Learning to Love (Tinder and Saren)

[Tinder]

While she could not comprehend why Sephanir would chose solitude over exploring such a big place, Cisa's attention was quickly diverted by his pointing. The space between the splotches of ink was tiny, but four days was quite the length of travel. She'd never known anyone to travel that far other than the merchants who passed through. The longest trip her father had ever gone on had only been half a day out of town to the nearby city for special supplies that he'd ordered. He'd taken Joanne with him as well to see a dressmaker, but Cisa had remained behind to watch the forge with Sofia. It had been a tense two days with a great deal of silence, but they managed. Cisa had spent most of the time keeping up with the regular work while Sofia remained in the house doing whatever task she could think of to keep herself busy and out of the forge.

Sephanir pointed out her village sitting on the edge of his forest. It was so close she could hardly believe it. Home had not been in her thoughts for a while. It was getting easier to forget about her life before the wizard. Daily life in the castle kept her busy enough and the urgency she had felt after she first…arrived was no longer present. She was almost content here. She had food, shelter, and more than enough work to keep her busy. She'd even managed to befriend a wizard, one her own age no less. She stared at the little house on the map. There were no friends waiting for her in the village. No one in the village had ever been outright rude to her or even cold, but there was no one she felt close to. Her family was all she remained for her there.

"Seeing the world like that must be wonderful," she said, her excitement dimming with her thoughts. This fire mage, Pyri, sounded like a lucky woman. To be able to just keep moving from town to town without any worries would be like a fantasy realized. She glanced down at the ground, "I've never left my home village…" Where did I come from, Papa? "Not that I remember at least." Somewhere far away little one. He never said more than that. Only Sofia filled in the truths he felt were too harsh. She blinked, realizing she'd spoken aloud voiced part of her thoughts aloud. Coughing to cover up her comment, she walked back towards the stew and started to pour herself some. Silence engulfed the room, highlighting her last comment unfortunately. Unsure how else to respond, she asked the first question that came to mind, "So what places have you visited, wizard?"

 

[Saren]

"It is quite the place. Some are fortunate enough to travel its roads." Sephanir traveled only at night, bringing the darkness and shadows along with him to wherever it needed to be. He had seen the world in all its muted color, watched the myriad of different people settle down to sleep. He himself hardly slept, but it was all in the name of magic and discovery. Besides, sleep was for those who got tired, and Sephanir was rarely tired. Perhaps he sustained himself too much on the shadowy magic around him, but he didn't mind.

Turning back to his food, Sephanir started to drink from the soup bowl again before she spoke again. Her words were quiet, as if she hadn't meant to speak. He looked up at her, but her eyes were on the ground. She hadn't really spoken of her past life or her family, but he hadn't minded. He hadn't done her the same service either. Not that there was much to talk about anyway. He didn't remember his early years before finding himself in the service of Malkore, but it had been kind. Quiet, just like his life was now.

He drank the soup, content to sit in the silence until she spoke up again. He pondered her question, sipping at the soup. The taste was growing on him. "When the world needs the moon and the darkness of night, I see the world for all it is. I have gone to many places without leaving this room. I am not like Pyri or Cromdali. Truly traveling the world, setting foot on different lands, walking in the sunlight... Those things aren't for me. I just see the world as the darkness passes over it, but in truth, I don't know much about those places. The Wizards do not talk as much as they likely should."

 

[Tinder]

Sephanir made no comment. She should have expected that. Cisa almost laughed at her own foolishness. She ate a spoonful of soup to keep herself silent and occupied. The man had never shown any interest in her or what happened outside of his rooms for that matter. It seems like only magic and ink can keep his attention. His narrow focus made chatting far more difficult than it needed to be. She rarely knew what would get more than a few words out him. In truth this conversation alone was more than she'd heard from him…maybe period. Perhaps she had Cromdali to thank for that.

His talkative mood was not what surprised her now, however. It was his honesty. He rarely offered up information about himself, though she couldn't put all the blame. She hadn't been asking. She'd expected his answer to be a quick, throw-away response along the lines of "I do what I please," his was sadder than that. Sephanir was more isolated than she'd believed him to be. He never left his home and the other wizards rarely visited him. She didn't understand how anyone could stand so many hours alone. She would never be able to handle it. Her first week with the wizard had proven that much.

He mentioned light again in his response. He really seemed to dislike it, which made sense, him being the Dark Wizard, but to completely shun light seemed a little extreme. She'd thought his insistence on darkness everywhere to be a personal preference; some kind of statement to anyone foolish enough to visit his home. "Does light actually hurt you?" Cisa asked, looking over her shoulder curiously. There was a solid pause before she realized the implications of her question, "Oh, gods. That sounded far more threatening than I meant to." She lifted her free hand and turned to face the wizard. "I'm not…I didn't mean-" What did I mean? She set her bowl down, searching her mind for the right words. She gave an exasperated sigh, her hands clenching into fists before she held them up in a helpless shrug. "I was only curious. I meant no harm-mean no harm." She turned away from him again and ran her fingers through her hair, mentally kicking herself. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." She might as well have asked if he liked poison in his tea.

 

[Saren]

The room fell silent again, but he was used to such things. It seemed to bother Cisa more than it did him, for she kept finding ways to insert words here and there. It was another thing he didn't mind. Her voice wasn't loud like Cromdali's, but it wasn't so quiet that he had to strain to hear her. She spoke smoothly when she was confident, like when she had first repaired his blade. It was a voice that equally comforted and admonished as needed.

