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.

8. Small Steps

A/N:

This chapter should not have existed. The story was supposed to continue with what has now become Chapter 9, but I realised that I would have to squeeze a lot of stuff into that chapter. I also had a new scene pop into my head, and therefore decided to insert a chapter to deal with all of that stuff. It now also includes a scene I had meant to discard earlier due to it taking up too much space.

In this chapter, the King almost dies, Sonea turns Akkarin into a rambling mess, Lorlen has to deal with almost the entire bandwidth of Akkarin's emotions, Regin watches someone else go up in flames, Rothen gets a tour of the hidden passages, and Sonea actually goes outside.

---

"Can you repeat that, slowly?", Merin asked with a giggle.

The Eyes blinked, but obliged him. "Lady Sonea expressed her confusion as to why Lady Chessea needed to refresh her make-up. She said, and I quote, 'You look absolutely stunning.'"

Merin had to laugh so hard, he almost fell out of his chair.

"Ah, this is hilarious. Wait – she wasn't flirting with her, was she?"

"Judging from her expression, no. Though I also couldn't tell you where her preferences lie, Your Majesty, as she's never shown an interest in anyone before, according to what we know."

"Hm. But these two seemed to get along?"

"Based on my observations, it appears that Lady Chessea and Lady Sonea seem to genuinely like each other. Neither were causing the impression that they were doing this for an ulterior reason, or because the other one is also connected to the High Lord. Besides, Lady Sonea's way of expressing herself is very blunt and straightforward – I can't imagine that someone like her would be good at subtle manoeuvres, or that she would like to employ those. Lady Chessea actually offered to teach her more 'feminine' ways of making people yield to her. Lady Sonea seems to prefer the High Lord's method of intimidation."

"Delightful, absolutely delightful. I will never forgive Akkarin for having such a fascinating person under his wing, and hiding her from me for so long. This is treason! I should have his head."

He dissolved into another fit of giggles.

"Did they discuss anything else worth noting?", he asked once he had calmed himself.

"No, they barely spoke on their way back to the hall, and were walking at a much brisker pace."

"I see. Thank you." Merin tossed her a coin. "Send in one of my advisers, I don't care which one."

The Eyes bowed, and quit the room. It didn't take long for the older one of the magicians to arrive.

"Sit", Merin ordered. "I have a question concerning Guild laws. Is there any rule or some-such that would prohibit novices from visiting the palace?"

"Not – as such, however, given that magicians aren't supposed to be involved in politics, we would, naturally, discourage such activities. Especially if there were a danger that the novice might be manipulated by nobles."

"Or myself."

"That, too."

"The Higher Magicians come when summoned, though", Merin pointed out.

"Indeed, but they are the Guild's leaders, and they do answer to you in some form. If you were to summon a novice – even if said novice were the High Lord's favourite – it might be problematic. And the High Lord himself could very easily put a stop to all that, as he is her guardian."

"I'm aware of that, which is why I made certain to include him in the invitation I sent her."

"Might I ask why you are so interested in that particular novice?"

"She has something that I want."

The magician blinked. "Forgive me, but – what could a Dwell possess that you might want, Your Majesty?"

"Careful, now", Merin replied in a silky voice. "That 'Dwell' currently has my favour. And the High Lord would not appreciate it if you talked about his favourite in such a derogatory way. Did you hear what happened at the banquet yesterday?"

"I did."

"Well, then. Unless you want to find yourself on the receiving end of Akkarin's temper, I suggest you choose your words with a little more care in the future."

"I shall keep it in mind, Your Majesty."

"To sum up what you just told me – there is nothing stopping me from summoning her, but the High Lord might prohibit her from going, and the Guild might not like it."

"Indeed. I would recommend waiting – she is close to graduating. Once she is a magician, she would no longer be considered quite as 'vulnerable' as a novice, and the High Lord could no longer interfere. The Guild might still not like it – some people might feel like she's getting preferential treatment, something that is beyond her due, but it would be harder for the Higher Magicians to object, especially if you can give them a good reason for wanting to see her."

"I see. I thank you, that is most valuable advice."

"Not at all, King Merin."

---

Once again, Sonea found herself standing in front of the door to Akkarin's study, debating whether she should actually do this.

Part of her hated Lorlen for putting her up to this, although the rest of her had to agree that his arguments made sense – Sonea's chances of success were much higher than his.

Still, Lorlen had no idea what was going on – no idea about what he was asking of her.

Sonea took a deep breath and let it out again slowly. This was about Akkarin. She would present him with Lorlen's idea – and make it very clear that this had been his idea, not hers – and then see how Akkarin would react. If he rejected her offer – for whatever reason – she would come up with another plan.

Having all that sorted, Sonea raised her hand and resolutely knocked on the door. It opened only moments later. Sonea stepped inside, and spotted Akkarin standing by the window, reading a book.

He looked up, and his mouth curled into that familiar half-smile when he saw her.

"Hello, Sonea", he said, closing the book. "Did you need something?"

"Not – exactly", she replied, slightly caught off-guard by his question.

No, she was most certainly not the person who needed something.

"That is a somewhat confusing answer."

"I can explain, of course", Sonea replied with a grimace. "But you just asked the wrong question."

"Would the right question concern the jar you're holding?"

"Correct – it's why I'm here."

"Do sit down", Akkarin said as he settled into the chair behind his desk.

Sonea nodded, and sat down, placing the jar on the desk in front of her.

"Lorlen called me to his office earlier, and gave me this", she said, placing the tip of her index finger on the lid of the jar. "It's an ointment for treating scars."

Akkarin's eyes widened at that, but he said nothing.

"He had wanted to make one for Takan, too, but said that he'd had a hard time pilfering supplies from right under Lady Vinara's nose. And making the ointment without anyone catching on was tricky, as well."

Akkarin let out a chuckle. "I would like to say that I am surprised that Lorlen would steal from the Guild's medicinal supplies, but I know him too well for that. It's hard to say which one of us was the bad influence growing up, and which one got the other into trouble more often."

"Really?", Sonea asked, her eyes lighting up. "What kind of trouble did you get into, then?"

"We frequently skipped Lord Margen's classes, hid out by the spring up in the forest, instead. We'd placed a set of game pieces inside one of the boulders, and spent the entire time playing, or sometimes just chatting. Lord Margen was furious every time, but we'd rather put up with his punishments than his classes."

"Oh, dear", Sonea replied with a grin.

Akkarin let out another chuckle before sobering. "I'm guessing this ointment is for me, then."

"It is. And Lorlen gave it to me, specifically, instead of having a servant deliver it, or giving it to you in person, for several reasons." She paused, and took a moment to order her thoughts. "He supposed that, based on what he saw in my memories, that you very strongly dislike your scars, might even dislike your lower arms, as a whole, and might refuse to take proper care of them as a result. He theorised that, if he just left this with you, you would probably never use it. That you might be unable to do this yourself, even. However, given the fact that you haven't actually shown him your scars – only me – he also figured that, if he proposed that he treat you, you would probably not be comfortable with that, and refuse. Given that you showed them to me – that, as far as he can tell, you seem to trust me more than him, he suggested that I do this, instead. He also said that it would be good practise for me, for later."

Consciously aware that she had just hit Akkarin with a lot of information, Sonea paused to give him a moment to digest all this. By now, he was frowning, although he didn't seem angry.

"For what it's worth, I agree with Lorlen", Sonea continued when he chose to remain silent. "I got that same impression, might even go as far as to suggest that you wouldn't want to do this as a twisted form of self-punishment. Which is why I agreed to do this – make this offer, that is. Both of us are going off on assumptions, which is never ideal. You are, of course, free to reject my offer – I can leave this with you, or give it to Takan. I won't be angry, or upset, or hurt if you're not comfortable with this. This is about your well-being, not my vanity."

Akkarin mulled this new bit of information over in silence. Then, he let out a huff.

"I never knew Lorlen had it in him."

"I'm sure he's only trying to be helpful."

"Oh, I am certain that he believes that."

"You don't have to give me your answer straight away", Sonea pointed out. "I don't want to pressure you into anything, that would be counterproductive."

"I appreciate this", Akkarin replied with a smile. "However, I, too, must agree with Lorlen. If you just left this jar with me, I'd probably give it to Takan, pretend that I already have one to use myself. And Lorlen is also correct in assuming that I wouldn't be comfortable with him doing this." He took a deep breath. "I can barely bring myself to look at them", he admitted. "Even if I wanted to treat myself, I couldn't do it by myself. I – if – if you could – that is, I would appreciate it if you could – help me."

By the time he had finished speaking, he was, once again, examining his desk very intently. Sonea felt her heart clench.

"Of course, that's why I'm here", she replied softly. "Wait – I'm not going to trigger you if I touch you, am I?"

"No, you won't", Akkarin replied, glancing up. "It's not an issue when I'm conscious of my surroundings, Takan has managed to touch my arms without any issues. Though I could create a barrier around you, if that made you feel safer."

"If you say that it'll be fine, I trust you", she replied.

Akkarin's gaze softened.

"If, at any time, something I do makes you uncomfortable, or if you want me to stop, tell me", she implored.

"I will."

Sonea unscrewed the jar, and pulled out the cloth she'd prepared – she had a feeling that things might go badly if she were to touch his skin with her bare fingers. She didn't know just how good his self-control was, and was unwilling to take any risks on that front.

And he'd definitely be uncomfortable if her touch caused a reaction.

Akkarin placed both of his arms on the desk, palms facing upwards, fingers curled. The fact that he wasn't balling them into fists was good, but she could tell that he was far from relaxed. Seeing as how his arms would be in his field of vision if he looked down, he was staring at a point over her shoulder.

"Are you ready to begin?"

He gave her a curt nod in response, still not looking at her.

"All right."

Sonea cautiously peeled back his right sleeve, deciding to start with the arm he'd already shown her. She cast a brief look at Akkarin's face. He still looked tense, but made no move to stop her. She dipped the cloth into the ointment. A sudden idea struck her, and she placed her left hand in his instead of grabbing hold of his wrist to keep his arm steady. His hand immediately curled around hers, his grip tighter than normal – although she could tell that he made a conscious effort not to grip her too tightly.

Sonea started applying the ointment, trying to figure out the right amount of pressure to use. She was very deliberate in her movements, determined to give proper care to this part of his body that he chose to neglect.

When he made a small sound, she froze. She looked up to find that he had closed his eyes, and his face was scrunched up. Sonea didn't quite know what to make of that.

"Should I stop?"

"No, no, I just – I'm not – used to this kind of thing. I – it's not, that is, I like it. Please don't stop."

"All right."

Sonea used magic to keep the jar in place, refusing to let go of Akkarin's hand as she dipped the cloth into the ointment again. Then, she continued treating his scars.

Over time, he began to marginally relax under her ministrations. Once she was done with his right arm, she looked up to see how he was holding up – and was surprised to find him watching her.

She had expected him to try and hide the fact, however, instead, he gave her a small smile.

"You are very diligent, Sonea. Thank you. You will make a fantastic Healer one day."

"Oh, um, thanks."

His smile widened. Part of her was annoyed by the fact that he found her inability to accept his praise amusing.

"Are you good to continue?"

"Go ahead."

"All right."

Sonea once again offered him her hand to hold on to, and folded back the sleeve of his left arm. It looked very similar to the other one, just as she had expected.

This time, he was markedly more relaxed. When she checked on him again half-way through, his eyes were closed once more, but his features were relaxed.

She was almost done when he sucked in a breath, and opened his eyes.

"What is it?"

"Takan is coming upstairs. There is someone here to see you." He frowned. "A servant – he has a delivery for you."

