Walking With You

by Aylatha

"And how have you been, Sonea?", Lorlen asked. "Well." "Well, she says", Akkarin huffed, covering his face with one hand. "I'm still alive, aren't I?" Lorlen's eyebrows rose. Rothen's knees buckled. "What?", he yelped, colour draining from his face.

16. Winter Journey

A/N:

In this chapter, Sonea and Merin make their move(s), Kariko makes his reply to Sonea's threat, and Rikka has something to say.

I've added a doll of Fredda to my DeviantArt gallery, as well as one of Sonea in her magicians' robes.

---

"You'll have to find someone to keep an eye on Kallen for you", Akkarin said as they made their way down the path to the university. "Now, I don't expect him to actually cause any trouble, but it wouldn't be good if people thought that you were not taking your duties seriously."

"Way ahead of you", Sonea huffed. "Donevin and Regin volunteered most enthusiastically, and I have a few other people on hand as well. Kallen isn't going anywhere with at least one set of eyes on him at all times. Incidentally, he'll have a harder time keeping eyes on me while I'm at the residence."

"I sincerely hope that nobody would be foolish enough to think that you'd attempt to take my magic", Akkarin replied, rolling his eyes. "Or that I'd allow you to sneak out at night."

— No, you do the responsible thing and sneak out together with me.

— Indeed.

Sonea grinned, and elbowed him in the ribs. He jostled her back, and they both giggled like a bunch of immature children.

Akkarin led her past the main entrance to the Guildhall, stopping before an inconspicuous, small door Sonea had never really noticed before.

"We got our own entrance?", Sonea asked, arching a brow.

"Indeed we do."

The rest of the Higher Magicians soon joined them, and more magicians gathered in front of the main entrance. Sonea exchange greetings with the others, noting that Kallen, once again, stuck close to Sarrin and Peakin. It amazed her that magicians were more willing to cluster together with people from the same discipline rather than their friends from their university days. She suspected that Akkarin and Lorlen wouldn't be hanging out together as much as they did if they hadn't both been elected as members of the Higher Magicians.

Out of all of them, Kallen was the one Sonea knew least, as she'd never had reason to interact with him before. Because of that, Lorlen had suggested that they spend an afternoon together to get to know each other, to help them better understand how the other thought, and might act.

Kallen had been pleasantly unbothered by anything about her, enabling Sonea to lower her guard quickly, and come out of her shell. She'd felt that she had more to prove – that people would sooner question her motivations and actions than Kallen's. She didn't have the best track record, after all.

Akkarin beckoned Kallen to his side before leading their procession into the Guildhall. Once they reached the stairs leading up to their seats, Akkarin let himself fall back a step and motioned for Sonea to precede him. Sonea gave him a cheeky grin before starting up the steps, lifting her skirts. She had got much better at walking up and down stairs, but didn't feel like she needed the humiliation of falling flat on her face in front of the entire Guild.

She guessed that it was up to her to pick one of the two new chairs, and so she decided to just brazenly take the one on Akkarin's right.

His laughter echoed through her mind.

— Like you weren't expecting me to do that.

— I will neither confirm nor deny this.

The last person to arrive was Adviser Zoran, who hurried up the stairs in a somewhat breathless manner.

"Apologies for the delay", he gasped. "A carriage broke down on one of the busiest intersections, there was no getting through that. I had to walk."

— Oh, the indignity.

— You're awful. The poor man probably never walked farther than from one Guild building to the other in his entire life.

Sonea huffed.

Zoran settled into the chair above Sonea. She had no idea if that was where he usually sat – or if he'd chosen that seat on purpose.

Lorlen rose to his feet, and the chatter and murmuring in the hall died down.

"Welcome all to the first Meet in the new year. I would like to use this opportunity to formally welcome Black Magician Kallen and Black Magician Sonea as the newest members of the Higher Magicians.
"Our first item of the day is the matter of the future novices from Sanctuary. Queen Zarala has provided us with a list of the girls who will join us with the next Summer Intake, which has presented us with a bit of an issue – it turns out that no Sachakans, either within or outside of Sanctuary, use any family, house, clan or guild names. To avoid a potential rift between novices – and because magicians are supposed to identify with the Guild rather than their biological families – we have decided that, henceforth, no family, house, clan or guild names will be used in any official proceedings here at the Guild. The High Lord decided to put the matter to vote among the Higher Magicians, and the majority voted in favour of this change."

This caused the gathered magicians to whisper. Some looked upset, but none were foolish enough to openly protest.

"I suppose it was Black Magician Sonea who proposed this?", an elderly alchemist asked.

"No, I did", Lorlen replied, much to the man's astonishment.

They'd discussed it beforehand, naturally – Lorlen had insisted that he should make the motion instead of Akkarin – who had initially volunteered – as it might seem like he was playing favourites otherwise.

"And may we know by what margin this new rule was approved of?"

"It was seven to two."

Akkarin hadn't been surprised when Sarrin had been against the change – he was known for his conservative views, apparently – and he'd managed to sway Peakin to his side.

"Thank you, Administrator."

"Our next item – due to the cold temperatures, there is a risk of an ice jam forming in one of the Tarali River's tributaries near Coldbridge – the Trader's Guild has asked us to deploy some magicians to melt the ice, and prevent flooding. We would like to send a small team of alchemists; people who would like to volunteer should speak with Lord Sarrin."

Sonea hadn't actually known what ice jams were until coming to the Guild – the Tarali river was so wide at this point, it never froze over. However, ice jams frequently happened farther upstream, and the floods this sometimes caused could be devastating.

"Those are all the matters currently on the agenda, as far as I am concerned", Lorlen said. "Does anyone else have something to contribute?"

"I do", Zoran replied, rising to his feet. "The King has an official request to make of the Guild, on behalf of Queen Zarala. The Queen asks that the Guild deploy a small group of magicians to help in the fight against King Amakira, help with treating the injured. We are aware that no Healers can be spared, but any magicians who know how to Heal would be most welcome. Ambassador Savara has been recalled to Sanctuary, and she has offered to take those magicians with her."

"I suggest sending a mixed group of Alchemists and Warriors", Sarrin replied.

Balkan crossed his arms as he seemed to mull something over. "Lord Yikmo! I would like to put you in charge of this."

Sonea felt a sudden pang of dread. She would have literally preferred it if Balkan had sent anyone else – except maybe Donevin. Why not send Garrel?

She scolded herself for that unkind thought. If Balkan was of the opinion that Yikmo was better suited to lead such an operation, it was probably for the best.

"Understood", Yikmo replied. "I would like to assemble my team of Warriors. I have no preference concerning any of the Alchemists."

"I see. Very well. Any Alchemists who want to volunteer for this mission, please approach Lord Yikmo."

"You may assist the Traitors by Healing them, sharing magic with them, or offering advice", Lorlen added. "You may not teach them magic, as they are not members of the Guild."

"Understood", Yikmo replied.

"Do you have something else to say, Advisor?", Lorlen asked when Zoran remained standing.

"Indeed. Although this one is not a request. The King wishes for the Guild to start recruiting novices from the lower classes, starting right now. Hopefully, this will help combat the lack of Healers. Black Magician Sonea assumes that the people of the slums might be particularly receptive to that idea, especially if there was a way they could give back to their own people, but pointed out that the high percentage of illiteracy would be a problem, and University Director Jerrik has confirmed that the Guild lacks the resources needed to teach them how to read and write. As a result, the King wishes for the Guild to target wealthy commoners, like merchants, first. At the same time, the King will attempt to find a way to make education more accessible to the lower classes."

Quite a few people seemed unhappy about this, including Lorlen – who was probably foreseeing more trouble – but no-one voiced a protest.

"The King's will shall be done", Lorlen said in a slightly resigned tone.

As Zoran sat back down, he whispered, "Now would be a good time!"

Sonea shot him a quick glance over her shoulder and gave him a nod. She took a fortifying breath, and, when Lorlen posed his question again, she rose to her feet.

"I have something to contribute, Administrator."

— You've got this, Sonea.

"Yes, Black Magician Sonea?"

"Ever since joining the Guild, I've had this dream – a dream to open up a hospice in the slums so that the Dwells – and anyone else who needs it – could get affordable treatment. I would like to propose the idea to open such a hospice to the Guild."

"I would like to make it known that Black Magician Sonea has discussed this matter with King Merin at length. He believes this to be a good idea that should be considered thoroughly", Zoran added.

There was a moment of utter silence as the magicians absorbed what they'd just heard. Finally, Vinara spoke up.

"While the idea in itself certainly has merit, we still face the issue that we do not have enough Healers. Unless you are hoping that the girls from Sanctuary will all become Healers?"

Sonea hadn't expected opposition from Vinara, but couldn't argue that her words held merit.

"No, I don't expect that. I assume that all of them would return to Sanctuary, and work there. I'd sooner try to persuade boys to stay if they ever send any.
"However, many tasks performed by Healers here at the Guild can be performed by people who have no magic, such as mixing medicines or performing surgeries. I've discussed this with Ambassador Savara, and I've been to the library – we have quite a wealth of knowledge on such matters, as it happens. We could hire people to help run the hospices – and make sure that the curies receive better training as well. While they possess some knowledge of how to cure people, their methods are just as likely to kill you. People would sooner rely on home-made remedies than waste their coin on one of them."

"That's all well and good, Black Magician Sonea, but we would have to train those people before they could be of any use – and pay them as well. And your project would need funding. How do you propose we do that?", Telano asked.

"My law-sister, Chessea of Velan, has pledged her support in this matter – she has promised a seizable donation as soon as this project has officially been approved. I haven't had time to speak with any of the others yet, but I hope that I might be able to win them over, as well – I believe my chances with Lady Elyssa might not be so bad. Furthermore, Lady Chessea believes that, if she says something here and there to the right people, more nobles will jump on board as not to appear cheese-paring or heartless."

"Depending on how this project is received by the nobility, the crown might be able to allot some money to this project, as well", Zoran added. "King Merin is hesitant to officially throw his support behind Black Magician Sonea as not to alienate the nobles."

"A sensible approach", Akkarin observed.

"Does the King demand that we do this?", Balkan asked.

"No", Zoran replied. "However, I ask you to consider this – Black Magician Sonea is determined that she see this through, and King Merin wishes for her to succeed. One way or another, they will achieve this – but who will earn the prestige this project will bring? The Guild? Or the King?"

Sonea had to suppress a smile at the looks on some of the magicians' faces. She figured that the only reason Merin was even giving the Guild the option to take credit for this was because it would be easier this way. The Guild possessed the knowledge needed for this to work, and Merin could avoid showing his hand. If the Guild refused to go along with this, he would be forced to take a stand.

"I believe the Guild should do this", Dorrien called, rising to his feet. "I never understood why we don't offer our services to the lower classes, or why Alchemists and Warriors can't just help out with Healing people instead of doing things that benefit no-one. Now, I won't deny that we should not neglect to keep knowledge on how to defend ourselves alive, but, given recent developments, it almost feels as though the Warriors have become obsolete. If we should come under attack, it would be up to Black Magician Sonea or Black Magician Kallen to defend us – and neither of them is a Warrior. And don't even get me started on all the Alchemists wasting their days doing silly experiments, when they could be trying to help people. I never turn anyone away who comes to me for help, no matter what social class he belongs to, or if he can pay me. Naturally, sacrifices have to be made – I don't live in luxury, and neither do I empty an entire barrel of wine every day. The Guild has indulged itself long enough. It is time that we do something for the people instead of wasting tax money."

His eyes were still blazing as he sat back down. Sonea had not expected such a passionate speech on her behalf – then again, Dorrien had pretty much told her the same thing, years ago.

