Kurgm’s breathing grew shallow. His gaze darted from Master Ekla, to Demndun, and back. They’d been caught. Of course they’d been caught. Master Ekla had probably known the second curfew had started that he wasn’t in the castle.

“He ratted on us!” Muwen said. “I knew it! Your boyfriend ratted us out!”

“Muwen, shut up,” Demndun said through clenched teeth.

How had Kurgm missed her footsteps? Of course, she was probably using a technique she hadn’t taught him yet. He glanced at Demndun, who had released his arm. She didn’t think he’d told her, did she?

“You four, march.”

Master Ekla waved them in front of her. Kurgm followed her orders immediately, but the others hesitated.

“If you’re thinking of running, I’ll save you some time. You can’t hide from us. And you will face consequences for your actions. Might as well get it over with.”

With a little more prompting from Master Ekla, the four of them started walking back toward the castle. She stayed behind them, her eyes burning a hole in the back of Kurgm’s head. Her gaze dared them to try something.

“I can’t believe you told her,” Demndun hissed, just loud enough for Kurgm to hear.

“I didn’t. I—”

“We’ve never been caught before, then the first time you come, your master finds us. I’m not stupid.”

“When you say ‘before’,” Master Ekla said, “do you mean a few times, or is this a regular occurrence?”

They both looked at Master Ekla, who must’ve been ten feet behind them. Too far to have heard them.

She’s using the same technique I was using. She’s waiting for us to give her more information.

Demndun didn’t talk to him the rest of the walk back. When they arrived, three people were waiting for them. Each one took another of his friends with them, leaving him alone with Master Ekla.

“What’s going to happen to them?”

“That’s not up to me.” She started walking. “I’m only responsible for you. Follow.”

He glanced behind him, but his friends were out of sight. He wished he could go after them and convince them this wasn’t his fault. Maybe it was his fault. Demndun was right. Master Ekla had been the one to find them. His master, no one else’s. She must’ve checked on him earlier. But why?

His mind jumped back to earlier in the library. Roshil had seen them. Had she said something? Why would she have said something?

Master Ekla brought him to an empty study room and closed the door behind them.

“You grew up in this castle. You were raised on obedience and loyalty to the court. The same man raised us, instilled the same values in us. What do you think Our Lord True Knight will say when I tell him that his ward broke curfew? Did you think of that when you stayed out? Did you think of anything except your girlfriend? No, you didn’t. You… you broke the rules on a whim!”

Kurgm fought the urge to slouch, to try and shrink into the background. Everything kept getting worse.

“There is no excuse for this! When Oshal said you’d had a fight with Demndun, I figured it couldn’t have been too bad, since I saw you two sitting together at dinner. But I thought ‘No, I’ll check on him just in case he wants to talk.’ Imagine my surprise when your thread led out of the castle!”

Kurgm had never seen Master Ekla so angry. She didn’t need to keep yelling at him; he was ashamed of himself enough already.

“I’m revoking your free reign privileges.”

“Yes, Master Ekla.”

“What were you thinking, staying out after curfew? Do you realize how dangerous the court can be at night?”

“I… I wanted to spend time with my friends.”

“The friends that pick on you. The friends that harass you. The friends that hate Apprentices Roshil and Nourd. I’m going to guess that your ‘friends’ have nothing nice to say about them. The same friends that pushed you into breaking the rules.” She sighed. “The court can’t be everywhere at once. At night, we walk around and check on people, but there’s plenty that goes on that we can’t stop. That’s why there are places apprentices aren’t allowed to go without supervision. It’s not as bad in the day, but they’re all more active at night. It’s dangerous. You could’ve been killed.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

“You were listening for me.”

Kurgm shuffled his feet. “Yes.”

“That wasn’t a question, but thank you for being honest. I followed you four for a little while before making myself known. I heard you tell them you were listening. You were helping them avoid a patrol. You’re more than just an unwitting victim, you’re an accomplice.”

Not knowing what else to do, Kurgm nodded.

“How were they going to get back inside?”

“There’s…” Kurgm hated saying anything else, but what choice did he have? Were they even still his friends? Maybe he shouldn’t say anything else.

“Forge, school, gardens, library, temples. No one would risk sneaking in or out through the gardens, not under His Majesty’s nose, plus several dozen druids. The forge is the second most secure facility in the court. The library is locked up after curfew to avoid theft. So it has to be either one of the temples or the school.”

“I… I…”

“Fine. I expect you to tell me tomorrow. Go to your room and get some rest. You still don’t have free reign privileges.”

“Yes, Master Ekla.”

He started to leave, then stopped. His free reign privileges had just been revoked.

“Does that start now?”

“Yes, it does.”

Master Ekla walked out of the room and led him back to the north tower.

“Good night, Apprentice Kurgm.”

“Good night, Master Ekla.”

As he threw his pack in his room, he thought of the look of betrayal on his friends’ faces. Were they even still his friends? After that night, did he still have friends?

#VolumeFour #BreakingTheRules

Kurgm ate alone at breakfast. He tried talking to Demndun, but she refused to so much as look at him. He didn’t want to admit to the others that he’d broken the rules the way he had. They’d find out eventually. There was no stopping it. But he wanted to put it off for as long as he could.

Master Ekla escorted him to class. He sat among his friends, but they ignored him. They wouldn’t listen to him, no matter how many times he tried to tell them that he hadn’t done anything. They didn’t believe him.

“I trusted you,” Demndun said after class. “I liked you. I thought… No. I was wrong. We’re done.”

Kurgm couldn’t breathe. His face felt hot, and he wanted to slip away. He wanted to run, but there was nowhere to which he could run. No escape. He was all alone in the world.

When he left class, Master Ekla wasn’t waiting for him. His former friends’ masters were there waiting for them, all talking with Lord Velal. The four of them laughed, then straightened up when they noticed the apprentices.

“Hello, Apprentice Kurgm,” Lord Velal said.

“Hello, My Lord.” Kurgm bowed as Lord Velal himself had taught him to do at a young age.

“Please, come with me.”

Kurgm didn’t want to think about what Demndun would think about him being retrieved by Lord Velal. Was he in more trouble?

“Where’s Master Ekla?”

“She’s busy at the moment, and asked if I’d be kind enough to fetch you. Don’t worry, you’re not in more trouble. In fact, I’d like to discuss what happened last night. Master Ekla told me what she knows, but I was hoping to hear your side of the story.”

“I stayed out after curfew with my… well, they were my friends. They’re not anymore.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. How did them asking you to stay out after curfew make you feel?”

Kurgm tried to remember that night. It hadn’t even been a day, but it felt like weeks. The time he’d spent with Daylarl yesterday felt like years ago. Everyone had been so happy then.

“I don’t know. Confused. Scared. A little sick.”

“I see. Have Apprentices Roshil or Sirshi ever asked you to break the rules?”

“What? No, of course not. I mean, Roshil… well, I mean, I don’t think she’s broken the rules since the incident with the bracelet, and Sirshi doesn’t break the rules. At least, not rules set down by Master Moudren.” Kurgm frowned for a moment, then straightened his face. “Why?”

“I can’t imagine Apprentice Aonva or Oshal breaking rules, unless as an unwitting accomplice to Apprentice Roshil, who I believe knows better than to put them at risk. Apprentice Nourd doesn’t tend to ask anything of anyone. Have any of them asked you to do something that made you uncomfortable?”

Kurgm had to think about it. He couldn’t think of a single time the others had made him uncomfortable. Roshil was… well, Roshil. The most annoyed she’d be about him skipping curfew was either not inviting her, or getting caught. Aonva would be terrified for him, Oshal would ask if he was okay, Nourd would try empathy again (he was getting good at it), and Sirshi would listen without saying anything, so long as she was working. He liked what a good listener Sirshi was.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“I know you cared for Apprentice Demndun, but as you struggle with your feelings for her, remember that she and her friends pushed you into doing something that made you uncomfortable. Whereas Apprentices Oshal, Roshil, Sirshi, Aonva, and Nourd would not. While they cannot fill the hole that Apprentice Demndun will have left, they can provide stability and trust.”

