They heeded the warning well, riding hard from dawn until slightly after dusk each day and stopping at night by the side of the well-travelled road that linked Aaton and Parras. Every night, before bed Kanick bade Bera to read at least one chapter from one of the books they had been gifted by Xixi while Kanick prepared runes in the soft sand on the banks of the river Sheel that cleaved close to the main road.

It was a tiring journey, but by the week's end Kanick was pleased with their progress. Shortly after they crossed the Dawdale Kanick could make out the sea on the horizon and the taller buildings of the City of Aaton in the distance.

Aaton was the capital of the Kingdom to which she leant her name. The great mass of stone and wood hugged the far western shore of the Union, sprawling along it from behind high, thick walls. As Kanick looked over the city, his eye was drawn first not to the impressive Seabourg keep, perched high upon a rocky crag, alone towards the sea, separated by her own stout walls from the grey maze of the town.

Instead, Kanick's eyes were fixed on the great square tower that dominated the northern quarter. Even catching the glow of the long evening sun, Kanick could see its black sheen, as though the building was carved out of one huge block of slate. Save for the dots of light at the windows, and the great flame encaged at the peak, the walls of the building were smooth and featureless. The Western Temple of the Order of Mages, the House of Slate, loomed over the city.

"Feel like home?" Kanick asked his apprentice as they rode towards the city's gate.

"Not really," Bera said, his eyes fixed on the tower, the top of which could still be seen behind the dominating walls. "I was born into the Enclave at Lyes, closer to the hills," the soft light of the evening was reflected in his eyes and Kanick thought his expression was tinged with sadness. Then it was gone. "Though I was moved to the Southern Temple when I was very young."

"Aye, I'm Nerrathi myself, though I undertook my Acolytate here, in Aaton," he told the boy. "The gardens here are something else, especially in mid-summer," he reminisced. "I remember they always smelled of lavender and wild garlic. Not as many statues or buildings as the Great Temple, I'll grant you but with much more life."

They passed through the gate, the smells of the city very unlike the lavender. Bera itched his nose as though trying to dislodge the smell.

"The gardens at the Southern Temple had some flowers, I suppose, though the water was its main feature. Clear enough to make coffee," he said.

"Ugh, I remember that drink! Al-Sayyal used to drink it like a ritual, and would be fearsome without it," Kanick smiled at the memory. "Don't tell me you like the stuff?"

"It's quite the taste," Bera replied. "Very good with sugar, Master."

"There are houses for it, along the docks," he told his apprentice, "or at least there were when I was last here." The streets were growing crowded as they neared the city's central square, so they dismounted and continued to the temple on foot.

The temple, like all of the four cardinal temples, was a town within a city and the grounds were encompassed by a black slate-looking wall, apparently featureless though Kanick knew that if one inspected it closely seams where flagstones had been fused together could be seen. The wall was only half a man again in height, though thick enough for two people to pass side by side.

Kanick called up and a mage appeared over the top. After a brief exchange the door was opened and Kanick led Bera inside.

The gates opened on to an allée, lined with leafy birches whose branches formed a dense canopy that was alive with the birdsong of the evening. The path underfoot was made of small, broken stones, just like Kanick remembered. But above all was the smell.

He could close his eyes, breathe deep and be a young boy again, after the warm rains, playing soldiers in the puddles and through the gaps in the trees, with Areonis and Regius. He inhaled the intoxicating tang of the garlic and the heady sweetness of the lavender, pausing for the briefest second, and could almost see Regius hiding in the leafy curtains.

They emerged into the glow from the last smoulders of the setting sun, which lit the slate tower in gentle shades of orange and purple. Close up, it was much thicker and taller than even the central tower in Parras, though Kanick could see the seams in the slate-like blocks as on the wall; up close the tower was not as featureless as it seemed, with vertical, decorative lines carved into the stone's surface.

A brazier burned, casting a light that spilled over the door to the tower. They entered into a well-lit atrium, the walls made of the same slate slabs that coated the outside of the tower. Despite the black walls, the tower had never seemed dark, with colourful tapestries hanging from the walls, and plenty of light from lamps mounted in the gaps in between.

"Seems quiet," Bera commented. They were the only people in the large space.

"It's after dinner, everyone's either in the gardens or at study." He thought for a moment, "Or in the taverns. Redstreet is a nice place for a drink," he smiled remembering his nights there. "Anyway, we should find the High-Mage."

They ascended the main staircase and Kanick led Bera through a maze of corridors and stairs until they reached the High-Mage's apartments. An old mage with a long flowing white beard and wearing the black robes of the scholars occupied the desk outside the High-Mage's quarters. "Can I help you?" He croaked, his voice faded.

"I am Master Kanick, and this is my apprentice, Bera," Kanick introduced them.

"Ah, Kanick!" The old mage cackled, a smile erupting from behind his beard, "don't remember me?"

Kanick shook his head and then it came to him. "Master deHeyes!" He exclaimed with a flush of recognition.

deHeyes laughed and addressed Bera. "I taught your master and his friends in their first notation lessons. He was terrible. Regius was much better." The smile died. "I was sorry to hear about his death," deHeyes continued quietly.

