Chapter 306: Goodbyes
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Chapter 306: Goodbyes
Tala grumbled even as she and Rane walked out of the arena.
Its completely unfair that you dont have to contest my aura in order to manipulate the kinetic energy when we clash.
Rane huffed a laugh. How many times do I have to explain it to you? I alter the vectors while they are imparted. Youd have to overcome my aura to prevent it from happening.
She grunted. He had told her dozens of times. Shed even managed to do it occasionally while they fought, but she still didnt like it. Its still completely unfair.
Truthfully, Tala knew that she could have beaten him in a real battle. Rust, even in a truly intense sparring session, she would be able to achieve victory. She hadnt even relied on her Way of Flowing Blood in their fight.
That said, she also wanted to be able to spar against Rane in the coming years in Alefast, and no one enjoyed being crushed in a conflict. Maybe next time
Even so, his ability to manipulate kinetic energy upon impartment was difficult to deal with. Definitely next time. I want to make sure I actually can beat it under sparring rules.
He shook his head. Ill buy you breakfast as an apology?
Tala sighed. No Mistress Petras cooking is much better, and I think I want to be eating that exclusively.
Rane gave her a startled look. Are you alright? Did my magics affect you that much?
What?
Youre turning down food.
She glared. Thats not very nice.
A small smile pulled at the side of his mouth. Accurate though.
She huffed but didnt have anything else to say.
You know, you can eat more than one meal. Ive seen you do it before.
That is true, but somehow the food with my magic imbued within it is more filling. As Mistress Petra gets better at maintaining the magical content it becomes even more so.
Huh, I hadnt thought that would be the case. Rane looked away, then gave her a side-eyed glance. Does she have anything that I could eat?
A smile tugged at Talas own lips. Nothing magical, but maybe mundane. Ill check. She pulled Kit open, willing the internal side to come into being near the other woman. Mistress Petra?
The calm voice of someone who was obviously in the middle of something came back in response, Yes, Mistress Tala?
Would it be possible to get a meal for my friend, when mine is ready?
You missed your breakfast, Mistress Tala. I have that ready, now. I can have something ready for your friend too, in under ten minutes.
Tala felt a bit shell shocked. I missed breakfast?
She thought back on it, and yes, she had.
She had gone straight from Mistress Hollys workshop to the arena.
Tala hadnt thought about food at all, since shed been so excited to test herself that she hadnt considered anything else.
Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you.
Happy to be of assistance.
Tala closed the pouch and glanced toward Rane, seeing a truly concerned look. I was joking before, but are you okay? I dont know that Ive ever seen you miss a meal when you were conscious enough to eat it.
She grimaced. Im not that food oriented.
He opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. If you say so, I suppose.
They found a nearby parkas neither of them were really bothered by the coldand waited for their meals to be ready.
Instead of filling the time with inane chatter, Tala and Rane simply enjoyed the silent stillness of a walking-park in midmorning, and didnt speak even after theyd found a nice bench on which to break their fast.
A few minutes later, Rane turned to regard her. So, youre leaving for Marliweather tomorrow?
She nodded. She hadnt been circumspect about her plans. I need to see my family, now that Im back.
Youll be there for what? A month or two?
Something like that. It will depend on how things go. Plus theres the travel there and back, but that shouldnt take me too long.
He nodded. I can understand that. Family can be complicated.
She grunted in return, remembering her two interactions with his older brother.
What about after? Do you have any concrete plans?
She shrugged. I was thinking of spending the Waning in Alefast: see what thats like, help out how I can, learn what Im able.
Rane chuckled. That makes it sound like a holiday or festival instead of something that most sane people avoid.
She grinned in return. Well, I wont claim to be sane from a mundane perspective. For me? It might be a sort of holiday.
Thats a long holiday. I think its supposed to be a bit more than twenty years until the Waning is finished.
That was true. She would be almost twice as old as she was now, when the Waning was complete. Still better than waiting nearly fifty years to watch Makinavens Waning.
Yeah, and forest cities experience it differently.
Not to mention me and the southern forests dont exactly mix well.
