mind to…and
he sets a bad example for them young bucks that hang about him like the
pestilence too.”
The
young man frowned. “I’ll file a report, but I’d mind my tongue if I were
you….” The old man snorted. “Aye…but if you were me, you’d have little or
nothing to lose young ‘un… So would you still mind your tongue, or would you
start saying what everyone knows…that the Magus himself better watch his back
the way Strathorne is actin’?”
The
younger man smiled a little. “Trust me old man. The Magus has nothing to fear
from Strathorne, and he can keep him in line too…go file the report yourself
with Mr. Ainsley, his private secretary. The Magus can still keep the other
Greatlords in check, never fear.” He turned as Emma rushed up and gave a
slight bow. “Ethan Fain, at your service…” No title. He must be an
apprentice. Emma introduced them as the street venders worked to remove the
vestiges of the reckless coach. Mia wondered why the coach had been in such a
hurry.
“Why
yes, I think she could use a bit of a snack…” Mia’s focus snapped back to the
conversation. The young man smiled a little. “I’m a bit hungry myself, and
it’s almost tea time. There’s a sweet shop a block from here that you really
should try…if you don’t mind my escort?”
Emma
nodded. The healer was probably wondering if Mia was going into shock…but Mia
followed as Ethan showed them to a tiny shop. Emma chatted along the way about
Mia’s admission into the College and Ethan threw her several reassuring glances
as he let the older woman ramble on. The door was made of glass and it was
covered in steam as they entered. It smelled delicious. Mia smiled. The
tables were fashionably tiny, with barely enough room for the piled sweets. If
the tea hadn’t been served from a cart, they would have never been able to make
do.
Mia
focused on not spilling her tea as Emma carried the conversation. “So Ethan,
I’d guess you are in your last year as an apprentice?” The young man
smiled. “Yes ma’am. I’ve spent two years as special apprentice to the
Magus…but this year he’s loaning me out to Headmistress Villanova.” He took a
large bite of his pastry. He wasn’t kidding about being hungry. Emma took a
delicate sip of her tea and beamed at him. “That’s quite an honor. Do you
know what you’ll be doing for the headmistress?”
Ethan
nodded. “I’ll be teaching actually. Finding teachers with the proper
talents who aren’t desperately needed elsewhere has been a real
struggle…particularly in the area of Creation. The Magus decided that my
talents were better used at the college.” There was a lot of pride in his
voice…and no wonder. He was effectively getting to skip his final year of
apprenticeship.
“Have you picked up your
schedule Mia?”
She
nodded and dug the parchment out of her old brown bag, wishing suddenly that
she had bought something a little nicer to haul her books and things around
in. Ethan’s eyes widened as he read the parchment. “That’s a full
schedule. You’re going to have to work hard to keep up. You must have gotten
top marks when you raised the stones.”
Emma
beamed at her. “She raised all seventeen.” Mia tried to sink into her chair
to hide her blush. She really wished that people would stop looking at her
like that. Ethan seemed to sense her discomfort and took a large bite of his
second piece of cake.
The
subject turned to other things as Ethan quietly kept Emma’s attention while Mia
managed to stop blushing. Tea time came and went as they discussed art and
then history, where Mia found herself able to hold her own in the discussion,
though Ethan did make some points she was unfamiliar with. “You need to read
Gothart’s The Dragon
he sets a bad example for them young bucks that hang about him like the
pestilence too.”
The
young man frowned. “I’ll file a report, but I’d mind my tongue if I were
you….” The old man snorted. “Aye…but if you were me, you’d have little or
nothing to lose young ‘un… So would you still mind your tongue, or would you
start saying what everyone knows…that the Magus himself better watch his back
the way Strathorne is actin’?”
The
younger man smiled a little. “Trust me old man. The Magus has nothing to fear
from Strathorne, and he can keep him in line too…go file the report yourself
with Mr. Ainsley, his private secretary. The Magus can still keep the other
Greatlords in check, never fear.” He turned as Emma rushed up and gave a
slight bow. “Ethan Fain, at your service…” No title. He must be an
apprentice. Emma introduced them as the street venders worked to remove the
vestiges of the reckless coach. Mia wondered why the coach had been in such a
hurry.
“Why
yes, I think she could use a bit of a snack…” Mia’s focus snapped back to the
conversation. The young man smiled a little. “I’m a bit hungry myself, and
it’s almost tea time. There’s a sweet shop a block from here that you really
should try…if you don’t mind my escort?”
Emma
nodded. The healer was probably wondering if Mia was going into shock…but Mia
followed as Ethan showed them to a tiny shop. Emma chatted along the way about
Mia’s admission into the College and Ethan threw her several reassuring glances
as he let the older woman ramble on. The door was made of glass and it was
covered in steam as they entered. It smelled delicious. Mia smiled. The
tables were fashionably tiny, with barely enough room for the piled sweets. If
the tea hadn’t been served from a cart, they would have never been able to make
do.
Mia
focused on not spilling her tea as Emma carried the conversation. “So Ethan,
I’d guess you are in your last year as an apprentice?” The young man
smiled. “Yes ma’am. I’ve spent two years as special apprentice to the
Magus…but this year he’s loaning me out to Headmistress Villanova.” He took a
large bite of his pastry. He wasn’t kidding about being hungry. Emma took a
delicate sip of her tea and beamed at him. “That’s quite an honor. Do you
know what you’ll be doing for the headmistress?”
Ethan
nodded. “I’ll be teaching actually. Finding teachers with the proper
talents who aren’t desperately needed elsewhere has been a real
struggle…particularly in the area of Creation. The Magus decided that my
talents were better used at the college.” There was a lot of pride in his
voice…and no wonder. He was effectively getting to skip his final year of
apprenticeship.
“Have you picked up your
schedule Mia?”
She
nodded and dug the parchment out of her old brown bag, wishing suddenly that
she had bought something a little nicer to haul her books and things around
in. Ethan’s eyes widened as he read the parchment. “That’s a full
schedule. You’re going to have to work hard to keep up. You must have gotten
top marks when you raised the stones.”
Emma
beamed at her. “She raised all seventeen.” Mia tried to sink into her chair
to hide her blush. She really wished that people would stop looking at her
like that. Ethan seemed to sense her discomfort and took a large bite of his
second piece of cake.
The
subject turned to other things as Ethan quietly kept Emma’s attention while Mia
managed to stop blushing. Tea time came and went as they discussed art and
then history, where Mia found herself able to hold her own in the discussion,
though Ethan did make some points she was unfamiliar with. “You need to read
Gothart’s The Dragon
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