"Oh, ah, I'm almost done. Can you let Takan know that I'll be downstairs in a few minutes?"

"Of course."

Sonea wasn't sure how Akkarin would feel if Takan were to actually walk in on them, and it wasn't necessary as long as he stayed upstairs long enough to give the servant the impression that he had spoken with her.

She finished treating Akkarin's left arm, and put the rag down. When she made to remove her left hand from his hold, Akkarin gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you, Sonea, truly. I very strongly appreciate what you just did for me."

"Don't mention it", she replied with a smile. "Incidentally – you do know that you are allowed to say something if you need help? Or comfort or whatever?"

"Well, yes, of course, but, you see, the thing is – "

"You're worried about overstepping my boundaries, or making me uncomfortable."

"Yes", he replied with a grimace.

"You won't know if I'd be comfortable doing something until you ask me", she pointed out softly. "Please ask me. I don't like the idea of you struggling silently – I'm not made from glass, I'm not going to shatter into pieces because you ask me something. Thing is – I knew that you didn't like your scars, but the thought that you might need help with treating them hadn't occurred to me. If Lorlen hadn't raised this matter with me, I would have never realised that this was such an issue, or that I could do something to help with it. Or – if you're terribly worried about how I might react, you could relay your request through Takan. I wouldn't mind that, either. I want you to be comfortable, too. This isn't a one-way thing."

"I see. I – I'll keep that in mind."

"Splendid. Now, please stay like that for a while until your skin has absorbed all of that – I don't think Takan would like it very much if he'd have to remove grease stains from your robes."

"Probably not, no", Akkarin replied with a chuckle.

"Do you want me to leave this with you?", Sonea asked, tapping the lid of the jar.

"Please do. I – it makes me happy to just look at it, and know that Lorlen went through all this trouble to help me. To see that he actually still cares. I – I'll admit that I was doubtful."

"That's understandable", Sonea replied with a smile. "All right, then, I'd better go and see what's up."

"Don't let me keep you."

Sonea gave him another smile, grabbed the soiled rag, and left the study. She swung by her room to drop the rag into her laundry basket before heading downstairs.

A servant wearing the typical Guild uniform was waiting for her, holding a thin, rectangular wooden case. Sonea had a feeling she knew what was inside.

"Lady Sonea", the man said with a bow. "I have a delivery for you."

"Thank you. May I?"

"Of course."

Sonea placed the case on the table, keeping her back to the servant – he didn't need to see what was inside, and potentially start some nasty rumours.

Takan, who had been hovering nearby, shot her a questioning look, and she waved him over. Sonea opened the lid of the case, revealing a slender knife, not longer than 16 cm, and a leather sheath.

Takan's eyes widened. "What do you need this for?", he asked in a whisper.

"Self-defence in situations where I can't use magic", she whispered back. "I'm not too bad with knives, and the High Lord actually asked me to tutor him."

"Ah, I see."

Sonea tested the knife's weight, and spun it around a few times before removing the sheath from the box, relatively confident that the servant would have never seen one like this before. She put the knife back in the case, closing the lid. At a glance, the sheath looked like it would fit her. She strapped it onto her right leg and pushed it up until it was hidden underneath her robes before tightening the straps.

"That works", Takan observed. "It's not visible like this – although you'd have to be mindful of how you move."

"I can just use magic to keep everything in place so that I don't 'expose myself'."

"My lady, you are wearing leggings. You can't 'expose yourself'."

Sonea let out a snort. "I bet some magician or other might still find a way to be offended if I did backflips or something."

"I suppose."

Sonea placed the sheath back in the case, and turned to face the servant.

"I'm pleased with this, I'll take it. Are you supposed to handle the payment, too?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Right. I'll be back in a moment."

She hurried up the stairs and ran to her room to fetch her purse. By the time she made it back downstairs, Akkarin was there, eyeing the case critically.

Sonea handed the servant the money, and gave him a little extra.

"You can tell the sender that I am very pleased with his work", she told the man with a slight smile.

"Thank you, my lady. High Lord."

He bowed to them, and left.

"Is that the item you ordered from Cerinyi?", Akkarin asked, arching a brow.

"Indeed it is", Sonea replied. "Though I remember you very pointedly ignoring our conversation back then."

He let out a huff. "May I see it?"

"Sure." Sonea strode over to the box, and removed the knife, and sheath. "Cery had both made to my specifications so that I can hide it all underneath my robes. This will get infinitely easier once I graduate."

"My, what a tiny knife", Akkarin replied with a chuckle.

"You should know that being small is not the same as being harmless", Sonea huffed.

"Oh, I know", he replied, his eyes shining. "I'm just not entirely certain as to what you want this for."

"Stabbing people, of course."

He narrowed his eyes. "You mean to use this on a spy?"

"Yes."

"That won't work. You can't stab magicians."

"I bet Dannyl will be thrilled to hear that."

Akkarin blinked. "You stabbed Dannyl?"

"In the leg. When Rothen brought him to meet me, I was fairly certain that he was more terrified of me than I was of him."

He frowned, and Sonea guessed that he was currently searching through her memories. She turned to Takan, assuming that he didn't know this story.

"Dannyl was part of the group of magicians who cornered me, in the end. They trapped me at an intersection, blocked off all my escape routes. Back then, I was convinced that the Guild meant to kill me, and desperate to escape. I tried running past Dannyl, but he grabbed me. I drew my knife, and stabbed him in the leg. He fell, but didn't let go – instead, he hauled me back, toward the other magicians. So", she said, turning back to Akkarin, "it's entirely possible to stab a magician when he's not expecting it. Which is one of the reasons I wanted this knife concealed."

"So, this is a contingency plan for a scenario in which you encounter one of the spies?"

She nodded. "I've considered pretending that I've run out of magic – he'd have no way of knowing how powerful I am – then use the knife to incapacitate him. I couldn't win with magic, but if I can get him in the leg, like with Dannyl, I might buy myself enough time to make my escape."

"Sachakan magicians don't know how to Heal", Akkarin replied. "This is a good tactic, provided you don't cause lethal damage."

"I didn't know that", Sonea whispered, her eyed widening. "Do none of them know how to Heal?"

"No. Only Guild magicians know how to do that. Although Dakova gleaned a rudimentary understanding of it from my mind."

This bit of news sent her mind spinning. She'd always assumed that Dakova had simply chosen not to Heal his slaves, had not suspected that he might have been unable to do so. And Healing magic was difficult to learn.

"That's even better, then – if I could, say, cripple an arm or a leg, it would make them less dangerous in battle. Oh, and I know how to do that without killing someone. Lord Yikmo made sure to get rid of my killer instinct, too."

"You had a killer instinct, Lady Sonea?", Takan asked, sounding unnerved.

"Sure. When someone attacks you in the slums, you have to be prepared for the worst. Have to be prepared to kill the attacker, if you need to. I may have killed a man, once."

Takan's expression darkened. "I assume he deserved it."

"Oh, for sure. And if he did die, I certainly wouldn't mourn him. He could have simply left me alone."

Behind her, Akkarin remained silent, and Sonea realised that he must have seen that memory in her mind – she'd been a bit too panicked over the fact that he was continuing to read her mind despite her attempts to stop him to pay too much attention to every single memory. Knowing what she did now, she wondered just how awful it must have been for him to watch her fourteen-year-old self try to fend off a man many times stronger than herself, feeling the echo of the fear and terror she had felt at that moment.

"Your plan does sound good", Akkarin said, sounding like he was trying to rally himself. "Though I sincerely hope you'll never actually have to make use of it."

"As do I", Sonea sighed. "I have no desire to run into another one of them."

"But it's always good to be prepared for the worst", Takan said.

"I agree", Akkarin added.

"All that aside, this means that we can start practising fighting with knives now, if you'd like", Sonea said, turning back around to face Akkarin.

"Excellent", he replied, dark eyes lighting up. "I'll see if I can find out when the Warriors practise sword-fighting, we could just join them."

"Sounds like a plan." Sonea closed the box and picked it up. "I'm actually really excited about this", she admitted, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I haven't had a good workout in ages."

"I'll try my best to make a good sparring partner", Akkarin replied with a smile.

---

Lorlen was surprised to find Akkarin expecting him, a glass of wine in hand, when he stepped into the residence. Akkarin must have noticed his surprise, for he raised a brow.

"How do you do that?", Lorlen asked as he accepted the glass. "Before, I'd assumed that you knew I was coming because of the Blood Gem, but – "

Akkarin let out a chuckle. "I have Takan monitor the outside for me, as much as he can. He alerts me whenever someone approaches the residence. Only a few days ago, he was able to warn me of the approaching menace that is an angry Vinara."

"Oh, I see. Wait. She was angry? Why?"

"I'm honestly surprised you haven't heard, I'd have expected that story to make rounds by now", Akkarin replied with a huff as he picked up his own glass of wine, and sat down. "Vinara came to inform me of the fact that some of her Healers had neglected Sonea's education, pointing out that other teachers might have done the same. I spoke with all of them, and the ones who had been negligent were reprimanded, and punished."

Lorlen was stunned. He had not expected this.

"I can see why she would be angry", he muttered. "Oh, poor Sonea. I had honestly hoped that the teachers would stop neglecting her after you became her guardian."

"It's entirely possible that this happened before that", Akkarin replied. "But even if that was the case, they should have rectified their mistake. Or hid their tracks. Sonea never said anything – if they had been a little smarter about this, we would have never found out."

"Is anything being done to ensure something like this won't happen again?"

"Director Jerrik is seeing to it."

"Oh, that's good."

"Speaking of Sonea – what were you thinking, telling her to treat my arms?! I appreciate what you did for me, I really do, but why on earth did you have to put her up to this?", Akkarin demanded.

"Were my arguments unconvincing?"

"No."

"Were you uncomfortable with her treating you?"

"No", Akkarin repeated, though a faint blush was now dusting his cheeks.

Lorlen suppressed a grin. "Was Sonea uncomfortable with treating you?"

"No", Akkarin sighed. "All she cared about was my well-being, and my comfort. She actually told me that I was allowed to ask for help, encouraged me to do so. I – I had been worried about overstepping, making her uncomfortable, and she pointed out that I wouldn't know until I asked."

"Well, she's right. Listen to her."

Akkarin let out a huff.

"All things considered, I'm not sure why you are so upset with me."

"You promised me not to meddle!"

"I did no such thing. You told me not to push her, worrying it might destroy the still fragile trust between you two, and I told you I'd be mindful of that. Which is why I came up with this plan. I thought it would be a nice bonding exercise for you."

"A bonding – Lorlen, you know how I feel about her!"

Lorlen frowned. "Are you worried that your self-control might slip?"

Akkarin's jaw clenched, and Lorlen felt that he was finally getting close to the heart of the matter.

"Lorlen, I'm only human. I can't control my emotions, and I can't predict my reactions. Thankfully, Sonea had the sense to bring a piece of cloth – things might have gone badly if she'd touched me with her bare fingers. I – I have myself under control, most of the time, and if I can mentally prepare myself, I can maintain that self-control. And, if I do react, I know how to deal with that, too. I am mostly worried about how Sonea might react, if she were to find out."

"I can see how that might be a problem", Lorlen admitted. "But, based on what you told me just now, everything worked out fine."

"Yes, thankfully. If your brilliant idea had broken our trust, had caused her to become afraid of me again, I swear, Lorlen, I would have killed you", Akkarin said, sounding exasperated.

"Duly noted."

"How is Sonea's progress with the things you're working on?", Akkarin asked after a while.

"Satisfactory", Lorlen replied. "Her hand has got much better already, and she's dealt with what happened during the attack on the residence surprisingly well. We are currently working on removing the trigger for her flashbacks – I forgot to ask her if that is the only one she has. Do you know of any other ones?"

