Walking through the streets of Lekton felt oddly unsettling. Three hours ago they had been surrounded by dozens of gang members, all trying to kill them, and now they were surrounded by people going about their day, completely oblivious to the struggle that had gone on earlier that morning.
And it had been a struggle. While they had years of proper training, and most importantly, access to magic, the need to preserve the warehouse full of evidence had severely restricted the use of their spells. Conversely, that same evidence had created chokepoints and anchored their flanks, preventing their group from being enveloped by far superior numbers, otherwise things would have gone far differently.
And it so very nearly had.
Sven looked almost as shaken as Li Na when they had left, leaving Yaric feeling very concerned. Actually, he looked even more shaken than her. Li Na was walking alongside them in a daze, almost completely withdrawn. Sven was the one who looked like he’d just escaped a wyvern attack.
Yaric had assumed that Sven was shocked by actions taken by the guard, and more importantly, by the actions not taken by the guard, breaking his firm confidence that most people in authority truly did do their job. He’d been right every other time in the past. But that’s not what was bothering Sven when he asked.
“Lina was almost killed earlier.”
“We’ve fought worse odds before, she would –.”
“No… Lina was stabbed in the heart. Full contact. That gift Lloyd just spoke about saved her life. She would have died without it.”
“What?!”
Lauren was just as shocked as Yaric, but Li Na didn’t seem to hear them.
And Sven’s description of what had happened was almost as shocking. Yaric saw red when he heard how it had been Li Na’s old friend who had done it.
The whole event just drove home how much they had to prepare for. They had fought off a far more professional, dangerous gang already, at a time when they were only beginning to use magic regularly. Then they had destroyed a nest of creatures so dangerous that Apprentices would have avoided them and called for help. Sure, there were close calls, but they had survived them all, and even ended up walking away without any serious injuries.
After all that, a local gang of thieves and extortionists had come so close that they only failed due to unexpected magical interference. They were nothing but a gang of thugs, while Yaric and the others had never been stronger. It was easy to forget that anything could happen in a fight.
Lauren moved around Yaric to walk between him and Li Na, her arm around Li Na’s shoulders.
They found a coffee shop selling pancakes on the road beside their door, perfect for eating while they walked in the cool winter air. Li Na ate hers mechanically while they walked in silence. Everyone was still processing what had happened, trying to work out what they could have done differently. Yaric was trying to work out how he could get better.
The walk back to campus was somehow never-ending, and yet over before they knew it. It was a relief to be back while everyone was in classes, but that feeling flipped on its head when they entered their empty dorm building. Leaving Li Na by herself while she got ready just felt wrong.
“I’ll watch her,” Lauren mouthed silently over her shoulder, still walking with her arm over Li Na’s shoulders when they turned left to go to their side of the building.
Yaric felt he may have been testing the integrity of the water runes with how much hot water he used. The hot shower didn’t fix anything at all, but the hot water made him feel slightly better, as did cleaning off the sweat and grime. His head also felt much clearer by the time he was getting dressed in fresh, clean clothes.
And yet he was only the second one out. Sven was pacing up and down in front of the corridor, uncharacteristically impatient, while there was still no sign of Lauren or Li Na.
They didn’t have to wait long. Li Na looked far better, even if she still wasn’t looking anyone in the eye or speaking at all.
There wasn’t time to talk, however. They had to get to the hearing, and they couldn’t keep the Council waiting.
All three of them tried to talk with Li Na on the way, but she didn’t do much more than nod or shake her head. No one was fooled by the quick smiles she occasionally flashed. Their only comfort was that she wasn’t truly ignoring them, nor was she rejecting their attempts to get her to talk. If anything she was almost clingy, particularly with Sven.
Yaric’s stomach dropped when he saw who was waiting for them. Bailey, the Apprentice who had recently fought Rebekka, was standing just inside the door to the entrance hall. He was moving to intercept them the moment they walked.
“Novice’s McDavids, Jakobson, Silver, and Miller?” he asked unnecessarily, as it was highly unlikely that there would be four other Novices making their way to the Council Chambers.
