AUTHORS NOTES

Thanks for the follows, favourites and reviews! I'm loving that people keep reading this, I'm really chuffed by it! It's not a hugely popular story by other fandom definitions, I look at some of the numbers of people reading harry potter fics and sometimes become a little disheartened, but I realise that not many will be looking here (although I am often saddened by the number of people who only read the prelude and don't continue).

Oh, I found a PERFECT image that could suit for Shard.

Look up pin # 796503884076002251 on pinterest. It's fantastic. I wish that I could make it the story image. It's the cover of a book called 'revelations' by the author Sophia Sharp

Archer1eye: Haha! I usually work later afternoons but I started much earlier than usual yesterday :) I'm glad you read fully consciously, it was a very important chapter. Yes, Carn has only one legal religion and most other countries worship various pantheons. What makes you think Tenebrae doesn't already know how unique sharein is? ;) The power trip? We will possibly see more of that as other situations come up.

Oh, the idea! I was wondering whether you might have become re-convinced by that chapter that Sharein might be a deity in her own right (because of how she could 'look into' the people), but that was just a 'lent' power borrowed from Tenebrae. I think that they might just start to fear black haired girls… although perhaps they might just start dying their own hair black to get closer to the Mother of Darkness (even though it's a ridiculously silly idea for anybody who wants to remain hidden).

Slyksylva: I really wish that I could draw scenes from Castlemere, i'll just have to work on describing things better :)

Chapter 68

23rd Day of Middle Spring 768 n.c

Shard woke me up gently with a kiss and informed me that Malkarov was knocking. I was well and truly worn out and hadn't noticed any noise from the door.

"It's time for breakfast apparently," Shard whispered, giving me a kiss on the tip of my nose. If there was some sort of magic that she used to keep her breath fresh in the morning and her hair perfectly styled it was a magic I desperately desired to know. I realised of course, that it was likely just a fundamental part of who she was, but it was nice to dream.

I got up and used the chamber pot and washbasin before I got dressed. I buckled my sword on before we headed outside. Malkarov was standing in the hallway looking very bleary eyed. He had forgotten to brush his hair and it sticked out everywhere. Shard and I both giggled at his appearance.

"You didn't get much sleep?" I asked.

He groaned, "not much, no. Master Yensa kept me up until almost daybreak. I think, after I've filled up with breakfast I shall have to head down to the bath-house before my meeting with the Chief War-Wizard. Did you two have a quiet night? Stayed out of trouble?"

Before Shard could say anything, I reassured him, "yes, a quiet night. Do we come with you to your meeting or will we stay here?"

He hummed before he made a decision, "you may as well both come, it will be good for you to see a little of how the military operate when it comes to wizards and it's never too early to be introduced to people who might be able to help you with things later on. Besides, we will be meeting him in the Castle, so you will probably like to at least see inside there."

Breakfast was set out and actually winding down when we got there, I must have slept in quite late. Fried bread, eggs cooked in three different ways, sausages, ham and bacon were laid out on warm stone trays. Pots containing hot creamy oats and cold toasted oats were also present and the servants were again going around with jugs of watered wine, water, juiced fruit and milk. Shard and I took little bits of everything between us and Malkarov just loaded a plate up with eggs, fried toast and bacon. Amusingly he declined the water, juiced fruit and milk in favour of watered wine.

"I'd prefer ale," he said with a grimace, "but this will do in a pinch."

"It's still morning!" I exclaimed in shock.

He smiled at me, "sometimes, when you've had too much to drink and you feel poorly the next morning, the best thing to do is keep drinking."

He jerked forward suddenly and I realised that his brutish friend Yardley had snuck up behind him and slapped him on the back.

"Feeling a bit poorly, you say?" He boomed with a laugh, "don't tell me that old Master Yensa bested you?"

Malkarov gave him a dirty look and took a big gulp of wine, "bested well and truly. I didn't get to bed until almost daybreak."

Yardley laughed loudly and Malkarov visibly winced, "and you claim to be the smarter of us two! That I've not been silly enough to challenge him proves otherwise I think!"

Malkarov gave him a rude gesture in return and started shovelling food into his mouth.

"I'll leave you to your misery then," Yardley said to him before looking at us, "now don't you ladies be helping him with anything, he'll never learn if you baby him!"

The large wizard left the room laughing and completely ignorant of the rude gestures Malkarov continued to make at his retreating back.

Malkarov finished his breakfast very quickly, possibly too quickly to be healthy but he wasn't my little sister to admonish. I'd just have to let Alladrial know when we got back to Easthaven.

