“Should I be grateful that you haven't yet sold any of my things to pay for my care?” Tahlisa asked, as Saelina put water over the fire to boil.

“I found you, last evening. There's not a merchant in town who works past sundown. However, if you were hoping for a hearty breakfast, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you.”

“I suppose it's always a good thing that you're honest.”

She sounded almost amused by the fact.

“If you let me, I'll be more than happy to secure breakfast for us both.”

Saelina paused and turned to her guest.

“How would you do that?”

The other woman stood.

“I carry far more things than I have any need of, my dear. If you'll show me to the merchants, I'll be happy to sell some to ensure that we both eat well. It's the least I can do.”

Saelina immediately nodded and grabbed their capes, while Tahlisa got dressed, moving her left arm with great care. The pair of women went into the cold morning, together.

The town was filled with the sounds of its people as they woke and started their daily chores. Saelina's house was clearly the shoddiest, standing separate from all the other buildings. Most of the other houses were small and stocky, clinging together, like pearls on a string, creating a wall on both sides of the main road. The occasional side-street broke up the monotony, leading into shadowed alleys, from whence the sounds of children playing could be heard. Walking with the stranger drew quite a bit of attention from her neighbors as they made their way towards the market square; the stares were far from unexpected seen as no one ever sought out the disgraced woman...at least as far as the inhabitants knew.

“Regarding what happened with the young lord, last night,” Tahlisa said, carefully.

Saelina sighed but did not protest the subject.

“Am I to understand he might come by again, while I'm here?”

Saelina was slightly surprised by the tame question and answered without giving much thought.

“I don't think so, no. He sometimes comes by every night, other times I don't see him for months.”

“And these visits are not particularly welcome, I take it?”

She snorted.

“Did my welcoming grace suggest as much?”

“Yet, you still allow them to continue.”

“Believe me when I say it's the lesser of many evils.”

Tahlisa said nothing but seemed to understand what Saelina was not saying. They continued in silence until they reached the market square. It was small and there weren't many booths, lining the perimeter.

“There are usually more merchants in the spring, when the roads are open,” Saelina explained, “however, we're lucky enough to have a purveyor of fine goods, courtesy of the Lord's family.”

There were few people at the market and the vendors seemed to take the chance to look over their books; Saelina walked straight up to a booth, close to the main road which wound itself towards the Lord's Tower. The merchant looked at her and scrunched up his nose.

“What will it be, Miss Saelina?”

She did not react to the obvious taunt, having heard far worse for years. Another person pointing out her lack of a family name was merely a drop in the bucket.

“I'm here to introduce my companion, Tahlisa Sorram. She's the one who seeks your business, Mr. Orgyle.”

The man turned his attention to her companion and his face lit up. It was like seeing a mask being put on in full view of the audience.

“Oh, I do apologize, Miss Sorram, was it?”

Tahlisa nodded politely and walked up to the booth.

“And what can I interest you in, this fine morning? I have recently gotten some lovely earrings, sent all the way from Laladre, crafted by the famous silver mages. They have healing properties, I'm told.”

He held out a pair of golden earrings, adorned with emeralds, though Saelina could not see any discernible difference between them and any other pair of golden earrings. If Tahlisa saw something it obviously did not impress her.

“I thank you, Mr. Orgyle, but I'm here to sell, this morning.”

“Oh.”

Disappointment was written on the man's face as he put away his wares and suddenly his countenance was one of annoyance and impatience.

“I have to tell you, miss, I'm not much in the business of buying, lately. Perhaps you should try-”

His voice faded when she took out a ring and placed it in front of him. Saelina had never seen anything so pure yet beautiful. A single, red ruby, shaped like like a drop, nestled in silver, which cradled around it, like ivy.

“I suppose I could take that off your hands,” he finally said, hesitantly.

“How does 50 coppers sound?”

Saelina scoffed.

“I got the same for a broken pot, I sold, five years ago.”

The merchant shot her an annoyed glance.

“I was only joking, Miss Saelina. I'm more than willing to double. One silver crown, hmm?”

“Oh ho, you've gone from pittance for the most hated person to symbolic token when kids bring you something shiny,” she spat, mockingly.

He let out a hiss of frustration, but quickly tried to recover.

“Ah, ha ha. Yes, well obviously, I'm merely sizing up my customers, Miss Sorram, making sure they don't bring me fake valuables. You understand?”

Tahlisa's smile had stayed in place through the exchange.