Or perhaps he spent too much time analyzing her tone rather than her words.

When Cisa prompted the question, she almost immediately tried to snatch it back from the air. The question gave him pause, but not because he didn't know the answer. Few people had asked him about his magic, and for the most part, he'd been unwilling to answer. But her inquiry had been so... innocent. It slipped out so easily, as if she hadn't really meant to say it. There was no harmful intent behind her words, and that was what struck him. Non-magic humans had been known to ask what weakened the Wizards if they feared magic, but it wasn't a question anyone had dared to ask him. The man running the supply caravan didn't inquire about him, and neither did anyone else.

But Cisa did.

Rather than anger himself at her question, he smiled and even chuckled. He waved his free hand, the shadows lifting over the candles in the room to light the entire place up, but the flickering was dim. It was enough for her to see by, but he blinked a few times to chase away the spots. "No," he said, "it does not hurt me. In an open space, it can, but here, with the candles, no. Light just makes it hard to see." Pain scattered across his left eye, and he closed the one eye and rubbed his forehead. His right eye still glowed as normal as he sat down in one of the few chairs he still had. Slowly, the candles dimmed back down to what they once were, shadows climbing back over the flames.

 

[Tinder]

Cisa had expected a curt reply, perhaps followed by a portal appearing beneath her to send her to the darkest hole the wizard could find. She wouldn't have blamed him. Her question could have only sounded worse if she'd finished with "and how do you feel about stabbing?" Idiot, she scolded herself silently, is it really any wonder why he avoids talking with you? Silence followed, highlighting the chill in the air. Cisa listened to her own breathing, waiting for something to happen.

Then Sephanir laughed. The sound, small as it was, filled the empty air. She looked back, genuinely confused by his reaction. She'd never heard him laugh before. He was even smiling, apparently very amused by her question. It was a strange sight, but not unwelcome. He had a deep laugh, quiet as his voice. She found her lip curling up despite herself. She had to admit, she liked the sound. I have been spending far too much time alone in this place.

He answered her question with a wave of his hand, unveiling the candles in the room. Cisa blinked to adjust her eyes to the sudden change in light. Silhouettes she'd grown used to grew detailed before her eyes and for a moment she could see the wizard's face once more. Only it felt different this time. Now she could put a name with his face. Knowing even just that small detail made it easier see the man standing before her. As odd as it was to say about a wizard, Sephanir was an attractive man. More importantly, he was human. Her gaze was drawn to his eyes as he spoke. The glow was still there, but the light allowed her to see that the left was noticeably dimmer, almost clouded over. When he closed it to protect against the light, it all but confirmed her suspicions.

It was her turn to laugh. Just a soft giggle, to follow his revelation. "I have been here too long. That actually makes sense." She understood now, why the castle was always engulfed in shadows. Sephanir needed them to see. She picked the bowl of stew up once more, her features softening as the light faded away. She busied herself stirring the food around. "How did you injury your eye?"

 

[Saren]

Her second question was unexpected. Only some of the Wizards knew that he was even blind in one eye, and even fewer asked how he'd come by the injury. It had been a long time ago, but it was a memory that surfaced every time he thought lowly of himself. He thought of what he could see if he had use of both his eyes rather than just one, if he would be afraid of the light if he could truly see it in all it's shining glory. They were thoughts he would never get answers to, and sometimes, he'd learned to move past the infuriating disability. His left eye still worked well enough in complete darkness, but it pained him to see light. He truly felt blind if there were even hints of brightness around him.

But she wasn't asking to mock him. Her laugh had seen to that. She wanted to know about him, as closed off as he'd been. He hadn't been the best of hosts to her, but she tried hard to make the both of them comfortable. She had even taught herself better cooking techniques so neither of them suffered on bread and water for too long. And what have you done for her? Asked her to repair a broken blade? his inner self taunted. He couldn't deny the thoughts. There was too much truth in them.

So the Dark Wizard indulged the question. "Ten years ago, my master, Malkore, passed away. He left me with this place and everything he had taught me. It had only been us in this castle for a very long time, but for all the years we spent with one another, I did not tell him of my other magic." A flicker of lightning ignited along his fingertips, the magic blinking along his facial features. "It is rare for a Wizard to possess two types of magic, and I thought that if he knew I could produce lightning, he would not want me. Because of this, I was never trained to control it. For all my knowledge, this magic had eluded me. I was alone the first time I tried to tame the lightning, but instead, it conquered me. I fought it, and it won the battle and left me with this." The crackling lightning faded as he motioned to his blind eye. "Since then, I have taken great care to learn how to use it, but it is very dangerous. To use it too often would result in death, I'm sure, though I've not reached that point yet."

He hadn't meant to say so much, but it was necessary to understanding just how he'd blinded himself. Pyri knew the story, but only because she'd prodded him into telling her. For some reason, he felt comfortable telling Cisa the tale. Perhaps it was because she knew the pain of potential rejection, just as he had feared all those years ago.

 

[Tinder]

The sparks lit up the room once more. Cisa stared wide-eyed as Sephanir let the magic dance across his fingertips. He had control over lightening? Her mind went back to that day in the forge when he had lit the fire. That did explain where those sparks came from. Yet whole story sounded impossible. It was difficult enough to believe that the Wizards were not the immortal beings she'd grown up believing them to be. Many of the common people believed the same. Yet as Sephanir said, his master, the Dark Wizard many in the area had known, died a decade ago. No one knew, but she supposed there was little reason to tell them. Sephanir's master had been as elusive as he was. If that weren't enough, she had to puzzle out how he managed to control both darkness and lightening. Light was his weakness and yet he could control at least a part of it. She could find no logic in that.

