Rothen sighed and followed Dannyl down the corridor. "You're right, of course. I've barely spoken to anyone for the last two weeks - and I should ask Lorlen to delay visiting for a few days. Wait ..." Rothen looked up, his brow creasing. "What have Fergun's supporters been saying?"
Dannyl smiled grimly. "That she learned control in a few days, and you've been keeping her locked away so Fergun can't see her."
Rothen made a rude noise. "What nonsense. I'd like to see them suffering some of the headaches I've had in the last week." He grimaced. "I guess this means I can't delay Lorlen for long."
"No," Dannyl agreed.
They reached the entrance to the Magicians' Quarters and stepped outside. Though the snow was melted from the paths and pavement by novices each morning and evening, the courtyard was already covered in a thin white powder. It crunched under their boots as they crossed to the Seven Arches.
As they stepped into the warmth of the Night Room, several heads turned in their direction. Dannyl heard his companion give a low groan as several magicians began to move toward them. Sarrin, the Head of Alchemists, was the first to arrive.
"Good evening, Lord Rothen, Lord Dannyl. How are you both?"
"Well, Lord Sarrin," Rothen replied.
"Any progress with the slum girl yet?"
Rothen paused as several magicians moved in to hear his answer. "Sonea is doing well," he told them. "It took some time before she was able to stop pushing me from her mind. She was, as you'd expect, quite suspicious of us."
"Doing well?" a magician in the crowd muttered. "Few novices take as long as two weeks."
Dannyl smiled as Rothen's expression darkened.
His friend turned toward the speaker. "You must remember that she is not a reluctant novice sent to us by coddling parents. Until two weeks ago, she believed we intended to kill her. It has taken some time to gain her trust."
"When did you begin Control exercises?" another magician asked.
Rothen hesitated. "Two days ago."
A muttering began among the magicians. Several frowned and shook their heads.
"In that case, I'd say you've made impressive progress, Lord Rothen," said a new voice.
Dannyl turned to see Lady Vinara moving through the crowd. Magicians stepped aside respectfully as the Head of Healers approached.
"What did you see of her power?"
Rothen smiled. "When I first saw what was contained within her I did not believe it. The strength she has is remarkable!"
The muttering among the audience grew louder. Dannyl nodded to himself. Good, he thought. If she's strong people will favor Rothen as her guardian.
An older magician near the front of the gathering gave a shrug. "But we knew she had to be strong or her powers would not have developed on their own."
Vinara smiled. "Of course, strength is not the ultimate test of a novice. What talents has she displayed?"
Rothen pursed his lips. "Her visualization ability is good. That will help her in most disciplines. Her memory is good, too. I've found her to be an intelligent and attentive student."
"Has she tried to use her powers at all?" asked a red-robed magician.
"Not since she arrived. She understands the danger very well."
The questions continued. Glancing around the crowd, Dannyl caught a glimpse of a smooth blonde head in a group of approaching magicians. He shifted closer to Rothen, waiting for an appropriate moment to whisper a warning.
- Lord Dannyl.
A few magicians in the crowd blinked and looked at Dannyl. Recognizing the mind voice, Dannyl searched the room and found Administrator Lorlen sitting in his usual chair. The blue-robed magician pointed to Rothen, then beckoned.
Smiling, Dannyl nodded and leaned close to Rothen's ear.
"I believe the Administrator wishes to rescue you."
As Rothen turned to look at the Administrator, Dannyl saw that Fergun had reached the crowd. A familiar voice joined the chatter, and a few faces turned in the warrior's direction.
"Excuse me, all." Rothen said. "I must speak to Administrator Lorlen." He inclined his head politely, then nudged Dannyl in Lorlen's direction.
Looking back, Dannyl's gaze locked with Fergun's for a moment. The Warrior's lips were stretched in a satisfied smile.
