High Mage Corla listened to the council on the Houses and tried not yawning loud enough to be heard in the darkened room.  Her mind kept drifting to the Boar's Tusk and the interesting Walking Mage who was the upcoming topic of conversation.  This was the only reason she had come here today.

As a High Mage she could attend any of the uncounted number of committees on life in Farth and the world at large.  In her opinion these meeting did little and accomplished less, except to take up a lecture hall.  Some ridiculously old Mage pounded on the floor with their staff, signaling the end of one conversation and the beginning of another.  

"To the matter of House Boar's Tusk we call before the committee a Mage who has accused a Walking Mage of using magic wantonly."  A male member called out.

Corla sat up.  She had heard that they wanted to investigate Lynn's being in the Tusk but this...this was madness.

A smooth looking Mage sauntered into the chambers.  He had one of those personalities that drew people in without trying, his charming-like smile was for all and no one at once.

Corla hated the man on site.  She had no basis for this strong emotion but it was there all the same.  She just knew that he would be arrogant and condescending, but everyone one of the fools in the room would eat it up like spiced rice.

"Thank you for allowing me, a plain Mage, to enter this high committee chambers." He spoke with just enough difference that most of the deaf Mages sitting in the lower seats would think he was being respectful.  "I made the issue of a Walking Mage within a nearby House known to the Council two moon turns ago."

Again Corla was thrown.  A friend had warned her that the Tusk was on many lips of late, but not for the whole time Lynn had been at the Boar's Tusk.

"Now I'm coming before you to bring up charges of which this young Mage has set fire to loyal Guardsmen and Patrolman within this fair city."  As he spoke he began to walk back and forth, making sure to catch the eye of each prime member of the committee.

Knowing this trick and seeing it done by a master was giving Corla even more reason to worry.  This Mage would win them and have all the attempts on Lynn's life look like she, herself, was causing the attacks on her own life, if he got his way.

Corla would have to tread very lightly.  Mages in Farth had become Nobles in their own right.  High Mages could influence policy of the Royalty. 

The Grand Mage ate with the King and Queen for dinner every night.  Corla hated it.  This was never how the Mages were meant and behave in this society.

Here a Mage would rise or fall based on who they knew or who they choose to protect; being a High Mage was not about how much magic one had, but how much power and knowledge in magic one had.  This thirst for power and prestige was how the last Mage war had begun.

She had actually been fighting the politicking and social system in a shadow war of her own.  Corla had supporters in her little fight but not enough to come out of the shadows yet. 

What was needed was more High Mages and maybe an Elder Mage or two on her side.  This was the Mage way, get support and then attack.  Like preparing a complex spell for days or even weeks and then unleashing it.  Timing was a key element, especially now.

The smooth, oddly unnamed, Mage droned on about the integrity of Mages and Walking Mages knowing their place.  He kept pointing out the importance of Houses and their placing in Farth.

Corla kept being drawn to just how interested he was in punishing a Walking Mage.  It was nearly vengeful.  This man had a personal grudge against Lynn and was barely hiding it.  The ancient fools of the lower level heard none of the dripping poison- for they liked their ears tickled and the Mage made it a strong point to compliment them often between his rants.

Near to Corla a white haired Mage began coughing, loudly enough to interrupt the unnamed Mages speech.  He would stop and the Mage on the floor would continue.  That was when the old Mage would start coughing loudly again.  This went back and forth for a bit before the Mage on the floor threw his hands in the air in frustration.

Corla got up and went to the old one, but he waved her off in a friendly-sorry-to-be-a-bother kind of way.   Someone else brought water and soon the old Mage was quiet and somewhat still.  A cough and a wheeze would escape him from time to time but it was getting better with the water.

The atmosphere of the hall changed after the coughing fit.  Mages began to look around and try to remember what it was that was being discussed.

One of the Elder Mages said aloud, "You bring strong accusations against one of our own, yet you have yet to name yourself.  That is custom here in the city of Farth, young Mage."

Laughing behind her hand, Corla sat down quickly to avoid drawing attention.  The coughing Mage went silent as well.  All around the hall Mages waited for the new Mage to name himself.

