'We'll head back to the forest now,' he told her. 'There won't be any more classes for you to see.'
She followed as he pushed his way out onto the path and into the next hedge. They travelled through the garden and scampered back across the road into the forest. Crouching under a tree Cery grinned at her, his eyes glittering with excitement.
'That was easy, wasn't it?'
Sonea looked back at the Guild and felt a smile spread over her face.
'Yes!'
'See. Just think: while the magicians are hunting around out in the slums we've been snooping around
They chuckled quietly, then Sonea drew in a deep breath and sighed.
'I'm glad we're done,' she admitted. 'Can we go back now?'
Cery pursed his lips. 'There's something else I wanted to try, since we're here.'
Sonea eyed him suspiciously. 'What?'
Ignoring her question, he rose and moved away through the trees. She hesitated, then hurried after him. As they travelled farther into the forest, it grew darker and Sonea stumbled several times on hidden roots and branches. Cery turned to the right and, feeling a different surface under her feet, she realized they were crossing the road again.
From there, the ground began to slope upward. After several hundred paces they crossed a narrow path and the slope grew steeper. Cery stopped and pointed.
'Look.'
A long, two-story building was visible through the trunks.
'The novices' building,' Cery told her. 'We're behind it. Look, you can see inside.'
Through one of the windows she could see part of a room. A plain, sturdy bed stood against one wall, and a narrow table and chair along another. Two brown robes hung from hooks on the wall.
'Not very fancy.'
Cery nodded. 'They're all like that.'
'But they're rich, aren't they?'
'I guess they don't get to choose their own stuff until they become full magicians.'
'What are the magicians' rooms like?'
'Fancy.' His eyes gleamed. 'Want to see?'
Sonea nodded.
'Come on then.'
He moved deeper into the trees and up the slope. When they drew close to the edge of the forest again Sonea saw that several buildings and a wide paved courtyard lay behind the University. One of the structures curved down the slope like a long stairway, glittering softly as if it were made entirely out of molten glass. Another looked like a huge upturned bowl, smooth and white. The whole area was illuminated by two rows of large, round lamps, set high on iron poles.
'What are all these buildings for?' Sonea asked.
Cery stopped. 'I'm not sure. I think that glass one is the baths. The others ... ?' He shrugged. 'I could find out.'
He moved on through into the forest. When they came in sight of the Guild again, they had passed the courtyard and were standing closer to the magicians' building. Cery crossed his arms and frowned.
'They've all got screens over their windows,' he said.
'Hmm, perhaps if we go around the side we'll see something.'
By the time they returned to the edge of the trees, Sonea's legs were aching. Though the forest grew closer to the building at the side, she could only see a glimpse of furniture through the open window Cery pointed out. Suddenly more tired than curious, she dropped to the ground.
'I don't know how I'm going to make it back to the slums,' she moaned. 'My legs won't take me another step.'
Cery grinned and squatted beside her. 'You've sure got soft these last few years.'
She gave him a withering look. He chuckled and looked down at the Guild.
'Sit down and rest for a while,' he told her, rising to his feet. 'There's something I want to do. I'll be quick.'
Sonea frowned. 'Where are you going?'
'Closer. Don't worry. I'll be back soon.' He turned and disappeared into the shadows.
Too tired to be annoyed, she stared at the forest. Between the trunks she could see something flat and gray. She blinked in surprise as she realized she was sitting no more than forty paces from a small, two-story building.
Rising, she moved closer to the structure, wondering why Cery hadn't pointed this building out to her. Perhaps he hadn't noticed it. Made of a different, darker stone than the other Guild buildings, it was all but invisible in the shadows of the trees.
Like the University, a hedge ran around the outside. A few steps farther and Sonea felt the hard stone of a path beneath her feet. Dark windows invited her closer.
Glancing back, she wondered how long Cery would be. If she didn't dally too long, she could take a look through the building's windows and be back before he returned.
Creeping down the path, she moved behind the hedge and peered through the first window. The room inside was dark and she could see little. Some furniture, nothing more. She moved to the next, and the next, but the view was the same. Disappointed, she turned to go, then froze as she heard footsteps behind her.
Ducking down behind the hedge, she watched a figure step around the side of the building. Though she could make out little more than a silhouette, she could see that the man was not wearing robes. A servant?
The man moved to the side of the house and opened a door. Hearing the latch close behind him Sonea breathed a sigh of relief. She braced her hands to haul herself off the ground, then paused as she heard a tinkling somewhere close by.
Looking around, she saw a small grille set into the wall just above the ground. Dropping to her hands and knees, she bent down to examine it. The tiny air vent was cluttered with dirt, but through it she could see a stairway spiraling down to an open door.
Beyond the doorway was a room lit by the yellow glow of an unseen light. As she watched, a man with long hair and a heavy black cloak strode in sight. A pair of shoulders blocked her view for a moment as another figure entered the stairway and descended to the room. Sonea caught a glimpse of servant's clothing before the newcomer moved beyond her vision.
She heard a voice, but could not make out the words. The cloaked man nodded.
'It's done,' he said, plucking at the clasp and pulling the cloak from his shoulders.
Sonea's breath caught in her throat as she saw what was underneath. The man was wearing the ragged garments of a beggar.
And they were splattered with blood.
The man looked down at himself and an expression of distaste crossed his face.
'Did you bring my robes?'
The servant murmured an answer. Sonea choked back a gasp of surprise and horror. The man was a magician.
He grasped the bloodstained shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing a leather belt strapped to his waist. A large dagger sheath hung from the belt.
Removing the belt, he tossed it and the shirt onto a table, then pulled a large bowl of water and a towel into sight. The magician dipped the towel into the water and quickly scrubbed the red stains from his bare chest. Each time he rinsed the towel, the water turned a darker shade of pink.
Then an arm came into view, holding a bundle of black material. The magician took the cloth and moved out of sight.
Sonea sat back on her haunches. Black robes? She had never seen a black-robed magician before. None of the magicians in the Purge had worn black. His position in the Guild must be unique. Bending down again, she considered the blood-stained clothes. Perhaps he was an assassin.