Kurgm nodded. Yesterday had been great until he’d seen Demndun. Daylarl treated them all like they were family. Roshil was warming up to Kurgm being around more often. Maybe he could spend more time with them.

They arrived at one of the practice rooms, where Master Ekla was waiting for them.

“Thank you again, My Lord,” she said, bowing.

“It was my pleasure, Master Ekla.” Lord Velal looked at them both. “Both of you, remember what we talked about.”

They all bowed to each other, then Lord Velal left.

Master Ekla waited for Lord Velal to leave, then closed the door.

“There are reasons apprentices aren’t allowed out after curfew,” she said. “Weaver dens find new victims by weaving happiness into people walking by. When they leave, they can’t experience something like it again, so they go back. They might get another hit for free, but then they start having to pay. They can’t focus, they can’t do anything else. Sometimes they only collapse from an overdose. Something like that happened to… never mind. But sometimes their mind can’t take it, and they don’t wake up.”

“I didn’t know.”

“You’ll be learning about them soon. Then there’s the illegal trading of wands. You remember what those are?”

“A wand is a magical device that fires a beam of concentrated heat.”

“Exactly. All it takes is a word, and you could die. That’s why the court destroys any it finds. No matter what the circumstances, that kind of force should never be used. There are those that don’t agree with that, but the court’s stance on it remains the same. But people can make a lot of money selling wands, so they’ll do that where people can’t find them. And under the cover of night. If you stumble upon a trade on accident, you’ll disappear. Your body will be found, if at all, by a druid sensing it in the river, with a hole burned through it.”

“I… I didn’t know. Um… my… they’re not my friends anymore, they made that clear today in class. But… they were going to get back in through the school. They said one of the doors is always unlocked.”

“Thank you. We’ll have to check the staff. It’s possible someone’s getting paid to leave it unlocked. It could be an apprentice from a rich family, or it could be a kidnapping ring subtly encouraging apprentices to break curfew.”

“That happens?”

“Unfortunately. It’s not common, but… there are apprentices that people might want to get their hands on.”

They stood in silence for a time. How had his life gone so wrong? Everything had been fine before.

“I’m sorry about all of this,” Master Ekla said. “And about Apprentice Demndun. I know how much you liked her.”

Kurgm nodded. He wanted to go back to his room and sleep for the rest of the day. And maybe the next.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he said. “I… I didn’t meant to.”

“I know. I forgive you.” She sat down and patted the ground next to her. “Come on, little brother.”

Kurgm laughed as he sat down with her. “You haven’t called me ‘little brother’ since I was eight years old.”

They laughed together for a moment. Kurgm felt a little of the pressure of the last day leave him.

“Your friends are worried about you,” Master Ekla said. “Apprentices Aonva and Oshal found me today to ask about you. I didn’t tell them what happened, I’ll leave that up to you. But you should tell them. They’ll be worried about you. Well, most of them will be.”

“Sirshi won’t care,” he said, smiling. “I’ll get a few words into telling them, and she’ll tell me how she doesn’t care. She doesn’t mind if I keep talking, though. She keeps telling me to keep talking.”

Master Ekla smiled at him. “She’s probably being sarcastic.”

Kurgm thought of all the times he’d talked with Sirshi at the Temple of the Rising Sun. Had she been being sarcastic when she would respond?

“I don’t think I can tell when someone’s being sarcastic.”

“You’ll get the hang of it. And you’ll find someone better than Apprentice Demndun.”

“Thanks. I was raised by the best.”

“Our Lord True Knight is pretty great. And so were your parents.” She stood up. “Alright, enough sitting around. Today, you’re learning how to use your ki to move quietly. I have personally made good use of it recently.”

Kurgm stood up and adjusted his glasses. He didn’t have many friends, and he no longer had a girlfriend, but maybe Master Ekla was right. Maybe he’d find someone better. Until then, at least he knew he had good friends.

#VolumeFour #BreakingTheRules

Many Years Ago

“Apprentice Ekla.”

Ekla picked up her head. The library came into focus as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Had she fallen asleep studying? How had she fallen asleep? Wasn’t someone supposed to wake her up if she fell asleep? Where was the librarian?

Someone had woken her up. Who was talking? She blinked to clear her eyes, then focused on the person in front of her.

“My Lady!”

Ekla jumped to her feet and stood at attention for Lady Enrakal.

Stop panicking. Her father’s voice echoed in her mind. Even when he wasn’t around, she could feel his disapproval with every mistake she made. She had to be perfect, and being perfect meant not worrying about anything.

“My apologies,” she said, her voice calm and smooth.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Lady Enrakal smiled at her. Something was wrong with her smile. It wasn’t forced or condescending. Was she that good at faking it? No one had ever smiled at Ekla before she’d started her apprenticeship. Her father always said smiling was for the lower class.

Ekla waited for her to continue. A child wasn’t to speak unless spoken to, and was certainly not allowed to have opinions, which caused a lot of confusion when Master Velal asked her how she felt. She still wasn’t sure she fully understood the question.

“Master Velal was worried that you might’ve been doing some late night practicing. He says you push yourself too hard.”

Ekla didn’t push herself too hard, she didn’t push herself hard enough. She wasn’t perfect yet, and she had to be perfect.

“You don’t have to be perfect,” Lady Enrakal said. “No matter what your father’s told you. You’re also allowed to express yourself. In fact, I encourage you to do so. It can be good to let your feelings out sometimes.”

“What? Don’t talk to me like I have a problem! I’m fine!”

“My apologies if I’ve offended you.” Lady Enrakal’s smile never faltered. How was she staying so pleasant? “I don’t think you have a problem. I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”

“Father doesn’t think so,” Ekla muttered.

“Then your father doesn’t know what he’s missing.” She started collecting the books. “I’ll help you put these away, then we’ll walk to the north tower together.”

Ekla didn’t understand what was happening. If her father had caught her like this, she didn’t want to imagine the punishment. But Lady Enrakal was helping her. No one had ever helped Ekla. She’d had to do everything on her own.

“Thank you, My Lady.”

“It’s my pleasure, Apprentice Ekla.”

---

Present Day

Ekla smiled at the two sleeping apprentices in the library. Roshil was using an open book as a pillow, while Aonva had at least managed not to fall asleep on one of the books they were reading. She tried thinking of a way to wake them up that wouldn’t send Aonva into a panic, but that didn’t seem possible.

“Apprentice Roshil.”

“You can’t prove anything,” Roshil mumbled. “Was always like that.”

Ekla closed her eyes and counted to five. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

“Apprentice Roshil,” she repeated, nudging Roshil’s shoulder.

“What?” Roshil picked up her head. “I didn’t do it. You can’t prove anything.” She blinked as it sank in that she was in the library. “Oh. What time is it?”

“Past curfew,” Ekla said. “I happened to be in the area and did a sweep of the library.”

She hoped neither of them would realize that it wasn’t her job to do so, nor that it was unlikely that she would’ve happened to be there on the exact night they fell asleep. She certainly hadn’t been anxious after Kurgm had slipped out with his so-called friends.

Roshil reached over and rested her hand on Aonva’s shoulder.

“Aonva. We fell asleep.”

Aonva mumbled something incoherent and lifted her head.

“What time is it?”

Aonva blinked and rubbed her eyes. She stared for a moment, then stood up so fast that she knocked over her chair.

“Master Ekla, we… um… I… we didn’t… did we miss curfew?”

“You’re not in trouble,” Ekla said, keeping her voice low and calm. “You two have been working too hard again. Just make sure you’re taking better care of yourselves.”

Roshil stood up, closing the books.

