Mercedes Lackey - Changes

“I sometimes wonder if people who lie abed late have any idea what they are missing,” Herald Caelen said conversationally, with a nod to the open window behind his desk. The office was in much better shape than it had been when Mags had first met the Dean. There were only half as many books and papers as had been crammed in here back then, and most of them were properly stowed in cubbys and on the bookshelves that lined the walls.

“Dunno, sir,” Mags responded, and closed the door behind him. “Reckon they’d jest say ’tis same as sunset. On’y i’ th’ East.”

“So they might. Well, sit down, this shouldn’t take long. Nikolas has told me all about his plan and asked me to do what I could to make things easier on you. So I have. I have good news and bad news.” Caelen waited while Mags took a seat, then seated himself. “The bad news is that I simply cannot wave my hand and make the classes you really need to take go away. It’s possible it might take you more years before you are reckoned to be ready for Whites than the rest of your yearmates.”

Mags’ heart sank.

“The good news is—it might not. It’s going to depend on how well you can keep up and what things the Circle ultimately decides that you need not take in order to qualify. And I can do things for the short term at least. Nikolas is fairly certain this little adventure is not going to be needed come the fall, and traditionally in summer we give students a lighter load anyway. So, this is what I’ve done. I’ve postponed some of your classes and moved the rest into a single block of time. So my question is, would you rather sleep from noon until sunset, then join Nikolas in the city, then return here at dawn and take classes in the morning? Or would you rather sleep from early dawn until noon, take your classes, then join Nikolas?”

Oh, now that was a good question. If he had only himself to consider, he would take his lessons in the morning and sleep until nightfall. But he didn’t have just himself to consider. He had friends. And if he did that, he would never see them.

It struck him, then, leaving him a little stunned for a moment. I... hev friends. Real friends. People I wanter see an’ talk to an’ be with... “Afternoon, please ye, sir,” he replied, and laughed. “Reckon I kin get easier used ter eatin’ nuncheon fer breakfast than breakfast fer supper.”

“That’s probably a wise choice,” Caelen replied, making notes. “If nothing happens all night and you end up drowsing, you’ll have a morning to catch up with the others in your lessons. And if you end up working all night, you will be very tired when you get back here. So tiresome of thieves and criminals not to keep regular hours!”

Mags managed a little laugh.

“All right, nothing for you today, you’ll start the new schedule tomorrow. I’m glad Nikolas waited until the start of the quarter before embarking on this; it’s much easier than trying to rejuggle everything after you’d already started.”

That last was muttered as Herald Caelen began leafing through papers and making out schedules—not just Mags’, but several others from the look of things. Since they’d all gotten their schedules before the week-long Event, these must be for newly Chosen Trainees who had just arrived, or were about to. Four of them, if Mags was counting right.

Good thing new Collegium’s done.

He knew the Dean well enough by now to merely murmur “Thankee, Herald Caelen,” and take himself out. And once out in the hall, he realized that he had something he almost never had; a whole morning to himself. Only a morning, because he knew very well that his new schedule would be presented to him by nuncheon, if not before. If the Dean said he was going to start afternoon classes, the Dean would have him starting afternoon classes this afternoon.

Well, there was one thing looming that he probably ought to check on.

Bear. Bear’s brother was not going to stand for being put off much longer.

::Erm... :: Dallen said. ::If you were to stick your head outside, you would hear the rumbles of that very thing.::

That didn’t sound good. He hurried to the stairs and clattered down them, a lot more noisily than he usually did. He had yet to figure out how to be fast and quiet. ::What’s goin’ on?::

::What you’d expect. Bear’s brother and his father are ranting at him at the tops of their lungs. He’s not alone with them. There is a great deal of... erm... presumed status flaunting going on.::

Oh, Mags could very well imagine how that was—wait, what?

::Status flaunting?::

::Bear has the four most senior Healers at Healer’s Collegium and their Dean backing him.:: Dallen was extremely amused. ::Against that, the head of a House of Healing, no matter how old and well-established that House is, just doesn’t measure up.::

::Huh.:: Mags had been under the impression that Bear’s father and brother outranked his teachers . . .

::Certainly his father and brother are under that impression themselves.:: Dallen paused. ::Oh my. They are going to bring out the Very Large Hammer now.::

::Very Large Hammer? Ye ain’t makin’ sense, Dallen.:: He shoved open the door to the outside and paused for a moment, casting a glance at the outwardly serene facade of Healer’s Collegium.

::Well, you might say that back when you and Bear had that little misunderstanding, I took one of the things he had said to heart. The part about us not getting him support against the arguments of his family from some of the more important people here.::

There was a long pause. Mags didn’t move. ::And?:: he said finally.

::And I had a few words about him with Rolan.:: Another pause.

::And?::

::And Rolan spoke to Nikolas.:: The third pause was too much.

::If ye don’ come t’ the point, I’m’a gonna come straight t’ the stable and shave yer mane an’ tail bald.:: He put a good deal of force behind his Mindspeech.

::I was getting to it!:: Dallen replied, sounding aggrieved.

::Ye’d make a ’portant message inter a joke. Ye’d draw out anythin’ with suspense so thet the telling uv it lasted all night. An’ hev! Th’ point!::

::The Healers will be presenting Bear’s father and brother with the King’s Edict that Bear is a vital resource and that he will remain at the Collegium to attain his Greens, then to train the unGifted Healers for the foreseeable future. In fact, they will be handing the Edict over about... now.::

The explosion of anger was so powerful it jolted against Mag’s shields. A moment later, two Green-clad figures stormed out of the Collegium, heading for the stable. Another powerful surge of mingled anger and impatience made Mags pick up his feet and sprint for the stables. But before he was halfway there, two sturdy cobs with those same Green-clad figures on their backs galloped out of the stableyard and down the road, heading for one of the gates to the outside world.

Mags slowed a little, but not too much. He wanted to make sure no one had actually done anything... egregious.

He only dropped to a walk when he reached the stableyard; the yard actually served three stables, with one open side. The Companions’ Stable was to the left, with all of Companions’ Field behind it. In the middle was the stable for draft and hauling animals. Riding beasts were served in the stable to the right. The yard was hard-packed dirt, but as clean as if a fanatic housewife kept it swept, and smelled of nothing worse than fresh straw and hay. The Stablemaster for the entire Palace was standing there at the riding stable door, shaking his head and patting one of his hostlers on the shoulder.