Guild Mage: Apprentice

By the time Liv managed to finally make it up to the second floor of High Hall, it was well into the afternoon, and the students who had only a single class after luncheon were milling around the courtyard at the center of the campus. After a long, rainy winter, the heart of flood season at Coral Bay had quickly brought heat and sun, and the students seemed determined to enjoy it.

The air wasn't nearly as thick with moisture as Liv had experienced in Lendh ka Dakruim, but compared to the dry mountain air she'd grown up with, even the cool breeze off the ocean wasn't enough to refresh her. What made everything worse was that, even with Wren shadowing her and scowling at anyone who came close, Liv felt as if every eye was following her.

"They can't all know yet," she grumbled, turning her back to the courtyard and throwing open the door to the building.

"You're also the girl who's been missing for three weeks in the east," Wren pointed out. "After testing up to journeyman in less than a year. They've got plenty to talk about.'

Liv headed for the stairs, but was brought up short by one of the first floor boys, who stepped into her path and flashed a smile. "It's good to see you back safely, my lady," he said, and Liv searched her brain for his name. He'd been one of the boys she'd seen laughing with Cade, occasionally.

"I'm sorry," Liv said, trying to take a step around him and continue up the stairs. "I've just got back, and I really haven't even finished unpacking yet." No need to mention that Thora would be the one doing that.

"I won't keep you, then," the young man said, stepping in her way and doing exactly that. "Only I thought that you might have missed real Lucanian food while you were out east. I could take you out tonight, if you'd like. There's a few decent spots in town, and -"

Liv couldn't help herself. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him, and something about her must have looked frightening, because the boy took a step back. She slipped by him as soon as there was space, and hurried up the stairs.

"What was that about, you think?" Wren asked, following Liv up two steps at a time.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't even know who he is. I think I've seen him around downstairs, but I couldn't tell you his name." Liv hurried up the last flight of stairs and onto the landing, where she saw Sidonie, Tephania and Rosamund all sitting around on the cushioned chairs and couches in front of the fireplace.

At her arrival, the girls stopped their conversation and rose to their feet, and Liv found herself in one hug after another, amidst a flood of questions about her health. "I'm fine, really," she told Tephania, who'd put a hand to Liv's forehead in an attempt to take her temperature, of all things.

"Everyone else got back three weeks ago, and they all told us you hadn't even woken up yet!" Teph chastised her. "That doesn't sound like you're 'fine." She moved out of the way, however, when Rosamund came over.

Liv was surprised at how tightly the other girl squeezed her. Not surprised at the strength in Rose's arms - she knew just how skilled at fighting the other girl was. No, what Liv hadn't been expecting was that Rosamund seemed to have been genuinely scared for her.

"You scared us," Rose said, quietly, before releasing her.

"I didn't mean to," Liv said. "And I'm sorry." She picked herself out a place on one of the cushioned benches, and fell into it. She'd really been looking forward to relaxing in the hot water from the enchanted pipes connected to the cistern on the roof - she'd even been considering turning off the warming sigils and using her own magic to cool the water to a more refreshing temperature. But now that her friends were here, she wanted to spend time with them.

Rosamund sat next to her, giving up her previous seat for Wren, while the other girls returned to where they'd been sitting. "You have to tell us what happened," Sidonie said. "These two have caught me up on what they could - I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"I will," Liv promised. "But I want to hear what happened at the coronation, too. All I've gotten are a few quick comments from Archmagus Loredan." She noticed that Sidonie and Rosamund exchanged a look at that.

"You're probably going to have a bit of trouble there," Sidonie said. "Well, not trouble, exactly. But with so many people in one place, it came out that you'd broken it off with Cade, and the gossip started moving. It wasn't quite the talk of the town, but rumor got around that you're second in line to the Summersets until Matthew and Triss have a child. They were there, by the way, and I have letters."

Liv groaned, slumped back in her seat, and closed her eyes. "Let me guess. Matthew told everyone."

"He's the only child," Sidonie pointed out. "It was natural he'd be asked questions about the succession, especially when he showed up missing an arm from an eruption. And he seemed really, genuinely proud to be able to call you his sister."

"That might explain the jack-ass downstairs," Wren commented.

"What happened downstairs?" Rosamund asked, from where she was sitting at Liv's side.

"Some boy wanted to take me out to dinner," Liv said. "I couldn't even tell you which one, which makes me wonder why he ever thought I'd say yes."

"Probably a younger son," Sidonie pointed out. "Willing to take a gamble on the chance you inherit. And even if you don't, Triss was talking up how Duchess Julianne's named her brother, Baudwin, the duchy's second Baron."

"I don't want to deal with this," Liv complained.

"I can always punch them until they go away," Rosamund offered. "I bet Wren would help."

"Julianne and Henry didn't actually go themselves, did they?" Liv asked Sidonie, ignoring the suggestion. Because it was unreasonable, of course. Not because it would be satisfying if they actually did it.