"No, we've only discovered this one so far. Her neck could potentially be another sensitive area, but people are less likely to accidentally trigger her by touching her there."

"I should hope so", Lorlen huffed.

"By the way, do you have any new Guild gossip for me? Both Chessea and King Merin were horrified to learn that I didn't know any."

"I haven't been able to make it to the Night Room recently", Lorlen replied with a grimace. "Which is also probably why I hadn't heard about those Healers. I only have boring, official stories to report."

"Ah, that will not do. Lorlen, you need to work less, and socialise more."

"Hah! Are you seriously telling me to socialise more? You?"

"I did attend a banquet at the palace."

"I suppose that counts. How did it go?"

"Sonea did rather well for herself – she is now friends with Chessea, which pleases me greatly."

"Oh, that's good", Lorlen replied with a grin. "That means it's unlikely that she'll object once you announce the wedding."

"Shut up."

Lorlen let out a giggle.

"The King also demonstrated that she has his favour after a rather unpleasant incident. And after that, a few nobles sought to be introduced to her."

"Of course they did", Lorlen sighed.

"They were earnest enough in their desire to actually get to know her", Akkarin replied. "They must have figured that, if both Chessea and King Merin, people who don't have to be with her, value her company to this extent, she might be worthy of their note. If they had been insincere, I would have got rid of them again quickly. And Sonea seemed to enjoy talking to them, too." Without warning, he let out a sigh. "She had flowers in her hair. Orange ones. She was so beautiful, Lorlen, like you wouldn't believe it."

Lorlen gaped at his friend for a moment before starting to grin like an idiot. "Goodness, you really have it bad, don't you."

"I'm doomed", Akkarin sighed dramatically. "And very well aware of it."

Lorlen reached over, and patted him on the arm.

"Oh! That reminds me, there is something else I've been meaning to discuss with you, something that concerns Sonea."

Akkarin, who had been slouching in his chair, immediately sat up straighter, his posture more alert.

"Go on."

"It's nothing alarming or anything, don't worry – I discovered this when Sonea showed us her memories, but wanted to confirm it with her first before potentially raising the matter with you. Sonea is a tactile person – she requires physical touch for her mental and emotional well-being."

"I'm aware – I found out when I took her to the palace the first time."

"Ah. Sonea did tell me that there was a chance that you might already know."

"Wait – does she know that we are having this conversation?"

"She does. She wanted you to know this. I offered to raise this matter with you, and she agreed."

"I see. For the record, I wouldn't approve if you went and shared information about her with me behind her back."

"I wouldn't do that, I promise."

"Good. I am not entitled to know all of her secrets."

"Hm."

"This situation is so dreadful", Akkarin whispered, leaning back in his chair and reaching for his wine. "I know what it is that she needs, but I can't give it to her. Even though I would love to. I hate this."

Lorlen bit his lip. "You know, I don't think there's anything too wrong with giving her a hug if she needs one. I know that this would, technically, be improper, but as long as both of you are fine with it, I don't see any issues. And, seeing as how isolated the residence is, no-one would ever know. And you might also benefit from this."

Akkarin looked surprised for a moment before glancing away. "Sonea actually offered me a hug a while back", he admitted. "Took me completely by surprise."

"And?"

"I accepted the offer", he muttered.

"Good."

Akkarin exhaled through his nose. "You should be reprimanding me for this, not encouraging it."

"I'm a Healer", Lorlen replied with a shrug. "As long as it helps either or both of you, and you're both comfortable with it, I won't say anything."

"I see."

"Did you like the hug Sonea offered?"

"It was nice."

"Nice. Sure."

Akkarin let out a huff. "You already know far too much. I'd rather not give you any more information."

"I'm hurt, Akkarin. I thought I was your friend."

"Yes, my annoying, meddling friend!", the High Lord replied, a look of fond exasperation on his face. "That being said, I owe you my thanks – I wasn't expecting you to go to such lengths to make that ointment for me. Thank you, truly."

"You're welcome", Lorlen replied with a smile. "I'll make another one for Takan as soon as I'm able."

"Don't get yourself in trouble on our account, we can share the jar we have", Akkarin replied, waving his hand dismissively. "If you do this twice in a row, someone might notice. And Vinara currently has it in for misbehaving Healers."

"That is an excellent point. In that case, I might wait with making a second batch. But I intend to make one before you run out of the first one."

"Thank you. Takan is grateful to you, as well. Oh, and he believes that Sonea is the best thing that ever happened to me."

"I feel tempted to agree. Without her, you would have continued to internalise all of your trauma, your pain. Thanks to her, you have begun healing. Akkarin, please don't do the stupid thing, don't pass up this chance. She's good for you. Don't let her walk away."

"I – I am mostly convinced that it would be best if I did confess my feelings", Akkarin admitted. "I've come to realise how much I enjoy having her around. I dread to think of what this house would be like, without her. I – I will try. If I keep silent, she'd just leave, anyway."

"Good, I approve of this", Lorlen replied with a smile. "I'm proud of you, Akkarin."

"Why?"

"Because of the tremendous amount of progress you've made. You didn't even attempt to convince me that you were unworthy of her this time around. You should be proud of yourself, too."

"Oh, ah, I – I'll try?"

"That's good enough, for now. Just take small steps, little by little. There's no need to try running before you know how to walk."

"You're weird, Lorlen", Akkarin said with an amused huff.

"Admit it, it's the reason you like me", Lorlen quipped.

"I suppose. I seem to like collecting 'odd' people."

"Indeed you do. And, for what it's worth, I am proud to be part of this 'odd collection'."

Akkarin raised his glass. "Here's to being weird, and being fine with it."

Lorlen raised his glass to toast his friend, a smile on his face.

---

Several novices practising – and a few of the magicians overseeing the training – stopped to gawk as Akkarin and Sonea strode into the Arena. Akkarin quickly claimed them some space simply by picking a spot he seemed to like, and expecting the people already there to bugger off, which they did with very little prompting. Then, he turned to face her.

"Well, then, Sonea, I'll be in your capable hands."

"I'll do my best to live up to your expectations. First things first – the most important thing in a fight is your stance. It has to be solid, but flexible. Never let an enemy break your root." Sonea shifted into a fighting stance. "Keep your knees bent slightly, and your weight on your toes rather than your heels."

Akkarin copied her, and started lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Very good. Don't allow your enemy to topple you – a fall in itself is always dangerous, but if you're knocked prone, you'll be at a severe disadvantage, which most enemies will exploit straight away."

"Makes sense. What do I do if I do fall?"

"First off, you make sure you fall safely, if at all possible. And then, you try to get up as quickly as possible – or try to take out your enemy's legs from under him. I don't know how to fight on the ground, though, so all the advice I can give you on that front is 'stab him'."

"Hm."

"There are certain techniques you can use to get back up quickly, but those require quite a bit of training. I fear I lack the muscles needed for that at the moment, I'll have to build those back up first. For now, let's practise falling, and basic knife fighting stuff."

"Very well."

"When you fall, the most important thing is to protect your head. You can keep on fighting with a broken arm, even a leg, but if you crack your skull, you're dead. Ordinarily. If you're lucky, you might be able to Heal yourself in time. When you fall sidewards or forwards, you can use your arms to cushion your head, although you'd have to be mindful of your knife. Like this."

Sonea let herself fall to the left – which caused a few exclamations somewhere behind her. She used her arm to cushion her head, keeping the muscles tensed. When she rose to her feet again, Akkarin was watching her with mild alarm.

"I wasn't expecting this", he admitted.

"Ah, sorry. I should have probably given you a warning. Falling forward safely while you're holding a knife is tricky, as you might wind up breaking your fingers. Therefore, I would advise twisting yourself around so that you end up falling sideways instead, preferably on the side where your knife isn't at. Now, wanna give it a try?"

"Could you – show me, first?"

"Oh, sure", Sonea replied, holding out her hand.

She sent Akkarin a brief explanation, and he nodded once.

"I got it. I think."

"It takes practise, don't be disheartened if you don't get it right away."

Akkarin gave it a try. His first couple of attempts were rather clumsy, but he refused to give up with a tenacity that Sonea found quite endearing. Once he had one side down, she had him practise the other.

"I assume there is a way to fall backwards, too?", he asked as they took a short break.

"There is. Since you can't use your arms to break your fall or cushion your head, what you do is curl your spine, and tuck your head to your chin. The former will prevent you from hitting the ground like a plank of wood, and the latter will protect your head. If you're really good, you could use a fall like that to somersault backwards, and get back on your feet. And this is what the falling part looks like."

Sonea took a step backwards while lowering herself to the ground before letting herself fall. She made sure to curl her spine, and tuck her head in. After she had hit the ground, she rocked back a little before using that momentum to roll herself forward again, rising into a crouch.

"That looks easy enough", Akkarin observed.

"Go on, then."

And indeed, Akkarin nailed this one on his first try, although he had notably more difficulty getting back on his feet than Sonea. She had him practice a couple of times before deeming it safe enough to move on to the actual fighting part. She drew her knife and turned to face Akkarin.

"Before we get started with that, there is something that I need to teach you", Akkarin said has he drew his own knife, which he'd carried concealed somewhere underneath his robes – Sonea assumed that there must be a slit in the robes somewhere, something she intended to do with her magician's robes later on.

"All right, what is it?"

"How to blunt a blade with magic. This will significantly lessen the risk of injury."

He held out his left hand, and Sonea took it.

— What you want to do is basically create a barrier around the blade. The tricky part is keeping it in place when you move your weapon around. Normally, shields are supposed to be stationary, or move with you. This one has to move independently from you, but stay attached to an object.

— I see.

Sonea watched as a shield flared into existence around Akkarin's knife, covering the blade from the tip all the way to the hilt. When he made a slashing motion, the barrier remained attached to the knife.

— Now you try.

Creating the barrier was easy enough, but as soon as Sonea moved the knife, the barrier remained stationary. Frowning, she tried again, and this time, the barrier moved at a delay. Akkarin watched her in silence for a bit, and Sonea figured that he wanted to give her the opportunity to figure this out by herself.

— Do you need help?, he asked after a while.

— Yes, please, Sonea replied, letting out a defeated sigh.

He sent her something that was hard to put into words, but Sonea grasped it instantly. When she tried again, the delay was shortened.

— That's it, keep trying. You're almost there.

Bolstered by his encouragement, Sonea tried again – and this time, the barrier remained attached to the knife.

Sonea cautiously extracted her left hand from Akkarin's hold, and proceeded to perform a few slashes, moving away from him in the process. Once again, the barrier stayed where it was supposed to. Letting out a whoop, Sonea spun around to face Akkarin, who had been watching her.

"I did it! Thank you so much."

He let out a chuckle. "It was mostly you."

"Heh, no, I would have never figured it out on my own. Now, then. Let me show you the basics. There are two ways to hold a knife. Hold it like a sword if you want to slash. Hold it like this if you want to stab." She twirled the knife in her grip so that the point now faced the ground. "You can, of course, do both, no matter how you hold the knife, but holding it the right way will make things more effective."

Akkarin tried to twirl his own knife, and promptly dropped it on his foot. He grimaced, and bent to pick it up again.

"We'll leave that for later", Sonea assured him. "We'll go over the basic motions first."

Sonea demonstrated all the different ways of slashing first – horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Akkarin moved to stand next to her, and they went through the motions together. Akkarin appeared to already know some of this, and Sonea soon picked up the pace.

"All right!", she called after a while. "Now, I want you to attack me, so I can show you how to block attacks. You obviously want to keep the enemy's knife away from your body – you can use your arms to block enemy swings – that is, you want to block his arm with yours, not the knife – you can also try to grab the enemy's arm, or you can try to dodge out of the way."

