“Roshana enjoyed herself,” Jenn smiled as she pulled on her clothes.
“She was very happy to be with all of us,” Yukiko agreed. “I think she’ll fit right in with the rest of us.”
“I’m glad the others have accepted her.”
“Me, too,” Gregory said, tying his obi. “We’ll only see her for the next month or two, then we’re all being split up.”
Yukiko and Jenn slowed down, remembering what Lightshield had said about the next couple of years for them. Gregory finished dressing as they stood there, barely moving.
“Maybe we’ll get to see each other more frequently than we fear we will,” Jenn said.
“Maybe…” Yukiko sighed.
“We’ll just have to hope while we wait to see,” Gregory said. “Ready?”
Both women blinked at him, then finished getting dressed. Gregory waited for them, watching as they grabbed their haori and put them on. With them ready, he led the way out of the room.
Clover and Ling were waiting for them on the stairs. The two groups greeted each other, but didn’t pause to talk— they went right down to gather up the others. Daciana was waiting at the stairs while Nessa and Victoria were coming closer.
Daciana smiled happily. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Gregory replied. “Are you allowed to come watch us train after your class?”
“How did you know?” Daciana asked.
“Because you’re smiling,” Ling said, “which means good news.”
“And that was the most likely good news,” Jenn added.
“Right after class, we get to come and watch you train,” Nessa said, making it to them. “We’ll train magic when you do, too. It means no Empire’s Gambit this week, but that’s fine.”
“We’d rather spend the time with you,” Victoria said, then quickly added, “all of you.”
Gregory’s cheeks heated, but he met her gaze. “Clarifying is good.”
Face going red, Victoria didn’t look away. “I do want to spend time with all of you.”
“We know,” Yukiko said, placing a hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “Just keep your faith in your dreams being realized.”
“We all are,” Nessa said.
“Maybe we should go before Dia finds us,” Gregory said.
“Yes,” Clover said as she led the way downstairs.
They trooped downstairs, following Clover’s bushy tail that bobbed slightly side-to-side as she walked. Gregory realized that, with Roshana added to the mix, half of his friends would have tails and half wouldn’t. Clover’s bushy squirrel tail, Nessa’s horse tail, and Daciana’s energetic wolf tail were all visible to him now, and he could imagine Roshana’s small, white, fluffy bunny tail alongside theirs. He wondered what Ling’s tail would have looked like if she’d had one.
“Good morning,” Lightshield greeted them as they entered the room.
All of them greeted the elder back, bowing before taking their seats. Bishop, Dia, Hemet, and Leah were already sitting at the table.
“The night before our apprentices leave for their tournament,” Lightshield began once everyone was seated, “we will have a feast. It is to see them off, but also to introduce some new members of the clan. I believe you know them, but a welcome feast is always good. All of them will be going with Dia that morning to the tea house. Those that are true will be here for the evening meal.”
The friends wondered who, besides Roshana, was joining the clan, but none of them asked as they waited for Lightshield to continue.
“Clover, Ling, I am going to ask both of you to sit out of the fighting tournament,” Lightshield said.
They bowed to him, and Ling said, “Sir, if you say it is for our safety, we will step back.”
“There are still many ways it could go,” Lightshield said. “In most of them, though, one or both of you end up badly injured. You don’t die, but the injuries… can leave marks, and not just physical.”
Clover glanced at Gregory and his wives before looking back to Lightshield. “What about them, sir?”
“They will also experience pain, but each of them has ways to avoid or mitigate the worst of it.”
“Very well, sir,” Ling said. She’d seen the twitch on Gregory’s face when Lightshield had mentioned Clover and Ling getting hurt.
“You did tell us we would be going based on our own merits,” Clover said after a moment, “and we managed that.”
“You certainly did,” Lightshield smiled. “I heard about the tournament and how each of you contributed. All of you did the clan proud. You, as well, Gregory.”
“Sir? I didn’t play.”
“No, you didn’t, but the way you comported yourself spoke well for the entire clan. We had a couple of people fighting to join your tactics subgroup, I heard.”
“We heard that from Magus Erichson, sir.”
“I believe we might have a couple more join the clan shortly after the tournament group leaves. They are being given a chance to see if their stated goals match their beliefs.”
“I had no idea, sir.”
“You, Gregory, have shown time and again that your simple, humble, honest way is one that brings people in. You might not feel like you are charismatic, but I think your friends would agree with me.”
All of his friends nodded in agreement.
“I will do my best to never disgrace the clan, sir.”
“You would have to deliberately try to manage it,” Lightshield chuckled. “Also, let Roshana know she can sit in the stands to watch.” His gaze went to Quilet. “You may serve now.”
“As you wish, sir,” Quilet said, pushing the cart to the table.
~*~*~
After breakfast, they went to the archive, where Simon was on duty. A few questions let them know Rafiq was not going to be on duty again until he returned to the archive after the tournament. Roshana met them at the archive, and they had her join them in Magi Squares and studying. When they invited her to watch them train, she hesitated, but accepted.
The novices had to go to their economics class, but promised to get to the arena as soon as they could. Roshana went with the others to the blue arena, wishing the novices a good day as they split apart.
They’d almost made it to the stairs to the waiting area under the arena when Bishop came up to them. “Apprentices,” Bishop greeted them. “I will take your friend, and you two,” she motioned to Clover and Ling, “to the stands.”