“Isn’t breaking curfew against the rules?” she asked conversationally. “Like, lose-your-free-reign-privileges against the rules?”

“Have you been talking to Apprentice Kurgm?” Ekla asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yup,” Roshil said, picking up some books. “Are we allowed to check these out, or do we have to put them back? Unless we can leave them here.”

Aonva gathered up as many books as she could, dropping a few in the process.

“We’ll put them back right now,” she said. “I’m so sorry. We lost track of time, and I was so tired, I just rested my eyes for a moment.”

“She was asleep,” Roshil said, “and I was tired.”

Ekla stooped down to help Aonva. “You’re not in trouble. There’s a difference between breaking curfew with intent, and breaking it because you fell asleep in the library. That happens more than you’d think.”

“So we can sleep here?” Roshil asked.

“I’ve changed my mind. Apprentice Aonva, you’re not in trouble.”

“Roshil, stop antagonizing her,” Aonva said as she stood back up. “You shouldn’t be talking to a master like that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ekla said as they started putting the books away. “I shouldn’t be here in the first place. Master Juoura should be patrolling the library, not me. Although, the librarian usually lets the regulars stay a little late.”

“Right,” Aonva said. “I remember her telling us not to stay too much later. It was almost curfew, and… I can’t remember anything after that.”

“You drifted off,” Roshil said. “You were tired, so I let you rest. Then I… didn’t want to leave you.”

“You should’ve woken me up.”

“I tried, but you were already asleep.”

“Don’t worry about it, you two. Let’s put these back, and get you two to the north tower.”

They put the books back and left the library. Ekla was happy to see them getting along so well. She wished she’d had a friend like either of them when she was their age. Someone to talk to. Someone to spend time with. Someone that had her back. Someone that made them feel perfect the way they were.

“Good night, you two,” Ekla said when they reached the north tower. “Never forget how lucky you are to have each other.”

The girls looked at one another. Aonva smiled. Roshil grinned.

“We won’t,” Roshil said. “Good night, Master Ekla.”

“Good night, Master Ekla.”

“Good night.”

#VolumeFour #BreakingTheRules

“Master Indyur will be visiting today. She’s the head priest of Torpn’s temple. I expect you to be courteous to her.”

“Yes, Master Moudren.”

Sirshi didn’t recall meeting Master Indyur before. The priests from other temples often visited them. It was Master Moudren’s job to escort visiting priests around the temple, and host them while they stayed. It was another part of the job that sounded tedious to Sirshi.

“I know you won’t let me down. Still, Master Indyur can be a little difficult. If you need to excuse yourself during her visit, feel free.”

Sirshi had been present for many visiting priests, but Master Moudren had never given her permission to leave in the middle of one those visits. How “difficult” could a head priest be?

“What do you mean ‘difficult’?”

“I mean, she often tries my patience. If she’s difficult for me to handle… well, I don’t want you doing something you’ll regret later.”

Sirshi nodded, and reminded herself that this wasn’t the same as one of her parents telling her to stay in her room because she was too much of an embarrassment to be allowed around company. As far as most of her parents’ guests knew, Sirshi was the sickliest child in the court.

“I understand.”

“I’m glad we have that out of the way. Carry on.”

That afternoon, Master Indyur arrived. She strode into the temple, looking down her nose at everything. Her spotless robes glittered in the sunlight.

“Master Indyur,” Master Moudren said. “Welcome to our temple.”

“Master Moudren.” She looked at Sirshi. “Is this all? In Torpn, we have a welcoming party to greet important priests.”

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t important.” Master Moudren motioned to Sirshi. “This is Apprentice Sirshi.”

Sirshi bowed. “It’s nice to meet you, Master Indyur.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Master Indyur turned her attention to the statue. “You still have that old thing? I thought you would’ve gotten rid of it years ago. It was a relic when I was an apprentice here.”

“That statue has been here for generations,” Master Moudren said. “It’s part of this temple’s history.”

Master Indyur approached the statue. She eyed it as if resisting the urge to sweep a finger over it to check for dust.

Sirshi took a deep breath. This woman was starting to get on her nerves.

Master Indyur turned her attention to the windows next. “When did you last have those replaced?”

“Last year. Our Lord High Artisan and his apprentice did it themselves.”

“Really? And they went with those windows? Could they not make nicer ones?”

Sirshi clenched and unclenched her hands in her robe.

“I’m sure they did what they thought was best.”

Unlike Sirshi, Master Moudren showed no signs of frustration. Her composure was calm and careful, her tone pleasant.

“Well.” Master Indyur returned her gaze to Master Moudren. “There’s no shame in being second best, I suppose.”

Keep breathing. She has to leave eventually.

“Quite.” Master Moudren used a tone Sirshi had never heard before. For a moment, her tone lost some of its pleasantness.

While this was going on, people milled about the chamber (“The chamber in Torpn is bigger, but I suppose we have to hold more people.”). Sirshi was so focused on keeping her temper that she didn’t notice when a few pairs of footsteps stopped next to her.

“What is that?”

Sirshi and Master Moudren turned around to find a pair of frightened girls.

“We didn’t mean to interrupt,” Aonva said, her voice shaking. “We were looking for Sirshi.”

Despite her trembling, Aonva didn’t avert her gaze. She and Roshil stood at attention and waited.

“Never mind what you were doing,” Master Indyur said, settling her sights on Roshil. “What are you doing here?”

“The Temple of the Rising Sun welcomes all people,” Master Moudren said, stepping directly between Master Indyur and the girls.

“That thing is hardly a person.”

“What did you say?” Sirshi screamed. “Her name is Apprentice Roshil, and she’s my friend! No one talks to her like that!”

Aonva shrank behind Roshil, whose eyes darted between Master Moudren and Master Indyur.

“How dare you talk to me that way!”

“Enough!” Master Moudren turned Aonva and Roshil. “I’m afraid now isn’t a good time. I’ll send Apprentice Sirshi to you when we’re finished.”

The girls nodded, then bowed. Without saying another word, they left the temple.

“If she ever stepped foot into the temple at Torpn—”

“We aren’t at Torpn, are we?” Master Moudren snapped, keeping her voice down. “I can accept that you think your temple is better than ours, but you clearly still have a lot to learn.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Not even His Majesty would ever speak to or of an apprentice of the court like that. Apprentice Roshil is welcome here any time. Her brother is a valued member of this temple, and Apprentice Sirshi, my apprentice, is her friend. Further, she has touched up every statue, every window, every chip in the floor of this temple. She has done an excellent job, and if you have complaints about her work, you are free to take it up with her master, Our Lord High Artisan. Do I make myself clear?”

For once, Master Indyur had nothing to say. She stood stalk still, eyeing Master Moudren.

“Do I make myself clear?” Master Moudren repeated.

“Yes.”

“Olmgra does not care how shiny the floors are. She does not care how big her statues are. If it doesn’t matter to her, then it doesn’t matter to us. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to have a word with my apprentice.”

Sirshi froze. She’d liked it better when Master Moudren had been tearing into Master Indyur. Now, it was her turn.

“You’ve made it very clear,” Master Indyur said, “that not only do you not run a good temple, but your ability to teach an apprentice falls short as well.”

Master Moudren’s glare an Master Indyur hardened, but Master Indyur smirked.

“How many times has your apprentice had outbursts? Enough that you weren’t shocked by this one. No, I’d say this happens quite a lot. I will be bringing up these concerns with Our Lady Exalted Priest. Good day.”

Still smirking, Master Indyur turned and strode out of the temple.

Sirshi opened her mouth, but Master Moudren shot her a glare.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said. “When I told you to excuse yourself, I meant it. I know you—” She cut herself off and took a breath. “Disputes between masters happen often. Even one questioning another’s ability to teach an apprentice. But you just screamed at another master of the court in front of a crowd. Again.”

When was the first— oh, right, Ekla. She doesn’t count.

Master Moudren led Sirshi to her office, then closed the door. Even Sirshi could see the worry on her face.

