It was all he could think of. He had no time to come up with a better idea. Closing his eyes, he ignored the sting of magic as he pushed up against the barrier. He drew in a breath, then simultaneously dropped his shield and blasted out all his power.
He felt the barrier waver. At the same time, he was conscious of the last of his strength leaving him. He braced himself for pain, but instead felt himself falling. He opened his eyes, but all he could see was darkness... a darkness he continued to fall into long after he ought to have hit the ground...
“Lady Sonea.”
Looking up, Sonea felt her heart skip. “Tania!”
As the servant smiled, fond memories of early morning chats brought an ache of longing. Sonea patted the seat next to her, and Tania sat down.
“How are you?” Tania asked. Something about the way the servant looked at Sonea suggested she didn’t expect a favorable answer.
“Well.” Sonea forced a smile.
“You look tired.”
Sonea shrugged. “Too many late nights. There’s so much to learn now. How are you? Is Rothen keeping you run off your feet?”
Tania chuckled. “He’s no trouble, though he misses you terribly.”
“I miss him, too - and you.”
“I have a letter for you, my lady,” Tania said. She drew it out of her clothes and put it on the table. “Rothen said it was from your aunt and uncle and said you might want to read it straightaway, so I offered to deliver it to you here.”
Sonea picked up the letter eagerly. “Thank you.” She tore it open and began to read. The script was formal and stilted. Since her aunt and uncle could not write, they would hire a scribe whenever they wanted to send her a letter.
“My aunt is going to have another child!” Sonea exclaimed. “Oh, I wish I could see them.”
“Of course you can,” Tania said. “The Guild isn’t a prison, you know.”
Sonea considered the woman. Of course, Tania didn’t know about Akkarin. But Akkarin had never said that he forbade family visits. Nor had he told her she must never leave the Guild. The guards at the gate wouldn’t stop her. She could just walk out into the city and go where she pleased. Akkarin wouldn’t like it, but since he had forced her out of the secret passages and left her at the mercy of Regin’s gang, she hadn’t cared too much about being cooperative.
“You’re right,” Sonea said slowly. “I’ll visit them. I’ll visit them today.”
Tania smiled. “I’m sure they’ll be delighted to see you again.”
“Thank you, Tania,” Sonea said, rising. The servant bowed and, still smiling, walked away toward the library door.
Packing her books back into her box, Sonea felt a growing excitement, but as she considered where she was going, she sobered again. She could move through the city easily. Nobody would think twice about the presence of a magician on the streets, not even a novice. But once in the slums her robes would draw attention, possibly hostile attention. It was a problem she hadn’t needed to consider on her previous visits because she hadn’t been a novice then. While she could protect herself from any missiles or harassment with magic, she did not want to be followed around, or draw that sort of attention to her aunt and uncle.
The law said she must wear the uniform at all times, however. She was not too worried about breaking the law, but where was she going to change into the sort of shabby clothing that would disguise her in the slums, even if she managed to find some?
She could buy a coat or cloak from the Market when she got to the North Quarter. For that, however, she needed money, and she kept her money in her room in the High Lord’s Residence. Looking down at her box, she reconsidered her plan. Was she going to let her fear of Akkarin stop her from visiting her family? No. He was rarely in the residence during the day. She probably wouldn’t encounter him.
Picking up her box, she bowed to Lady Tya and left the library. As she walked through the passages of the University, she smiled. She would buy a present for her aunt and uncle, too - and she might drop by Gollin’s inn to see Harrin and Donia afterward, and ask after Cery.
As she entered the High Lord’s Residence, she felt her heartbeat quicken. To her relief, Akkarin was not inside, and Takan, his servant, appeared only long enough to give her a respectful bow and disappear again. Leaving her box, she tucked a money bag into her robes and left her room. When the door of the residence shut behind her, she straightened her back and headed for the gates.
The gate guards glanced at her with curiosity as she passed between them. They had probably never seen her before, since she had only left the Guild a few times in a carriage with Rothen. Perhaps it was simply odd to see a novice leaving on foot.
Once in the Inner Circle, she felt strangely out of place. Looking up at the grand homes that lined the streets, strong memories returned of her few visits to this part of the city years before, to deliver repaired shoes and clothing to servants of the Houses. During those visits the well-dressed men and women of the Inner Circle had regarded her with suspicion and disdain, and she had been forced to show her token of admission several times.
Now those people smiled and bowed politely as she passed them. It felt strange and unreal. The feeling increased as she passed through the gates into the North Quarter. The gate guards stopped and saluted, and even stopped a carriage of House Korin so she could pass without delay.
Once in the North Quarter, polite bows and smiles changed to stares. After several hundred paces, Sonea changed her mind about visiting the Market. Instead, she stepped up to a house advertising “Quality Clothing and Alterations.”
“Yes?” A gray-haired woman answered the door and, upon seeing a young magician on her doorstep, she gasped with astonishment. “My lady! What can I do for you?” she asked, bowing hastily.
Sonea smiled. “I would like to buy a cloak, please.”
“Come in! Come in!” The woman opened the door wide and bowed again as Sonea stepped inside. She ushered Sonea into a room, where racks of clothing hung all around the room.
“I’m not sure if I have anything good enough,” the woman said apologetically, as she lifted several cloaks from the racks. “This one has limek fur around the hood, and that one has a beaded hem.”
Unable to resist, Sonea inspected the cloaks. “This is good work,” she said of the beaded cloak. “I doubt this fur is limek, however. Limek have a double coat.”
“Oh dear!” the woman exclaimed, snatching the cloak back.
“But they’re not what I’m looking for, anyway,” Sonea added. “I need something old and a bit worn - not that I expected to find anything of low quality here. Do any of your servants have a cloak that looks as if it ought to be thrown out any day?”
The woman stared at Sonea in surprise. “I don’t know...” she said doubtfully.
“Why don’t you ask them now,” Sonea suggested, “while I admire some of your work.”
“If that’s what you want...” Curiosity had crept into the woman’s gaze now. She bowed, then disappeared into the house calling a servant’s name.
Moving to the hangers, Sonea looked at some of the clothing. She sighed wistfully. With the law restricting her to robes, she was never likely to wear anything like this, even though she could now afford to.
Hearing hurried footsteps approaching, she turned to see the seamstress enter the room, her arms laden with clothing. A servant followed her in, looking pale and harassed. Seeing Sonea, the girl’s eyes widened.
Looking over the cloaks, Sonea chose one with a long, neatly repaired rip down one side. The hem had come unstitched from the lining, too. She looked at the serving girl.
“Is there a garden here? Perhaps a poultry yard?”
The girl nodded.
“Take this cloak and rub the hem in some dirt for me - and throw a little dust over it.”
Looking bemused, the girl disappeared with the cloak. Sonea pressed a gold coin into the seamstress’ hand, then as the servant returned with the soiled cloak, slipped a silver into the girl’s pocket.