“You don’t fight with them?” Roshana asked Clover.
“Our elder has elected to have them stay out of the fighting tournament,” Bishop told her.
Roshana bowed formally. “I understand, ma’am. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was questioning anyone.”
“Questions are fine. They’re even encouraged,” Bishop smiled. “And while the three of you can fight, you can’t hold a candle to these three.” Bishop motioned to Gregory and his wives at the end.
“Understood, ma’am.”
“Now, get your helmets and weapons, then head up,” Bishop told Gregory. “Fight well.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they replied in unison, bowing to her.
Bishop shook her head in amusement before leading the other three away.
It didn’t take more than a few minutes to get their helmets and training weapons. As they made their way up to the arena, they all smiled upon seeing a familiar person standing in the tunnel.
“Apprentices, it is good to see you again,” Mindie beamed.
“Mindie, a pleasure, as always,” Gregory replied. “How have you been?”
“Mostly good. I heard rumors that I was going to be posted to a position outside of the academy. I’m not sure if they are true or not, but I have hope that an idea of mine might work out.”
“I hope it does,” Yukiko said.
“Any extra information on the rumor?” Jenn asked.
“Nothing specific,” Mindie sighed. “Just that one of the senior healers here thought I spent too much time helping… a specific clan.”
“Us?” Gregory asked, and Mindie dipped her head. “But you’d help anyone that asked.”
“Even the Eternal Flame,” Mindie agreed. “Unfortunately, the senior healer in question is friends with Grandmaster Yunlo. I’m sure that she’ll get her way.”
“Can we do anything to help?” Yukiko asked.
“Maybe…” Mindie said with hesitation. “Do you think your elder would accept me?”
“Yes,” Yukiko said instantly.
Jenn nodded along with Yukiko. “He will.”
Gregory agreed with his wives, surprised at how quickly and eagerly they had spoken. Then again, he’d said his desires had shown her, too. He wasn’t sure that was the only reason, though, and he knew he’d have to try to remember to ask Yukiko.
Mindie looked relieved. “I worried that I might have taken too long.”
“I wonder…” Gregory murmured, looking into the distance.
“What?” Mindie asked.
“The elder this morning said people would be joining the clan at the end of the week. Maybe you were one he saw.”
Mindie’s eyes widened, then she giggled. “I forgot he has foresight, too.”
“And he’s right a lot,” Yukiko nodded. “You should speak with Bishop or Dia today.”
“I will,” Mindie said. “All that’s required is belief that Aether will return, right?”
“There’s a small test to see if your belief is true,” Jenn told her. “A trip to a teahouse.”
Mindie had looked worried, but her worry vanished, a relieved smile coming to her. “I wish I had known… I would have waited.”
“Waited?” Gregory asked.
Mindie looked to him, then away, her cheeks heating. “Yes. I went after your last training session to see if it would be right for me.” She started to turn a deeper shade of red.
“Did the vision embarrass you?” Jenn asked softly, touching Mindie’s shoulder gently.
Mindie swallowed. “A little.”
“You don’t have to tell us,” Yukiko said, touching Mindie’s other shoulder. “If you want to, though, none of us will say a word against it.”
“You say that so easily…” Mindie whispered.
“Take your time,” Yukiko told her with kindness.
“It should be just about sixth bell,” Gregory said. “We need to head out there.”
Mindie nodded. “Yes. Please don’t be late because of me.”
“We won’t be. If we were late, it would be because we wanted to help a friend,” Yukiko said, taking her hand away.
“We’ll try not to make you work too hard today,” Jenn said as she patted Mindie’s shoulder.
“Let’s go,” Gregory said before donning his mask.
Mindie watched them go with a hopeful smile, her heart beating fast. Touching her chest, she followed them. Maybe I can join them all… Daciana and the others are interested in him… so maybe I can be, too… Mindie was lost in her thoughts as she stopped right at the tunnel exit.
Gin turned to face them when they came out, nodding as they were already masked and ready. As the sixth bell rang, Vemril and three more magi came out of the other tunnel.
Vemril wore a sad smile as she crossed the sands. “Last week of training. You’ve all improved, but I’m sad this will be the last time we’ll cross blades in a friendly manner.” She looked toward the stands, then at Gin. “Just the three of them?”
“The elder decided to leave the other two out of the fighting side of the tournament,” Gin replied.
“Ah, yes. Considering they will be in the Empire’s Gambit side, there was no need to risk injury,” Vemril nodded. “Congratulations on your clan taking both of those tournaments, by the way.”
“We just give them the chance to learn,” Gin replied. “The fact they learn as quickly and as well as they do is just who they are.”
Vemril nodded. “Yes, they are eager to improve. Few apprentices have so much drive. Are you three ready for a week of torment?”
“We are ready to test ourselves,” Jenn said.
“It isn’t torment if we’re learning and enjoying the challenge,” Yukiko added.
“We’ll win at least half of our fights,” Gregory said.
Vemril smirked, then glanced at Gin. “Haven’t told them, yet?”
All three of them turned their heads to Gin in question.
“This week, Vemril and the others will be using magic and energy equal to a first rank adept,” Gin explained.
Gregory inhaled slowly, nodding. “This will be bad, but we’ll manage.”
“Very well. Separate and get ready to begin,” Gin said.