“What’s going to happen?” Sirshi asked.

“She’ll use these incidents to show that I shouldn’t be your master. Or possibly anyone’s master.”

Sirshi was horrified. This couldn’t be happening. Not again. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her hand.

“She can’t do that,” Sirshi said, barely holding back a scream.

“She can. But we can argue our case. I will prepare for a meeting with Our Lady Exalted Priest. With luck, I can stop this from going any further. But I’ll need you to talk to your friends. You’ll need people that can vouch for your character. It might not be much, but every little bit helps.”

Sirshi nodded. She wanted to scream, but was wise enough to know that now was a bad time.

“We’ll figure this out,” Master Moudren said. “For now, take some time off to relax. I’ll see you soon.”

Sirshi bowed to Master Moudren, then left the Temple of the Rising Sun. She couldn’t lose Master Moudren, could she? No, she couldn’t. If she did, it’d be all her fault.

#VolumeFour #AssigningBlame

Sirshi left the temple, heading for the library. There were only so many places Roshil and Aonva would be, and the library was the most likely. Hopefully, they’d still be there, and she wouldn’t have to look harder for them.

What would’ve happened if they hadn’t shown up in the temple? Master Indyur was annoying, but until then, Sirshi had kept it together. If they hadn’t shown up, Sirshi would still be at the temple. She’d be having a normal day. Everything would be fine. Didn’t that make this their fault?

No, it’s Master Indyur’s fault. She’s the one that started all of this. This is all her fault.

The more Sirshi thought about it, the angrier she got. Why did Master Indyur visit if she hated it so much? Why couldn’t she have stayed in Torpn and left Sirshi and Master Moudren alone?

What would happen if Sirshi had to change masters? Would she be back with Master Daktra? He was in the Temple of the Known Shadow, where she didn’t want to be. It was always so dark inside. There were other priests in the Temple of the Rising Sun. Would she be stuck with one of them? She didn’t want to be with one of them. She wanted to be with Master Moudren.

She walked into the library, then realized she had no idea where in the library Roshil and Aonva would be. Why did everyone have to keep making her day more difficult?

The librarian whose name Sirshi couldn’t remember looked up at her as she walked in.

“Second floor, back corner near the advanced magic section. Look for a nest of books.”

“Thanks,” Sirshi grumbled, then walked up the flight of stairs to the second floor of the library. Of course they hung out as far from the entrance as they could get. Wasn’t that what they always did? Stayed as far away from other people as they could? Why did they have to go into the temple? Why couldn’t they have stayed away like they always did? And how did the librarian know she was looking for Roshil and Aonva?

Sure enough, Sirshi found the girls huddled in a corner, with books spread out around them. No one else was anywhere near them, almost like everyone was avoiding them. Which they probably were doing.

Roshil was rubbing Aonva’s back. Aonva was trembling and mumbling something.

“Hi,” Sirshi said.

Roshil flashed her a crooked smile. Aonva looked up at her, and Sirshi saw tears in her eyes.

“Master Indyur’s horrible,” Sirshi said, sitting down across from them. “Why does she get to have her own temple? She’s so stuck up. She reminds me way too much of my parents. And all their friends. And Ekla used to be like that too.”

“We didn’t mean to bother you.” Aonva’s voice was soft. “We had an idea for organizing the books in the library.”

“I thought you might want to help,” Roshil said. “If nothing else, it’d mean we’d be spending a lot of time here, and you could fend people off when they bothered us. I thought you might enjoy that.”

Getting to scare away people that bothered her friends sounded exactly like something Sirshi wanted to do. She could start with Master Indyur, then that guy that nearly got Aonva in trouble for cheating, and that one master artisan that kept calling Roshil a monster. Sirshi had a long list of people she didn’t like.

“Master Indyur threatened to get Master Moudren in trouble after I yelled at her.”

“In trouble for what?” Roshil asked. “Master Moudren’s the best. Well, actually, Master Grund’s the best, but Master Moudren’s nice too.”

“Because I guess I’m not supposed to yell at masters,” Sirshi said. “And yelling at my sister counts, and Master Indyur is going to tell Our Lady Exalted Priest that Master Moudren is doing a terrible job of being my master.”

“That probably means a hearing,” Aonva said. “You and Master Moudren are the defendants, Master Indyur is the one bringing the complaint. Master Indyur has enough evidence to start a full hearing. Calling a master into question is important, so everything’s going to happen fast. They’ll probably talk to Master Ekla too, since she was involved in the last incident. Probably Master Daktra, since he was your original master. We can provide our testimonies supporting you, but apprentice testimonies don’t usually weigh as much as a master’s testimony.”

“I’ll talk to Master Grund. He’ll figure this out.”

“No, he can’t,” Aonva said. “This is up to Our Lady Exalted Priest. He can vouch for Sirshi, but he doesn’t know her very well. Neither does Our Lady Arch Mage, otherwise I could talk to her.”

“Won’t Our Lady Exalted Priest take over Sirshi’s apprenticeship? Like Master Grund did after Master Udra messed up mine?”

“Who cares? I don’t want anyone else taking over my apprenticeship.”

“That’s not necessarily what would happen. It’d be up to Our Lady Exalted Priest.”

Sirshi had only met Lady Runslo a few times. She always looked like she was in a different conversation, like her mind was in another kingdom. Sirshi wasn’t sure she liked her, but she didn’t dislike her either. But she wanted to keep Master Moudren as her master. What if Lady Runslo put her with Master Indyur?

“Yet another adult deciding my life for me,” Sirshi growled. “I’m so sick of this!”

“I’m sorry,” Aonva said. “If we hadn’t been there, this wouldn’t be happening.”

“If Master Indyur weren’t horrible, this wouldn’t be happening,” Sirshi said. How was someone like Master Indyur even a master?

“What can we do to fix this?” Roshil asked.

“We can’t do much,” Aonva said. “Sirshi, you might want to talk to Master Daktra and Master Ekla. I’m sure she’ll understand, though. She’s your sister.”

She’d barely talked to Ekla in the past year. She’d barely seen Master Daktra since Master Moudren took her on as an apprentice. Now they held her future in their hands. Them, Master Indyur, and Lady Runslo. No, not just her future, Master Moudren’s future. Sirshi had lost her temper, and Master Moudren was paying for it.

“Thanks. Are you two alright?”

“We’re used to it,” Roshil said. “People are mean to us all the time.”

Sirshi turned her attention to Aonva. Her eyes were still puffy, but she didn’t see any tears.

“I’ll be alright. It was a lot for me. I don’t like yelling.”

“Oh.” Sirshi was sure she already knew that, but suddenly she felt bad about yelling around Aonva. She needed to yell less around her. Why did she feel bad about it now? Because she’d found her friend crying? Whatever the case, she had to get better.

“I’ll start talking to people I guess,” she said. “Thanks for your help, I guess.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Roshil said, smiling.

“Yeah. Friends.”

She had to go find and talk to Masters Daktra and Ekla. She didn’t know where to start searching, but dinner was approaching. Maybe she could talk to them when she got there. She didn’t want to, but it had to be done. It was for Master Moudren. And Sirshi would do anything for her.

#VolumeFour #AssigningBlame

When Sirshi got to the great hall for dinner, she didn’t see her sister or Master Daktra. She didn’t think she was that early, but she did spot Kurgm sitting in their usual spot. Roshil and Aonva went ahead of her and took seats. Sirshi sighed, then followed them and sat down.

“What have you three been up to today?” Kurgm asked.

Roshil and Aonva looked at Sirshi before answering.

“What happened?” Kurgm asked, his glance moving between the three of them. “Did Sirshi punch someone? Did I miss it?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Sirshi said, her temper rising. “Master Indyur started it.”

“You punched a master?” Kurgm said, his voice a little louder than she would’ve liked.