“Yes,” Sven replied, hiding his concern at having an Apprentice waiting for them instead of the usual assistant or clerk.
“Come this way please, the hearing will be held in the public audience chamber.”
That only made Yaric feel worse.
Bailey took them down a side passage and into another reception hall, just as impressive and opulent as the entrance to the Council Chambers, where he had them wait on a bench outside the audience chamber.
And keep waiting.
More and more people began trickling in around them, either ignoring them completely or examining them closely as they walked past. A few of them even had assistants hovering around with notebooks and bags, clearly marking them as outsiders, possibly even unconnected.
Yaric was glad Lloyd had told them to eat, as they sat there for a full two hours. Li Na was lying against Sven’s shoulder and staring at the far wall with half-open eyes when someone finally came to call them, and to Yaric’s relief, he was dressed like one of the regular assistants.
His relief was short-lived.
The four of them walked into the audience chamber to find all eyes on them. The room was large, with high vaulted ceilings and three levels of balconies overlooking the room, which sloped gently down to the flat square in the center. There were no corners, instead rows of seats curved gently around the lower stage. Straight lines of benches filled the central square, facing another crescent-shaped desk reminiscent of the seating arrangement in the council chamber.
Dozens of Council Members were already seated at that crescent-shaped desk, with Sandy Ivers sitting front and center. Many of the people Yaric had seen entering were seated in the lower rows that overlooked everything, while a few even sat behind the straight tables in the center, where the assistant was directing them to sit as well.
The attention on them was thankfully brief. Most people quickly went back to their hushed conversations, filling the room with a quiet susurrus from all directions as the four students were quickly ignored. It didn’t last long, however, as Lloyd soon walked into the room as well.
Everyone went quiet while he made his way down to stand beside the four students.
“It looks like everyone is here,” Sandy said casually, though magically magnified so that everyone could hear her. The room quietened down quickly.
“Events earlier this morning, involving Academy students, residents of Lekton, and multiple Lekton city officials, have compelled us to call for this emergency hearing. As the highest-ranking Academy member on hand, High Wizard Lloyd Chen has taken over the investigation from the students involved. He is also the sponsor of one of the four students and shall represent them when necessary.
“As lead investigator, High Wizard Chen has requested the presence of the City Mayor, Arnold Butterworth, and the Guard Captain and Lead Administrator for section eighteen, which includes the area known as The Lower Docks.”
Sandy looked up from her notes with a raised eyebrow. “He has also requested the same from sections four, seven, eight, eleven, twelve, and fourteen, along with representatives from several trade guilds.”
Lloyd had no problem picking up the inherent question in Sandy’s statement. “I have, as these events relate to them as well.”
“Very well, please give us a summary of the events of this morning, as well as how it relates to everyone invited.”
Everyone was dead quiet while Lloyd looked around at the small assembly of civilians.
“Earlier this morning, these four students conducted a raid on a warehouse in The Lower Docks, uncovering a significant criminal operation. This operation was admittedly amateur, originally starting as a large group of unemployed residents who simply refrained from physically assaulting other residents in exchange for protection money.
“They’ve been operating in the open for many years now, publicly extorting money from local businesses while assaulting those who resist, occasionally even destroying their property.”
Several people seemed upset at the allegation, including some council members, though Yaric noted that the Guard Captain and Lead Administrator who had nodded at Sandy’s introduction both looked like they were going to be sick. More than one person in attendance looked like they wanted to interrupt Lloyd, including a certain Council Member sitting to one side with a small group around him.
“These students were answering an appeal from a resident who had tried to resist an increase in protection fees. Others had taken up her cause, and so this gang burnt her business down as both a punishment and a warning. Worse, the cover-up concluded that she was negligent and caused the fire herself.
“The four Novices had detailed information and knowledge of the gang’s history, but there was no evidence to confirm their involvement. Instead, they chose to target the gang itself, proving its existence and general activities, partially in the hope that some gang members would confirm the arson attack.
“They were wildly successful,” Lloyd informed everyone, waiting for a moment for his statement to sink in.
