Sypara Wygoth stood to Torval’s left, and she made Torval look tall. Everyone who met the Head of House Wygoth marveled that such a small woman had produced a son the size of Braden. Her was hair almost pure black-despite being shot with gray, and her bright, blue eyes carried an impish, mischievous glint. Her lips having the slight curl of an ever-present grin, Sypara presented the impression of an adult rascal who felt no impetus to ‘grow up.’ Her white robes gleamed in the morning sun, and the vermilion runes at the cuffs of her sleeve served to accent the robes’ color.
“So, who are you assigning as our children’s mentor, Valera?” Carth Roshan asked.
“Now, Carth, that’s bad form, and you know it!” Sypara said before Valera could respond. “We have no business ‘interfering’ in the management of the College.”
“‘Interfering,’ is it? I’ve heard rumors of upper-Tier students hazing the new ones, and I just wanted to make it clear I won’t stand for that where Wynn is concerned.”
Sypara gathered herself to respond, but Valera lifted her hand, bidding Sypara to hold a moment.
“Carth, I’ve heard the same rumors you have-for several years now-and I regret that I’ve not been able to confirm or deny those rumors through evidence. That being said, I feel a recent addition to this year’s roster of mentors will help curtail that.”
Carth scoffed. “I fail to see how one student will make any difference if the problem is as wide-spread and ingrained as I’ve heard.”
Lillian wanted to speak up, but she was torn. She had spent many the hour talking with Mariana Cothos, who was five years older, about what the College would be like, and from what Mariana had said, hazing had always been a part of the College.
Just then, Valera angled her head a bit to the side, looking beyond the group, and smiled; Lillian turned her head and saw a young man walking around the path leading to the Tower’s main door from the gardens. Valera waved to get his attention and motioned for him to approach them.
“Well, Carth,” Valera said, “it just so happens that the young man I was planning to assign to your children is right there. Let me introduce him, and you can make up your mind.”
The young man approaching them wore the brown robes of a student, and everyone could see he wore a wizard’s medallion. But he walked with his head slightly bowed and his right index finger tapped his jaw, which blocked view of the medallion’s glyph. Otherwise, he wore his light brown hair cropped close, and there were hints of facial hair that might grow into a Vandyke beard one day.
He approached the group, still lost in thought, and stopped at Valera’s side. All at once, he seemed to realize everyone was looking at him.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Valera,” he said. “Marcus gave me a puzzle a little while ago, and I’m still working my way through it. How can I help you?”
As he straightened, the young man bared the medallion to view, and the others standing with Valera drew back.
“Gavin Cross of House Kirloth, I would introduce you to Carth of House Roshan, Torval of House Mivar, and Sypara of House Wygoth. These are their respective children who will be starting this term: Wynn, Lillian, and Braden. Well, Lillian is in truth Torval’s granddaughter, but that’s a matter for another time.”
Gavin smiled, saying, “Hello. It’s nice to meet you.”
After handshakes had been exchanged all around, Carth said, “So, tell us, Gavin; what do you enjoy most about being a student at the College?”
“Oh, I’m not a student,” Gavin said. “I’m Marcus’s apprentice.”
Valera showed commendable restraint in maintaining her non-expression as it seemed like everyone else’s jaw dropped.
“Excuse me,” Torval said, “but did you say you are Marcus’s apprentice?”
“Yes. When he named me his apprentice, he said something about ‘as was in the old ways.’”
“Tell me, Gavin,” Carth said, “what’s your opinion of hazing?”
Gavin considered the matter for several moments, before returning his eyes to Carth. “Sir, I cannot imagine a case in which hazing-even with the best of intentions-is anything other than bullying, and I despise bullies. Valera has asked me to be a mentor for a few students of the new class, and no one will be hazing my group if I have anything to say about it.”
Carth turned to Valera, saying, “He’ll do.”
Chapter 22
A soft knock at the door pulled Valera from her musings. Her steward entered, saying, “Commander Roshan is here, ma’am.”
“Send him in at once, please,” Valera said, “and stay until I’ve offered the commander refreshment.”
The steward nodded and left.
While she waited, Valera scanned the space with her eyes and sighed. The space was comfortable, but it was not home. She still remembered her father’s expression, his exact words, his enraged tone of voice, when she announced her intention to remain in Tel and pursue her studies in Divination. Her father disowned her and had even gone so far as to have all records of her existence removed from the family genealogy. It didn’t often bother Valera these days. It was a pain long since past. Still, old hurts sometimes stealthed out of the shadows in her mind to ambush her.
The door opened once more to admit the steward followed by Garris Roshan. A man of average height with a bulky, muscular build, he wore a burgundy mantle atop his red robe with silver runes that proclaimed him a magus within the Society. The mantle bore the color of the Battle-mages of Tel, and a wizard’s medallion bearing the glyph of House Roshan rested atop his heart. He kept his hair trimmed close, and the intelligence in his hazel eyes belied his brutish appearance.
“It’s been some time since we’ve spoken, Valera,” Garris said as he stood beside the available armchair.
“Please sit,” Valera said, indicating the chair at his side. “May I offer you refreshment? Tea, perhaps?”
The man eased his bulk into the offered chair, and he directed a rueful smile toward Valera. “You know me too well. Do you, by chance, have any of that tea you served last time…the Vushaari blend?”
“Of course, Garris,” Valera said and looked to her steward. “Please, prepare a pot.”
Garris Roshan was seven years into his command of the Battle-mages, and the weight of the post showed. Sixteen years ago, Garris possessed a spring in his step…no gray hair, no weathered skin. Looking at him now, one might have believed twice that long had passed since Valera tutored him in Divination.
Though nominally a unit of Tel’s Army, the Battle-mages in truth answered to the Archmagister and Society of the Arcane…in that order. Given the cold feud between King Leuwyn and the Society at the time, however, no one pushed the matter, but few people doubted where the unit’s loyalties were.
“I hope the purpose of your summons does not relate to my nephew or sister,” Garris said, as they waited for the tea. “That’s the only reason why you would ask for some of my time that came to mind.”
Valera waved her hand. “Oh, no. Wynn and Bella are just fine. No, I asked to speak with you because I need something, something I fear we all need more than we realize.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“I need you to re-assign Mariana Cothos to the College until further notice. If she forces an explanation from you, tell her the College is preparing a committee to evaluate the efficacy of the Battle-mage program here.”
Garris frowned, saying, “Why would you want-” His eyes widened when his mind found the one explanation that fit. “The others are already here, aren’t they? If Wynn started this term, then Lillian and Braden are also here, being about the same age, and I’ve heard rumors of a young wizard of House Kirloth roaming the grounds. Have they met him yet?”