Rothen looked as though he was feeling a mix of embarrassment, shame, and pride.

The magicians reacted to Dorrien's words with mixed feelings – some looked contrite, others angry. Protesting murmurs could be heard, and Lorlen soon called for order.

"Valid points have been raised on both sides – I suggest that we take some time to examine the project proposed by Black Magician Sonea in more detail, and put it to vote during our next Meet. Is that acceptable, Black Magician Sonea?"

"It is. Thank you, Administrator."

Sonea was mostly elated over the fact that her idea hadn't been rejected outright.

She sat back down, and let out a breath.

"Well done", Zoran murmured. "Especially given that this was your first time addressing the Guild like this."

"Thank you. And for your help, as well."

"Just doing my duty", he replied with a shrug.

Akkarin looked like he was fighting the urge to grin.

"Does anyone else wish to contribute something?", Lorlen asked.

This time, no-one spoke up, and he declared the Meet ended.

"Well, that was quick and painless", Sonea muttered. "I thought that we might debate for ages."

"Oh, that does happen, sometimes. You just got lucky", Akkarin chuckled.

They were just about to dive into the crowd when Vinara called Sonea's name. Sonea turned around to face her.

"I'm sorry for going up against you like that", Vinara said with a grimace. "Your idea isn't bad at all, but – "

"It's fine", Sonea assured her. "I expected someone to raise these exact points – which is why I came prepared to counter them. Besides, your concerns were valid – and you don't have to go along with everything I suggest just because you like me. I might have come up with an utterly stupid idea."

"I see. I thank you for your understanding."

"Really, now – you didn't honestly expect her to be angry with you?", Akkarin asked, a brow raised.

"No, but I thought that she might feel disappointed. Perhaps even betrayed. Especially given how new this all is to her. I just – wanted to clear the air between us."

"I appreciate it", Sonea interjected. "But you don't have to worry, I'm fine."

"I see. That is good to know."

"Now, enough chatting. Let us go find Donevin. I have a few things in mind that I wish to teach you."

"Right. Gotta be in shape if one of those Ichani decide to show their faces."

"Don't overdo it", Vinara warned.

"Not to worry", Akkarin assured her. "Sonea may not know her own limits, but I assure you that I do. I'll not let our training sessions affect her work."

"Wait, I think I see him!", Sonea exclaimed, raising on her tiptoes. "Donevin! Get over here, my husband wants me to beat you up!"

Donevin made a face – mostly for show – and made his way over to them.

"Oh, joy. There's no better way to spend a Freeday than to get demolished by someone both younger and shorter than you."

"Oi, careful. Make fun of my shortness one more time, and I'll make you eat sand."

"Please, no, be merciful. I will never mention it again, I swear."

"See to it that you don't."

Akkarin rolled his eyes at their antics, and shooed them out of the Guildhall.

---

Sonea leaned forward slightly as Osen led the line of entrants into the Guildhall, followed by their parents. Akkarin could understand her interest – it was her first time seeing an Entrance Ceremony taking place, after all.

Akkarin gave them all a cursory glance. The majority of the entrants were Kyralian, which was not surprising. The Elynes had sent three girls – given how two of them sported near identical red curls and freckles, Akkarin guessed that they might be twins.

The Vindo had sent a boy and a girl, the Lan a boy. There was no-one from Lonmar this time.

Sonea was still watching them intently.

— Planning on recruiting the girls already?, he teased.

— Hardly. They need to find out what they're good at first.

Osen was walking down the line of new novices, calling out their names. As per the new rules, he only announced their given names. Some of the children seemed surprised by this, but none appeared angry or upset. They probably assumed that this was how things were at the Guild.

Some of the parents, however, started whispering amongst themselves. Especially the Kyralians seemed upset over this change.

University Director Jerrik rose to give his usual speech about the laws, the Novices' Vow, and how novices were supposed to conduct themselves. Once he was done, he turned to face the Higher Magicians.

"As tradition dictates, magicians may claim the guardianship of a novice they wish to favour. High Lord Akkarin, do you wish to claim the guardianship of any of these novices?"

"I do not", Akkarin replied in the most detached voice he could muster, ignoring the hopeful looks some of the parents were directing his way.

— Is he being serious right now? Does he honestly think we want a fifteen-year-old brat to move in with us?, Sonea sent.

— I had a hard time to resist the urge to roll my eyes at him.

— I would have.

Jerrik then posed the same question to the rest of the Higher Magicians – skipping Sonea and Kallen, as they weren't allowed to teach – before asking the gathered magicians if anyone wished to favour a novice. No-one spoke up – not that Akkarin had expected them to. Magicians didn't usually pick first-years – Sonea had been an exception, as everybody had understood that she would need the extra help. However, the fact that two of her then-classmates – Regin and Gennyl – had been chosen as well had come as a surprise.

From Rothen's mind, Akkarin knew that Dannyl had suspected that the boys' respective guardians might have wanted to prevent Sonea from outranking the others. Rothen had suggested that he might have started a trend.

Especially in Garrel's case, Akkarin was more willing to assume that it was the former – Lord Yarrin and Gennyl had never caused as much trouble as Garrel and Regin had.

Jerrik proceeded to swear in the new novices, and handed out their robes.

As soon as the ceremony was over, magicians rose to their feet, and Akkarin and Sonea made their way down the stairs. The Kyralian novices were already chatting with each other, while the others seemed more hesitant to interact with them.

As usual, magicians bowed and parted before him – and Sonea. The novices took note of that, and proceeded to stare at Akkarin with unconcealed awe, and a healthy dose of unease.

— Try not to frighten them too much on their first day.

— I am not trying to frighten them.

— You could have fooled me.

"We should go practise with knives, we haven't done that in a while", Sonea said aloud. "Now that I have to wear floor-length robes, as well, you might actually win for once."

The grin she gave him was outright cheeky.

"I shall savour my victory", Akkarin promised, "and never let you hear the end of it."

"Careful. If you annoy me too much, I'll make you sleep in the guestroom."

"You would never. You would never deprive yourself of someone to snuggle at night."

"I'd live."

The new novices – and their parents – were now outright gaping at them. Sonea and Akkarin chose to ignore them, and continued their attempts to rile each other up as they made their way over to the Arena.

The fact that he still hadn't managed to best Sonea stung, and he was determined to use the fact that she wasn't used to fighting in long robes yet to his advantage.

Quite a few people trailed after them to watch. Their little sparring sessions had been a novelty to all the magicians, and some enjoyed watching them dance in the Arena.

Akkarin suppressed a smirk. He had no qualms about putting on a show, even if he should lose. He still managed to impress people, regardless. And it did wonders for Sonea's self-confidence, too.

---

Sonea arrived at the stables just in time to see the first magicians mount their horses. There were quite a few women among the Alchemists, and Sonea guessed that they were hoping for a chance to see Sanctuary.

She made a beeline for Yikmo, who was checking the length of his stirrups. His horse nickered when it spotted Sonea, and Yikmo looked up.

"Oh, my", he said. "I was not expecting one of the Higher Magicians to come see me off."

"I'm afraid I am here on business", Sonea replied with a grimace. "Come away from the others."

Yikmo fixed the stirrup, and took his horse by the reins.

"I am supposed to give you something", Sonea said in a low voice as she fished a tiny drawstring bag made from organza out of her pocket. "Be careful when handling it – touching the gem will establish a mental link between you and the High Lord. Be advised that, if you touch the gem, he will be able to read your mind, and see and hear everything that you do. Don't show it to the others – knowledge about them is being restricted – and be mindful that the Traitors use them as well. You wouldn't want to be mistaken for a spy."

"Understood", Yikmo replied as he accepted the pouch. "Did you make this?"

"I did."

"And was Ambassador Savara the one who taught you how to do this?"

Sonea paused before saying, "Instructions on how to make these gems were found in the books that were discovered underneath the university."

"I see. The High Lord expects regular reports, I take it?"

"He does. You are to report to him every evening. And to contact him if anything unexpected happens. Or in an emergency."

"Very well."

Sonea bit her lip before imploring, "Please be careful. I don't think I would be where I am today if it hadn't been for your help. Your patience. I will be forever grateful for it. And there might be more novices like me in the future, novices who might need your help. So. Please. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

"I can't make any promises that I will return safely, seeing as how we're about to fight in a war – but I promise to be careful", Yikmo replied, his eyes softening. "And thank you for the praise, truly."

Hearing another horse approach, Sonea straightened to see Savara approach. She shot Yikmo a warning glance, and he pocketed the ring.

"There you are", Savara called. "I had wondered when you'd show up."

"Just in time, obviously", Sonea replied, rolling her eyes.

Yikmo bowed, and excused himself.

"You like him?"

"Not like that", Sonea huffed. "He was my Warrior Skills tutor. Akkarin assigned him."

"Ah, I see."

Sonea twisted her hands together. "I hate that you have to leave", she whispered.

Savara moved closer to give her a one-armed hug.

"I wish you could come with us. I'd love to show you Sanctuary. And the Queen would very much like to meet you."

Sonea hugged Savara back, mindful not to get tangled in the reins.

"I'm still not over the fact that royalty are so interested in meeting me", she muttered.

"You do know that Queen Zarala isn't royalty, don't you?", Savara asked as they separated.

"I do, but she's still a queen. But, who knows, maybe I'll be able to come visit one day. Escort someone, or something. It's not like I'm confined to the Guild. Or she could come visit us. It might not be a bad idea for her to meet with King Merin in person at one point, you know."

"True – however, I fear we won't have time for that in the near future. We have a country to conquer, and re-shape – that'll take a while."

"Makes sense. Still, I'd like to meet her, too." Sonea cast a surreptitious glance in the direction of the other magicians. "After all, she saved Akkarin – and, by extension, the Guild, most likely. I would like to thank her in person."

"I'll let her know. I have to go now – we've got a long road ahead of us. Although having horses will significantly speed things up compared to when I came here. Oh, I can't wait to get back home. The weather here is not to my liking. I mean, it got better once it started snowing, but this wet cold you had before that was just dreadful."

"Don't let me keep you, then", Sonea chuckled. "Safe travels."

"You take care, too. I don't expect Kariko to simply lay off. He'll come, I'm sure of it."

"When he does, we will be ready", Sonea replied, determined not to let on how much thinking of all the damage he could cause worried her.

"That's the spirit. Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again. Which road are you taking?"

"The one that leads through the Fort", Savara replied. "We'll leave our horses there."

"Ah. If you happen to meet Lord Fergun, give him a good kick from me."

"Fergun? Wait, isn't that the bastard who locked up Cery?", Savara growled.

"And spread rumours about Dannyl. Not that I expect you to care overly much about that, since you don't know him, but I'm still livid."

"Well, that was a pretty awful thing of him to do. Don't worry, I'll be sure to make our sentiments known."

"Thanks. Now then, don't let me keep you any longer."

They grasped each other's arms in greeting, then, Sonea stepped back. Savara swung herself into the saddle, and the riders got into formation, Yikmo and Savara at the front. Yikmo gave her a parting nod, Savara a wave, and then, they were gone.

Sonea watched them go, feeling a little forlorn.

---

"Have you ever seen the slums up close?", Sonea asked as the carriage rolled through the outer wall.

"Not really", Vinara replied. "I've passed through them a couple of times, but I was always inside a carriage."

"I see. We're headed to one of the better parts, but you'd still better brace yourself. I grew up here, and I'm still not used to some things."

"Very well."

Vinara had seen glimpses of Sonea's former life when she'd truth-read her. She was aware that Sonea had tried to bury anything too upsetting, hide it from Vinara, while at the same time trying to give truthful answers.