They took up positions opposite one another, and Akkarin aimed an upwards diagonal slash at her. Her left hand came down on his arm, stopping his movement, while she moved in to aim a horizontal slash at his stomach.

"How you block of course depends on what your opponent is doing. You also have the advantage that, being tall, you have a long reach. People like myself, who are shorter and weaker than most of our opponents, have developed strategies to make up for that. I can teach you those, as well."

"Similar to how weaker magicians learn special strategies to take down more powerful ones", he observed.

"Exactly. Now then, try a few different kinds of slashes, and take note of my reactions."

They did just that, at a slow pace, and Akkarin turned out to be pretty good at it. Sonea figured that he probably already had some muscle memory to fall back on, that this wasn't completely new to him. And he was certainly confident.

"You're pretty good at this! Do you want to try blocking attacks for a change?"

"Sure."

They switched roles. Sonea deliberately kept her movements slow, since she figured that Akkarin was more used to attacking than defending.

He did fairly well for himself, despite that.

"Do you want to speed things up?", Sonea asked.

"Certainly", he replied, relishing the challenge.

"Very well. Oh, those shields, they just blunt the blades, they don't cushion them, right?"

"Indeed. Blunt trauma is still very much a thing."

"In that case, I'll avoid going for your throat, at least at full speed."

"That is very considerate of you", he replied dryly.

"I know, right?", she quipped with a cheeky grin.

He let out a huff, and lunged at her. Still grinning, Sonea ducked under his arm and retaliated.

They kept dancing around the Arena for a bit, until Akkarin, in an attempt to evade a horizontal slash, put his heel down and stepped onto the hem of his robes.

"Head, head!", Sonea shouted, a tinge of panic in her voice as he started pitching backwards, knowing fully well that she wouldn't be able to prevent him from falling even if she made it to his side in time.

Akkarin had heard her, and managed to tuck his chin in before tumbling to the ground, although his back hit the ground squarely.

"Are you all right?", Sonea asked as she hurried to his side.

"A bit – winded, but my head – is fine. Thanks."

Sonea gave him a moment to get his breathing back under control before switching her knife to her left hand, and offering him her right hand to help him up.

"I'm not used to fighting like this", he murmured. "The robes certainly get in the way."

"Yup, and this is a problem. There is a way to turn a wide skirt into trousers for fighting, but I don't know if yours is wide enough for that – and mine is too short for me to demonstrate", Sonea griped. As much as she loved the robes on almost every other occasion, they certainly could be impractical at certain times. "Hm… let me think. Oh! You could stick part of your robes into your sash. That way, you are less likely to step on them. You'd have to make sure the knot is tight enough, though."

Akkarin considered this with a slight frown on his face, and Sonea suddenly came to the alarming realisation that she had never considered – for obvious reasons – what magicians were wearing underneath their robes – if they were wearing anything underneath at all. Given how short novices' robes were, they wore leggings or tights, made either from cotton or wool – depending on the season – for modesty's sake. However, magicians obviously didn't have to do that.

Now, Sonea was no stranger to seeing men in various states of undress – workers at the docks, for example, would strip as many layers as they could during the hot summer months – but she had a feeling that it might cause a bit of a stir if the Guild's leader started disrobing in public.

She was rather unprepared for Akkarin to follow her advice – and immensely relieved to find that he was wearing trousers underneath his robes.

Once he was satisfied with his improved look, they continued. Akkarin seemed more confident now that he no longer had to worry about tripping over his own clothing, and Sonea figured that he probably really disliked having to fight wearing robes. She grimaced. Unfortunately, the law gave them absolutely no leeway there.

Sonea once again increased the pace, feeling a strange feeling of exhilaration stealing over her. This, she decided, was fun.

Akkarin aimed a diagonal slash at her, starting bottom-right, and Sonea danced out of the way. He had overextended himself, and she managed to grab his arm around the elbow, her own knife stopping inches from his throat.

At this point, both of them were breathing hard, and Sonea found herself staring up into Akkarin's eyes. There was an intensity to them she had never noticed before, and she couldn't tear her own eyes away.

She was also, suddenly, acutely aware of his scent – she had noticed it before, of course, but it had been more of a side-dish, an accompaniment. Now, it flooded her senses, and she found that she had a hard time thinking straight.

Must be all that adrenaline, she reasoned.

She was certainly tense and high-strung, and they were still looking at each other. How long had they been standing like this?

Sonea suddenly remembered that they didn't have the Arena to themselves, that people might be watching them.

Akkarin blinked.

"I yield", he said softly.

Sonea opened her mouth to say something in reply – although she had no idea what – and found that she was parched. She managed a cough, and nodded while calling on some Healing magic to ease some of the discomfort.

"Are you all right?", Akkarin asked, a tinge of worry in his voice.

"Ah – just thirsty", she managed. "I'll be better in a minute."

He nodded. Sonea drew her knife back, and stepped away – and realised that they had attracted a small crowd of watchers, mostly novices. As soon as they saw that the sparring was over, some of them let out whoops and cheers.

Sonea felt herself flush.

"Didn't know you could fight like that, Sonea!", one of the boys called.

"Oh, ah, a friend taught me", she replied a little sheepishly.

She dispelled the barrier around her knife and sheathed it before turning to face them.

"But the High Lord's performance was quite good, too", another one added, casting a slightly star-struck look in Akkarin's direction.

"What can I say? I am naturally gifted", Akkarin replied smoothly.

Sonea wanted to whack him.

The smirk he shot her way let her know that he'd heard her thoughts.

"This falling thing", another novice piped up. "Could you show me how to do that, Sonea?"

Sonea blinked, totally taken aback by the request. "I don't mind, but right now, I feel a bit exhausted, I must admit. I haven't done anything like this in years, and am terribly out of shape."

"If this is what you're like when you're 'out of shape', I wouldn't want to find myself on the business end of your knife once you're back in shape", another one said with a low whistle.

"What do you mean? You've got a sword. I'd be short an arm long before I got within stabbing range."

This caused a round of laughter. Sonea smiled, a little uncertain.

She had not expected a reaction like this from the boys. This was almost similar to hanging out with Harrin's gang in the slums. Not that she thought that it would be a good idea to mention this.

"Wait, didn't you have a knife just now? Where'd that go?"

"That will be my little secret", Sonea replied in a teasing manner.

This prompted the boys to lament that she was cruel and heartless, however, none of them tried to get her to change her mind, which she appreciated.

"But why are you hiding it?", a younger boy, probably a first-year, piped up.

"Element of surprise", Sonea replied.

"Wait, weren't you supposed to be bad at Warrior Skills?", one of the older boys asked.

"I'm bad at the practical aspects, but I do grasp the theoretical ones well enough. I think I have a pretty decent understanding of strategy."

Akkarin let out a huff.

"All right, I'll amend that statement: I have a decent understanding of strategy."

"Better."

Akkarin then seemed to realise that he still had his robes tucked into his sash, and fixed that.

"Will you be doing this more often in the future, High Lord?", one of the novices asked.

"We might", Akkarin replied. "But we don't have any concrete plans for that as of yet."

Sonea nodded her agreement.

"I see. Uh, um, thanks for indulging us."

He nodded in a rather magnanimous way before turning to Sonea.

"Shall we depart?"

"Yes, good idea. I desperately need something to drink."

And a bath.

The novices bowed to Akkarin, and he and Sonea turned to leave.

They had not made it very far before the whispers started.

"Did you see his legs?!"

"Boy, I wish I had muscles like this…"

"How does he stay in shape? He never comes to the Arena!"

"Perhaps he does laps around the residence when no-one's looking."

Sonea was quite surprised, for several reasons – she would have expected the novices to gossip about her, not about Akkarin, and certainly not this. She suppressed a snort, and turned to see how Akkarin was taking this. His gaze was fixed ahead, and he looked completely and utterly flabbergasted, a faint blush on his cheeks.

Sonea quickly averted her gaze before he could become aware of it. She, herself, hadn't been paying attention to his legs earlier as she had been rather preoccupied with his arms.

When they reached the portal and started ascending the stairs, he let out a gusty sigh.

"Are you all right?", Sonea asked cautiously.

"Yes, I just – that was unexpected."

"For sure. I thought they were going to gossip about me."

"I suppose I should feel flattered that they envy me."

"I would advise you to enjoy that, if at all possible. Gossip is usually a lot nastier than this, believe me."

"Heh, I guess that, next to you, I really shouldn't whine."

"It's fine. Just because this is 'nice' gossip doesn't mean that it can't make you uncomfortable."

"On that note – might I ask something of you?"

"Oh, sure. What is it?"

"Please never tell Lorlen about what we just overheard. He would mercilessly tease me until I died of acute embarrassment."

Sonea let out a laugh before she could stop herself, and immediately clamped her hands over her mouth. "Sorry, I didn't mean to – I just – the mental image of Lorlen doing just that – I could totally see that happening. I won't tell him – or anyone else, for that matter. I promise."

"Thank you, Sonea."

They reached the top of the stairs, and stepped out into the open.

"As exhausted as I am right now, this was fun", Sonea said, giving him a lopsided smile. "I haven't felt this alive in a long time."

"I'm glad to hear that you didn't feel like having to teach me was a total chore", he replied with a chuckle.

"Not at all. You are good at this, although that boast earlier was entirely unnecessary."

He gave her a cheeky grin, looking far too unrepentant for her liking. "I'll see you in a bit?"

"I'll try not to keep you guys waiting too long", Sonea promised.

"Take your time. Takan will survive it if you're slightly late for the evening meal once."

"Thanks. Although I am quite hungry."

She bowed to him – just in case anyone was watching. Akkarin inclined his head in return, and Sonea took off toward the baths, desperate for a thorough soak in the warm waters.

---

"Regin, have you heard the news about Sonea?", Issle asked as they made their way across the Entrance Hall.

"What news? I see her in classes every day. I'm not aware that anything happened."

"Oh, I could hardly believe it. I heard this directly from some of the novices who practise sword-fighting. Apparently, Sonea and the High Lord have been practising with knives in the Arena! Can you believe it?"

Regin frowned. "I'm not sure why this is such an outrage. They've been sparring with magic before, now they're using knives. And I don't see how this is any different from using swords, really."

"Swords are noble, and knives are not."

Regin tried, and failed, to make sense of that statement. "I'll remind you that her training partner is the High Lord."

"Exactly! That's the problem! She must have corrupted him somehow!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Issle, please. I really don't understand why you're so worked up over this. So what if they spar with knives? I'm really not interested, just drop it, please."

Issle let out a huff. They stepped out of the university portal and made their way toward the Novices' Quarters.

"Speak of the Dwell", the Elyne girl muttered, "there she is."

Regin followed her outstretched hand, and spotted Sonea, who was "chasing" a girl across the lawn in front of the Arena. A lady wearing a high-collared dress made from emerald silk was watching them.

"Regin, do you know who she is?", Issle asked with a frown.

"No, although she seems familiar, somehow."

Issle imperiously flagged down a passing servant. The woman bowed to them.

"May I help you, my lady, my lord?"

"That lady, over there, do you know who she is?"

"That is Chessea of Velan, one of the High Lord's sisters. The eldest one."

"I see. Thank you."

Issle dismissed the servant with a wave of her hand.

"Why is a lady of her station consorting with someone like her?"

"Sonea is her brother's favourite", Regin pointed out. "That might be the reason."

"We must warn her."

"I – what?"

"About Sonea! Now, I don't think Lady Chessea is in any danger of being corrupted herself, but just think of her daughter! She's letting that poor little girl play with a killer, and a thief."

