The blankets have been taken away to be washed, by the time she returns to her room, and the dirty mug and pitcher of milk as well. Leah studies the methodology of drawing runes – the directions and orders of the lines, the pressure applied to certain portions, the materials recommended for each – until the sun has set and she has to choose between lighting a candle or getting some rest.

Never know when I’ll be back in a warzone; I had better take a good night’s sleep where I can. Well, an hour or two more won’t kill me.

She goes down and grabs a quick bite of supper, a sort of salad in a flatbread wrap. She considers asking for permission to visit the kitchens, just to see what they’re equipped with, but decides it’s not a priority, and certainly isn’t possible before she’s more at ease in the language.

The runes are no help with that; they all have names, none of which sound like any language she’s heard so far. Eventually they all start blurring into squiggles, and she has to flip back to the first pages, focusing on memorising the ones she already knows, plus the “basics.”

Sun, Moon, Desiccation, Water. I get it a bit better, now. Leah looks over the elemental runes, and their derivatives; almost all the practical effects seem to be built from them, while more esoteric spell purposes – scrying, mind-manipulating, illusion – have more complicated roots.

Though it takes serious effort, she restrains herself from trying to use any of them. Teo’s words of warning, that a beginner’s attempts at spells can sometimes manifest too powerfully, finally serve to convince her that studying is all she ought to be doing, now. It doesn’t make a good impression if I accidentally light my room on fire.

She blows out the candle and sets the book aside, the mental images of the runes passing in front of her eyes on a sporadic loop, like scenes from a videogame played too long.

Videogames. Is that another thing to add to the list? I’d miss videogames…and I’m not sure people here would really get the idea of TTRPGs. I wonder what class Seffon would main?

She snickers into the empty room, shaking her head at herself, then forces all the thoughts away and focuses on trying to sleep. It’s been a day and a half since we left Valerin. There’s a chance Eschen’s going to stay there and focus on keeping what he’s won, but if he were to send someone against us, they’d be arriving soon.

God I hope they’re not as good at sneaking as I am.

*

Water trickles musically, and echoes strangely through the large room. Leah’s eyes are still closed, but even before she opens them she recognises the sulphur smell of the baths.

The water’s back? How did…oh, right. Dreaming. Odd…

She opens her eyes and looks around; the smooth brown stone is clean and well-lit by oil lamps, whose smoke rises through the narrow chimneys along with the steam, heating the keep above. None of the other carved pools are occupied. Her breathing seems loud.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

The water sloshes across from her, and she turns towards the sound –

*

Oh fucking Hell, fuck no, what the ever-loving sheep-shit is…?

She jolts upright, heart pounding, her eyes darting around the room. She grabs the fabric of the mattress and clenches her fists around it, as though to anchor herself.

The memory slips away quickly, as dreams do, but in that split second she had still very clearly seen Eschen across the pool, head rested backwards against the lip, arms spread. Relaxing, to all appearances.

I’ve been thinking about it too much. No-one could blame me for that. Leah gets up and paces the room. The air is warmer now, further into the springtime, and she doesn’t shiver from cold though her skin is still goose-bumpy. The bastard tried to kill me a couple days ago. Multiple times. Actually, multiple times in the second of our two fights, and once in the first fight, which would have succeeded if Iris hadn’t saved the potion all this time.

Leah sits down on the edge of the bed and holds her face in her hands, taking slow breaths.

If today’s a day for honesty, then sure, I’ll be honest. He scares me. He might think I’m not afraid of him, but really I just have a sass-response to danger, so whenever I’m near him I start joking and acting confident. Huh. Wouldn’t that be a nice power to be able to harness for other things in life, like job interviews and dates.

She lies back down, settling in only very slowly. But I’ve been letting it take up too much of my mind. I’m safe here; Seffon’s here, and his best students, and the wards, and the militia, and I’m being silly by not trusting him.

Think nice thoughts. Dream nice things. Puppies. Fresh bagels. Getting bronze in gymnastics in high school. That time the teacher emailed me specifically to say that he was so impressed with my final project. Nice things. Good thoughts.

*

Trickling water. Leah pre-emptively winces, then opens her eyes very carefully.

They are in the same pool as before, still alone. Eschen’s head is leaning back against the stone lip, arms spread to either side, chest –

Oh good God he’s naked.

Oh God I’m naked.

Leah shuffles a little further away and sinks lower into the water, wishing for bubbles to hide behind. Eschen’s eyes flick open.

Nope. Nope nope nope my unconscious does not get to do this to me.

*

Leah paces her room, disoriented, tired. Much time has apparently passed; it is not an hour after sunset anymore, but instead the dead of night. The moon is somewhere above, lighting the Hold faintly in silver, details obscured by the pebbled glass.

Leah throws on a pair of suede leggings and a jacket, mentally plotting the path to her lab, wondering whether there is a key to the door or not. Seffon would want to keep it out of curious hands, if a single activation can drop all the wards.

Her fingers freeze on the last button of the jacket. Drop all the wards. I can’t do that again, not for a bad dream. I have no evidence that it isn’t just a bad dream. A very bad dream.

She returns to pacing the room, half-dressed, pensive. The wards are surely designed to stop this sort of thing. It can’t be a spell. And if it is a spell, it only hits me when I’m asleep, and I appear to be able to wake up from it easily enough.

Shrugging out of the jacket and pulling off the pants, she sits on the bed with a heavy sigh. Go bother Vivitha, why don’t you? I’m sure she’d be happy to see you. ‘Oh we were just happy you were finally getting laid’ – if anyone needs a solid fuck to unwind it would be her. Or Meredith. Iris seems like she probably has no troubles there. Kain…

She flops over on her side, jolting her stab-wound. The pain flares up, and Leah lies stiffly, waiting for it to pass.

It might just be a dream. It might not. One way to find out.