Visibly forcing himself to relax he regained his smooth demeanor and did a full turn for all to see him.  His hands half raised to show a pose of supplication.  His spell of words had been broken.

"I am from Worlds Break."  He said with a small bow toward the Elders.  "I came to Farth to continue a study in the history of the Houses the New World."

A few nodded as if that made all the sense in the world.  Two long coughs came from the Mage near to her.  The nodding fools ceased nodding and waited for more like the others.

Feeling the heat of anger coming off of the still yet to be named Mage, Corla made a stealthy advance to the coughing Mage.  Making a man move so she could sit, she pretended to care for the coughing Mage.  What she really wanted was to be closer to this battle of Whispering Dark.

Never before had she seen two masters volly back and forth over a crowd so.

On the floor the Mage from Worlds Break cracked his neck hard and became his smooth self once more.  "I'm called Line by my closest of friends, but in the Mage College I was registered as Ziath."

For some reason she could not explain the name had a ring to it.  Like a memory of a memory that was lost when she woke.

"Very well, Mage Line."  The same Elder said.  "We will consider your accusations.  Let me remind all that here in Farth our Walking Mages have the freedom to go wherever the wind takes them.  If this one girl ended up at a House to heal a Master of that House then she can stay until Awl is well."

Most laughed at the pun and the mood of the hall lightened even more. 

"And as for the matter of setting fires,"  Elder Mage Dantua stood from the ranks.  "I have news from the Grand Mage that a Mage Alton set the dead men on fire because he thought that they had been diseased in some way, causing them to attack citizens in a open market the way that the did.  If anyone else has anything else to add they can take it up with the Master Mage.   Good day to you Mage Ziath."

The coughing Mage stood and left at the news.  Corla watched him go.  Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Ziath was watching the man as well.  The look on his face was not friendly in the slightest.

#####

Runner laid on the far too comfortable bed and wondered why she could not sleep.  Normally sleep was easy for her but normally she was home in her straw pallet.  Roar was snuggled up close and she could feel the heat from its small body.  Jile had spent a better part of a long sand turn explaining how to care for the dragite.

Most of it made sense until he began mumbling that this dragite was acting on its own.  She had heard him, even though she thought he had not intended for her to hear.

Mage Lynn's suite was large enough to accommodate Runner and she even had a private space all her own.  A small tub for water and tub of sand sat nearby her bed.  Jile had made sure that she understood that Roar would need a sand bath every few days to help with itching.

What was really bothering Runner was that Lynn went about her duties and basically ignored Runner for the rest of the day.  Until telling the young girl to head off to bed.  With all meetings in corners and notes passed in the shadows it was running the poor Mage to exhaustion. 

The other issue that Runner was having was with Starla.  The handmaiden, was very rude to Runner when Mage Lynn left them alone too long.  Runner knew how to handle those types, normally, but Starla had a way of getting under Runner's skin.

The only child to a family that could have up to six kids, little Runner knew all about mean people and how they acted when they thought no one was around.  Her many cousins had taken every chance to tease her when they could.  This Starla was like the worst of them and seemed to take pleasure from the abuse she gave to Runner.

What had really surprised Runner was the way Roar had acted toward the handmaiden.  Roar would hiss steam and would bump Runner as if to warn her whenever the falsely smiling women would come near.

Roar began to run in its sleep and make growling type sounds.  Runner laid her hand upon its body and it calmed right down.  Forcing thoughts of Starla and being away from her family to leave her mind, she calmed herself down.  To her it seemed that Roar could sense what herself and Lady Lynn were thinking.  

#####

Lady Dragonfly kept a very small list of men that she allowed into her suite.  This had never been a life that she had planned on yet she had made the best of it where she could.  A Lady in the House was bound by codes and laws that did not leave much room for them to refuse attention.  What they could do, was to control who asked for the private attention.

Her training as a Lady had not been easy since she had such a hard time communicating.  Ladies where by their nature, and training, very strong and independent women who needed more skills than the obvious.  Unable to sing or recite stories was an issue for her, but she could play any stringed instrument and the bells like no other.  Her secret use of basic magic helped her as well.  Unable to ever touch the prime magics that the Mages use separated her from them. 