"Issle, I don't think that's a good idea – "

However, Issle wasn't listening, and started striding toward Chessea at a brisk pace. Suppressing an oath, Regin followed.

"Pardon us, Lady Chessea", Issle said before Regin could come up with a good plan to stop her.

The tall lady turned to face them, and Regin noted with no small amount of alarm that her eyes were black, just like Akkarin's.

"And who might you be? I do not believe we are acquainted."

"That is indeed correct. I am Issle of Fonden, and this is Regin of Winar."

Issle dipped into an elegant bow. However, before Regin could follow suit, Chessea's eyes snapped to his, and the look on her face made him freeze in place.

She knows!

"I apologise for intruding like this, Lady Velan", he managed. "I told Issle not to bother you."

Remembering his manners, he sketched a quick bow. Chessea regarded him in silence for a while before turning back to Issle.

"Well, then, Lady Fonden, how can I help you?"

Issle's smile faltered for a moment, but she remained undaunted.

"I do apologise for the intrusion, as well, but I felt that it was my duty – Lady Velan, do you know just who it is that your daughter is frolicking around with?"

"I am not certain I understand the question. Do you mean to imply that I might not know the Guild's Incal when I see it? Or suggest that I am unaware of the fact that the High Lord's favourite is the only novice who may display said Incal? Or do you mean to suggest that it had escaped my notice that my brother finally chose a novice, after not having shown an interest in any of the sons – or daughters – of the Houses?"

The second-hand embarrassment Regin was feeling was so strong, he wanted to expire on the spot. Issle paled slightly.

"No, no, not at all, my lady. I was just wondering if you knew what kind of person Sonea is."

"What kind of person? Let me see… she is kind, caring, witty, not afraid of my brother, intelligent, and indomitable. I am very proud to call someone like that my friend."

"You're friends with her?"

"Ah, I see. So you do belong to those people", Chessea said, her voice turning a few degrees frostier.

Issle blinked. "Those people? Whatever do you mean?"

"My brother told me some things – about how some of the people here at the Guild have been treating Sonea", Chessea said, taking a few measured steps toward them. "And your friend there was mentioned by name – although my brother refused to tell me what House he was from, as he was worried that I might frighten the poor lad to death if I showed up."

Regin had to agree that this wasn't completely outside the realm of possibilities.

"From what I understand, Sonea was mistreated simply because she was born in the slums, which is hardly her fault."

"But she's a thief! And – "

"Stop it, Issle!", Regin warned. "You were there. You know what she said. None of us know what happened, we can't prove anything. If you were to accuse Sonea, you would be the one who would have to offer proof."

"Why would I believe anything you say?", Chessea asked, eyes narrowed. "You just called my friend a thief. I may just as well call you a liar."

"Why would I lie?"

"It is clear that you despise her. That alone would be a strong motivator."

"She admitted to stealing! She stole food and money, ask her!"

"So you say. I fear you have done precious little to make me trust your word. Sonea, on the other hand, is someone I trust – or did you think I would let her play with my daughter otherwise? It matters not to me who Sonea used to be before she joined the Guild. What matters is who she is now. I should also probably let you know that my brother is an excellent judge of character. If he has decided that Sonea is worthy, that is enough for me. I will hear no more on this matter."

Issle looked incensed, but was smart enough not to continue arguing.

Regin had to admit that Chessea's words had touched him in a way. To accept Sonea for who she was now instead of focussing on who she had been – this thought hadn't really occurred to him.

Based on what he himself knew – a second-hand report of what Sonea herself had said, according to his classmates – she had, indeed, stolen as a child, and stabbed a man once. Although that had, apparently, been in self-defence – and Regin would bet anything he owned that this had been what had caused her to be cautious around strangers, men especially.

Unless something even worse had happened to her. Regin didn't really want to imagine that.

The little girl suddenly let out a shriek, and started heading for her mother, Sonea still following her, a grin on her face. The girl's face was reddened from all the running, and she seemed to be having fun.

"Mother!", she called theatrically. "Save me! Sonea will not relent!"

Sonea let out a dark chuckle. "Just you wait, Yaryna, I will catch you yet, and when I do, I will tickle you until you are rolling on the ground, laughing!", she threatened in the darkest voice she could muster.

"No! Anything but the tickles! Spare me!"

Chessea let out a soft sigh, although she didn't seem angry. "Please be merciful, Sonea, I beg you."

"Oh, very well. Just this once", Sonea replied magnanimously, straightening.

Yaryna let out a relieved breath.

"Are you all right?", Sonea asked her. "You seem winded."

"I am a little out of breath", Yaryna admitted.

"I could Heal you", Sonea offered, holding out her hand.

"Please do", Yaryna replied, her eyes lighting up.

She placed her hand in Sonea's, who closed her eyes, her expression turning surprisingly peaceful.

Chessea was watching them with a smile.

"There", Sonea said, opening her eyes and retracting her hand. "Better?"

"Much better. That was amazing!"

"You will be able to do this, too, one day", Sonea replied with a chuckle. "Heal away your own fatigue. A very useful skill, believe me."

"I can't wait", Yaryna replied, bouncing with excitement.

"You'll be joining the Guild?", Regin asked, surprised.

Based on what he knew, Yaryna had to be among Chessea's eldest children – she might even be the eldest daughter. It was highly unusual for noble families to let their eldest daughters join the Guild – they only did that if they couldn't find a suitable marriage partner for them before they turned fifteen.

Yaryna, who seemed to have been unaware of Regin and Issle, turned to face them, her mouth opening in a surprised "o".

"Sonea, are these your friends?", she asked with all the innocence of a child.

Sonea blinked, obviously not having expected that question.

Issle stiffened, while Regin felt a sudden sense of dread.

"No", Sonea replied softly. "They are not my friends."

"Why not?", Yaryna replied with a frown, as though she couldn't comprehend why people wouldn't want to be friends with Sonea. "Wait! Are they some of those bad magicians you mentioned?"

Issle gasped, outraged. Chessea turned to face her, the look on her face unreadable.

Sonea blinked rapidly, apparently having been completely blind-sided by that question.

Regin was certain that this was the end – Sonea would reveal all, and Chessea would smite him. He was sure of that.

"Some people are not meant to be friends", Sonea said, much to his surprise.

"What do you mean?", Yaryna asked, still frowning.

"You need to have certain things in common with people in order to become friends with them – a common interest, or a character trait. If you don't have anything like that, can't bond over something you have in common, then you can't become friends. I'm not required to like everyone, and other people are, likewise, not required to like me."

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess. Still. Their loss, I suppose."

Regin thought he must have misheard. Had Sonea actually just said that? He could certainly not refute her logic, but, still. Sonea could have easily painted both himself and Issle as villains, and both Yaryna and Chessea would have believed her.

"Sonea, you – ", Issle began, causing Sonea to look up at her.

"What's the matter, Issle?", she asked calmly, arching a brow. "Do you take issues with what I just said?"

"No, I, that is – "

"Then I don't see why you seem to feel the need to protest. Unless you have something to add?"

Behind Sonea, Chessea smiled, a sharp, vicious smile, and Regin realised that Sonea had just trapped Issle – the only thing she could do at this point was to dig herself into a hole.

Thankfully, Issle seemed to have realised this, as she shut her mouth.

"You really should stop", Regin muttered. "Things won't end well for you otherwise, I fear."

"Shut up."

Sonea was regarding them with mild interest. Yaryna seemed confused.

Without warning, Issle, who had turned to face Regin, paled, and sucked in a sharp breath.

"I need to take my leave now, Lady Velan", she said, sketching a quick bow in Chessea's direction. "Have a nice day."

She all but fled, and Regin turned to see what had spooked her – and felt his blood turn to ice when he saw the High Lord moving toward them, taking long strides.

Part of him wanted to bolt, but if he did that, it would cause the impression that he had done something. If he stayed, he'd seem less suspicious – and, if he was very lucky, either of the three ladies might corroborate his story. Sonea, he knew, wasn't a liar.

And Akkarin could very easily find out the truth.

Yaryna, who hadn't noticed his approach, tugged on Sonea's hand, and proposed that she could make a flower crown for her.

"I've never had anyone make a flower crown for me", Sonea said softly as she allowed the girl to lead her away.

"Why not?", Yaryna asked, sounding as though this were an affront.

"I don't know anyone who knows how to do that."

"Aren't those the same flowers you were wearing for the banquet?", Chessea asked.

"Correct."

"Sit down, please", Yaryna ordered.

Sonea let out a chuckle, but obeyed.

"I trust that you will look just as enchanting in a flower crown", Chessea promised. Then, she turned away, and moved to intercept her brother. "Come with me, Lord Winar."

"Just Regin is fine", he muttered as he fell in step with her. "It feels weird to be called 'Lord Winar'."

"As you will."

Akkarin was eyeing them with a calculating expression. Then, he turned to greet his sister.

"Chessea", he said, reaching for her hands. "You look lovely. Is that dress new?"

"No, I've had it for two years", she replied with a pout. "You really need to visit more often."

Akkarin let out a chuckle before turning to face Regin.

"High Lord", he said, bowing.

"Regin. That girl who just left in a hurry – wasn't that Issle of Fonden? Who started attending university alongside you and Sonea?"

"Yes, High Lord."

"And what would have been the reason for her sudden departure?"

"At a guess, it was your impending arrival, High Lord."

"Then I suppose she must have done something she would rather not have me find out about – novices fleeing at the mere sight of me is rather unusual, after all."

"You would be correct to assume that, High Lord."

"Well, then, will you tell me what this is all about, or do I have to pull the worms from your nose one by one?"

Regin took a fortifying breath. Part of him had feared that this issue would come up for discussion again, despite Chessea's earlier words that the matter was finished.

"We were talking about Sonea as we exited the university building. When Issle spotted her playing with your niece, she grew concerned – and I do believe that her concern was genuine – she decided to 'warn' your sister that she was letting her daughter play with, and I quote, 'a killer and a thief'."

Chessea sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes narrowing. Akkarin's gaze sharpened.

"Is my novice being accused of things again?", he asked in a tone tinged with warning.

"Not – exactly", Regin replied, wringing his hands. "Issle was referring to something that happened before Sonea joined the Guild, things that she told her – and the rest of our class – herself. Mind you, I wasn't there when that particular conversation took place, so I can't tell you what, exactly, had been said. The others told me about it later, though, and, since they all said the same things – with varying degrees of shock and horror – I have a pretty good understanding of what had been discussed. Though, if you truly wanted to know, you'd have to ask Issle, or Sonea."

Akkarin frowned, but motioned for Regin to continue.

"Based on what I know, Sonea admitted to having stolen food and money to keep herself and her family from starving. As for the other thing – " He paused, and wet his lips. Chessea already seemed high-strung, and he was worried she'd explode when she heard about what had happened to Sonea. However, he was also keenly aware that Akkarin would keep on needling him until he came out with it. "From what I've heard, Sonea was assaulted by a man in the streets, dragged into a back alley. She stabbed him, and ran. Sonea herself doesn't seem to know whether he lived, or not."

Chessea's eyes widened, and she clasped her hands over her mouth, likely to stop herself from making a sound. Akkarin's expression remained impassive, though his jaw was clenched.

"Is this true?", Chessea demanded in a whisper, turning to her brother.

"Yes", he replied quietly. "Sonea did use to steal, and she stabbed a man in self-defence. I have seen that particular memory in her mind."

Chessea paled. "He didn't – she wasn't – "

Akkarin reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "No. She got away in time."

Chessea visibly sagged with relief. "So, she did all those things under duress", she concluded.

