James Galloway - The Tower of Sorcery

It was a reminder of what he had lost, and a goal which now stood before him. Tarrin would have his family. They would all live together in peace, and want for nothing. When all the craziness was over, when he and Keritanima and Allia could come out of the desert without fear, then he would live as close to his family as he could. The bad taste he had for the Tower meant that it wouldn't be in Suld. Tarrin would rather return to Aldreth, where his non-human nature wouldn't be so serious, and where he could use his non-human status to help the village with the other non-humans that drifted in from the Frontier to trade. It was what he wanted, it was what he decided he was going to have, and by the gods, it was what he was going to get.

But there were other things to attend to, and that was what occupied his mind as he descended the stone stairs to the baths, scenting the passage of the Novices mingling with the smell of cloth and mineral-rich water, of heat and steam, and of the rock itself. Tarrin had developed the habit of bathing when there were the fewest people in the baths, because his presence still caused a bit of commotion with Novices, and even Initiates. The fights he'd had and the rather gruesome things he'd done to his assailants had terrified most of the other students, and they would have nothing to do with him. They were, after all, only children. Tarrin couldn't really blame them for it, but it hurt to see the fear in their eyes as he passed, to hear the whispers that they didn't realize his sensitive ears could pick up. But if luck was with them, then the Novices wouldn't be scared of him much longer.

It didn't take him long to find Tiella. She was in the cooler water, and she had her knees bent so the water covered her to the neck. Even after months, Tiella was still so modest that she couldn't stand bathing with others.

The area around Tiella cleared immediately when Tarrin slipped into the pool, holding a bar of soap, and approached the pretty former villager. "You missed a spot," he told her absently.

She turned around, and then smiled. "Tarrin," she said warmly, standing up in the water. When the move lifted her breasts above the surface of the water, she blushed furiously and sank back into the water.

"Tiella," Tarrin sighed, "I think that you shouldn't worry about that with me. I've already seen them. It doesn't make any difference now."

Her face turning red, she stood up quickly, water splashing, and she glared at him. Then she realized what she did, and then blushed even more and laughed ruefully. "Alright, I give up," she told him. "But if you stare, I'm going to pull your tail off."

"Let me make it up to you," he said, going around her and lathering her back with the bar of soap.

"Well, alright, but I wouldn't let anyone else do this," she said, allowing him to wash her back. "How have you been?"

"Busy," he said.

"I heard. Are you alright?"

"I've healed up, but there have been some side effects. Sorry if I don't go into them right now."

"That's alright. Did you know that I'm almost done with the Novitiate?"

"No. That was some quick work."

"The training I got from Gerin really helped," she said. "He was alot more than a herbalist. He was very interested in the world, and he taught me alot of it. I was allowed to skip over alot of classes."

"Congratulations," he told her.

"Thanks. What's the Initiate like?"

"I really haven't been in it long enough to form any opinions, Tiella," he told her. "So far, it's been just like the Novitiate, except without all the silly rules. We can eat when we want and bathe when we want, and our time outside of classes is our own."

"That sounds almost dreamy compared to the schedules," she said sourly. "I'm tired of living by the clock."

"Well, just buckle down," he told her. "When do you take the final test?"

"In five days," she replied. "I've already been told that I shouldn't have any trouble passing it. Then I'll move to the Initiate."

"Hmm," Tarrin said. "This may change some things."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you still clean the Keeper's office?"

"Yes," she replied. "Every day."

"Then I want you to do me a favor," he said quietly. "But it may get you in trouble."

"What's the favor?"

"If you see anything about me, or hear them talking about me, or about what happened to me, could you pass that along?" he asked. "Anything that sounds like it'll affect me."

"I guess so," she said after a moment. "Why do you want to know that?"

"Something's going on, Tiella," he told her. "They want something from me, or want me to do something for them, but they won't tell me what it is. Well, I want to know before they ask me to do it. I want to know what I may be getting myself into."

"Oh," she said after a moment. "I can do that for you, Tarrin," she said. "I think I've already seen some things, and I know that the Keeper asks how you're coming along almost every day. When you were missing, she was almost in a constant rage."

"I know," Tarrin said quietly. "What did you hear?"

"Well, they were trying to get the Wikuni to give them a clipper and a crew," she said. "It sounded awfully important, but the Wikuni are mad at them for some reason, and won't do it. They keep talking about someone's education. It's a really big thing. The Keeper and that stupid-looking rabbit Wikuni were even shouting at each other yesterday."

"I know what that's all about," Tarrin grunted. "What about the ship? Did they say why they wanted it?"

"I think I heard the Keeper tell him that they needed it to get somewhere," she said. "She was flattering the Wikuni with how his people were the best sailors, and they'd need that skill."

"They are," Tarrin told her absently. "But she never said why?"

"No," she told him. "Just that they wanted one. Maybe they want to send some Sorcerers to the Stormhaven Isles or something."

"Maybe it's important, maybe not," Tarrin said. "Anything else you can remember?"

Tiella was quiet for a few moments. "Not really," she said finally. "They really don't talk around us that much, Tarrin, and we're only in there for a couple of hours at the most."

"Well, that may change," he said. "What time do you clean her office?"

"After lunch, every day," she replied.

"Well, do me a favor and keep your ears open," he told her. "I have the feeling that the Keeper may be very talkative for the next few days."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just trust me," he said with a chuckle. "I can't come and talk to you ever morning. That'll look very suspicious. So I'm sending someone. You remember my roommate in the Novitiate, Dar?"

"The cute Arkisian?" she asked as she rinsed herself off and turned to face him. Tarrin noticed that she was blushing. "Yes, I remember him."

"Good. He's the one you'll need to talk to. If you have anything you want me to know, tell him, and he'll give it to me." He gave her a look. "You like him."

She blushed deeper. "Well, he is cute, Tarrin, and he has nice manners and he's been nice to me when we talk. And I have to stand here and talk to him while I'm naked as the day I was born."

"He will be too, so it's not like you're not on even ground," he reminded her. "I'll tell him to be very friendly to you. If it looks like you two are sweet on each other, it won't look unusual if you're talking in whispers."

Tiella blushed furiously, and gave him a murderous look. Tarrin realized that Tiella had a crush on Dar. That was almost perfect. He could orchestrate a bit of matchmaking easily. Dar needed a girlfriend, and there weren't many girls out there better than Tiella. Tarrin would make sure that Tiella was well rewarded for her risk, and giving her the object of her affection seemed a very appropriate gift.