“Vast quantities of unpurchased local products were found in their headquarters, and the gang itself attacked the students with lethal weapons when they tried to gather said evidence. That alone gave me a reason to arrest everyone and open an investigation, but it is not the reason I have called everyone here today.
“In the process of exposing the gang, they also exposed deep and widespread corruption, thefts that extend far beyond the borders of The Lower Docks, and murder.”
A few people began whispering furiously amongst themselves, though this time it was not in indignation. The mayor himself was glancing suspiciously at the Guard Captain and Lead Administrator for The Lower Docks.
“Amongst the items uncovered in the warehouse were bolts of silk, fine silverware, jewelry of all kinds, and a rather extensive collection of smoking pipes, none of which are available in The Lower Docks, or the entire area in which this gang operates, known locally as The Wake.
“I can see several of you have already realized the implication,” Lloyd added, gesturing toward the officials from other sectors of Lekton. “These are all items that were stolen in other areas of the city. The gang has expanded in recent years by robbing locals outside their area of control, and then using the corrupt officials to hide these thefts.”
Most of the civilians present looked angry, particularly the guild representative. It was clear to see that everyone fell into two camps though. The civilian administrators reacted most negatively when Lloyd spoke of the corruption, while the rest were more concerned with the crimes committed.
“Now I’ve mentioned corruption several times without giving any proper explanation. For those of you who don’t know, this appeal was assigned to these four students, Novices Yaric Miller, Li Na Jakobson, Lauren Silver, and Sven McDavids. You may know them as the students who exposed those responsible for the attacks upriver. Those attacks also involved arson, and their success there is why these students were assigned this particular case in the first place.”
Most of the civilians were nodding to each other at that revelation, being very aware of the outcome of that particular case. It had been the central topic for weeks while the investigation was ongoing. Many of the elves looked approvingly at the students as well.
Lloyd raised his palm, easily keeping everyone’s attention. “Some of you may also be aware of the criminal network that was recently exposed in Sarton. That was also the work of these same four students, leading to the discovery of a vast network that we are still in the process of dismantling.”
Yaric and the others looked up in surprise.
‘What?!’
“These events necessitated certain protections be given to these students, in the form of an emergency beacon. This beacon was utilized by Novice Miller when the local guards were physically in sight, yet those guards immediately turned around and left the scene, despite the declaration of a consular decree. They left the area because of the consular decree, as in the past they had always assisted the gang members by preventing anyone from gaining entry.”
The shocked expressions only got worse as Lloyd continued.
“I personally arrived on the scene over half an hour after the activation of the beacon, which was still active, yet there was not a single guard anywhere to be seen. Instead it was local civilians and business owners who answered the call – weavers, woodworkers, tanners, leatherworkers, and blacksmiths. Multiple civilians were wounded in the fight, with several requiring Academy healers afterward. All because they were abandoned by the city guard when they were needed most.
“It took only minutes to discover why. The guard are made up of locals, with families living within The Wake.” Lloyd paused and turned to the mayor. “I am assuming that the law prohibiting assigning a member of the guard to active duty in their place of residence still stands?”
The mayor nodded, looking furious. His glare was directed at the Guard Captain, however.
For his part, the Guard Captain kept glancing at his sector’s Lead Administrator, who studiously ignored him, choosing to stare directly ahead instead.
“Ah, yes. We… well… finding guards willing to patrol The Lower Docks, well, it isn’t easy. We thought… hiring locals was cheaper, and it was their own neighborhood. Other cities do the opposite, they require people to live in the neighborhood they work in, so they have extra incentive to protect people. We thought… I mean, the idea was…” The Guard Captain trailed off as he realized how weak his argument sounded. It didn’t help that he’d gone against procedure and broken the law regardless, nor did the silence of the Lead Administrator help his case.
“Whatever your reasons,” Lloyd continued, “it was very easy to determine that the guard all feared for their families. Every individual I questioned gave the same response; their families would be targeted if they didn’t look the other way. Now I’m not judging this case, so I won’t make any statements regarding their position as criminals or victims, but either way, the entire guard of sector eighteen is compromised.