Thats the truth. He quirked a smile.
All that to say, Im not fully decided, but I do think Ill be moving over to Alefast, Waning.
He nodded in understanding and didnt interject again. He had already known that this was something that shed been considering. So, she hadnt expected it to be a surprise.
Even so, shed never told him or Lyn that shed made a final decision.
This was mainly because she hadnt.
-Yes you have. You just wont admit it because such a long commitment is scary.-
Hush, you.
-Master Nadro says you need to be more honest with yourself.-
Tala ignored that, waiting for Rane to comment further, and when he didnt, she continued, While based in Alefastif I go that wayIll probably explore some, rather than just sitting behind the walls, but I definitely want to experience the Waning at various stages.
If we do go, then maybe we can snag Artia, Adrill, and Brandon to aid in research?
-Yes, if. They might be interested, once the Waning reaches its end.-
Rane nodded. I understand its an interesting process, one you have to see to truly understand. There are far worse ways to spend the time, all things considered.
Yeah, Ive heard the same.
After a long minute, she nodded. I think so. Lets go to Lyns to set up Kit and talk.
And so, thats what they did.
They spent the rest of the day walking the hills within her sanctum as Tala simply talked through her perfectly preserved memories of what shed done to secure her position and when she was an Eskau.
They shared dinner while Tala continued to speak, but when they had finished, Alat interrupted.
-Tala?-
Yeah?
-Mistress Holly reached out via the Archive to verify that you are still coming by to show her the reinscriber before you depart.-
Right Tala let out a long sigh. I dont suppose we could skip out?
-She might legitimately chase you down.-
I could see that, yeah. A smile tugged at Talas lips.
-Shes also been far more patient about it than I think either of us expected.-
Thats rusting true.
Rane had turned her way. Everything okay?
Yeah, I just have to swing by Mistress Hollys shop.
He smiled and nodded, pushing himself to his feet, standing from where theyd been sitting the last hour or so. Ill let you get to it, then. You have an early morning tomorrow, right?
Yeah. Ive let Master Cazor know that well do the iron experiments when I swing back through, so I dont have anything keeping me from Marliweather.
I hope you have a great trip. His smile was genuine and warm.
Thank you. Are you going to be staying around here?
I think Ill head back to Alefast, Waning. Theres a lot going on there, and Master Grediv probably has a long list of tasks for me by this point.
Oh. She blinked a few times. Alright then. I suppose Ill see you there?
If you come that way, yeah. His smile turned rueful. Do you have any guesses on your timeline?
Not really. Ill stay in Marliweather for at least a month probably. We can stay in touch through the Archive, now, right?
At least while Im in a city. He gave her a knowing grin. Not everyone has your connections.
That She hesitated. That was an awful pun.
He shrugged. I liked it.
Tala huffed a laugh. Fine.
The door out appeared, and Rane gave her a deep bow, as if they were strangers and he was trying show respect toward her, befitting her superior advancement.
She frowned. Is that really necessary?
He smiled mischievously as he straightened. No, but it is proper. Take care of yourself, Tala.
She shook her head, dismissing his antics. Oh, I will. In the worst case, Ill fight my way free. She grinned before giving a self-deprecating laugh. If it was somehow worse than what Ive already been through, assuming Im not instantly killed at that point, I think it would take a Sovereign Boon for me to win free. But there is not too much chance of that actually happening.
Rane opened his mouth, clearly a bit at a loss for words. Finally, he shook his head and smiled. That would be unfortunate, but youre probably right.
Goodbye, Rane.
Goodbye, Tala.
He bowed again, causing her to roll her eyes even as she smiled. Then, he turned to depart. Oh, no you dont. You dont get to leave with that smug properness.
She covered the distance between them in an instant, careful to close the last couple of inches slowly enough that her movement couldnt be mistaken for an attack by his magics.
She latched on, giving him what she suspected might have been a painful squeeze. Serves him right, trying to leave like that.
Rane laughed, hugging her in return. Take care of yourself, alright?
I will. I promise. You too?
I will.
She gave him one more squeeze which he returned, and then he was gone, the door closing behind him.
