The High Lord

watching, it would have seemed strange if he didn't.

I've been cooperative for so long. Surely he won't harm her if I try to speak to her alone just once.

The sky was a little lighter now. The gardens were growing clearer. All he had to do was go down there and catch her on the way to the Baths.

He turned from the window and began to dress. Only when he reached his door did he pause and reconsider. A few questions, he thought. That's all. He probably won't even notice us.

The Magicians' Quarters corridor was empty and silent. Rothen's boots rapped out a quick rhythm as he hurried down the stairs to the exit. He entered the courtyard and turned toward the gardens.

He chose to wait in one of the little garden rooms next to the main path. It was well hidden from the High Lord's Residence. Most of the garden was visible from the top floor of the University, but it was too early for any magicians to be roaming about up there.

Half an hour later he heard light footsteps approaching. He glimpsed her through the trees and sighed in relief. She was late, but was still following her routine. Then his heart began to race. What if she refused to talk to him? He rose and reached the entrance of the garden room just as she passed the entrance.

'Sonea.'

She jumped, then turned to stare at him.

'Rothen!' she whispered. 'What are you doing out here this early in the morning?'

'Trying to catch you, of course.'

She almost smiled, then a familiar wariness returned to her expression and she glanced up at the University.

'Why?'

'I want to know how you're getting along.'

Her shoulders lifted. 'Well enough. It's been a long time. I've got used to it - and good at avoiding him.'

'You spend every evening there now.'

Her gaze wavered. 'Yes.' She hesitated, then smiled faintly. 'It's good to know you're keeping an eye on me, Rothen.'

'Not as closely as I'd like.' Rothen took a deep breath. 'I have to ask you something. Is he... has he made you do anything you don't want to, Sonea?'

She blinked, then frowned and looked down. 'No. Other than becoming his favorite and studying so hard.'

He waited until she looked up to meet his gaze again. There was something about the way her mouth was set that was familiar. It had been so long, but it reminded him how she...

... how she almost smiles when she's telling the truth, but knows it's not the full truth!

He quickly reconsidered his question. 'Has he asked you to do anything I would not want you to?'

Her mouth quirked up at one corner again. 'No, Rothen. He hasn't.'

Rothen nodded, though her answer hadn't reassured him. He could not keep reshaping his question over and over. Perhaps Ezrille is right, he thought. Perhaps I am worrying too much.

Sonea smiled sadly. 'I keep waiting for something bad to happen, too,' she said, 'but every day I'm learning more. If it ever comes to a fight, I won't be that easy to defeat.' She glanced in the direction of the High Lord's Residence, then took a step away from him. 'But let's not give anyone reason to start one yet.'

'No,' he agreed. 'Be careful, Sonea.'

'I will.' She turned to walk away, then hesitated and looked over her shoulder. 'You take care of yourself too, Rothen. Don't worry about me. Well, don't worry too much anyway.'

He managed a smile. Watching her walk away, he shook his head and sighed. She asked the impossible.

Reaching the center of the Arena, Sonea noted the low position of the sun. It had been a long day, but soon classes would be over. Just this last bout to go.

She waited as the novices Balkan had chosen took their places. A ring of twelve formed around her, like the points of a compass. She turned a full circle, meeting the eyes of each in turn. They returned her stare confidently, no doubt reassured by their numbers. She wished she was feeling as sure of herself. Her adversaries were all from Fourth and Fifth Year classes, and most of them favored the Warrior Skills discipline.

'Begin,' Balkan called.

All twelve novices attacked at once. Sonea threw up a strong shield and sent out a spray of forcestrikes in return. The novices combined their shields into one.

This would not happen if they were Ichani. She frowned as she remembered Akkarin's lessons.

'The Ichani don't fight well together. They have battled and distrusted each other for years. Few know how to channel power to another, to construct a barrier with the power of several magicians, or to fight cooperatively.'

Hopefully, she would never have to fight any Ichani. She would only need to face their spies, and then only if Akkarin died. Unless this latest one - the woman - was an Ichani. But Akkarin would deal with her.

'These spies have a deep fear of Guild magicians, despite what Kariko tells them. When they kill, it is carefully planned and carried out so that they do not attract the Guild's attention. They strengthen themselves slowly. If you face one, and you are prepared, you should be able to defeat him quickly and quietly.'

The novices increased their attack, forcing Sonea to concentrate on the fight again. She fought back. Individually, they were no match for her. Together they could eventually defeat her. But she had only to strike the inner shield of one novice to win the bout.

There was far more at stake than her pride. She had to win, and quickly, in order to save her strength.

Every night for the last week she had been giving Akkarin most of her strength. Talk of the murders in the city increased as new victims were found every day. It was difficult to say how much strength the Sachakan woman had recovered in that time. Akkarin, however, had only Sonea and Takan to take energy from each night.

She must not exhaust herself in this fight.

That was not going to be easy, however. Her adversaries were obviously well practiced at combining shields. She remembered the first attempts her own class had made at this sort of fighting. Until they all learned the proper responses to different kinds of attacks, and learned to act as one, it was easy to become confused.

So I should do something unexpected to confuse them. Something they've never encountered before.

Like what she had done the night Regin and his friends had attacked her in the forest, so long ago. She couldn't effectively dazzle these novices with a bright light during the day, however. But if she did something similar so they didn't know where she was, she could sneak behind someone and...

She smothered a smile. Her shield didn't have to be transparent.

It took only a shift in her will for her shield to become a globe of white light. The disadvantage of this, she realized belatedly, was that she couldn't see them either.

Now for the deception. Creating several more shields like her first, she sent them out in different directions. At the same time she began walking, taking one shield with her.

She felt the novices' attack falter, and had to cover her mouth to stop herself laughing as she imagined how the Arena must look, with several big white bubbles floating around it. She couldn't strike back, however, or they would know which shield she stood within.

As the shields drew close to her adversaries, she felt them encounter the novices' barrier. She stopped and let all but one of the shields fall back a little. The novices began to attack the one still advancing. She let one of the stationary shields waver and disappear: another distraction.

Reverting the shield around her to a transparent one, she found herself standing near three novices. Gathering her power, she blasted one with a fierce attack of forcestrikes. He jumped, and his neighbors whirled around to face her, but the rest of the novices were still too distracted by her other shields to realize their allies