“Of course, Mr. Orgyle, one must protect their own interests.”

A quick flicker of relief passed over his features but it quickly turned to apprehension as his customer continued.

“And on that note, perhaps it would be appropriate for me to make the first offer?”

He nodded, slowly, as if he really wanted to shake his head, instead.

“Wonderful! Then may I suggest one Gold Crown, for the ring?”

Orgyle immediately paled and stuttered.

“What? That's prepost-, ah, you see, milady, I have no assurances that I'll be able to sell this piece. Beautiful as it is, it's far from the usual style of the people here.”

Saelina rolled her eyes but Tahlisa said nothing and simply smiled, waiting patiently for the merchant to make a counteroffer. Her silence, perhaps coupled with the insult of making such pathetic offers, only minutes earlier, were apparently enough to put pressure on him as he sighed.

“However, I do have someone in mind, who'd be interested, so how does 75 Silvers sound? It is a remarkable ring and I would not want you to feel slighted.”

There was a tense pause before the woman gave a slight nod to show her acceptance of the deal; Saelina was thoroughly impressed with her companion's savvy handling of the vendor, however, she was not done, herself. As the man clutched the ring to his chest, after counting out the coins and handing them over, she smirked, sardonically.

“Do send your wife my regards, won't you?”

He gave her a nasty glare but she met it, stubbornly.

“If she hasn't forgiven you by now, no amount of fancy trinkets will make it happen, Mr. Orgyle.”

“Get out of here!” he hissed after her, as she left.

As they walked away from the merchant, they came across an older woman who stopped up and stared at them; Saelina froze for only a second, her eyes locking with the lady's, then she shook her head and continued, ignoring the almost pleading gaze which followed her from behind. Tahlisa seemed curious but said nothing, much to the younger woman's relief.

The two women went to the various vendors and bought enough food to last the week, as well as a new hand shovel, before returning to the hut. Her guest seemed to be in good spirits and she was obviously happy about the prospect of eating something other than bland soup, for a change.

“Thank you for spending your money on helping me out. I know you have no obligation to do so.”

Tahlisa's eyebrows raised, questioningly.

“Don't I? It seems only natural to repay my savior.”

Saelina smiled.

“That reminds me, I should probably take a look at your injury, make sure it's not infected.”

She gestured for her guest to sit.

“Oh, you needn't worry so much, my dear. I have a strong constitution and it's far from the first time,” Tahlisa argued, but she still sat down and bared her shoulder.

Saelina removed the bandages and looked closely at the wound; it was almost healed. She stared in wonder, not quite understanding how that was possible. She was no healer and her medical skills were sorely lacking, to put it mildly, yet not only was the wound almost healed, it looked like there would be no scarring.

“I heal fast.”

The comment seemed to answer her thoughts and she took away the used cloth-strips, carefully cleaning off the honey residue and let her guest get dressed, again.

“Are you someone magical?”

Tahlisa paused and turned to look at her; she looked back, curiously but serenely.

“I...may know some magic. Is that a problem?”

Saelina shook her head.

“It makes caring for you easier, evidently. Less risk of you getting into trouble you can't get yourself out of, while you're here.”

Her guest seemed relieved and smiled, again, though this time it seemed to reach her eyes.

“How about I make us both some tea? And then I believe it's time for us to get properly acquainted.”

Saelina nodded and took the cauldron out to fetch some snow.

Tahlisa seemed to have endless little pockets in her capes, pulling forth several pouches of herbs and spices, carefully measuring how much to put in each cup. Her host had no clue what the intended end result was, nor did she pay enough attention to see any rhyme or reason for the variance of ingredients in a simple tea. When the water was boiling, Tahlisa deftly took it off and added some to each cup; Saelina took the pot back on the fire, when she turned around she saw the mage pour in some purple liquid from a small vial.

“A final touch,” the woman explained.

“It helps relax those sore muscles.”

She handed a cup to Saelina who took it, and they went to sit by the fire; for a long while, neither of them spoke. The tea was the best Saelina had ever tasted and she took her time, enjoying every sip as the warmth spread throughout her body.

“I suppose it's only fair that I speak first, since this was my suggestion,” her guest said.

“As I mentioned, I'm a mage, a sorceress, to be exact. I was trained by some of the best, in my youth.”

“Did you work at the court?”

“I've been royally employed, yes, but I haven't worked for the court in Laladre. I haven't worked for anyone in decades.”

“How did you end up here with an arrow in your back?”

She pursed her lips as she considered her answer.

