DAYS PASSED WITH THE NEW ROUTINE IN PLACE, AL’S READING SPEED HAD INCREASED DRAMATICALLY WITH THE ADDITION OF A FUNCTION THAT ALLOWED THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPREHENDING WORDS WITHOUT ENTIRELY READING THEM. IF THE FIRST AND LAST LETTERS WERE CONFIRMED THERE WAS A 94% PROBABILITY OF CORRECTLY INFERRING THE WORD.

ADRIA TOO HAD GOTTEN USED TO THE CHANGE. SHE STILL RELUCTANTLY LEFT THE LIBRARY EACH MORNING, BUT ONCE AT WORK SHE DID HER DUTY AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. SURPRISINGLY WORK HADN’T REALLY CHANGED SINCE THE FIGHT. IT WAS BUSINESS AS USUAL. THE MONOTONOUS ROAD PATROLS, TAX DOCUMENTS, INSPECTIONS. SHE HEARD THE GUILD BRANCH WAS IN SEMI-DISARRAY FOR AWHILE AFTER THE EVENTS BUT THAT WAS NOT MUCH OF HER CONCERN.

THE LIBRARY CLINKED OCCASIONALLY WITH THE SOUND OF WOOD HITTING WOOD. ADRIA IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE SOUND AND LET OUT A LOW GROAN. "AGAIN WITH THE CHESS?"

"I WILL WIN THIS TIME!" THE PRIEST SAYS WITH A FROWN AS HE INSPECTS AL’S MOVE. "I JUST NEED HIM TO HAVE A BAD GAME LIKE…"

"LIKE THE TIME YOU TAUGHT HIM TO PLAY?" ADRIA ASKS SKEPTICALLY.

"I CAN DO IT, THIS TIME FOR SURE. HE PLAYS TOO CONSERVATIVELY. I’LL JUST THROW HIM OFF BY..." THE PRIEST REPLIES WITH A PROUD GRIN AS HE MOVES A PIECE. QUICKLY AL MOVES HIS PAWN AND THE PRIEST LETS OUT A GROAN.

"SEE." ADRIA SAYS WITH A GRIN. "NOBODY CAN BEAT AL, HE’S THE BEST AT EVERYTHING HE TRIES. YOU SHOULD TRY PLAYING HIM IN TICK TACK TOE, OR DOTS."

THE PRIEST BOWS HIS HEAD IN REVERENCE OF THE LOSS. THAT MADE OVER A DOZEN NOW. AL AS ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY RETURNS HIS ATTENTION TO THE BOOK SITTING BESIDE THE GAME BOARD.

"YOU COULD AT LEAST PRETEND IT WAS HARD." THE PRIEST POUTS AS HE LIFTS HIMSELF FROM THE SMALL TABLE AND SETS THE GAME BOARD AND PIECES ON AN EMPTY SHELF. AL DOESN’T RESPOND, INSTEAD OPTING TO LIFT ANOTHER BOOK FROM THE SHELF IN PREPARATION OF FINISHING THE ONE HE CURRENTLY HELD.

"HE’S ALREADY SHIFTED TO ROMANCES?" ADRIA ASKS GLANCING AT THE TWO BOOKS IN HIS HANDS.

"MHM, HE FINISHED THE TEXTBOOKS A FEW HOURS AFTER HE GOT HERE." THE PRIEST CONFIRMS WITH A NOD. THE TWO EXCHANGED ODD GLANCES AT THE SPEED OF HIS READING AT FIRST, BUT NOW IT WAS ALMOST COMMON SENSE THAT HE COULD FINISH A WHOLE RACK IN LESS THAN A DAY.

"I DIDN’T IMAGINE HE WOULD FINISH THEM THIS QUICKLY." ADRIA SAYS WITH A FROWN, "HAVE YOU READ ANYTHING THAT’S JOGGED YOUR MEMORY?"

AL GLANCES AT HER WHEN HE REALIZES SHE WAS SPEAKING TO HIM. "NO, NOTHING."

THE TWO OBSERVERS FROWN AT THE NEWS. THE CHANCES THAT THE REMAINING FEW DOZEN BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY WOULD, WAS FAIRLY LOW AT THIS POINT.

THE PRIEST IS THE FIRST TO THINK OF AN OPTION. OR PERHAPS JUST THE FIRST TO SPEAK ON IT. "WHAT ABOUT THE LIBRARY IN JINX?"

"WHAT ABOUT IT?"

"WHY DON’T I TAKE HIM WHEN I GO VISIT THE EARL NEXT WEEK?" THE PRIEST SAYS THROUGH A BITE OF APPLE.

"YOU WANT…" ADRIA BEGINS, TRYING TO PROCESS THE WORDS. "I DON’T THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS OR…"

"RELAX, I’VE BEEN TO JINX AND BACK DOZENS OF TIMES, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN." THE PRIEST REASSURES HER WITH AN EXTENDED THUMB.

"I JUST… I JUST DON’T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. IF YOU LEAVE TOWN THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT COULD…" ADRIA BEGINS BUT STOPS WHEN SHE NOTICES AL’S UNDIVIDED ATTENTION DIRECTED AT HER.

"LEAVE TOWN?" AL ASKS SIMPLY WITH ARCHED EYEBROWS.

"DO YOU WANT TO?" THE PRIEST ASKS TRYING TO PROMPT AN IDEAL RESPONSE.

