The Magicians' Guild

by Trudi Canavan

  Lorlen nodded, then smiled crookedly. “Akkarin is particularly pleased that he can sleep uninterrupted now there are no crude attempts at magic waking him through the night.”

  Seeing Dannyl’s eyes widen, Rothen smiled. “I guess there are drawbacks to having such fine senses.”

  He tried to imagine the High Lord pacing his rooms at night, cursing the elusive slum girl. The image didn’t quite suit the solemn Guild leader. He frowned. How much interest was Akkarin going to take in Sonea now that she had been found?

  “Administrator, do you think the High Lord will be wanting to meet Sonea?”

  Lorlen shook his head. “No. His main concern was that we might not find her before her powers became destructive—and the King had started to question our ability to take care of our own.” He smiled at Rothen. “I think I understand why you are asking. Akkarin can be quite intimidating, especially to the younger novices, and Sonea will be easily frightened.”

  “That brings me to another point,” Rothen said, leaning forward. “She is easily frightened, and also very suspicious of us. It will take time for me to overcome her fear. I’d like to keep her isolated until she has gained some confidence, then begin introducing her to people one at a time.”

  “That sounds sensible.”

  “Fergun asked to see her this morning.”

  “Ah.” Lorlen nodded and drummed his fingers on the table. “Hmmm. I can see all the arguments he’ll use to get his way. I could rule that nobody shall see her until she is ready, but I don’t think he’ll be satisfied until I specify what ‘ready’ is, and I’ve set a date.”

  He rose and began to pace back and forth behind his desk. “The two guardianship claims have complicated matters, too. People accept that, since you have plenty of experience in teaching Control, you should be the one to teach that to her. But if Fergun is excluded from Sonea’s early training, people will support Fergun’s claim for guardianship out of sympathy.” He paused. “Can Fergun be one of these people you introduce to her?”

  Rothen shook his head. “She is observant and quick to pick up people’s feelings. Fergun has little fondness for me. If I am to convince her that we’re all friendly, well-meaning people, then it won’t help if she notices conflict between any of us. Also, she may mistake his determination to see her as an intention to do harm.”

  Lorlen regarded him for a moment, then crossed his arms.

  “Everyone wants Sonea to learn Control as quickly as possible,” he said. “I don’t think anyone will disagree if I decide that nothing shall distract her from that. How long do you think it will take?”

  “I don’t know,” Rothen confessed. “I’ve taught uninterested, easily distracted novices, but I’ve never tried to teach Control to somebody who distrusts magicians as much as she does. It may take several weeks.”

  Lorlen returned to his chair. “I can’t give you that much time. I’ll give you two weeks, during which time you can decide who will see her. After that, I will begin visiting every few days to check how close she is to gaining an acceptable level of Control.” He paused and tapped the tabletop with a fingernail. “If you can, introduce her to at least one other magician by then. I will tell Fergun that he may see her after she has learned Control, but remember, the longer it takes, the more sympathy he will gain.”

  Rothen nodded. “I understand.”

  “People will expect the Hearing to occur during the first Meet after she has learned Control.”

  “If I can convince her to stay,” Rothen added.

  Lorlen frowned. “Do you think she will refuse to join the Guild?”

  “It is too early to say,” Rothen replied. “We can’t force her to say the vow.”

  Leaning back in his chair, Lorlen regarded Rothen thoughtfully, his brow creased with concern.

  “Is she aware of the alternative?”

  “Not yet. Since I’m trying to gain her trust, I felt it better to leave that news until later.”

  “I understand. Perhaps, if you choose the right moment, it will convince her to stay.” He smiled wryly. “If she leaves, Fergun will be convinced you talked her out of staying just to spite him. Either way, you are facing some tough battles, Rothen.”

  Dannyl frowned. “He has a strong claim, then?”