“This has led to a wave of extortion, arson, assault, and theft, not only in sector eighteen, but all across Lekton. And it was all happening in the open, under the cover of corrupt officials and intimidation.”
“I’m sure there will be many questions regarding the details of what transpired,” Sandy began, “but before we go there, please explain how you would recommend we proceed, so everyone here can keep that in mind when listening to your report, and when asking their questions.”
“Certainly. First, we obviously need to investigate and try the gang and their members. They are responsible for everything from assault to murder. We’ve already determined that many gang members were not present, so I would also recommend that the city assign new guards to the area for the duration of any trial, and I would request that the Academy posts guards at the detention center, to prevent any breakout attempts.
This gang has already shown a clear disregard for authority, like most criminals, but they have also become used to doing as they want. I believe there is a high risk of a breakout attempt. Even the captured members seemed to be under the impression that they would not be held for long. Two Apprentices would be far more effective than a squad of guards, and I doubt an extra squad would even be available for the duty given how the entire sector would already need outside help.”
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“Is that really necessary?”
“Could we afford not to?” Lloyd countered.
Sandy turned to look at the mayor.
“There will certainly be a trial, that is hardly something we need to discuss or decide upon. The investigation would simply be a matter of procedure. Crimes were committed, and the crimes will be investigated.”
“The Academy would like to offer our services to aid in the detention of the suspects,” Sandy informed the mayor once he had finished.
“Certainly, we welcome any assistance. Outside help would be most welcome when our civilian service has been called into question.”
“Done,” Sandy replied. “Does anyone have any particular Apprentices in mind?” Sandy asked, turning to the Council Members present.
“Actually,” Lloyd said, interrupting them. “Two Apprentices are already present and prepared to head out immediately.” Lloyd looked behind him to where Bailey and Rebekka stood at the back.
“Very well, we need four more names to ensure proper shifts. Those two may go now, as our representatives.”
Rebekka and Bailey nodded in acknowledgment before heading straight out, while Sandy and the Council settled on additional Apprentices to rotate with them. Once that was settled, Sandy turned back to Lloyd for him to continue.
“Second, we need to do the same with those officials who aided or benefited from the gang and their activities. That includes the guard, but some of their activities could only have been possible with the assistance of others, even if it was only by turning a blind eye.”
“That will most certainly be done,” the mayor interjected.
“In that case, I will also be requesting that the case against Ruby Cooper be dropped, in light of the confessions received today. Several gang members have confirmed that they were indeed responsible for the fire that devastated Ms. Cooper’s business. She was also the one who appealed to the Academy for help in the first place, starting off the process that brought us all here.”
“The Guard Captain of sector four shall take over personally,” the mayor said, pointing to one of the men sitting in the same row as the mayor. The Guard Captain nodded in confirmation.
“If that is all, you can begin your report,” Sandy said.
“Actually, there are two more issues. While I’m certain more crimes will come to light, we already know of two innocent victims, and I would like to request that an investigation be opened into each.”
“And they are?”
“The first is regarding the actions of Mage Crowley, a Mage with no affiliation to the Academy. He was a Lekton resident who tried to expose this very same gang a few years ago, but the intervention of the guard prevented him from gathering the evidence he required. Instead, he found himself charged with breaking and entering, and as part of a plea deal was banished from the city. That does not even cover how he tried to intervene for the sake of others, yet found himself labeled a criminal and left homeless.”
Sandy smiled widely, mostly due to the letter she had received from the King over the issue. It was the mayor who looked ill at this point. He had been the one to complain to the King, and now both were embarrassed.
“That is partially an Academy issue, as the person in question is a known arcanist. As such, we will be submitting a demand for a retrial, along with an apology.”
“No demand is necessary,” the mayor said, looking flustered. “We will of course be reopening the case of our own accord.”
“Naturally,” Sandy smiled. “And the last investigation?”
“It involves a Lower Docks local. I have already received multiple statements from members of the gang that confirm the story, and I am certain that there will be even more to come.