“She didn’t punch anyone,” Roshil said. “She just yelled a bit.”

“She deserved it after the way she was talking about you two!”

“What she say?” Kurgm asked. “How bad could it have been?”

“She called Roshil a thing,” Sirshi hissed. “She said she was ‘hardly a person’.”

“Who said that?”

Oshal took a seat with them, his sightless gaze fixed on Sirshi.

“Master Indyur,” Sirshi growled. “She’s visiting from Torpn.”

Oshal’s gaze moved to his sister. There were times Sirshi wished she had family like Oshal. He was always so nice to Roshil. Were normal families like that? Did they actually care about each other?

“Is everyone okay?” Oshal asked. “Master Moudren must’ve handled it, right?”

“Master Moudren’s capability as a master has been called into question,” Aonva said. “Master Indyur took it to Our Lady Exalted Priest earlier. They’ll likely be holding a hearing in the next few days.”

Sirshi explained the rest of the situation to them, trying not to lose her temper any more than she already had. Just the thought that some stuck up woman could stride in and declare that Sirshi couldn’t be Master Moudren’s apprentice anymore was enough to make her want to scream.

“I’m sure it will be okay,” Oshal said after she’d finished. “You’ve gotten a lot better. Our Lady Exalted Priest will see that.”

“We can go to the hearing too, right?” Kurgm asked. “For moral support.”

Before she could answer, they were interrupted by the officers entering the great hall. Everyone stood up as they took their seats. Before everyone sat down again, Sirshi caught a glimpse of her sister.

“I need to talk to my sister,” she said. “Master Moudren thinks it might help if she’s on our side.”

“Of course she’s on our side,” Kurgm said. “She’ll back you up.”

“Yeah, sure she will,” Sirshi said. “We’ll skip happily through fields of flowers holding hands because we’re such good sisters.”

“I don’t know about that,” Kurgm said. “I can’t really imagine her holding hands with anyone. Or skipping. Even being happy. She smiles sometimes, but I’m not sure I’d ever describe her as ‘happy’.”

Despite Kurgm having completely missed her sarcasm again, she did agree that she’d never seen Ekla happy. Maybe it was just their family that was never happy.

“I need her and Master Daktra, my old master.” She glanced around the great hall. “Where is he? He was always scolding me whenever I missed a meal.”

“He’s on assignment,” Oshal said. “I heard about it from someone at the Temple of the Known Shadow.”

“So we won’t have a chance to talk to him before the hearing,” Aonva said.

It was just Sirshi’s luck that he wasn’t there. Nothing had gone right.

“We should talk to Master Ekla now,” Oshal said. “Let her know what happened.”

“So she can lecture me?” Sirshi said. “Tell me how I need to control my temper, something something something, be perfect like me, something something something.”

“But if you don’t,” Kurgm said, “what happens to you and Master Moudren?”

Sirshi started to yell at him, but realized he had a point. She had to suck it up and take whatever lecture her sister gave her. If she didn’t, Ekla might never agree to help her, and Sirshi needed Ekla’s help.

Sirshi turned around to go talk to her sister, but Ekla was already making her way over to them.

“Hello, you five. Enjoying your dinner?”

Sirshi glared at her sister, then at her friends. Why was her sister suddenly with them?

“So far,” Oshal said. “I think the chicken was better yesterday, though. It’s a little dry today.”

“It’d be easier to cut if I could tear it off with my teeth,” Roshil muttered, glaring at her fork and knife.

Ekla sat down next to Kurgm, putting her across from Sirshi.

“Apprentice Aonva said you wanted to talk to me.”

Sirshi glared at Aonva, who avoided her gaze.

“Thank you, Aonva,” Oshal said. “I hadn’t thought of that. That saved us some time.”

Roshil beamed at Aonva as Sirshi explained once again the situation she was in. Every time she tried skirting around the details, Kurgm would fill them in.

“It’s hardly fair that they’re holding yelling at me against you,” Ekla said. “It’s not the same as yelling at some random master you meet. We’re sisters, and unlike these two,” she pointed to Oshal and Roshil, “we don’t get along that well.”

“Can’t you tell Master Indyur that?” Kurgm asked.

“Master Indyur started this, but I doubt we’re going to be able to change her mind. After the way she talked to Apprentices Roshil and Aonva, I’m not eager to talk to her at all. Our Lady Exalted Priest is the one with whom we need to speak. Which we won’t be able to do before the hearing. It doesn’t sound like this is going to be resolved behind closed doors like most disputes between masters. There is evidence that you aren’t being properly taught manners, despite being in your fourth year, approaching your fifth.”

“My manners are fine!”

Ekla stared at her. It wasn’t a condescending stare, it wasn’t a glare, it was a regular stare. And she kept staring. It made Sirshi uncomfortable, enough so that she settled down a little.

“Sorry,” she grumbled.

“Even Apprentice Roshil’s table manners have improved,” Ekla continued.

Roshil said something that was lost through her mouthful of food.

“Arguably,” Ekla said with a sigh. “My point is, there’s no avoiding the hearing. Master Moudren has the most experience with you, but your friends and teachers will also be giving their opinions, as well as the other priests in the temple. I don’t know how much help I can be. True, I was the first incident, but I don’t have a lot of experience with you now. Actually, I’m not allowed to be around you alone, because I might set you off.”

Sirshi frowned. This was news to her. She must’ve been around Ekla recently. Ekla came to get Kurgm after meals all the time. And pick him up from temple. Although, Master Moudren was always with them. And her friends were with them at meals, as they were now. When was the last time she was alone with Ekla?

“So you can’t help,” Sirshi said. “Talking to you was pointless.”

“But now we know she’s on our side,” Kurgm said. “Right?”

“I’ll do what I can,” Ekla said. “I think you’re a good priest, and Master Moudren is good for you. If they try and move you now, especially with your fifth-year assignment coming up, you’ll resent your new master, and it won’t go well for anyone.”

“Our Lady Exalted Priest will think of that too,” Oshal said. “Everything will be okay.”

“What he said,” Kurgm said. “The court won’t separate you two this late into your apprenticeship.”

“If Our Lady Exalted Priest decides something,” Roshil said, “there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“I’m sure she won’t,” Aonva said quickly, nudging Roshil. “I mean, she won’t do anything bad.”

“Whatever happens,” Kurgm said, “we’re your friends. We’ll stick by you no matter what.”

Ekla smiled at him. Maybe she did get happy sometimes.

Sirshi liked the thought of her friends sticking by her. But just having friends wouldn’t get Master Moudren back if Lady Runslo decided Sirshi needed a different master. She didn’t want another master. She wanted Master Moudren. It wasn’t fair.

Ekla stood up.

“Before I go, there’s one thing you need to do if you want this to go your way. It’s the last thing any of us want you to do, but you’ll need to do it.”

Sirshi narrowed her eyes at her sister.

“What?”

“You’re going to have to apologize to Master Indyur.”

“I’m not apologizing to that stuck up—”

“Before you say something you shouldn’t,” Ekla said, “apologizing is best way to show you’re improving. It might not work entirely, but it’s necessary.”

Before Sirshi could raise her voice, Ekla returned to her table, leaving Sirshi to grapple with her words.

If you don’t, what happens to you and Master Moudren?

Kurgm’s words from earlier returned to Sirshi’s head. He was right. Just like with talking to her sister, she had to suck it up and apologize. Not just for herself, but for Master Moudren. This was her fault, and she had to fix it.

It had better be enough.

#VolumeFour #AssigningBlame

Master Moudren led Sirshi to the second floor of the castle. On her first day, Master Daktra had told her that apprentices weren’t allowed on the second floor without a master present. It was full of administrative rooms about which apprentices didn’t need to worry.

It didn’t look that special. They walked down a corridor with doors on it, just like the corridors on the first floor. But she still felt a creeping sense of dread, made worse by the eerie silence.

