Pashar let her tether-sense crawl across the students before her. Though they’d bowed out of the joined fighting practice, that didn’t mean they were less worthy of training. In fact, she admired the strength to pull back when something they didn’t want to join.
It was a character element she lacked in particular when she was young. Even into her adulthood, it took many years before she managed it. The issue was even more prolific within the Elusrian academy. With the sheer weight of the remaining student body, the derision of teachers, and the rigidity of their system, she’d seen many young boys be crushed by the purpose settled on them.
The unfortunate fact was that by the fifth year, you couldn’t pick them out anymore. They’d been pressed into shape so thoroughly, it wouldn’t be until something struck them hard enough that they’d finally break free.
Something war did exceptionally well.
With so few students at their school, this was both harder and easier. You knew everyone by name, so any comments might hit harder, yet there wasn’t the momentum of tradition behind it. Ranvir’s explicit disapproval of war had similarly done much to dissuade derision.
Her ginger senses picked over the students carefully, noting who struggled in their exercises. Their current task was simple, yet demanded concentration. Their senses honed onto a point on her desk. A carved stone sat on a piece of cloth. Minute traces of power could still be detected from it. All they had to do was draw the design…
Pashar frowned, running her sense over the students again. They weren’t — something pricked her again. Subtle enough that she didn’t immediately detect the origin. She examined her students again, but they hadn’t even noticed her reaction. Frankly, they weren’t good enough, either.
It pricked her again, and it took genuine effort from her to even trace it out the door, much in the direction she assumed it would be.
“Very good, Class,” she said, wrapping the stone up. Turning it so the folds of cloth faced down, she noted its position and stepped away. “Take a five-minute break. Discuss with each other.”
She left the room, peering down both sides. He was back. She knew he would be. Pashar thought she might know four people who could pull do as he had and neither Kasos nor Amalia had yet returned.
Tall and winged, his purple eyes glowing. His features were harshened by the scowl on his face. She reined herself in and re-assessed the expression. Closer to a frown than a scowl.
Approaching, she breathed deliberately. Massaging her second finger with her thumb in a deliberate pattern. Though it was clearly fidgeting, Saif had drilled the motion into her and it quickly calmed her physical reactions. Enforcing the relief with a slow stride and meeting his gaze directly, she settled naturally more confidently.
“Welcome back.”
His eyes narrowed. “Thank you.”
“If you really are back?” she made it a question. He was dressed in gear to trek the wilderness, not sit in an office.
“I might be.” he was quiet for a moment and she let the silence ride.
She needed to avoid power games with him, which meant letting him take the lead. Or is that just another move? What was regular social interaction and where did it change from social maneuvering? Where could she even find such an answer?
“Why did you intervene between me and Estrid?”
Pashar’s chest tightened, iron bands across her chest binding close. Outwardly, she moved not an inch. Lie or truth?
“You were exhausted,” she said. “A few students had noticed it first. I gazed the Lines, and you were returning to the school. Every night you sat outside and scoured for Saleema’s presence. You were making enough of a dent that it can still be felt. All the students were wondering what it was.”
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“And you intervened,” Ranvir said. “Were you following me?”
She hesitated. “It’s usually smart to pay close attention to the ones in charge. I happened to pass by you, but I’d been monitoring you in general.” She continued as she sensed the question on his lips. “You’d been getting short-tempered even before this pattern started. Going off on Sansir. I don’t know what you said to each other, and I don’t think it matters. You used your powers on him. In most countries, in this country, that’s the same as drawing a sword to his neck.”
“And you decided to intervene?” it was less of a question and more of a challenge.
“When I saw Estrid heading you way? Yes. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to let the proudly emotionally immature, reckless, and irregularly attached woman under your skin.” She took a deep breath, shifting her stance forward, more aggressive. “And I was right. It’s been a month, Ranvir. You disappeared for weeks because of this.”
