils on the floor, copying them from her book. "Now, what's that?"

"I was working on it last night," Luz said. "I… I don't know if it works, but-" she finished, stepped on top of the cluster of sigils, planted her staff, and spun, completing a full circle.

The rune flared and a circular blossom of slivery-white light flew up and around her, leaving a shimmer in the shadows of her clothes and skin.

"Gods above," Tolfdir said, voicing what clearly showed on Amity's face. "Ha! A shield spell! How long does it last?"

"I'm not sure." Luz couldn't hold in her grin. "I never got to try it last night." Wasn't even sure it would worked really...

"Well," Lilianthe said, coming to a stop behind Amity. "Perhaps we should test it?"

"What?" Tolfdir asked, absently. His gaze hardened when he remembered she was there. "Oh, no. Something like this needs to be studied in its entirety before we try it practically. No, Luz, this is amazing. If you have the time, I'd love to help-"

"Master Tolfdir," Lilianthe interrupted, in a calm and patient voice that made Luz's skin crawl. "As fascinating as this all is, you were holding a lecture on wards?"

"Oh, yes, yes. Quite." Tolfdir clapped Luz on the shoulder. "Well done my dear. Never let a little thing like stunted magicka get in the way of magical knowledge. Never. Such a mind…" He cleared his throat and moved back to the center of the group.

"Now-"

"Isn't a practical demonstration in order?" Lilianthe asked, causing Tolfdir to splutter. "I mean, wards are a practitioner's best defense against magical attack. Surely you cannot just talk about them?"

"Well I was-"

"How about a friendly duel?" Lilianthe gestured to Augustus and Willow. "Amity is very proficient at Destruction magic, aren't you dear? Well, if one of you is familiar with wards, a low-powered fire spell would be enough to test it and provide ample instruction."

"I don't know-" Tolfdir started but Willow raised her hand. "Ah, yes?"

"I don't mind, sir." Willow stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. "My dad taught me wards from when I was very young. I'll be okay, and you can talk about it without distraction."

"Oh, well-"

"There we are," Lilianthe said, and Luz shivered at the saccharine tone. "Now, Amity, don't forget to go easy on her. No accidents."

Amity and Willow stood across from each other as Luz and Augustus fell behind Tolfdir off to the side, and Lilianthe stood behind Amity, hands clasped, forefingers resting on her mouth, pensively.

"Give me your best shot," Willow grinned, readying a silvery light in one hand.

"Of course." Amity gave her a tight smile and a bow.

"Alright now," Tolfdir said. "Let's start with a lesser spell, Amity. Just a flare, if you please. Willow, ready your ward."

A glow of light sprang into being before Willow just in time for Amity to toss a shard of fire into it, dispersing almost at once, wicked away by the shield.

"Excellent. And again."

"Come on, Amity," Willow called. "I'm good at this. A bit harder."

Amity scowled and fired again, a much stronger bolt this time. It crashed against the torrent of Willow's magic and faded away.

"Barely felt that," Willow said, laughing.

Amity bristled.

"Now," Tolfdir said. "You see how Willow is able to maintain concentration. That's because the ward is deflecting-"

Amity launched another bolt of fire, followed by two more in quick succession.

Willow moved her ward this time, catching two and sending one wide.

"Oh, yes, very good," Tolfdir started. "But that was a bit-"

"Hey," Willow called out. "That last one almost hit me."

"Well," Amity snapped, and Luz was surprised by the anger in her voice. "I'm supposed to, aren't I?"

Willow dropped her ward, panting a little. "Give me a second."

"You must dig deep," Lilianthe called from behind Amity. "In a real duel, you will not have time to recover."

"But this isn't a real-" Tolfdir couldn't get the words out before Amity unleashed a torrent of flames at Willow, who barely managed to catch it against a new ward.

"Flames of Oblivion," Amity growled. "I command you. Rise!"

A circle of black, oily smoke exploded from the ground in front of her, and a jet of fire in the shape of a woman clawed its way into the room.

"Miss Blightward!" Tolfdir moved with surprising speed for an old man, his hands twisting orange and lime-green light into the tiles of the floor, lifting them up between Willow and the atronach, melding them into a single sheet.

Fire exploded against the tiles, but the atronach soared over the top of it, reaching back with a flaming spear in hand.

Luz acted without thinking. She tackled Willow, breaking her spell, and felt a searing pain in her back, ebbing away to a tingling warmth over her whole body.

The pair of them rolled away, another spear of flame landing where they had been.

"Amity," Tolfdir shouted. "Stop this at once!"