  “It is hard to say. Much may depend on the strength of support each of you gain. But I should not speak about it before the Hearing.” Lorlen straightened and looked from Rothen to Dannyl. “I have no more questions. Do either of you have anything else you wish to discuss?”

  “No.” Rothen rose and inclined his head. “Thank you, Administrator.”

  Once in the corridor, Rothen considered his companion.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Dannyl shrugged. “He wasn’t there.”

  “No.” As another magician stepped out into the corridor Dannyl checked his stride, his steps becoming halting. Rothen shook his head. “You are playing up that limp!”

  Dannyl looked hurt. “It was a deep cut, Rothen.”

  “Not that deep.”

  “Lady Vinara said that it would be some days before the stiffness disappeared.”

  “She did, did she?”

  Dannyl’s brows rose. “And it doesn’t do you any harm if I remind people what we went through to catch that girl.”

  Rothen chuckled. “I am most grateful for the sacrifice you are making to your dignity.”

  Dannyl made a small noise of disgust. “Well, if Fergun can walk around for a week with a bandage over that tiny cut on his temple, then I can have my limp.”

  “I see.” Rothen nodded slowly. “Then it’s all right then.”

  They reached the back doors of the University and stopped. The air outside was thick with falling snow. Exchanging mutual looks of dismay, they stepped out into the swirling whiteness and hurried away.

  19

  Lessons Begin

  A week of worsening weather had buried the Guild grounds in a thick layer of snow. Lawns, gardens, and roofs had vanished under a sparkling white blanket. Cozy within the protection of his own magical shield, Dannyl could appreciate the spectacle without enduring the discomfort.

  Novices hovered around the University entrance. As he entered the building a trio hurried past him, their cloaks wrapped tightly around their shoulders. Part of the midwinter intake, he surmised. It took several weeks of training before the new novices learned how to ward off the cold.

  Climbing the stairs, he found a small group of novices waiting outside the Alchemy room where Rothen taught his classes. Waving them through the door, he started to follow.

  “Lord Dannyl.”

  Recognizing the voice, Dannyl suppressed a groan. He turned to find Fergun strolling along the corridor toward him, Lord Kerrin at his side.

  Stopping a few paces from Dannyl, Fergun eyed the classroom door. “Is that Rothen’s class you’re entering?”

  “Yes,” Dannyl replied.

  “You’re teaching them?”

  “Yes.”

  “I see.” Fergun turned away, Kerrin following. In a quiet voice, pitched loud enough for Dannyl to hear, he added, “I’m surprised they allow it.”

  “What do you mean?” Kerrin asked, his voice growing fainter as the pair walked away.

  “Don’t you remember all the trouble he got into as a novice?”

  “Oh, that!” Kerrin laughed, the sound echoing in the corridor. “I suppose he might be a bad influence.”

  Gritting his teeth, Dannyl turned away and found Rothen standing in the doorway.

  “Rothen!” Dannyl exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was just visiting the library.” Rothen’s gaze remained on Fergun’s back. “It amazes me how long you two have kept this grudge going. Are you ever going to leave the past behind you?”

  “It’s not a grudge to him,” Dannyl growled. “It’s sport and he enjoys it too much to stop.”

  Rothen raised his brows. “Well, if he behaves like a spitef
ul novice, people will treat his words accordingly.” He smiled as three novices hurried along the corridor and darted through the classroom door. “How are my novices doing?”

  Dannyl grimaced. “I don’t know how you cope, Rothen. You’re not going to abandon me to them for long, are you?”

  “I don’t know. Weeks. Months, maybe.”

  Dannyl groaned. “Do you think Sonea is ready to begin Control lessons yet?”

  Rothen shook his head. “No.”

  “But it’s been a week already.”

  “Only a week.” Rothen sighed. “I doubt she’d trust us if we gave her six months to settle in.” He frowned. “It’s not that she dislikes us as individuals, but that she doesn’t believe the Guild means well—and she won’t until she sees proof. We don’t have time for that. When Lorlen visits, he’ll expect us to have begun lessons already.”

