No, she had to be trained. Now the question was, by whom?
Kero said if I couldn't handle her to send her on to old Jendar, her uncle.
He's an Adept; hellfires, he taught me, he ought to be able to handle anyone.
He can deal with her. I don't have to.
That burden off his hands, he sighed and relaxed. Gradually the sweat of panic dried, his heart went back to its sedate pace, his muscles unknotted. The problem was solved, but he wasn't going to have to be the one to solve it. He was glad now that he'd delegated one of the teachers-a very discreet young lady, who was, bless the gods, an Herbalist-Healer earth-witch with no Mage-Sight worth speaking of-to greet them when they arrived, just in case he suddenly found himself with his hands full.
God only knows what I'd have been like if I'd met them at the gate.
Babbling, Probably. Hardly one to inspire confidence. By the time word reached him that they had arrived, he was back to being the calm, unruffled image of a school-Master, completely in control of everything around him.
'Yes?' he said; the child poked his head inside, cautiously. All the apprentices were cautious when the Master was in his office. Quenten had been known to have odd things loose in the room on occasion, just to keep people from interrupting him. The legend of the constable's scorched backside was told in the dormitory even yet, and that had happened the first year the school had been founded.
'Sir, the people you expected are here. The lady's name's Elspeth, the gen'man is Skif, Eirodie says. If you're able, sir, you should come down, Elrodie says.' The child looked the way he must have a few moments ago; it wasn't often an apprentice got to see the inside of the Master's office. Usually he met the youngsters on their own ground, and when he wasn't actually in the office, he kept it mage-locked, for his office also served as his secondary workroom. There were things in here no apprentice should ever get his hands on.
'I'll be right there,' he said. The child vanished. He waited a few moments more to be certain his stomach had settled, then turned, and started down the stairs.
By the time he reached the ground, he felt close to normal, and was able to absorb the shock of his visitors' appearance without turning a hair. Outwardly, anyway. The sword was 'quiet'-but the girl and her so-called horse weren't.
So long as they don't do anything...
He turned first to greet the young lady, as her companion held back a little, diffidently, confirming his guess that she was much higher-ranked than he was. And given her strong family resemblance to King Faram, she was undoubtedly the 'Elspeth' that was Heir to the Valdemar throne. She took after the dark side of the family, rather than the blond, but the resemblance was there beyond a doubt.
To all outward appearances, she was no different than any other young, well-born woman of his acquaintance. Wavy brown hair was confined in a braid that trailed down her back, though bits of it escaped to form little tendrils at her ears. Her square face was not beautiful or even conventionally pretty and doll-like-it was a face that was so full of character and personality that beauty would have been superfluous and mere 'prettiness' eclipsed. Like Kero, she was handsome and vividly alive. Her brown eyes sparkled when she talked; her generous mouth smiled often. If he hadn't had Mage-Sight, he would have guessed that she had Mage-Talent in abundance; she had that kind of energy about her.
She'd studied her Rethwellan; that was evident from her lack of accent.' I am very glad to meet you at last,' she said, when she'd been introduced. 'I'm Kero's problem child, Master Quenten. She's told me a lot about you, and since she's a pretty rotten correspondent, I guess you're rather in the dark about me.' Her smile widened. 'I know what her letters are like. The last time she was with the Skybolts, there was a flood that got half the town, and all she wrote was,'It's a little wet here, be back when I can.'
' He chuckled. 'Well, she neglected to supply me with your name and she kept calling you a Personage. I expect that was for reasons of security?
You are the Elspeth I think you are-the one with a mother named Selenay?' Elspeth nodded, and made a face.' I'm afraid so. That was part of what I meant by being a problem child. Sorry; can't help who my parents are. Born into it. Oh, this is Skif; he's also assigned to this job.'
' By which she's tactfully saying that my chief duty is to play bodyguard,' Skif said, holding out his hand. Quenten released his Mage-Sight just a little, and breathed a silent sigh of relief. This young man was perfectly ordinary. No Magical Artifacts, no Adept-Potential.
Except that he was also riding a Guardian Spirit. Not as exalted a Spirit as the girl's, but-The mare turned, looked him straight in the eye, and gave him a broad and unmistakable wink.
He stifled a gasp, felt the blood drain from his face, then plastered a pleasant smile on his lips, and managed not to stammer. 'Since there is only one Elspeth with a mother by that name that I know of-that Kero would have been so secretive about-I can understand why you are in that role,' he said. 'It's necessary.'
