《Bones in the Dark》 Chartered Mage Chapter 1 - Chartered Mage ¡°The Great Roads of the Empire stretch out from its beating heart, Trevayn. Arteries that carry people, wealth and Imperial orders through Her Eternal Majesty¡¯s realm. Every subject of the Empire benefits from the safe and rapid passage they provide from the capital to the most important provinces and cities of Her Realm.¡± Two Thousand Years of Empire by Jahangir Amini ===== Mathan stood behind the bar counter, watching the young woman, barely more than a girl really, staring into the distance as she sipped from a cup of hot tea. Any moment now¡­ Just as he¡¯d expected, chairs scraped back across the straw-covered, rough stone floor. The voices in the common room instantly faded, replaced by tense anticipation. He glanced over at the three men who¡¯d just stood. It seemed it was time. Unfortunate for the girl. Such was life though, at least he¡¯d enjoy getting his share. She wasn¡¯t bad looking actually. Sitting there by herself with her tea and a bowl of stew. Her face was clean and unblemished, delicate features framed by the tumbles of vaguely curled dark brown hair. Her deep blue dress didn¡¯t reveal much, but if the rest of her was like her face then he wouldn¡¯t mind a go after Jayric. If he didn¡¯t know better he might think she was high-born, but no high-born girl of her age would be traveling alone like that, unguarded and unchaperoned. No high-born lady of any age really. Jayric would no doubt be telling everyone about how he¡¯d enjoyed the heir to some Great House tomorrow. The three men swaggered over to her table, Jayric taking the lead of course. There was something though. A nagging feeling. With a small grimace Mathan reached for the cosh under the counter. This was always his least favourite part. The riskiest. A girl with pretensions of nobility would hardly be a threat, but his hand still closed around its smooth wooden handle. No, that wasn¡¯t what he needed. Almost without thought he released it again. Just a feeling, but¡­ ¡°Hey¡­¡± He didn¡¯t think Jayric even heard. ¡°Hey!¡± He tried again, louder. It wasn¡¯t that he cared about what Jayric got up to, not as long as he got his cut anyway. He¡¯d given them a hand more than once, but those occasional feelings¡­ Some people had Knacks and well, when he got those little urges they¡¯d never steered him wrong. Jayric didn¡¯t react. Mathan had spoken loudly enough that the man must have heard, so he was ignoring him. Fine. Maybe it was nothing and, even if it wasn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t like he particularly liked the man. The girl looked up, blinking in wide-eyed surprise when Jayric pulled out a chair at her table. Not the face of someone who should be traveling by themselves, not round here. It wasn¡¯t a particularly edifying sight. She was tall enough, but he was a big man. He towered over her. His red hair, pale skin and soiled jacket contrasted with everything about her. Not just her hair, she had the olive skin of a southerner and simple, but clean clothing. A blue riding dress, unembroidered, but clearly well made. Very clean actually, she didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d spent a day on horseback. Or days. That feeling got just a little bit stronger, tugging away at the edge of his mind. Everyone else in the inn was making a show of ignoring what was going on, like they always did, but their lack of conversation was enough for Mathan to be able to hear every word Jayric said. ¡°You seem a bit too pretty to be traveling by yourself young lady.¡± Jayric always did think he was smooth, but really if it wasn¡¯t for who he was Mathan doubted any woman would even look at him twice. ¡°Maybe you need some company?¡± Or possibly he just thought he was funny. Mathan tried to look away, but found his eyes fixed on the scene while he rhythmically worked a cloth back and forth across the bar. The feeling was stronger than it had ever been, practically hammering away at him. He had to resist the urge to give his head a shake. It might attract attention to him and right now every instinct he had was telling him to stay quiet, stay unseen. Despite having no reason for it, he somehow knew down to his bones, this was not a situation to get involved in. ¡°Thank you, but I am fine.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was gentle, but firm. A Trevayn accent if he had to guess, if a little stiff sounding. What it lacked was even a hint of understanding of the danger she was in. Not that she could do anything about it now. Certainly no one here would lift a finger to help her. Jayric sat down in the chair he¡¯d grabbed, his two goons at his back, before leaning forward. No doubt his eyes would be roving over her. Mathan knew what he was like, even with the local girls. ¡°Well now, see I wasn¡¯t really asking. More the, you know, telling. So, you¡¯re going to come with me and if you¡¯re good to me and the boys, maybe we¡¯ll stop at taking your money.¡± That certainly wasn¡¯t true. The girl stared at him for a couple of seconds. She didn¡¯t look scared though, more confused. Was she slow in the head? It would explain a lot, although not where she got her horse and clean, expensive clothes. ¡°Bit slow are we? That¡¯s ok, I don¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t need you to think.¡± ¡°What do you mean by¡­¡± Realisation spread across her face, outrage rapidly replacing bemusement. ¡°How dare you! I am traveling on Imperial business. You will go back to your seat and leave me alone this very second unless you want to answer to the Throne!¡± There was a stunned silence and then Jayric burst out laughing, followed immediately afterwards by his two hangers on. ¡°Imperial business? Oh, that¡¯s a good one. And I¡¯m the long lost son of Her Eternal Majesty, traveling in disguise. You¡¯re barely old enough to be allowed out from under your mother¡¯s skirts girl.¡± It was ridiculous. Jayric was right and Mathan had no idea why he was so worried, but that feeling was still screaming away in the back of his head. ¡°Jayric,¡± he raised his voice trying to project his concern, ¡°maybe you should¡­¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Shut your fucking mouth Mathan!¡± Jayric looked back, with a sudden snarl. He always had hated being challenged. ¡°Keep your interfering nose out of this or I¡¯ll cut it off!¡± He would too and no one would say a word. Not with who his father was. ¡°Who exactly are you goodman?¡± The girl sounded a bit nervous now, unsurprisingly. She didn¡¯t look like she was used to violence or threats of it. She hesitated for a second and then added, ¡°I think you should stop threatening people and leave.¡± She glanced around the common room, looking for support. Actually¡­ she didn¡¯t sound nervous, she sounded uncomfortable. There was a difference. ¡°No one¡¯s going to help you girl.¡± Jayric still sounded angry. ¡°I¡¯ll leave, but you¡¯re coming with me.¡± ¡°The innkeeper tried to help me.¡± Mathan winced, that was the last thing he wanted her to say. Jayric growled. ¡°And he¡¯ll wish he hadn¡¯t.¡± He grabbed her slim forearm, his hand closing over it with harsh force. Instead of screaming, the girl barked a single word. The world twisted as the sound echoed in Mathan¡¯s ears. He couldn¡¯t have repeated it, but it had¡­ it had weight. With a loud crack Jayric¡¯s arm snapped. Fuck. For a moment the world stood still. Then Jayric started to scream. Darrel and Hue drew knives, proving that for all Jayric¡¯s stupidity he¡¯d still been the brains of the three of them. The girl had yanked her arm away and was staring with horror at the bone protruding from Jayric¡¯s arm while the common room descended into chaos as the inn¡¯s other patrons scrambled to get away from her. Was she some kind of hedge witch? She¡¯d said Imperial business¡­ Horrifying realisation began to dawn on Mathan. He had to try, ¡°Stop this!¡± His shout was swallowed up by the tumult in the common room even as Darrel and Hue threw themselves forward. The girl tried to stand, instead falling backwards over her chair scrambling to get away from them. They were too stupid to know when to stop. If he was right and one of them killed her¡­ Mathan grabbed his cosh from under the counter and hauled himself over it. He had to stop them! A knife flashed down towards the prone girl, but before it could land another incomprehensible word blasted out. Mathan¡¯s world twisted as green light flared. He stumbled, half falling off the bar top when his leap turned into an undignified tumble. Darrel flew backwards, crashing through a table, reducing it to splinters. Hue hesitated and then turned to run. The girl hesitated, seemingly a bit stunned by what she¡¯d just done. It allowed Hue the time to run straight into Mathan¡¯s cosh. Mathan took a moment to make sure Hue wasn¡¯t going to be getting up again and then hurried over to the girl. ¡°Are you alright my lady? Did they hurt you?¡± He almost reached out a hand to help her to her feet and then thought better of it. Who knew whether that would offend her? Anyway, everyone knew the stories. Touching was dangerous. Slowly she pushed herself back to her feet. She didn¡¯t seem to be hurt, but where before she¡¯d looked confused now she looked angry, furious in fact. Brown eyes flashed as she looked around the room. He followed her gaze to see Jayric scrambling for the exit, clutching at his ruined arm. She spoke, not words for any mortal to hear though. A set of meaningless syllables, each of them as if someone had taken Mathan¡¯s head and shaken it like a night guard¡¯s bell. Jayric froze where he stood, twitching against invisible bonds. Finally, she turned her attention back to Mathan. Brown eyes met his green. She was young, just as young as he¡¯d first thought. In fact, while her earlier awkwardness was gone, if he hadn¡¯t known better he¡¯d have said there was nothing intimidating about her at all. ¡°I am unharmed master innkeeper. Thank you for your help, although it was not necessary.¡± He could believe that. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Why are these people allowed to terrorise travelers? Why would no one other than you help a lone woman? Is the Great North Road not safe anymore?¡± She looked angrily around at the inn¡¯s other patrons. Mathan did his best to hide the abject relief he felt at her words. As long as she didn¡¯t blame him! He needed to be careful what he said though, she might be able to tell if he was lying. Spirits only knew what her kind could do. ¡°Ah¡­ Well my lady. People are, were, scared of them. If someone went against them, well, bad things happened. No one would dare.