“This young man came to know about an impending attack on a local business, and at great danger to himself, he warned the owner of the attack with enough time for him to rouse a response and fend off the attempted arson.
“As it was, the gang knew of his friendship with the owner’s daughter.”
Li Na looked up sharply, her unfocussed gaze now entirely gone.
“He paid with his life. The gang barricaded his house and set fire to it, killing both him and his parents. The crime was covered up by accusing Malcolm Allen of being a member of a gang killed in a dispute with another, despite there only being one gang. No one looked further into the murder of who they thought was a criminal, and he was buried in Executioners Cemetery.
“To be clear, I’m talking about a twelve-year-old boy who risked everything to save his friend.”
Li Na was crying uncontrollably like she had the day before, but she still buried her face in Sven’s shoulder rather than face all the officials around her. Yaric was on her other side, so he shifted closer to try and shield her from view. Sandy still noticed, though she wasn’t able to do more than briefly glance Li Na’s way. She was very obviously concerned by Li Na's reaction.
“We will certainly look into that,” the mayor acknowledged. “If what you say is true, the boy died a hero.”
“That’s settled then, let’s begin,” Sandy instructed, trying to move the hearing along.
Lloyd began with an explanation of how the appeal had been assigned, including the history of the students who had been assigned to fulfill it. He didn’t only cover their successful appeals, however, but also how Lauren had been raised in Lekton, and how Li Na had not only lived in Lekton but in the Lower Docks themselves, as well as how she was already familiar with the gang.
Multiple questions were raised as to how suitable that made them, and whether or not the appeal should have been assigned to someone else given Li Na’s prior history, but Lloyd stuck to his argument that they had in fact used their prior experience as an advantage. Simply pointing out the success of their raid and comparing it to the failure of the local and city authorities was enough to fend off most arguments.
Then Lloyd’s report actually switched to the students themselves, where they had to explain exactly what they had found and the actions they had taken. Jerold surprised everyone at that moment by entering the chamber unexpectedly. He quickly took a seat behind Lauren to show his support.
Li Na quickly sat back up and wiped her face, trying to make herself more presentable, while Lauren and Yaric explained what had happened and answered the questions that followed almost every statement.
Unfortunately Li Na found herself the center of attention when her knowledge of the gang came up, and she was forced to explain her interactions with the gang in detail. She held up well, even against the wildly differing opinions of those questioning her.
“So you attempted to stop the extortion of a business before you knew you were an arcanist?”
“All of your friends seem to have been involved in this gang. How do we know you weren’t as well? Leaving to join the Academy would have forced you to cut ties, would it not?”
Lloyd also interrupted where necessary, though he usually interrupted to admonish those asking the questions. They finally got to the raid itself, and the Lead Administrator for section eighteen pushed too far.
“So what you are telling us is that you conducted a raid with no evidence, without informing the local authorities, and in turn jeopardized the lives of countless local civilians, while wielding a consular decree like a club over a matter of small time extortion? You were willing to put lives at risk over what may have been innocent people defending themselves against intruders in –.”
“Surely you aren’t going to suggest that the gang may have been innocent, Administrator? We already know beyond any doubt that they were not.”
“I am not suggesting anything, I am pointing out that these children forced their way into -.”
“No,” Lloyd said. He didn’t say another word, just ‘no’, yet the word carried an almost physical weight to it, instantly silencing the arguing official. The entire chamber fell into a silence so heavy that Yaric felt he needed to push it off.
“Let me remind you that they aren’t the ones on trial here. And I’ll go further on that in a minute. They conducted a raid based on firsthand evidence, and found everything they expected to, proving the validity and accuracy of that evidence. They did not inform the local authorities, which I remind you that you head, due to the extreme and widespread corruption, corruption so bad that local civilians took it upon themselves to assist these students, because they knew that your people wouldn’t.
“Do not forget that a consular decree is issued in an emergency that requires the wielder to seize authority of local forces. If those holding authority are the danger, that in itself is an emergency that warrants the use of a consular decree, even if only to remove those forces from the command of whoever is posing the danger.