“Remember,” Master Moudren said in a low voice, “do not speak unless spoken to. Be respectful to everyone. Keep your voice down. Deep breaths. Do whatever you have to do to remain calm.”

“Yes, Master Moudren.”

Despite her fury toward Master Indyur, the weight of the situation was getting to her. She hoped her friends would be there, which itself was a strange feeling. Yet, thinking of them made Sirshi feel a little better about it.

When they rounded a corner, Sirshi saw Master Indyur and Lady Runslo waiting for them. The slightest hint of a smirk from Master Indyur made her blood boil, but she forced herself to stay calm.

Lady Runslo’s eyes were half open, as they were every time Sirshi had seen her. Her hair was cut close on one side, but fell almost to her shoulders on the other, a style which Sirshi liked, if only because it annoyed her parents. Her tan skin stuck out, but being from Alforn never seemed to bother her. In fact, nothing ever seemed to bother her.

“Master Moudren,” Lady Runslo said in a voice that sounded half asleep. “And Apprentice Sirshi. I hope all is well in your worlds today.”

The two of them bowed to her.

“This is wonderful,” Lady Runslo said, “everyone’s here. Let’s all go inside and work this out.”

Lady Runslo opened the door and led them inside. A single podium stood at the opposite end, which Lady Runslo took. Sirshi took her place in front of the podium, with Master Moudren on her immediate left and Master Indyur farther to her right.

Sirshi tried to push down her disappointment at her friends not being there. Oshal’s blind optimism and Kurgm’s faith that it would be alright would’ve made her feel a lot better about this.

“Master Moudren’s ability to be Apprentice Sirshi’s master has been called into question,” Lady Runslo said, still sounding like she would fall asleep at any minute. “After reviewing the information provided by her and others, I have concluded that there is a real concern here. The big concern is that Apprentice Sirshi is resistant to learning respect for servants of the court. Several small instances were seen by Master Daktra during her first year, but the other priests at the Temple of the Rising Sun say she’s way chilled out. But the big ones are her yelling at Master Ekla, and now Master Indyur. That’s not okay for someone a few months away from starting her fifth-year assignment. I’ve spoken with Master Ekla, Master Daktra, and the other priests at the temple. There were a bunch of people that were witness to both incidents.” She put her focus right on Sirshi. “Apprentice Sirshi, Master Ekla tells me that your relationship isn’t the greatest. Would you say that’s correct?”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“Your friends say you’re both different people when you’re together, and Master Moudren said she’s taken steps to avoid the two of you starting an argument. This sounds to me like a master that recognizes her apprentice’s shortcomings. Apprentice Sirshi, did Master Moudren give you instructions for Master Indyur’s visit?”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“What were they?”

Sirshi wracked her brain for what Master Moudren had told her.

“If I needed to take a break, I was allowed to excuse myself.”

Lady Runslo turned her half open gaze to Master Moudren.

“Master Moudren, why did you tell her that?”

“Because Master Indyur can be difficult to work with at times, and I know Apprentice Sirshi has trouble getting along with people such as Master Indyur.”

“So once again, it sounds like Master Moudren knows Apprentice Sirshi super well. But Apprentice Sirshi still didn’t respect Master Indyur as a servant of the court, isn’t that correct, Master Indyur?”

“Completely so,” Master Indyur said. The sound of her voice grated on Sirshi’s nerves. “She raised her voice far beyond anything I’ve ever heard from an apprentice, much less from one addressing a servant of the court. It might be the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever witnessed.”

Probably because everyone does it to your back.

You’re going to have to apologize to Master Indyur.

Her sister’s words echoed in her head. How could she apologize to this woman? Sirshi hadn’t done anything wrong! It was all Master Indyur’s fault!

Lady Runslo leaned over her podium and stared into Sirshi’s eyes. Sirshi didn’t know what she was doing, but she had trouble returning her gaze.

“Apprentice Sirshi,” Lady Runslo said without breaking her creepy stare, “what would you do if I insulted Apprentice Roshil right now?”

Sirshi didn’t know how to respond to that. That was not among the questions for which she’d been preparing over the past few days.

“I’m not sure, My Lady.”

“Apprentice Roshil was a rare case among apprentices. Most of them are decided entirely by their officer, with the others making a routine vote for them. But I don’t really like her vibes, so I voted against her. I don’t really like her being here.”

Thoughts raced through Sirshi’s mind. What was she talking about? Why wouldn’t she want Roshil at the court? She was different, that was all. Like Aonva, and Kurgm, and Oshal, and Nourd. Like Sirshi. There was nothing wrong with Roshil, and Sirshi was tired of people treating her like there was.

She met Master Moudren’s gaze for a second. Master Moudren didn’t think that. She liked Sirshi and her friends. Not many people did, but she’d always liked her. This wasn’t about Sirshi or her friends, this was about the nicest person Sirshi had ever met.

“With all due respect, My Lady,” Sirshi said, struggling to keep her voice calm, “Apprentice Roshil is different. But so am I. So are our friends. And… she has done a lot for the Temple of the Rising Sun. And for me, by being my friend. I’m… sorry that I disrespected servants of the court. Master Moudren warned me, but I didn’t listen. It was my fault, not hers.”

A lazy smile spread across Lady Runslo’s face. She motioned to Master Indyur.

“I’m not the one to whom you need to apologize.”

Sirshi turned to Master Indyur. She fought the urge to punch her stupid face as she bowed.

“I’m sorry that I showed you disrespect.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you did.” Master Indyur glared at Sirshi, then turned back to Lady Runslo. “My Lady, this wasn’t an isolated incident.”

“What I’ve seen here today suggests otherwise,” Lady Runslo said. “Apprentice Sirshi is chill, and so willing to acknowledge her mistakes. If she keeps being all that, I’m sure she’ll be giving off good vibes in no time. Everything’s great here. Hearing over.”

She stepped down from the podium, then walked out of the room. With one last glare at them, Master Indyur followed her. Master Moudren and Sirshi were the last to leave.

“I’m so proud of you,” Master Moudren said as they left.

Sirshi felt a strange warmth. What was that feeling? She wasn’t sure, but she liked it.

“Thank you.”

Sirshi was excited to have everything done with. She’d done it. Her skin was still crawling from having to apologize to Master Indyur, but she’d done it.

“I’m glad that’s over,” she said.

“For now, it is,” Master Moudren said. “We’ll need to keep an eye out for Master Indyur in the future. I’m not sure she’s going to let this go.”

“Why does she have ‘good vibes’ and not Roshil?” Sirshi thought for a moment. “What are vibes?”

“I’ve been here for many years, and I still have no idea,” Master Moudren said.

Despite everything, Sirshi started laughing. Master Moudren joined her for a moment, then shushed her.

“We’re still on the second floor. We’ve got to be quiet.”

Sirshi stifled her laughter. She’d done it. They’d survived another complication. They were still together. It was like Olmgra taught them: All will be well.

#VolumeFour #AssigningBlame

“I used to have a big family,” Oshal said. “We had a tribe of our own. We traveled all over the kingdom. It was nice. There were always other children to play with. My sister did sometimes, but she’s always kept to herself. It would’ve been nice to have seen her more, but she was happy back then. Mostly. I think there were times when something bothered her that she didn’t want to talk about. Actually, that was most times with my sister.”

Oshal reveled in the chance to talk about the old days. Neither his sister nor his father would talk about it, and it had all built up inside him. He couldn’t remember what Nourd’s question had been, but he wasn’t complaining about Oshal’s tangent, so Oshal wasn’t going to question it.

“I miss my family sometimes,” Nourd said. “Do you miss yours?”

“All the time. I had so many friends back then, before… everything changed.”

Emotion drained out of him, leaving him empty. The worst part about not being able to see anymore was having those moments be his last memories. The last thing he ever saw was fire and death, and it’d always be like that.

Oshal forced himself to smile. If Roshil had done that, he would’ve called her out on it, but he wanted to assure his friend he was okay.