¡± As long as she didn¡¯t realise the truth of the situation. A frown marred her smooth forehead. ¡°What about the Sheriff? You have one here do you not?¡± Mathan couldn¡¯t help but wince. Unfortunately before he could think of a safe response Old Jorn decided to weigh in, making trouble like he always did. ¡°Jayric¡¯s the Sheriff¡¯s son my lady.¡± Bastard! Was he trying to get them all killed?! ¡°The Sheriff¡¯s son?¡± There it was, confusion again. Was she just that wildly naive? ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± Jayric spoke through pain-gritted teeth, but his voice carried. ¡°You¡¯re gonna hang bitch! Fucking hedge witch! When he finds out you¡¯re gonna regret ever crossing me!¡± Stupid, stupid, stupid! Mathan needed to defuse the situation. If he could get Jayric out of this alive at least his father would understand the debt that he owed him, even if Jayric himself was too arrogant to. ¡°Forgive him my lady. He¡¯s a fool, but he meant¡­¡± The utterly unimpressed look she turned on him stopped him mid-sentence. Jayric however had no intention of shutting up. ¡°Fuck you! I meant every word I.¡± She glanced at him and his jaw snapped shut with a click. She hadn¡¯t even said anything! ¡°Who rules these lands? Who is the lord here?¡± ¡°Ah that would be Lord Allenford. His seat is half an hour¡¯s ride from the village.¡± ¡°Lord?¡± ¡°Uh, a Baronet my lady.¡± ¡°I see. Please could someone go and inform him that I would be grateful if he could come here at his earliest convenience.¡± Was she just casually summoning their lord? In his own lands? Did she even realise what she was doing? ¡°I would be happy to pay for your service.¡± Old Jorn just had to keep on interfering. He stood and bowed low. ¡°Of course my lady. I will happily deliver your message. May I ah ask though, who should I say it¡¯s from?¡± The wrinkly old shit was probably enjoying this. He never had liked Jayric. The girl blinked then realisation dawned. ¡°Oh. Of course. You can tell him the message is from Ester Mazar, Chartered Mage, traveling on Imperial business.¡± Oddly she looked slightly embarrassed when she said it, but Mathan still had to resist the urge to let his bladder empty itself, to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. It seemed like she¡¯d decided he was against Jayric and in the safety of his own head he fervently thanked his Knack for that. If he kept his wits about him he might actually survive this. ===== Two days later Mathan, accompanied by a surprisingly large proportion of the village¡¯s population, turned out to watch the girl ride on her way. It was still hard to believe that she was a Mage, but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to deny what his eyes and ears told him. As her horse carried her away, out of the muddy patch they called the village square and on to the north, she looked towards the gibbet where Jayric, Darrel and Hue swung gently in the morning breeze. Where Sheriff Loran, well not Sheriff anymore, knelt in the stocks facing his son¡¯s body. If Mathan didn¡¯t know better he¡¯d have sworn she shuddered at the sight. Chapter 2 - The Vass Karan Watch Chapter 2 - The Vass Karan Watch ¡°Treason, Summoning, Necromancy. The three greatest crimes a subject of the Empire can commit. For these scum there can be no mercy for they would threaten the very fabric of our society through their mindless selfishness.¡± Two Thousand Years of Empire by Jahangir Amini ===== ¡°You don¡¯t understand what we¡¯re having to put up with here! Look at this! Look!¡± Ester winced slightly at the warehouse foreman¡¯s wild gesture. In front of her Sergeant Cino yawned as the man ranted on at him. The other Watchman, Laro, was leaning on his spear as he looked around in uninterested boredom. He wasn¡¯t even making an effort to hide it! ¡°These gangs need to be brought under control! I can¡¯t keep losing stock like this. I¡¯m going to be put out of business and then what? What?! I¡¯ll be out on the streets. And with four children to feed too!¡± Ester tugged again at the rough, padded leather jerkin. It fit poorly, loose and tight in all the wrong places. Worse were the breeches and shirt that scratched against her skin. It wasn¡¯t that she insisted on luxury, or had never worn breeches before. The normal laws of propriety were at least bent on occasion in the case of Chartered Mages, but not to wear things like this. Itchy, horrible things. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡± The sergeant¡¯s laconic tone wasn¡¯t what Ester would have expected. Surely it was his job to help this man? Their job now. ¡°Don¡¯t the lords look after you? You pay your rent to the Rutas don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Her arrival in Vass Karan had been a whirlwind of new sights, faces and smells. Most of them unpleasant. It was nothing like Trevayn, nothing at all! She wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d expected, but it hadn¡¯t been this. ¡®Training.¡¯ That was what Lord¡­ no, Commander Savate, he was very insistent about that, had called it. ¡°Well then.¡± Ester took a small step forward, surely the Sergeant wasn¡¯t just going to leave it at that? She opened her mouth and then closed it. Her instructions had been very clear. She was here to learn, not to speak. She resisted the urge to scowl. Commander Savate hadn¡¯t needed to put it so bluntly though. People were meant to respect Mages! Sergeant Cino¡¯s voice softened, just a notch. ¡°Look, we¡¯ll keep an eye out, but you know how it is. Not many of us and too many of them. That¡¯s why the lords up there,¡± he glanced backwards and up, towards the lights of the Palatine Hill, ¡°have their own guards down here. Speak to the Rutas about it.¡± ¡°Fuck all use they are.¡± The foreman spat and Ester winced at the disrespect. Sergeant Cino could arrest him for that, but the Watchman just shrugged. ¡°You have a good night, we¡¯ll keep our eyes open.¡± As they continued to trudge through the dark, damp streets Ester couldn¡¯t contain herself, despite the frankly useless answers she¡¯d had before. It was bad enough walking in silence, but how could she learn if she didn¡¯t ask? ¡°Sergeant Cino,¡± she hated the hesitancy in her voice, ¡°why are we not helping that man more? Is it not the Watch¡¯s job to help Her Eternal Majesty¡¯s subjects and protect them from crime?¡± He came to a stop at her question and exchanged an unreadable glance with Laro. ¡°It¡¯s just the way things are milady.¡± His spoke carefully, but there was an undertone of poorly hidden irritation that made Ester bristle. She was meant to be learning though. She had to remind herself of that before she replied. ¡°But, why? Why are they like that?¡± She was sure that if she kept going and said what she was thinking, that that wasn¡¯t how things were meant to be, she¡¯d just confirm herself as a silly girl in the eyes of the grizzled older Watchman. Although he¡¯d probably be too nervous to actually say that. He hesitated and for a moment Ester thought he might actually say something useful. ¡°Things are different here milady. You wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± He stopped himself. ¡°We should keep going, wouldn¡¯t do to be late back, there¡¯s a lot of ground to cover. Maybe we¡¯ll swing back round on the way home and have another look.¡± That seemed to exhaust his willingness to speak to her and before Ester could reply he¡¯d started walking again, the sound of his boots on the cobbles ringing through the quiet night. As they had all night, Sergeant Cino and Laro walked in front, while Ester trailed behind them. No! While she followed, keenly taking in her surroundings. Annoyingly they didn¡¯t even talk much to each other. Sometimes they¡¯d mutter something and then one of them would glance back at her and go quiet. Surely they weren¡¯t like this normally? It was because she was there. Of course it was. Her frustration increased another notch at the thought and she had to suppress a growl as she eyed the back of the pair balefully. The two of them were nervous enough about her without her going and making things worse. She needed to remember how she¡¯d have felt around a Mage, before she¡¯d been picked out for the Academy. It was difficult sometimes. She¡¯d only been twelve. As the Watchmen ambled and Ester marched through the dark streets illuminated only by their lanterns and the moon, there certainly weren¡¯t any witchlights in this district, she found her scowl deepening. It wouldn¡¯t have been so bad if they were willing to talk to her, but even that seemed to be too much to ask. When she¡¯d tried to make conversation she¡¯d run into a wall of respect. Everything she asked was met with polite avoidance. How was she even meant to learn anything from this?! The only person she¡¯d met in the whole bloody city who was actually willing to speak to her was Commander Savate and he¡¯d barely bothered to conceal how unimpressed he was by her presence. When she¡¯d first been told she was being sent to serve in a Watch she¡¯d thought her prayers had been answered. An escape from the rigid strictures of the Academy and Trevayn and an adventure all rolled into one. Now she was starting to think it was all some convoluted revenge for the time she¡¯d set fire to Negin Miri¡¯s wardrobe. It hadn¡¯t even been worth the effort, the girl¡¯s parents had replaced its contents within two days. Ester¡¯s silent grumbling came to a halt as the street widened out into a square, lit by torches and full of the sound of revelry. The buildings were still the same black granite that made up most of Vass Karan, but compared to the dark streets they¡¯d been walking down it felt almost welcoming. What was more, she could smell food! Her stomach immediately rumbled. Great Spirits she was hungry! When had she last eaten? Ester was about to say something when Sergeant Cino paused and looked back to her. ¡°If it pleases you milady, I had thought we could stop for some food, it can be hard work walking the streets all night.¡± Ester didn¡¯t hesitate, maybe something to eat would improve her mood. ¡°Of course, I am just observing, if you wish to eat then we shall eat.¡± There, she wasn¡¯t going to admit how hungry she was. ¡°Uh well milady, I¡¯m not sure it will be up to your expectations, but if you don¡¯t mind waiting¡­¡± He trailed off. Absolutely not! She wasn¡¯t going to be cheated out of her meal! ¡°Nonsense, I am meant to be learning and the food must be part of that.¡± Sergeant Cino seemed to want to protest, but she held his gaze and hoped he didn¡¯t hear her stomach. ¡°Of course milady.