  Dannyl grasped his friend’s arm. “For now all you have to do is teach her Control, and for that she only has to trust you, Rothen. You’re a likeable sort. You’ve got her best interests at heart.” He hesitated. “If you can’t tell her, then show her.”

  Rothen frowned, then his eyes widened in understanding. “Let her see into my mind?”

  “Yes. She will know you’ve been telling her the truth.”

  “It’s…it’s not necessary when teaching Control, but the circumstances are hardly usual.” Rothen frowned.

  “There are some things I’ll have to keep her from learning, though…”

  “Hide them.” Dannyl smiled. “Now, I have a classroom of your novices waiting, all eager to try out their latest pranks and teacher-torturing antics on me. Lorlen is nothing. I expect to hear you’ve made considerable progress when we meet tonight.”

  Rothen chuckled. “Be reasonable to them, and they’ll be reasonable to you, Dannyl.”

  As his friend turned away, Dannyl uttered a short, humorless laugh. Somewhere above them, a striker rang the University gong. Sighing, Dannyl straightened his shoulders and entered the classroom.

  Leaning on the window sill, Sonea watched the last of the magicians and novices hurry out of sight. Not all had responded to the University gong, however. Two distant figures remained standing at the other side of the gardens.

  One was a woman in green robes with a black sash—the Head of Healers. So women did have some influence in the Guild, she mused.

  The other was a male dressed in blue robes. Thinking back to Rothen’s explanation of the robe colors, she could not recall him mentioning blue. The color was uncommon, so perhaps he, too, was a magician of influence.

  Rothen had explained how the magicians in high positions were selected by a vote among Guild members. This method of choosing leaders by the agreement of the majority was intriguing. She had expected that the strongest magicians would rule the others.

  According to Rothen, the rest of the magicians spent their time teaching, experimenting, or working on public projects. This included work that ranged from the impressive to the ridiculous. She had been surprised to learn that the magicians had built the Marina, and amused to hear how one magician had spent much of his life trying to make stronger and stronger glues.

  Drumming her fingers, she looked around the room again. In the last week she had found opportunities to examine everything, even the room Rothen slept in. A careful search of all cupboards, chests, and drawers had revealed clothes and everyday items. The few locks she had encountered succumbed easily to her picking skills, but old documents had been her only reward.

  Catching a movement at the edge of her vision, she turned back to the window. The two magicians had parted, and the blue-robed man was now walking along the edge of the garden toward the two-story residence of the High Lord.

  Remembering the night she had peeked into that building, she shivered. Rothen had mentioned nothing of assassin magicians, but that was hardly surprising. He was trying to convince her that the Guild was friendly and useful. If the black-robed magician wasn’t an assassin, then what else could he be?

  A memory of a man in bloodstained clothes flashed into her mind.

  “It is done,” the man had said. “Did you bring my robes?”

  She jumped as the main door clicked open behind her. Turning, she let out a breath as Rothen strode into the room in a swirl of purple robes.

  “Sorry I took so long.”

  He was a magician, and yet he was apologizing to her. Amused, she shrugged in reply.

  “I’ve brought some books from the library.” He straightened and regarded her earnestly. “But I thought we might start working on some mind exercises. What do you think?”

  “Mind exercises?” She frowned, then felt herself go cold as she realized what he was suggesting. Did he think she trusted him after only a week?

  Do I?

  He was watching her closely. “We probably won’t start Control lessons,” he told her. “But you should gain a familiarity with mental communication in preparation for the lessons.”

  Thinking about the past week, she considered what she had learned of him.

  He had spent most of the time teaching her to read. At first she had been suspicious, and had expected to find something in the content of the books that he might use as a lure or bribe. She had been almost disappointed to find herself reading simple adventure stories, with little reference to magic at all.

