'If we die a natural death, this is rarely a problem,' Rothen added. 'The strength of our power usually fades in our last years. If our death is unnatural ... There is an old saying: it takes a fool, a martyr, or a genius to murder a magician.'
Looking at Dannyl, she suddenly understood his discomfort. It was not the presence of the dead that disturbed him, but the reminder of what was going to happen to him when he died. But he had chosen this life, she reminded herself. She hadn't.
Neither had Fergun. Forced to become a magician by his parents, he faced this end too. She wondered how many magicians entered the Guild reluctantly. Surprised by her newfound sympathy, she looked down at the headstone.
'So why are these graves here?'
Rothen shrugged. 'We have no idea. They shouldn't be. Many of our historians believe that these magicians drained all their power once they knew they were dying, then made sure they died at the point of exhaustion by stabbing themselves or taking poison. We know they chose other magicians to be attendants at their death. Perhaps making sure they died at the right moment was the attendant's task. Even a little remaining power can be enough to destroy a body, so the timing would have been important, especially as the magicians of that time were extraordinarily powerful.'
'We don't know if that's true,' Dannyl added. 'The stories of their powers may have been exaggerated. Heroes tend to gain improbable strength when their tale is told over and over again.'
'We have books written during their lifetimes,' Rothen reminded him. 'Even diaries of the magicians themselves. Why would they exaggerate their own abilities?'
'Why indeed?' Dannyl replied dryly.
Turning away, Rothen led them back, over the snow they had trampled on their approach.
'I believe that those first magicians
Dannyl shook his head, then looked down at Sonea. 'What do you think?'
She blinked at him with surprise. 'I don't know. Perhaps they had some way of making themselves stronger.'
Dannyl shook his head. 'There are no ways of increasing a magician's strength. What he is born with, he's stuck with.'
They reached the road and continued on. Night had descended completely and lights glowed in the windows of the houses along the road. As they passed a burned ruin, Sonea shivered. Had it been destroyed when the occupant passed away?
The magicians remained silent as they continued down the road. Reaching the beginning of the path, Rothen sent his floating light ahead to illuminate the way. In the lull in conversation, the chirping of insects in the forest seemed louder.
As the Magicians' Quarters came into sight, Sonea thought of all the magicians who lived there, each keeping their power under control even as they slept. Perhaps those early city planners had another reason for giving the magicians an entire quarter of the city to themselves.
'That's all the exercise I need for tonight, I think,' Rothen said suddenly. 'And it's just about time for the evening meal. Will you join us, Dannyl?'
'Of course,' the tall magician replied. 'I would love to.'
Chapter 25
A Change Of Plans
The sun hovered above the distant towers of the Palace like an enormous magician's globe light, sending long stripes of orange light into the gardens.
As they walked along the path, Sonea was quiet. Brooding. Rothen knew she had guessed the intention behind the excursions he had been taking her on, and was mentally hardening herself until no sight could tempt her to stay in the Guild.
He smiled. Though she might be determined to dismiss everything she saw, Rothen intended to show her as much as he could of the Guild. She needed to see what she was rejecting.
Surprised by her continuing determination to leave, Rothen had found himself pondering his own life. Like all children of the Houses, he had been tested for magical ability at about the age of ten. He remembered how excited his parents had been when potential had been found. They told him he was lucky and special. From that day, he had looked forward to joining the Guild.
Becoming a magician had never been a possibility for Sonea. She had been taught to see them as an enemy to be blamed and hated. In the face of her upbringing, it was easy to see why she considered joining the Guild a betrayal of the people she had grown up with.
But it didn't have to be. If he could convince her that she could eventually use her powers to help her people, she might decide to stay.
Reaching the end of the University, Rothen turned right. As they passed the gardens on the other side of the building, the gong rang, marking the end of classes. Knowing this was usually followed by novices rushing from the University to their quarters, Rothen had chosen a longer, but quieter, route to the Healers' Quarters.
He was looking forward to this excursion. Healing was the noblest of the magicians' skills, and the only magic which Sonea appeared to value. Knowing that the Warrior arts were unlikely to impress her, he had taken her to see them first. However, she had been more unsettled by the demonstration than he had expected. Despite the teacher's explanation of the rules and protections used, she had flinched away from the combatants as soon as they began their mock battle.
Though Dannyl's mind-printing experiment had demonstrated one use of Alchemy, it was, in reality, only a hobby. If he was going to impress her, he needed to show her something that was more useful to the city. He hadn't yet decided what it should be.
As they neared the circular Healer's Quarters, Rothen glanced at Sonea again. Though her expression was guarded, her eyes were bright with interest. He stopped before the entrance.
'This is the second Healers' Quarters to be built,' he told Sonea. 'The first was quite luxurious. Unfortunately, our predecessors experienced problems with a few wealthy patients who assumed they could buy permanent residency. When the University and the other Guild buildings were constructed, the old Healers' Quarters was demolished and this replaced it.'
Though the exterior was attractive, the Healers' building was not as impressive as the University. Moving through the open doors, Rothen led Sonea into a small, undecorated entrance hall. A fresh, medicinal smell permeated the air.
Two Healers, a middle-aged man and a younger woman, looked up as Rothen and Sonea entered. The man regarded Sonea dubiously and turned away, but the young woman smiled and came forward to greet them.
'Greetings, Lord Rothen,' she said.
'Greetings, Lady Indria,' he replied. 'This is Sonea.'
Sonea nodded. 'Honored to meet you.'
Indria inclined her head. 'A pleasure to meet you, too, Sonea.'
'Indria will be giving us a tour of the Healers' Quarters,' Rothen explained.
The Healer smiled at Sonea. 'I hope you find my tour interesting.' She looked at Rothen. 'Shall we begin?'
Rothen nodded.
'This way, then.'
Leading them to a pair of doors, Indria willed them open and ushered Rothen and Sonea into a wide, curved corridor. They passed several open doors, and Sonea took the opportunity to glance into the rooms beyond.
