Gathered in the tower’s expansive undercroft, Carmine joined the small crowd of sorcerers and pupils around the portal gate. Grik held on to her arm steadying himself on his own feet with the help of a cane. Thanks to Vale, he’d make a full recovery, but Carmine knew he would still feel weak for a while.

But he was alive. When Carmine recalled how bad the situation on the trail had been, she considered it a miracle no one died. No one that mattered to her, anyway. Grik’s pupils congregated around his feet. They clung as close to him as possible from the moment he could stand. After everything they’ve been through, Carmine wanted to send them home as soon as possible. No child should have to go through what they did, but at least they’d be with their families.

“I can’t thank you enough, truly,” Grik said as he patted Carmine’s hand. His usual anxious energy sunk under recovery fatigue. “Really, I don't even want to think about what would have happened if you weren’t there.”

“It’s alright Grik,” Carmine deflected his gratitude. She’d heard a lot of it over the last day and every time it just felt weird. “I just did what needed to be done.” She looked ahead to the portal, hoping it would open soon. In truth, she struggled to remember what was going through her head when she lashed out at the brigands, and she preferred not to dwell on it either. A shame that Aaron kept trying to bring it up.

She side eyed her circle’s upperclassmen. He stood on the other side of the crowd with Headmaster Thomas, Mistress Symphonia and Professor Castadio all between him and Carmine. She caught Aaron staring at her. Again. Even though the headmaster told him to drop the issue, Carmine sensed he held her actions against her. He could stuff his judgment back down his throat where it belonged. He was the circle's senior student, their supposed source of guidance, but all he did was stand and watch while two of his charges were nearly abducted. If he kept pressing this issue, she’d request a different guide for their circle.

The portal snapped to life, and the image of Dwerra's reception room solidified in view. Alongside the recognizable faces of her circle, a small crowd waited on the other side. Immediately, Grik's pupils shouted for their parents and stormed through to the gate.

"All's well that ends well, I suppose," Grik grunted as Carmine helped him through the portal. "You've been a dear, Carmine. I'll admit I was worried about the whole witch business when I read it on paper, but," he patted Carmine's wrist again, smiled, and looked her eye to eye. "You're going to do great things. I can feel it."

"Come on," Carmine smiled to the floor, "you're exaggerating."

"I don't have enough energy to do that," Grik countered, "but I guess it's up to you whether I'll be a seer or a liar. My reputation is in your hands, you know."

Carmine gave a soft chuckle as a Riven nurse took Grik's weight. "I'll try to keep it strong," Carmine relented.

"That's what I wanted to hear." Grik glanced to their side, seeing the Riven speaker bouncing foot to foot. "I think it's time for goodbyes. Be well, Carmine. Visit again someday."

"I will," Carmine promised as she stepped in line with her circle.

"If it isn't the lady of the hour," Almyra teased. "Words are buzzing about your trip. How much was true?"

"Not now," Adelaide grumbled, jutting her chin the the throat-clearing Riven.

"Honored guests of Leval," the Riven speaker began. Tarvi, that was her name. "We are grateful you chose Dwerra as your host. We hope you learned much from your mentors in the short time you were together. Rest assured we Riven remember our friends, especially those who have done us a service." Tarvi nodded over her shoulder to a dusty Riven with a small box in her hands. She moved forward to the Circle of young magi, sharing a smile with Xander as she started with him. If Carmine remembered correctly, that Riven was his mentor. Some kind of forge master? She opened the box to reveal a set of silver rings, each with a small arcanite crystal embedded within. As the forgemaster handed the rings to each member of the circle, Tarvi continued.

"These rings mark you as friends to Riven everywhere," She explained. "Never forget: you have friends under the mountains." she bowed, followed by each of the Riven mentors, even Grik. Carmine smiled, a flush of embarrassment turning her eyes downward. Adelaide returned the bow, and Carmine followed her lead. Addy did know these decorum protocols best. With a wave farewell, the circle departed back through the portal to Leval.

"How are you two," Adelaide barely waited a breath after the portal snapped shut. She looked between Emmet and Carmine, her concern matched by Kay and Xander. "We didn't hear much other than your trip had been interrupted-"

"Ms. Winters, surely you will have time to discuss this later," Symphonia droned, beckoning her son to her side. "Come with us, Emmet."

