Barring the daggers Hannah glared my way whilst I was getting the back of my ear scratched, the meeting with Jean must have gone at least okay. Potential help had been dangled in front her face, and then hasty barriers had been constructed between her and it. If she wanted to talk to Riker, she'd have to wait.

Despite nothing going overtly wrong like during the test, it still must not have been a very satisfying meeting. Hannah's hands were balled into fists. It wasn't easy to shake off anxiety. Her knuckles weren't white yet so all was not lost.

At times like this, one must find a friend. The first to come to mind would be the reclusive Linth. That den dweller liked to make her presence as small as possible. We probably should have head to her first. But there is meaning in saving the best until last.

So long as the faculty knew, the students could appropriate whatever room in disuse they wanted. Linth had found, cleaned, refurbished, and stocked her own personal library. It was the book club. That being said, I'd never seen said club advertised or anyone other than Linth there.

Hannah stopped in her tracks on the way to the club and began mumbling under her breath. “I wonder if it's worth it to check Riker's office first?” It was probably not. We had seen Riker that morning and she was not in the Triolo. I couldn't understand what was to be gained.

Making up her mind, Hannah turned in a new direction. Riker's office was located in the same building as the Nurse's office. When we arrived in the corridor just outside her door, I felt odd.

Something was amiss. The corridor was familiar yet not familiar. Quiet hushed whispers in the corners of my mind debated over whether I should or shouldn't know this place. I scanned the length of the corridor for anything familiar.

There were a few students making their way back, possibly from checking to see if Riker was in. The door to her office was strangely etched into my memory. Likewise, the plant pot at the end of the corridor beneath a still open window, and a display table opposite Riker's door caught my attention.

“Adam?” Hannah raised an inquisitive voice. I’d been taking very slow and careful steps to the point I was lagging behind.

Perking my head up, the whispers in the corner of my skull silenced, as though they feared they were being overheard. I decided, for the time being, that I did not recognise this corridor.

I could hear rummaging from the inside of Riker's office as well as subtle scratching from the walls. One of these was likely rats. Her door had been left slightly ajar. Somebody was thumbing their way clumsily through stacks of paper.

“What are you doing here?” The stout figure within the office lifted his head to the door just in time to catch sight of Hannah peering in. Despite probably being in his thirties, his hair looked to be greying and he dressed like he was an austere disapproving dad at a family reunion.

“Professor Mathers.” The colour drained from Hannah like a shadow caught in candlelight. Typical, I thought to myself, Hannah's mood had only just improved after this morning of harassing children.

“Don’t you have lectures to be at?” He practically growled.

“Riker’s aw-”

“Ah of course, you must be enjoying your Friday off.” He didn’t wait for Hannah's fumbling answer. “We’ll make sure you make up for any lost experimentation next friday. Your stunt has cost me valuable time. You'll have to reimburse me for all the trouble you've caused if you do this again.”

Something about this man drove nails into my temper. I'd noticed him once or twice wondering the halls of the campus. With an aloof air to him, he refused to meet anyone's eyes as though he were trying to avoid deigning them his equal. The disdainful spark that entered his eyes whenever he noticed me and Hannah really rubbed me the wrong way.

Hannah pursed her lips. It was the first time anyone had lashed out so brazenly and rudely at her and she’d kept mostly quiet and contained. Her tone of voice level, betraying the urge to snap, she asked. “Is professor Riker in?”

“Does it look like it?” He scoffed.

I withheld the urge to hiss. What had he accomplished in his meager life to deserve his attitude? It was probably for the best that Hannah kept composed. “Then what are you doing here, Professor Mathers?”

He narrowed his eyes at the question. “I’m merely looking out for a friend.” He spoke with a glint of self-satisfaction. “Don’t you have something better to do?”

Without missing a beat Hannah nodded. “Yeah, actually I do.” She turned, her loose hair lashing out like vipers before settling on her shoulder, and walked off.

I heaved a sigh. So much walking today and so many faces in need of slapping. All on an empty stomach as well. Please, anyone, if you can hear me, just one slice of ham is all I'm asking for!

I might have been lazy and whimsical, but I had guessed he must be someone very important for Hannah's deal with the Triolo. Possibly the guy who says whether she can or can't study here. To have such a person in a position of power was quite frustrating.

Hannah left in a hurry. Her knuckles were as white as snow. Anxiety was one hell of an emotion. Several seconds of deep breathing later and she still didn't look all that well.

“Odd. Does he always wear that face? Y'know, the one in dire need of being slapped with a chair?” I mused over the encounter once we were out of earshot. Thankfully, rather than wringing my neck for speaking openly during her trying time, she smirked. The tension in her hands eased. It seemed the walls would not be painted in a fresh coat of someone's blood today.

Finding Linth was not difficult. She didn't move her den once she'd been discovered. It was like being in on one of the many secrets of the Triolo.