And yet she could not bring her mind to linger on these questions for long. She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling the rough edges of the scar hidden beneath her hair. Afraid of being dumped out on the street, huh? She smiled to herself, her eyes unfocused as the old melody played through her mind. It brought the familiar ache with it; the pain she thought she'd buried.

Her gaze returned to his from the bowl. She felt none of the fear that had once been there. She understood now and despite their thousand differences, she felt a connection. "That must have been hard," she replied, trying to sound somewhat optimistic, "I don't know much about magic, but learning it without a teacher must have been quite the challenge." It was really extraordinary to think that Sephanir was skilled enough to teach himself, even if it had been a failure at first. Cisa owed all of her skills to her family. Had Aden and Sofia not taken it upon themselves to give her skills to help around their home, she might not have had anything to give to Sephanir in exchange for her life.

She ate a small bite of stew, chewing slowly to give herself a moment to think. So many more questions popped into her mind, but she didn't want to overwhelm him. He'd given her more than she'd expected already. "Does the lightening help you do your job at all?" she asked, turning back to Sephanir, "Cromdali sort of explained what you all do. As Wizards, I mean. You're supposed to help bring darkness to the places that need it, right? So is your lightening magic just a fluke?"

Her rational mind knew she ought to fear the unstable magic. Sephanir had openly admitted he did not have perfect control over it, yet she still felt safe. Perhaps it was Cromdali's assurances or all time she'd already spent with Sephanir, but whatever the reason she did not fear his magic as she once had. He'd never given her a reason to. He was control even when angered. She still thought it was a bit ridiculously how much he relied on it, but that was a topic for another time.

 

[Saren]

Sephanir watched her. It wasn't really something he'd spent time doing, but as his yellow eyes observed her motions, he found her... not as fearful as she'd once been. She was brave enough to ask about him and his power, and she wasn't afraid of the answer. The anger he'd once displayed at her arrival had long since dissipated from his thoughts. Now, he didn't mind her presence. Since her entry, she hadn't broken anything and had repaired his sword to boot. She'd cleaned the place with Cromdali's help, and she hadn't tried to leave a single time. And now, she was engaging him in a conversation that actually interested him.

"It was," he answered, noting her movement to her neck. She'd not been forthcoming about her past, and that was okay. He was only now beginning to open up to her, and even in that moment, he wasn't saying anything that some of the other Wizards didn't know. They had known Malkore had died, though no one seemed to know how. That was still a mystery, but it was not something Sephanir wanted to pursue. There were many things he didn't know about Malkore, and he preferred to keep it that way.

She fell silent again, and he took the opportunity to finish off his stew. As much as Cisa had improved, there were still some bland moments. He would need more spices from the caravan if he wanted any sort of savory meals soon. As Cisa spoke up again, he paused in his eating. "It's not a... fluke." He said the word flatly, as if he wasn't amused by the thought. "It's just... a blessing and a curse. There are only some document Wizards with the power to control two elements, particularly those that are so different. To answer your question, no, it doesn't. It's an offensive type of magic. It has the desire to harm rather than to help, which is why I rarely use it unless I am testing something." He finished off his stew, setting the bowl away from his papers as he stood. He flipped open the massive book again, turning pages backwards until he found what he was looking for. The drawings were of a man holding a ball of lightning as well as various types of storm clouds.

"Magic is not something anyone can fully understand. It is an enormous subject that would take many years to even scratch at. Because of my differing types, I have spent many years trying to figure out why I possess them. Not even the entirety of the magic language has been documented except for what I have written. Everything I know is in here." He rested his hand on the page. It was the only book of its kind as far as he knew, and there was just one copy. Sephanir would lose his entire life's work if the book was destroyed, which explained why he put so much effort into protecting it.

 

[Tinder]

Cisa set her bowl down again and followed as Sephanir flipped through the pages. She was careful to maintain her distance, but she walked close enough to see what was written there. The way he hovered over the book was like a mother with a newborn. She had to admit, she was curious to see what he felt the need to guard so closely. Judging from the picture on the page, these were the experiments he was referring to. The little men drawn on the page looked impressive, like the illuminations in the books that Joanne learned to read from. But this book larger than of her stepsister's books had ever been. To think Sephanir had filled so many of these pages. Where would one even begin to read such a tome? "Wow," she whispered, eyes glued to the page, "You must know quite a bit."

His little lesson was interesting as well. There was a difference between offensive magic and helpful magic. Cisa crossed her arms, examining the Wizard's silhouette. She hadn't meant to offend him, though calling the magic a fluke may have sounded crueler that she'd meant it to. Hearing him describe his experience helped her to understand the situation. It was a defense, like any other creature in nature. The Wizards could die, as she now knew so naturally they would need ways to defend themselves. Judging by Sephanir's attitude toward the ordinary, magic was likely their major focus and strongest skill. Perhaps Sephanir's ability to control lightening had appeared to give him a way to stay safe even when he was in the light.