“As a mage of some repute, I have managed to collect several valuable trinkets and artifacts; it isn't unusual for someone or another to take a sudden interest in claiming or, in some cases, reclaiming, what I possess.”

“And who's doing the claiming?”

Another moment of silence.

“Are you familiar with the nyxis? The pale people who live in Islasa?”

“Only through rumors. They're a people who rely on subterfuge and stealth and often sell their services to the other nations. Whole families dedicated to various guilds of assassins, scouts and thieves.”

Tahlisa nodded.

“But they weren't always a people among the shadows. A long time ago, they were known as the most powerful magic-wielders in the world. They were also adept at finding new ways of acquiring power. I learned one of their methods and retrieved something powerful for myself, something they have great interest in getting their hands on.”

She smiled in a less than friendly manner.

“They've been chasing me for years. I've always managed to stay a few steps ahead but they're a persistent lot. Their innate magic makes them formidable opponents. I've spent almost a lifetime, dealing with them, both in positive ways and...less positive.”

Saelina looked at her in shock and the older woman laughed, her voice pleasantly joyous.

“My dear, surely you know mages live longer than regular humans, no? I was working for one king or another for almost a century, before finally leaving the royal stage.”

Saelina knew the next question seemed obvious but she doubted she would receive a straight forward answer.

“How old are you?”

Her guest smiled and did not seem to take offense.

“I'm afraid I couldn't give you a precise answer. While I now my birth date, I've long since given up on counting my exact years. I am fairly certain I've crossed five-hundred, by now, but if someone were to tell me I had only reached 450, I would not immediately protest the number.”

Saelina tried to wrap her mind around the idea of living so long; being just shy of thirty, and already having struggled for years, just to stay alive, she was not sure she would welcome such longevity.

“You...must have known many wondrous things, in your life,” she noted, trying not to betray her own feelings.

It seemed futile, however, as the woman in front of her did not immediately answer, instead observing her, intently.

“Your own life has been far from easy, hasn't it?”

The question was sudden but not wholly unexpected. Saelina took another sip, drawing courage from the heat to answer honestly.

“I'm not sure I could handle a long life, as a mere human, much less one extended by magic.”

“How long have you lived like this?”

“Ten years. I was nothing but a naive, spoiled child, before then.”

Tahlisa drew a deep breath and leaned slightly forward.

“I won't insult your intelligence by pretending that I haven't a clue about your life; your conversation with the Lord, last night, was rather illuminating.”

Saelina nodded, not intending to act surprised by the obvious.

“He's not the Lord Harrow, but he'll be next in line to rule the Tower.”

“You were engaged to him, which suggests that you come from a family of some influence.”

Another nod.

“Merchants; my parents always hoped to be elevated to nobility.”

“The engagement was broken off?”

She sighed, knowing it was time to clarify.

“Callum...sought me out, a few months before the wedding. His mother was on her deathbed and he was distraught. I figured it wouldn't matter. We were betrothed, after all, what was a few months? It was only one time, but one time is all it takes.”

Tahlisa's voice stayed unemotional as she picked up the tale, again.

“It was found out, and the natural assumption was that you had been unfaithful.”

“My family refused to believe that Callum had visited me. Or maybe they did believe me but refused to risk their reputation, backing me up. Either way, they lost their chance at elevation.”

“And they disowned you, for it. The lordling fed you to the wolves rather than admit his own involvement. And the baby?”

Saelina hesitated a moment, before answering: “It's a non-issue.”

Tahlisa seemed sympathetic for a moment.

But before the next question could be asked, there was a firm knock at the door; Saelina immediately felt her gut clench and she knew that whatever happened next would be another moment of devastation, yet she went to the door and opened it to find a servant of the Tower, standing outside with a self-satisfied smirk. He handed her a letter and waited while she opened and read the contents.

“Rent?” she asked, incredulously.

“No subject of our Lord is exempt from paying their proper dues for the lodgings, he so generously provides.”

She looked over her shoulder, glancing at the barely standing walls, the broken windows and dirt floor before she turned back to the messenger with a dull stare.

“However humble,” the man conceded with a low grumble after a few seconds.

He shrugged.

“The Lord's financial advisor has agreed to waive the owed amount for the preceding years, but insists that you'll now be expected to pay 10 silvers per week, if you wish to keep inhabiting this...home.”

He looked around in distaste, while she tried to understand the logic behind the decision.

“Ten Silvers? Most of the townspeople only pay half that!”