Tala wished one of the communication stones to her hand, and Kit moved it there. Is everyone back?
They had arranged ahead of time that Kit would be back at Lyns house, so that hadnt been an issue.
There was a short pause before Tala heard a voice coming back to her.
It was Mistress Petra who responded, We are, thank you Mistress Tala. Are we leaving early?
No, I just need to move the entrance for a bit, and I didnt want to strand anyone.
We appreciate the courtesy. Well let you know if we need to leave for any reason.
That sounds excellent. Ill be bringing Mistress Holly to the dais for a demonstration in the next hour or so. It shouldnt be disruptive, but if you feel magics from there, thats likely why.
Understood.
Tala let go of the stone, and Kit took it away.
Lets go.
Twenty minutes later she was placing Kit on one of Mistress Hollys walls, the inscriptionist looking more excited than Tala could easily remember seeing the woman.
-Want me to look through your memories to check?-
No, thank you.
The doorway opened, and the two of them stepped through arriving in front of the dais.
Mistress Holly gestured Tala forward.
Tala grinned at the older woman. What, nothing to say?
Well, we got this far before.
She shook her head, her smile turning rueful. I suppose thats true.
Without another delay, Tala hopped up on the raised platform and walked to stand near the center, just behind the command seat that she so rarely used.
Ready?
Mistress Holly nodded, tossing out a handful of artifacts that would be observing Tala with what seemed to be incredibly advanced magesight, or something similar. At your leisure.
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Chapter 306: Goodbyes
Tala grumbled even as she and Rane walked out of the arena.
Its completely unfair that you dont have to contest my aura in order to manipulate the kinetic energy when we clash.
Rane huffed a laugh. How many times do I have to explain it to you? I alter the vectors while they are imparted. Youd have to overcome my aura to prevent it from happening.
She grunted. He had told her dozens of times. Shed even managed to do it occasionally while they fought, but she still didnt like it. Its still completely unfair.
Truthfully, Tala knew that she could have beaten him in a real battle. Rust, even in a truly intense sparring session, she would be able to achieve victory. She hadnt even relied on her Way of Flowing Blood in their fight.
That said, she also wanted to be able to spar against Rane in the coming years in Alefast, and no one enjoyed being crushed in a conflict. Maybe next time
Even so, his ability to manipulate kinetic energy upon impartment was difficult to deal with. Definitely next time. I want to make sure I actually can beat it under sparring rules.
He shook his head. Ill buy you breakfast as an apology?
Tala sighed. No Mistress Petras cooking is much better, and I think I want to be eating that exclusively.
Rane gave her a startled look. Are you alright? Did my magics affect you that much?
What?
Youre turning down food.
She glared. Thats not very nice.
A small smile pulled at the side of his mouth. Accurate though.
She huffed but didnt have anything else to say.
You know, you can eat more than one meal. Ive seen you do it before.
That is true, but somehow the food with my magic imbued within it is more filling. As Mistress Petra gets better at maintaining the magical content it becomes even more so.
Huh, I hadnt thought that would be the case. Rane looked away, then gave her a side-eyed glance. Does she have anything that I could eat?
A smile tugged at Talas own lips. Nothing magical, but maybe mundane. Ill check. She pulled Kit open, willing the internal side to come into being near the other woman. Mistress Petra?
The calm voice of someone who was obviously in the middle of something came back in response, Yes, Mistress Tala?
Would it be possible to get a meal for my friend, when mine is ready?
You missed your breakfast, Mistress Tala. I have that ready, now. I can have something ready for your friend too, in under ten minutes.
Tala felt a bit shell shocked. I missed breakfast?
She thought back on it, and yes, she had.
She had gone straight from Mistress Hollys workshop to the arena.
Tala hadnt thought about food at all, since shed been so excited to test herself that she hadnt considered anything else.
Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you.
Happy to be of assistance.
Tala closed the pouch and glanced toward Rane, seeing a truly concerned look. I was joking before, but are you okay? I dont know that Ive ever seen you miss a meal when you were conscious enough to eat it.