She turned away and walked back to finish her food. All she could do was speculate. Magic was far beyond her comprehension. The Wizards themselves didn't even know everything apparently. She'd always assumed the Wizards were infallible. How could anyone with so much power not be? Most people in her village claimed that the Wizards' abilities came from the gods, the unseen embodiments of nature. Many in the bigger cities had begun dismissing the old belief as superstition, instead saying the Wizards themselves were gods. Perhaps they found it difficult to believe in invisible forces when those forces could physically walk among them. Sofia, who had always been devoted to her own way of thinking, refused to believe in any of it. She said nature was nothing more than it appeared to be and the Wizards were a perversion of nature. Aden had always preferred the old ways he'd grown up with, leaving Cisa unsure who to believe. Having met two Wizards now, she was even more confused.

What she was sure of was that she'd had enough confusion for one day. She set her empty bowl down, taking a deep breath. "Well I should get back to work. I haven't been very productive the past few days with Cromdali around." Not that she was complaining. Despite the inconveniences, she would miss the energetic Wizard. It was almost like having Joanne around again. She walked over and found Sephanir's bowl, filling it with what was left of the stew. She shot him an almost playing smile, "It can't be healthy for a man your age to eat so little." She grabbed her bowl and dropped it into the pot, making her way toward the door. She paused, hand on the doorknob. Her heart began to beat a little faster. She pulled the door opened, calling back to the Wizard casually as she could manage, "See you tomorrow…Sephanir." The door closed behind her and in seconds she was in the kitchen, a slight smile playing on her lips.

 

[Saren]

At her comment, he only offered a nod. Not everything in the book was purely his work. Malkore had left a lot behind in the form of notes, experiments, and anything else Sephanir could find. Though Sephanir had been the one to write every single thing inside the pages, it had never been truly blank. His master had provided him with knowledge, even if it hadn't been apparent at first. Cisa seemed to understand the importance of the book even more now, and she was competent enough to know not to damage it. She would be careful, just as she'd always been.

Sephanir turned to the pages again, abandoning his stew, even if he did find it tasty. His eyes scanned the pages, searching for mistakes. He shouldn't have, given that he would only beat himself up for such a thing. The manuscript couldn't be recreated so easily, and if he spotted anything wrong with it, he'd hate himself.

Luckily, a distraction came in the form of Cisa. She had grabbed his bowl, dumping the last of the food into it. She was scolding him, and he could have done the same for her since she had been shirking the duties she'd set for herself, but he remained silent. He picked up the bowl as she walked toward the portal, only looking up as she spoke again before vanishing.

"...I'll see you tomorrow, Cisa," he said to the empty air. He hadn't minded the way she said his name.

----

The next week seemed to pass quickly. Perhaps it was the new company he found himself. Cisa visited him more often; she seemed to be completely over her fear of his magic. Though he'd told her he didn't have perfect control over the lightning, she hadn't minded all that much. She seemed content to sit and listen to him talk more about magic when he offered the explanations to her. There were no more visits from the Wizards, though Cromdali had assured him she'd reached home after a few days of traveling. She and Cisa really seemed to have bonded over those few short days, and that fact was driven home simply from Cromdali's absence. The castle had lost what little jovial mood it had, but it had also seemed to start something in Cisa that made her come to his room more often.

That morning was supposed to be the day the supply caravan arrived. Sephanir had already prepared the store room for easy access for the food he would get, and it had given him an opportunity to get rid of a few things that were rotting. He hadn't gone to the store room in ages, but he made sure that the few torches in the room were always lit for Cisa whenever she needed to. Still, it was difficult to see inside the room from the lack of windows or any natural light. Sephanir was right at home, but he'd tried to accommodate Cisa. He couldn't help the fact that there was always a coolness to the air, since he didn't like the idea of setting fire to his food stores. She'd been able to cook plenty of meals for the both of them over the week, but he was running short on spices, which was becoming an issue.

Sephanir had gone outside - a rare feat indeed - to meet with the supply runner to ensure he got all the right items. He had opened the back door to the store room for easy access, carrying things in and out of the room, allowing Cisa to freely look inside whatever he brought in. He also managed to acquire several large pieces of fabric in case Cromdali decided to return. She would eventually, seeing as she hadn't gotten the proper view of his forest, as she called it.

Cromdali was the farthest thing from his mind as he carried in the remaining crates, the contents bouncing inside. It was fruit from another city that had a particularly plentiful bounty that season, and it made sense, since Cromdali lived in the same area as the fruit. Her excitement always made for good harvest.

 

[Tinder]

With Cromdali's departure, life within the castle resumed its usual paces. Cisa kept herself busy dividing her time between the daily meals and furthering her never ending quest of cleaning. Cooking was not nearly as difficult as it had been, even with her experimentations. Cleaning was becoming her primary pain. Near the end of the week, she'd completed nearly all the rooms surrounding her own, including scrubbing, organizing and repairing each one. The hall itself was her current target, which thankfully involved less organizing. She still hesitated when she had to dig through the piles of junk in each room. Even Sephanir's assurance that there was nothing valuable left within them could not put her completely at ease. She had also begun to realize that upkeep would be needed to keep her work from collapsing in on itself. Suddenly, eleven years did not feel like enough time to complete her task.