¡± A minute later Ester found herself in front of a rickety looking stall. Of course Sergeant Cino and Laro had quickly ordered without explaining it to her. She didn¡¯t recognise the food, long stringy ribbons frying up in a large pan over an open fire as the chubby street seller threw in various ingredients. Something green, meat, an oil, egg. There was something though, she could feel the fire even from behind the two watchmen¡­ Ester blinked a couple of times and then focused on the flickering. Yes¡­ there were strands of magic to it. Crude, almost invisible, but when she really looked she could see them. The man must have a Knack. Not forbidden of course, but they were rare in Trevayn. There were so many theories about how they arose, she¡¯d always thought¡­ ¡°You gonna just stand there watching or do you want something to eat?¡± Ester jumped, saw the outrage growing on Sergeant Cino¡¯s face and spoke quickly, before he could intervene. ¡°My apologies, I was just considering.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Best you¡¯ll find in Vass Karan young mistress.¡± The man spoke with evident pride in his voice, although she couldn¡¯t place his sharp accent. It certainly didn¡¯t sound like the others she¡¯d heard in the city so far. Could he be foreign?! It hardly mattered, the Watchmen knew him and he was actually talking to her like a normal person. ¡°Satisfaction and a full belly, that¡¯s my promise. Eat Old Maral¡¯s food, that¡¯s me, and you¡¯re golden.¡± He didn¡¯t look particularly old. ¡°Maral¡­¡± Sergeant Cino¡¯s voice held more than a hint of warning. He was going to ruin everything, this was the first time someone was actually talking to her like a normal person! ¡°I am persuaded, one bowl of your¡­¡± ¡°Egg and duck noodles mistress, best in Vass Karan.¡± ¡°Yes, those.¡± At least now she had a name for the strange ribbons. ¡°Of course, that¡¯ll be two pennies.¡± That was cheaper than she¡¯d expected. Was everything in Vass Karan cheaper than Trevayn or just this? She¡¯d need to find out. It could make quite a big difference to her life one way or the other. She hadn¡¯t really needed money for the last seven years. Actually thinking about it her two companions hadn¡¯t paid anything. Did they have some kind of arrangement with Maral? As Maral started to add ingredients to his pan, Ester reached for the purse on her belt and fumbled inside to pull out a denier. Maral reached out his hand without pausing in his pushing and shaking of the pan and held the small silver coin up at eye level. ¡°Huh, you¡¯re a fancy one are you? Don¡¯t have anything smaller?¡± Ester ignored Sergeant Cino¡¯s wince and the way he glanced worriedly around them. She wasn¡¯t sure she actually had any pennies. ¡°I am afraid not.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Maral made a noise of vague displeasure. ¡°I¡¯ll count out your change as soon as the food¡¯s ready Mistress¡­¡± ¡°Mazar, Ester Mazar.¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you Mistress Mazar.¡± In only a few minutes the food was ready, deposited into wooden bowls from the piles on Maral¡¯s cart, along with a pair of thin wooden sticks on top. They were quickly followed by a large handful of pennies. Ester was left trying to fumble them one-handed back into her purse, at least she¡¯d have some pennies now. Then, finally, she was able to turn her attention to her food. Or more accurately, the pair of sticks on it. Maral was watching her, a hint of amusement on his face. Was she meant to hold them in her fist and poke them into the food? Ester shot a glance at Sergeant Cino, who seemed to be using them to shovel food into his mouth, but she couldn¡¯t quite see how he was doing it. Tentatively Ester grasped the sticks, very conscious that she was most likely about to make a fool of herself. So much for dignity. She was already half-regretting having bought this strange food and she hadn¡¯t even tasted it yet. ¡°You¡¯re not from around here are you?¡± Ester nearly dropped the sticks in surprise at Maral¡¯s interjection. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± ¡°There are signs. For sure.¡± He had an irritating smirk on his face. ¡°Let me find you a fork, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have the hang of eating sticks in no time, but I can tell you¡¯re hungry.¡± Ester flushed as her stomach echoed his words with a growl, but she took the proffered fork without complaint. ¡°Thank you.¡± Without further ado she stuck the fork into the food and started to copy Sergeant Cino, shoveling it into her mouth, dignity temporarily forgotten. It was good, better than it had smelt and it had smelt pretty good too. In no time she¡¯d emptied the bowl and was almost tempted to buy another, but Maral¡¯s amused gaze brought any thoughts of that to a crashing stop. Blushing again Ester handed him back the bowl and cutlery to add to his pile of used wares. ¡°Thank you, that was delicious.¡± She determinedly avoided the amused looks she¡¯d been getting from Sergeant Cino when he thought she wasn¡¯t watching. ===== With a belly full of ¡®noodles¡¯ Ester at least felt a bit better about the world. It was hard to be quite so annoyed at the world on a full stomach. Their patrol had taken them down to the docks. Almost silent at that time of night, other than the sound of the Karan¡¯s waters lapping at the piers and the creak of boats shifting against them. There was something almost peaceful about it, a pleasant contrast to the rest of the city. Ester nearly walked into the back of the two Watchmen when they suddenly stopped. ¡°Something going on there Sarge.¡± At Laro¡¯s words Ester pushed up onto her tiptoes to try to see past them. There was a boat docked on a stone pier, nothing interesting about that. But there was something more. In the dim moonlight she couldn¡¯t make the figures out clearly, but they must have been unloading the boat. Sergeant Cino sighed loudly and glanced back at her before squaring his shoulders. ¡°I suppose we¡¯d better check it out. Make sure you stay back milady.¡± He led them forward toward the boat, spear in one hand, lantern in the other, before raising his voice. ¡°Ho there at the boat!¡± The movement around the boat stopped at his call. After a long, pregnant pause a voice answered back in an accent Ester did not recognise. ¡°Who¡¯s that then?¡± ¡°Vass Karan Watch, who are you?¡± Ester could just about hear some muffled whispers in the darkness, but nothing more. Then a group of men slowly emerged from the shadows. ¡°We¡¯re the Driftwood Wanderer out of Atheta.¡± The leader¡¯s face was hard to make out in the dim light, but he was a big, bearded man. Ester was tall, for a woman, but she could see that he would tower over her. ¡°In the service of House Velia. I¡¯m her Captain. Captain Musa.¡± The man folded his arms over his chest as if that would be the end of the conversation. The name sounded familiar, Ester thought she¡¯d heard of a House Velia, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. Sergeant Cino hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Ester again. He seemed far too tense. ¡°And what are you hauling Captain? It¡¯s pretty late to be out here unloading.¡± The Captain reached to his belt and held something out to Sergeant Cino. Had she heard it clink? She wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Just pickled fish, nothing special and all tariffs paid. I¡¯m sure you can see that everything¡¯s in order.¡± The Sergeant reached out to take whatever it was that the man was holding. It definitely clinked. Surely not¡­ Ester couldn¡¯t stifle her gasp. He was trying to bribe the Sergeant! The sound pulled Sergeant Cino¡¯s attention back to her. After a moment he sighed loudly and handed the purse back. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re going to have to inspect your cargo.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Captain Musa sounded genuinely surprised. ¡°Is the word of a servant of House Velia not enough?¡± ¡°Of course House Velia is above suspicion, but the law is the law.¡± Sergeant Cino couldn¡¯t have sounded more reluctant if he¡¯d tried. He glanced back at Ester again and the captain¡¯s eyes followed his. ¡°Oh. I see. How inconvenient. Are you sure I can¡¯t persuade you Sergeant? The docks at night can be quite a dangerous place, surely you have other things you should be worrying about? Criminals to catch?¡± Had he just threatened them? Ester wasn¡¯t certain. It sounded like he had, but surely no one would be stupid enough to threaten Watchmen like that. They were servants of the Throne! ¡°Sergeant¡­¡± She started to talk and was immediately cut-off by his, ¡°Be quiet!¡± Ester¡¯s mouth snapped shut, more out of surprise at the sudden harshness in his voice than anything else. Sergeant Cino looked between the men in front of him, his shoulders were hunched and even without seeing his face Ester could feel the tension in him. Right up until it suddenly vanished and he stepped forward, his voice hard. ¡°The docks certainly can be dangerous, but you don¡¯t need to be worrying Captain, you¡¯ve got men of the Watch here to protect you.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± The captain grunted as Ester and Laro followed the Sergeant towards the boat. ¡°Two men and a girl. She going to protect us too?¡± Sergeant Cino didn¡¯t seem inclined to respond. Ester opened her mouth to give the Captain a piece of her mind. Then closed it again as several more men emerged from the dark. Even in the dim light she could see they were roughly dressed, big and armed. Great Spirits! The Captain had actually been threatening them! ¡°Fuck.¡± Ester doubted she¡¯d been meant to hear Sergeant Cino¡¯s muttered words. Regardless there was no way she could miss the worry, even fear, in his tone. Nor could she miss the way the men hefted the weapons in their hands. ¡°Come on now, there¡¯s no need for this.¡± The captain shrugged. ¡°You made your choice. Kill them and throw the bodies in the river.¡± Ester froze. Were they actually going to attack the Watch?! It was unbelievable. That they would even dare. Sergeant Cino and Florian hefted their spears. She wasn¡¯t even armed! They¡¯d told her it was inappropriate and unnecessary! Shouldn¡¯t the Sergeant be trying to talk them down? The thugs advanced, a certain amount of wariness in their motions. They didn¡¯t have spears, but there were a lot more of them. Maybe she could order them to stop? Ester looked from grim faced man to grim faced man. She technically counted as nobility now. What a stupid idea. Why would they listen to her? They were murderous criminals! This was worse than the inn. Her bloody outfit meant she wasn¡¯t even wearing the Schema-marked shift she¡¯d prepared after that horrifying evening. She took a nervous step backwards. She could die as easily as any of them! Sergeant Cino pointed his spear at one of the men who got too close, forcing him to take a step back before shooting a desperate look at her. None of that fear showed in his voice though. ¡°Tell your men to stand down Captain. She¡¯s a mage, if you don¡¯t she¡¯ll burn you all where you stand.