Emmet's shoulders sank as he gave an apologetic smile. “I guess I'll see you later,” he said, stepping obediently to his mother's side. The Leval family retired to the nearest lift, and Carmine saw Symphonia pull Emmet into her arms as the brickwork closed before them. Camine hummer; the head mistress did have a soft spot.

"One thing goes wrong and she reels Emmet back on a leash," Almyra shook her head. "Isn't that what we're here for too? You know, to look after each other when shit goes wrong?"

"What happened went beyond the usual student problems. Far beyond." Carmine still felt a twinge of anger as she recalled. "Brigands shot our mentor and tried to kidnap us."

"Oh shit." Almyra's confidence vanished as raised her brow in disbelief.

“We thought it was just an accident,” Adelaide added, “Like a fall or some such. Seems the truth is much worse than we heard."

"The Riven never mentioned this," Xander explained, "only that your mentor was critically injured, and they were cutting the trip short. We had no idea-"

"They said you were fine though," Almyra recovered a grin. "I knew you would be. After all, its our circle we’re talking about."

'Lies,' Kay signed, a mischievous smile on her face as her hands played her next words. 'She didn't sleep at all last night. Too worried.'

"I will put mittens on you, I swear," Almyra caught Kay's wrists, but only proved her point.

"It was bad,” Carmine confirmed. “I can't blame Ms. Leval for keeping Emmet close after that."

"Yeah, really.” Almyra nodded along. “Is there anything you need?"

"Our dorm would be a good start." Carmine turned to start back to her room when she nearly headbutted Vale. “Woah, careful there.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” Vale apologized, though the slightly amused smile on her face fell to a brow creased with a familiar worry Carmine was seeing everywhere these days. "I'm not interrupting something, am I?" She asked, looking between Carmine and her circle.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"No," Adelaide replied for everyone. "We were just heading back."

"What do you need?" Carmine asked, but she already knew where this would go.

"I was hoping to talk to you about…well, a few things. As long as you have time." Vale tried to smile, but the apprehension in her eyes was clear as ice.

"What's wrong?" Carmine asked her plain.

"It's about the incident. I want to hear your side of it."

“My side?” Carmine frowned. She hadn’t told Vale anything yet, and neither should have anyone else. She was too busy taking care of Grik all night. “What do you mean-?”

"I’d prefer to talk with just the two of us. We can take a walk through the forest area; it's close to Rolderston’s woods down here."

"Alright," Carmine answered, her voice guarding the confusion beneath. She turned, forcing the frown off her face as she gave her circle a short wave. "I'll catch up in the dorm. I’m sure this won’t take long."

"Very good," Adelaide nodded her approval. "We'll see you soon."

"Think of what you'd like to eat," Xander said. "I'm cooking for you when you're back."

Carmine nodded, watching them leave, before following Vale on the undercroft's forest trail. Normally, she had no trouble talking to Vale. Even more than Nico, Carmine found it easier growing up to share little secrets and personal problems with her. That comfort deserted her today. As they traveled the undercroft's man-made trail through a cultivated forest under a false sun, Vale started their chat with eggshell niceties.

"Amazing place, this undercroft," She began. "It has its own day and night cycle, even simulates the wind."

"Right." Carmine gave a passing acknowledgement.

"They cultivate plants from all over the world down here. I’ve even made a little garden myself. Sometime I forget i’m not actually outside-"

"Vale you had something important to say," Carmine interrupted. "Just say it already. You’re making me nervous with all this mundane crap."

"I know." Vale wrung her hands, sliding under a tree. She leaned against the bark, brow creased several times over, yet still she didn't begin.

"You'll get wrinkles if you keep frowning so hard," Carmine teased.

"Quiet you." A smile cracked through only a second before it drowned under another frown. "Fine. There's no good way to ever talk about this so," Vale took one more deep breath and looked in Carmine's eyes. "I spoke with Aaron late last night."

"Oh, here we go," Carmine rolled her eyes.

"He said some worrying things."

"He’s a whiner, just ignore him. The headmaster told him to drop it."

"It's a good thing he didn't." Vale put her hands on her hips. Carmine grit her teeth, bracing against the incoming tirade. "Warlock is serious. You're lucky your case was mild or you could have hurt someone you cared about."

"But I didn't. I saved them, something Aaron likes to forget. If I didn't act, we'd have all been taken who-knows-where."

"Don’t misunderstand, I'm glad you’re safe, but I’m not like the headmaster. I can’t just smile and pretend nothing bad happened so long as it ended well. Aaron didn’t know how you learned war magic. I do, and I know where your head goes in order to cast it. You told me that yourself, if you remember.”