It was during one of her return cleaning trips within her room that she ran across a surprise. A dress hanging in the closet with a note pinned to it. She could hardly believe her eyes when she saw it. She could tell from a glance that it was Cromdali's work. When had she had time for such a project? Her eyes had darted to the dark corners of her room for a moment, taking a moment to return to her door and close it. Trying it on only seemed polite; Cromdali had gone through the trouble of making. It was a simple sleeveless dress made from the same burnt orange material as her shawl. A thin, brown ribbon was tied around the waist. She'd walked over to the mirror and examined herself. It flattered the curves she never took the time to notice, almost making her look feminine. She didn't due the dress justice, but she was grateful for it. She put it back into the closet, keep it hidden. There was not likely to be a good reason for to wear it, but she appreciated the thought. There was also the issue of the note that had accompanied it. She couldn't read it. She'd tried repeatedly to use her limited understanding of letters to make out the message, but nothing helped. Asking Sephanir had crossed her mind. It would be a simple task for him. That meant admitting to her ignorance to him. With his love of learning, she had no doubt that he would be disappointed. She already felt like an ignorant fool most of the time when they spoke. That would only get worse if she told him her secret. Ultimately she decided to leave the note and wait for another opportunity to speak with Cromdali. She would understand.

The day the supply caravan arrived, Cisa appeared to help carry the supplies into the castle. She'd tied her shawl around her waist to give herself free use of her hands. Her hair was pulled back as well in a loose ponytail, tamed now that she had begun to use a proper brush. Though Sephanir had things well in hand, Cisa insisted on doing more than standing around watching. She went to work organizing the room, checking in all the previous container to see what food was still fit for use and what needed to be thrown. Once the previous stores were cleansed, she started to group the items for her own use in the kitchen.

She was going through a few barrels near the back of the room, finding fish preserved in a brine that which she could use. Maybe sometime soon to change their meals up a bit. She lifted the barrel partially to bring it somewhere closer to the front.

A black streak shot out from beneath it.

She jumped back reflectively. Sephanir hadn't mentioned anything about traps in this room. She must have triggered something however. She stood frozen in place, waiting for…something. A few moments passed. The room remained unchanged. She breathed out, straightening up when she realized there was no danger. Then she looked down.

There were few creatures that lived in the surrounding forest that the villagers bothered to talk about. Bears and wolves never ventured beyond the forest, and the other creatures were more or less harmless. There had one, however, that Aden had warned her about explicitly. A snake, black in color so that it barely stood out in the shadows, relatively small but with an unmistakable black mouth. Deadly as it as quick. No one had ever survived it bite.

Her mouth went dry. She hadn't expected to see one in the home of a wizard. Logic told her to run. Unfortunately the snake was between her and the door. Food stores were piled up on either side of them. She would never be fast enough to run past it. She needed a weapon. With her eyes glued to the creature, she reached over to her right slowly and felt around for a blunt instrument. Any sudden movement or loud noise and she would be dead. Her hand closed around a large squash. Not the most effective weapon, but with enough force aimed at the head, she might be able to kill it. There would be no room for error. One wrong move and it would be on its merry way while she died slowly. A gamble, but she had no other options.

 

[Saren]

Sephanir hadn't minded Cisa's help. Physically, he was just as strong as he was, perhaps even stronger due to her work in the forge. She was more than capable of carrying the boxes into the kitchen, and together, they were able to complete the task at hand. He was quiet while he passed boxes to her, concentrating on making sure he had the right food. With Cisa here, she was more likely to cook the items that would have spoiled if he'd been alone. He'd wasted a lot of food in favor of eating something quick more often than not, but Cisa seemed determined to get food in his system. He couldn't really say he minded that, since she made sure he ate if he forgot. She was proving to be more helpful than he'd thought, but it wasn't something he would say out loud to her.

As he was bringing one of the few remaining boxes into the store room, he felt a strange presence. It was familiar, but it wasn't one he'd felt in some time. He felt it coming from deeper inside the store room, and with the shadows, he saw Cisa in a rather odd position. She was holding a squash of all things, but it wasn't for cooking purposes. She was focused on something on the ground, which was where the familiar presence sat.

And in that moment, he finally remembered that there was another patron living in the house. He'd stopped coming around as much after Malkore's death, or so Sephanir had thought.

The Dark Wizard let go of his box, jumping forward to catch Cisa's arms as she raised them for the killing blow. His fingers wrapped around her wrists, and his skin was cooler than the average person's skin might have been. He seemed a little too calm about the entire situation, considering there was a deadly creature poised to defend itself from Cisa's (rather pitiful) attempt to kill it. Perhaps to the surprise of his servant, Sephanir did not address her directly. Instead, the yellow eyes peered down at the snake.

"Scalesworth, irrui fen rleca," he scolded. "Irrui rhuirn fa laisa du uis riard." He spoke over Cisa's head, watching the snake tilt its head from side to side, as if it was listening. It slithered forward then, but it was in a leisurely way, as if it didn't care about its safety anymore. It traveled along Sephanir's boot and up onto his knee, but he didn't panic. Releasing Cisa's wrists, he pried the snake from his limb and held it so it was at eye level. "Lu nusa hainailr ail dha lluun." The snake bobbed its head in understanding before it slithered up his arm and coiled into a scaly pile on his shoulder.

Sephanir finally looked at Cisa then, but there was the hint of a smile on his face. Of all the expressions he could have chosen, he picked an almost joking look. "I apologize. Scalesworth is not here to harm you. He was Malkore's familiar, but since his passing, he's not been around here as much. I neglected to warn you about him though, and I'm sorry."

The black snake known as Scalesworth turned his gaze on Cisa, glittering eyes almost smug, as if he was proud of the fact that he'd frightened her with only a few harsh words as punishment. "And before you ask, yes, I did name him, though I was a child when Malkore first acquired him. You're free to laugh if you wish. Malkore certainly did when he found out."