  Unlike Serin, who had been anxious to avoid angering her, Rothen did not hesitate to correct her when she made a mistake. He could be quite stern, but she had found, to her surprise, that he was not at all frightening. She had even caught herself wanting to tease him a little when he was being so serious.

  When he was not teaching her, he tried to chat. She knew she wasn’t making this easy for him when there were so many subjects she refused to discuss. Though he was always willing to answer her questions, he hadn’t tried to trick or force her into revealing anything about herself in return.

  Would mental communication be like this? Would she still be able to hide parts of herself?

  The only way to find out is to try it, she told herself. Swallowing, she nodded quickly. “How do we start?”

  He gave her a searching look. “If you don’t want to, we can wait a few more days.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Now is fine.”

  He nodded, then gestured to the chairs. “Sit down. Make sure you’re comfortable.”

  She lowered herself into a chair, then watched as he pushed the low table aside and moved a chair forward to face hers. He would be sitting close, she noted with dismay.

  “I’m going to tell you to close your eyes,” he said. “Then I’m going to take your hands. While it’s not necessary for us to touch when we speak to each other, it helps to focus the mind. Are you ready?”

  She nodded.

  “Close your eyes,” he instructed, “and relax. Breathe deeply and slowly. Listen to the sound of your breathing.”

  She did as he said. For a long time he was silent. After a while, she realized that the rhythm of their breathing was the same, and she wondered if he had changed his breath to follow hers.

  “Imagine that, with every breath, a part of you relaxes. Your toes first, then feet, then ankles. Calves, knees, upper legs. Rest your fingers, hands, wrists, arms, your back. Let your shoulders drop. Let your head hang forward a little.”

  Though she felt his instructions were a little peculiar, she did as he said. As she felt the tension leave her limbs, she grew aware of a fluttering in her stomach.

  “Now I’m going to take your hands,” he told her.

  The hands that enclosed hers seemed much larger. She resisted the urge to open her eyes to check.

  “Listen. Think about what you can hear.”

  Sonea was suddenly aware that she was surrounded by constant small noises. Each noise leapt out at her and demanded to be identified: the sound of footsteps outside, the distant voices of magicians and servants coming from both inside and outside the building…

  “N
ow let the sounds outside the room fade away. Instead, concentrate on the sounds within this room.”

  It was quieter inside. The only sound was their breathing, now at different rhythms.

  “Let those sounds fade away, too. Now listen to the sounds within your own body. The slow pounding of your heart…”

  She frowned. Aside from her breathing, she could hear no sounds in her body.

  “…The rush of blood circulating through your body.”

  Though she was concentrating hard, she could not hear…

  “…The sound of your stomach…”

  …or could she? There was something…

  “…The vibration within your ears…”

  Then she realized that the noises he described were not heard so much as felt.

  “…and now listen to the sound of your thoughts.”

  For a moment Sonea was puzzled by his instruction, then she sensed a presence at the edge of her mind.

  —Hello, Sonea.

  —Rothen?

  —That’s right.

  The presence grew more tangible. The personality she could sense was surprisingly familiar. It was like recognizing a voice, a voice so individual that it could never be confused with another.

  —So this is mind communication, she mused.

  —Yes. Using it, we can speak to each other from great distances.

  She realized that she was not hearing words, but sensing the meaning of thoughts that he had projected toward her. They flashed into her mind, and were understood so quickly and completely that she knew with certainty exactly what he wanted her to know.

  —It’s so much faster than talking!

  —Yes, and there’s less chance of a misunderstanding.

  —Could I talk like this to my aunt? I could let her know I’m still alive.

  —Yes and no. Only magicians can communicate mind to mind without physical contact. You could speak to your aunt, but you’d need to be touching her. There is no reason why you can’t send your aunt an ordinary message, however…

  Which would reveal their location, she realized. Sonea felt her enthusiasm for mind communication waver. She must be careful.

  —So…do magicians talk like this all the time?