There were plenty of places still in disuse. Plenty of places to explore but also plenty of places to stumble across something you shouldn't. Most people were dissuaded from roaming too far from their usual visits by superstitious rumours flying around and about the Triolo. Even on the busiest of days, the way to Linth's den was dead quiet.

The disused buildings were usually cleared of useful furniture. Nobody was stopping a student from finding a use for the empty rooms. The faculty often welcomed it. Sadly, the faculty were rather harsh on what club activities were allowed so most students were put off.

I don't think Linth had asked for permission though. She'd sort of just found and empty room and claimed it.

A testament to Linth's diligence, she'd found bookshelves for her books, tables and chairs for visitors, and even a small charcoal burner for warmth during winter.

“Yo.” Hannah casually waved her hand in greeting.

Linth lifted her head from her book and watched Hannah with uneasy eyes. “Hi.” She timidly tracked Hannah's journey around the room.

I sauntered in as best as I could for a cat with broken ribs, hopped up onto the long table with its six chairs, all but one empty.

Hannah drew one of the chairs and sat down. “So uh, did Riker leave us any handouts this morning? I was busy.” If busy meant ‘recovering from burning my own arms’, then yes I could testify she was busy.

The difference in their presences was like night and day. Even on home turf, Linth retreated into her book whilst Hannah, as confident as ever, made herself at home as she reclined in her chair.

“The lecture was cancelled.”

“Yeah, I know. I was in the Nurse’s office this morning looking after my cat.” An audacious cover story. Technically true but also not. It was in that little cosy greyzone where the spoken truth points the conversation in the wrong direction. That zone was called ‘deceit’. I wasn't sure I liked being the cover story though. In fact, I was against ever using deceit on Linth.

“Something happened to Adam?” I sat some distance away at the end of the table, but with such wide concerned eyes being thrown my way, I’d have to be entirely heartless to just ignore her. I got up and slowly made my way towards Linth. Of course it was my duty to put the heart of this fair maiden at ease. Nothing but duty. So I lied down next to Linth and with nothing but the pure and knightly desire, tolerated being petted.

Yes, right there, behind the ear-

Hannah cleared her throat. “Don’t be too rough, I think he’s broken a few ribs. He needs a lie down and a rest.”

“Then just the ears and tail today.” Her magic fingers worked away undeterred. “Who's the bestest cat in the entire world? You are! Oh my god so soft…”

I’d normally find this very patronising but she was just too damn cute. How could I get angry or frustrated when this human could probably massage the hate out of a honeybadger? Admittedly, I didn't like that she talked to cats like they were dogs. Cats are worshipped whilst dogs are dotted on. That's the difference.

Sometimes, it seemed, I forgot I was not in fact a cat but someone cursed to be a cat.

Ahem. Unhand me you inane drooling fool! How dare you treat me like another lower form of indolent vermin. I'm leagues ahead of you in superiority! Behold, as I show this by laying perfectly still and not resisting in the slightest! That will show you who's boss!

My presence was a required ingredient whenever Hannah needed to talk to Linth. I put her at ease, making her much easier to talk to.

“I see you’re having fun.” Hannah smiled brightly but the overwhelming crushing pressure of hostility was no doubt directed at none other than me.

Linth didn’t notice that murderous look in Hannah’s eyes. I decided if I was to die, I would die living my best life so continued to ‘tolerate’ Linth. “I don’t think Riker left any handouts. I was late to the lecture but nobody said anything about Riker leaving us anything. Sorry.”

Tapping her finger on the table, Hannah shrugged. “Well that’s fine I guess. Did they say when Riker would be back?”

Linth cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. Even with divided attention she was still making me feel heavenly comfort. “I think they said she’d got the month off. I think they’re preparing a substitute. Sorry I can't help.”

“You really need to stop finishing your sentences in apologies. You make me think I'm putting you on trial for war crimes.” Hannah frowned dissaprovingly.

“I don’t think they are gonna be as good as Riker.” Linth finished. “Um... I mean they might be but I don't know. Uh...” Linth struggled, her sentences not feeling quite complete without her usual apology.

A substitute teacher might not bode well for Hannah. Jean had made promises about the quality of the 'Queen of sixteen lines' or whatever Riker's weird nickname was. Then again, it was never guaranteed that Riker was going to help in the first place. She didn't seem very relaxed around me or Hannah. Hannah had been in her classes for a while. This probably wasn't the first time the idea had popped up.

“That's fine.” She said in that special tone of voice that suggested it was very much not fine.

“Sorry.” Hannah shot Linth a hard glare for apologising, for which Linth almost apologised for but caught herself.

A while later the conversation dragged to a stop. Hannah counted what was left of her scrolls after several had been confiscated by Jean whilst Linth slowly moved her attention from me back to the book.