Luz stood and plunged her staff toward the atronach. A blaze of flame crashed into it, whirled for a moment, and was absorbed by the atronach.

She looked incredulously at the staff - half because she had forgotten that it only controlled fire, but the other half because she'd done it without a word.

Then the atronach landed, Luz just managing to get the staff in between her and it. "Dang it, Eda. Why'd you have to like fire so much!"

Wait, she realized, as the atronach raised its claws, rippling heat falling off of it. Control fire. That's its enchantment. This is-

She focused. She shut out the burning heat, the descending claw, the panicked shouting. There was only her, the staff, and what she needed it to do.

The claw struck down, burning into her shoulder, setting her robes alight. Her skin stung like a bad sunburn, then as if she'd touched a hot kettle with her whole body.

But she forced herself to imagine the atronach's form being absorbed into the staff, the flames snuffing out like a guttering fire-pit.

There was a hissing snarl, like the sound of wet logs in a fireplace, and the atronach tore away from her, its flames sputtering, mixing with a shadowy smoke that boiled away, leaving it diminished.

Luz sagged back against the stone as a blast of frost took it in the chest, throwing it back against the wall Tolfdir had made.

Said wall rolled down, crushing the atronach, extinquishing it like dirt on a fire.

Luz faded in and out, trying not to think about the agonizing burn in her shoulder. She vaguely came back to Willow kneeling over her, a little bit of her worried face easing.

"Anyone ever tell you," Luz asked, blearily. "That you have very green eyes?"

Willow shook her head and helped Luz stand. "Come on. You need to see Colette."

"What in the name of the Nine was that?"

Luz looked over to see Tolfdir storming around the side of his pile of rubble toward Amity.

She looked stunned and shamefaced, holding her hands to her chest, because if she didn't they'd be shaking.

She started to answer, but couldn't seem to find the words.

"I don't understand what happened," Tolfdir said, his voice calmer but no less stern. "But I trust it won't happen again. Report to the Archmage…ah, Master Ervine, for disipline."

"Yes, Master Alterer," Amity said in a meek voice that surprised Luz. She hurried from the room, still holding her hands.

"What a mess," Tolfdir said, looking down at the floor.

"Do you need any help?" Augustus asked, already heading for Luz and Willow.

Tolfdir waved him away without looking up. "No offense, young Augustus, but I need to actually mend the floor, not just make it look like it is. I appreciate the thought though."

Augustus took Luz's other arm and with Willow, helped guide her out of the Hall.

"Hey," he whispered, as they made it into the courtyard, heading toward the Hall of Countenance. "Did you see that?"

"What?" Willow asked, her concern for Luz mixing with a bit of anger. "Amity go berserk for no reason?"

"Not no reason," Augustus said, looking up at the ring-wall, to the two figures in black. "I'm pretty good at Illusions if I do say so myself. Some of it affects just you, like a veil of invisibility. Other spells affects a target's mind. I tried to make you more courageous, Luz. Back in the Shrouded Grove. But it didn't take. Either because of your Atronach thing or you didn't need any more than you've got."

"You got a point in there somewhere?" Luz asked, chuckling then wincing. "Ow."

"Guys, when did Lilianthe leave?"

"What?" Luz had to admit she'd lost track of the Altmer in all the commotion.

"I saw it." Augustus nodded toward the figures before they entered the Hall of Countenance. "Amity was charmed."

"What were you thinking?" Lilianthe was glad the silence spell worked so well. It was all she could do to keep from striking Ancarno. "An Incitement spell? In front of the old man? Why?"

"Do you have so little faith in me?" Ancarno asked, looking down at the trio of figures walking across the courtyard.

"As a matter of fact," Lilianthe started with a pointed glare. "Why, then?"

"She annoys me." Ancarco gestured to Willow.

"Because she fired an arrow through your window?"

"She ruined a portrait of High Councilor Oatalyne. I had it commissioned."

"Ugh," Lilianthe said. "And so Amity was just a tool for your petty revenge?"

Ancarno allowed his smile to spread. "Miss Blightward? Ah, yes. I suppose she was a conveinient tool. A… disposable device, if you will." He tried to catch Lilianthe's gaze, but she had focused off to the ruined city of Winterhold below. "Does someone have a soft spot for a student?"

"As one would have for a pet," Lilianthe said. "What would I have to do with half-blood like her, besides her obedience and her talent?"

"I had a cat once," Ancarno said. "Small white thing, with green eyes. I loved her. Wonderful pet. But, ultimately, not Altmer. So when the fire claimed my parents, I allowed it to claim her as well. Left it all behind." He turned away and dismissed Lilianthe's silent-bubble spell with a flick of the wrist. "Just don't get too attached, Lilianthe. Wouldn't want anything to… cloud your jugement."