The carriage rocked to a halt outside what appeared to be a large warehouse. Sonea tapped her foot impatiently as they waited for the footman to get in position.

"If I weren't wearing magicians' robes, I'd just get out on my own", she groused.

Vinara chuckled.

"Wait here", she told the coachman once they had descended from the carriage. "We shan't be long."

"Yes, Black Magician Sonea."

A few people had stopped to gawk at the carriage. Vinara herself had never participated in the Purge, but she knew that the magicians who had would walk to their designated spots, as bringing them all out in carriages would be logistically impossible.

"How did you find out about this place?", she asked Sonea as she inspected the façade.

"I grew up here, and I still have connections", Sonea chuckled. "Speaking of which, my contact should already be – "

A man dropped down from the roof of the building, landing in a crouch. Sonea let out a startled yelp, and threw up a shield around herself and Vinara. The man, who had been smiling, rose to his feet, surprise replacing his previous mood.

Sonea's quick reaction both impressed and alarmed Vinara – had she expected to be attacked?

"Sorry", the man said somewhat sheepishly. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh, you didn't, did you? Then what were you trying to do? You're lucky we're taught to shield first, ask questions later, or you'd be dead!"

He paled slightly at hearing that. "Sorry. I'll keep in mind not to startle you again in the future."

"You had better", Sonea huffed. "Come inside."

He perked up visibly, and stepped through Sonea's barrier as though this was the most natural thing in the world, while shooting Vinara a curious glance.

"Have I mentioned that I love those shields of yours?"

"You have. Multiple times. I get it."

"Is this your contact, Sonea?", Vinara asked curiously.

"He is", Sonea huffed. "Though him being suicidal is news to me."

"I was just trying to make a grand entrance", he complained with a pout.

"You seem somewhat – off", Sonea observed with a frown. "Did something happen?"

"Savara left", he uttered in a low voice.

"Ah", Sonea replied, her eyes widening in understanding. "I went to see her off. I was sad to see her go, too – but, hey, we might see her again, you know. Maybe she'll have a daughter one day, and that daughter might want to join the Guild."

"I mean, we were trying for a daughter. I mean, a child."

Sonea's jaw dropped. "You what?"

"You heard me", he huffed, the tips of his ears tinged red.

Vinara found him to be quite adorable.

"Why would you agree to have a child with a woman who was bound to leave again?", Sonea asked, aghast. "That's worse than just being in a relationship!"

"I mean, I always knew that we might wind up having a child given our, um, activities", he stammered. "I do know how these things work, you know. Savara asked me if I'd like to be the father of her child. And I liked that idea. So. There you have it. I know I won't be involved in the child's upbringing or anything, but – I appreciate the fact that Savara was being honest about it. She could have just, you know, kept quiet about it."

Sonea blinked as she tried to wrap her head around this.

"Ambassador Savara did mention that they seek men from outside Sanctuary to father their children, and that Kyralians are especially sought-after for that purpose", Vinara interjected softly. "I'm honestly not surprised that she wanted to find someone for that purpose here, in Imardin."

"And I do like her", the man added. "And I'm certain she liked me, as well. That she wasn't just using me."

"I – see", Sonea replied, seeming mollified. "And I agree that it's unlikely that she was using you. I just – sorry. It's unfair of me – I thought you were being irresponsible."

"Can't fault you for that, not after what your Da did to you", he replied with a grimace. "Shall we head inside?"

Sonea paused before saying, "Let's. We're still expecting someone, but I imagine that it would be nicer to be out of the cold."

"Aight. I looked the building over, and the price the owner is asking for is reasonable, given where we are. I suppose I could get him to lower the price, though."

"Don't", Sonea said sharply. "I don't approve of that kind of thing."

"Whatever you say. You're the boss."

"That I am. And never you forget it."

"Hey, contrary to what you seem to think, I'm not actually suicidal", he told her with a cheeky grin.

The building was spacious, and appeared to be in good condition, as far as Vinara could tell. The owner, presumably – a middle-aged man – was waiting for them. He paled slightly when he spotted their procession.

Sonea was making an attempt to exchange pleasantries with him, probably in an effort to put him at ease, when the door was opened, and a tall lady entered the building. She wore a warm cloak, and a busby on her head, which she removed as she moved closer, taking long strides.

"Please pardon my tardiness, my youngest wouldn't settle, it was a nightmare", she said.

"Don't worry about it, I'm glad you could come", Sonea replied.

They greeted each other with a hug.

"Right", Sonea said, rubbing her hands together. "I suppose introductions are overdue. This is Chessea of the family Delvon, House Velan, one of my law-sisters. Over here, we have Lady Vinara, Head of Healers. And this is Cerinyi – Cery for short – a childhood friend of mine."

The three of them examined each other before the ladies bowed to each other.

"And this here is Marin, the proprietor of this building", Cery added.

Marin sketched an awkward bow.

"I have to say, you have a rather odd name", Chessea said to Cery.

"My Da had some odd ideas", Cery replied with a shrug. "Like trying to double-cross the Thieves when everybody knows you don't do that."

"What happens if you do it anyway?", Vinara asked cautiously.

"You die."

"I – see."

"So, you're Sonea's new superior, I take it?"

"Not – exactly. She outranks me."

"I do acknowledge her seniority when it comes to Healing, though", Sonea interjected. "I'm still very new to all of this."

"Ah, I get it. I shoul'da guessed that you're Akkarin's sister", Cery said, turning to face Chessea. "The resemblance is almost creepy."

Chessea arched a brow. "You know my brother?"

"He saved my life a few years back", Cery replied with a shrug. "You don't usually forget the face of someone like that."

"Interesting."

"Feel free to ask him about it", he chuckled. "Bet he'd love to brag about it, although it wasn't terribly spectacular."

"Still, if he hadn't found you, I'd have most likely wound up stuck with Fergun as my guardian", Sonea interjected, her lips curling in distaste. "And, who knows, Fergun might have just decided to leave you to rot, for all we know. I'd not put it past him."

Vinara grimaced, but couldn't exactly refute her words. Fergun had certainly proven himself to be a villain.

"Now, enough reminiscing about the past", Cery decided. "To business."

Marin took that as his cue, and straightened a little bit.

"Are you looking to buy, or to lease, m'ladies?", he asked tentatively. "I'd be up for both, for the right price."

"At the moment, we are browsing options", Sonea replied. "The most important part is that we find a building that suits our purpose."

She shot Vinara a questioning look.

"The size is certainly adequate, but the space is far too open", Vinara observed. "We would need partitions for privacy's sake. A place where the Healers could rest. A storage room. A room to prepare medicines in."

"Hm. Cery, what kind of options do we have?"

"Well, that depends on how much privacy you want. If it's just about not being seen, you can use curtains – that'd be easy to do. Maybe use sailcloth or something like that. If that's not good enough, you can install wooden walls, even ceilings as well. That'd take longer, though, and would cost you more."

"I don't think it'd be a good idea to perform surgeries in a room sectioned off only by curtains", Sonea mused.

"No, I would recommend having actual walls in that case", Vinara replied. "But we could certainly combine the two. Have rooms with curtain walls for minor treatments, and rooms with wooden walls and ceilings for major treatments, as well as all the administrative rooms. It wouldn't hurt if we could lock those, too."

"Agreed. Cery, could you – "

Sonea broke off in mid-sentence, her whole body going stiff at the same time as Vinara's.

— Attention, all magicians. There has been an enemy incursion into Kyralia from Sachaka via the South Pass. The enemy force consists of a single Ichani travelling with his slaves.
All mental communication is henceforth prohibited, unless in an emergency.
All magicians stationed in the area are ordered to withdraw immediately. If you come across travellers or settlements, advise the people of the danger. Do not let a single life fall into enemy hands. Should you see the enemy, do not engage. I repeat: Do not engage. You would not survive the encounter.
All magicians currently in Imardin are to come to the Guildhall immediately, unless they absolutely cannot be spared. All novices are to return to the Novices' Quarters until further notice.

Akkarin's presence faded away, and Vinara blinked rapidly, trying to get her bearings. Chessea was holding back Cery, who was shouting Sonea's name in a rather frantic way.

"See? I told you they were fine", she huffed.

"What happened?", Cery gasped. "That was scary."

"Akkarin called", Sonea replied, her expression tight. "We need to go to the Guildhall, now."

Her words were accompanied by a quick motion of her hands.

Cerinyi's eyes widened. "Don't let me keep you important people, then. Go on."

"Right. Chessea, could you finish things here? Ask Cery about a price estimate for everything we just discussed."

"Certainly. Who should I deliver my report to?"

"Lady Vinara. Cery, stay with Chessea – and make sure she leaves with all her possessions still on her person."

"Will do."

"Right. Vinara, let's make tracks."

Vinara gave her a nod, and the two of them hurried toward the exit.

"Get us back to the Guild, as fast as you can!", Sonea ordered as the footman hurried to open the door for her.

"At once."

Vinara followed her inside, dread pooling in her stomach.

---

By the time they finally arrived at their destination, the Guildhall was already packed with people, although Sonea noticed that neither of the King's advisers were present – they were probably needed at the palace.

Deciding that decorum had no place in times of crisis, Sonea sprinted across the hall and climbed the stairs as fast as she could. As soon as Sonea and Vinara had taken their seats, Akkarin rose to his feet.

"I regret to inform you that Ambassador Savara's warning has become a reality – Kariko has decided to invade. We have received no formal declaration of war, so it is safe to assume that King Amakira is not involved in this. The reports I've received furthermore indicated that the other Ichani abandoned all plans of invasion, and left Kariko, after they heard that we've taken measures to repel them, should they decide to launch an attack."

"Small mercies", Sarrin muttered.

"High Lord, how come you know about this?", a middle-aged Warrior asked as Akkarin retook his seat.

"I have spies in every corner of the continent", Akkarin replied smoothly, as though this was the most normal thing in the world.

Sonea suppressed a smile.

"We cannot be certain as of yet, but I would guess that Kariko's target is Imardin, or rather, the Guild. As soon as we can be certain, I would like to call back every magician stationed between Imardin and the South Pass."

"That sounds sensible", Balkan replied, a deep frown on his face. "Although it will be impossible for us to give them word directly without the risk of Kariko overhearing."

"I know. I would take that risk. If I were Kariko, I would assume that the Guild would do this, anyway. We only need to be careful not to reveal our plans for stopping him."

Two rows below Sonea, Vinara shifted in her seat. Sonea hadn't missed the worried glances the Head of Healers had shot her way the entire ride back to the Guild. Sonea guessed that she was worried that she'd be sent out – that she might lose her. Sonea fought the urge to grimace.

"Then I propose that we send out one of our Black Magicians to deal with him", Balkan concluded, his expression grim.

Vinara flinched, and shot Sonea a worried glance. The rest of the Higher Magician exchanged uneasy looks, probably already mentally debating which one would be the better choice. However, Sonea couldn't afford for them to make the wrong choice.

"I volunteer!", she called as she rose to her feet. "Send me."

She felt Akkarin go rigid in his chair, while Vinara shot her a look of utter dismay. Sonea ignored them both, and kept her eyes trained on Balkan, who looked surprised. Sonea decided to give him no time to argue with her.

"I've only just graduated, meaning all the things I learned during Warrior Skills classes are still fresh on my mind. I would also like to remind everybody that I have actual combat experience – I've been in life-threatening situations before. I know what it's like, fighting for ones' life, ones' survival. I told you – I told Lady Vinara – that I'd be willing to die to protect the Guild, and my people. I stand by that. I will take down Kariko, or die trying."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Akkarin balling his hands into fists.

Sonea resisted the urge to reach for their link, to comfort him. She had to remain focussed – had to convince Balkan that she was the better choice.