~

Scalesworth, irrui fen rleca = Scalesworth, you bad snake
Irrui rhuirn fa laisa du uis riard = You should be nice to our guest
Lu nusa hainailr ail dha lluun = No more hiding in the food

 

[Tinder]

Just breath, Cisa told herself as she raised the vegetable, grasping it with both hands to put her full force behind the blow. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, causing ever muscle in her body to grow tense. Her eyes remained trained on the snake, staring it down. She hesitated a moment when she had the vegetable high enough in the air. Time froze as she steeled her nerves.

Suddenly something cold closed around her wrists, stopping her hands in midair. She flinched at the sudden contact, the squash falling harmlessly to the side. She looked back, shocked to see it was Sephanir who held her. The touch of a Wizard is as good as the gods' damnation. His grip was gentle yet firm, just enough force to stop her. Her eyes flew to his, asking the question she could not voice. Why did you stop me? Her body remained locked by her fight-or-flight instinct. He had to have a plan. He never did anything without reason.

Oddly enough, he hardly spared her a glance. Instead he spoke to his snake, using that same melodic language of magic she'd heard him use before. Her eyes darted between the two. What the hell was going on? Whatever he said, the snake seemed to accept it. She watched the creature as it shook its head in response. Her eyebrows drew together. He could talk to animals now. That made sense.

Then the snake slithered forward. Cisa took a step back, held in place only by Sephanir's grip. He remained still, even as the snake began to slither up his leg. She followed its movements closely, keeping still as a rock as it work its way up to his knee. When Sephanir released her, Cisa took a step back, watching the pair in wide-eyed confusion. Sephanir had picked up the snake. He was holding a creature that could kill a grown man with one bite like it was a puppy. He said something in his magical language again and then allowed it to climb up to his shoulder.

And now he was laughing about it. Not openly, but his smirk said enough. She was quiet for a few moments, processing his response. Scalesworth. The snake had a cute name. She put a hand over her face with a groan, wrapping her free arm around her abdomen.

"Familiar?" She removed her hand from her face and held it up as she shot him a glare, "Why would you keep a poisonous animal as a pet? That makes no sense. Gods!" She turned away from him, running a hand through her hair as the other went to her hip. She had seen many odd things in her time with Sephanir, some amazing and others unbelievable. Keeping the most deadly animal that she knew of as a pet was the most insane thing she'd heard yet. She spun back to face him, dropping her arms to her sides, "Do Wizards go out of their way to avoid common sense? Or do you all naturally lack it?"

 

[Saren]

Admittedly, Sephanir almost expected a calm response from her. She'd been unperturbed by many of the magic things that had occurred around his home. She had even grown used to the portals, using them with ease to travel the castle in just a few short seconds. She'd accepted his lightning magic for what it was, bonded with the Earth Wizard, and fixed his magical sword. For all she'd seen, Cisa had more or less accepted it with a cool sense of calm.

Except for now.

She looked between the Wizard and his familiar before she threw her hand over her face and huffed in exasperation. Was there anger? He'd normally been able to read her, but now, she was masking the worst of her emotions. She asked several questions all at once, and if he'd opened his mouth to answer, his lips closed whenever a new question arrived. The serene way she'd accepted everything else had been replaced with a frustration that he couldn't explain. She had turned away, and while her back was turned, Sephanir exchanged glances with the snake. Scalesworth flicked his tail, uncaring of the situation now. He wasn't in danger, so the irritated girl who tried to kill him was no longer his problem. The snake couldn't even understand her words, but he knew enough about humans to know when he didn't care about them.

Cisa wheeled back around, going as far as to insult his intelligence. Sephanir frowned, the smirk vanishing. "Scalesworth is not a pet," he replied, finally able to speak. "A familiar is different. I do not have to care for him as I would a pet, nor would I allow him to roam as he does. He's been influenced by my master's magic in a way that makes him smarter than many other animals. It also means that he won't attack me. The same can be said for Cromdali's little fox, Scout." Sephanir had seen the magic that coated Scout's fur when Cromdali had first arrived, and with how she'd rescued him, he was sure the little creature was going to stick around for some time.

He leaned back on one foot, crossing his arms. "And many of us aren't used to having someone around who doesn't understand our ways. I've apologized for not warning you about him. Scalesworth hasn't been in the castle for some time now, and if he has, he's been hiding from me. Perhaps he saw you and wanted to investigate. I don't really know. Though he understands me, he's still just a snake."

 

[Tinder]

"A poisonous snake that could kill someone with one bite," Cisa fired back, taking step to the side again. The snake could be a bloody genius, but it would still be dangerous. Comparing him to Scout, a fox and a baby at that, was as fitting as comparing a puppy with a wolf. A nip from a fox was painful but livable. One from the snake and she would have been dead, self-defense or no. She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. Every time she thought she understood magic, something else came along that made even less sense. Magical objects, balancing nature and now magical animals. She tried to knit the information together in her mind, to link it to what she knew. But it was like piecing together a giant puzzle, one with pieces that could kill her.

