five minutes to save his life when he’s bored. He’ll be driving everyone in the room insane with his antics by now, and if any group of people deserves it, it’s the Fias,” Torin explained, still looking pleased. “Besides, boredom drives Asher to some of his greatest research projects, because he lets his mind wander when he’s not interested in what he’s doing.”
Hayden supposed he could see that, since Asher did have a tendency to always be moving around and was involved in about a hundred different things at any given time. His mentor also had a knack for making people nuts when the mood struck him, but Hayden always thought that was just because he was a bit spiteful.
A third-year girl entered the shop just then, took one look at Hayden standing there with the others, and left the shop, blushing.
“Is it going to be like this all year?” Hayden grumbled, annoyed.
“I hope so,” Zane said with relish. “I love seeing you all awkward like this.”
“Not enjoying all the attention you’re getting these days?” Torin asked shrewdly, watching the girl leave the shop.
“Not really,” Hayden admitted. “It’s a little unsettling after spending most of my life as a nobody and then the last five years as a pariah. Now all of a sudden people don’t care so much that I’m the son of the Dark Prism, because I have a stupid Medal of Heroism in my bag upstairs and I managed to fumble my way through a series of deadly battles with the help of much smarter friends and familiars.”
Torin gave him a commiserating sort of grimace and said, “You may have the Frost looks, but you’re nothing like your father was at your age.” He paused momentarily before continuing. “Aleric was about your age when he started to make a name for himself as well—him and Asher both. I remember them strutting about like they owned the place, basking in all the attention and doing everything they could to get more of it.”
“I can’t really imagine Master Asher being that arrogant,” Hayden said truthfully. “I mean, he’s very self-confident and he doesn’t really care what people think of him, but he isn’t obnoxious like Oliver Trout or anything.”
Torin rolled his eyes and said, “Believe me, at your age I could hardly stand to be around him most days. He and Aleric both had egos the size of Kargath—there was no telling them anything.”
Zane’s eyes widened and he said, “I guess that explains why he’s always gotten along with Oliver, even though he knows Oliver is a jerk.”
Torin shrugged as Hayden asked, “What happened? Why did he change? Was it just because of my father…?”
“More or less,” Torin nodded. “You have to understand how it was after Aleric lost his mind,” he explained slowly. “Asher suddenly went from being on top of the world to being despised and blamed almost as much as Aleric. All sorts of careers were suddenly closed to him, he became someone not to know. To fall from such a great height to the lowest of lows…well, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It was heartbreaking to watch him struggle through it all, knowing there was nothing I could do to help him.”
Zane let out a low whistle and said, “I never thought about it like that before. I guess it makes sense that he’s a little…eccentric now, or that he just stopped caring about what people think of him.”
Torin nodded. “He eventually salvaged some of his reputation and made a place for himself here, and truthfully I think he enjoys his job and especially the research, even though he moans continuously about teaching and having to make lesson plans.”
“I thought he’d never made a lesson plan in his life,” Hayden arched an eyebrow. “He always tells me that he’s just making things up as he goes along, and when Fia Valay was here last year he said there were no lessons of any kind written down…”
Torin snorted. “I suspect he’s planned everything very carefully, even if he doesn’t
Hayden supposed he could see that, since Asher did have a tendency to always be moving around and was involved in about a hundred different things at any given time. His mentor also had a knack for making people nuts when the mood struck him, but Hayden always thought that was just because he was a bit spiteful.
A third-year girl entered the shop just then, took one look at Hayden standing there with the others, and left the shop, blushing.
“Is it going to be like this all year?” Hayden grumbled, annoyed.
“I hope so,” Zane said with relish. “I love seeing you all awkward like this.”
“Not enjoying all the attention you’re getting these days?” Torin asked shrewdly, watching the girl leave the shop.
“Not really,” Hayden admitted. “It’s a little unsettling after spending most of my life as a nobody and then the last five years as a pariah. Now all of a sudden people don’t care so much that I’m the son of the Dark Prism, because I have a stupid Medal of Heroism in my bag upstairs and I managed to fumble my way through a series of deadly battles with the help of much smarter friends and familiars.”
Torin gave him a commiserating sort of grimace and said, “You may have the Frost looks, but you’re nothing like your father was at your age.” He paused momentarily before continuing. “Aleric was about your age when he started to make a name for himself as well—him and Asher both. I remember them strutting about like they owned the place, basking in all the attention and doing everything they could to get more of it.”
“I can’t really imagine Master Asher being that arrogant,” Hayden said truthfully. “I mean, he’s very self-confident and he doesn’t really care what people think of him, but he isn’t obnoxious like Oliver Trout or anything.”
Torin rolled his eyes and said, “Believe me, at your age I could hardly stand to be around him most days. He and Aleric both had egos the size of Kargath—there was no telling them anything.”
Zane’s eyes widened and he said, “I guess that explains why he’s always gotten along with Oliver, even though he knows Oliver is a jerk.”
Torin shrugged as Hayden asked, “What happened? Why did he change? Was it just because of my father…?”
“More or less,” Torin nodded. “You have to understand how it was after Aleric lost his mind,” he explained slowly. “Asher suddenly went from being on top of the world to being despised and blamed almost as much as Aleric. All sorts of careers were suddenly closed to him, he became someone not to know. To fall from such a great height to the lowest of lows…well, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It was heartbreaking to watch him struggle through it all, knowing there was nothing I could do to help him.”
Zane let out a low whistle and said, “I never thought about it like that before. I guess it makes sense that he’s a little…eccentric now, or that he just stopped caring about what people think of him.”
Torin nodded. “He eventually salvaged some of his reputation and made a place for himself here, and truthfully I think he enjoys his job and especially the research, even though he moans continuously about teaching and having to make lesson plans.”
“I thought he’d never made a lesson plan in his life,” Hayden arched an eyebrow. “He always tells me that he’s just making things up as he goes along, and when Fia Valay was here last year he said there were no lessons of any kind written down…”
Torin snorted. “I suspect he’s planned everything very carefully, even if he doesn’t
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