She grimaced. Im not that food oriented.
He opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. If you say so, I suppose.
They found a nearby parkas neither of them were really bothered by the coldand waited for their meals to be ready.
Instead of filling the time with inane chatter, Tala and Rane simply enjoyed the silent stillness of a walking-park in midmorning, and didnt speak even after theyd found a nice bench on which to break their fast.
A few minutes later, Rane turned to regard her. So, youre leaving for Marliweather tomorrow?
She nodded. She hadnt been circumspect about her plans. I need to see my family, now that Im back.
Youll be there for what? A month or two?
Something like that. It will depend on how things go. Plus theres the travel there and back, but that shouldnt take me too long.
He nodded. I can understand that. Family can be complicated.
She grunted in return, remembering her two interactions with his older brother.
What about after? Do you have any concrete plans?
She shrugged. I was thinking of spending the Waning in Alefast: see what thats like, help out how I can, learn what Im able.
Rane chuckled. That makes it sound like a holiday or festival instead of something that most sane people avoid.
She grinned in return. Well, I wont claim to be sane from a mundane perspective. For me? It might be a sort of holiday.
Thats a long holiday. I think its supposed to be a bit more than twenty years until the Waning is finished.
That was true. She would be almost twice as old as she was now, when the Waning was complete. Still better than waiting nearly fifty years to watch Makinavens Waning.
Yeah, and forest cities experience it differently.
Not to mention me and the southern forests dont exactly mix well.
Thats the truth. He quirked a smile.
All that to say, Im not fully decided, but I do think Ill be moving over to Alefast, Waning.
He nodded in understanding and didnt interject again. He had already known that this was something that shed been considering. So, she hadnt expected it to be a surprise.
Even so, shed never told him or Lyn that shed made a final decision.
This was mainly because she hadnt.
-Yes you have. You just wont admit it because such a long commitment is scary.-
Hush, you.
-Master Nadro says you need to be more honest with yourself.-
Tala ignored that, waiting for Rane to comment further, and when he didnt, she continued, While based in Alefastif I go that wayIll probably explore some, rather than just sitting behind the walls, but I definitely want to experience the Waning at various stages.
If we do go, then maybe we can snag Artia, Adrill, and Brandon to aid in research?
-Yes, if. They might be interested, once the Waning reaches its end.-
Rane nodded. I understand its an interesting process, one you have to see to truly understand. There are far worse ways to spend the time, all things considered.
Yeah, Ive heard the same.
After a long minute, she nodded. I think so. Lets go to Lyns to set up Kit and talk.
And so, thats what they did.
They spent the rest of the day walking the hills within her sanctum as Tala simply talked through her perfectly preserved memories of what shed done to secure her position and when she was an Eskau.
They shared dinner while Tala continued to speak, but when they had finished, Alat interrupted.
-Tala?-
Yeah?
-Mistress Holly reached out via the Archive to verify that you are still coming by to show her the reinscriber before you depart.-
Right Tala let out a long sigh. I dont suppose we could skip out?
-She might legitimately chase you down.-
I could see that, yeah. A smile tugged at Talas lips.
-Shes also been far more patient about it than I think either of us expected.-
Thats rusting true.
Rane had turned her way. Everything okay?
Yeah, I just have to swing by Mistress Hollys shop.
He smiled and nodded, pushing himself to his feet, standing from where theyd been sitting the last hour or so. Ill let you get to it, then. You have an early morning tomorrow, right?
Yeah. Ive let Master Cazor know that well do the iron experiments when I swing back through, so I dont have anything keeping me from Marliweather.
I hope you have a great trip. His smile was genuine and warm.
Thank you. Are you going to be staying around here?
I think Ill head back to Alefast, Waning. Theres a lot going on there, and Master Grediv probably has a long list of tasks for me by this point.
Oh. She blinked a few times. Alright then. I suppose Ill see you there?
If you come that way, yeah. His smile turned rueful. Do you have any guesses on your timeline?
Not really. Ill stay in Marliweather for at least a month probably. We can stay in touch through the Archive, now, right?