Sidonie shook her head. "No. They just sent Matthew and Triss. I'm sure everyone could tell who was on her side, though, because we all hung out together. Baron Crosbie and his wife, of course, but also the Baron Ashford and his children. I don't think my father was sure whether he should be flattered to be included, or terrified he was making an enemy of the king. And then there was our Rose."

Liv looked to her side, examining Rose's face. She wore an expression of pure innocence.

"I simply introduced my brother and father to a few friends," Rosamund said.

"I'm pretty certain that I was the only one there you'd met before," Sidonie pointed out, narrowing her eyes at Rose. "Still, by the end of the eruption, Matthew and her brother seemed to be getting along."

"That's because, unlike my parents, Jasper actually listens to me," Rose said.

"What she never happened to mention to us," Sidonie continued, "is that she and Jasper are twins. You should see them standing next to each other. Oh, and they have their own language."

Rose's cheeks immediately turned pink. "Enough about me," she said. "Liv, tell us what happened in Lendh ka Dakruim. I can't believe they wouldn't wait to send you until we got back, I would have gone along."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Other than Arjun, Archmagus Jurian only sent people who could pass journeymen examinations," Liv pointed out. She glanced around the landing to make sure that Edith wasn't lurking about. "And he couldn't wait. He wanted to get me out of here before Loredan got back. But that part, we shouldn't talk about here. Anyway, so when we got there, they took us up to the fort riding hastim - you remember them, from the north? - only these were hairless, saddled, and painted with bright colors..."

☙

By the time Liv had finished the entire story, Thora had appeared and brought a fresh pot of tea not once, but twice over. Liv had needed it to do so much talking, even with Wren breaking in and adding a few things where she could - such as her trip to fetch Vivek Sharma, and how the old priest questioned her.

The days were long now, and so the sun was still in the sky, but the horologe in the landing had rung the sixth hour after luncheon before Liv was able to finally stop talking. "And that's it, really," she said. "No one knew when we were going to get back, so there was no carriage or anything waiting for us at the waystone. And then I was just about immediately grabbed by a journeyman and taken to see the Archmagus, and he told me to get measured. And then I came here."

"Would you mind if I examined a pair of those boots?" Sidonie asked.

"Forget the boots!" Rose exclaimed. "I wish I could see that spear. I'd give up a sword for a weapon like that."

"Thora, would you mind getting my pair of boots?" Liv asked her maid. "Oh, and the presents."

Tephania's eyes lit up at that. "You remembered!"

"I almost didn't," Liv admitted. "We were at the fort nearly the entire time. There was only that one walk with Pandit Sharma that I even had a chance to get anything. But, I decided if I was going to bring Teph a present, I couldn't leave the two of you out," she told Sidonie and Rose.

When the lady's maid returned, she not only carried a set of embroidered boots, but the three brilliantly colored silk scarves over her arm. Tephania immediately squealed in glee, and snatched a mint-green length of silk up to throw over her shoulders. Sidonie, on the other hand, took one of the boots into her hands and held it up, squinting at the embroidery through her spectacles.

"Vefta?" she asked. "Baron Arundell's word."

"I thought that Fane kid had it?" Rosamund asked.

"The Fanes are a cadet branch of the Arundells," Sidonie explained. "Split off from a younger brother a few generations back. It's an Arundell word."

"And a ksatriya word in Lendh ka Dakruim," Liv explained. "They've got another one, too - strength, to go with speed. It makes them really effective front line warriors, but they don't have the kind of big-impact magic we do. They're great for holding a shield wall, or a charge, but they have to rely on arrows at range."

Liv stood up, walked over to Thora, and lifted a scarf off the pile that was bright scarlet. "I picked this one out for you," she told Rosamund, carrying it over and draping it around her friend's shoulders and neck. "Sidonie's lost in the boots," she told Thora with a laugh. "Just leave hers in her room."

"Thank you," Rosamund said, giving Liv a grin. "I'm not going to let you leave me behind, by the way," she said. "I'm going to make apprentice before flood season is done. Teph probably won't tell you, by the way," she continued. "But she tested up into Advanced Guild Law and History."

They were interrupted by Lambert and the kitchen maids, who brought up tray after tray of food and began to lay it out on the long table by the windows. "Your lady's maid informed us you'd returned, m'lady," the cook said, once he'd hustled the maids off. "We have quite a stock of deliveries for you built up over the last three weeks, and it was starting to crowd the cold storage. I hope you don't mind, but we've tried to use most of it up in something of a feast tonight."

"That actually sounds wonderful," Liv said. "I think we're going to have a full table. Thank you, Lambert."

The scent of dinner must have wafted into the bedrooms, for Teph's roommates, Helly and Florence, came out to join the others at the table. Even Sidonie put aside Liv's new enchanted boots once it became clear that everyone else was going to eat.

