rush of triumph.
That’ll get them talking. And worrying about the reason for Sonea’s trip to Sachaka, but they’ll wonder about that anyway.
I’m not going to let anyone think that her leaving makes me vulnerable
.
If the only future she had was to be restricted to the Guild grounds, groomed to be a protector of the Allied Lands and the
main target of any enemy who might attack, then she wanted to be treated with respect in return.
Failing that, with people like Bokkin who are too stupid to remember who’ll be risking their life for him, I’ll settle for
being feared
.
From her seat at the front of the Guildhall, Sonea watched the gathering magicians and struggled to keep her breathing slow
and even.
What will they do? Is twenty years of getting used to the idea of black magic long enough for them to agree to take part in
it? Will they consider my mission to free my son justification enough?
It would have been easier to dismiss these questions if the other Higher Magicians hadn’t also expressed the same concerns
earlier. None could predict the outcome of the Meet. All had thought some magicians would refuse to give their magic and some
would not, but their opinions differed greatly on the likely numbers of either.
On both sides of the long hall, magicians were taking their seats. As always, patches of green, red and purple formed where
friends of the same discipline gathered together. The dominant colour was the Alchemist’s purple, but the numbers of Healers
had grown in the last few decades and there was plenty of green around the hall. Though more Warriors existed than ever before,
red robes were still in the minority. This didn’t worry her, though. While most magicians dedicated their energies to something
more useful, she knew that the majority of them still maintained their fighting skills in their spare time.
At the front of the hall the Higher Magicians waited. Only Administrator Osen was missing from the tiered seats. As always
he would address the room from the Front, the area before the Higher Magicians. Sonea looked at the row of seats above hers.
The king’s chair was empty, but both King’sAdvisers had joined the Meet – which was unusual. Adviser Glarrin met her eyes and nodded; Adviser Rolden, who had been present
twenty years before when she and Akkarin had been judged and exiled, glanced at her and frowned.
Looking down, Sonea noted how the Higher Magicians in the lower tiers of seats kept casting glances upward. From his place
among the Heads of Studies in the bottom row, Rothen met Sonea’s eyes. He looked grim, but managed a reassuring smile.
Their dinner the night before had been shadowed by frightening possibilities. She knew he was wondering if this was the last
time he’d see her. It was another fear to add to the worry that he’d never see Lorkin again. He’d offered to go with her.
She’d reminded him that he knew too much about her other reason for the journey. He’d nodded, then said that he would take
comfort from the fact she had chosen a reliable assistant.
Looking around the hall, she searched for Lord Regin and found him sitting, as she’d expected, near the front. He looked serious
and aloof. This might have been a deliberate mask of his true feelings, but it was hard to tell. He always looked serious
and aloof.
I hope Rothen is right about him. Well, of course he is. Regin takes his responsibility to the Guild, Kyralia and the Allied
Lands much too seriously to jeopardise our task
.
Which meant, no matter how unpleasant things got between them, he would obey her orders.
Most of the magicians had settled in their seats now. Administrator Osen strode out in front of the Higher Magicians and a
gong rang to mark the beginning of the Meet.
The room immediately quietened.
“At this Meet here today we have an exceptional situation to discuss and deal with,” Osen began, “and, as such, the course
of action given
That’ll get them talking. And worrying about the reason for Sonea’s trip to Sachaka, but they’ll wonder about that anyway.
I’m not going to let anyone think that her leaving makes me vulnerable
.
If the only future she had was to be restricted to the Guild grounds, groomed to be a protector of the Allied Lands and the
main target of any enemy who might attack, then she wanted to be treated with respect in return.
Failing that, with people like Bokkin who are too stupid to remember who’ll be risking their life for him, I’ll settle for
being feared
.
From her seat at the front of the Guildhall, Sonea watched the gathering magicians and struggled to keep her breathing slow
and even.
What will they do? Is twenty years of getting used to the idea of black magic long enough for them to agree to take part in
it? Will they consider my mission to free my son justification enough?
It would have been easier to dismiss these questions if the other Higher Magicians hadn’t also expressed the same concerns
earlier. None could predict the outcome of the Meet. All had thought some magicians would refuse to give their magic and some
would not, but their opinions differed greatly on the likely numbers of either.
On both sides of the long hall, magicians were taking their seats. As always, patches of green, red and purple formed where
friends of the same discipline gathered together. The dominant colour was the Alchemist’s purple, but the numbers of Healers
had grown in the last few decades and there was plenty of green around the hall. Though more Warriors existed than ever before,
red robes were still in the minority. This didn’t worry her, though. While most magicians dedicated their energies to something
more useful, she knew that the majority of them still maintained their fighting skills in their spare time.
At the front of the hall the Higher Magicians waited. Only Administrator Osen was missing from the tiered seats. As always
he would address the room from the Front, the area before the Higher Magicians. Sonea looked at the row of seats above hers.
The king’s chair was empty, but both King’sAdvisers had joined the Meet – which was unusual. Adviser Glarrin met her eyes and nodded; Adviser Rolden, who had been present
twenty years before when she and Akkarin had been judged and exiled, glanced at her and frowned.
Looking down, Sonea noted how the Higher Magicians in the lower tiers of seats kept casting glances upward. From his place
among the Heads of Studies in the bottom row, Rothen met Sonea’s eyes. He looked grim, but managed a reassuring smile.
Their dinner the night before had been shadowed by frightening possibilities. She knew he was wondering if this was the last
time he’d see her. It was another fear to add to the worry that he’d never see Lorkin again. He’d offered to go with her.
She’d reminded him that he knew too much about her other reason for the journey. He’d nodded, then said that he would take
comfort from the fact she had chosen a reliable assistant.
Looking around the hall, she searched for Lord Regin and found him sitting, as she’d expected, near the front. He looked serious
and aloof. This might have been a deliberate mask of his true feelings, but it was hard to tell. He always looked serious
and aloof.
I hope Rothen is right about him. Well, of course he is. Regin takes his responsibility to the Guild, Kyralia and the Allied
Lands much too seriously to jeopardise our task
.
Which meant, no matter how unpleasant things got between them, he would obey her orders.
Most of the magicians had settled in their seats now. Administrator Osen strode out in front of the Higher Magicians and a
gong rang to mark the beginning of the Meet.
The room immediately quietened.
“At this Meet here today we have an exceptional situation to discuss and deal with,” Osen began, “and, as such, the course
of action given
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