Chapter 3

“Come in” I call, hearing Ernand’s familiar knock on the door. “You missed some excitement this morning, but hopefully some good came from it.”

“What happened? Is it responsible for the miracle I passed coming back from town?” he said, “Something actually managed to pull Lynn away from her books.”

“After you dropped off Lynn’s birthday cake this morning, my morning walk was interrupted by students yelling. I walked in and Lynn was backed into the corner with Anaril yelling at her.” He frowns and says “Let me guess. Baadar manipulated Anaril into a fury and sent her after Lynn.”

I say, “That’s it in a nutshell, but it actually worked out in our favor.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I casted Replay, and Anaril saw herself. I pointed out that if you are a tool in someone else’s hand, your enemies will have no reason to fear you. Instead of getting angry, she listened. Then she apologized, and when I left she was inviting Lynn and Hodlin to come to town with her. I believe it was sincere.”

Edmond says, “That’s wonderful news. When Anaril isn’t acting like a belligerent fool, she can be insightful. Once she learns to stop being an easily manipulated tool, and learns to control her temper, she will be a real asset to the school.”

Looking at Edmond I say “You promised to keep me up to date on Lynn’s progress. But from what I saw today, she has made amazing progress I don’t know about.”

He takes a deep breath and says “I’ve been putting it off. Shielding her from discovery and giving you a few more months of peaceful dreams.”

“She is my impossible student. She is quiet in class, and doesn’t ask many questions, but when she does speak up, I often don’t even fully understand the question! I feel more like a sounding board for her brilliance than a teacher. Thinking about how powerful she will be in a few more years is more than a little scary. I met Iachesis once, and she reminds me of him. They both understand magic at a level I can’t even comprehend.”

Stunned, I stare, but he isn’t joking. “Her enchanting mastery exam?” I ask. Shaking his head, he says “She doesn’t want to take it yet. Her schooling in enchantments ends when she passes it, and she wants to keep learning under me. It’s flattering, but she is already better at enchanting that I will ever be.”

“I need to think about this. Don’t let anyone else know about her, and don’t even bring it up with me again, unless we are in my shielded rooms.” I respond. He nods and leaves. Closing the door quietly. She must be guided. When it comes to magic, knowledge is power and it’s my responsibility to make sure that she makes this world a better place. Or, failing that, I must make sure she doesn’t destroy it.