"Indeed", Akkarin replied. "Sonea is not naturally criminally inclined. And, even when she stole, she never took more than what she needed – if she wound up with an excess amount of food or money, she shared it with others. Her aunt would have been furious if she'd caught her stealing – even in the most dire of circumstances. And, well, when that man attacked her, violence was her only option."

"The poor child", Chessea whispered.

"I don't believe she would like to hear you call her a child", Akkarin chided with a wry smile.

"I know that, you idiot", Chessea huffed, pulling her hand from Akkarin's hold and swatting him on the arm. "I meant back then. That was before she joined the Guild, no? She would have been sixteen, at best."

"She was fourteen."

Chessea gasped. Regin felt sick.

The lady spun around to look for Sonea, who was sitting in the grass, laughing at something Yaryna had said.

"How can she laugh like this?", Chessea whispered, looking stricken. "How can she still be so kind, despite all the horrible things that have happened to her?"

"I've been wondering about that, myself", Regin replied in a low voice.

"Sonea is incredibly resilient", Akkarin explained. "She doesn't let anything hold her back, doesn't let anything stop her, no matter what obstacles are placed in her path. And she also refuses to let the awfulness of the world around her infect her – she would never stoop so low as the people who have hurt her, would never seek vengeance."

Regin tried to believe that, he really did, but part of him couldn't help but worry that, one of these days, Sonea would run out of kindness, and make him pay for every little thing he'd done to her.

"To get back to your discussion with Issle – am I correct in assuming that she purposefully said something she knew to be incorrect?"

"Yes, High Lord", Regin replied. "Calling Sonea a thief would have been accurate. Calling her a killer an exaggeration at best, a wrongful accusation at worst."

"I should speak with Issle, then."

"Should I go fetch her?"

"No. I will deal with her later. But your co-operation is appreciated."

Yaryna had, meanwhile, finished the flower crown, and turned around, presumably to let her mother know. She spotted Akkarin, and her face morphed into a big, toothy grin – she was missing one of those, too.

"Uncle Akkarin!", she exulted. "You're finally here! Look! I made a flower crown for Sonea! Doesn't she look pretty?"

Sonea looked like she wanted to die.

Akkarin smiled, and assured his niece that his novice did, indeed, look very pretty.

Yaryna visibly swelled with pride.

"Uncle, sit down, and I'll make one for you, too."

It was now Akkarin's turn to look like he wanted to die. Sonea somehow managed to keep a straight face. Chessea gave her brother a nudge.

"Go on, be a good uncle. If you refuse her, she'll complain about it the entire ride back, and I am not willing to put up with that."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't", Chessea replied cheerfully.

Yaryna had already started picking more flowers as Akkarin lowered himself into the grass next to Sonea, who gave him an encouraging smile.

"I fear I will look utterly ridiculous", Akkarin said while Yaryna was distracted.

"At least you're wearing black", Sonea replied. "Just imagine how awful it would be if you wore purple. I'm sure it would clash horribly with the orange."

"I suppose."

Regin wasn't sure he'd heard and seen right – were the High Lord and his favourite really sitting in a meadow, discussing colours? It seemed rather surreal.

"You surprised me, earlier."

Regin jumped, and turned to face Chessea, who was eyeing him critically.

"What do you mean, my lady?"

"The things you said, about Sonea. You didn't have to. You could have pretended not to know anything, could have suggested that my brother speak with that Issle straight away."

"I suppose I could have tried, but I'm not sure if I could have fooled him. And I'd rather not have him – or Sonea – as an enemy. And besides – Issle calling Sonea a killer while knowing that this was factually incorrect wasn't something I could just let stand. Additionally, if you had taken her words as an accusation, Issle would have had to subject herself to a truth-read. And then we'd have to get one of the Higher Magicians involved."

"Could my brother not simply have taken care of that?"

"I'm – not sure", Regin admitted. "I don't know how that works. But some people might object if he did it if it was his novice being accused of something. It'd be probably better if someone else did it."

"I see. That does make sense."

"And even I have lines that I don't cross", Regin muttered. "This was one of them."

"Charming", Chessea replied dryly. "Though I still fail to understand why some of you magicians were just so determined to abuse Sonea. I've certainly met nobles worse than her. And don't even get me started on the previous king."

Regin gulped. "What have you heard?", he asked cautiously.

"Nothing, except that Sonea saw it fit to challenge you to a duel – and that the fact that she then proceeded to wipe the floor with you delighted my brother to no end. However – I have seen the damage you caused."

"Damage?", Regin asked, confused.

"Sonea has practically no self-esteem, does not consider herself worthy of basic kindness, or praise. And you are to blame for that. You, and fools like yourself. I do not know how long it will take us to build her back up to what could be considered 'healthy'."

Regin averted his gaze, feeling a surge of shame. No-one had ever confronted him about Sonea like that. He hadn't realised that her self-esteem had suffered – had not known that she hadn't always been like this.

"My daughter was right, earlier – it is your loss. Sonea is a wonderful young woman, someone I am proud to call my friend. You may well never find out what that is like."

Regin was saved from having to say anything in reply by Yaryna loudly announcing that she was done. Regin and Chessea turned to see that she had crowned her uncle with a wreath of flowers. While Chessea smiled at her daughter, and praised her work, Akkarin sent Regin a warning glare.

"I haven't seen anything, and I won't breathe a word of the things I haven't seen to anyone", Regin promised. "High Lord."

"See to it that you don't", the Guild's leader intoned.

"You two match, now!", Yaryna exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Thank you for the wonderful gift, dear niece", Akkarin replied with a slight incline of his head, careful not to lose his crown. Then, he fixed his eyes on his sister. "Will you be joining us for the evening meal?"

"No. I fear that Yaryna has rather atrocious table manners, I will not subject you to that."

Sonea let out a chuckle. "She can't be worse than I was when I came here. Then again, I wouldn't want to subject anyone to that."

"What do you mean?", Chessea asked, confused.

"We don't have what counts as 'proper' table manners around here in the slums – we don't even use forks, let alone five of them!"

"You don't use forks?", Regin asked in disbelief. "How on earth do you eat, then?"

"We only use our knives", Sonea replied with a shrug. "Why waste money on buying a fork, when you could buy food instead?"

"That makes sense. Mother, perhaps Sonea could teach me how to eat using only a knife?"

"Absolutely not."

Yaryna pouted. Behind her back, Sonea sent Chessea an apologetic grimace.

"In that case", the High Lord interjected smoothly, "I have to take my leave now. Sonea, feel free to spend some more time with Chessea and Yaryna, but don't be late for the meal."

"Right. Should I keep your crown? We could use them as decoration."

"Good idea." He took off his crown, and placed it atop Sonea's head. "There. Now you are twice as pretty as before."

Yaryna let out a snort, which saved Regin from having to react to this himself.

Sonea blinked before narrowing her eyes at Akkarin. "Does that mean I wasn't pretty before I got a flower crown?"

Chessea chocked back a laugh as it was now Akkarin's turn to look completely flabbergasted.

"No, no, that's not what I – "

Sonea dissolved into a fit of giggles, and almost fell over. Akkarin stared at her for a heartbeat before letting out an annoyed huff.

"I hate you, too."

"No, you don't", Sonea managed in between giggles.

"You really brought this upon yourself, brother dear", Chessea said, her voice devoid of any sympathy.

Regin was at a complete loss.

The High Lord rose to his feet, brushing leaves and twigs from his robes, and fixed his dark eyes on Regin.

"Do you know where Issle went?"

"The Novices' Quarters, most likely, that's where we were headed."

"How kind of her to trap herself."

Sonea, who had heard their exchange, frowned, and rose to her feet carefully, as not to lose her crowns.

"What was that about Issle? I noticed her leaving very suddenly, but not why."

"Issle said some stupid things, and was worried about the High Lord finding out, I guess, so she fled the moment she spotted him", Regin replied.

"Hm. Cowardice, or a tactical retreat?"

"I'd say the former", he replied with a huff. "Seeing how she abandoned me."

"I see. And I guess these stupid things she said concern me."

"Yes", Regin replied with a wince.

Sonea frowned, but didn't press the issue.

"Earlier, why didn't you tell Yaryna the truth?"

"When she asked why we weren't friends?"

"Yes."

"Was what I was saying untrue?"

"No, but – "

"Yaryna is seven, Regin. She doesn't have to find out just how awful the world is at seven. Besides, it's important to know that you can't expect everyone to want to be your friend – or expect them to like someone just because you like them. Yaryna likes me, and assumes that everybody else should like me as a result. But that's not how this works."

"I see. That – makes sense, in a way. Still. Thank you – for not throwing us under the carriage."

"You're welcome", she replied with a huff.

Akkarin cleared his throat, and Regin jumped, having almost forgotten that he was there. He had watched their interaction in silence so far, after all.

"Regin, I can give you a head start if you would like to return to your room. Alternately, you could also wait a bit longer, if you don't want to get caught up in this."

Regin blinked, surprised, before managing a smile. "Thank you, High Lord. However, I fear that Issle would figure out that I am to blame for this in no time. I think it'd be better if she blew up in my face while she had an audience."

"I would like to point out that Issle only has herself to blame."

"Still. I prefer it this way."

"Very well."

Akkarin turned away to say farewell to his sister and niece. He gave Sonea a parting nod, who gave him a terse smile in return, and strode toward the Novices' Quarters. Regin bowed to Chessea before following.

As Regin fell in step behind the High Lord, it occurred to him, somewhat belatedly, that Sonea hadn't bowed to Akkarin.

Now that he thought about it, this whole interaction had been strange – or perhaps not, as many people tended to act differently around family than they did around strangers. Still, he hadn't known that Akkarin could be like this – hadn't known that Sonea could smile like this.

And he had never thought that people might want to be friends with her, especially not people of Chessea's standing. Regin had no idea how that had happened, but it was evident that Chessea actually valued Sonea's company.

Regin let out a soft sigh, and decided that he would think more on this later – he had more pressing matters to worry about.

Akkarin strode into the Novices' Quarters as though he owned the place. A small group of novices, who had been chatting in the hallway, fell silent instantly, and hurried to bow.

Akkarin ignored them, and rapped on the door of Lord Ahrind, the Director of the Novices' Quarters. Ahrind answered the door moments later, his expression changing from pinched to surprised when he saw who his visitor was.

"High Lord", he said with a bow.

"Lord Ahrind. If you could fetch Issle of Fonden for me."

"Certainly."

The older man hurried away, and stopped in front of Issle's door. Regin waited with bated breath as Issle answered the door, and Ahrind told her, very brusquely, that there was someone here to see her. The look on her face when she saw who, exactly, her visitor was, was priceless.

That's what you get for throwing me to the beasts, Regin thought.

Though he couldn't, in all fairness, say that things would have gone better for her, had she stayed, earlier.

Lord Ahrind herded her down the corridor, and Issle did her best to appear undaunted.

Akkarin dismissed Ahrind, who disappeared back into his room. It was kind of funny to see this stern man, who was universally disliked by servants and novices alike, act like this.

"High Lord", Issle said with a bow, her voice trembling slightly.

"Issle of Fonden, do you know why I wish to speak with you?"

"I have an inkling", Issle replied, shooting Regin a glare.

He gave her an even look in return.

I did try to stop you.

"Regin told me you said things about my favourite that could have been taken as a wrongful accusation, despite not having any concrete evidence to offer. We do not condone this kind of behaviour here at the Guild."

"I – I know that, High Lord, but – "

"Then how do you explain that you conveniently forgot the fact that Sonea had been acting in self-defence, and pretended that she had acted out of malice, or some other base emotion? Sonea told you what happened."

"She might have been lying", Issle pointed out.