"Where's Edith?" Liv asked the other journeyman, with some trepidation. She hadn't seen their third roommate since she'd returned. All around her, the girls dug into the dishes: a steaming hot meat pie, fresh bread, roast rabbit over a bed of fried oysters, even a salad that included local sea weed. Every platter, bowl or dish included ingredients that burst on Liv's tongue with mana.

"Oh, you haven't heard?" Florence said, leaning forward with a grin, eager to share a bit of gossip. "She snagged herself a baron's son. Pelham, heir to Brackpool. It was announced at the ball after the coronation, right before everything went crazy. She won't be coming back."

Liv felt a bit badly: on the one hand, she was relieved. Edith hadn't been easy to deal with ever, and especially not since Liv had broken things off with Cade. She was also, if she was truthful with herself, glad to hear that the other girl's scheming to capture Cade for herself hadn't gone off. He deserved a better woman than that for a wife.

At the same time, she couldn't help wonder if there had been a way to make an actual friend of Edith, that Liv had missed somewhere along the way. "I hope she gets what she wants," Liv finally said, after thinking it over for a moment. "I hope it actually makes her happy."

"I lived with that girl for almost three years," Sidonie remarked. "I don't think I've seen her happy for more than half a bell that entire time. But I suppose anything's possible. Oh, before I forget," she said. Sidonie unbuckled her spellbook from the leather straps that kept it at her belt, opened the pages, and pulled out a sheaf of folded papers, which she held out to Liv.

"From Matthew and Triss," she explained. "I'm sorry they're a month old now; you should probably write back as soon as you can, before they begin to worry."

Liv put the letters aside until after the meal, handing them off to Thora. If she read them in front of everyone, that would be an invitation to questions, and she didn't know what sort of information Matthew might have included. It wouldn't surprise her if there was a note from Julianne tucked in there somewhere, as well, and that almost certainly would not be for public consumption.

Finally, with little left of the meal but crumbs, Liv bid Rosamund good evening, and retired to the sitting room she now shared with only Sidonie. Wren and Thora followed them in, taking seats as Liv closed the door. She considered the letters in her hand for a moment, but there was something more pressing she wanted to talk about first.

"Sidonie," Liv said. "Would you be willing to help me create an enchantment?"

The other girl's eyebrows lifted behind her spectacles, and she smiled. "Do you even have to ask?" Sidonie said. "Only, there's just a single word I've imprinted that you haven't, and I'm not certain what you'd need Ye for."

Liv shook her head. "No, but I do need your expertise. You're like a walking book when it comes to which families have which words. What would you use to hide something?"

"I guess that depends," Sidonie said, taking a seat on one of their chairs. "If it were troops for an ambush, I'd want something like Ve, maybe. You could call up a rainstorm or a blizzard. But that's one of the royal words. At night, you could use Ves, but it would stick out during the day."

"Something smaller," Liv said. She couldn't actually come out and tell Sidonie what she wanted. If Archmagus Loredan ever questioned her friend, Liv didn't want her to know anything that would get her in trouble. "Take those boots, for instance. If you wanted to make it so that no one noticed they were enchanted - but you don't care about the boots themselves being seen - how would you do that?"

"Sce," Sidonie answered, without hesitation. "The word of concealment. But I don't know where you could possibly get someone to help you with that, Liv."

"There isn't a family that has it?" she asked, frowning.

"Oh, there is," Sidonie said. "That's the problem. The Erskines, Barons of the Strand. They're directly under the royal family: they don't even really have lands, just an estate in Freeport. They're spies for the crown, Liv."

"Blood and shadows," Liv swore. Of course, the one thing she needed would be controlled by a family loyal to King Benedict. "I don't suppose any of them are students here?"

"Rowan Erskine, second year," Sidonie said. "I can introduce you to him, but I honestly can't imagine what you could possibly offer him to help you make something. Your adopted family just made a particularly unsubtle showing of consolidating their own faction at the coronation. He was there, he's going to know. It's his family's business to know."

Liv sighed. "I'm just going to have to get it somewhere else, then," she decided. "Thora, tomorrow I'm going to send you to Al'Fenthia."

The maid blinked. "M'lady?"

"I'll send you with a sealed letter," Liv said, "by waystone. I know that man who runs the city, I've done business with him before." Though it occurred to her that Airis Ka Reimis might not even be in the city any longer: she would have to write with the assumption that her letter might be opened by his wife, or a child. "I'll send you with a signed note to draw funds from the bankers' guild, too," Liv said.

"By myself?" Thora asked. "Wouldn't Wren be a better choice?"

"I can't go north," Wren said. "Most of them would like to hang me."

"Think of it as a shopping trip," Liv told her frightened maid. "All you have to do is bring my order, and transfer the funds. House Keria will take care of the rest, and they'll send you back by waystone. It's important, Thora. You could be saving my life by doing this."

Reluctantly, the maid nodded.