It makes sense. You know it does. And if I should die, I'd be out of your hair. Perfect, no? You can only win.

"Very well", Balkan replied with a gusty exhalation, his shoulders sagging. "I would like to send a Warrior with you, though – to act as an adviser, and as a source."

Sonea nodded her assent. Donevin leapt to his feet.

"I'll go with her!", he declared.

Sonea felt a surge of relief, and gratitude.

"Very well. Black Magician Sonea, begin strengthening yourself immediately, and prepare for your journey. You should leave as soon as you are able. All magicians who wish to give some of their magic in our defence are asked to stay.
"Black Magician Kallen, you will begin strengthening yourself as soon as Black Magician Sonea has left – just in case."

In case I don't return. In case I return, and try to take over the country.

"Lord Ahrind, appraise the novices of what is going on", Lorlen ordered. "Classes will resume as normal."

"What about the servants?", Lord Peakin asked. "Some of them might have magic to give, as well."

"We'd have to test every single one of them first, though", Telano objected.

"Send word to the Houses", Vinara suggested. "We know for a fact that their daughters are all powerful. Have them put that power to good use for once."

Lorlen's lips quirked. "I'll start drafting letters straight away."

"Anything else?", Balkan asked.

The others shook their heads, and Lorlen declared the Meet ended.

Sonea was out of her seat the next moment, hurrying down the steps. Donevin rushed to meet her, and clapped a hand on her back.

"Don't worry, we'll beat this Kariko fellow in no time flat", he promised.

Magicians began to crowd them, and Donevin barked at them to form a line. Rothen somehow managed to wind up in front, and he reached for Sonea with shaking hands.

"I'll give you whatever I can spare", he whispered, tears glittering in his eyes. "You have to win. You have to survive. And come back."

Sonea gave him a shaky smile and squeezed his hands as he started sending power.

"Stop", she whispered, withdrawing her hands.

A sudden hush fell over the magicians, and Sonea turned to face Akkarin. The look on his face was almost enough to undo her, and Sonea bit her lip as she lifted her eyes to meet his.

His hands came up to cup her face, his fingers caressing her cheeks, digging into her hair.

— Why?

— It has to be me, you know it has to be me, Sonea implored. Imagine if Kariko managed to put any ideas intoKallen's head – or worse, if Kallen decided to read his mind before killing him. We can't take that risk. While I can't stop Kariko from running his mouth, I can still try to mitigate the damage – try to make sure Donevin doesn't believe a word he says.

— I hate this. I hate that you are making sense. You had better win, and come back, Sonea, or so help me, I will haunt you for the rest of eternity.

— As the one who would have died, it would be my job to haunt you.

Akkarin let out a startled laugh.

— I mean it, Sonea. No dying. I shall not permit it.

— Duly noted.

Akkarin gave her a penetrating look before something in his eyes softened. He leaned down to kiss her, pouring his power into her in the process.

Sonea was shocked by the enormity of it. She'd known he was powerful, but the fact that he was currently sending her several times the amount she possessed was still staggering.

— Keep some for yourself!

— I can store up magic again after you've left. You need it more than I do.

Akkarin stopped sending power after a while, though, and released her.

— I shall give you more later. Take Donevin with you when you leave.

— All right.

"Any magicians who wish to give Black Magician Sonea more magic tomorrow, or at a later point, are welcome to do so at the Night Room. We will stop by every evening for a few hours", Akkarin declared. "Lady Vinara, I ask that my wife be released from her usual duties for the time being."

"Certainly", Vinara replied. She stepped around Akkarin, and reached for Sonea's hands. "So, do I just send you my magic?"

"That's right. You can send as much as you want to."

Sonea was surprised to notice that the majority of the magicians who had been present lingered to give her magic. Then again, none of them probably fancied the idea of dying.

Regin made his way to the front, and held out his hands.

"You have to come back, both of you", he implored. "Life would be far too boring without you."

"Ah, we can't have that, can we", Donevin stated.

Sonea let out a chuckle, despite everything.

It seemed to take forever, but eventually, Sonea had absorbed magic from all the volunteers. The amount of power she now held was staggering – and yet, she had no idea if it would be enough. She followed Donevin in a daze, not quite able to believe that this was really happening.

"I can sense you", Donevin said after a while, a slight frown on his face.

"Oh, right. I was told that this would happen. Hang on."

Sonea tried to remember what she'd done, all those years ago, when Rothen had almost found her, hiding inside one of the hidden rooms of the Thieves' Road. Somehow, she'd known that he could sense her, and desperately attempted to convince him that she wasn't there. Strangely enough, it had worked – Rothen had turned away, and continued his search.

She'd later been told that the Guild taught new novices how to conceal their presence by having them play Hide and Seek.

"Did it work?"

"You've – dimmed, for lack of a better word. You're still visible, though."

Sonea tried again, and, after a while, Donevin announced that he could no longer sense her.

"I guess I'll have to do this again once I store up more magic", she grumbled.

"Oh, poor Sonea", Donevin sighed theatrically.

Takan was waiting for them, wringing his hands, a worried look on his face.

"My lady, I've heard the news – I want to give you my magic, as much as I have."

"Thank you, Takan, I appreciate this", Sonea replied as she reached out to take his hands – they were shaking. "I'll be sure to put it to good use."

Takan let out a shuddering breath. "The High Lord is in the library."

"Thank you, Takan."

Sonea led the way upstairs, creating a globe-light once she entered the stairwell. Akkarin had pushed a few tables together and was currently pouring over several maps.

"Kariko was last seen in Sarin", he said without looking up. "He has ransacked the village, and killed everybody he found. We do not know if any of the villagers were able to escape.
"I expect that he will travel along the roads – the heavy snowfall and the ice covering the rivers makes cutting across country dangerous, and he'd be faster sticking to the road as well. Based on that, I suggest that you travel north to Coldbrigde, then on to Calia. You should run into the Alchemists that were deployed there – if they are willing, you can store up some of their magic.
"I would recommend that you avoid using magic while on the road – and, if either of you has to, it should be you, Lord Donevin. Furthermore, give Sonea some of your magic in the evenings – that way, you will be well-rested for the following day."

"Understood."

"You will be travelling by carriage, so staying warm might be tricky – "

"By carriage? Why can't we take horses instead?"

"Because Sonea doesn't know how to ride a horse, and I'd rather not have her learn while on the way to fight a dangerous black magician."

"Oh."

"While the law does not permit you to don heavy cloaks, nothing can stop you from layering on clothing underneath. Give your measurements to Takan, and he will provide you with warm clothing."

"Viola has my measurements", Sonea said.

"And I'll have my servant deliver mine as soon as possible", Donevin added.

Akkarin gave them a curt nod. "You will be able to change horses often while you are in the vicinity of Imardin, so I suggest that you take advantage of that and try to cover as much ground as possible. Even with a carriage, you should be faster than Kariko, even if he does manage to get his hands on a cart or two. They are not exactly built for speed. And he is travelling with a large group of non-magicians."

"How many slaves?", Sonea asked in a strained voice.

"Around twenty", Akkarin replied grimly. "However, if we're lucky, some of them will die of exposure while on the road."

Sonea grimaced.

Donevin looked unsettled.

"I have spoken with Lord Balkan earlier – he as a few things to teach the both of you. Sonea, you are not required to actively participate, but Lord Donevin is. Lord Balkan wishes to start tomorrow."

"Sure", Sonea replied.

She wasn't sure how to feel about training sessions with the Head of Warriors.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine", Donevin assured her. "He doesn't dislike you or anything."

"If you say so."

"High Lord, was that all on your end?"

"Indeed. Do either of you have any questions?"

"What about my project?", Sonea asked. "I don't suppose I'll be back in time for the next Meet."

"We will, most likely, postpone making a decision until you return."

"I see."

"I don't have any questions at the moment, High Lord", Donevin said. "Sonea, I'd like to give you some of my magic now."

"Thank you."

Donevin sent her most of his magic. Once he was done, Sonea fixed him with a quizzical look.

"Donevin, you like annoying people, don't you."

"Oh, certainly", he replied, his eyes lighting up. "Especially if they've done something to annoy me first."

"I have a task for you: Go and harass the Alchemists – see if they can come up with something to make travelling easier for us, especially if we can't use magic."

"On it", he replied with a bright grin.

As soon as he had left, Takan all but burst into the room, carrying Dakova's knife. He still seemed high-strung, but the fact that he could finally do something to help seemed to have calmed him somewhat.

"Take as much as you can, my lady, I implore you!", Takan whispered.

"All right."

Despite Takan's insistence, Sonea decided to leave him well over a quarter of his power, worried it might do him harm otherwise.

"Don't worry, Takan, I will take care of Kariko – make it so that he can't hurt anyone any more. He's been plaguing all of us for far too long."

Takan gave her a wan smile. "I've already spoken with Viola – she's currently out to find a trunk for your things. And, as soon as I get Lord Donevin's measurements, I will source warm clothing for you both."

"Thanks."

Takan gave her another smile, and left.

Sonea let out a soft sigh before turning to face Akkarin. He was bent over the maps again, and had stuck a pin marking Kariko's position into the dot marking Sarin. Two more pins were stuck into Imardin – Sonea guessed they had to be Donevin, and herself.

He wasn't looking at her, and Sonea felt a surge of trepidation.

"Are you angry with me?", she ventured cautiously.

Akkarin let out a gusty sigh before straightening, and looking up.

"I will not pretend that I was not upset, or deny that I would have preferred it if we were sending Kallen instead of you. I – am terrified of losing you, Sonea. The mere thought – I knew this might happen, but that doesn't make it any easier. However – I cannot deny that your arguments make sense, and have, therefore, resolved to direct all my anger at Kariko. For not heeding your warning, and deciding to start a one-man-invasion. He needs to be dealt with, and, if I'm being perfectly honest, the thought of you being the one to do that – and for my sake, no less – is rather – pleasing."

"No need to get so full of yourself, I'm not doing it just for your sake", Sonea huffed.

"I shall pretend that I did not hear that", he replied with a mischievous grin.

"You are awful."

"And yet, you still married me."

"I am beginning to regret that decision", Sonea teased.

Akkarin chuckled, and reached for her. Sonea grasped his hand and gave it a tug, pulling him closer, before wrapping her arms around him.

"I promise that I will try my utmost to stop Kariko, and come back alive", she whispered. "I was mostly laying it on thick to get Balkan to go along with this, and not insist that we send Kallen instead since he's older and, you know, a man."

"Hm, a valid point. Although I would guess that the fact that you have been in actual fights before weighed more heavily in his opinion. I have no idea what Kallen's performance was as a novice, but he's certainly never been in a life-or-death situation."

"None of them have been", Sonea huffed. "They only know mock battles with safety procedures."

"Although nothing can really prepare you for an actual fight until you face one for the first time. I found that out the hard way."

Sonea squeezed him a little tighter. "Once Kariko is dead, we can bury another facet of your past", she whispered. "And the Traitors will take care of the other Ichani. One day, all of them will be gone."

"And the world will be a better place for it."

"Indeed."

"It sounds weird to hear you use that word", he chuckled.

"Oh, shove off. I'm a proper lady now, so I am. Fancy and all that. I'm even wearing jewellery these days."

Akkarin let out a giggle. "My lovely wife, the pinnacle of accomplishment."

"I'm warning you, Akkarin. Stop it, now, or I will kick you out of our bedroom."

"Please, no, spare me, I beg you. I'm a spoiled noble brat. I absolutely cannot sleep anywhere else than in my own bed."

Sonea snorted. "Oh, very well."

"I thank you for your magnanimity, and vow to better myself."

"I just realised that I suddenly find myself with a day off, just like I'd wanted", Sonea observed. "What about you?"