¡± ¡°Course she is. Hurry up and kill them. I don¡¯t have all night.¡± The grim faced smugglers started to fan out. A man took a swipe at Laro with what looked like a stick with nails in it and dodged back to avoid the Watchman¡¯s spear. Why did these people even want to kill them? Should they try to run? Ester took another step back, trying to keep her eyes on all of the men at once. What was wrong with this city? Didn¡¯t smugglers do things more discretely, not just brazenly unload in plain view and then try to murder Watchmen? She suppressed a shriek when, with a yell, a pair of men leapt forward. Wickedly large knives flashed in the moonlight, but Sergeant Cino retreated in a flurry of movement, spear crashing noisily against the thugs¡¯ weapons. She was too close! Ester scrambled backwards, away from the chaotic exchange. Shouldn¡¯t the sound of their combat have drawn more people in? They were going to be killed! Her eyes flicked to Laro, who was jabbing his spear out to fend off the thugs as he retreated towards Sergeant Cino. At the same time Sergeant Cino¡¯s attackers launched themselves at him again. He batted one blow aside with his spear, jabbed at the other man. He was retreating towards Ester, barely holding them off with lightning fast thrusts and deflections. Another thrust of his spear and with no warning he jumped back, disengaging from them and almost bowling Ester over as he did so. She stumbled back, frantically trying to watch all of the smugglers at once without falling over. ¡°Fuck me girl, do you want to die?! Do something!¡± Sergeant Cino¡¯s shout yanked Ester out of her shock. Great Spirits what was she doing?! Was this why they didn¡¯t let women learn combat magic? She shook her head to clear it as she stepped back once more, this time smoothly. She was being ridiculous. She was a Chartered Mage, not a clueless apprentice. A breath to remember her training. One more to grasp for the cold focus she needed. The world slowed as she wrenched her thoughts into place. No fear, no weakness, just the clear, sharp purpose that would bend the world to her will. Ester narrowed her eyes, meeting the Captain¡¯s bored gaze. Chapter 3 - Commander Savate Chapter 3 - Commander Savate ¡°When we talk of the Great Houses we think of the most powerful, loyal servants of Her Eternal Majesty, standing tall above the other nobility of their province. Of course a Great House from Altana in the far south would have little power in northern Vass Karan and ultimately the power of the provincial Houses pales in comparison to those of Trevayn. Regardless, each of them provides invaluable leadership to the Empire¡¯s people.¡± Two Thousand Years of Empire by Jahangir Amini ===== Ester didn¡¯t bother to speak. Her will was enough. Desire became reality and the world bent around it. A wall of force blasted a bearded man who had been wildly slashing at Sergeant Cino hard enough that he went tumbling head over heels back down the dock with a yell of surprise. Sound vanished as everyone froze, Watchmen and attackers both. Had she just killed the man? She didn¡¯t want to kill anyone, but it was him or her! Ester frantically glanced between the staring men. The smugglers had stalled, looking unsure. Great Spirits let them break! Then the man she¡¯d struck started to pick himself up off the ground and the silence was broken by Captain¡¯s Musa¡¯s chuckles, growing in volume into full on belly-laughter. ¡°Oh, hahaha! You had me worried for a second there. Not bad. Not bad at all.¡± The bearded man was already advancing to join his fellow thugs again. Maybe she¡¯d been a bit too careful. She didn¡¯t really want to hurt anyone. She still remembered the sound that man¡¯s arm had made in the inn. ¡°Focus on the girl, but don¡¯t kill her. Even a hedge witch will fetch a decent price, hurry up and kill the rest.¡± Ester saw Sergeant Cino and Laro¡¯s shoulders droop ever so slightly, even as they raised their spears again. She¡¯d underpowered that one. This was life or death. For them. For her possibly worse. Who¡¯d want to buy a hedge witch? What for? With a chorus of yells the smugglers threw themselves forward again. More power. She wouldn¡¯t fail now. Ester spoke to fuel the spell, pouring every ounce of her will behind it. A single word. ¡°Saz?ch.¡± The Captain¡¯s clothes erupted as light bathed the dock. Everyone except Ester flinched away from the wave of heat that followed it. Ester was left blinking the bright spots out of her eyes. Maybe she¡¯d overdone that one a little bit. The smugglers were edging further back. She glanced behind them at where the Captain stood. Had stood. The charred, smoking mass there looked nothing like a person. She could smell the smoke. Ester¡¯s stomach churned and she quickly looked away. The smugglers were wavering again, more hesitant than before. How much more would she have to do to make them stop?! Before she could make up her mind one of the smugglers broke his paralysis and with an incoherent yell threw himself forward. In an instant he was past the stunned Watchmen, almost upon her. Ester didn¡¯t have time to think, she just reacted. A twist of her mind, a gesture shaping her fingers just so. The fist of invisible force smashed into his stomach with a crunch. Hard enough that he collapsed straight to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He didn¡¯t make a sound. Was he dead? She didn¡¯t want to go close enough to check. She just wanted to sit down and try not to vomit. Focus! Ester pulled her eyes off him and back to the others. ¡°Surrender to Her Majesty¡¯s Watch or I will burn you to ash where you stand.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, one of the thugs carefully lowered his weapon to the ground. Then another and another. Sergeant Cino and Laro stood frozen in place as Ester stared at the surrendering smugglers, struggling to suppress the adrenaline-fueled trembles in her hands. Eventually she managed to speak. ¡°Sergeant¡­¡± He jumped and gave himself a shake before nodding jerkily and moving forward to secure the prisoners. ===== The next day Ester found herself struggling with exhaustion in Commander Savate¡¯s office. By the time the prisoners had been secured and she¡¯d staggered numbly back to the small, whitewashed room she¡¯d been given in the Watch headquarters, it had already been well into the early hours of the morning. Even then, sleep had been difficult to grasp. She¡¯d lain there, trying to ignore the tremors in her hands as disgust warred with exhaustion in her. The fight playing over and over again in her head. The way the Captain had simply vanished in flame. The look on the other man she¡¯d killed¡¯s face as he choked up blood onto the stone of the docks. Her own failure to act until the last second¡­ Even when she¡¯d finally passed out, her sleep had been troubled by nightmares, leaving her tossing and turning. The office was small, smaller than she would have thought a man of his rank would have. A simple desk, strewn with paperwork. A high-backed chair behind it and a couple of smaller seats arranged to face it, one of which she occupied, forcing herself to sit up straight despite her lack of sleep. Just as it had the first time she¡¯d seen it, it confused her. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d been invited into noble homes while she was at the Academy, but she¡¯d still had some glimpses into how the nobleborn lived. She¡¯d expected more decoration, more ostentation. But it was almost entirely functional. The only adornment was the crest and portrait adorning the walls to the Commander¡¯s left and right. On one side the two open hands on a mountain background of Vass Karan and on the other the stern visage of the Undying Queen. Not even his own house¡¯s crest anywhere. ¡°You wanted to see me Commander?¡± At least if they were sitting she didn¡¯t have to look up to meet his eyes, he really was a huge man. ¡°Yes, thank you Ester.¡± Technically they were peers, if not for his position as head of the Watch. She was fairly sure that strictly speaking he should have called her Lady Ester. ¡°That was quite the display last night.¡± Ester didn¡¯t like the slight hint of censure in his tone. ¡°What exactly do you mean by that?¡± As soon as she snapped the words she wanted to take them back. ¡°Watch your tone girl. You just killed two people with magic. Do you know how many laws you broke?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Fury shot through her. ¡°They were murderous thugs who were trying to kill us without provocation!¡± ¡°Is that so? Whose word do I have for that? Yours? Sergeant Cino has been with the Watch for over twenty years. What if he said that you had provoked the whole thing, that you should be under arrest with those that survived your actions?¡± The Commander¡¯s blue eyes bored into her with frightening intensity. Ester couldn¡¯t quite stifle a gasp. She forced herself to meet the Commander¡¯s eyes, refusing to quail under his gaze. ¡°I would say that he is a filthy liar who takes bribes from criminal scum! If he wants to try to arrest me, he will see how that ends.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Suddenly the Commander looked away, a hint of tension left his body. ¡°Perhaps you might be some use to me after all. You¡¯ll be pleased to know that Sergeant Cino said that you saved his and Laro¡¯s life. I think he¡¯s too terrified of you after last night to actually make any accusations, even if he wanted to. Which, to be clear, he does not.¡± It took Ester a few seconds to find her voice. ¡°Wait. So that was a test? A deliberate provocation just to see how I would react? Why under the Throne would you even do something like that?¡± Commander Savate shrugged, completely unapologetic. ¡°I had to know what I was working with. You¡¯re¡­ I will be frank with you since you¡¯ve had a trying night. You¡¯re what? 20? 21? I asked for someone experienced, with some steel to them. They sent me a fresh graduate from the Academy, so green I half expect grass to grow out of your toes. Worse, they sent me a woman. When I first met you you meekly nodded and ducked your head to my rudeness. Obedience is desirable in a subordinate, but you are hardly a typical one. So yes, I needed to see whether you would actually stand up for yourself, or whether you were the kind of Mage who really just wants to hide from the world and sit and read books in a comfortable room. You hardly looked as impressive as your predecessor.¡± Ester could hardly believe her ears. