“This section here n-needs to be flexible,” Laell said. Aris watched runes glimmer on the floor as someone walked over them. A section suddenly lit up as one of the runists touched and Aris inspected it with her ‘vision.’ No one knew she was there as she had hidden herself in Shade form in the wall. “T-this part. It’s a reversal of the action of opening but it m-might change and so it needs to be flexible.”

“We will try not to box in the space, but the closing action is crucial to this whole circle,” someone else pointed out.

“T-There is evidence that the major opening enchantment has changed over t-the years,” Laell said. Aris pressed her mouth into a line. It was difficult to prove this as information on the schematic to open Gates was kept as forbidden texts in the Academy. Laell was fighting an upward battle trying to make a closure enchantment without information on how Gates are opened in the first place.

“The change, if it exists, might just be a simplification of the schematic,” the other person insisted. “It doesn’t change how our closure portion will be required.”

“B-but better safe than sorry,” Laell said firmly. There was a murmur of conversation in the room. “Perhaps we can c-continue this afternoon?”

“Of course.”

Aris could observe a myriad of solutes in the room, appearing to her as spots of light. They shuffled around, but with the enchanting circle they were clearly researching on the ground giving off sparks of light, she could roughly estimate where people were, along with the dimensions of the room.

People shuffled out and a few filed into the hall behind her. If Aris leaned forward, she would be spying on Laell - if she leaned backwards she could listen in to people talking in the hall. Of course, she did the latter.

“Hilarious someone with a stutter is the head of rune research,” one of them muttered. It was the voice of the person previously debating with Laell. “It’s a wonder that her rune’s don’t stutter with her.”

“Heard she slept with that professor on that trip she took,” another whispered. “Makes sense. Nobody gets that position without sleeping around… those with tits usually use them.”

Having heard enough, Aris shifted forward to observe further. She usually spoke to Laell alone. There was still someone in there with her so Aris stayed invisible in the wall to listen.

“I put in the next order of chalk and charcoal,” a man’s voice said to Laell. “We can expect it in two days.”

“T-thank you Wyn,” Laell said.

“Have you eaten, Miss Laell?” Wyn asked.

“No, b-but I’m fine,” Laell said accompanied by the scratching sound of her drawing on the floor.

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“Would you like to grab lunch with me?” Aris thought the man’s voice sounded a little nervous.

“I’m sorry but I’m n-not hungry right,” Laell said. “P-please go on to eat w-without me.”

There was a slightly embarrassed ‘of course’ and Wyn shuffled out of the room. Aris waited patiently until she was sure he was far enough away before drifting into the room and clearing her throat slightly so she wouldn’t scare the runist.

“Aris!” Laell still sounded startled despite it all. “For Part’s sake w-why can’t you join us l-like a normal person.”

“I’m not a normal person,” Aris snorted. “Why didn’t you join that guy for a meal?”

“Who, Wyn? You were listening in?”

“I listen to everything.” Aris smiled slyly, hoping she was facing the right way for the other woman to see it.

“I-I wasn’t hungry.”

“If you let him court you maybe you’ll shake the accusations that you slept around to get your shiny new position,” Aris said. She kept her expression still, as if nonchalant about the whole thing but studied Laell’s reaction. Her solute barely flickered at the words.

“I’m aware of w-what they say,” Laell muttered. “It’s s-stupid. It doesn’t warrant my attention.”

“You are at a spot rivaling the Librarian’s,” Aris said. “It’s only going to get worse.”

“Are you concerned about me?” Laell sounded amused.

“I can’t have my roommate’s reputation tarnished,” Aris said sarcastically. “Whatever will everyone think about me?”

Laell laughed. “I-if my reputation gets ruined, you’ll have to l-live with Ral in this cave off the s-side of the island,” she giggled. “We can’t h-have that.”

“No, we can’t have that,” Aris agreed. “Maybe I’ll have to move back into the lighthouse.”

There was a stretch of silence during which Aris strongly suspected the runist was studying her. “Have you still n-not spoken to your brother?” she asked finally.

“Of course I talk to him. You’ve seen me talk to him.”

“I mean about w-what happened out east,” Laell said, soundly slightly exasperated. “It bothers you. Y-you could consider talking about it.”

Aris didn’t quite know how to respond. She had always been treated as a child on the island - well, she was a child for most of the years she lived here. Discussions with anyone were always about things that she should or shouldn’t do since she didn’t have a peer her age. Now she’s suddenly surrounded by peers, even if Laell is a little older. It was strange talking to someone in the Academy like an equal, one who suggests solutions instead of demanding her to follow their plan.

And Aris hated to admit it but she trusted Laell. This woman followed Camaz to the middle of nowhere, found her and kept her alive using what sounded like every enchantment under the sun. She did this even knowing she might not get anything in return and after knowing saving her may put her life in danger. But even then Aris didn’t want to admit it aloud. Perhaps speaking was a different kind of enchantment that would make her deepest fears come true.

“I wouldn’t know what to say to him,” Aris finally said. “About that.”

“You can tell him h-how you feel.”

“That won’t fix anything.”

“How do you know that? M-maybe there’s nothing to fix,” Laell said gently. “I-if there is, at least you’re s-starting somewhere.”