"I can easily postpone a few of the things on my agenda, seeing as how we are currently in the middle of a crisis. I can – and will – devote most of my time to you – and making sure that you are as well-prepared as you can be."

"That's good. I – I want to spend as much time as I can with you. I don't like the thought of leaving you, either, you know. And I need you to tell me everything you know about Kariko."

"Of course. Takan might have some information on him, as well, things that I might not know."

"Excellent."

"Oh, also, you should take my knife, or Kariko might die of laughter when he sees yours."

"That would be incredibly rude of him", Sonea replied with a pout. "Although it would save me the trouble of having to fight him, so perhaps we should try that strategy."

Akkarin let out a hearty chuckle at that thought.

---

Ever since Sonea had taught her how to Heal, Savara had been experimenting with this power, had tried to figure out more uses. Her first priority had been to figure out how to Heal away fatigue, however, she hadn't made much progress on that front yet.

Savara and Lord Yikmo had agreed to lead their group together. It had been a new experience for her, leading together with a man, but not in a bad way. Yikmo had not spent a lot of time since his graduation travelling, but he knew more about the country and the people than she did. And he'd turned out to be capable and level-headed. While the Alchemists didn't seem to have much of an opinion on him, the other Warriors appeared to respect him.

Plus, Akkarin had hand-picked him to be Sonea's tutor. He had to have good qualities.

A knock sounded on her door. Savara sat up on the bed, and called for the person outside to enter. Yikmo poked his head inside.

"Ambassador, might I have a moment of your time?"

"Sure, come in."

Yikmo closed the door, and took the wooden chair next to the bed, hands stuffed into the pockets of his robes.

"I find myself in a bit of a conundrum", he told her. "Black Magician Sonea told me that the High Lord expected regular updates from me, but today, he suddenly banned all mental communication."

"Yes, I heard him. He was practically shouting."

"If I were to contact the High Lord now, there would be a chance that the enemy might hear, even figure out our location. The Ichani might decide that we could be easy prey. It might jeopardise whatever the High Lord is planning to counter him."

"Hm, I understand your concern. He would certainly hear you if you used ordinary mental communication. Please tell me they were smart enough to give you a Blood Gem before you left."

"Do you mean this?", Yikmo asked, pulling his left hand out of his pocket and unfurling it to reveal a silver ring inside a drawstring bag.

"Yes, that. If you put it on, you can safely talk to whoever is linked to that gem, even if you shouted. Nobody else would be able to hear you."

"I see. I had assumed that this was the case, but – given today's events, I thought it better to make certain. There's too much at stake here."

"It never hurts to be careful. Say – would you mind staying here while you talk to him? I'd be interested to know how the Guild will respond to this, and I could pass on information to our Queen, as well."

"I'll ask him. Worst case, I'll leave."

"All right."

Yikmo removed the ring from the bag, and slipped it on. When his face suddenly turned ashen, Savara sat up straighter, alarmed.

"What happened?", she demanded.

"They're sending out Sonea – Black Magician Sonea, I mean – to fight Kariko."

Savara cursed.

Yikmo winced in response to something Akkarin must have said.

"I'm being told that she volunteered. The High Lord is not happy."

"I bet he isn't", Savara muttered.

She'd certainly not be happy if someone she cared about volunteered to do something as dangerous as this. Then again, she had an inkling that she knew why Sonea had done this.

"Tell him to tell her that I'll keep her in my thoughts, and to show that bastard who's boss."

Yikmo blinked, but obliged her.

"The High Lord asks that you inform Queen Zarala of what is happening. He also suggests that it would be helpful if you could take out the remaining Ichani before they decide to change their minds. The Guild is doing its best to properly prepare Black Magician Sonea for this mission, but we have no idea how powerful he is. She may not be able to handle several Ichani."

"Understood."

"We are to continue as planned, unless something unexpected happens. I'm to contact him more often to see if he has any new instructions for us."

Savara nodded as she dug Zarala's Blood Gem out of her pocket.

— Zarala, I have news.

Savara gave her a quick summary of what had transpired. The Queen listened in silence before letting out a concerned hum.

— It worries me that they are sending out that child. She looked so – fragile.

— I assure you that she's not fragile at all. She's got guts, and skill. That spy just got the jump on her because she was asleep. She might have taken him down otherwise. Oh, and she's older than she looks.

— Well, if you say so. I've never spoken with her myself, so I will trust your judgement on the matter.

— Please let me know if any of the other Ichani – or the Ashaki – make any move to join Kariko, so that Lord Yikmo over there can alert the Guild.

— I will. I will also urge the council to dispatch a few magicians to hunt down the Ichani.

— Thank you. That should be a massive help.

Savara relayed the important bits of their conversation to Yikmo, who, in turn, passed the information on to Akkarin.

"The High Lord thanks Queen Zarala for her co-operation. He does not have any further information for us at this time."

"I see."

Since Zarala had nothing more to say, either, Savara and Yikmo both took off their rings, and pocketed them.

"Well, then, rest well, Ambassador. I'll try to catch some sleep, myself."

"Don't worry, Sonea will be fine", Savara assured him.

Yikmo gave her a terse smile, and left.

---

Akkarin's home was easily the ugliest building Rikka had ever set foot inside. Granted, she was a bit spoiled, as the majority of the buildings in the Inner Circle were works of art, but, still.

Well, at least her eldest had proven to possess more taste than whoever had designed this abomination, and had turned the interior into quite a cosy nest.

Akkarin's servant was waiting to greet her, and Rikka wondered if he'd been watching the road.

"Welcome, Lady Rikka", he said with a bow. "I regret to inform you that the master is out."

"I see. Well, actually, I've come to see – "

She broke off and tried to figure out how to best refer to her newest law-daughter. Remembering that she had, technically, been given permission to drop the tile, she decided to just go for it.

"I have come to see Sonea."

The servant – his name was Takan, Rikka remembered suddenly – arched a brow, and his eyes lost focus momentarily.

"She is upstairs."

"Could you take me to her?"

"Certainly. However, she may ask you to leave again – she is rather busy at the moment."

"I heard that she is leaving soon. That is why I have come."

"I see."

He turned, and headed for the stairwell on their right. Rikka shed her cloak, and draped it over one of the armchairs. After following Takan through the door leading to the stairwell, Rikka stopped.

"It is utterly dark in here!", she complained.

Takan's footsteps halted, and he came back down.

"My apologies", he said softly. "I'm used to traversing the stairs in the dark, and most of our visitors are magicians. I'll fetch a lamp right away."

"Thank you."

Takan led her to one of the rooms facing the forest – a bedroom, as it turned out. The door was ajar, and he rapped his knuckles against the door frame.

"Hello, Takan. Did you need something?"

"Lady Rikka is here to see you, my lady."

There was a moment of silence, then, Sonea appeared in Rikka's field of vision, the expression on her face unreadable.

"Thank you, Takan. Don't let me keep you."

Takan bowed, and left.

"Do come inside. I'm afraid I don't have much time to spare."

"Thank you."

Rikka moved into the room, taking in the details. Blue screens were covering the windows, and the room's furniture exuded the same kind of elegance the rest of the house did.

The bed was covered in small piles of clothing – Rikka counted two sets of long-sleeved under tunics, socks, leggings and trousers each made from wool, as well as two nightgowns made from heavy cotton. A spare set of robes. A busby. Gloves. And next to the bed stood two pairs of fur-lined boots.

Rikka also spotted an item she could make no sense of. She'd certainly never seen anything like it before.

She fixed her gaze on Sonea, who had been watching her like a cat – patient, but ready to pounce.

"Why are you here?"

"I heard that you are leaving to take on an invading enemy force."

"That's right. You must have been delighted when you heard the news – if you're lucky, I won't come back."

Rikka had no idea how to respond to that – thankfully, Sonea wasn't done speaking yet.

"I feel I should tell you, though, that, if you are determined to have more grandchildren, you should hope for my return, for Akkarin will not marry another. And, if you hold any love for him at all, you should also hope that I will return for his sake – I honestly couldn't tell you if he'd survive losing me."

That short speech threw Rikka, who had no idea how to respond to that. She wasn't callous enough to wish death even upon people she despised, and she didn't currently count Sonea among that group.

"You may find it hard to believe this, but I did not come here to gloat", she replied in a low voice.

"You're right, I do find that hard to believe."

"I cannot fault you for that, not after how I have behaved", Rikka admitted with a wince.

Sonea regarded her in silence for a while before pointing out, "You still haven't told me why you've come."

"Ah, right. From what I have heard, all noble houses received letters from Administrator Lorlen asking them to 'donate magic' to the Guild – or rather, you, specifically – and I have also heard that my children have come to visit you as a result."

"Yes, they've all been here, even Elyssa", Sonea replied, her eyes softening somewhat. "She apologised profusely for not having any magic to give, and I assured her that her support was already more than enough." Her expression suddenly turned wistful. "She's got such a pretty smile. I honestly will never understand why some people would rather make others miserable instead of making them smile more."

Rikka stared at her for a heartbeat before glancing away, her jaw working, as she felt a surge of shame.

"I've wronged you, Sonea", she whispered.

There was another beat of silence. Then –

"Well, that was fast. I'm actually impressed."

Rikka glanced up, unable to hide her confusion. Sonea let out a laugh.

"It took the last person over a year to come to this realisation. And apologise. Not that I had expected an apology, mind. Didn't think he had it in him."

She shrugged.

"I – see."

"What brought this on, though? Must've been something monumental."

"Well, yes, it was, at least to me. It was your treatment of my Elyssa that made me realise this."

Sonea blinked. "I don't understand."

Rikka twisted her hands together. "How much do you know about her – situation?"

"Akkarin told me that she was born without magic, and struggled with insecurity. He also said that it was hard for you to find a husband for her." She frowned. "Reading between the lines, I gathered that her law-parents were awful, and suspected that they might have abused her because of her lack of magic. The person to confirm this was Elyssa herself."

"I see. You are correct on all accounts. I love all my children, and I've always tried my hardest to let Elyssa know that I didn't think that she was – lacking, for want of a better word. I made certain to find something she could excel in, something to give her joy, and confidence."

"Would that have been her learning how to play the violin?", Sonea asked with a grin.

"Yes, why?"

"Akkarin told me his ears were bleeding, and sort of prohibited me from picking learning how to play an instrument as my hobby."

"Ah. Yes, Akkarin had absolutely no patience for this, back then. He was quite glad to be able to escape to the Guild not long after."

"I bet he was", Sonea replied, her grin widening.

Rikka let out a huff. "Unfortunately, people outside the family were less gracious concerning Elyssa's – lack. They thought that she was deficient. Mind you, there are Houses who have produced little to no magicians over generations, but House Velan was known for its powerful bloodline, and for having produced a fair share of powerful magicians. People were careful not to say anything outright where Gavril or I might hear them, but – Elyssa still noticed. And her law-parents – I would have never expected such malice. I would have not arranged that match otherwise. I will forever be grateful to Danea and Akkarin for putting an end to that.
"I have never interacted much with magicians, but since all of them come from noble houses, I expect them to view things much the same way. And you – you are one of the most powerful magicians in recent Guild history. I thought that you would despise her, just like everyone else did."

Sonea frowned and crossed her arms. Rikka fervently hoped that this meant that she was mulling Rikka's words over, not getting angry.

