long-sleeved shirt that showed off her entire stomach, and she wore it with a pair of loose, matching pants tucked into short black boots. Overtop of the entire outfit was a long, sleeveless brown sweater with a tie at the front, similar to the ones Master Selena always wore.
Kateline frowned, rolling her eyes. “Speak your name, Scribeof Zephyr. I won’t punish you for your curiosity.”
Corin pulled away his scarf and lowered his hood. “I’m sorry, Master Kateline.”
“Now isn’t this a surprise,” she commented, hopping down from her shelf and giving a lazy smile. “Corin, I would not have expected to see you of all people breaking curfew.”
Corin flushed bright red. “I’m sorry!”
“I really don’t mind, you should know that by now,” Kateline replied, shrugging, “but what does bother me is that you skipped researching this morning. Now, maybe I should report that to our dear Selena?”
Corin felt tears begin to well in the corners of his eyes. He was never rebelling again, never breaking a single rule; oh Zephyr be damned, Master Selena was going to murder him as soon as she found out!
Kateline suddenly began giggling, leaning over and playing with his hair.“Relax. Piers already filled me in,” she explained, leaning back against her makeshift seat. “I am curious as to why you are here, though. You’ve never taken an interest in the research projects before.”
“I-I…. I didn’t mean to break curfew.”
Kateline rolled her eyes. “Look, I don’t mind you being here at all, so stop apologizing. I’m not going to tell Selena either, you don’t need to worry. I’d rather solve your problem and get you out of here. You’re overworked as is—you need your sleep.”
Corin still felt this was still a terrible idea.“Thank you,” he answered, averting his eyes from Kateline’s.
“It’s no trouble. I’m always happy for company,” she explained, “but I must ask, before we continue… why did you come here, exactly?”
“I wanted to find out more about Aless,” Corin replied, figuring it was a good cover up, if nothing else.
“So, the infamous exile has caught your attention?” she asked, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Hmm… what detail are you referring to? Really, Piers would be the better person to ask this, but I can probably answer your question.”
“He’s training me in the mornings,” Corin confessed.
“So I heard,” Kateline replied, shrugging. “I personally take no offense to it, but I will say that when you decide to announce your change in mentors to warn Selena well ahead of time.”
“I won’t abandon Master Selena,” Corin insisted. “It’s just… Master Aless has been so kind to me…. I don’t understand why Master Selena hates him so much—he’s always talking to me about things that aren’t even training, and he showed me his prayers! They were so—” Corin gushed, suddenly cutting himself off.
Kateline giggled. “Mhm. It sounds like you two are playing nicely,” she teased. “I’ll ask you again, why come here?”
Corin blushed and attempted to redirect her thoughts. “Why was Aless exiled?” he asked, staring straight at Kateline. That’d work for now, he supposed, though he did want to investigate the restraints, just later, perhaps.
“I’m surprised to hear you ask this,” Kateline said. “It’s against the rules to talk about it, but I don’t mind. Besides, that incident was how I received my position as Guardian of Petra.”
“You mean you’ll tell me?” Corin asked.
“I see no reason to keep it as a secret. It’ll become very relevant very quickly, I believe. I’m going to assume someone mentioned what we’re researching in here, is that correct?”
“Master Selena told me about the broken restraints during training,” Corin confirmed.
“Huh,” Kateline began, “now that isa surprise in itself. I expected Piers would’ve been the one to tell you, if not myself… Selena
Kateline frowned, rolling her eyes. “Speak your name, Scribeof Zephyr. I won’t punish you for your curiosity.”
Corin pulled away his scarf and lowered his hood. “I’m sorry, Master Kateline.”
“Now isn’t this a surprise,” she commented, hopping down from her shelf and giving a lazy smile. “Corin, I would not have expected to see you of all people breaking curfew.”
Corin flushed bright red. “I’m sorry!”
“I really don’t mind, you should know that by now,” Kateline replied, shrugging, “but what does bother me is that you skipped researching this morning. Now, maybe I should report that to our dear Selena?”
Corin felt tears begin to well in the corners of his eyes. He was never rebelling again, never breaking a single rule; oh Zephyr be damned, Master Selena was going to murder him as soon as she found out!
Kateline suddenly began giggling, leaning over and playing with his hair.“Relax. Piers already filled me in,” she explained, leaning back against her makeshift seat. “I am curious as to why you are here, though. You’ve never taken an interest in the research projects before.”
“I-I…. I didn’t mean to break curfew.”
Kateline rolled her eyes. “Look, I don’t mind you being here at all, so stop apologizing. I’m not going to tell Selena either, you don’t need to worry. I’d rather solve your problem and get you out of here. You’re overworked as is—you need your sleep.”
Corin still felt this was still a terrible idea.“Thank you,” he answered, averting his eyes from Kateline’s.
“It’s no trouble. I’m always happy for company,” she explained, “but I must ask, before we continue… why did you come here, exactly?”
“I wanted to find out more about Aless,” Corin replied, figuring it was a good cover up, if nothing else.
“So, the infamous exile has caught your attention?” she asked, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Hmm… what detail are you referring to? Really, Piers would be the better person to ask this, but I can probably answer your question.”
“He’s training me in the mornings,” Corin confessed.
“So I heard,” Kateline replied, shrugging. “I personally take no offense to it, but I will say that when you decide to announce your change in mentors to warn Selena well ahead of time.”
“I won’t abandon Master Selena,” Corin insisted. “It’s just… Master Aless has been so kind to me…. I don’t understand why Master Selena hates him so much—he’s always talking to me about things that aren’t even training, and he showed me his prayers! They were so—” Corin gushed, suddenly cutting himself off.
Kateline giggled. “Mhm. It sounds like you two are playing nicely,” she teased. “I’ll ask you again, why come here?”
Corin blushed and attempted to redirect her thoughts. “Why was Aless exiled?” he asked, staring straight at Kateline. That’d work for now, he supposed, though he did want to investigate the restraints, just later, perhaps.
“I’m surprised to hear you ask this,” Kateline said. “It’s against the rules to talk about it, but I don’t mind. Besides, that incident was how I received my position as Guardian of Petra.”
“You mean you’ll tell me?” Corin asked.
“I see no reason to keep it as a secret. It’ll become very relevant very quickly, I believe. I’m going to assume someone mentioned what we’re researching in here, is that correct?”
“Master Selena told me about the broken restraints during training,” Corin confirmed.
“Huh,” Kateline began, “now that isa surprise in itself. I expected Piers would’ve been the one to tell you, if not myself… Selena
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