"In that case, it would have made more sense for her to deny it from the start. But it matters not what you believe – I have seen the memory in question. I know the truth. While you have nothing to back up your words. Only your own warped perception of reality."

Issle paled at hearing that. She looked like she wanted to say something, but then decided not to.

Regin had a feeling he knew what this was about – Elynes had this strange notion that girls needed to be taught by female magicians, that they shouldn't share their minds with men. The Guild respected that, and usually made certain that this was applied to all girls. However, Sonea had been taught Control by Rothen even before she'd joined the university, and, as her guardian, he had probably taught her other things mind-to-mind, too.

And now, Issle was, most likely, horrified that Sonea had shared her mind with the High Lord as well. Not that she could voice a protest on that matter.

And, given the look on Akkarin's face, he seemed to be well aware of what she was thinking.

"You will report to Lord Jullen tonight, and spend a week working at the Magician's Library as punishment. Hopefully, this will teach you not to do this in the future. You are fortunate, truly, that Regin knew the truth. Had you said the same thing to any other magician, one who may have taken you at your word, you might have found yourself in a lot more trouble."

"Yes, High Lord", Issle breathed, looking sufficiently contrite.

Punishments with Lord Jullen, the librarian, weren't fun, and most novices dreaded having to work for him.

"I would advise you never to repeat what you said today. Next time, the consequences will be steeper."

"I won't, High Lord."

Apparently satisfied with the outcome, Akkarin turned on his heel and departed in a swirl of black robes, sending out a mental call to Jullen.

Issle balled her hands into fists, and turned to glare at Regin.

"This is all your fault", she hissed.

"No, Issle. You only have yourself to blame. You shouldn't have said that about Sonea."

"You could have kept quiet about it!"

"You called her a thief in front of the High Lord's sister", Regin pointed out. "Did you honestly think that matter wouldn't come up again? Not to mention that the fact that you basically ran away as soon as he showed up made you look suspicious. He immediately knew something was up, and started questioning me as soon as he had arrived. Did you think I'd be stupid enough to lie to someone who can read minds at a distance?!"

"That's just a rumour."

"According to Sonea, it isn't."

"And you'd believe her?"

"She lives with him. And he's read my surface thoughts during a previous conversation. Attempting to lie to someone like that would be the height of foolishness. And I like to think that I'm not a fool. Enjoy your time with Lord Jullen, and, for the love of all that you hold dear, try to learn from this."

Issle was about to reply when she stiffened as Jullen called her name, telling her to come to the library straight away. Regin tuned out the rest of the conversation, brushed past Issle, and headed for his room.

He wanted nothing more to do with that mess.

---

Rothen stepped into the Administrator's office to find the High Lord seated in a corner, looking very much at home. Surprised, Rothen paused before bowing to the two magicians.

"Rothen, thank you for coming", Lorlen said.

"Did something happen?", Rothen asked.

"Akkarin asked me to send for you, so I'd imagine so", Lorlen replied, fixing his friend with a questioning look.

"I have news", Akkarin said. "However, we had best relocate. Lorlen, I would like you to head to the residence."

"Right now?"

"Yes. We can't have both you and Rothen be seen going there too often, or people will start talking. We'll go there by a different route."

"Very well."

"Feel free to lock the door."

Lorlen gave Akkarin a quizzical look before shrugging. He rose to his feet, gave Rothen a nod, and left the room.

Akkarin waited until his footfalls could no longer be heard before rising from his chair.

"Rothen, would you like a tour of the hidden passages?"

"I thought using them was forbidden?"

Akkarin let out a chuckle. "You may find that I am rather flexible when it comes to certain laws."

He approached the wall, and a section slid aside, revealing a hidden door. Akkarin disappeared into the darkness.

Figuring that this was his only way out of here, Rothen followed. As soon as the door had slid shut behind him, Akkarin willed a globe-light into existence.

"We forbid the use of the passages for two reasons", Akkarin said as he started walking. "The passages are a maze, and partially unstable. If a weak magician – or a novice – got lost or caught in a cave-in, he might die before we could locate him." He paused for a moment before adding, "I caught Sonea in here, once."

Rothen sucked in a startled breath.

"I told her not to use the passages again, and kicked her out. I don't think she's been inside since. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to worry about collapsing tunnels, but she might still get lost."

Rothen hummed in agreement. He hadn't known Sonea had done any of this, and neither did he know how she might have found out how to enter the passages. It was a good thing nothing had happened to her.

"Did you punish her?", he asked tentatively.

"No. I was under the impression that reprimanding her had been enough."

"I see."

Rothen was relieved to hear that. Given how terrified Sonea had been of Akkarin back then, this was probably for the best.

"You won't have to worry about your safety while you are with me, but I wouldn't recommend that you come in here alone."

"I shall keep that in mind, High Lord."

Akkarin led the way through the darkness, never once hesitating when they reached an intersection. Eventually, they reached a set of stairs, and descended underneath the university.

"Did anyone ever tell you", Akkarin said suddenly, "that you can be immensely proud of the things you and Sonea achieved, especially in such a short time?"

"Oh, ah, not really, no. I mean, I'm certainly proud of her. And I've made sure to tell her."

"Hm. While I meant what I said, back at the Arena, I am also aware that I could have never given her the guidance she would have needed in the beginning, the guidance you gave her. Meeting you might have been one of the best things that ever happened to her."

"Oh, you flatter me, High Lord."

"I was being serious. Sonea called you 'the best father she ever had' when my sister asked her about you."

Rothen let out a gasp, and felt tears welling up in his eyes. He had known, of course, that Sonea liked and trusted him, but not that she'd actually come to see him as a father.

"Thank you for telling me this", Rothen whispered, his voice throaty. "This means a lot to me."

"You're welcome", the younger man replied, a little gruffly.

Rothen allowed himself a smile. He'd have never guessed that the stern High Lord got like this when you thanked him.

They reached another intersection, and Akkarin turned left. Not much later, they reached a dead end with a single door. The door opened at their approach, and they stepped into a room that seemed strangely familiar. A moment later, Rothen realised that this was the underground room he had seen in Sonea's memory, the place where Akkarin had performed black magic. The room looked very much like it had, back then.

Akkarin led him upstairs into the guestroom. Takan, Sonea and Lorlen were there, and Rothen noticed with interest that three additional chairs – from a dining room by the looks of them – had been arranged around the armchairs so that they formed a circle.

Akkarin moved toward one of the armchairs, and Sonea took the chair next to it. As Lorlen settled into the other armchair, Sonea patted the chair next to her.

"Takan, do sit down."

"Wh-what? But, my lady – "

"Did you seriously think that I asked you to help me carry three chairs downstairs so that you could remain standing? Sit down."

Takan shot Akkarin a beseeching look. The High Lord arched a brow.

"I suggest you do as she says."

Takan muttered something under his breath, but decided to comply. Suppressing a chuckle, Rothen went over to the free chair between Takan and Lorlen.

"I have news to share", Akkarin said without preamble. "My contact in Sachaka, Zarala – who is now the leader of her people – has contacted me to inform me that the council has approved of my request for aid, and an alliance. They are dispatching an envoy, a woman named Savara. She is preparing for her departure as we speak."

"That's great news!", Sonea exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"Indeed", Lorlen chimed in. "Akkarin, can you tell us more about these people? Or are you still bound by this oath?"

"No, Queen Zarala has released me from it. Her people call themselves 'Traitors', they are an independent society within Sachaka, ruled by women."

Sonea arched her brows at hearing this.

"Like mentioned previously, they don't keep slaves, their magicians take magic from willing sources. I don't know too much about them – my only encounter with Zarala was rather brief – but they are in opposition to King Amakira – whose authority they do not recognise – and they do not wish for the Ichani to take over Kyralia.
"Right now, the plan is to try and form an alliance between them, and the Guild. Trade black magic for Healing magic. Sachakan magicians do not know how to heal with magic, you must know. And, let me tell you that being a black magician who knows how to Heal is much better than the alternative."

He paused, giving them all a moment to digest this.

"So, what you are saying, High Lord, is that they use black magic, but they don't harm people for it? Unlike the rest of Sachaka?", Rothen asked.

"Indeed", Akkarin replied.

"Takan, do you have anything to add to that?", Lorlen asked.

"I've heard of the Traitors, everyone has, but I haven't met one, at least not as far as I know. They are said to have spies everywhere, although I have no idea how they manage to stay hidden, since all Sachakan magicians can read unwilling minds."

"Wait, what?", Lorlen said with a frown. "Is that a learned skill?", he asked Akkarin.

"It is", Akkarin replied with a grimace. "The reason I lied about this was that this is a dangerous ability to possess, with a great potential for abuse. By pretending that this was an innate skill that I possessed, I avoided having to potentially teach another. I'm sorry for lying to you."

Lorlen mulled this over with a frown. "I can see why you would do that", he said at length. "I can think of a few people I wouldn't want to possess that ability. Where did you learn it?"

"In Sachaka." Akkarin took a deep breath, and fixed his eyes on Sonea. "I owe you an apology, as well, for lying to you, too. Due to the oath of secrecy, I wasn't allowed to tell you the truth – if that information had reached the wrong ears, it might have triggered an attack on the Traitors. For, you see, the one who taught me how to read minds, how to make Blood Gems, and how to use black magic, was Zarala. The bargain she offered me was to trade black magic for Healing magic. I pointed out that I couldn't teach her how to Heal in an instant – you can learn black magic in a moment – that it would take time, and diligence. Zarala then invited me to Sanctuary – their hidden settlement – and devised the plan to kill Dakova. Unfortunately, Takan, who was unaware of our bargain, led me toward Kyralia in an attempt to evade Kariko. By the time I realised this, it was already too late to turn back. The Traitors were not happy that I broke my word."

Takan sucked in a startled breath. "I'm so sorry, master! I had no idea."

"It's fine, Takan. I don't blame you – it's only thanks to you to that I survived." He turned back to Sonea, who was still mulling this new bit of information over, by the looks of it. "I am sorry for lying to you, Sonea. I had wanted to tell you the truth, and hated the fact that I had to tell you a lie instead. Please understand that it was not my intention to deceive you."

Sonea bit her lip. "You said, back then, that you were not at liberty to talk about certain things. Is this what you were referring to?"

"Yes."

"I see. I accepted that, back then, and I can accept it now, too – especially if many lives were hanging in the balance. I take it that relations between the Traitors and the rest of Sachaka aren't exactly friendly."

"No, they are not. Both the Ashaki – noblemen – and the Ichani hunt the Traitors, and kill them wherever they find them."

"I see. Then I won't hold this against you."

"Thank you."

Akkarin looked genuinely relieved. Lorlen looked like he was trying very hard not to grin. Rothen wasn't entirely sure why, but he was also very proud of Sonea, for once again displaying great maturity, and kindness.

"So, what's the plan now, then?", Rothen asked.

"Queen Zarala has one of my Blood Gems, and Savara will, likewise, take one with her when she leaves. I will send her instructions on how to get into contact with me that way. I would propose that I and Sonea meet with her first, to test the waters. If that goes well, I would ask for you two to join us so that we can make more concrete plans. Ideally, we would then organise a meeting with the Higher Magicians to discuss the Ichani, and a potential alliance."

"Doesn't sound too bad", Sonea mused.

"I agree", Lorlen added. "Although we'll have to make sure to come up with a good plan to convince the Higher Magicians to go along with this."

"I know", Akkarin replied. "But we can't make any concrete plans until the Queen's envoy arrives. I would ask you all to please not worry about this overly much. I just wanted you to know that the Traitors have agreed to help us – and come clean about my past with Zarala."

"Please don't worry about that any more", Sonea urged him. "I know you're a good person. You don't do things without a reason."