“Lord's orders. You're to hand over 50, immediately, to pay for the previous month and the coming week. Future collections will be made, in advance, or an eviction will be forthcoming.”

“50!? I-I don't have that much! How am I-”

Tahlisa had walked up next to her, her usual polite smile in place, as she handed the collector a heavy pouch.

“Here you are, good sir. Perhaps you would be so kind as to leave, now? I've no doubt you must be eager to report your success with collecting this sizable rent from two poor women in a hovel. As to be expected from the Lord's best and finest.”

Though her tone stayed even, there was a withering undertone and the man had the good graces to look suitably shamed by her remark. He did not respond but simply took the pouch and left. After closing the door, Saelina ran a hand over her face, fighting hard to keep herself from collapsing. Her companion seemed to catch on and helped her to sit down in front of the fire, again. When they were both situated on the floor, the older woman took a closer look at her host; Saelina knew her eyes were sunken in and her face was filled with despair. Her friend patted her leg, in comfort.

“Worry not, dear. We can get more money, I still have plenty of things to sell.”

“It won't make a difference. If we have more money they'll find a way to demand more. Raise the rent, add in a protection fee, claiming taxes, there are plenty of excuses.”

“Is this courtesy of the young lordling?”

Saelina quickly shook her head.

“No, this is his father's work.”

She positioned herself more comfortably, ready for a longer explanation.

“I have two nooses around my neck, Tahlisa: one held by Callum, the other by his father, Regor, and they're both pulling in opposite directions.”

She gazed into the fire.

“Lord Harrow would love nothing better than to be rid of me; he's aware of his son's actions and I think he might still blame me for losing his only grandchild. He has done his best to make my situation more and more desperate.

“I would gladly grant him his desire but for Callum's constant intervention.”

“The son keeps you here? He never married?”

“No. He has put in his own measures to make sure I stay here, always within reach.”

A calm certainty settled over her as she readied herself for speaking the truth she had kept at bay for almost a decade.

“I am dying. Every day, for many years now, I have managed to live another day, over and over, delaying the inevitable. If I could leave, I could live, but every attempt has been circumvented or sabotaged. The war between father and son over my life is slowly pulling the life from me, as surely as a wound that never stops bleeding.”

“Surely, they can't stop you from leaving this place?”

Saelina shrugged.

“I know nothing of the layout of the land; even if I could simply follow the main road, Callum would send his personal guard to find me and bring me back. He has done so, countless times before. I've tried to stow away with a visiting merchant, but suddenly there were road stops, where all the cargo was searched through, and I was found and dragged back. So, yes, Callum has found a very real way of keeping me here.”

“Well, there must still be some way for you to make some money, here. No woman is ever without means to get what she needs.”

Tahlisa seemed skeptical but Saelina already knew that she was right.

“Oh? For the first few years, after losing everything, I tried to find a respectable trade; no one wanted to apprentice me, I was...still am the most hated person in Mahlein.”

“Why? I cannot believe that the dissolution of your betrothal could bring such ire from the whole town. The lordling is hardly a clean man, himself.”

She laughed, coldly.

“Despite your initial impression, the other night, the Harrows are beloved by the townspeople. They're fair in rent and taxes, generous with their wealth in both upkeep and merriment, well acquainted with even the humblest denizen and more than willing to sacrifice of themselves for the better of the town.”

Her voice lowered and a note of melancholy wound its way into her words.

“They're the ideal leaders. Someone who would hurt the golden son of Lord Harrow must surely be someone unworthy of respect or sympathy.”

She heaved a heavy sigh and closed her eyes, trying not to let the past hurt her, yet again.

“When I finally gave up on plying any trade to keep myself alive, I decided to give up on any pretense of having pride, as well. I've fallen to the lowest depths imaginable to try and stay alive, none of it has worked. Regor has deliberately blocked my every attempt, knowing the alternative is a slow death from starvation...or possibly freezing.”

“I wish I could say I've never seen such cruelty before but a long life carries certain burdens with it. However, to have all of it focused so singularly on one person, that is still unexpected.”

Saelina smiled, mirthlessly; she had spent the majority of her nights feeling a distinct dissatisfaction with her own importance in the lives of nobility.

The mage seemed speechless for several minutes.

“What does Callum Harrow get out of keeping you here, when it so obviously goes against his father's wishes?”

“He wants to break me. He has spent years figuring out exactly what to say, where to aim to get under my skin. He's waiting for me to come crashing down.”