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± She wanted to use the kind of words that would have seen her severely punished at the Academy. Instead forced her voice into calmness, clamping down hard on the urge to set the office and the Commander on fire. ¡°That was both unnecessary and thoroughly unpleasant.¡± ¡°Unpleasant, yes. Unnecessary, I disagree.¡± Great Spirits she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. As he spoke she ran through a basic calming exercise. ¡°As you¡¯ve found out, working in the Watch can be dangerous.¡± His smile did fade at that and his voice softened. Marginally. ¡°Normally a Watchman might serve for years before killing someone, not days. I apologise for that, sincerely.¡± The sudden change in tone threw her again. He actually sounded sympathetic. Why couldn¡¯t he just act consistently? Tell her what he wanted! And now he was dragging her thoughts back to last night. Blinding fire. Charred ashes still smoking. A bearded man coughing up blood onto the stone of the dock. Abject terror. ¡°It was¡­ I did my duty¡­¡± Ester did her best to stop her hands from trembling, to stop her mind from going back to that fight. The Commander gave her a long, searching look. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re not happy about it. The Watch is one of Her Eternal Majesty¡¯s many limbs in the Empire, but we¡¯re not the Imperial Army or the Inquisition. Sometimes we may have to kill, but it¡¯s an unfortunate reality, not what we want to do.¡± He suddenly looked a little older. ¡°Normally after one of the Watch kills someone their comrades take them out. Get them drunk, tell stories together and help them forget. The first time you kill is never an easy moment for any sane person and I wouldn¡¯t want anyone who felt comfortable with it serving under me.¡± He didn¡¯t need to explain why Sergeant Cino and Laro wouldn¡¯t be taking her out drinking. It was still difficult not to feel bitter. ¡°This isn¡¯t the sort of conversation to be had with someone who joined the Watch only days ago.¡± The Commander shook his head. ¡°It will likely haunt you, but just remember this, you did your duty, protected your comrades and you survived. That¡¯s what matters.¡± He reached out, slightly awkwardly across the desk as if he was about to pat her comfortingly on the shoulder, froze and then withdrew his hand without touching her. The awkward silence grew and stretched. The Commander seemed to have become as uncomfortable with the situation as she was. Eventually he gave himself a shake. ¡°How old are you anyway?¡± ¡°19.¡± Ester met his eyes defiantly, half-expecting him to return to the mild contempt he¡¯d affected before. ¡°Huh.¡± He genuinely looked surprised. ¡°Common born I presume?¡± Of course he¡¯d have to bring that up. Irritation mixed in with the bitterness she already felt. An irritation that had been nurtured through her seven years in the Academy. Who did he even think he was? ¡°I am a Chartered Mage.¡± ¡°Of course you are.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure whether that was directed at her birth or her current status. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re here tells me enough.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Before Ester could question that he pressed on. ¡°So the question comes, how do I use you.¡± There was only one correct response to that. In the absence of anything civil to saw Ester retreated to duty. Some of her teachers would have called it platitude. ¡°However best serves the Throne.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The Commander gave her a thin smile. ¡°You will need to continue to go on patrol occasionally.¡± He held his hand up to forestall a protest that Ester hadn¡¯t been planning to make. ¡°Your purpose here isn¡¯t to tramp around on the streets like a Watchman. That would be a waste bordering on the criminal, but you still need to get used to the city and to our daily work.¡± ¡°Very well, but what is my purpose here then?¡± It had been all very well when she was first sent here. She¡¯d been given a high handed tale of serving Her Eternal Majesty by helping the Watch to crush crime, but any illusions Ester had had about that had died last night. ¡°The Watch has many roles. Too many really, but not all crime is mundane. Open defiance of the Throne is for the nobility and the military to deal with.¡± Ester breathed a sigh of relief at that. ¡°However, where criminals abuse the power of magic I need to have an answer to that. Since Farhad died I¡¯ve had to rely on Caille. He¡¯s done well enough, but the last year or so has been quiet.¡± Farhad? Caille? ¡°I¡¯m sorry Commander, who are they?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He blinked a couple of times as if surprised she¡¯d asked, although Ester doubted much surprised him really. Was everything a test or affectation? ¡°Farhad was your predecessor, he died about a year ago. Choked to death on a bone of all things. Caille is an Adept who contracts for us sometimes. He used to work for House Rutane before that, but is mostly retired these days.¡± ¡°Choked to death?!¡± She hadn¡¯t heard about that. Had it been deliberately hidden from her? Or was it simply that no one had cared enough to say anything? ¡°Mmm, very unfortunate. Obviously we checked for foul play, but there was none. Even Master Atrectus,¡± he saw Ester¡¯s questioning look, ¡°one of your kind who¡¯s made Vass Karan his residence, investigated. It seems Mages look after their own.¡± Ester wasn¡¯t so sure about that, not after her time in the Academy. They certainly didn¡¯t kill each other though and sometimes accidents did just happen. It didn¡¯t exactly make her feel better about Vass Karan though. The firmness of the Commander¡¯s tone when he¡¯d said that the death had been investigated broked no question. He certainly sounded certain about it. Nevertheless, she still found it hard to believe that a Mage had died from something so mundane. ¡°What about the smugglers? What were they trying to protect?¡± The Commander shrugged. ¡°That was an odd one alright. Most of what was on the boat was nothing special, food, some wine. Tariffs unpaid, so they were certainly smugglers, but worth dying over? Probably not, they could likely have talked their way into the mines. The interesting thing though was they had some,¡± he coughed slightly awkwardly, ¡°special cargo.¡± ¡°Special cargo?¡± ¡°Imbued drugs.¡± Ester couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°You mean poisons, mind breakers?¡± That would certainly be more than enough to see a smuggler hang. However, the Commander shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so anyway. Caille has had a look at them, but he¡¯s an Adept. I wouldn¡¯t want to rely on his views. That¡¯s one of the reasons I wanted a Mage here.¡± ¡°So what does he think they are?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the strange thing. Caille reckons they¡¯re¡­ party substances. The sort of thing that a degenerate noble might enjoy at a private event. Illegal, for the most part, but more embarrassing than truly harmful.¡± ¡°But illegal is illegal¡­¡± The Empire¡¯s penal code was hardly lax, especially when it came to crimes involving magic. The Commander shrugged again, awkward for a brief moment. ¡°Well there¡¯s illegal and then there¡¯s really illegal. You¡¯ll learn soon enough. If we tried to stop noble houses from getting their relatively harmless pleasures¡­ well we¡¯d never have time for anything else.¡± That was as honest as anything she¡¯d heard since coming to Vass Karan and unsurprisingly it didn¡¯t fit with most of what she¡¯d been taught. ¡°What er¡­ what do these drugs do?¡± He hesitated, ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to take a look at them and tell me. Earn your pay.¡± He was clearly avoiding something there, but she couldn¡¯t work out what. Regardless, there was only one possible answer. ¡°Of course, I will go and examine them as soon we are done here. What will happen to the men who attacked us though?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve all got an appointment with the hangman this evening.¡± The Commander¡¯s words sounded utterly matter of fact, but Ester¡¯s stomach still lurched. They¡¯d have killed her if they could. She¡¯d even killed two of them. Certainly anyone who tried to murder members of the Watch like that deserved to hang. But she still hated the thought of people dying because of her. Even thugs like those men. The Commander didn¡¯t notice her disquiet, or possibly pretended not to. ¡°As soon as they tried to kill Watchmen their lives were forfeit.¡± Ester knew he was leaving the other part unsaid. Raising a hand against a Chartered Mage was also punished by death. If the Mage didn¡¯t get you first of course. Presumably he was just trying to soften the blow for her. She wasn¡¯t quite sure whether she appreciated or resented that, so she chose to ignore it. ¡°What about House Velia? They said they were serving them. Is that not being investigated?¡± That had clearly been the wrong thing to say. Commander Savate pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. ¡°If only it were that easy.¡± ¡°Why? What is difficult about it?¡± ¡°Do you even know who House Velia are?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± She kept her voice utterly confident and certainly didn¡¯t mention that she¡¯d asked Sergeant Cino once the fight was over. ¡°Then surely you understand why things aren¡¯t that simple.¡± Ester shook her head. ¡°Surely the men can be interrogated and action taken?¡± That got her another sigh. ¡°Is this what they teach you at the Academy?¡± He ignored the way Ester bristled at that. ¡°How do you think this works?¡± ¡°They were caught smuggling and claiming to work for House Velia, smuggling is bad enough, but then they attacked a patrol of the City Watch. Surely no stone would be left unturned to find who they were working for.¡± The Commander looked less than impressed at her words. It reminded Ester far too much of certain tutors at the Academy. ¡°That¡¯s how it should work, yes. The men insisted on being questioned that they were in the service for House Velia and should be freed. What do you think happened next?¡± Ester nearly said what she thought should have happened, but she wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake twice. She tried to imagine a world of corruption, without the Throne¡¯s protection. The Commander had said they¡¯d hang, so they hadn¡¯t escaped. ¡°It turned out they were lying and had nothing to do with House Velia?¡± ¡°Close enough. In accordance with the Laws of Her Eternal Majesty, a representative of House Velia was contacted.