Terin had been nosing around the School for just under a week. He had discovered about seven mages using glamour
spellings, including the librarian. Sevaren had been one of them, unsurprisingly. He'd barely been
scratching at his notepad for half a day before the unctuous mage had approached him to see if he could be of
any assistance. Terin had adopted a Noble’s haughtiness taught to him by Arrin, and thanked and dismissed him summarily.
The glamour spelling had been strong. Of the seven he had found, five of them he reckoned had glamour spellings
of a similar strength to Sevaren. Purely on his hunch, he therefore reckoned that five might be all there were.
The tactics they could use however, of stripping magical power away from another mage, and the huge amounts of stamina
and energy that they held made five as useful as maybe twenty five ordinary mages.
Also they would have had the advantage of surprise, soon to be removed he hoped.
He marched importantly down the corridor to see Sol, hoping that his demeanour would prevent anyone from
interrupting him with questions. It did. He wanted to report, but also something was bothering him.
He knocked on the door and was admitted. Sol looked a little less ancient today and smiled as he came in.
“Welcome Terin, what have you for me?”
He placed the list of seven names onto the table, a line drawn under the two that he considered unlikely to be a threat.
“Five!” Sol was surprised. He hoped perhaps two.
Terin stopped him as he was about to exclaim at a name on the list.
”Sir I have a question to ask about your security before we go any further.
You told me that you had this room warded for privacy, and yet you have no spelling ability.
Who do you trust enough to do that for you?”
Sol smiled “I was surprised that you didn’t pick up on that when I said it.
There’s no need to worry, my wife takes care of it.”
“Is her name on that list Sir?” Terin probed.
“Well yes, but she’s the Librarian I told you about. I know she’s been wearing a glamour spelling for years.
Its an affectation that she has. Wants her hair to stay blonde.”
Terin sighed and shook his head.
“I’m not happy about it, I’d like you to humour me and ask three of the first year students to all cast one also in here daily.
You can say that it’s a test for them.”
Terin paused “I’m sure that you trust your wife, and I don’t want to insult her, but I have good reason to suspect
that even family ties, even two brothers, can be set against each other by greed and the lust for power.
I ask this for everyone’s sake, as a precaution.”
Sol nodded, accepting the sense of it, and knowing exactly which two brothers Terin was referring to.
“I’ll see to it” he said.
Terin continued. “also if we are to find evidence that my uncle’s mages can’t twist here, I need more information.
I plan to investigate the School infirmary. Every death in the past ten years. I’ll need your permission to access the records.
Sol scrawled an authorisation there and then.
“Thank you Sir” Terin took the note and made his way down the hill to see Gerard.
His eyes were drawn to the old barracks where as a child he had learned swordplay with his father and Gant.
It was close to the school and Terin had always thought it to be in a good strategic position.
He felt it had been short sighted of Arrin to simply let it go.
He and Gant and his father used to use an old shortcut to get under the city walls unnoticed.
A fancy to go back that way today came over him. As he approached the outer perimeter he noticed that two wagon tracks, fairly freshly, made were visible.
That was odd! He decided to have a look and see who was squatting there, probably travellers or merchants.
As he got closer to the barracks he could see no sign of any wagons, maybe they had camped over night and moved on,
and yet there were no signs of tracks leaving. The place seemed quiet enough.
Terin approached the entrance. The sensing hit him straight away.
The wagons were covered by a spelling, they were here right in front of him.
He nearly touched one to make sure, then remembered that that might alert the caster.
This was very silly. He was alone and he didn’t know who else was in there.
He’d take a quick look and then fetch Gerard and a few guards.
He peered through the window and saw a beautiful blond haired woman sitting at a table with a younger red haired man.
They seemed to be making something. He leaned further forward and felt a hand pull him back, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
Rolling to his right and drawing his sword as he did so, he looked up to assess the assailant. Towering above him was Gant.
“Gant!” he yelled jumping up to greet him.
“Terin.” said Gant flatly, fixing him with a serious stare.
“You complete nose wipe! What if it hadn’t have been me? Where’s your back up? and where’s your bloody common sense!”
Then his eyes broadening into a huge grin, “How are you lad?”
The two clasped hands, Terin hardly believing this could be true.
“I never believed them when they said you killed my father, never!” Terin asserted, his eyes starting to water.
“Well, I didn’t kill him, for sure.”
“Was it Arrin Gant?”
“Yes lad, I’m afraid it was.”
Terin’s face was set like stone in grim confirmation of every suspicion that he had ever had about his uncle being true.
“I’ll kill him for this.” Terin asserted coldly. “for what he’s done to my father, to you, to Riani…I’ll kill him.”
“There’s more to it than that. Come inside, and I’ll introduce you to the others.
Your friend Riani’s here with us.”
Terin smiled broadly at Gant. This was turning out to be an extraordinary day.
He followed him inside the barracks eagerly looking around for Riani.
Gant called for Avin and Riani to join them.
They exited their room a little regally, Avin in a flowing green cloak, which also flowed over Riani where his arm hung around her shoulder.
His long hair was held back with a band around his head.
Riani had tied hers up in court fashion and it hung in dark waves, escaping in wisps around her face where
she hadn‘t quite contained it with grips.
They wore their matching leather leggings and black tunics, and were armed,
Riani with the sword bequeathed to her by Mat, and Avin with a long sword.
“That’s more like it “ Gant thought to himself, well pleased to see them looking a match for any thing that the Elite could throw at them.
Sometimes you just had to look the part and the rest jumped in of its own accord was one of Gant’s philosophies also.
Terin hadn’t expected Riani to have found herself a man this quickly, or for her to look so impressive.