“And in both cases, that is you. You head the local administration, and you are ultimately in charge of the local guard. These students have proven themselves many times, and they just did so once again.
“For more than a decade you had a gang running multiple areas under your control, to the point that locals renamed their territory as The Wake, and yet you know nothing at all about it. Or at least, you appear to know nothing about it. No guard ever stopped them, no official ever reported the problem. Yet these four students exposed the situation in less than twenty-four hours.
“At best you’re guilty of negligence… no, I’m not finished,” Lloyd said forcefully, raising his hand to silence the administrator’s objection before he could make a sound. “While these four students are responsible for exposing the gang and ending the thefts, you are most likely going to find yourself under investigation for corruption. Maybe you’re involved, maybe you’re not, but they aren’t the ones whose integrity is in question.”
Lloyd turned where he stood to look at the mayor and the rest of the civilians gathered within the chamber, including the guild representatives. “There are others here who have asked questions with the intent to raise doubts about these students. Several of you have derisively addressed them as children, even though they would be considered adults if they were unconnected like yourselves. You call them ‘children’ as if they haven’t spent years mastering spells, studying law, and studying combat. As if they aren’t responsible for stopping multiple crimes and saving dozens of lives, even an entire village once. As if they didn’t just fight their way through an entire gang preying on your civilians at great risk to their own lives. You call them ‘children’… and then immediately begin to insult them and try to find fault with them?
“No. I have personally taken over this investigation, and part of my responsibility is to ensure the protection of all those involved. I will not stand by, no matter how veiled your attacks might be.
“And I do understand, I really do. You’re embarrassed. Of course you are!” he added firmly over the multiple objections being thrown his way. “I would be severely disappointed if you weren’t. Tell me, who here is not embarrassed about having a gang operating openly and freely in your city? Or about the incompetence of the local administration? Anyone? Raise your hand and explain why! That’s what I thought.
“This is the kind of thing that will spread. And it’s going to make you look bad. But you know what? You should look bad; you should be embarrassed. This entire situation is a stain on your record. So fix it! Deal with the problem, work out some kind of restitution, and show your citizens that you are genuinely working to deal with the problem. Express remorse.
“But do not think you can lay blame somewhere else. Take responsibility for your mistakes and move on. Any attempts to muddy the waters or deflect blame will only result in my personal involvement. The entire city will know exactly what happened, who is manipulating the situation, and why. Are we clear?”
No one said a word, not even those who were clearly fuming at Lloyd’s admonishment. Sandy herself had looked like she was close to cutting Lloyd off more than once, but Yaric was surprised to notice that some of those who looked most angry were glaring at the officials who acted aggressively toward them, not Lloyd.
“I apologize, Novice Silver, please continue,” Lloyd finally said once the silence had stretched on too long, though his voice was now far softer than before.
Lauren finished describing the fight on the ground, while Sven described what had happened on the higher platforms. Yaric was able to give a lot of information on the contribution made by the civilians who had come to help.
Some of those civilians must have been guild members, because the representatives looked positively gleeful at the description of the impact the civilians had made. The looks they were giving the mayor seemed to indicate he owed them, and they would be collecting.
“We moved the prisoners outside so they couldn’t damage any evidence, and placed the wounded to one side so Novice Silver could help them while we guarded the gang members. That was when High Wizard Lloyd Chen arrived,” Yaric explained, finishing off their testimony.
Lloyd finally took over again, going over the evidence they had uncovered, along with the confessions made by both gang members and guards. By now the mayor just seemed frustrated with how badly everything had gone.
“Thank you, High Wizard Chen,” the mayor replied, making sure no one could ask any more questions. “I’m sure there is much for us to ask about, but nothing that would have any impact on how we move forward, and nothing that would not come out in the trials that are sure to follow.”
The mayor turned to Sandy next. “I thank you for your assistance in this matter, you have done us all a great service. Please expect daily updates from my office on this matter. We will of course be requiring some testimony in court as well, but you will be informed well in advance.”
“Of course.”
“Now, if there are no further revelations, I will take my leave. There is much to arrange and very little time.”