¡± Was that a hint of irony in his tone? ¡°Alciar, the Count¡¯s second son came to the Watchhouse. He was unfailingly polite and brought their majordomo with him. They looked carefully at the men we¡¯d captured and declared that they had never seen them before in their lives. They also requested,¡± he grimaced, ¡°politely demanded, that the men be charged with insulting a Great House for their claims.¡± ¡°Insulting a Great House?!¡± ¡°Well, making false accusations of criminal activity would seem rather insulting to me.¡± Ester could not say that she appreciated the flippancy, even if irritation underlaid the words. ¡°So they can just deny it and that is that? That is¡­ outrageous! Those men attacked an Imperial Institution! Surely you are not just going to let it go?¡± Savate shrugged. ¡°I could investigate further, but what would I find? The men had nothing on them that linked them to House Velia, so it¡¯s their word against the Count¡¯s. I know how that would go. I could try to find more evidence I suppose. Can you cast truth spells?¡± Ester shook her head. Something like that was beyond her. For now anyway. One day, maybe¡­ ¡°It probably wouldn¡¯t help anyway, I doubt anyone other than their Captain knew anything and, well, he¡¯s not saying very much after you dealt with him. So, it would require a great deal of resources to investigate further. Worse, it would make an enemy of one of the most powerful houses in the city. Soon everyone involved in the attack on the Watch will be dead, order has been restored and justice done.¡± He didn¡¯t sound like he believed it. ¡°But you¡¯re the head of the Watch. You have the backing of the Throne!¡± ¡°I might have, I might not have. We¡¯re a long way from Trevayn and House Velia is strong and known to be a loyal supporter to the Throne.¡± ¡°So you think they are innocent?¡± The Commander shook his head. ¡°No, I have no idea whether they are or not. I just can¡¯t do anything about it. If I had more evidence, that would be one thing. As it is, well the Great Houses get away with a lot. Unless you have an inquisitor up your sleeve¡­¡± he paused as if he almost expected her to reveal she had, ¡°there¡¯s nothing more I can do.¡± ¡°Surely you can¡¯t seriously be saying that? That someone can attack the Watch, try to murder your own people and you can¡¯t do anything about it?!¡± Ester half expected him to take umbrage at her tone, but his response was mild. ¡°It¡¯s the reality of the situation. Nothing more, nothing less. They¡¯re a Great House and as long as they don¡¯t cross certain lines they can get away with a lot.¡± He grimaced. ¡°No one from our side died, the only evidence we have is the word of criminals looking to save their own miserable hides. As I said, if I had more to go on it would be different, but until then, I¡¯ll just have to get on with my job.¡± A warning note entered his tone. ¡°As do you.¡± With a moment¡¯s effort, Ester schooled her features into neutrality. They always had said she needed to work on that at the Academy. ¡°I understand.¡± Oh yes, she understood perfectly well. The Commander would do nothing, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t. He had his reasons not to want to, but they didn¡¯t bind her. He¡¯d made the mistake of not explicitly ordering her to drop the matter. She¡¯d do her own investigations and when she found proof then she¡¯d take it to him and they¡¯d be able to bring the Queen¡¯s justice down on House Velia. Of course, she reminded herself, only if they were indeed guilty. ¡°If that was all?¡± Ester made as if to stand from her chair. ¡°Hmm. Oh, yes there was one other thing. Lord Alciar left you this.¡± The Commander opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out an envelope. ¡°He said something about welcoming Vass Karan¡¯s newest mage to the city.¡± Ester reached out and took the envelope. It was heavier than it looked, made of thick, expensive paper. On the front was her name, written in a fine hand using a blue ink that seemed to sparkle in the light. Ester focused on it and felt the taste of magic on her tongue. Narrowing her eyes she opened her mind further, scrutinising the envelope. Nothing dangerous, just a small illusion, but very expensive nevertheless. That sort of thing was available to any student at the Academy, but even in Trevayn she knew that ink of that kind would be out of reach to the vast majority. On the other side was a seal. What looked like a pair of axes on a star pressed into blue wax. After a moment¡¯s hestitation she opened the envelope and pulled a card out from within it. ¡°The honourable Count Arnos Velia of House Velia cordially requests the honour of Lady Ester Mazar¡¯s presence at his soir¨¦e at the Starfall Palace on the evening of¡­¡± She quickly scanned her way through the card, no, the invitation. Some kind of social evening. One organised by House Velia. She had to resist the urge to throw the thing across the room. Were they mocking her?! The Commander must have seen something in her facial expression. ¡°He said that his father wanted to put this unpleasantness into the past and welcome you to the city.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ester truly didn¡¯t want to go. She didn¡¯t have any appropriate clothing. She¡¯d never even been to a soir¨¦e at a noble¡¯s house before and she had no desire to make polite conversation with anyone from House Velia. However¡­ if she was going to be investigating them, she could hardly ignore this opportunity that had just been dropped into her lap. ¡°You¡¯ll be going I assume?¡± When Ester hesitated the Commander frowned. ¡°You can be as reclusive as you want to be when the Throne is done with you, but for now you work for the Watch, which means you work for me. It¡¯s important to me that the Watch is seen to be present in high society as well as low. You¡¯ve just been complaining to me about not taking action against a Great House because I don¡¯t have the power, but you¡¯re turning down an opportunity to go and make connections some of the most powerful people in Vass Karan¡¯s society?¡± It was hard to argue with that. ¡°I don¡¯t have a dress for it.¡± Great Spirits, could she have sounded more petulant? Commander Savate¡¯s lips twitched at that. A tiny movement that vanished as soon as it came. ¡°So that¡¯s your biggest issue? It doesn¡¯t matter though.¡± ¡°What do you mean it does not matter?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Chartered Mage, you can wear whatever you bloody well like.¡± That gave Ester pause, there was something to it. Maybe. But he was still wrong. She could remember the comments at the Academy, some subtle, others less so. Clothes marked who you were and your status in society, she had had that made clear to her more than once. She might have the title now, but simply going to an event dressed poorly would undo all of that work. She¡¯d heard enough snide stories about this or that lady who had committed social suicide by re-wearing last year¡¯s dress to an event. It might not matter so much to her, it wasn¡¯t like she was particularly involved in noble society anyway. That didn¡¯t mean she wanted to sabotage herself from her very first appearance. Things were meant to have been different in Vass Karan. Commander Savate must have seen something in her face because he sighed and ran his hand through his close cropped, grey hair. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know how they do things in Trevayn, but you need to remember, you¡¯re not some apprentice here. You¡¯re a Mage, you have your Charter, directly from the Throne. The normal rules simply don¡¯t apply. You could walk in wearing a torn dress you borrowed from the cook and people would still need to show you at least some respect.¡± That was just wrong. Perhaps in theory or with people who didn¡¯t know any better it might be true. But she knew enough, she knew that wasn¡¯t how things worked with the nobleborn. ¡°You may be right,¡± it was the closest she¡¯d come to accepting his point, ¡°but even ignoring what I want, is that how you want me to portray myself? Someone who cares not for social mores or who has not the sense to even attempt to conform with them?¡± Commander Savate sighed again. She hoped it wouldn¡¯t become a theme of their conversations. ¡°You have a point, but you also have a salary. Or had you forgotten? Her Eternal Majesty is paying you well for your service. You might not be able to compete with the finery of the Great Houses, but if you want to dress well you certainly have the means. I¡¯m told that Venel Cutlis does excellent work at prices that the more hard up houses can afford. I would suggest that you pay him a visit straight after you¡¯ve looked at the contraband, you should have time to get something put together.¡± Well there went the last of her arguments. The last thing Ester wanted was to be spending time at a tailor¡¯s, but Commander Savate¡¯s position was clear and his logic was difficult to argue with. Better to acquiesce gracefully than to continue to fight a losing battle. ¡°That makes sense Commander, thank you. I will go and see this Cutlis.¡± ¡°Excellent. Was there anything else?¡± Ester could recognise a dismissal perfectly well. ¡°Thank you, no.¡± Chapter 4 - A Testing Time Chapter 4 - A Testing Time ¡°The Empire¡¯s Adepts and Mages produce a myriad of wondrous substances to better the lives of its subjects. From simple things like strength or healing, to more complex and esoteric benefits, the skill of the Empire¡¯s magic users brings happiness, prosperity and safety to all.