"Are you both going to come down to the bath house or shall I collect you from your room when it's time to go?" Malkarov asked.

I looked at Shard who brightened considerably when he mentioned the former so I quietly asked, "bath house?"

She nodded enthusiastically so I confirmed to Malkarov louder, "bath house it is."

As Malkarov left we noticed Taura and Venn come in. Taura gave us a little wave as they headed to get something to eat. Shard and I continued to talk about what we had seen around the guildhall until Taura and Venn approached our table with their plates and bowls.

"Do you mind if we sit with you?" Taura asked.

"Not at all," I said as I gestured to the empty seats.

"How are you liking the guildhall so far?" Taura asked as Venn started eating.

"I love it," I told her and Shard added, "especially the Library, oh! And the bath house! And the food!"

"Do you know how long you will be staying?" Venn asked tentatively.

"Not long," I told her with what I hoped was a reassuring smile, "We will probably leave the day after the 'morrow."

"We're going to head down to the bath house after breakfast," Shard mentioned to Taura eagerly.

Taura smiled and shared a glance with Venn, "we might come down and join you once we are finished then, if you'd like the company?"

"Oh yes, of course," Shard said, "it's very pleasant to relax and talk, although not quite as pleasant as some of the other things we do in a bath."

Taura laughed loudly and I watched Venn immediately turn red and absently wondered whether the red all over my face was a deeper shade. I think that we both realised that we were staring at the other's reactions simultaneously as we both immediately busied ourselves with our food.

Shard noticed my reaction and asked innocently, "was that one of those things?"

I nodded slowly.

"But I didn't say what we do in the bath?" She asked honestly and Taura sniggered.

Two chimes rang out and the servants began packing away the food.

"What happens to the rest of the food?" I asked Taura, hoping to continue the awkward conversation with Shard in private.

"It gets taken down to the Outer Ring and given to the poor and homeless," she explained.

I nodded even though I still had to process what she was saying. I understood poor, there were often families in Easthaven who might have gone through a rough patch and the entire town would rally around them to provide whatever assistance was needed; but homeless? Were they people without a home? Why wouldn't somebody take them in?

We soon finished our food and told the other two that we'd see them soon as we headed down to the bath house.

The female side was empty when we entered, but we heard some feminine laughter coming from the centre pool, and there were two other cubbies already occupied with clothing when we undressed. Shard and I cleaned up quickly and then lowered ourselves into the hot water. We relaxed for a little while until I got a cheeky idea and straddled Shard's legs to give her a kiss. We got a little bit carried away and were thus taken completely by surprise when the door opened unexpectedly to reveal Taura and Venn. We separated quickly and I sunk under the water to hide my embarrassment. I caught sight of a red faced Venn and a laughing Taura before I submersed and remained under until Shard took hold of my arm and gently pulled me out.

I still couldn't look either of them in the face when they themselves sunk into the pool, although I couldn't tell whether it was embarrassment from their nudity or from being caught that was worse.

"Not many wizards like to take baths after dinner?" Shard asked.

Venn nodded, "most of the time we are too busy, apprentices especially. But it just so happens that both of our masters don't require us until after the lunch service."

Shard hummed next to me, "If it were up to me, I think that I should like to spend all of eternity surrounded by hot water," she looked up at me and asked, "would you like that?"

"If it was with you?" I replied honestly, "I couldn't think of anything better."

"Awwwwwwwwww," Taura exclaimed, "now that's adorable!"

Venn looked at her through slitted eyes, "are you picking on them?"

"No, not at all," Taura backtracked, waving both hands in front of her.

"Do you have much trouble being together in… Easthaven, was it?" Venn asked.

"Well, Malkarov knows of course and my family," I told her, "as well as the Father and Sister and my best friend, but that's all. We can't really tell anyone else."

"The Father and Sister both know?" Venn asked incredulously, "aren't you afraid that they will report you?"

"No," I said with a smile, "they will both hold the secret."

"What about your family?" Taura asked Shard.

Shard gave a mysterious smile in return and said airily, "oh, my family knows."

"How did they all take it?" Venn asked.

"My Mother and sisters were very understanding," I told her, "my younger sister in fact thinks that she might fancy boys and girls, but my Father was not quite so understanding."

"I'm sorry," Venn said sympathetically, "my family weren't very understanding at all. Even though they knew…" She paused for a moment and swallowed audibly, Taura wrapped her arm around her, "what happened to me, they still think that I should find a nice man to marry."