Sandy nodded, and that was it. The mayor made his way out, along with his officials, without any of the ceremony or pointless procedures that Yaric had been expecting.
‘Of course, there’s no need to thank us, Mr. Mayor,’ Yaric thought sarcastically. ‘We just did the fighting. And investigating. And… everything.’
“We need to discuss the use of that beacon,” Eli said loudly, speaking up for the first time. “And the negligence shown toward public safety.”
Lloyd narrowed his eyes dangerously. “You know why they were issued with the rod, it was discussed and approved by the council.”
“Yes, but there was no need to use the rod. They could have simply requested reinforcements.”
This time Lloyd just sighed dramatically. “The guard are corrupt, there was no -.”
“Not the guard,” Eli said loudly, cutting Lloyd off. “The Academy. Why couldn’t they have come back here overnight and requested reinforcements from the Academy? Just one Wizard would have been enough to instantly disable everyone, with no risk or injuries. We must look into their questionable use of the rod without delay.”
“And so we shall,” Sandy sighed. “But that is not a public matter, and it is for an official Council meeting. It will be placed on the agenda.”
Eli leaned back in satisfaction.
“For now I would request that these four students be dismissed,” Lloyd said, trying to hold back his frustration. “It is late, they’ve had a long day, and there is nothing more that they can contribute. I’m sure they would all like to eat as well.”
“They are dismissed,” Sandy said, agreeing immediately. “But I will warn that they should avoid the food hall, word has already spread, and they are bound to have many questions thrown their way.”
Jerold stood up from his seat behind Lauren. “I’ll take them. They can eat in a faculty facility.”
That actually made Eli look disgruntled, which Yaric was starting to view as a win.
“Agreed.”
Jerold led them to a smaller building than the one Lloyd usually ate at. It only had a few small tables, but they were all situated in a small garden with a fishpond and fountain.
Everyone had been surprised by just how late it was, but no one said much while following Jerold. The High Wizard was also quiet, only speaking to let them know that he would leave them to eat in peace once he had arranged for them to eat inside the facility.
The high walls blocked most of the chilly breeze, though there was still enough getting through to cast ripples across the pond and make the four of them shiver. Sven wrapped his arms protectively around Li Na.
They ate quietly while colorful fish drifted slowly beneath the pond to the soothing sound of running water, not saying much. Sven tried to talk about their lessons the next day, but no one was in the mood. Lauren did take the opportunity, however.
“Lina, that stuff you said about school. About struggling in class? Was that before the collectors started meddling? Or after?”
“Dunno. I always used their work from when they were in my grade. Couldn’t after, things. So mostly after, I guess.”
“When we told you that you did well in class, on your own,” Lauren hastily added. “We weren’t just saying that to make you feel better. It’s true. Are you sure the problems you had at school weren’t because you were dealing with other problems at the same time?”
Li Na took an uncomfortably long time to chew, but she just shrugged her shoulders when she finally swallowed. There wasn’t much more Lauren could say without pushing the issue.
They all left as soon as they’d finished eating, walking together to one of the main corridors where they would have to split up.
“I’ve got my appointment with Healer Bell,” Yaric said awkwardly, pointing his thumb over his shoulder in the opposite direction to their dorm building.
“We know,” Lauren said consolingly. “At least this time you probably have more to talk about.” She smiled and turned to walk away with the other two.
‘I’ll probably be talking more now than I have all day. Outside that hearing anyway.’
Yaric froze and turned around quickly.
“Hey, guys!” he called. Yaric gestured for them to follow when he saw them stop and turn back, and it didn’t take them long to catch up.
“Are we supposed to be around during your appointments?” Sven asked.
“No. It’s not allowed. But I wanted to ask a favor.”
“Yes?” Lauren looked surprised, but she was also interested in what favor he could need.
“It might be a really big favor.”
“Spit it out,” Sven said.
“Actually, only Lina can help with this.”
Li Na looked up from her feet.
“What?”
“It’s not really for you, it’s for me. Us,” Yaric added, gesturing to Lauren and Sven.