¡± Two Thousand Years of Empire by Jahangir Amini ===== With a sigh Ester cast her eye over the strongroom that had been commandeered to hold the various drugs discovered on the Driftwood Wanderer. They¡¯d been left on a wooden table for her, a stack of ornately carved wooden containers full of Throne knew what. They seemed far too finely made to simply be smuggling boxes for some degenerate noble, but what did she know about such things? She tamped down on the irritation that flared up at the thought. She hadn¡¯t been allowed to have a look at Caille¡¯s work before coming here, although it had been worded more politely. Another bloody test she supposed, it was more than frustrating. Well she¡¯d show them. She hadn¡¯t exactly had the best start to her time in Vass Karan, but analysing some potions or powders? She could do that with her eyes shut. Right, on to the first one. Ester took a calming breath and surveyed the table. Paper, ink pot and pen were all in their proper place, she had space to work. Time to begin. First she took a sheet of paper. She lacked a proper analytics set-up here. Of course she did, but that didn¡¯t matter. Something in metal would have been nice, but flexibility was half the difference between a proper Mage and an Adept. She laid the paper out on the table and with a quick dip into the inkpot she started to write. One by one, she scratched the runes out in a neat circle around the paper, each representing a single Word. Dechlaid¡­ Indaitlu... Fa¡¯gr?nn... Ten in total. She gave the ink a few moments to dry and then focused on the runes. With a slight effort of will she pulled the magic from within her, quickly feeding tiny amounts into each rune, careful not to overwhelm them. As she did so they flared with green light, one by one, burning the ink into the paper. The Schema came together perfectly, just as she¡¯d expected it to. She couldn¡¯t help the moment of pride she felt. She¡¯d have to repeat it again each time though. Paper was hardly a resilient material and she didn¡¯t want to start carving up the table without permission. Not that it would last much longer anyway. With her Schema ready, Ester focused her attention on the boxes, giving them a quick once over. The fact that Caille had been able to go through them without any apparent ill effects suggested that there was nothing dangerous. She shook her head. She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to bet her life on that. Especially not after the series of unpleasant surprises she¡¯d had since leaving Trevayn. As expected, there was no sign of any magic on them, just the faint feel of their contents hovering at the edge of perception. Safety precautions satisfied, Ester opened the first box, careful not to touch its contents. Inside she found a glittering, grey powder, which sparkled even in the dim light of the lamp she¡¯d brought with her. She could make her own, better light of course, but holding it in existence would be distracting. First she turned her gaze on the powder, focusing her eyes beyond mere reality. The world faded away around her and she could see the strands of magic twisting in it, almost taste them. This would do something with emotions, she could tell that straight away. Obviously that wasn¡¯t enough though, she¡¯d been asked to investigate these drugs properly, not just give them a quick look. Ester took a wooden spatula and carefully dipped it into the powder before bringing it to her face, ensuring that she didn¡¯t touch the substance. After a moment she nodded. The colour and size of the grains were suggestive too and the unnatural iridescence leant into silver. It was good quality, but she¡¯d seen better. The powder had a certain amount of leakage and she suspected that it would give anyone who took it a nasty headache the next day. Sloppy manufacturing perhaps? Despite her distaste for the substance she still pulled a face at the poor workmanship. With her initial observations complete, Ester sprinkled a small measure of the powder onto the sheet of paper. Perhaps Shariarti¡¯s Breakdown would be best for this? It would work well with the Schema she¡¯d laid out. Ester muttered the words under her breath and light flashed over the paper. The runes flared, briefly bathing the room in eerie green light, before vanishing into thin, greasy smoke, but she kept her attention on the powder, feeling the faint drain on her magic. The glittering dust shifted and then flattened out into a circle in the untouched centre of the paper. Colours drifted up from it, runes circling around them. Without relaxing her focus, Ester dipped her pen in the ink and started to write. Some of it was difficult to interpret, but she could recognise enough. Guess at the rest. Quite a few ingredients, midnight honey, dragonfruit elixir, bone from a sparrow, the list went on and she noted them all down. Each strand of colour and its accompanying runes gave Ester a bit more information. Combined with her own education it was trivial. She even thought, with just a hint of smugness, that she could make a fairly good guess at the exact Schema that had been applied to the ingredients. If she was reading the signs right anyway. Or perhaps it had been a spell rather than a Schema? How much of this stuff would they have wanted to make? Would they have had the money to put the Schema on gold or even silver? She supposed in the end it didn¡¯t really matter exactly how they¡¯d made it, the results were the same. Regardless, it was quite easy to work out what the powder was meant to do. Eating it in any quantity would likely make someone feel nauseous, but inhaling it would cause huge waves of euphoria. A little sniff of it would leave someone feeling as good as they ever had for perhaps fifteen minutes. She couldn¡¯t help but imagine a party full of opulently dressed, overfed nobles, all lying there in blissful ecstasy. Occasionally moving to sniff a little more powder before retreating to their daybeds. Perhaps it was relatively harmless like Commander Savate had said, but it still distasteful. Still, Ester looked at the spirals of colour and runes, there might be something more to it. She narrowed her eyes. There was definitely something more subtle in there. Impulse control maybe? ===== It took Ester some hours to finish up with the last of the drugs. She straightened up, feeling a nervous energy flowing through her. She¡¯d expected to be exhausted after so long concentrating, but actually it had been enervating. Perhaps it was just that she¡¯d been able to spend time doing something that was both interesting and safe. After gathering up her burnt sheets of paper she glanced over her notes one last time, enjoying the satisfied feeling of a job well done. Neat handwriting set out the purpose of each drug and exactly what it would do to its user, including any side effects. Under each of those she¡¯d written out the ingredients, where they could be found and a recommendation for its disposal. Some might actually be useful, for example euphoria could make for a decent anaesthetic. Others she thought should just be burnt. She¡¯d been tempted to also list the sources for her conclusions. In fact she¡¯d gone as far as dipping her pen in the inkpot, but at the last moment she¡¯d decided not to. She doubted Commander Savate would be interested in knowing which books she¡¯d read or which Schema and spell combination she¡¯d used. Still¡­ Ester gathered up the notes with more than a hint of pride, he really wouldn¡¯t be able to complain about what she had produced. Other than the sources, she was quite sure it would have earnt her a nod of approval from even the strictest Professor in the Academy. Now she just needed to find the old Adept, Caille, and pass her report on to him. As she headed out she couldn¡¯t help but think back to what she¡¯d found. Whoever it was that had been planning to buy these drugs truly was degenerate though. The more innocent drugs had been decadent enough, but the subtle effects she¡¯d spotted in some of them made her shudder to think of the kind of parties they might be used at. Or were they just intended to be used as poisons? Perhaps she could ask the Commander. Then there¡¯d been the one she couldn¡¯t quite work out, a scowl flashed across her face at the thought. Not what it did, that was no problem, but the why of it. Most of the drugs fitted with what she imagined would be some kind of degenerate pleasure party, not that she had much to go on there of course. However, the odd one out had had the effect of making blood flow better and increasing stamina. She¡¯d been quite pleased to be able to work that one out, it hadn¡¯t been easy. It seemed like something that would be more useful for running a race than partying though. Ester shrugged, it hardly mattered. ===== The next day Ester found herself out in Vass Karan¡¯s cold drizzle once again, although at least during the day rather than at night. The Commander had been insistent that she keep on doing training patrols and so she¡¯d spent another tedious day following inordinately deferential Watchmen around. Still, at least no one had attacked them this time. She¡¯d been meaning to go to the tailor that the Commander had recommended straight after completing her analysis of the drugs, but that had ended up taking longer than she¡¯d expected. So that meant waiting for the next day. She knew that if she wanted a half decent chance of actually having a dress ready before the Velia Soir¨¦e she needed to go to there as soon as she possibly could. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! That was why, rather than follow the Watchmen all the way back to the Watch headquarters, she¡¯d asked them to go by Cutlis¡¯ establishment and drop her off there. As the two men hurried away after polite bows, probably glad to be away from her, Ester forced her face into smoothness and clamped down hard on her irritation. She already knew this was going to be painful. She was dressed horrendously and probably looked like a bedraggled dog in the rain. Still. Mages could wear whatever they wanted. Ester took a calming breath and reached out to the hammer on the ornately carved, black, wooden door. The Commander had spoken. Nothing could possibly go wrong she thought wryly. ===== Stenia had been having a most trying day. Master Cutlis had been in something of a foul mood. A liaison gone wrong the night before or something similar, all very typical of him, and she had already had to deal with a highly impolite customer this afternoon. The upjumped merchant¡¯s wife had simply not understood the way things were done among people of class. So, when she heard the banging on the door she was less than delighted. Nevertheless, an establishment like Master Cutlis¡¯ had standards to uphold and so she composed herself, schooling her face into a polite smile, before preparing to welcome another honoured customer. When she opened the door she had to restrain herself from an undignified display of surprise. Of all the things she had been expecting, it was not a damp looking girl wearing men¡¯s clothing. Men¡¯s clothing of a very poor quality too. The girl could have been pretty if she had not looked like something the cat drag¡­ It did not matter. ¡°The servant¡¯s entrance is at the back¡­ good woman.¡± Stenia made to close the door, pausing only at the girl¡¯s desperate shout. ¡°Wait! Please, I can explain. I need to speak to Master Cutlis about an urgent commission!¡± Ridiculous. Stenia doubted the girl had more than a few pennies to her name. Just speaking to her was an embarrassment. Master Cutlis had a man for that sort of thing. She was about to close the door when a horrible thought occurred to her. The girl was not one of Master Cutlis¡¯ liaisons was she? Stenia had thought he had better taste than that. ¡°Master Cutlis is a busy man. Please leave.