"For what he did to you," Shard whispered, "and what he wanted to do to Sharein; I promise you, that wizard will pay dearly."

The word 'promise' she stressed. I could almost feel the magic she pushed into it and it left me without a doubt that having said it, she would ensure that it happened, no matter what. The other two just stared at her, obviously shocked.

"Are you..." Taura started, "are you a wizard? How come we have never seen you before?"

Venn just remained staring at Shard even as she whispered, "whoops," I closed my eyes and tried to think of some way to escape from this, but I couldn't and I very much hoped that Shard wouldn't tell them exactly what she was.

We were spared however, by the appearance of two other women appearing from the archway at the end of the pool.

They were both older women, probably around my Mother's age. One had very short brown hair, cut almost in a boy's haircut and was very athletically toned and tall. The other was much softer with red hair done up in thin braids all over her head. She was very pale, looking almost sickly and tall. I noted with shocked curiosity that her areola were so pale that they almost matched her skin tone rather than being brown like everyone else's I'd ever seen. I looked away quickly when I looked back at her face and knew that she had noticed me staring.

The one with the short hair looked at Shard and I strangely and was about to say something when Malkarov called out, "Sharein! Shard! Time to go!"

"Sorry Taura, Venn," I apologised quickly as I dragged Shard out of the pool, "hopefully we'll see you again later or tomorrow?"

As we left into the changing room I heard the short haired woman ask, "was that Malkarov?"

While I was brushing off the water Shard suggested quietly, "I think I did something wrong, didn't I?"

"Not wrong," I reassured her, "but I think you may have attracted attention and I don't know how we can explain it without disclosing who you are exactly."

"I'm sorry," she apologised and I turned to her in shock.

"There's nothing to apologise for," I told her, but she didn't seem convinced, "you didn't do anything wrong wrong, it's alright."

I got dressed and brushed my fingers through my hair before we headed outside to meet Malkarov.

As we walked up the stairs he asked, "did you meet Yorsha? I heard her, but didn't know if she was in the women's pool or the middle pool."

"Two other women came in from the middle pool," I said, "one of them had short hair and the other one… The other one had red hair!"

Malkarov laughed, "yes, the one with short hair is Yorsha. The other one would have to have been Hor, she's Askadian. Some of the humans living in the more southern kingdoms have red hair like that, some even brighter than hers."

As we walked through the gardens we happened to pass an older wizard demonstrating a spell to what was probably his apprentice. It was a nice day, so they were perhaps taking advantage of that to do their teaching/learning outside. When the older wizard cast his spell, I felt the resonating twinge inside of me. Suddenly there were two of the younger wizard standing there! The new one was moving and talking! Illusion, I wondered, or did he really make another person?

Malkarov stopped after a moment and noticed me looking at the demonstration.

"Major Image?" he asked the older wizard.

"Very good!" the older wizard replied, "well done. Even if illusion was never your strong suit, if you'd like to come around for a few months I'd be happy to teach it to you!"

"No, no," Malkarov laughed, "I've got enough enchanting work to keep me occupied until I'm sixty!"

They both laughed as we continued to walk away. I concentrated and called the magic inside me, letting it flow out of me as Major Image.

Malkarov stopped suddenly when he saw Alladrial come walking out from behind a tree!

"What are you doing here?" He asked, surprised and shocked.

"Sharein told me how much you drank with Master Yorsha and I just had to come here to tell you off!" Alladrial replied with a faux cross expression.

It was a strange thing controlling all of what the illusionary Alladrial was doing and while I could probably have kept it up while walking I doubted that I'd be able to cast another spell while controlling it.

Malkarov started to say something but stopped and looked back at me. He must have noticed the look of concentration on my face as he suddenly burst out laughing.

I let the image of Alladrial disperse as he said, "well done Sharein! You sure had me there! I didn't think that you'd be able to cast that spell as it's at the same level as Elemental Explosion."

"Does that mean that I'll be able to cast Elemental Explosion now?" I asked.

He nodded, "I don't see any reason why not. I'd like to know of course if you will be able to without seeing it again as then I'll be able to show you all of the spells in my repertoire. In any case I'll have to teach you the rest of that level of spells that I know."

I clapped excitedly and Shard cheered with me.

"Malkarov?" I asked, "do you think that there might be other wizards demonstrating spells like that around here?"

His smile grew wide, "I think that there just might. But not right now, for now it is time to visit the Castle.