"I can understand where you are coming from", she said at length. "However, I've never noticed this being an issue at the Guild – us stronger ones don't usually go around reminding everybody else of just how powerful we are, or making fun of those who are not. And magical strength isn't a requirement for anything, either, not even for becoming a Warrior. Now that I think about it – it might be our ability to share magic with others that's responsible for this. If a magician has to perform a feat that's beyond him, he can just go get help. Magicians fighting will blend their shields together, and co-ordinate offence and defence. The only thing I can think of where stronger magicians are privileged is when it comes to positions of leadership – the Guild has a habit of electing powerful magicians. Which is not necessarily a good thing, and should, perhaps, be reconsidered in the future."

"I see. That makes sense, I suppose."

"Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I get the feeling that you should have just found her a husband at the Guild", Sonea muttered. "She'd have been happier, I'd wager."

"Well, that ship has sailed", Rikka sighed. "Although it is something to keep in mind for future generations."

"Hm."

"Ah, it just occurred to me that I still have not told you why I came here – we appear to have got sidetracked. I – I have magic. You can have it."

Sonea looked surprised, and Rikka feared momentarily that she would reject the offer. However, Sonea inclined her head, her right hand disappearing into her robes.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to put your donation to good use. Sit down."

She gestured to the bed while withdrawing a knife from her robes.

"I'll have to make a small cut, preferably on your wrist. I will Heal the wound as soon as I am done."

"Very well."

Rikka sat down on the edge of the bed, unbuttoned the sleeve of her gown and rolled it back before peeling back the sleeve of her chemise. Sonea took hold of her wrist with her left hand before touching the blade to her skin. Rikka winced slightly.

Sonea then just proceeded to stand there with her eyes closed, a finger pressed to the wound. After a while, Rikka started feeling a little strange in her head, and let out a small sound, mostly out of surprise. Moments later, Sonea released her, the injury gone without a trace – Rikka hadn't even noticed getting Healed.

"Are you all right?", Sonea asked in a concerned tone.

"I – think I am a little dizzy."

"Ah. I was told that this might happen – it's why we tell people to sit down. Take your time, it'll pass."

She poured some water into a basin and proceeded to wipe her fingers and the knife clean, before making the latter disappear under her robes again. She then brought over a damp cloth to wipe the blood off Rikka's arm.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

A few minutes later, Rikka felt it safe to try to stand. She fixed her clothing, and cautiously rose to her feet.

"There is something that puzzles me", she said as she fixed Sonea with a quizzical look. "When you visited us, when Chessea complained about the fact that Akkarin sent her a letter instead of telling her in person, the two of you mentioned having notified your aunt and uncle – but you said nothing about your parents. That struck me as odd."

"Ah, well, you see, I was raised by my aunt and uncle. Even if I had wanted to notify my father, I couldn't because I have no idea where he is. And my mother died when I was little."

Rikka sucked in a startled breath. "How did that come about? If you don't mind me asking."

Sonea bit her lip before shaking her head. "I was too small to remember anything, I only know what my aunt and uncle told me. My parents were working as servants for one of the Houses – I have no idea which one – until my father was accused of having stolen something, and we all got kicked out as a result. Jonna reckons he did steal something, but she's also massively biased against him, so make of that what you will. But the thing is – as soon as a noble accuses a commoner of a crime, the case has already been decided. No matter what you do. For all we know, he might have been innocent.
"My mother got ill soon afterwards, and Jonna blamed my father. She – she didn't make it. My father dumped me at Jonna's, and left. I've seen him once, since – he came to visit when I was a child. Didn't stay long. We were glad when he left."

It took Rikka a while to digest this. She felt a violent surge of anger toward this man – for first begetting a daughter, and then just abandoning her. The least he could have done was to take some kind of responsibility instead of foisting her on her poor relatives.

"And your aunt and uncle? Did they, at least, treat you right?"

"They did", Sonea replied with a smile. "I always knew that I was loved – even though I had never been wanted, not in the sense that you want children, at least. Your own, I mean. But they always did their best to care for me."

She bit her lip, and glanced away.

"What is it?", Rikka asked cautiously.

"Thing is, they were always my aunt and uncle. They never tried – or wanted – to take the place of my parents. Which is fine, I get it. It's just – I didn't know what it's like. And all of my friends either had both parents, or could remember them, at least. I was the only one who had no idea what having parents was like. Even though my useless bastard of a father is still alive. I think. I – it made me angry, sometimes. I felt like it wasn't fair. I envied the others. They had something I didn't have, something I thought I would never have."

Rikka was suddenly hit by the fact of just how young Sonea was – granted, she was older than the average novice at graduation, but in the circles Rikka usually moved in, it was uncommon to lose a parent so early in life. Even if a Healer wasn't available to treat whatever ailed a noble, other means existed to take care of that. The thought of a mother dying shortly after having her first child was mind-boggling, really.

"I have a father now, though", Sonea said, visibly perking up. "Rothen. He was my first guardian, and he practically adopted me. And Akkarin, too, after we told him we were getting married. He's always been there for me. Helped me. Taught me things. Listened to my worries. I – was able to connect with him in a way I could never connect with my uncle."

"A father, but no mother, still", Rikka guessed.

Sonea heaved a sigh. "His wife, Lady Yilara, died a long time ago – maybe even before I was born. I – Rothen never really talked about her, I only saw a glimpse of her in a memory once. Lady Tya – the librarian of the Novices' Library – told me that she got some kind of unknown illness, and that the Healers couldn't save her."

What a horrifying thought. For a magician living at the Guild to succumb to something as base as an illness seemed like a tasteless joke.

"Everyone tells me she would have loved me, though", Sonea rambled on as she turned away, and started stacking the clothing on the bed into one pile. "She was a Healer, too, so we could have bonded over that."

Rikka stared at her, feeling quite at a loss for a good while. She had a hard time deciphering Sonea's mannerisms, but eventually figured that she might be mourning this connection that might have been, but ultimately never was. The chance to connect with that Rothen's wife in the same way she had connected with him. Have a family of her own.

Rikka had started moving without realising it before remembering that Sonea didn't like it when people stood behind her, and stopped. Sonea had, unfortunately, already noticed, and had, herself, paused her movements, frozen in place.

Hoping to diffuse the tension – and to underline the fact that she wasn't a threat – as ridiculous as this sounded – Rikka moved left, edging closer to the foot end of the bed so that she was more next to Sonea than behind her. Thankfully, this caused the magician to relax.

This had been another entirely unexpected thing about Sonea – magicians were considered invincible. Dauntless. And yet, all it had taken for Sonea to crumble on the spot had been Brekken standing behind her – Brekken, who had never done anything reprehensible in his life.

"I hadn't meant to startle you", Rikka assured Sonea in a soft voice. "I apologise, I – I was not thinking, to be perfectly honest."

Sonea gave her a nod, straightened, and relaxed her stance somewhat more.

"I think the way you act in regards to Elyssa is very similar to what I just did. An attempt to protect. I get it."

"We are not talking about Elyssa right now. We are talking about you. And the fact that the fates saw it fit to take away two people who could have been a mother to you before their time."

"Look, I appreciate the effort, but I honestly don't see what more there is to talk about. They're dead. We can't bring back the dead."

Sonea punctuated that with another shrug, keeping her gaze fixed on the bed, her expression detached.

"I know that. I was not – that is not what I was – you are not exactly making this easy."

Sonea turned her head to pin Rikka with an outright confused look.

"Look, I know we started off on the wrong foot, and – well, I was thinking – that, perhaps – if you still feel that you – that you want a mother – I, um, might volunteer?"

Sonea's eyes widened in an almost comical fashion, and she appeared to be completely dumb-struck.

Rikka fought the urge to fidget.

Clearly, I surprised her. I need to give her time.

Sonea blinked, and sucked in a ragged breath. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Akkarin would never forgive me if I toyed with you like this."

"I suppose."

Sonea glanced away, ran the back of a hand across her cheek, and proceeded to launch herself at Rikka, who had not seen that part coming.

She let out a somewhat undignified sound as Sonea collided with her, but managed to keep both of them upright.

She is even shorter than Danea, Rikka thought as she wrapped her arms around her new daughter.

"You'll have to tell me if it gets too much for you", Sonea mumbled. "I'm unlikely to let go of you any time soon."

Rikka let out a chuckle. "I am not in a rush."

"Good."

True to her word, Sonea snuggled into Rikka's embrace, letting out a content hum. Rikka couldn't help but smile at that.

"I would like to make it known, for the record, that I am not upset that your name does not start with a 'g'."

Sonea let out a hearty laugh at that.

"There is one more question I would like answered, if you would be so kind", Rikka said after a while.

"Sure, go ahead."

"That thing there, on the bed – what is it?"

Sonea followed her outstretched hand, and let out a chuckle.

"Those are snow goggles, to prevent snow blindness." She lifted a hand, and the goggles came soaring toward them. "The Alchemists made them – they've only run basic testing, but if they prove effective, they might make more, and sell them. I bet traders would love them. Look – there's coloured glass in there. You can hold them over your eyes."

Rikka took them, and placed them over her eyes, as instructed. The room instantly appeared darker.

"Fascinating. I don't suppose your enemy has anything like them?"

"Probably not. According to what we know, Sachaka only gets snow high up in the mountains, and people don't live there. He might have seen, perhaps encountered snow before, but I don't suppose he's well-equipped to handle it. We should be able to use that to our advantage during the fight."

"Is someone going with you?"

"One of the Warriors, Lord Donevin. He's a friend of mine."

"What House does he belong to?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you", Sonea replied in a tone that made clear that she had no intention of doing anything about it.

"I see. I suppose it matters not."

Rikka handled the goggles back.

"Now, I don't mean to be rude, but I should get on with it", Sonea said, inclining her head towards the pile of clothing. "If all goes to plan, we'll be leaving tomorrow morning."

"I see. I shall not take up more of your time, then. Safe travels, Sonea – and make sure you come back alive, please. Akkarin is not the only one in this family who would grieve your loss."

"I will try my utmost. Oh, on that note – could you keep an eye on him? Keep him occupied? I'm worried he'll drive himself insane otherwise."

"We will most certainly try."

"Thank you. Oh, wait, you'll need a lamp."

Sonea picked up a lamp from a sideboard, the wick sputtering to life. Rikka took it, and gave Sonea one last smile before departing.

She cautiously made her way downstairs – only to almost jump out of her skin when she found Akkarin waiting for her in the guestroom.

He wordlessly held out a hand for the lamp, and the flame winked out. Rikka gaped at him for a moment before rousing herself.

"How long, exactly, have you been here?"

"Now where would be the fun in me telling you that?"

"I am certain I raised you to be better than this."

"I may have picked up a few bad habits since joining the Guild."

Rikka gave him her sternest look. Unfortunately, he had long outgrown being impressed by that.

"I am glad that you and Sonea have sorted things out", he said in a softer tone. "She sent me bits and pieces of your conversation. You have made her incredibly happy."

Rikka stared at him for a heartbeat before letting out a huff. "You magicians and your sneaky mind conversations."

Akkarin looked entirely unbothered by her accusing tone.

"Oh, whatever. Now, go on, be with your wife. She put on a strong face, but she is being sent off to war – and at such a young age, too! If I found out whose idea that was – "

"Hers, I'm afraid."

"Come again?!"

"Sonea is of the opinion that, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Furthermore, our only other option – Black Magician Kallen – is, as she would say, a spoiled noble brat, whereas Sonea is a survivor. I fear poor Kallen would die of pneumonia or something before he even found the Sachakan."

Rikka considered this. Travelling in winter was arduous, and required more than the usual amount of planning. And yet, Sonea didn't have the luxury of precisely calculating travel routes. She had an invasion to deal with. Sending out the more hardened magician might actually be smart.

"You should still go be with her. Especially if she is leaving tomorrow."

"I will. Thank you, Mother."

Rikka gave him a smile.

Akkarin picked up her cloak, and helped her put it on. Rikka thanked him, and took her leave.