Carmine bit her tongue, searching for any retort instead of wishing she kept her mouth shut those years ago. “So what?” she snapped. “It’s not like they didn’t deserve it; the bandits or those fucking bastards back home.”

“Carmine, this is what I’m worried about.” Vale gestured at the young sorceress. “You shouldn’t channel your trauma to hurt people, it's not healthy.”

“Neither was being burned alive!” Carmine growled, baring her teeth, “They’re lucky Mother killed them, or I’d do-”

“No,” Vale cut her off, her tone only rising now. “Don’t even think about it. No one, not Nico, myself, or your parents ever taught you to hurt people. They’d be disappointed to even hear it.”

“And how the fuck do you know that?”

“Because I am!” Carmine flinched, stunned for a brief moment as Vale pinched the bridge of her nose. She took a deep breath and started again. “Look, I know our world is filled with shit people. I’m a faun living in Vembris, I see them every fucking day. That doesn’t mean we have to sink as low as them.”

“So is that your point?” Carmine shrugged, eager to get over this drivel. “Or did you dig up old wounds without one?”

“My point is: Nico and I helped you distance yourself from everything that happened. I don’t know, maybe we hoped you'd move past it somehow, but clearly leaving it alone hasn’t helped anyone.”

“You really thought It’d, what, slip my mind?”

“I guess…I hoped you find enough reasons to be happy, you wouldn’t think about what you lost.” Vale’s eyes clouded, her face twisting with a pain that quelled Carmine’s intense anger, if only slightly.

“It was the worst moment of my life.” She explained, “I wouldn't even be here without it. We might have never met. Did you really think that’s something I could forget?"

“I know. It was stupid wishful thinking, I understand that. I thought I was being considerate by letting it lie, but I don't think that's best for anyone."

"So, what?" Carmine leaned back, guarding against whatever idea Vale had next. "We'll just make it a common subject? No thanks."

"Of course not," Vale sighed. "The tower has a good counselor for students. I've worked with him since coming here, he's a good person."

"I don't want to talk about this with some random guy!" Carmine recoiled in disgust. How could Vale think that was a good idea?

"He's not a random guy, he's a counselor. Helping people through their problems is his job. I can heal a body, Carmine, but wounds of the mind aren't my area of expertise."

"I don't want to-"

"I know it's not easy to open yourself up to someone new. It'd be much easier to bury it again, but I'm worried that might just leave trouble down the road. Please, just take some time to think about, ok?"

Carmine rolled her eyes. After everything Vale had done for her, she didn't deserve to just be brushed off, even if Carmine hated, hated, the idea.

"Fine," she relented. "I'll think about it. No promises."

"No promises." Vale squeezed Carmine's hand. “ I really think this would help, though.”

On the trail behind them, Carmine heard a bush rustle, but saw nothing when she turned.

"I'll let you know later, ok?" Carmine told Vale as she advancedup the path. “I think I want to be alone right now.”

"I'll see you later," Vale let her go. "All things aside, I'm glad you made it home safe."

"I know." Carmine answered as she continued on.

After a few minutes, when she could be certain Vale was gone, she turned back. "I know you're there," she called out. "You're not as sneaky as you think you are." Silence met her claim. Likely whoever was trailing thought she would second guess herself after a minute, but Carmine trusted her ears. "I don't mind waiting-"

"Alright you got me," Almyra huffed as she pulled herself from behind a tree. "Don't get the wrong idea, I wasn't spying, or anything."

"Then what were you doing lurking around?"

"You make it sound so devious. I was just…making sure you were fine. You looked pretty worried when Ms. V wanted to talk. I didn't hear anything, by the way," she added in a hurry, "Well, there were some raised voices, but I didn't listen is what I mean."

"It's fine," Carmine shrugged. The energy for another argument walked away with Vale. "She’s just worried about the whole thing."

"I mean, that makes sense," Almyra trotted beside Carmine. "Our teachers haven't taught us to kick ass yet, and still here you are."

Carmine chuckled. Almyra's gusto never wavered, no matter the subject. How would she have reacted to what Carmine had been through? Would she have fought as well? What was Carmine thinking, of course she would have. Still, Vale's point stuck in her head. She'd never shared too much about herself with anyone else. To some person she never met? Hell no. To a friend though…maybe it would help.

"Hey," Carmine began, "Can I tell you something?"