Black Magic chapter 1

Disclaimer: The usual... yada yada yada... I own neither the characters or the setting to this story... both quite firmly belong to the magnificent Trudi Canavan...

'Rothen…'

Rothen turned to look at her. 'Sonea.'

Sonea searched his eyes, trying to figure out what was happening.

'It's ok, Sonea. Everything will be fine.' Rothen looked nervous, and his gaze kept shifting to look past her.

'But what's wrong?'

'I found out something very interesting today, Sonea.'

Sonea whirled around, and found herself facing the one person she didn't want to see. 'Highlord, I-'

'Do not worry, Sonea,' Akkarin said as he stepped out of the shadows. 'What's done is done.' He glanced over her. 'Although I must say, it does complicate things.'

Sonea gulped. How did he know? What had happened?

Akkarin nodded absently. 'Yes, Lorlen's mind was most informative. I'm still not sure how he thought I wouldn't notice his nervousness-,' he paused, as if unsure whether to continue.

'Highlord?' Sonea prompted, unnerved by his sudden silence.

He jolted, and his attention was immediately drawn back to her. 'You and Rothen know more than you should about a situation you couldn't possibly understand.'

Rothen moved to stand behind Sonea, and placed a comforting hand on Sonea's shoulder.

'I have decided to take Sonea on as my novice. Rothen, you will do nothing that could harm Sonea, and you, Sonea, have the weight of Rothen's wellbeing resting on your ability, or lack of it, to cooperate.'

Sonea breathed in slowly. The Highlords's novice!

'You will have as little contact with each other as possible, other than what is necessary to not look suspicious.'

'But-' Sonea was cut off by Rothen squeezing her shoulder.

It's ok Sonea, it will be fine. Nothing is going to happen to you.

Akkarin ignored Rothen's mind call and pulled a golden ring with a red stone from his robes. 'As my novice, you are required to wear this ring,' he took her hand and slid it on to her ring-finger. 'You must not take it off. I will know if you do.'

Sonea's heart was racing. Akkarin was to be her guardian? She could not think of anything worse.
'I will send a servant to collect your things, I think you will find the Highlord's Residence to be comfortable,' he paused a moment, considering his next words carefully. 'Do not fight me, Sonea. I think you will find your life to be more pleasant if you do not.'

***********

Sonea sat on her bed in her room in the Highlord's Residence. Her new servant, Anya, had put all of her things away in the cupboard and on the various shelves that lined the walls, but it still did not feel like home.

'At least I won't lack of things to read,' she muttered as she studied the many bookcases that were in the room. It seemed that the Highlord's novice was meant to study, and by the appearance of this room, Sonea resigned herself to the fact that she was going to have to study a lot.

With the break coming up soon for the novices, Sonea was determined to spend as little time as possible in the residence. However, she didn't know what she would do, because she could hardly visit Rothen, Dannyl was still in Elyne, and no one was sure when Dorrien would next return for a visit.

Perhaps this will be an opportunity for me to make friends other than Rothen in the Guild, she thought.

As her thoughts strayed to Rothen, she began to ponder the red-stoned ring that she now wore. She had never seen one like it before, but she could hardly ask Akkarin of its importance. Rothen too, had been mystified by it.

'It seems to have power within the stone, but what kind and its purpose, I cannot determine,' Rothen had said. She sighed as she remembered what he had said next. 'But you must wear it, Sonea. We cannot risk upsetting Akkarin further, and I fear you are more vulnerable now than any of us.

Akkarin paused in his work. Was her situation truly that lonely? He placed his quill back onto his desk as he became lost in thought. Am I sure I am doing the right thing?

He knew from his exploration of Lorlen's mind that it had not been Sonea's fault. She had not known the full implications of what she had witnessed until she had been truthread by Lorlen and he had been shocked into explaining it to her.

None of them have done anything wrong...

He cut off those thoughts immediately. He had no choice; the fate of the Guild was at stake. He was the one thing stopping the Sachakans from invading, and if they found him to be weak, then there would be no stopping them.

Akkarin picked up his quill again and began to scratch words on to a piece of parchment. Perhaps if he 'requested' that the teachers be sure not to neglect Sonea's education. She was the Highlord's novice now, surely the other novices would begin to seek her favour. Or at the very least, tolerate her.

He signed the letter with a flourish and waited as the ink dried. Perhaps this letter to Lord Elben would help matters. He sighed, regretting that he could not allow her to have contact with Rothen, but until they understood why he did what he did, they would only seek ways to stop him and reveal him to the Guild. He could not allow that to happen.

*********

Sonea sighed, the days ahead promised to be stressful. She could only imagine what Regin’s reaction would be tomorrow. Perhaps having Akkarin as her guardian would make a difference to the way the other novices treated her, or perhaps that was just wishful thinking.