As they reached Lorlen's chair, the Administrator waved to neighboring seats. "Good evening, Lord Rothen, Lord Dannyl. Sit down and tell me how Sonea is progressing."
Rothen remained standing. "I was hoping to have a private word with you about that, Administrator."
Lorlen's brows rose. "Very well. Shall we talk in the Banquet Room?"
"Please."
The Administrator rose and led them to a nearby door. As they stepped through, a globe light flared above his head, illuminating a huge table that filled most of the room.
Lorlen pulled out one of the chairs arranged around the table and sat down. "How is your leg, Lord Dannyl?"
Dannyl looked up, surprised. "Better."
"Your limp seems to have returned this evening," Lorlen observed.
"It is the cold," Dannyl replied.
"Ah, I see." Lorlen nodded, then turned to Rothen. "What is it that you would like to discuss?"
"I began Control exercises two days ago," Rothen told him. Lorlen frowned, but remained silent as Rothen continued. "You wanted to check on her progress after two weeks, and asked that I introduce her to another magician before then. Because of her lack of progress, I haven't wanted to distract her with visitors, but I feel she may be ready soon. Can you put off your visit for a few days?"
Lorlen regarded Rothen steadily, then nodded. "Only a few days, though."
"Thank you. There is another matter, however. A possibility we will have to start considering sooner rather than later."
Lorlen's brows rose. "Yes?"
"Sonea does not want to join the Guild. I have ..." He sighed. "To gain her trust, I have told her that, if she wishes to return to the slums, she may go. We can't, after all, force her to take the vow."
"Did you tell her that we would block her powers?"
"Not yet." Rothen frowned. "Though I don't think she will care. I warned her that she would not be able to use her powers at all and she seemed pleased by the prospect. I believe she would rather be rid of them."
Lorlen nodded. "I am not surprised. She has only experienced magic as an uncontrollable, destructive force." He pursed his lips. "Perhaps if you taught her a few useful tricks she would start to like it better."
Rothen frowned. "She should not use her power until she has full control of it, and once she has Control she will expect us to let her go."
"She does not know the difference between a Control lesson and a magic lesson," Dannyl pointed out. "Just let the instruction evolve from control into magic usage. That will also give you more time to convince her to stay."
"Not much," Lorlen added. "Fergun doesn't need to know exactly when she achieved Control, but you won't fool him for long. You might gain an extra week."
Rothen looked at Lorlen expectantly. The Administrator sighed and ran a hand over his brow. "Very well. Just make sure he doesn't find out, or I'll never hear the end of it."
"If he does, we'll say we were testing her Control," Dannyl said. "She is, after all, unusually strong. We would not want her to make any mistakes."
Lorlen gave Dannyl an appraising look. He seemed about to say something, but instead he shook his head and turned to Rothen. "Is that all you wish to discuss?"
"Yes, thank you, Administrator," Rothen replied.
"Then I will arrange to visit in a few days. Have you considered who you will introduce her to first?"
Dannyl blinked as Rothen looked pointedly at him.
"Me?"
Rothen smiled. "Yes. Tomorrow afternoon, I think."
Dannyl opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again as he realized Lorlen was watching him closely.
"All right," he said grudgingly. "Just make sure you hide the cutlery."<
br />
Sonea was bored.
It was too early to sleep. Tania had left with the dirty plates not long after dinner and Rothen had disappeared soon after. Having finished the book Rothen had brought for her to read that morning, Sonea paced the room, examining ornaments and the bookcase.
Finding nothing interesting or within her ability to understand, she moved to the window and looked out. There was no moon, and the gardens were shrouded in darkness. Nothing stirred.
Sighing, she decided to go to bed early. Sliding the window screen back, she started toward the bedroom - and froze as a knock came from the main door.
She turned to stare at the door. Rothen never knocked before entering, and Tania's knock was soft and polite, not this insistent rapping. A few visitors had knocked before, but Rothen had never invited them in.