Ranvir’s eyes tightened, jaw flexing, so she thought she could hear the grinding. But mana didn’t burst from him uncontrolled. His eyes didn’t flare up, nor did he do anything more notable.
“What are you training right now? Recreating the pattern?”
She didn’t blink at the sudden subject change. Whatever that meant, it was his decision to make. She nodded.
As she turned, however, she couldn’t help but wonder. Had she done the right thing? Truth or lies.
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Ranvir let Pashar lead the way back into the classroom. The student grinned and elbowed each other at seeing him. For a moment, they acted like kids in class, rather than fully grown adults taking on the role of students.
They were progressing well in their practice for the day, and Pashar was competent enough that he added little in terms of guidance. This allowed him much more time to think, which he wasn’t so sure was a good idea.
Could he trust her? Ranvir wasn’t sure. Which he determined to mean that he wanted to, but didn’t. Perhaps that was a good thing. The other question was perhaps more relevant. Did he believe her?
What she’d said made logical sense. He’d sensed a restrained air about her, but seeing her in the class that remained. Most of the time, she held herself in a posture of kind indifference. How much of that was a lie and how much was the truth? Did she even know?
He suspected Pashar was a thin ice coat over deep and chill waters. Or perhaps he was making things up. He likely saw far more than he should and understood less than everyone else.
If only Grev or Es were here. They’d know much better.
As the class wound down, Ranvir got up to leave. Waving the students off, he headed towards the disturbance in the local mana environment. A slight influx of a new mana. Slow and dark, it seeped from the Korfiyan bridge as someone approached the school.
Amalia and Sansir emerged, eyes opening wide as they saw him waiting. “Welcome back,” he said, a wry grin on his lips.
Sansir nodded to him, green eyes set in deep caverns. Exhaustion slumped his shoulders and bent his neck. Sleep hung around him like a shroud. He gestured vaguely, but Ranvir doubted the man fully understood what was going on. A new presence hung snuck along in the back of Sansir’s spirit. Amanaris.
A weak presence, a recent growth. Ranvir didn’t get a good read on his spirit before Sansir swayed his way out of sight. Nor did he particularly want to invade his privacy like that.
While Sansir barely noticed his greeting, Amalia chortled heartily. “Welcome back,” she repeated. “We’ve barely been gone more than a week. A little poor timing and suddenly you think you can get one up on me?”
“You think I can’t?” Ranvir asked, idly body-checking her as got too close. She started what was no doubt a scathing reply that cut to the bone of him whilst remaining funny. Too bad he couldn’t make it out over the hand that covered her mouth.
Amalia was agile, but getting someone who could control space to let go of you once they already had a hold was incredibly difficult. At least, so he thought.
“Ew.” Ranvir made a face and moved to wipe his hand against the back of her shirt, but she danced out of the way, laughing.
He attempted to chase her down, but she remained just distant enough that he couldn’t catch her. Eventually, they called a truce once they reached his office. She showed him what she’d been working on. He’d not initiated her on his tasks before leaving, so she’d been forced to make sense of it on her own and prioritize.
She’d done an excellent job, considering the circumstances.
“The city was strange, Ranvir. We didn’t stop in Legea, but something has been brewing there as well. The leadership knows something, and it’s trickling down in unease and fear, but they aren’t telling anyone. It’s not yet reached Eriene, but it will. I’d suggest you bring Frija and Vasso here, but…”
“We’re at war.”
She made a face and nodded.
“Not exactly the easiest of situations,” Ranvir muttered. “You couldn’t figure out what it was?”
“I think some among the Sentinels know as well, but they aren’t speaking. No one is.” She hesitated. “That’s not all. Sansir, I wasn’t there with him the entire time, but I think he’s met with some bad people. I don’t know what he’s bought, but it weighs on him. He really needs help.”
Ranvir nodded. Maybe he shouldn’t have left. Maybe he needed to. Whatever the real answer was, there was work to do now. And he wouldn’t neglect his sleep again. At least for a while.