---

For the first time in her life, the thought of actually having to get up upset Sonea.

She rolled over, and snuggled up to Akkarin, relishing in his warmth, the feel of his body next to hers. He made an appreciative sound in response, and wrapped his arms around her.

One thing she had found out since moving into Akkarin's bedroom was that he was someone who woke up ridiculously early. She could count on one hand the number of times she had been able to catch him sleeping, and she had savoured every moment of it. Seeing his face, completely relaxed and unguarded, framed by strands of dark hair, was something so precious, she couldn't really find the right words to describe it.

As she watched him sleep, she felt a sudden surge of despair.

I don't want to leave.

But I have to.

Akkarin soon stirred awake, and she was treated to the utter delight of him looking disoriented momentarily before giving her a sleepy, but fond smile.

It made something within her flutter.

"You're up early", he observed, his voice still rough from sleep.

"I couldn't sleep any more. The nerves, probably."

He hummed, and pulled her closer against him.

"I don't want you to leave. Part of me wants to order Kallen to being strengthening himself."

"We'd lose valuable time if you did that", Sonea pointed out.

"I know that. Let me vent my frustration in peace."

"Very well", Sonea chuckled.

They cuddled for a while until Akkarin told her that the food was ready.

"You should eat something, even if you do not feel like it. You will need your strength for the journey."

"I never really thought I'd travel anywhere, let alone under such circumstances", Sonea remarked as she sat up.

"I could take you to visit the seaside in summer, if you'd like", Akkarin offered. "My family owns an estate near the sea."

"Oh, that would be lovely, I've never seen the sea before!", Sonea replied, a brilliant smile on her face. "Will we be allowed to do that, though?"

"I would love to see anyone try and stop us", Akkarin huffed. "Worst case, we'll just take Kallen along so he can continue to keep an eye on you."

"Oh, joy. I thought we were past the need for a chaperone."

Akkarin chuckled.

Sonea dressed herself in her robes and asked Akkarin to braid her hair – there was no need for fancy hairstyles while on the road, after all, and she'd have to fit her hat on top of it, besides.

Takan spent the entirety of the meal hovering nearby, fretting, and trying to get Sonea to eat as much nutritious food as she could. Eventually, Akkarin asked him to tone it down a bit lest Sonea get sick in the carriage.

Once she had eaten her fill, Sonea went back to their bedroom to put on her warm layers, and grabbed her trunk.

Akkarin and Takan were waiting for her in the guestroom. They insisted that she take what magic they had managed to regain overnight.

"Please be safe, Lady Sonea", Takan implored.

"I will try my utmost", she promised. "I have every intention of stopping Kariko, and coming back."

Takan gave her a nod, his bottom lip trembling somewhat. Sonea suppressed a sigh, and lifted her arms. Takan rushed toward her, and wrapped her in a bear hug.

"I'll be back before you know it", she soothed as she patted his back.

Eventually, Takan released her. Noticing the worried look on Akkarin's face, Sonea cocked her head to the side.

"Should I bring you back Kariko's head?"

He sucked in a sharp breath, and his eyes darkened. "As much as I love the idea, it would be a bit impractical. And we would have a hard time explaining it to other people."

"I'll settle for his knife, then. We could put it on display or something."

"An excellent idea, my sweet wife." He took her face in his hands and carded his fingers through her hair before touching his forehead to hers. "Be careful. I want you to contact me every evening as soon as you are settled for the night, and when you find Kariko."

"Are you sure you want to watch?"

"I would rather see what is happening than anxiously wait for word from you. I also intend to relay the fight to the rest of the Guild."

"I see. Very well. Then I'll talk to you in the evening."

"Good."

"I gotta go now, or Donevin might get snowed in."

Akkarin let out another chuckle, and released her.

"One moment", Takan said, lifting the bag that had been sitting at his feet. "I prepared this for you, my lady. There's a jar of raka powder as well as some dried meat and fruit in there. So you'll have something to eat on the road."

"Thank you, Takan", Sonea replied with a smile as she accepted the bag. "Wait – did you make all of that yourself?"

"I did."

"How?"

"I temporarily lifted the ban I'd placed on your husband, and had him dry the food with magic."

Sonea let out a hearty laugh at that, and the fact that Akkarin somehow managed to look both proud and annoyed at the same time.

She slung the bag over her shoulder, gave them both one last grateful smile, and stepped out into the cold winter morning.

The carriage was already waiting in front of the university entrance. It was drawn by four horses instead of two.

Two servants wrapped in layers upon layers of warm clothing were waiting next to the carriage. Sonea looked around for Donevin – and saw him approaching them at a brisk pace.

"Great, all here and accounted for", Sonea noted.

The servants bowed.

"I'm Ella, and this is Sunil. We're at your service."

"Well met", Sonea replied. "We'll be in your capable hands, and I'm not just saying that. Without you – or the horses – we won't be able to make it. If any of you need a break, we take a break. I'd rather lose an hour or two rather than risk being stuck in the middle of nowhere. And I don't want either of you to lose any fingers or toes due to frostbite, either."

"Lord Balkan has dispatched Warriors into the city, they'll block off the roads we will be taking", Donevin added. "Turn right immediately after leaving the Guild, then stay on that road until we reach the North Road, where we'll turn right again, and head for Coldbridge. We'll initially prioritise speed, and change horses as often as possible."

"Understood", Ella replied. "How long into the night do you wish to keep going?"

"As long as possible", Sonea replied. "Provided we'll still be able to get a good night's rest. While Lord Donevin and myself could try to sleep in the carriage, you two will need to be well-rested."

"Let's hope the snowfall won't grow much heavier", Sunil muttered.

"Well, the good thing is that, if we get stuck in a snowstorm, chances are the enemy will be stuck, as well", Donevin said cheerfully.

"Right. Let's get ready for departure", Sonea ordered.

While Ella went to check on the horses, Sunil swiftly climbed onto the carriage, and Donevin passed him the trunks, so he could tie them to the rack on the carriage's roof. Meanwhile, Sonea inspected the coach box, and was pleased to find that the seat had been covered with fur. A glance inside the carriage revealed that the benches had been covered in fur as well, and thick wool blankets were part of the equipment, too.

Sonea stepped away from the carriage, and frowned as she registered the sound of a horse running at full speed, and toward them. Glancing about, she spotted a rider wearing a palace uniform and a fur-lined cloak racing along the road.

"Lady Sonea!", he called somewhat breathlessly as he leapt from the horse.

Donevin made an alarmed sound when he recognised the man. Sonea felt like she was in the wrong play.

"King Merin!", she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?! Without an escort, no less!"

"I snuck out of the palace, obviously", he huffed, rolling his eyes for good measure. "But that's not important! I just found out that they're sending you out to fight that Karkarot or whatever his name was!"

"Wait, they didn't tell you? This is old news."

"I was only told that one of the Black Magicians would be sent out, not which one."

"Ah."

"Is this some kind of underhanded attempt of the Guild to get rid of you? Are they hoping you'll die out there? I can put a stop to this, I can order them to – "

"I volunteered."

"You what?!"

"I volunteered", Sonea repeated patiently. "I may have made everyone's lives easier by having taken the decision out of their hands, but nobody forced me to do this. I'm going because I consider it the best course of action."

Merin blinked several times as he digested Sonea's words.

"Lady Vinara was extremely unhappy with my decision, and don't even get me started on Akkarin", she went on. "I'm fairly certain that both of them would have preferred it if we'd sent out Black Magician Kallen in my place."

"I suppose it is too late now to change that?", Merin asked hopefully.

"We'd lose precious time", Sonea huffed. "Time in which Kariko would continue to kill people and ransack villages. And become stronger in the process. I have to find him, as quickly as possible."

Merin bit his lip, looking unconvinced.

"If it helps, Your Majesty, I've already promised the High Lord to protect his wife, and I don't mind making the same promise to you", Donevin interjected.

"Friendly reminder that I'll be the one protecting you."

"Oh, let a man dream!", Donevin whined.

"And you are?", Merin asked with a frown.

"Oh, I'm Lord Donevin. Sonea is a dear friend of mine, and I volunteered to go with her."

"I see. Well, that is some good news, at least."

Sonea resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Oh, here they come", Donevin said.

Looking up, Sonea saw a procession of Alchemists emerge from the university. They were carrying several metal containers. Merin instantly tried to hide behind Sonea, which earned him an amused chuckle.

"Good morning, Black Magician Sonea", one of the Alchemists said. "We've modified the carriage – there are compartments underneath the seats, where you can store these."

They uncovered one of the containers to reveal several bricks. Snowflakes landing on them vaporised instantly.

"They will help keep you warm for a while. Make sure to heat them up again whenever you can."

"Thank you", Sonea replied.

The Alchemists proceeded to place the bricks inside the compartments.

"All right, that's everything", Donevin announced. "We are ready to leave."

"Very well", Sonea replied.

"Should I accompany you for a bit?", Merin asked.

"I think that's a bad idea. You've probably already given your staff a heart-attack. I think it would be better if you waited for someone to find you here, or returned to the palace straight away."

"Neither sound terribly appealing, I'll admit. I'd rather go visit Akkarin."

"That's not a terrible idea, actually."

"Cheeky."

Sonea gave him a bright grin.

"All right, enough. Go on, go kill that Sachakan who thinks he can just casually invade my country."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Sonea gave him a bow, Donevin followed suit.

Sunil, who had climbed back down at one point, opened the carriage door, and handed Sonea inside. She immediately dove under the blanket and nestled herself into the furs, only now realising that she'd been getting chilly. Donevin did the same. Sunil shut the door, climbed up next to Ella, and moments later, they were off.

Ella immediately urged the horses into a trot, then into a canter as soon as they had left the Guild grounds. The street was, indeed, empty, and Sonea could spot the magicians Balkan had posted at intervals. Crowds of onlookers had gathered behind them, and not just vehicles – quite a few people had just come to gawk, it seemed.

"What's up with them? Have they never seen a carriage before?", Sonea griped.

"It's the circumstances that are unusual", Donevin explained. "While people are used to making way for magicians on horseback, carriages are usually only used within the city, or for people travelling for leisure. Entire streets being sectioned off so that a carriage can pass through at breakneck speed has never happened before, as far as I know."

"Oh, I see."

Things were much the same as they passed through the North Quarter. Once they reached the slums, Ella was forced to slow the horses down somewhat, as the roads were in a worse condition, and the layout was less orderly.

The streets branching off from the one they were taking were packed with people, and when they started shouting, Sonea flinched, and resisted the urge to throw up a shield around the carriage, certain that the first rock would come flying any time soon. Donevin shot her a confused look, and moments later, Sonea realised that people were shouting her name.

Confused, she straightened in her seat to look outside. The people didn't seem angry or upset, strangely enough. It made no sense.

"Sonea, what's wrong?", Donevin asked, concerned.

"This is very odd."

"Why? How do they normally react to seeing a Guild carriage?"

"No idea. However, how they usually react to seeing magicians is by throwing rocks at them, especially if they wear red or purple." She spotted a few Warriors posted along this road, too, and noted that none of them were being pelted with rocks. "I have no idea what is going on."

She tried to pay more attention to what the people were shouting, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Sonea!"

"Go show that wanna-be invader how we Dwells fight!"

"We don't let our magicians walk all over us, let alone some foreigner!"

"Go send that bastard packing!"

"Oh", she breathed as she leaned back in her seat. "I think I know what's going on."

"Do tell."

"Do you know the story of how Akkarin saved a friend of mine a few years back, before I joined the Guild?"

"That nasty business with Fergun."