A fleeting chill prickled her skin as the visitor knocked again. Sonea crept across the room to the door.
"Who is it?"
"A friend," came the muffled reply.
"Rothen's not here."
"I don't want to talk to Rothen. I want to talk to you, Sonea."
She stared at the door, her heart starting to race.
"Why?"
The reply was fainter. "I have to tell you something important, something he won't tell you."
Rothen was keeping something from her? Alarm and excitement set her heart beating even faster. Whoever this stranger was, he was willing to defy the magicians for her sake. She wished she could see through the door to see who the visitor was.
But was it a good idea to learn something disturbing about Rothen right now, when she needed to trust him?
"Sonea. Let me in. The corridor is empty, but it won't be for long. This is my only chance to talk to you."
"I can't. The door's locked."
"Try it again."
She regarded the door handle. Though she had tried it several times during her first days in the rooms, it had always been locked. Reaching out, she twisted the handle, then drew in a surprised breath as the door swung open.
A red sleeve appeared, then the full red robes of a magician. Backing away, she stared at the magician in dismay. She had expected a servant, or a rescuer disguised as a servant - unless this man had dared to don robes so he could reach her...
The man closed the door gently behind him, then straightened and looked at her.
"Hello, Sonea. We meet at last. I am Lord Fergun."
"You're a magician?"
"Yes, not a magician such as Lord Rothen is." He placed a hand on his chest.
Sonea frowned. "You're a Warrior?"
Fergun smiled. He was much younger than Rothen, she noted, and quite attractive. His hair was pale and neatly combed, and his facial features were both fine and strong. She knew she had seen him before, but couldn't remember where.
"I am," he said. "But that is not the difference I speak of." He placed a hand over his heart. "I am on your side."
"And Rothen isn't?"
"No, though he means well," he added. "Rothen is the sort of man who believes he knows what's best for others, particularly a young woman like yourself. I, however, see you as an adult who ought to be allowed to make her own choices." He raised an eyebrow. "Will you listen to me, or shall I leave you in peace?"
Though her heart was still racing, she nodded and gestured to the chairs. "Stay," she said. "I will listen."
Inclining his head politely, he glided to a chair. Taking the seat opposite, she looked at him expectantly.
"Firstly, has Rothen told you that you may join the Guild?" he asked.
"Yes."
"And has he told you what you must do to become a magician?"
She shrugged. "A little. There is a vow, and years of training."
"And do you know what you must vow?"
She shook her head. "No, but it doesn't matter. I don't want to join the Guild."
He blinked. "You don't want to join the Guild?" he repeated.
"No."
He nodded slowly and leaned back in his chair. For a while he was silent and thoughtful, then his gaze shifted to hers again.
"May I ask why?"
Sonea considered him carefully. Rothen had told her that many of the magicians would be surprised when she refused the Guild's offer.
"I want to go home," she told him.
He nodded again. "Do you know that the Guild does not allow magicians to exist outside its influence?"
"Yes," she replied. "Everybody knows that."
"So you know they will not just let you walk out of here."
"I won't be able to use my powers, so I won't be a threat."
He raised his eyebrows again. "So Rothen has told you that the Guild will block your powers?"
Sonea frowned. Block her powers?
He nodded slowly. "No, I thought not. He is only telling you part of the truth." He leaned forward. "The Higher Magicians will cage your powers within you so that you cannot reach for them. It's ... not a pleasant procedure, not at all, and the cage will be there for the rest of your life. You see, even though you will not know how to use your powers, there is always a chance you will discover how to use them yourself, or encounter a rogue magician willing to teach you - though that is highly unlikely. By law, the Guild must make sure you cannot use magic, even if you had all the help you needed."
A chill had grown within Sonea as he spoke. Looking down at the table, she considered what Rothen had told her. Had he deliberately phrased the truth so that it sounded less frightening? Probably. Her suspicions grew stronger as she realized that Rothen had only voiced the revelation that she would be freed. She had not seen it in his mind and known it to be true ...