ADRIA BEGINS TO SPEAK BUT SHE STOPS HERSELF AGAIN. SHE DID WANT TO KNOW HIS ANSWER, WAS HE BORED HERE? DID HE PERHAPS WONDER IF LEAVING TOWN WOULD HELP HIS MEMORY? SHE WASN’T TRYING TO KEEP HIM ISOLATED FROM THE WORLD, SHE WAS JUST WORRIED.

"WELL?" SHE ASKS AS AL GLANCES TO HER, "THINK YOU WILL BE OK WITHOUT ME?"

"YOU WON’T COME?"

"WELL I HAVE WORK TO DO, THE QUARTER IS ALMOST OVER SO I HAVE TONS OF PAPERWORK TO FINISH." ADRIA EXPLAINS WITH A GRIMACE. SHE HATED THE IDEA OF SEPERATING BUT SHE ALSO WONDERED IF PERHAPS SHE WAS DOING THE SAME THING HER PARENTS HAD TO HER. PERHAPS HE NEEDED DISTANCE THE SAME WAY SHE DID.

"SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? WANNA JOIN MY CLERGY FOR A FEW DAYS?" THE PRIEST OFFERS AGAIN WITH A SUSPICIOUS GRIN.

"YOU HAVE AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE DON’T YOU?" ADRIA ASKS, UNWILLING TO BEAT AROUND THE BUSH.

THE PRIEST LAUGHS BEFORE EXPLAINING. "OF COURSE, I WANT TO HAVE AL CHALLENGE THE EARL IN CHESS."

"SHOULD HAVE FIGURED." ADRIA SAYS WITH A ROLL OF HER EYES. "WELL IT'S UP TO AL, IF HE WANTS TO GO I WON’T PREVENT IT. IT SEEMS LIKE HE WANTS TO SEE MORE OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD SO IT WOULD BE FEEL WRONG TO DENY HIM THAT."

AGAIN THE ATTENTION TURNS BACK TO AL. HE WAS UNSURE WHAT THEY WANTED FROM HIM, AL WASN’T DESIGNED TO MAKE CHOICES. HIS ENTIRE LIFE HE HAS ONLY RESPONDED TO INPUTS FROM OTHERS. HE UNDERSTOOD THE CONCEPT OF YES AND NO OF COURSE. BUT WHEN IT CAME TO GIVING A DECISION ON TWO OPTIONS AL FELT LOST.

‘WHY CONSULT ME?’ HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF, ‘JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO.’

OF COURSE THERE WAS A PIECE OF HIM THAT WONDERED ABOUT WHAT NEW INFORMATION HE COULD FIND IN THIS OTHER CITY BUT EXPRESSING THAT FEELING FELT DIFFICULT.

"YOU SHOULD GO." ADRIA FINALLY SAYS ALLOWING AL A WAY OUT OF THE SITUATION. NOW HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.

"I’LL GO." AL ANSWERS AFTER ADRIA’S PROMPTING.

"YOU WILL?" THE PRIEST REPLIES WITH A WIDE SMILE. "IT WILL BE GOOD TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TRAVEL WITH. I THINK YOU WILL LIKE JINX. OF COURSE YOU WON’T FIND WHAT YOU LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT TENSOR HILL BUT IT'S A GOOD PLACE."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" ADRIA ASKS, LIKELY REFERRING TO THE SECOND PART OF THE HOLY MAN’S STATEMENT.

"OH NOTHING." THE PRIEST EXPLAINS WITH A SMIRK AS IF HE UNDERSTOOD ALL IN THE WORLD.

ADRIA AND AL BOTH GLANCE AT HIM AND THEN BETWEEN THEMSELVES BEFORE RETURNING TO THEIR TASKS. ADRIA, SEARCHING THE VARIOUS SHELVES FOR A NEW BOOK AND AL CONTINUING HIS DOUBLE FISTED READING TECHNIQUE.

THE PRIEST REALIZING HE WOULD GET NO BETTER RESPONSE FROM TEASING THE TWO WENT BACK TO HIS OFFICE TO FINISH HIS OWN WORK.

THE LIBRARY ONCE MORE SWITCHED TO THE SOUND OF FLIPPING PAGES. THE TIME PASSED AND THE TWO SLOWLY GREW HUNGRY. WITHOUT A WORD THE TWO AGREED TO LEAVE. AL MENTALLY NOTED THE BOOK HE HAD LAST FINISHED ON THE RACK AND FOLLOWED ADRIA TO THE DOOR. THE TWO WAVE TO MR. FRED AND RECEIVE A SILENT RESPONSE.

THE CURRENT DESTINATION WAS THE INN. AL LOOKED STRAIGHT AHEAD WHILE ADRIA GLANCED AROUND EACH BUILDING. OF COURSE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED IN THE PAST FEW DAYS BUT ADRIA WAS STILL ON HER TOES.

ONCE AGAIN THE TRIP WAS COMPLETED SAFELY. ADRIA AND AL HAPPILY SIPPED STEW AND THE BAR REMAINED QUIET THIS GO AROUND. ALTHOUGH A FEW WHISPERS WERE DIRECTED AT AL FROM ADVENTURERS IN THE KNOW.

THE RUMOR CURRENTLY WAS, ‘AVOID THE QUIET ONE’S BAD SIDE’. AND WHATEVER YOU DO, ‘DON’T SPEAK BADLY ABOUT THE PRINCESS’.