“But I’m making new friends now. Like you.”

He knew Nourd could see through him (or smell through him, rather), but Nourd was learning not to bother him about it. He liked how much Nourd had grown over the past few years. His friend was changing into someone Oshal liked being around more than anyone. Someone with whom he could be honest. Usually.

“Why do you not talk about it?” Nourd asked.

“I… It’s too painful to talk about. I lost everyone except my father and sister that day.” Oshal shook his head. “I don’t like thinking about it.”

“I understand. I would not like it if the forest were burned down either.”

Oshal smiled and nudged his friend. “You’re getting good at that.”

Nourd laughed his loud, barking laugh, which always made Oshal start laughing with him.

“I am glad. It has not been easy to learn, but I am happy that you are happy.”

Grand Master Gorkle cleared hir throat.

“I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but Apprentice Nourd and I have things to do.”

Oshal stood up and sensed for Master Durwey. Sure enough, she wasn’t far. It’d taken time, but she’d gotten into the habit of allowing just enough of her thread to be felt for him to find her.

“I enjoyed spending time with you.”

“Me too.”

Oshal bowed to Grand Master Gorkle, then he and Lady Durwey left the gardens. He was thrilled to have spent time with Nourd, and felt better about having spoken about his life before the court. He liked Nourd a lot, and wondered to himself when they’d get to spend time together again.

“Where are we going?”

“Only back to the castle. We have nothing else we need to do today. You’ve been progressing well, Apprentice Oshal. I think you’ve earned a day to yourself. I’ll bring you wherever you’d like to go.”

Oshal ran down the list of his friends. He decided he’d try the Temple of the Rising Sun first. Kurgm hung out there sometimes, and it’d be nice to see him before he left for his fifth-year assignment in a few days. If he wasn’t there, maybe Sirshi could spend some time with him.

“I’d like to go to the Temple of the Rising Sun. I think I can get there on my own.”

“I can take you, it’s not a problem.”

Oshal made sure she could tell it was a problem for him.

“Apprentice Oshal, I understand you don’t like people helping you get around, but wouldn’t it be faster if I helped you?”

Oshal scowled. It was hard to express himself when he couldn’t see how his face looked and when he didn’t have eyes anymore.

“I guess.”

“And then you’d have more time to spend with your friends, right?”

It was like trying to argue with Aonva. She could lay out a flawless argument as to why she was right, leaving Oshal unable to find anything to say. It was worse when Roshil was there, because Roshil immediately accepted everything Aonva said as fact, and therefore argued in her favor.

“You’re right.”

“Thank you for not arguing with me.”

With Master Durwey’s help, Oshal made his way to the Temple of the Rising Sun.

“I know you don’t need my help,” Master Durwey said on the way. “I’m only offering it because you can get there better with my help. Do you understand?”

Oshal nodded. He’d gotten so used to people seeing him as helpless that it was hard to remember that not everyone did. Roshil didn’t; she’d always been protective of him. Aonva always asked in a panic, as she did with everyone and everything else, Sirshi treated him like everyone else, Nourd assumed he could get around just fine, and Kurgm always forgot to ask if he needed help. He liked his friends.

They arrived at the Temple of the Rising Sun, but Kurgm wasn’t there. Oshal only reached out to find the threads around him, not to follow his friends’ threads. The temptation was still there, dangling just within reach, but he forced himself to let them be.

“Hello, Oshal,” Sirshi said on her way past. “I really don’t have time to—” She froze. “Hello, My Lady.”

“Hello, Apprentice Sirshi.”

“How may the Temple of the Rising Sun assist you?”

“Do you know where Apprentice Kurgm is?”

“Why would I know?”

“That’s okay. I’ll let you get back to work.”

“Thanks. I have every chore here, but I’m almost finished. So close. Only a few days left on my sentence.”

“Apprentice Sirshi, you sound as if Master Moudren has imprisoned you here.”

“No. Not really. I get to leave for food and class. And sleep. I get to sleep still. Sometimes.”

“We’ll leave you to it. Have a good day, Apprentice Sirshi.”

“You too, My Lady. See you at dinner, Oshal.”

“Bye!”

The two of them left. Oshal realized he’d forgotten to ask where his sister was. Although, there were only three places she would be. He decided to try the library next.

“Are you sure? I don’t think there’s much there for you.”

“My sister will probably be there, and I’d like to see her.”

“Okay. Although, isn’t there something you’d like to do on your own?”

Oshal shook his head. He’d never thought much about doing anything alone. He wanted to be around people. Being on his own felt empty, like the world had all gone away.

They walked through the corridors, making their way to the library.

“Apprentice Oshal, I’ve known you for a few years now, and I don’t know what you like to do outside of being with other people.”

Oshal gave that some thought. What did he like to do? He liked spending time with his friends. Wasn’t that enough?

“I just like spending time with friends.”

“Okay.”

Despite not being able to sense her emotions, Oshal got the sense that she wanted to say more about it. Even if she didn’t, the question was digging into his mind. What did he like to do?

#VolumeFour #SpendingTimeWithFriends

Oshal found his sister and Aonva in the library. After asking again if he was sure, Master Durwey left him there with the two of them.

“What are you doing?” Oshal asked. His first guess was studying, but he heard an awful lot of scribbling of pens.

“Aonva had a brilliant idea,” Roshil said. He could hear the grin in her voice. “We started working on it last month. Or maybe the month before. Not sure.”

“It’s not that amazing,” Aonva said. “I just thought that it seems like only the librarian and I know where to find anything in the library. So what if there were a way for people to find books based on author or topic? At first, we tried to devise a spell, something where someone would say a topic, and they’d get a list of the books of that topic and where to find them.”

“The books are already categorized,” Roshil said. “But ‘magic’ or ‘dragons’ are big subjects, apparently. I guess people can’t just say ‘avoid’ for dragons.”

“They can, but that doesn’t explain why you should avoid dragons. But if someone wanted to know about the different dragons we know about, or more about magic, or the history of the court, then they don’t know exactly which books to check. They just know that there are books on the subject. Maybe they want a particular part of the court’s history, or want to know about the War of Torpn.”

“Don’t we learn all of that in class?” Oshal asked. He figured they’d already thought about it, but knowing the two of them, it was entirely possible that they’d overthought the solution.

“Sure, but even Aonva can’t remember everything.”

“I’m not… It’s not like I can remember everything, of course. No one can remember everything. I’m only organized, that’s all. It’s not a big deal.”

Flowers bloomed in Aonva’s mind, filling it with light and color. She rolled among them, smiling.

“But this is! She had a great idea. When we couldn’t figure out a spell, we thought ‘what if we just had cards that said what books covered which topics?’ Master Juoura said she liked the idea, so she gave us a bunch of cards to fill out. I’m working on a cabinet to put them all in. Each drawer will be labeled with the broad topic, like ‘magic’ or ‘history’, then each card will give more specifics.”

“We’re not sure about how to organize the books, though,” Aonva said. “There will probably have to be something more to it, like some sort of system for numbering them. For now, it might be good enough to organize them by author.”

Oshal listened to the sound of both girls scribbling information about every book onto cards. He wondered where the giant stack of completed cards was. Knowing both girls, Roshil’s cards were scattered in an unorganized mess that she’d fix up later, and Aonva’s were stacked neatly beside her, where she’d be terrified she was going to knock them over.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

The scribbling stopped. He felt both girls sidling around something big, something they didn’t want to touch.

“I don’t know if there’s anything you can do,” Aonva said. “You could… well, actually… um…”

“I can keep you company,” Oshal suggested.

“Okay!” Roshil said, in the tone she used to try being nice to Oshal. She was too enthusiastic, and he could sense right through it.