Willow, Augustus and Luz gathered in the girls' room. Colette had been nice about the burn, but had talked their ears off about the value of learning healing spells.

She became a little flustered when Luz told her that healing magic seemed all well and good, but potions were easier for her because of how her birthsign reacted to magic, and shooed them out a few minutes later with a salve and some bandages.

Now Luz and Willow turned to Augustus, with Willow having made sure they were all alone in the Hall of Attainment and having wrapped up Luz's shoulder.

"What do you mean she was charmed?" Willow asked. "Wasn't very charming, I can attest to that."

"Ha ha," Augustus said. "Very funny. Come on, you know what I mean."

"Imagine," Luz said, gesturing with her still-tingling arm. "That I do not. What do you mean?"

"So," Augustus said, clearly excited to talk about his specialty. "Illusion magic is pretty difficult to define. There's overlap with Alteration, Mysticism, and Conjuration, but a good chunk is just 'imaginary.'"

"Ha. I see what you did there, Gus."

Augustus frowned. "Don't call me that. Anyway, Illusion magic can affect yourself, like I said, or someone else."

"Yeah. You said you tried to make me more courageous or something?"

"Exactly. There is a whole load of spells that can trick the mind into being more confident, or removing fear - or injecting fear. Even turning friends into foes and back again. It's complex and messy. You have to be careful, or you could damage someone mentally. And that's hard to undo." He sat down in Willow's chair. "Some of the first things I learned was how to create duplicates of myself. Just… mirror images. Or to trick myself into being smarter or stronger.

"But there's a cost there. Every spell I learned came with a warning.

"I've never used it, but there's a branch of spells that can cause worry, fear, anger. It can remove inhibitions, or just make people perceive everything as a threat."

"And you think Amity had this put on her?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"It's just…" Augustus ran his hands through his short dreadlocks. "It's just a feeling. I didn't see the spell cast, but… Look, I know Amity can be a bit antagonistic, but that look she gave you two? It was extreme, unhindered. Almost demented. And then Luz, you broke the binding she had on that fire atronach. I saw her snap out of it, and tried to send it away. But once an atronach is unbound, the only way to unsend it is to kill it."

"So who would have charmed her?" Luz pulled her legs up. "If it's not her fault, she shouldn't get in trouble for this."

"I wouldn't go that far," Augustus said. "Illusion magic can do a lot of things, but it cannot change who you are on a fundamental level. I don't know what spell she was under, but she still acted on her own emotions and intents. She wanted to hurt you."

"Or prove herself," Luz said, glancing at her mace in the corner of the room. "And anyone can have their emotions used against them. People do it without magic all the time."

She breathed deeply and swung her legs over the bed. "I need to see Mirabelle."

"What for?" Willow and Augustus asked, just out of sync.

"I don't want Amity to hate me more than she does," Luz said. "Or you, Willow. This wasn't her fault."

"We don't have any evidence," Augustus said. "Unless we can name the one who cast the spell, and I didn't see Amity or Lilianthe make any motions."

"I have to try at least," Luz said, making for the door.

"Luz," Willow said, blocking her. "There aren't many here who could pull off a spell like Gus is describing without being seen, or us seeing the spell itself."

"You think there's a conspiracy against Amity?" Luz snorted. "Or you? Or Gusaban?"

"Don't like that, by the way," Augustus said, holding up a finger.

Luz ignored him. "Or me?"

"Luz just… don't." Willow looked pained. "It's not worth it."

"What?"

"Your life."

There was silence for a minute, Luz struggling with that sentence before she sat down again. "You're serious?"

"When those two Thalmor showed up," Augustus said. "It put everyone on edge. Except for Amity. She seemed to cozy up to Lilianthe really fast. The Archmage doesn't seem to mind them either, or he'd have given them the boot. If you go around accusing people of charming other people, you're going to make someone mad.

"And if that someone was willing to magic Amity Blightward to hurt Willow, you know they won't care about just making someone disappear. Whoever it is."

"So, be suspicious of everyone?" Luz asked.

Augustus nodded. "Everyone."

"Even you two?"

"I mean," Willow said, grinning. "I'm a bit of a troublemaker."

"I'm not even real," Augustus said, waving his hands.

"Seriously?" Luz put out her hand, slapping Augustus in the face.

"Ow! Why?"

"You said you weren't real," Luz said, genuinely upset. "I'm sorry, Gus."

"And don't call me that."