She looked up at the red-robed magician. How could she trust anything he said? She could not think what he had to gain from lying, however, since she would discover the truth once she had learned Control.
"Why are you telling me this?"
He gave her a lopsided smile. "Like I said, I'm on your side. You need to know the truth and ... I can offer you an alternative."
She straightened. "What alternative?"
He pursed his lips. "It will not be easy. Has Rothen explained about guardianship yet?"
She shook her head.
He rolled his eyes. "He hasn't told you anything! Listen." He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "Guardianship allows magicians to control the training of novices. Rothen has claimed guardianship of you since the Purge. When I heard this, I decided to place a counter-claim. This forces the Guild to hold a Hearing - a meeting - where it will be decided which of us will be your guardian. You will help me win my claim, then -"
"Why would they hold a Hearing when I'm not going to join the Guild?" Sonea injected.
He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Hear me out, Sonea." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "If you refuse to join the Guild, your powers will be blocked and you'll be sent back to the slums. If you agree to stay, however, and I win your guardianship, I can help you."
Sonea frowned. "How?"
He smiled. "You'll simply vanish one day. You can go back to the slums if you want. I'll teach you how to make your magic undetectable - and your powers will not be blocked. They will hunt for you at first, but if you are smart, they won't find you this time."
She stared at him in disbelief. "But you'd be breaking the Guild's laws."
He nodded slowly. "I know." Different emotions shifted over his face. He rose and walked to the window. "I don't like to see people forced to be what they don't want to be," he told her. "Look." Turning, he crossed the room and held out his hand to her. The skin of his palm was callused and scarred.
"Swordplay. I am a Warrior, as you so astutely noted. It's the closest I can get to what I once wanted to be. When I was a boy, I dreamed of being a swordsman. I practiced for hours each day. I dreamed of learning under the greatest teachers."
He sighed and shook his head. Then my magical potential was discovered. It wasn't much, but my parents w
anted to have a magician in the family. I would bring their House great prestige, they said.
"So I was made to join the Guild. I was too young to refuse, too full of doubts to know that magic wasn't my real calling. My powers aren't strong and, though I have learned to use them well, I don't enjoy them. I have kept up my fighting skills, though most other magicians regard honest, face-to-face battle with disdain. That is as close as I can get to the life I dreamed of."
He looked up at her, his eyes bright. "I won't let Rothen do the same to you. If you do not want to join the Guild, then I will help you escape. But you must trust me. Guild politics and laws are convoluted and confusing." He moved back to his chair, but did not sit down. "Do you want me to help you?"
Sonea looked down at the table. His story, and its passionate delivery, had impressed her, but parts of it made her uneasy. Was keeping her magic worth becoming a fugitive again?
Then she considered what Cery would say. Why should the higher classes have a monopoly on magic? If the Guild would not accept anyone from the lower classes, then why shouldn't those classes have their own magicians?
"Yes." She looked up and met his eyes. "But I need to think about it. I don't know you. I want to check this guardianship thing before I agree to anything."
He nodded. "I understand. Think on it, but do not take too long. Rothen has managed to convince Administrator Lorlen that he must keep everyone away from you - to keep the truth from you, no doubt - until you have learned Control. I risk much by defying that decision. I will try to visit again soon, but you must have an answer for me. I may not have a third opportunity."
"I will."
Looking at the door, he sighed. "I had better go. It would do you no good if he found me here with you."
Moving to the door, he opened it a crack and peered out. Pausing only to give her one last, grim smile, he slipped out. The door clicked shut behind him.
Alone again, Sonea sat and stared at the table, the magician's words running circles in her mind. She could not see any reason for Fergun to lie to her, but she would check every claim he had made: the blocking of powers, guardianship, and his story of broken dreams. By questioning Rothen carefully, she might trick him into confirming much of what Fergun had said.
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