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He has doubts, she thought. He isn’t turning a blind eye to the risks.
“And I’m sure you’ll make them consider every possible consequence,” he added. He looked up at her. “If I promise that I will come home the moment Lord Da
She smiled wryly. “Of course not.”
He scowled.
“I am your mother,” she reminded him. “I’m supposed to stop you harming yourself.”
“I’m not a child any more. I’m twenty years old.”
“But you are still my son.” She met his gaze, holding it despite the anger in his eyes. “I know you will be angry at me if I succeed in preventing you going. I’d rather that than you were dead. I’d rather you joined the Lonmar cult and I never saw you again. At least I’d know you were alive and happy.” She paused. “You say you are not a child any more. Then ask yourself: are you doing this, even only partly, in order to defy your mother? How much of your wanting to go comes from wanting to make your mark as an adult? If you took those two desires away, would you want to go as much?”
Lorkin said nothing, but his face was tight with anger. Suddenly he stood up.
“You don’t understand. I finally find something worth doing and you… you have to try to spoil it. Why can’t you just wish me luck and be glad that I might achieve something with my life instead of sitting around getting drunk or taking roet?”
His face red, he strode to the door and left her room.
Leaving Sonea frozen, unable to do anything but stare at the door, her heart torn between love and pride, the determination to protect him and the fear that she might fail.
CHAPTER 6 THE HEARING
There was quite a crowd outside the Guildhall, Da
Whether Lorkin was allowed to go to Sachaka or not might indicate if other magicians had a chance of visiting the country. No, that can’t be it. There are always few volunteers for positions there. Da
The rest of the crowd might simply want to see Sonea’s reaction if she failed to prevent her son going to Sachaka. Hearing that one of the Guild’s black magicians was in conflict with the former High Lord’s son must have generated plenty of gossip. Da
As Da
Black Magician Kallen. I wonder… is the crowd worried that Sonea will lose her temper and use black magic if she fails to stop Lorkin going to Sachaka?
If they truly believed she might, they ought to have made themselves scarce. Da
Moving into the Guildhall, Da
“Nervous?”
Lorkin smiled wryly. “A little.”
“How did di
“Not good.” Lorkin’s smile faded and he sighed. “I hate fighting with her. But I also hate always having to fight to do what I want to do.”
“Always?” Da
Grimacing, Lorkin looked away. “Well, I suppose not always. Not often, really. Just now, when it matters. When I finally find something important to take part in.”
“Going to Sachaka really matters that much to you?” Da
“Of course.” Lorkin looked up and searched Da
“No.” Da
“I do,” Lorkin assured him. “Both maintaining good terms with Sachaka and researching magical history. Though with the latter I’m more interested in what we can do with what we find.”
Da
A low murmur filled the hall and Da
She looked calm, even a little amused. The remaining Higher Magicians had arrived now. No doubt she had timed her arrival so that she would be one of the last, to avoid subjecting her son to the awkwardness of her presence as an adversary. Osen began his slow pace across the front of the hall that indicated he was ready to begin, and soon the magicians quietened.
“Unless there is a reason not to, I will begin the Hearing now,” Osen said. He paused, then nodded as no voice rose to stall him. “First I will outline our reasons for meeting today,” he began. “Lord Lorkin has volunteered for the position of assistant to the Guild Ambassador to Sachaka, recently granted to Lord Da
“That for Lorkin, as the son of the former High Lord Akkarin and myself, there will be the danger that the family of Kariko and Dakova, the latter of whom I killed during the Ichani Invasion and the former whom Akkarin killed many years earlier, will seek revenge for their deaths. Or the families of the other Ichani killed in the invasion will do so. Even if their families do not seek revenge, sending him there may be perceived as an insult. Either way his presence may hamper efforts at peace between our two countries.”
Osen turned to Lorkin and Da
“I leave the judgement as to whether the risk is as great as M-Black Magician Sonea believes to the Higher Magicians, and will accept whatever decision they make,” Lorkin replied.
A faint smile of approval crossed Osen’s face. His gaze shifted to Lord Da
“And what do you say, Ambassador Da
Da