At least while Im in a city. He gave her a knowing grin. Not everyone has your connections.
That She hesitated. That was an awful pun.
He shrugged. I liked it.
Tala huffed a laugh. Fine.
The door out appeared, and Rane gave her a deep bow, as if they were strangers and he was trying show respect toward her, befitting her superior advancement.
She frowned. Is that really necessary?
He smiled mischievously as he straightened. No, but it is proper. Take care of yourself, Tala.
She shook her head, dismissing his antics. Oh, I will. In the worst case, Ill fight my way free. She grinned before giving a self-deprecating laugh. If it was somehow worse than what Ive already been through, assuming Im not instantly killed at that point, I think it would take a Sovereign Boon for me to win free. But there is not too much chance of that actually happening.
Rane opened his mouth, clearly a bit at a loss for words. Finally, he shook his head and smiled. That would be unfortunate, but youre probably right.
Goodbye, Rane.
Goodbye, Tala.
He bowed again, causing her to roll her eyes even as she smiled. Then, he turned to depart. Oh, no you dont. You dont get to leave with that smug properness.
She covered the distance between them in an instant, careful to close the last couple of inches slowly enough that her movement couldnt be mistaken for an attack by his magics.
She latched on, giving him what she suspected might have been a painful squeeze. Serves him right, trying to leave like that.
Rane laughed, hugging her in return. Take care of yourself, alright?
I will. I promise. You too?
I will.
She gave him one more squeeze which he returned, and then he was gone, the door closing behind him.
Tala wished one of the communication stones to her hand, and Kit moved it there. Is everyone back?
They had arranged ahead of time that Kit would be back at Lyns house, so that hadnt been an issue.
There was a short pause before Tala heard a voice coming back to her.
It was Mistress Petra who responded, We are, thank you Mistress Tala. Are we leaving early?
No, I just need to move the entrance for a bit, and I didnt want to strand anyone.
We appreciate the courtesy. Well let you know if we need to leave for any reason.
That sounds excellent. Ill be bringing Mistress Holly to the dais for a demonstration in the next hour or so. It shouldnt be disruptive, but if you feel magics from there, thats likely why.
Understood.
Tala let go of the stone, and Kit took it away.
Lets go.
Twenty minutes later she was placing Kit on one of Mistress Hollys walls, the inscriptionist looking more excited than Tala could easily remember seeing the woman.
-Want me to look through your memories to check?-
No, thank you.
The doorway opened, and the two of them stepped through arriving in front of the dais.
Mistress Holly gestured Tala forward.
Tala grinned at the older woman. What, nothing to say?
Well, we got this far before.
She shook her head, her smile turning rueful. I suppose thats true.
Without another delay, Tala hopped up on the raised platform and walked to stand near the center, just behind the command seat that she so rarely used.
Ready?
Mistress Holly nodded, tossing out a handful of artifacts that would be observing Tala with what seemed to be incredibly advanced magesight, or something similar. At your leisure.