Oshal sat and listened to the girls filling out cards. He had little concept of exactly how big the library was, so he didn’t know how long this project would take them. They must’ve finished planning it out recently, otherwise he would’ve heard about it before this. Although, the more he thought about it, they had been conspiratorial at dinner lately. Maybe they were working on it then. Either way, most of the time they’d spent on it must’ve been planning out how it would work.

“How many cards do you have left?” he asked.

“It’s less about how many cards we have,” Aonva said, “and more about how many books we have. Every time we run into a new topic, we make a new card.”

“But we’re not as worried about the topics as we are about the books,” Roshil said. “I’m working on all the books I know, which is a lot of the engineering books.”

“I’m working on everything else,” Aonva said. “We’ve got books about the temples set aside, though, because Sirshi wanted to work on those. Kurgm’s here sometimes, too.”

“He’s our book fetcher. We tell him to bring us books, and he does. It’s very helpful.”

“That’s good. How much of the library have you filed?”

“Don’t know,” Roshil said, at the same time that Aonva said, “About a third of it.”

“Do you know how much longer it’s going to take?”

“We’re not finishing today,” Roshil said. “If you’re bored—”

“I’m not. I was just asking.”

“Probably another month,” Aonva said. “There are still a lot of books, and it’s slower when we don’t have someone fetching books for us.”

Oshal opened his mouth to volunteer, but realized he didn’t know where any of the books were. They couldn’t easily direct him to find them, and even then, it’d probably be faster if one of them did it.

“If you want to leave, you can,” Roshil said. “Don’t feel you need to keep us company.”

“I like being with friends.”

“What happened to your other friends?” Roshil asked.

The truth was, it’d been getting to Oshal that his other friends were so mean to his sister and Nourd. After Demndun’s group had upset Kurgm so much, he wasn’t sure he wanted to spend time with them anymore. He liked it when everyone got along, and his sister was never mean to anyone (unless they actively went after he or Aonva). Aonva was never mean to anyone, Sirshi only snapped when people annoyed her (which was often, but she didn’t hold grudges for long), and Kurgm tried to be nice to everyone.

“I decided it was more important to have good friends than a lot of friends.”

For a moment, he was sure his sister knew he didn’t entirely believe that. It was hard getting over not having a lot of friends anymore.

His sister stopped scribbling. He could sense her frowning, the frown that always accompanied a problem she was trying to solve.

“Oshal, what do you like to do?”

That was the second time that day someone had asked that, so Oshal was prepared with an answer.

“I like spending time with friends.”

“Then what? Just sitting around and talking? I’ve known you your whole life, and I don’t know what you like to do other than talk to people.”

Oshal didn’t have an answer to that. He liked doing what other people wanted to do, even when he couldn’t always participate. But then, what did he like to do? He wasn’t sure anyone had even asked him that before.

“I don’t know,” he said, as much to himself as to his sister.

“Something to think about while I get more books,” Roshil said, getting out of her seat.

He thought about that the rest of the time in the library. He really didn’t know.

#VolumeFour #SpendingTimeWithFriends

The next day, that question stuck with Oshal. What did he like to do when no one else was around? He rarely had time to himself. He always tried to spend time with other people, whether it be Nourd, Roshil, or Kurgm. Without much time alone, he didn’t know what he liked to do.

He had history with Master Rondin that day. She lectured him on the formation of the court. He’d never had a normal school experience, as he had to have notes read to him, but at least he still got to learn. He wasn’t sure what he’d have done otherwise.

“You’re doing well,” she said as they were finishing up. “We’ll meet next week to review. Do you still have study partners?”

Oshal stood up to leave, then thought about the question. He wasn’t sure anymore.

“I think so. I can always ask Apprentice Aonva for help. Or Apprentice Kurgm.”

He sensed Master Rondin smiling.

“I’m sure Apprentice Aonva would be happy to lecture you on all of this. Until next week, Apprentice Oshal.”

He bowed to her.

“Until then.”

He started out of the classroom, then stopped.

“Master Rondin, what do you like to do for fun?”

“At the end of a long day, I like to sit alone and read. Why do you ask?”

Oshal didn’t want to involve her in his search to find out what it was he liked doing when on his own.

“Just wondering.”

He knew she hadn’t bought it, but she wasn’t going to push it either.

“Take care.”

He walked alone to the gardens, hoping to find Nourd. While he did, he sensed his friend in the Druid’s garden, where he wasn’t allowed. A little let down, Oshal turned to leave for the library. Hopefully his sister and Aonva would be there again.

“Oshal?”

Oshal smiled and turned to the voice.

“Hello, Kurgm. How are you?”

“Good. Enjoying this nice, warm season day. What about you? Looking for Nourd?”

“I was, but he’s busy.”

“Well, I’m free. I’m not doing much, just watching the bees, mostly. My mother used to say…”

Light and dark dueled inside him, both vying for control. There was something else, just beneath the surface, something trying to break free. While weavers couldn’t hear peoples’ thoughts, Oshal could sense something inside Kurgm. He’d asked Master Ekla once, but she’d told him to leave it, so he tried to ignore it.

“What did she say?”

“She’d say that bees always worked together to help one another, and that we should learn from them. They work hard for the hive, never for themselves.”

Kurgm led him to a bench and they both sat down.

Oshal felt the sun on his face and smiled. He missed the days of seeing a bright blue sky overhead. He could still hear the birds chirping and children playing, so he could imagine it. It had to be good enough.

“Your mother sounds like a nice person.”

“She was.”

They sat in silence for a time, while they listened to the bees drone by.

“Once, me and some friends found a bee’s nest,” Oshal said. “One friend dared another to touch it, and it angered them. They went after all of us, and a lot of my friends got stung. But Roshil was there too. She tackled me to the ground and covered me. She got stung all over, but I barely got stung at all.”

Oshal eased into the memory. Despite wanting to run away, he’d felt safe with his sister watching out for him. He’d always imagined returning the favor, but he could only do so much for her.

“As much as your sister gets on my nerves, seeing you two together makes me wish I’d had siblings. All I had growing up was the kitchen staff, and sometimes Master Ekla.”

“She’s a good big sister, too.”

Kurgm laughed. “Sure, let’s go with that.”

Despite his answer, Oshal sensed that Kurgm agreed with him. There was conflict in him once again, between raging fire and distant ice, but there was light there too.

Oshal figured Kurgm wanted a different subject, so he asked Kurgm the question that’d been on his mind all day.

“What do you like to do for fun?”

“With all five minutes of free time I have on a normal day? I’m doing it now. Just sitting and watching the gardens. I would’ve been doing this with Demndun, but… we’re not together anymore.”

A shroud of darkness filled Kurgm’s mind. Oshal felt him curl up inside it. On the outside, Kurgm put on a veil of false happiness, but Oshal could still see through it to the misery underneath.

“I’m sorry,” Oshal said.

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine, it’s just… I thought me and her were going somewhere, but she was different than I thought. I guess people change.”

People did change. What happened when his sister changed? What if she didn’t want to spend time with him anymore? What happened when they were separated, assigned to different cities in the kingdom? What happened when he was moved to a different city and had to make new friends? What would he do?

“I don’t know what I like to do,” Oshal said. “I always do what everyone else does, but it’s not always what I want to do.”

“Then don’t. If I’ve learned anything these past few months, it’s that you shouldn’t do what everyone else wants unless it’s what you want.”

“What if I don’t know what I want?”

“I think you’ll find out eventually. You can get along with anyone. Just keep trying new things until you find something you like to do. I never got to do much of anything growing up. I barely left the castle. Now I can’t wait to leave for my assignment.” He paused for a moment. “You’ll always have Roshil, right?”

He was right. No matter how much Roshil changed, she’d always be his sister. They’d always be family.

“Thank you, Kurgm. I feel a lot better now.”

A burst of warmth erupted in Kurgm’s mind.

“Ha! One day, I’ll get the hang of being a knight!”

Oshal laughed with him.

“I know you will.”

#VolumeFour #SpendingTimeWithFriends