“Why would… what? No.” Li Na narrowed her eyes at Yaric.
“Please. I know you don’t want to, but it really would make the rest of us feel a lot better.”
Lauren covertly nudged Yaric with her elbow.
“Will you stop asking me all these questions?”
Yaric hesitated for a moment. “We’ll stop asking questions any time you tell us to,” he finally said as a compromise.
Li Na didn’t say a word until they were almost at Healer Bell’s office. “Fine,” she mumbled.
“Yaric!” Faruk Bell called when they turned the final corner. “Do your friends intend to wait outside?”
“Ummm... I was kind of hoping I could cancel our appointment,” Yaric admitted.
“You didn’t need backup to inform me of something like that,” Faruk laughed.
“Well, the thing is, could Lina take my place instead?”
Faruk stared at Yaric with an unreadable expression. “This isn’t how things work. There are procedures.”
Li Na turned to walk away, but Lauren and Sven each reached out and grabbed an arm at the same time.
“Please. It’s urgent. I wouldn’t ask otherwise.”
Faruk sighed and stood back for Li Na. “If you would, Lina. And please, no formalities here.”
Li Na snorted at that and went inside.
“And we will be discussing this next time,” Faruk warned Yaric. “It isn’t right to put someone on the spot in this manner… but I won’t turn anyone away.”
Faruk went inside and closed the door behind himself before Yaric could reply.
There was nothing else to do, so Yaric and the others found a place to sit near the path back to the dorm room. Lauren wrapped her arms around Yaric and Sven clapped his shoulder after they sat down, but no one was particularly talkative. There was nothing for them to do but wait.
Li Na finally reappeared almost an hour later. She looked up in surprise when she saw everyone waiting for her, and quickly wiped her face. Her eyes were red.
“How was it?” Lauren asked.
“Fine,” Li Na replied with a shrug. “He just asked me what I wanted to talk about, and we talked.”
“So you talked about what happened this morning?”
Li Na shook her head. “Malcolm,” she almost whispered.
They walked in an awkward silence for several minutes before Yaric suddenly broke the silence. “Lina? I’m sorry. In Sarton, the whole thing with the fireball and burning the place down… I didn’t know. And I wasn’t serious.”
“I know.”
"And we should have made sure you knew about the report, where you... you know."
"No... you should never need to."
“I’m just glad you spoke with Healer Bell,” Lauren added. “Thank you.”
“You guys waited,” Li Na replied.
“Waited? You mean now?” Lauren asked.
“Of course we waited Lina,” Yaric began. “We’re not going any-.”
“We’ve never waited for you.”
Yaric froze, taken by surprise at the teasing tone in Li Na’s voice.
“Yes, well, I can find my own way back.”
“Are you worried about the things Faruk told me?” Li Na asked.
“What do you mean?”
“He complained about you a lot. There was so much. Did you tell Lauren why you sneak out at night?”
“But I don’t sneak out, why would he say that?”
“Really Yaric?” Lauren asked, her teasing far more obvious than Li Na’s. She was clearly happy to be getting a normal reaction from Li Na. Well, normal for Li Na.
“Faruk can’t talk about anything I tell him anyway,” Yaric replied, nudging Li Na.
…
“We did talk about it,” Li Na said, far more quietly.
“Talk about what?” Yaric asked.
“Waiting for you,” she answered, taking Yaric by surprise yet again. “We thought you’d probably prefer it if we didn’t.”
Yaric pulled her into a one-arm hug in reply.
This time it was Sven who broke the silence. “Did I tell any of you about the bottles of whiskey my father brought me?”
“No, why haven’t you said anything until now?” Lauren asked.
“There wasn’t any reason to bring out a collection like those bottles.”
“And you want to do it now?”
Sven looked to Li Na instead of replying to Lauren. “After the things that happened today, it looks like your friend is going to get his name cleared. I thought, if it’s okay with you, maybe we could drink to him?”
…
“Yeah.”
Sven wrapped his arm around her shoulders while they walked. “It would be great if you could tell us about him as well.”
Li Na nodded jerkily.
…
“Yeah.”