Chapter 306: GoodbyesTala grumbled even as she and Rane walked out of the arena.Its completely unfair that you dont have to contest my aura in order to manipulate the kinetic energy when we clash.Rane huffed a laugh. How many times do I have to explain it to you? I alter the vectors while they are imparted. Youd have to overcome my aura to prevent it from happening.She grunted. He had told her dozens of times. Shed even managed to do it occasionally while they fought, but she still didnt like it. Its still completely unfair.Truthfully, Tala knew that she could have beaten him in a real battle. Rust, even in a truly intense sparring session, she would be able to achieve victory. She hadnt even relied on her Way of Flowing Blood in their fight.That said, she also wanted to be able to spar against Rane in the coming years in Alefast, and no one enjoyed being crushed in a conflict. Maybe next timeEven so, his ability to manipulate kinetic energy upon impartment was difficult to deal with. Definitely next time. I want to make sure I actually can beat it under sparring rules.He shook his head. Ill buy you breakfast as an apology?Tala sighed. No Mistress Petras cooking is much better, and I think I want to be eating that exclusively.Rane gave her a startled look. Are you alright? Did my magics affect you that much?What?Youre turning down food.She glared. Thats not very nice.A small smile pulled at the side of his mouth. Accurate though.She huffed but didnt have anything else to say.You know, you can eat more than one meal. Ive seen you do it before.That is true, but somehow the food with my magic imbued within it is more filling. As Mistress Petra gets better at maintaining the magical content it becomes even more so.Huh, I hadnt thought that would be the case. Rane looked away, then gave her a side-eyed glance. Does she have anything that I could eat?A smile tugged at Talas own lips. Nothing magical, but maybe mundane. Ill check. She pulled Kit open, willing the internal side to come into being near the other woman. Mistress Petra?The calm voice of someone who was obviously in the middle of something came back in response, Yes, Mistress Tala?Would it be possible to get a meal for my friend, when mine is ready?You missed your breakfast, Mistress Tala. I have that ready, now. I can have something ready for your friend too, in under ten minutes.Tala felt a bit shell shocked. I missed breakfast?She thought back on it, and yes, she had.She had gone straight from Mistress Hollys workshop to the arena.Tala hadnt thought about food at all, since shed been so excited to test herself that she hadnt considered anything else.Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you.Happy to be of assistance.Tala closed the pouch and glanced toward Rane, seeing a truly concerned look. I was joking before, but are you okay? I dont know that Ive ever seen you miss a meal when you were conscious enough to eat it.She grimaced. Im not that food oriented.He opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. If you say so, I suppose.They found a nearby parkas neither of them were really bothered by the coldand waited for their meals to be ready.Instead of filling the time with inane chatter, Tala and Rane simply enjoyed the silent stillness of a walking-park in midmorning, and didnt speak even after theyd found a nice bench on which to break their fast.A few minutes later, Rane turned to regard her. So, youre leaving for Marliweather tomorrow?She nodded. She hadnt been circumspect about her plans. I need to see my family, now that Im back.Youll be there for what? A month or two?Something like that. It will depend on how things go. Plus theres the travel there and back, but that shouldnt take me too long.He nodded. I can understand that. Family can be complicated.She grunted in return, remembering her two interactions with his older brother.What about after? Do you have any concrete plans?She shrugged. I was thinking of spending the Waning in Alefast: see what thats like, help out how I can, learn what Im able.Rane chuckled. That makes it sound like a holiday or festival instead of something that most sane people avoid.She grinned in return. Well, I wont claim to be sane from a mundane perspective. For me? It might be a sort of holiday.Thats a long holiday. I think its supposed to be a bit more than twenty years until the Waning is finished.That was true. She would be almost twice as old as she was now, when the Waning was complete. Still better than waiting nearly fifty years to watch Makinavens Waning.Yeah, and forest cities experience it differently.Not to mention me and the southern forests dont exactly mix well.Thats the truth. He quirked a smile.All that to say, Im not fully decided, but I do think Ill be moving over to Alefast, Waning.He nodded in understanding and didnt interject again. He had already known that this was something that shed been considering. So, she hadnt expected it to be a surprise.Even so, shed never told him or Lyn that shed made a final decision.This was mainly because she hadnt.-Yes you have. You just wont admit it because such a long commitment is scary.-Hush, you.-Master Nadro says you need to be more honest with yourself.-Tala ignored that, waiting for Rane to comment further, and when he didnt, she continued, While based in Alefastif I go that wayIll probably explore some, rather than just sitting behind the walls, but I definitely want to experience the Waning at various stages.If we do go, then maybe we can snag Artia, Adrill, and Brandon to aid in research?