It was obvious just looking at the two of them that they were lovers.
He felt a little jealous, it surprised him, but it was nothing compared to the relief that he felt at seeing her again.
Embraces were shared and introductions were made and then the serious business of information sharing began.
Terin told them about his work at the School, about Sol and about Sevaren and the other four mages he suspected
might belong to the Elite.
His face blanched when Jan and Sil between them told him of the extra skills he could expect from these five in the way of technology magic.
“We’re working on something“, Jan reassured him, “but its tricky, and it may not work on all of them.”
Sil took up the explanation, the others knew nothing of what they were attempting and this was fresh news for them
also. She and Jan were trying to disarm the shields using a device that would interfere with the information
that the shield’s power pack sent to the controls. All they were trying to do really was to make the shield
think that it had not received the “on” signal.
“What about the explosive devices?” Riani had asked. These were by far the most worrying of the weapons to her.
They could hurt a lot of people badly, and quickly. It seemed that for now displacing them into Rintar as
quickly as possible was the best action to take with them. Jan thought the same idea could eventually be used
to disarm them as for the shields. It was all time. They had so little of it.
“What is most important “ asserted Avin to Terin “is that mages know not to use static spells. Glamours,
simulations even hastening spells and the like… An Elite mage will just consume them, weakening the opposing
mage permanently and strengthening their own attack power. Attack spells work, but we all know how long it can
take to rebuild the energy for those.
The Elite…they just take more energy when they need it, and even when they don‘t.”
Terin nodded his understanding, and had an idea.
“Supposing I arrange with Magemaster Sol for small groups of students from the school to come here for sort of
strategy class in the field? No-one knows you Avin. You can easily play the part of a visiting guest trainer.
Then when Arrin and Hirn and Poul get here…”
He looked around at the silence that he’d caused.
“I thought it was a good idea, what’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing” Avin reassured him. “We know those two, that‘s all.
We think Poul is dead, and Hirn was badly injured the last time we met them.
A slight problem might be that a Seerorb could possibly identify me from that encounter, but I like your idea.
At least some of them would get some preparation. We need people who can wield a sword too though.
We know that the Order of the Elite is not enthusiastic to train with weapons. They think its beneath them.
If we can take away the technological advantage they have, some good soldiers would be worth their weight in gold.”
“Terin, you said you’re expecting Arrin. When?” Riani asked.
“Midsummer, about three weeks now, give or take a few days.”
Riani sat thinking.
“What is it?” Avin asked her.
“Midsummer is graduation for the School. Not only the students but their families will come.
Most parents will also have some skills.
There would be a lot of magical energy for the taking if they launched an attack then.”
Avin shook his head. “I just don’t see how five mages at the school, plus Hirn if he’s still breathing, are going to
achieve much. I know we can take them easily without any help from anyone else.”
“Its Danid and his plots. I can smell it “ Sil added, also trying to second guess what Danid might be planning.
She knew him. He wanted new feeding grounds for his flock. It was clear he’d set his sights on Tinvarth,
and was starting with Strant, had started decades ago with Strant.
“I think we should be cautious about thinking there will only be five of them.“ she said pensively.
“That may simply be a scouting party. There’s a portal in the Castle, one in the Mage school and one at Kanar.
In a few hours….”
“Hundreds of them” Avin sighed in completion of his sister's words, seeing as she spoke what form the attack would take.
Terin was anxious to report to Gerard and tell him that Riani was safe.
“We’ll both return tomorrow” he promised.
He embraced Riani and shook Avin’s hand warmly.
“I want you to know how grateful Gerard will be, and how grateful I already am for the return of our sister. “
He said to Avin, and then to all of them, “Thank you, and to you all of course.”
Riani smiled her own grateful smile at Terin. He had just given his blessing to her new union with Avin.
He wanted her to feel comfortable with him and know that he accepted it.
When Terin had gone Avin asked Riani about what he’d said. As far as he knew she had only one brother.
“It was Terin I that was betrothed to before the exile cancelled it. He was saying good luck to us I think.”
Avin nodded, not understanding how any one could prefer Riani as a sister, but grateful for the gesture all the
same. He didn’t want the complication of a jealous rival now. He looked at her, bright, brave and full of power.
And she loved him. She was everything he had ever wanted. Not a thousand Elite Mages would ever take her from him.
When Terin got to the castle he literally dragged Gerard away from the desk.
“Gerard don’t be so stuffy and boring. You’re like an old man!” he said
“There’s a wench behind the bar down there that has almost lifted my depression!”
Although Gerard had no idea what he was talking about, he could tell that something was urgently “up”.
He came straight away and by the time they got to The Cow and Puddle both men were almost dancing down the road.
They sat outside as usual and Terin filled in the pieces that he’d missed on the way.
Gerard sat beaming from ear to ear, then looked serious as he remembered that he had struck her and threatened her
at sword point, in addition to appearing not to believe her.
“Does she forgive me?” he asked a little worried, and still feeling guilty.
Terin remembered the last thing that he hadn’t told him.
“Well to be honest my friend, she’s got a six foot blond haired mage warrior for a lover, who looks like he’d take
on a legion for her, so I doubt she’s even giving us that much thought. ”
“Has she?” exclaimed Gerard laughing.
“Yes, and you should see his sister, she’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen! Well…that is next to our
sister of course. Seriously Gerard, she‘s turned up with a small group of amazing people.
All of them can fight, all of them cast spellings and two of them…he struggled for an explanation,
"well they do some strange things with bits of twine and lights” he faltered.
“You’ll see, we’ll go tomorrow and see them.