She breathed out slowly, dropping her hand away from her face. Sephanir wouldn't understand that. Magic was natural to him as breathing and from the brief time she had spent in his home, she knew that empathizing with others was not his strong suit. Complaining about the snake would only frustrate him and exhaust her.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm overreacting." Her voice had lost its edge. Her anger drained away with her adrenaline. She had been spooked by her supposed the encounter more than she would admit. Sephanir had no reason to worry. The snake wouldn't bother him and she was… She brushed a stray hair back from her face. While he had made it clear he did not intend to harm her, she did nothing to contribute to his magical research and was only around to pay a debt. He probably would have appreciated the solitude.

She turned to face him again, "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for him in the future. Hopefully we can coexist peacefully." Maybe the snake would go away again or at least leave her be. So long as she knew he was supposed to be in the castle, she wouldn't touch him.

 

[Saren]

It took him a moment to realize why she was upset. Though he'd explained the difference between a regular animal and a familiar, Scalesworth was still dangerous. He was much smaller than the average for his kind, but he could still kill just as quickly. While Scalesworth had not come around in some time, Cisa could have been severely injured if Sephanir hadn't been there. She had feared for her life, and he'd brushed it off like it had been nothing. He'd known the snake for far longer than she had, but he was still an animal, one that would fight back if he felt threatened. The frustration drained from him, tension releasing his fists into loose hands once more. Scalesworth still sat upon his shoulder, tongue flickering in and out of his mouth. As he opened his mouth to apologize, Cisa beat him to it. It was too dark for her to see him close his mouth and watch her as she looked to him once more.

"He will not harm you," the Dark Wizard reassured, but it didn't seem to matter about what he said. "He will likely leave you alone, provided you don't touch his hiding places. Even if you disturb him, he knows you are not a danger to him." He glanced over to the snake, but Scalesworth was already bored with the encounter. He slipped his hand under the scaly body, bright eyes watching the snake. "Ba cailn eln nu lud hesn has. Sha air lud e llua," he said to the snake. Scalesworth simply flicked his tongue, and Sephanir set him on a high shelf where he slithered off to hide somewhere else.

With the snake gone, the man ran a hand through his hair and turned to one of the boxes. It would be best if they could just forget the entire encounter, but he had learned something out of it. "Have you had the opportunity to look inside the boxes? I'm afraid I'm not so good at picking flavors, but the caravan owner has provided you with more spices than before. You shouldn't run out before he is able to return."

~

Ba cailn eln nu lud hesn has. Sha air lud e llua. = Be kind and do not harm her. She is not a foe.

 

[Tinder]

"Right," Cisa replied quietly, watching Sephanir as he spoke to the snake. Even now, she found herself distracted by his magical language. Perhaps it was a touch of jealousy. She had a loose grasp of the common tongue at best with next to no understanding of written words. Sephanir had mastered both forms of both languages. Her eyes followed the snake as it slithered off into the darkness, returning to Sephanir after the creature had gone. He was more intelligent that she could ever hope to be. You need to stop comparing yourself to a Wizard, she scolded herself, no one in the world would be able measure up to that standard. Other than another Wizard. Still…what she would give for even a small portion of his skill.

With the snake gone, an uncomfortable silence settled into the room. Cisa had no idea what to say next. She felt foolish for reacting so violently to Scalesworth, yet she stood by her point. Poisonous snakes were not meant to be kept near humans. Mentioning either point would only drag out the situation and she had no interest in drawing out a conflict with Sephanir. Arguing with a wall would have been a more effective use of her time. And it would result in fewer threats of vaporization, she was sure.

Thankfully he chose to change the subject. She glanced around at the boxes nearest to her and shrugged, "I had been trying to organize though I didn't see everything that was brought in. There's more than enough food here to last and plenty of spices." She walked forward and pulled the lid off of one box to see what it held, unable to read any of the markings on the outside. It was filled with garlic and cloves, both she'd found to be useful in the past. She sealed it again with a forced smile. "Honestly, my family never had so much variety. Half of this food I'm never seen, let alone eaten. You really are fortunate to have so much." Not that her family had starved, but their usual diet was much less extravagant. Wild game was their usual meat with the occasional roast fowl on special occasions usually accompanied by whatever assortment of root vegetables they happened to have on hand. To be able to choose from so many different foods and then be able to season them with so many different flavors had been something to get used to.

 

[Saren]

Fortune was not a thing he would have thought in his favor, given his past. But Cisa had just as hard a life as he did, but where she had only average blacksmith skills to show for it, he was a Wizard who had all but mastered his craft. Not only could he warp even far away shadows, he could speak in the forgotten language of magic, a feat only the most ancient of Wizards could perform. The Time and Space Wizards, if they ever bothered with such low people like himself, might have even been impressed. Zaphalore had told him once before what they were like, but he only remembered that she warned him never to get any ideas on what they could do, for they were the most unpredictable of all the Wizards.

But the Wizards were cast from his mind as he watched Cisa move about the food. She seemed to forget that she would be partaking in all the meals she made for him, so she would be able to eat just as well as he did. He straightened up, yellow eyes observing her in the dim lighting. After the caravan master had left, the lights had flickered low once more, but he knew Cisa was getting used to it. She was easily navigating the portals and finding her way around even when it was dark. In terms of her contract, she hadn't been with him long, but she was helpful. Not a thing he could admit out loud, but it felt nice to say in his head.

She was certainly stronger than him, that was for sure. Where he was winded from lifting boxes of food, Cisa had carried almost twice as much in order to do her part. He hadn't even thanked her for her work, as Scalesworth had picked an inopportune moment to pop.

