Chapter 1

“Why do you have to take this trip at all?” asked Celia.

“Headmother Larissa has acquired the notion that the Order ‘needs to be more visible in the outlying villages’,” said Isobel, doing a passable imitation of the chief mage. “I have been assigned to Harburg for several years now, and it is time for another visit. I will only be gone for a few weeks.”

“A few weeks?!”

“Yes, more or less. It depends on what sort of aid the villagers need, and how many disagreements they have been saving up for my visit. However, one thing seems to be consistent: Harburg is on the edge of the Red Forest, and the village must defend itself from the occasional goblin raid. I am sometimes called upon to negotiate with them.”

“That sounds awfully dangerous, going all the way out to the Red Forest. Aren’t you worried?”

“Do you think I am incapable of defending myself against a few roadside bandits? Or a party of goblin skirmishers?”

“No, Sister,” said Celia, embarrassed. “Of course not.”

“This will not be my first brush with this particular goblin tribe, and I happen to know that they respond quite well to a certain brand of diplomacy.” Isobel waved her hand, throwing sparks into the air.

Celia snorted. “Yes, I’m familiar with your preferred mode of ‘diplomacy’. You’re always less stressed out after you return from Harburg, and I don’t think it’s because you enjoy traveling on horseback that much.”

“Traveling on horseback is perfectly pleasant.”

“Not that pleasant. You’re not as inscrutable as you think, Sister.”

Isobel glared at Celia in some annoyance. “I presume that is because you have been applying yourself to your lessons. Otherwise, it would seem that I have been slipping to an unacceptable degree.”

“I promise I won’t tell your peers while you’re away.”

“See that you don’t.”

Together, teacher and student walked to the Omnipresence Room, a consecrated space that made it easier to travel via teleportation to various important places around the city.

“Your concern is commendable but misplaced, Celia. The Queen insists on sending an armed escort with us when we make these visitations, and I believe that I have been assigned a ‘promising young member’ of her Guard. In fact, if you take proper care of the laboratory while I’m gone, perhaps I will introduce you to him. I believe you could use some stress relief, yourself.”

“Sister!” Celia yelled, blushing.

“No? As you wish,” Isobel said flatly, taking her travel case from her student’s hand. She knew Celia was perfectly capable of finding her own outlets, but either she was very bad at recognizing when she ought to, or very good at hiding it when she did.

Isobel waved her hand over the call stone in the center of the room, causing it to glow brightly with energy. “Do be careful when you’re tending to the plants, mm? I’d hate to come back to find the workshop overrun. Again.” The bag disappeared, quickly followed by its owner.

Across town, the mage and her luggage appeared in an antechamber of the barracks of the Queen’s Guard. Two paladins in armor came to attention at the doorway.

“Name and purpose,” one of them said as the glow of the call stone began to fade from view.

“Sister Isobel of the Order. I come to collect my escort on the Headmother’s business; we depart for Harburg Village immediately.”

“Very good, Sister. I believe Brother Samuel is finishing up his preparations as we speak. The Queen’s Guard welcomes you,” he said with a bow.

Isobel bowed in response, but while the Guards had long mastered the ability to look graceful even in full armor, Isobel’s stiff attempt reflected her resentment of the formality and pomp that went along with dealing with nobility. Nevertheless, one of the paladins led her through the barracks to a small bunk room where a young man in light armor was attempting to don a brightly-colored tunic in the Guard’s colors, but had managed to get it on the wrong way around.

Isobel’s escort coughed. “Brother Samuel,” he said roughly, causing the younger man to lose his balance and nearly fall over. He quickly stood upright and faced Isobel.

“Oh! Hello! I’m Brother Samuel of the Guard. Please, pardon my appearance.”

“Of course, Brother. I am Sister Isobel of the Order.”

“Ah, yes,” Samuel said, “we’ve met.”

“Have we?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to remember, Sister.” The other Guard coughed again. “But perhaps we can discuss that once we’re underway?”

“Yes, surely. I am somewhat impatient to begin our trip.”

“Of course. I’ll be ready to depart momentarily,” Samuel said, pulling his arms into his tunic in an attempt to don it correctly.

“Very good. Thank you, Brother, I believe we’ll manage from here,” said Isobel, dismissing the other Guard. He bowed, turned, and walked away.

Samuel struggled through the last of his preparations, but by the time he’d gathered their belongings and brought them to the stables to acquire some horses for the journey, he’d regained much of the sense of calm competence that Isobel had come to expect from paladins of the Guard. Samuel dressed the horses for travel and loaded the saddlebags with their supplies, and without further ado the two set out for Harburg.

The large capital city shortly gave way to the surrounding suburbs, well-established but outside the protection of the Queen’s castle and city walls. They rode along busy trade routes paved in cobblestone, sharing the way with plenty of other travelers in both directions. Samuel did his best to keep up the conversation as they rode, but Isobel’s responses tended to be concise and factual. At one point, he even broke into song to pass the time.

“I do not recognize that song,” Isobel said once he’d finished.

“My mother sang it to me,” he replied. “I have no idea where she learned it.”

They rode on for another moment before Samuel tried again to raise the conversation.

“My apologies for my nervousness earlier. It is not every day that we have the honor of escorting a Sister of the Order, never mind one of your stature.”

“You flatter me.”

“Hardly. Your reputation precedes you, at least among the Guard.”