“It takes extraordinary willpower to last this long.”

“Oh, I haven't. I've broken under his torture more times than I care to count. It always played out the same: when he saw that he'd won, he'd change. Suddenly, he'd be kind, almost sweet, going out of his way to take care of me, letting me believe that there's still hope for me, sometimes he'd even pretend he'd set things right. It would only last until I made a mistake.”

“What kind of mistake?”

“Maybe I spoke to another man, maybe I didn't seek his counsel on something, maybe I told him I loved him, maybe I didn't. The last few times, he didn't even bother coming up with something. He just changed. The words stayed the same but they were suddenly empty. His touch felt the same, and yet I knew it was cold. It was indescribable and that very fact needled at the mind, day in and day out.”

She shuddered, slightly.

“And then the suggestions started. They'd be subtle, hidden in hundreds of conversations. An odd turn of phrase, a misspoken word, and suddenly you found yourself pressing a blade against your skin because you believed he asked you to.”

“I've met so-called 'mind benders',” the sorceress explained.

“They pride themselves on needing no magic to apply their skills. Enough time with a victim and that person will lay down their own life without ever being asked to. I've even spoken to a few who've been subjected to their manipulations. It's almost impossible to break the hold they have.”

“I guess it's a good thing that Callum isn't one of them, then. He always pushes too hard, for too long. At some point, I just stopped caring and then he would switch his tactics, working to break me, all over again.”

She had gathered her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself.

“If the same pattern repeats, over and over again, at some point, it becomes a choice. And for a long time, I chose wrong. Last time, I almost died. It's been a couple of years, since then but nothing's changed for the better.”

“I never thought I'd see the day when there was nothing left for someone to do but die.”

The statement was so simple, so true, yet it felt like a gut punch. If someone who possessed magic and had lived for centuries could see no escape, then there truly was no hope, left. Acceptance of one's fate was never easy, it seemed. She had struggled, for years, to deny it, blinding herself to the obvious.

“And you still held out hope that I'd have some reward which could save you from this?”

Saelina looked at the woman, knowing there was no magic cure to her ailment.

“I had hoped you might take me with you, when you leave. Anywhere in the world, where no one knows me and I could start over.”

Her guest seemed filled with a profound sadness.

“Saelina, where I go, I can take no one and nothing. I won't even be able to bring you, partway.”

The younger woman shrugged, having expected an answer along those lines.

“Barring that, I had hoped you'd be rich.”

“What would you do with the money?”

“I'd pay the first merchant to leave for Laladre, to take me with them, and bribe the soldiers Callum would send into letting me leave.”

“And when you reached the capital?”

“I'd make myself presentable and find the oldest man with wealth and no heirs. The closer to death's threshold, the better.”

It was a plan she was well-versed in; she had been thinking about it for years.

“When he died, I'd finally be free.”

A heavy silence settled over the pair as they continued to gaze into the fire. The quiet was both somber and peaceful, at the same time.

“If you did not have to limit yourself to...anything. What would you wish for? What is your truest desire, Saelina?”

“Power.”

The answer came without deliberation or pause.

“The power to never starve, to stand on my own, without someone holding me up. To reject whomever I want, whenever I want.”

Tahlisa's gaze became more intent and she moved close to her rescuer.

“Say you had that power, right here, right now. What would you do?”

Saelina smiled cruelly. It was a wholly unexpected reaction, yet it somehow made her features terrifyingly beautiful, Tahlisa realized. The mass of freckles which should have softened the expression seemed to punctuate the severity of the anger burning within.

“I'd burn down the Tower and force the Harrows to watch as their home, their legacy turns to ash.”

The answer did not disappoint and once again, a comfortable silence settled among them. This time, Saelina broke it, first.

“Tahlisa? Will you grant me one request before leaving?”

The mage hesitated and Saelina could not help but feel like the other woman knew what she would ask and was struggling with it.

“I...I can't understand the hopelessness of your situation. And while you wouldn't be the first life I've taken...I don't think my soul would survive the guilt.”

Saelina felt the last of her hope fade from her mind. She smiled reassuringly to her guest, but was certain the other was not convinced.

“You should sleep. You're still healing.”

A warm hand grabbed her arm.

“I won't leave you in this situation. I'll find a way to save you before I leave, I swear it!”

Saelina wanted to believe those words with every fiber of her being but that last tiny sliver of hope would not return.

“We should expect a summons for the Tower, tomorrow. Well, you should.”