"Yup. I didn't know until about half a year ago, but Akkarin and my friend – Cery – remained in contact with each other, as Cery felt that he owed Akkarin a debt. It is possible that Akkarin told Cery to leak information to the Dwells."

"Ah. That would explain a lot. Well, if they wish to see you – and, by extension, me – as some kind of hero, I shall not stop them."

"They shouldn't idolise me, though."

"Why not? You're off to fight on their behalf."

Sonea didn't quite know what to say to that.

A short inquiry directed at her husband revealed that he had, indeed, told Cery to get the Dwells up-to-speed.

— I regret to inform you that the King has occupied your armchair.

— I shall permit it for the time being. However, I expect him to clear out once I return.

— I sincerely hope that he won't stay that long.

They cleared the slums, and Ella urged the horses into a canter once more. Thankfully, the snowfall let up after a while, although the skies remained overcast.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you – I sincerely hope this won't be an issue – but I don't know how to swim."

"Why not?", Donevin asked with a frown.

"Because my family had no time for leisurely trips to the sea, and nobody swims in the Tarali River – at least not voluntarily."

"Ah. Well, not to worry, I won't let you drown", he replied with a wink.

Despite the circumstances, Sonea was eager to see what lay beyond the city. The landscape was blanketed in snow, but she could still make out hills as well as the average building. The road followed the Tarali River northwards, and Sonea felt that she could watch the water for hours without getting bored.

Sonea was jolted from her thoughts when the carriage slowed, and veered off the road. Moments later, they stopped in front of an inn. Donevin was out of the door as soon as they had stopped, and beckoned to a stable hand while Sunil helped Sonea down.

"Change the horses – we need the fastest ones you've got – and grease the axles, quick as you can!", Donevin ordered as he tossed the man a few coins. "Warm the horses up before you come get us. Sunil, Ella, with us – we need to get you two warmed up."

"Yes, my lord."

"Wait, what about the bricks?"

"Wrap them in the furs", Sonea suggested.

"That should work", Donevin added. "If they're too hot for you to carry afterwards, I can move them with magic."

Sonea breathed a sigh of relief as soon as they were inside the inn's common room, shedding her gloves and hat.

"I'll go order us some hot drinks. Donevin, check them for any signs of frostbite."

"As you wish, o great Sonea."

"Shut up."

Since it was too early to stop for a proper meal, Sonea ordered hot milk for her crew, and told the cook to mix honey into it. She grabbed the mugs, careful not to spill anything, and made her way over to the table Donevin has secured for them.

They were getting odd looks from the other patrons, but nobody reacted negatively.

Sonea had no idea what people outside the city thought of the Guild, so she hadn't been sure what to expect.

About fifteen minutes had passed when the stable hand showed up to inform them that the carriage was ready. They finished their drinks, fished the bricks out of the fire, and hurried them across the yard as to conserve the heat as best as possible.

"I am feeling kind of ridiculous right now, truth be told", Donevin murmured.

They stashed the bricks into their compartments, and were off again moments later.

The rest of the day passed in a rather uneventful manner. As dusk settled over the world, Sonea told Donevin to ignite the lanterns. They continued on for a few more hours after nightfall before stopping for the night. Sonea ordered two rooms, and told Ella that she would be staying with her.

"Would you like to eat straight away, or be shown to your rooms first?", the innkeeper asked.

"We'd like to freshen up a bit before the meal", Sonea replied.

"Right this way."

The rooms were small, but cosy. The furniture had its own unique charm.

Sonea quickly shed her robes and peeled the warm layers off her body to hang them up near the fire so that they could air out. She didn't bother using the changing screen – she was used to bathing together with other women, after all, and not worried about preserving her modesty when among other women.

"Sonea, I'm heading downstairs already!", Donevin called.

"Go ahead, we'll be down in a bit!"

Ella softly cleared her throat.

"Um, if I may, my lady – oh, beg pardon, I mean, Black Magician Sonea – "

"It's fine, you can just refer to me as 'lady' if that's easier for you. My title's a bit of a mouthful. And it's not like any of the people here know who I am."

"Oh, right. Um. What I meant to say is that the High Lord mentioned that, despite being more independent than the average magician, you might require help with your hair."

Sonea gaped at her for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Honestly, I don't know if I should feel annoyed, or touched", she grumbled. "He is, unfortunately, right. It doesn't have to be anything spectacular, but I need my hair to stay out of my face."

"Sure, I can manage that", Ella replied with a grin.

"I could braid your hair in return", Sonea offered. "I've been practising on the horses."

"Lots of hair to braid on those", Ella chuckled. "Sure, I don't mind. If you don't think that's beneath you."

Sonea snorted at the notion.

"Shall we go down to eat?"

"Yes, please. I'm starving."

"No wonder", Sonea muttered.

They made their way downstairs. Donevin had secured them a table near one of the fireplaces, which Sonea appreciated.

However, as soon as she'd sat down, she found their table suddenly crowded by people who all looked at her expectantly. Having no clue as to what was going on, Sonea shot Donevin a look demanding answers.

"They wish to donate magic", the Warrior told her. "I explained the situation to them, and they all volunteered. I already tested them for magic."

Sonea was floored. It took her a moment to pick her jaw off the ground.

"I – I'm not sure that's allowed", she protested.

"We are not breaking any laws. You have been given permission to strengthen yourself. These people are willing. I don't see any issues. Besides, I won't tattle."

"Oh, very well. We'll need another chair, though."

One of the people grabbed a chair from a neighbouring table with a grin, and sat down next to her.

"Go on, lass", he said cheerfully. "I have to say that I find the thought that I might help fight an evil magician quite heroic."

"That's one way to look at it, for sure", Sonea chuckled as she drew Akkarin's knife.

By the time she was finally done taking magic from all the volunteers, Sonea was starving. Donevin pushed a bowl of stew over to her, and handed her a hunk of bread. Sonea thanked him with a smile, and proceeded to scarf down the food, not caring about decorum.

As soon as she was done eating, she waved over the server, and ordered a round of bol for her table. Donevin eyed the brew sceptically.

"What is that?"

"Bol. Give it a try, it's nutritious."

Sonea took a large gulp, letting out a content sigh. She hadn't had bol in ages.

Donevin took a cautious sip, his eyes widening in surprise, before taking a large gulp.

The people around them roared with laughter, apparently approving.

"Why don't we have that stuff at the Guild?", Donevin complained. "Sonea, you have to tell the Administrator to buy some."

"I can try, but I doubt that he would do it. Though I would be up for hitting a bolhouse somewhere in the city, if you're interested."

"Don't you need permission for that kind of thing, though?"

"My husband happens to be one of the Higher Magicians", Sonea reminded him.

"Oh, right. Convenient."

"Indeed."

After a while, Sonea decided that the overall atmosphere was far too dull for her liking.

"Does anyone know a drinking song?", she hollered. "Haven't heard a good one in a while!"

A man rose to his feet somewhat unsteadily on the other side of the room, almost spilling his bol in the process, and belched out a song. The rest of the patrons soon joined in – those who didn't know the lyrics clapped or stomped along with the rhythm.

"And this, my friend, is how us lower classes have fun", Sonea told Donevin.

"Fascinating. I could do with less swearing, though."

"The swearing is optional."

The evening passed in an enjoyable fashion. Eventually, Sonea herded everyone upstairs. They parted ways outside Donevin and Sunil's room, and Donevin held out his hands. Sonea took them, and he sent her what magic he could spare.

"Do you have any idea how powerful you are right now?"

"No, not at all. I know that, after absorbing Akkarin's magic alone, I was strong enough to taken on the entire Guild. By now, I might be several times more powerful than the entire Guild combined."

"And we still don't know if it will be enough."

"That's right. Kariko probably started storing up more magic long before he actually invaded. And, if he's lucky, he'll come across people with powerful latent magic. He wiped out Sarin – some of the people there must have had magic. And he can drain his slaves over and over."

Donevin grimaced. "Well, I'm all the way with you, no matter to what end."

"Thank you", Sonea replied, squeezing his hands. "I'm so glad that you volunteered to come with me."

Donevin gave her a lopsided smile. "Sleep well, Sonea. And don't worry too much. We'll win, just you wait."

Sonea gave him a smile in return.

As soon as Sonea had crawled under her blanket, she reached for the link with Akkarin, and was instantly buffeted by a strong sense of relief, and longing.

— I miss you too, Sonea sighed.

— Thank goodness we can have this, at least. Although I would much rather have you beside me.

— Agreed.

— Were you met with any trouble on the road?

— No, everything went smoothly so far. And Donevin talked the people here at the inn into giving me magic.

— Excellent. He is proving helpful in ways I had not anticipated.

— How are things at home?

— Nothing out of the ordinary. Kallen has begun strengthening himself. Rothen came to see me, wanting to know how I was holding up – and seeking some comfort himself, as well, I guess.

— It's so lovely seeing you two getting along.

— Amazing how easy it can be to get a man to like you as soon as you stop threatening his daughter, Akkarin mused. Perhaps I should have tried that sooner.

— We both know that I wouldn't have believed you.

— Fair point.

Sonea rolled over, and flexed her hand, wishing she could lace her fingers with Akkarin's. She was so close, and yet so far away, and it hurt.

— I should let you sleep.

— I don't know if I'll be able to fall asleep.

— Are you not tired?

— Yes? No? Maybe? It's hard to say. Part of me is exhausted, and the rest wide awake.

— Would you like me to read you some poetry?

— Yes!

— All right. Let me just quickly go to the library.

A globe-light sparked to life, and Akkarin rose from their bed, already in his nightclothes. He made his way down the hall, and Sonea eagerly soaked in the sights of home through his eyes.

He pulled a book from one of the shelves and settled down in one of the window seats. He leafed through the book until he'd found what he'd been looking for, then, he snapped the book closed.

— Don't look. Just listen.

— All right, Sonea replied, amused.

She relinquished her hold on their link, relying on Akkarin to send her the poem.

Snow-covered fields
Under the moonlight
Forlorn

Bare branches
Whispering in the sunlight
Dreaming of spring

— That was lovely. It didn't rhyme, though.

— Poetry doesn't have to rhyme, Akkarin told her with a chuckle. I can try to find a poem that rhymes, though.

— Yes, please.

I sit by the window and think of you
Summer's gentle kiss.
Hope is the one thing that carries me through
This lonely bitterness.

Sonea let out a small gasp.

— Did you make that up just now?

— No. However, I am quite good at finding poems to express my current mood. I know this book quite well.

— I didn't know this was something you did.

— We were taught how to recite poetry as children. It makes for good entertainment on long winter nights, especially for those who cannot hold a tune. Anyone can learn how to recite poetry.

— I see. Read me some more?

— I can do that. Should I keep going until you fall asleep?

— That might actually help.

— Very well.

Sonea made herself comfortable, and listened to her husband recite poem after poem. When she finally fell asleep, it was with a smile on her face.

---

A/N:

Kariko is the reason we can't have nice things.

This was my first time writing poetry in English.

Fun fact: Donevin was originally created as a plot device – I needed a Warrior in Chapter 3 to move the story along. In my first draft, he didn't even have a name yet, I just referred to him as "the Warrior". Eventually, I decided that he needed a name, and then his character just kept on growing, and he became a permanent fixture in the story. Still, I never suspected that I would use him to resolve this story's main conflict. Funny how these things sometimes play out.

Glossary:
Zoran – dawn (Slavic)
Sunil – deep blue, radiant blue (Sanskrit)

Rikka: Sonea is even shorter than Danea.
Danea, off-stage: Don't call me short! I'm compact. Travel-sized. The pony of this family. A tiny menace.

Sonea: Go annoy some Alchemists for me.
Donevin: * proceeds to annoy the Alchemists into inventing snow goggles and seat heating *