Terin had no problem in securing an early appointment with Magemaster Sol.
Sol looked old and tired. Terin could feel no trace of a glamour around him, and decided to speak openly with him.
“Sir, “ he said “Do you have a ward for privacy spelled in this room?”
“Certainly.” the old man said looking quizzically at Terin.
Terin relaxed a little. Sol regarded him carefully, weighing him up.
“You are the young man who was betrothed to Riani aren’t you?” he said slowly.
“Yes Sir.” Terin answered.
“You think she was sent into Exile unjustly?”
“Yes Sir”
“I know that she was” Sol confided. “But there isn’t anything I can do about it now.”
“I believe that one of your mages here provided false evidence. A man called Sevaren. I believe that he did the
same at the trial of the man accused of killing my father.” blurted out Terin.
“But can you prove it lad? “ Sol asked eagerly, his eyes full of hope.
“No Sir” Terin admitted regretfully.
“No. Neither can I” sighed Sol. “But I would find someone young and strong, like yourself , nosing around here very
useful. Do have any mage skill?”
Terin told him what he could do, and Sol nodded. He told him about Hirn and Poul the mages accompanying Duke Arrin
and the glamour spellings he had sensed around them.
Sol’s face blanched.
“Why would they do that Magemaster?” Terin asked.
“To hide their appearance of course, but not through mere vanity, no, they don’t want anyone to know what they really are.
Who they are is not important.“
“Gerard told me of your talk with him, Do you think they may belong to this Elite Order? Do you think that Sevaren
might?”
“Oh yes, certainly” Sol affirmed nodding his head. “I don’t know who we can count on here either. You have a
special nose for a glamour spelling Terin. It would be useful if we started you with some research in the Library.
At some time in the day most people visit it. Perhaps you would be good enough to note down the names of anyone you sense
with a glamour spelling woven around them? Forget about the Librarian, she’s had that one for thirty years, that I am certain is just vanity.”
He chuckled to himself.
“and Sevaren?”
“Yes…Sevaren, leave him for now. I want it known around the school that you are here writing a report for Gerard
for purposes of Levy assessment. Your idea about posing as a student would also work, but it would give the likes of Sevaren authority over you.
If Gerard has you here in an official capacity then you have more freedom, and you have the authority.
Besides, you wont have to look for Sevaren, he‘ll find you.
He‘ll want to know what you‘re up to.”
“Sir, “ asked Terin respectfully, “Forgive me for my rudeness, but why haven’t you tried to do something about
Sevaren and these Elite Order mages?”
Sol sat back in his chair and regarded Terin sadly
“Oh I did, but though I can teach most spellings known on Tinvarth, I have no ability to make spellings.
I can’t even tell you if Sevaren sports a glamour or not. Many years ago I had my first and last encounter with
an Elite Order Mage, Danid was his name, he and some of his friends. I had no knowledge of their methods.
My magical energy was almost exhausted before I realised that they were taking it. I’m lucky to be alive.
I founded the school to make sure that there would be people to fight them when the time came.
I wanted to keep a low profile until the time was right. I think that time is fast approaching.”
Terin felt the old man’s sadness. To have lost a part of himself, his magical life, must have been difficult to
live with all these years. “and Riani?” he asked.
“Ah… I have no doubt that Riani will survive. The place that she was sent to has allies for her to find, and her
ability is exceptional, quite exceptional.”
Terin laughed, “ Not Riani! Her school reports were always “could try harder.”
“Yes” Sol smiled “I wrote them all. It was the only way that I could keep her safe. You see Terin, if the Order of
the Elite had known how unusually gifted she was, we would have lost her a long time ago. I had some of her spellings sabotaged too.
One day I‘ll have to account for it to her. I hope she‘ll forgive me.”
Terin stood up to leave. “I’ll start work tomorrow Magemaster.”
Sol stood up to shake his hand. “At last we seem to be getting somewhere” he said tiredly.
“Thank Gerard for me also. I would have saved his sister from Exile if I could have.
If she has met who I hope she has met on Minthrall, then she is in safe hands now.
I gave her directions of how to find them. Even if she didn’t follow them, eventually they’d find her.”
“I’ll tell him, Sir” Terin promised.
Terin left the school to get his office supplies from Gerard and to tell him about Riani. He decided to dress in
official court attire for his work there. That way his sword wouldn’t look out of place. He always felt a
little foolish wearing the ceremonial uniform, but it would be very useful to have some authority, and he felt a definite need to be armed.
He arrived at the Castle to find Gerard ploughing through a large pile of paperwork.
“We need to go to the Inn more often” was Terin’s comment, a signal to Gerard that he had something important to
report, but also his comment on the ridiculous amount of paper his friend was wading through.
“I’ll be through here in about an hour “ groaned Gerard. “Believe it or not I think there is less here than yesterday!”
Terin went about the business of collecting stationary and ensuring that his uniform was prepared for his first day
at work tomorrow. He wanted to look the part of a bureaucrat. It was exciting being a spy.
He liked it. He was relieved his cover story wasn’t a full time occupation like Gerard’s though.
His room was next to Riani’s and opposite Gerard’s. He couldn’t resist having a look in Riani’s room. He knew this
room so well. The three of them had spent hours in here as children. He realised as he looked at her
things, that somewhere she was probably also trying to get back to them. He closed his eyes and said a prayer
that she would find her way home, and then went to his own room to get ready to go out to the Inn.
It was about five o’clock in the evening when Gerard and Terin sauntered along to The Cow and Puddle.
Terin reported back on his interview with Sol. Gerard was impressed.
He agreed about the “report.” During the discussion with the Farmer’s Guild the day before a point had been raised
about why no levy was forthcoming from the Mage school. It would all tie in very neatly. Of course the best
news was that Riani may not be alone after all, and that Sol had known that there were people to help her where
she had been sent, and had hopefully helped her find them.
They both felt as if they were at last doing something useful, and that was a very good feeling.