I was quite thankful for that. My ribs had begun to hurt again and it seemed even the comforts of heaven didn't keep me happy for long.

It was a peaceful silence which was only disturbed by Hannah's sighs or the short rustle of a page being turned. It was almost the perfect environment to take a nap in. Sadly there was no warm sunlight coming through the windows what with the weather as it was.

Soon simply resting my eyes turned into comfortable slumber before I was stirred awake by Hannah's voice again.

“There's a lot of books here.”

“I don't have enough room at home. Sorry.”

“It's crazy how many books you have. You've got a lot of books on history here. Be honest, do you ever actually read them?” Hannah grinned. It did seem like an impressive volume of books to chew through.

Linth began to squirm under Hannah's scrutiny. “I sometimes take breaks to read fiction. What... What do you read?”

“It's hard to say what 'kind' of books I'm into. A good book is a good book.”

“But most readers want the author to show them something about themselves.” I was inclined to agree with Linth. “To convey a message the reader can agree with or disagree with. Write characters they can sympathise with. Everybody has a type. That's even ignoring whether you read books for escapism or not.”

“I guess if you're reading fiction then yeah.” Hannah ran her finger along spines of the books. “If I had to pick and chose a book on this shelf that sounded interesting I'd pick... Amarinth: The battleground of two magics. Huh, an actual book on my homeland. And on the order of ice and witches no less.”

Hannah pulled out the book and flipped through a few pages. She didn't like reading fiction. It'd been a while since Hannah sat down and read anything of the sort. Preferring to enrich her knowledge of magic as much as possible, she'd consume almost anything and everything that sounded relevant. She would not wilfully consume fiction but history books aren't always written with truth in mind.

“Um. Be careful with that.” Linth couldn't take her eyes of Hannah as she thumbed through one of her books.

Hannah clapped the book shut and returned it to its rightful place on the bookshelf. “Linth, is this really a club?”

“No...” Linth shook her head. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised.

“What really?! I thought this was a club. You can't just steal a disused room to house your 'horde' like some sort of weird book dragon. Wait... Is that a sleeping bag in the corner? Are you sleeping here?”

In the corner of the room, there was a sleeping bag. Next to it was a lamp and a book on old local folklore. How had the academy few this happen? I was slightly impressed.

“Look I, um,” Linth floundered looking for the right words. “It's not what you think.” She whistled innocently.

“No, it's totally what I think.” Hannah deadpanned. “Why don't you share? Everytime I've come here you've been alone. Don't you have any friends except me?”

“Sh-share?! My books?!” Linth looked as though she'd been slapped.

The idea was hardly that egregious. I couldn't imagine there was a lot of value in a book after you'd read it once.

“Yeah. You could, y'know, make more friends?” Hannah had a fair point even if she put it a little harshly. Linth's own timidness was a factor. On the one hand, it might be offputting to some, on the other hand, it did a lot to endear her to me at least. Surely there'd be others like me. “Eventually you're going to leave, where are these books gonna go then?”

“Hrrk.” Linth winced and avoided Hannah's gaze suspiciously.

Placing her hands on her hips, Hannah tutted disapprovingly. “Maybe, just maybe, you could actually start a real book club. There's probably even a one you could join somewhere out there.”

Hannah crouched down near Linth's sleeping bag and picked up the book on folklore. She caught a bookmark just before it slipped out. Opening on the page Linth had stopped at she began skimming the contents before something caught her eyes.

“This is about the Triolo.” Hannah furrowed her brows in consternation. “Woah, and I thought it was rumours made up by bored apprentices...” She flicked through a few more pages. Some had illustrations. “Hey, can I borrow this Linth?”

“Please don't touch that. It's a really good book. I've heard good things about the writer.” Lint practically begged.

“All right. Fine. I'll put it back. Could you let me read it after you've finished?”

“Maybe.”

“Thanks Linth. I'll take that as a yes.” Hannah grinned and flashed a cheeky thumbs up in Linth's direction.

The book looked unremarkable. There were quite a few rumours flying around about the Triolo. Usually they were quite wild or unnerving. They had to be quite special in a world with magic to contend with.

The most popular was the rumour about the soldiers of coal. They patrol the Triolo, enforcing the last order given to them before they were abandoned by the world. Maintain the Hexan plague quarantine at any cost. Nobody was allowed in or out of the cathedral.

The two friends spent some more time doing not much of anything together like this. Hannah occasionally lifting her head to get on Linth's nerves. Everynow and then she'd sigh and pinch her numb hands before looking absent-mindedly out the window.

Without any research, without professor Riker, and having run out of focus to work on with her dull hands, Hannah's efforts ground to a halt.

Eventually, we left Linth to herself altogether to get some food. It was a bit late to count as a breakfast but there was always tomorrow.