"Thank you, Sonea", Akkarin replied with a smile.

"You may have to tell him several times before he actually believes that", Lorlen pointed out.

"Shut up!", Akkarin snapped, although he didn't seem terribly angry.

Lorlen just gave him a cheeky grin in return.

Sonea let out a chuckle. Rothen allowed himself another smile. It was nice to see that Lorlen was no longer afraid of his best friend.

"If that's all for now, I have to leave now, or I'll be late for my next class", Sonea said.

"That was all. Don't let me keep you", Akkarin replied.

"I could walk you over to the university, if you'd like", Lorlen offered.

"Sure. I'll just go get my things."

Sonea disappeared upstairs. Akkarin fixed Lorlen with a penetrating stare.

"Are you two going to plot nefarious things again?"

"I would like to point out that Sonea did no plotting whatsoever, that was all me", Lorlen replied. "She is entirely blameless. And no, I was just going to use the opportunity to see how she was holding up."

Akkarin looked sceptical, but let the matter rest.

"Sonea mentioned that you are helping her work through her traumata, Administrator", Rothen interjected. "Thank you for that."

"Don't mention it. I am the only Healer who can assist with that", Lorlen replied with a grimace.

"I suppose."

Sonea rejoined them, her trusty box in hand. Lorlen gave Rothen a nod, Akkarin a cheeky grin, and ushered her outside. Sonea waved, then, she was gone.

"Am I going back the way I came?", Rothen asked Akkarin.

"Yes, although I will drop you off in a different location. Is there anywhere you need to go?"

"I have a class to teach soon."

"Then I'll take you directly to your classroom."

"Thank you."

"Takan, leave the chairs. I'll help you move them back upstairs once I return."

"Yes, master."

Takan bowed to them as they made their way back downstairs. Rothen suppressed a chuckle at the hilarity of the situation – a month ago, he wouldn't have willingly gone near Akkarin, and now, he was following him into the secret passages deemed too dangerous for ordinary magicians.

How quickly some things could change.

---

The next Freeday, after midbreak, Sonea left the residence, and headed west, following the road that led to the stables. She'd never been there before – Rothen had shown her the Guild grounds way back when, once she had been strong enough to leave her room, but they hadn't come here.

Dannyl, who had been Rothen's novice some time before her, had been with them. It had been winter, and everything had been covered in a blanket of snow. Sonea suddenly remembered that they had visited the cemetery, and that both Rothen and Dannyl had told her that no-one knew why there were graves there. As magicians grew older, their magic waned, and, once their Control failed upon their deaths, their bodies were consumed by their own magic, leaving nothing behind. Having graves without bodies made no sense, there were better ways to remember the dead than by erecting grave-markers in the forest.

Given what Sonea knew of the Guild's history, she now wondered if black magic was the answer – if people at death's door had allowed someone else to drain the last bit of their magic, once they had decided that they were ready to go.

Maybe she should ask Akkarin.

"Sonea!", a jovial voice shouted. "Fancy seeing you without a book!"

Surprised, Sonea turned, and saw her classmates Narron and Trassia heading in her direction.

She felt a rush of apprehension – she'd never really interacted with them outside of classes, and Regin had once planted Narron's pen in her box to frame her for theft. She had been unable to prove that this had been his doing, however, and furthermore unable to submit to a truth-read to prove her own innocence, as she could hardly ask for Lorlen to be the one to perform it. Letting anyone into her mind would have meant risking them finding out about Akkarin, something that Lorlen had warned her strongly against.

Sonea had stressed that she hadn't taken the pen deliberately, that it might have been with her notes when she put them in her box. However, nobody would believe her – they had known that she had stolen before, and had only been waiting for her to do it again. She was, therefore, punished for a crime she had never committed.

She was still angry with Regin for doing this to her.

However, thanks to Dorrien, his second attempt to frame her – aided by Lord Garrel, his uncle and guardian – had failed due to Dorrien's cunning. He'd made sure someone was positioned to have Sonea's box in his field of vision, and the magician had spotted Regin when he'd put Lord Jullen's inkwell into her box.

This had caused Jullen to offer Sonea to lock her box in his office, which had surprised her, and had given the teachers (and novices) cause to assume, if not outright suspect, that Regin might have set her up before.

However, Sonea had never spoken about any of this with Narron himself, and didn't know if he still assumed that she'd tried to steal from him.

Despite that, she stopped to speak with them, if only not to make herself seem more suspicious.

"I guess this happens", she replied with a wry smile, opting to tell them part of the truth. "I was told that I need a hobby, and the High Lord said that I spend too much time inside."

"He's right, you know", Narron replied. "And if you do stir outside, it's usually in the company of a book, or several. I don't think I've ever seen you do anything for fun."

"Becoming the High Lord's favourite suddenly put a lot of pressure on me – well, more than trying to prove the people who were expecting me to fail wrong, at any rate. I was terrified of not meeting their expectations. I mean, the first thing the High Lord did was completely overhaul my schedule."

"But you've always scored good marks, as far as I know, Sonea", Trassia said with a frown.

"Well, yes, but I didn't know if that was enough. Was terrified that I might fall behind if I slacked off. Well, a couple of weeks ago, the High Lord informed me that the mere thought was, apparently, ludicrous, and that my teachers were very satisfied with my performance. Not that I had been aware of that."

Sonea shrugged.

"You seem to get on with him better as of late", Trassia observed, arching a brow.

"Thankfully", Sonea replied. "Do you have any idea how awful it is, having to live in the same house as someone you don't get along with?"

Trassia hummed in a non-committal way.

"So, you decided to do something with horses as your new hobby?", Narron asked.

"Well, I don't know yet. I've never been around horses before."

"Is that so? Why don't you come with us, then? We were about to go riding."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to get in the way of your, um, you know."

Narron barked out a laugh. "You don't have to worry about being the fifth wheel on the cart. As soon as we get there, my dearest Trassia will completely forget that I exist, and focus all of her attention – and love – on whatever four-legged creature that happens to be nearby. I would be delighted to actually have a human to talk to."

Sonea was rather surprised to hear this, and shot Trassia a disbelieving look. Trassia smiled sheepishly in return.

Still, Sonea hesitated.

"What is it?", Trassia asked softly when she noticed. "Do you not want to spend time with us? We shan't be offended if that is the case."

"No, no, not at all, I have no reason not to want to spend time with you, I just – well, you see – "

"Is this about the pen?", Narron asked.

Sonea winced. "Yes."

The two novices were quiet for a moment, and Sonea tried her hardest not to fidget.

"It was Regin, wasn't it", Trassia said at length. "I heard that he tried to plant an inkwell in your box, and ruined your notes in the process."

"I don't know if it was him, I didn't see him do it", Sonea replied with a grimace. "But he'd messed with my stuff before, back in our old class."

"So you suspected him."

"Yes. But I couldn't prove anything." She turned to give Narron an imploring look. "I didn't steal it. I had no reason to. I got everything I needed, and more, here at the Guild. I stole out of necessity – so that I wouldn't starve – not out of compulsion." She paused and bit her lip before asking, somewhat hesitantly, "Have you ever wondered why I'm so short?"

"I would have assumed it was because your parents were short, as well", Trassia replied with a frown. "Do you mean to say that there is a different reason?"

"I don't know what my mother looked like, but my aunt – her sister – is tall, as is my father. The reason I'm not is because I didn't get enough food growing up – my growth is stunted as a result. Had I got proper nutrition back then, I'd be taller by several centimetres, at least."

Trassia and Narron gave her identical looks of horror. To Sonea's surprise, Trassia started forward, and wrapped her arms around her.

"Wh-what are you doing?", Sonea whispered, completely taken aback.

"I'm hugging you, silly", Trassia muttered, her voice sounding off.

"Yes, I get that, but – "

"Are you uncomfortable with this?"

"No."

"Then be quiet and let me hug you."

Sonea let out a sigh, and wrapped her arms around the other girl. Slowly, she could feel the tension leaving her body.

"I'd give you a hug, too, if I weren't worried that the High Lord might smite me if I did that", Narron said.

"The High Lord only smites people who are nasty to me", Sonea replied. "And he doesn't get to tell me who I can and can't hug."

Narron let out a chuckle.

After a while, Trassia released Sonea, and stepped back.

"I choose to believe you", Narron said, his gaze earnest. "I've seen enough of Regin's behaviour to know that he had it in for you. Although I'm not entirely sure why."

"I wish I knew", Sonea whispered. "He just decided to hate me, the day we met. I'd certainly not given him reason to – I tried to get along with them, show them that I wasn't what they thought I was, but – soon, Regin had turned them all against me. And I gave up."

"They should have given you a chance, at the very least", Trassia huffed.

Sonea just shrugged in a helpless way. Trassia was right, of course, but there was nothing to be done about this in hindsight.

And none of them had approached her after she had defeated Regin, either. The conversation with Issle had been their first one in a long time.

"Well, Regin doesn't appear to be the brightest globe-light around", Narron huffed. "Not only did he think that he could get away with doing the same thing twice without anyone noticing, he was also stupid enough not to lay off once you became the High Lord's favourite. I'm not sure how he thought that was going to end."

"He probably assumed that I'd never work up the courage to stand up for myself."

"And he was wrong", Trassia replied.

"Oh, could we please not talk about Regin? I was trying to do something fun today", Sonea sighed.

"Certainly", Narron replied. "Let us head for the stables, shall we? I'll show you around. Don't hesitate to ask me anything."

Sonea gave Narron a grateful smile, and fell in step next to Trassia. It took her some effort, but it was certainly better than walking next to Narron. Or trailing behind them. Although Sonea reasoned that she might be able to get away with following Narron once Trassia became distracted.

As they stepped into the stables, Sonea decided that this was much better than just awkwardly hanging around the premises, or having to ask the servants for basic instructions. And hanging out with Narron and Trassia might actually turn out to be fun.

---

A/N:

So, this chapter that shouldn't exist has around 30 pages. That would have been a lot of stuff to squeeze into the next one, even if we detract two scenes (the ones with Merin and Chessea, respectively).

I used to practise both Judo and Inosanto Kali at different points, and used some of that knowledge while writing the fighting instructions. I actually went and grabbed my dagger to try out a few things.

Idioms in this chapter:

"to pull the worms out of someone's nose one by one" (jemandem die Würmer einzelnd aus der Nasse ziehen) – having to constantly prompt someone to confess to something

"not being the brightest lightbulb" (nicht die hellste (Glüh-)Birne sein) – a nice way of saying that someone is dumb

"being the fifth wheel on the cart" (das fünfte Rad am Wagen sein) – the German version of being the third wheel

Merin: * rewinds the Eyes and has her play back the thing at half speed *

Lorlen: * suggests that Sonea should treat Akkarin's scars *
Sonea: Sure, I'll just go and rub some lotion onto the skin of the man who finds me attractive. What could possibly go wrong?

Akkarin: What do you need a knife for?
Sonea: Stabbing people. Magicians hate it when you do that.

Lorlen: Listen to Sonea. That'll be good practice for when you'll be married.

Akkarin: * pines *
Lorlen: * sips wine and enjoys himself *

Akkarin: Sonea having me at knife-point is kinda hot.
Sonea: Must be the adrenalin.

Akkarin: They like my muscles. I wonder if Sonea likes my muscles? I should ask her.
Also Akkarin: No, this is a bad idea, don't do that!

Regin: Issle, please don't do the stupid thing.
Issle: Watch me do the stupid thing. For the children!

Draco: My father will hear about this!
Joffrey: My mother will hear about this!
Chessea: Your parents will hear about this. From me.

Narssia: Regin is a stupid twat.