"Sad? What do you mean?"
Miro thought of the beggars and the desperate hawkers. The filthy streets and the old men and young children sleeping on the street. The streetclans whose only law was violence.
"I don’t know. I can’t really explain it."
~
AUTUMN slipped steadily into winter. At the Academy the centurion trees in the Great Court lost more and more of their leaves until they took on a skeletal appearance. Boaters on the Sarsen became rare as people travelled the river less — only as a means to hurriedly get from one place to another. The lights of the Crystal Palace came on earlier as nightfall moved forward in the day. The chill night air lost the heady scent of flowers and trees, becoming crisp and odourless.
~
ELLA was preparing a mug of cherl from the package Miro had brought earlier. She knew he would be home at any moment and wanted it to be ready for his arrival, so he could quickly wash after the day’s exertions and spend time with her talking on the porch.
Amber hadn’t been able to spend as much time with Ella lately. She still never spoke about the wedding preparations, but Ella had found out from Miro that the wedding was scheduled for the next month. Several times Ella had caught Amber about to speak, but her friend had swallowed and said nothing, instead talking about the markets, or the change of the season.
Looking out into the forest, Ella saw Miro rising up the last few steps onto the porch. He looked exhausted, covered with sweat and grime. He stopped to lean for a moment on a railing, taking a deep breath before smoothing his face and putting on a forced smile.
"Ho, Ella," he said. Sometimes she waited, but he never asked her about her day.
"Ho, Miro," she smiled.
Rather than entering the house, he stood silently for a moment on the porch, quietly regarding her.
"What is it?" she said.
Ella handed him the mug. Miro put it straight down without even realising he had done so. He just stood there, looking at her.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ella, I’ve brought someone to talk to you."
"You haven’t. Miro, what are you…"
Ella broke off when a tall, willowy figure emerged from the darkness. It was a woman, her steps stately, her manner accepting deference without question. She wasn’t old, but her age was high enough to be indeterminate. Her skin was unlined, but the penetrating grey eyes had seen much, experienced much.
The woman wore a shimmering green silk dress with a hood over her hair. The fabric was covered with arcane symbols, so tiny they were almost indistinguishable from one another. The matrices were the most complex Ella had ever seen. The runes glowed softly silver, giving the woman an ethereal, ghostly presence.
As the woman stepped from the shadows she pulled back her hood. Long silver hair spilled down to her waist like flowing water, straight and lustrous.
Ella gasped. There was only one person this could be. She had never met her, never seen her, had only heard her name discussed in hushed tones. Even the masters altered their voices when they said her name, as it to say it in a rough tone would indicate disrespect.
"High Enchantress Evora Guinestor," Ella breathed. She dropped to one knee and touched her lips with her finger tips, resting them there for a full breath, before touching them again to her forehead.
"Rise, child," said the woman with gravity.
Ella slowly stood. The High Enchantress looked carefully about. Miro deferentially offered her a chair. She sat, the folds of her dress flowing to the floor, her hands in her lap.
"I will leave you," Miro said. With a final glance he turned away, slipping into darkness.
"You have not been attending your classes, Ella," the regal figure spoke, her voice precise.
Ella said nothing. She didn’t know what to say.
"Do you think you have learned all the Academy has to teach you? You are skilled enough, is that it?"
Sitting here, looking at this woman, whose dress bore more skill than Ella believed possible, she felt nothing but shame.
"No, no, High Enchantress. Nothing like that."
"Knowledge is dangerous, Ella. I think you, more than anyone, should be aware of this. The knowledge you possess now, is dangerous. You are an incomplete instrument. Is that the way you wish to be?"
"No, High Enchantress."
High Enchantress Evora shook her head. "You are too proud, Ella. It was your pride that led you to do that foolish thing. It is your pride that is preventing you from returning to face the people you hurt, to show yourself to the world and acknowledge ‘Yes, I did this thing. It was foolish. I am sorry.’"