Each man she saw was wealthy, and single.  It made her feel better to hand pick them this way.  In some way she hoped that one would try to contract her as a wife or personal Miss, then she could leave House service all together.  A Miss was a women that acted a wife for a wealthy man but was not high enough in status to truly be his wife.  As such, a Miss could not throw parties or engagements.

Her weak magic would be an issue for some but she kept it a secret from nearly all.  Revealing it to Mage Lynn had taken much out of her.  Weak magic users were not uncommon in the New World but many saw it as a omen of bad luck.  

Hoping that Mage Lynn was worthy of the trust she was giving the young Mage.  She thought so since the gift that she had received from the Walking Mage.  It still made her cry to be able to carry a full conversation with her handmaiden Delia.  Who was also her half sister on her father's side.  Proving their sisterhood had been tough but Head man Jan was very good at rooting out information.

So now she had blood and a Mage confident.  She had to laugh to herself, for soon she would be trying to become the Lead Lady.  Wouldn't that be fun, take out Flower from below.  Where she never expected it.

Something had to break the wench.   Dragonfly thought to herself.  Kit Winters had brought the information to me, about the danger that Mage Lynn was in, because he knows that I hate Flower.  He was also hoping to become part of my list, I'm sure.  Gross man!  Married, has a bonded mistress, and he comes to the Houses for a Lady's attention!

What had been appalling to her was that he was Captain Winters brother.  The Captain was such an upstanding and professional man that they could never have been cut from the same cloth.

Delia entered the room with her next appointment.  A High Merchant Vance who traveled the Rush river on his flat bottomed boat, Far Winds.  He only came to Farth three to four times a cycle and Dragonfly liked his quiet ways and direct thinking.

Her time with him was always long and to her it felt more like courting than a visit.  Much of their time was spent eating and in games.  She would play for him and they would write back and forth, telling each other their hopes and dreams.  She loved him and it pained her every time he left.

"Hello my beautiful Dragonfly!"  He said going to her and holding her tight.  "I wish for the day that we would never part!"  She held in her excitement.  This was how Vance could talk when he had been on a tough run.

"I made some very good trades and ate in the finest House in North Haven."  Vance told her.  "But nowhere I go do I see any Dragonfly's.  I go to my ship all alone.  I need you!  I need you to come away with me!"

Smiling her best Ladies smile she waited for the other shoe to fall.

"I just need one more big buy and sale, then and only then can I make life right for us, my Dragon!"  He stood and went to the nearest window.

It was the first time anyone had ever used those words to her.  Just saying them aloud and with Delia still in the room was near close enough for the law.  Dragonfly knew that she could not trap him so, it would not be right.

"If it hadn't been for that fool Mage I would have made the deal with that House Master, I just know it!"  Turning back to her, she could see the anger on his face.

Concerned, she did not think and pulled out her new magic way of talking.  Putting the stone to the slate she said aloud, "What deal was fouled up, dear Vance?"

"I had secured a route to move Farth mead and spiced ale into North Haven.  Then bring back Rum and dried meats.  It would have been a win win for me.  Coin on both ends!"

"So what did the Mage do?"

"The idiot said that I was too small time to be able to properly provide full service and security."  Vance began to pace.  "I have Guards and toughs just doing nothing on my boat for all the protection needed!  My sailors are as good as they come and the Far Winds is nearly the biggest on the river."

"Did you tell the Master this?"  She asked.

"Yes but the Mage kept right on insisting that I had the wrong connections."  Vance turned to her.  "He said a flower lives longer than a dragonfly.  If that means what I think it means, he knows about you and this House.  How could that be?"

She had no idea but she thought she knew who might.  If this could be her way out of this life she would do anything, anything to achieve it.  She would need to go to Head Jan and Mage Lynn with this.

I hope that this was not too long.  Had much to put out in this chapter.  I hope that I'm clearing up for you some questions and creating new ones.  As always, have a great week and keep on writing!