¡± Whatever the girl¡¯s relationship with her employer, Stenia certainly had no intention of continuing the conversation. With a decisive movement she swung the door shut. ¡°No you do not¡­¡± The girl jammed her foot into the gap between the door and frame just as it closed. Outrageous! Stenia could see the uncouth trollop wince from the pain,. Most deserved too, behaving like that! No wonder she thought it was acceptable to run around in men¡¯s clothing where everyone could see. ¡°Tell him,¡± the girl gasped, ¡°tell Master Cutlis that Ester Mazar, Chartered Mage, wishes to see him.¡± What had been tedious was now becoming offensive. This was simply intolerable, did the girl think that Stenia was a complete fool? Certainly the girl was foolish to make a claim like that. ¡°Remove your foot immediately girl or I shall be calling for the guards!¡± The girl did not withdraw her foot and Stenia was about to raise her voice to call for help, when the door shoved back into her with inexorable force. The girl had not moved, but something was wrong. Terribly wrong. An eldritch green glow sprung up, wavering around the girl in sickly swirls that made her nauseous just looking at them. The very fabric of the world seemed to bend, the walls distorting around them. Stenia¡¯s stomach churned as direction seemed to reverse, twist and pull at her. She could not stifle the small shriek of fear, nor prevent the instinctive step back that she took. The girl followed, suddenly filling the airy lobby. She loomed impossibly into the distance and yet was far too close to Stenia. Rippling distortions ran over her skin in maddening patterns, twisting her into perverse facsimiles of her form before snapping back to a vague approximation of humanity. The girl, the monstrosity, spoke. Every word echoed through Stenia¡¯s skull, hammering at its sides, trying to burst forth. ¡°I really am sorry to have to do this, I know I am not dressed the way you would expect, but I really am a Chartered Mage and somewhat pressed for time. If it is at all possible I very much would like to see Master Cutlis.¡± Mid-sentence normality reasserted itself. Echoing words carrying meanings she could never understand were suddenly replaced by an apologetic girl¡¯s voice as the world snapped back into place. Instead of¡­ whatever that had been, there was just a slip of a girl tapping her foot in irritation as she stood there in cheap, over-sized men¡¯s clothes, damp hair clinging to her scalp. For the first time in many years it took Stenia a moment to gather herself. Nevertheless, she prided herself on the service that Master Cutlis¡¯ establishment provided and there was only one possible response to the girl¡¯s display. She dropped into a low curtsy. ¡°My apologies Lady Mazar, please come in, I had not realised with the way you were¡­ Not that I should presume to tell you what to¡­ You must understand we are not used to the patronage of someone such as your¡­¡± She took a deep a breath and rose from her curtsy, fleeing to the familiar territory of politeness. ¡°Please, make yourself comfortable, refreshments will be brought and I shall inform Master Cutlis of your presence at once.¡± As the Mage settled indelicately onto a chair with a faint look of relief Stenia hurried off, her mind whirling. She was going to have to have the cushions cleaned of course, but such was life. Mages could be eccentric, everyone knew that. If the Mage wanted to dress like a manual labourer then that was certainly her prerogative. Perhaps this would be good for Master Cutlis¡¯ business. A Mage was certainly a step above the lower nobility and wealthy merchants that made up his normal clientele. Well as long as she did not want him to make some perverse imitation of an army uniform or something equally ridiculous anyway. ===== As the obnoxious woman bustled away in a flurry of affronted terror Ester let out the breath she¡¯d been holding and forced her hands to unclench. She shouldn¡¯t have lost her temper like that. She was forced to admit that the woman had had a point in disbelieving her. It wasn¡¯t her fault! But it was true that she wasn¡¯t dressed like a respectable man, let alone a respectable woman. Still, she was more than fed up with people seeming to only have two ways of speaking to her. Contempt, mild or otherwise, or exaggerated deference. Irritation warred with sadness inside her. She missed talking to people like a normal person. At least at the academy she¡¯d had a few friends. And most people talked to Apprentice Ester Mazar, not to a terrifying Chartered Mage or a girl who didn¡¯t know her place. A maid hurried out with a plate of biscuits and laid them on the small table beside Ester¡¯s chair. ¡°Thank y¡­¡± Before she could finish the maid had already fled. As she munched on an admittedly very tasty biscuit, Ester found herself missing the Academy even more. Not for the first time since she¡¯d come to Vass Karan either. They¡¯d been hard years there, but at least she¡¯d felt like she had a place. It was probably her own stupid fault she¡¯d been sent here. She shouldn¡¯t have gone on about wanting to go on adventures. If she¡¯d behaved like a proper lady, focused on the things she was meant to, maybe she could have stayed there. She¡¯d have enjoyed teaching first years. Probably. Maybe. Not that she¡¯d have been allowed near them if anyone in the Academy had seen the display she¡¯d just put on. She winced at the thought. That would have had her caned and then set to punishment duties for a month for such sloppy casting. She had to resist the urge to look over her shoulder for an angry Professor. Or even just anyone who knew anything about magic. If another Chartered Mage had seen that, she¡¯d never hear the end of it. Still, she allowed herself a small smile, she¡¯d been right about what would happen if she did it deliberately. Ester¡¯s musings were interrupted by the door swinging open. A large man, as wide as he was tall, with greying hair slicked back to his scalp, bustled in. His face was red with worry, ruddy cheeks glistening with sweat and as soon as he saw her he swept into an elaborate bow. ¡°Lady Mazar, you do me great honour with your visit, my sincerest apologies that I was not here to greet you on your arrival, what can I¡­¡± His rich, deep voice faded as he really looked at Ester. His eyes flicked over her and then went back to her feet, moving up more slowly. ¡°By the Throne, this will not do. No, no no. This will not do at all. Stand up, let me take a proper look at you. Mmmm. Yes. I see why you came to me. Stenia, clear my diary. Lady Mazar come with me, we must get to work immediately. Your chaperone? No foolish of me, of course you do not need one. Come, come!¡± He was moving, leading the way even as he spoke and with slightly shocked amusement Ester found herself trailing behind before she¡¯d even thought about it. There was certainly no exaggerated deference there. Not once he¡¯d seen what she was wearing. It was kind of refreshing. ==== ¡°So, what did you think of her report?¡± Velthur Savate sat back in his chair and started to flick through the sheaf of papers Caille had handed him. ¡°It was¡­ thorough.¡± The older man looked down, clearly a little uncomfortable. Savate didn¡¯t reply, instead letting the silence stretch until Caille continued talking, just to fill it. ¡°She has included a breakdown of every substance in great depth and,¡± he grimaced, ¡°identified several things that I did not.¡± ¡°And you trust her judgment on that?¡± Caille might only be an Adept, but he¡¯d spent decades serving House Rutane. In the absence of anyone else, Savate at least knew he was reliable. ¡°She is a Chartered Mage.¡± There was a hint of censure in Caille¡¯s voice. That was as far as he¡¯d ever go to challenge anyone. Likely a consequence of being a glorified servant for so long. Well, that was no use to Savate. ¡°Titles aren¡¯t everything, indulge me.¡± He kept flicking through the papers. Oh, that was indeed interesting. One of the pleasure enhancers had a bit more to it. Lowering of inhibitions, willingness to follow orders¡­ He resisted the urge to show his disgust on his face. Caille had missed that one. Caille sighed. ¡°I cannot find any fault in her analysis. I have no idea of her general spellcasting ability, but with no proper equipment she obtained far more detail out of the substances than I could have with a year of trying and a solid gold analysis Schema.¡± ¡°I see, so she is competent?¡± Caille nodded. ¡°Thank you for your help. I¡¯ll arrange for payment in the usual way, do enjoy your evening.¡± As Caille got up and bowed Savate turned his attention back to the report and kept reading. He flicked to the next page. An energy potion, but again with a nasty little something laced in it to increase the user¡¯s suggestibility. With Caille gone he could allow his lips to turn down in small show of displeasure. Subtle little barbs in some of these drugs, he could entirely imagine how they¡¯d be used. Pushing people into acts they¡¯d never agree to if they were in their right mind, but just subtle enough that they might not even realise what had happened afterwards. Or perhaps it was all innocent, just meant to add to the party. That¡¯s what the owners would no doubt claim, if he could find them. Either way, Caille had missed those little add ons. Not totally surprising, he supposed. He trusted Caille, but an Adept was an Adept and a competent Mage was an entirely different kettle of fish. He turned to the next page. Like the others it was covered in carefully organised, neat handwriting. This really was excessive. He didn¡¯t need to have a full breakdown of ingredients and their likely provenance. Still, excessive as young Ester¡¯s report might be, it was also something of a relief. She might be so fresh out of the Academy that he half expected her to call him Professor, but at least it seemed they hadn¡¯t foisted off an incompetent on him. He¡¯d certainly been worried. When he¡¯d realised they¡¯d dumped a new graduate on him, and a girl no less, he¡¯d assumed she had enemies and would be marginally competent at best. Her performance with the smugglers hadn¡¯t helped with that. But then that didn¡¯t quite fit with what Caille said. Or the fact that she¡¯d achieved her Charter in only seven years. Even with the way that every time she opened her mouth she practically shouted ¡®commoner trying to compensate¡¯, she should have been snapped up for a position in Trevayn. Perhaps his contacts in the capital had come through for him after all. He shrugged and turned to the next page, a mystery to solve another day. What was important was that it looked like he would in fact be able to use her. Eventually anyway, it would no doubt take some time to shape her into what he needed. He really would need to make sure to teach her about the importance of brevity too.