"You'll learn what it all is with time. Not every box has a label, but I could write you some if you cannot identify all the food. For now, we should pick something to eat." Sephanir pushed a few of the boxes into corners, clearing space so she could walk out. However, as he did, he stepped in something damp. There were pipes in various corners that allowed water to magically flow up into the bathing rooms and the pumps. It was a free courtesy of the Water Wizard, though the man had made a big show of it when he'd been here. The pipes had done their job... until now it seemed. Water was leaking from cracks, and the cracks weren't limited to one spot.

"Dammit," he huffed, pressing one hand to the cold pipe. Sure enough, there was a steady drip of water pushing out from the crack. The pipes had been free of issues for years, so it had only been a matter of time before one broke out. "You decide what you want to make. I must contact the Water Wizard, or this will cause more issues."

 

[Tinder]

Cisa glanced at the bit of paper attached to the boxes, biting her lip as she stared at the markings again. "There's no need to trouble yourself," she muttered, hoping to put it all out of his mind. Letters never failed to come up. She watched at Sephanir from behind, masking her attention by shifting through the boxes again. He might already know. If he did… What? She glared down at her hands. What did it matter if he knew? She had a debt to pay. His opinion of her meant nothing.

But it did. She walked back to the casks she'd been moving. She wanted to be useful. It would be a long eleven years working here with Sephanir. He considered his time valuable. She remembered how silent that first week had been. She couldn't take eleven years of that. If she admitted that she was uneducated… He might give me the silent treatment indefinitely.

Sephanir's sudden curse drew her back to reality. She glanced over, finding the pipes on the wall and accompanying cramp. She had to agree with him, that crack looked bad. The leaking water would not be good for the supplies they'd moved in. She'd need to move the dry goods out of the way for now, maybe bring a bucket to catch some of it. She started in on the task, moving some of the boxes away from the pipes and stacking them carefully.

"I'll take care it," she replied to Sephanir's comment, already planning to retrieve the barrel of fish once she'd made an attempt to deal with the leaks. Her mind quieted as she worked, a soft humming accompanying her work as usual. Sofia had made a soup from fish once. If Cisa could recall the recipe that would suffice for tonight.

 

[Saren]

Cisa was certainly capable. She was already pushing a box toward the leaky pipe, and he stepped out of her way to give her more space. Before he could think about it, she was assuring him that everything was under control, leaving him free to do his work once more. He opened a new portal from the kitchen to the store room, ensuring that Cisa didn't need to open doors or worry about carrying heavy boxes long distances. She had been nothing but helpful to him, barring her previous altercation with Scalesworth, and now it was his turn to help her.

"Thank you," he said. It was one of the few times he'd thanked her for anything, but he felt it was in order. She'd done most of the heavy lifting for him on top of dealing with the addition of the snake in a decent way. She was deserving of the thanks at the very least. With his words behind him, Sephanir stepped out the door, only moving back to the kitchen for the quick shortcut back to his room. He had a lot to do, considering he now had to summon the one Wizard who was very different.

-

A week had passed since the caravan came, and the days had proven just as quiet as before. Cisa made his meals and took her own in his room, though she sparingly asked him questions. Her company had become more of a pleasure than a nuisance, something he'd found strange. Not bad, but certainly strange. He didn't enjoy having others tramping around his home, but Cisa took care of everything she used or even just touched. She never disturbed anything in his work place, only giving him food whenever he needed it. It was odd to have a worker, and given that he'd sentenced her to eleven years of service, it would continue to be odd for some time.

Where Cisa was gentle with his home, the Water Wizard arrived in a rushing wave. Unlike Cromdali, the Water Wizard simply walked in, dripping water on the old carpets lining the halls. He was barefoot, leaving damp and dusty footprints all over the floors. Sephanir sensed his presence, though part of him wished he'd kept a shadowy trap ready just for his arrival. Before the Water Wizard could ruin anything else, Sephanir stepped through a portal, stopping in front of him.

"There's the brooding Wizard I know and love!" Despite being a few inches shorter, he swept an arm over Sephanir's shoulders, and he felt cold water sink into the fabric of his robes. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, and with good reason. You have a habit of bringing saltwater with you wherever you go." Sephanir plucked the Water Wizard's arm from his shoulder, dropping it without warning back to his side.

"Perks of living next to the ocean. And you bring darkness with you wherever you go, so it's not just me." He smiled and Sephanir frowned.

"It helps me see." The Wizards knew of Sephanir's old injury, though he'd known their information had come from Pyri. Perhaps it was better that they knew, though they'd never treated him any differently because of it. "I didn't bring you here to chat."

"I know, I know," the Water Wizard flipped his hand as they started to walk, "but chatting is fun! You should try it sometime. Cromdali told me that you've got a human working for you now. How'd you wrangle her into your little shadowy castle?" A full two seconds passed, and he took Sephanir's silence as an affirmative to keep talking. "I heard she's pretty too. Cromdali told me all about the clothes she made her."

Sephanir had been in the process of creating a portal into the store room, and he was only halfway up the wall before he stopped. The shadows opened up anyway, creating a portal barely big enough for a cat. His voice still carried into the room as he said, "You will not be flirting with my helper. Do you understand? You're here to fix the problem and that's all."

The Water Wizard blinked before he grinned. "I'm sensing something here, Seph." The Dark Wizard was already turning away, opening up the rest of the portal high enough to fit them both. "Most people call it--" Sephanir reached around, shoving him through the portal before he could finish his statement. He was in no mood to listen to the Water Wizard's charms.