-Yes, if. They might be interested, once the Waning reaches its end.-Rane nodded. I understand its an interesting process, one you have to see to truly understand. There are far worse ways to spend the time, all things considered.Yeah, Ive heard the same.After a long minute, she nodded. I think so. Lets go to Lyns to set up Kit and talk.And so, thats what they did.They spent the rest of the day walking the hills within her sanctum as Tala simply talked through her perfectly preserved memories of what shed done to secure her position and when she was an Eskau.They shared dinner while Tala continued to speak, but when they had finished, Alat interrupted.-Tala?-Yeah?-Mistress Holly reached out via the Archive to verify that you are still coming by to show her the reinscriber before you depart.-Right Tala let out a long sigh. I dont suppose we could skip out?-She might legitimately chase you down.-I could see that, yeah. A smile tugged at Talas lips.-Shes also been far more patient about it than I think either of us expected.-Thats rusting true.Rane had turned her way. Everything okay?Yeah, I just have to swing by Mistress Hollys shop.He smiled and nodded, pushing himself to his feet, standing from where theyd been sitting the last hour or so. Ill let you get to it, then. You have an early morning tomorrow, right?Yeah. Ive let Master Cazor know that well do the iron experiments when I swing back through, so I dont have anything keeping me from Marliweather.I hope you have a great trip. His smile was genuine and warm.Thank you. Are you going to be staying around here?I think Ill head back to Alefast, Waning. Theres a lot going on there, and Master Grediv probably has a long list of tasks for me by this point.Oh. She blinked a few times. Alright then. I suppose Ill see you there?If you come that way, yeah. His smile turned rueful. Do you have any guesses on your timeline?Not really. Ill stay in Marliweather for at least a month probably. We can stay in touch through the Archive, now, right?At least while Im in a city. He gave her a knowing grin. Not everyone has your connections.That She hesitated. That was an awful pun.He shrugged. I liked it.Tala huffed a laugh. Fine.The door out appeared, and Rane gave her a deep bow, as if they were strangers and he was trying show respect toward her, befitting her superior advancement.She frowned. Is that really necessary?He smiled mischievously as he straightened. No, but it is proper. Take care of yourself, Tala.She shook her head, dismissing his antics. Oh, I will. In the worst case, Ill fight my way free. She grinned before giving a self-deprecating laugh. If it was somehow worse than what Ive already been through, assuming Im not instantly killed at that point, I think it would take a Sovereign Boon for me to win free. But there is not too much chance of that actually happening.Rane opened his mouth, clearly a bit at a loss for words. Finally, he shook his head and smiled. That would be unfortunate, but youre probably right.Goodbye, Rane.Goodbye, Tala.He bowed again, causing her to roll her eyes even as she smiled. Then, he turned to depart. Oh, no you dont. You dont get to leave with that smug properness.She covered the distance between them in an instant, careful to close the last couple of inches slowly enough that her movement couldnt be mistaken for an attack by his magics.She latched on, giving him what she suspected might have been a painful squeeze. Serves him right, trying to leave like that.Rane laughed, hugging her in return. Take care of yourself, alright?I will. I promise. You too?I will.She gave him one more squeeze which he returned, and then he was gone, the door closing behind him.Tala wished one of the communication stones to her hand, and Kit moved it there. Is everyone back?They had arranged ahead of time that Kit would be back at Lyns house, so that hadnt been an issue.There was a short pause before Tala heard a voice coming back to her.It was Mistress Petra who responded, We are, thank you Mistress Tala. Are we leaving early?No, I just need to move the entrance for a bit, and I didnt want to strand anyone.We appreciate the courtesy. Well let you know if we need to leave for any reason.That sounds excellent. Ill be bringing Mistress Holly to the dais for a demonstration in the next hour or so. It shouldnt be disruptive, but if you feel magics from there, thats likely why.Understood.Tala let go of the stone, and Kit took it away.Lets go.Twenty minutes later she was placing Kit on one of Mistress Hollys walls, the inscriptionist looking more excited than Tala could easily remember seeing the woman.-Want me to look through your memories to check?-No, thank you.The doorway opened, and the two of them stepped through arriving in front of the dais.Mistress Holly gestured Tala forward.Tala grinned at the older woman. What, nothing to say?Well, we got this far before.She shook her head, her smile turning rueful. I suppose thats true.Without another delay, Tala hopped up on the raised platform and walked to stand near the center, just behind the command seat that she so rarely used.Ready?Mistress Holly nodded, tossing out a handful of artifacts that would be observing Tala with what seemed to be incredibly advanced magesight, or something similar. At your leisure.