"Thank you," Kanick replied, grimly. "It is that business which brings us to Aaton, unfortunately." He relayed the story to his old teacher. "And so, with the country so uncertain and our weariness from the road, I need to acquire a ship."

"Yes," deHeyes agreed, "you should never have attempted the land crossing in the first place!" He chided.

"We didn't know about the troubles with the Sons..." Kanick replied defensively.

"Perhaps, though Areonis should have warned you – but you knew about the Scar!" His voice was incredulous.

"We were trapped by the weather," Bera offered, "But Master Kanick saved my life."

"Yes, well, Kanick was always very good at getting people out of trouble... even if he caused it," deHeyes said more gently. "Anyway, you didn't come all this way to wag your chin at an old teacher." He heaved himself up with a cry. "I'll take you to the High-Mage, come, follow me," he opened the door to the High-Mage's rooms and motioned for the pair to follow.

He led them down a long corridor and up the stairs at the end. "How is the High-Mage... Marya, is it?"

"Well done, it seems you haven't forgotten all the outside world from your nest in Parras." deHeyes cackled and Kanick thought the old teacher was enjoying himself. deHeyes' voice became serious and low, "But the High-Mage is tired. She has the Sons to deal with, and a King in Seabourg Castle who is more preoccupied with pretending there isn't a problem than he is in dealing with it.

"She writes to the Arch-Mage but there's little else she can do; the Kingdom is too big and the Sons' too diffuse for the Order to bring to heel alone." They stopped outside a door. "Of course, the people in the city hear of mages and creatures running amok in the country and direct their anger towards us, adding even more to the High-Mages burdens." He sighed and knocked, adding, "She won't be happy with the request for a ship," A voice called from within and deHeyes disappeared into the room.

As they waited in silence Kanick wondered whether he should bring Bera in with him. The gods knew he needed more lessons in how to conduct diplomacy, but sometimes a frank exchange, like he feared this one would be, is best taking place behind closed doors.

deHeyes reappeared from behind the door. "The High-Mage will see you," he announced and held the door open.

"Bera, please see to it that we have rooms for the night," Kanick tasked him.

"Come with me, young man," deHeyes said and led Bera away down the hall.

Kanick walked into the room. High-Mage Marya sat behind a large wooden desk, wearing her voluminous purple robes of office. It was a much grander space than Areonis's own office and it hadn't changed much since Kanick was a child, skulking in to receive a telling-off by the High-Mage himself.

He remembered the oversized desk, the wall of bookshelves on the left, and the windows that faced the outer surface of the temple; a luxury in the House of Slate, where most rooms were internal or faced the small courtyard at the centre of the tower.

"High-Mage, I am Master Kanick-" He began to introduce himself.

The High-Mage looked up from her papers. "I know who you are," she snapped curtly. "You may sit." She instructed. "I don't have time to spend a whole evening talking to Areonis's errand boy, so what do you want?"

"I need a ship," Kanick stated plainly. There was no point labouring it.

A flash of anger crossed the High-Mage's face. "Of course!" She smiled, though anxiety coiled in Kanick's chest. She continued, "Do you want my office, too? My lover, maybe?" Her face was expressionless, as though she had offered him a fig, or a sweet roll and was waiting for an answer.

"The ship will do," Kanick replied, ignoring her outburst. He could tell himself that it was in the interests of respect and diplomacy, but a part of him thought it would be the most infuriating way to pay back her rudeness.

He wasn't disappointed.

"A ship?!" She yelled, standing up. "I asked Areonis for more mages. And he sends me his pet cripple and a boy?!" Her voice rose. "This Kingdom is hanging by a consigned thread and he wants a ship?" She sat back down; her fury vented.

"The situation is hardly that dire." Kanick told her, trying to keep the frustration from his voice. "I've seen the data from Dorran. It's bad, but it's hardly going to topple the Kingdom!"

"Master Kanick," Marya said, her voice soft and sweet like poison. "Allow me to tell you how I spend my day. I wake. Or, rather, I get up from whatever thin veil of sleep I've been blessed with the previous night. I then have breakfast, at this very desk," Kanick could see the crumbs, now she mentioned it. "Then I take a horse and ride to Seabourg, where I council the King to send for more soldiers. He delays, prevaricates and then simply promises that he will do just that.

"I then return to the temple, where I draft, yet again, a letter for the Arch-Mage, imploring him to send more mages. Then, I go over the reports, of bands of armed mages killing in the countryside. I send my battlemages, who are slowly, but surely being chipped away piece by piece. We've lost five in the past year.

"Then there are the townsfolk," she continued. "Acoytes attacked in the street. An apprentice killed a group of men attempting to rape her. The sheriff and the king call it murder, and I would hand her over if I thought they would actually send the soldiers that they promised." She fixed his gaze with an acid stare. "You tell me it's not that bad, but the pan rolls and hisses more with each passing day, and soon it will boil over. Either the High-King in Parras will hear of the situation and spark a civil war in Aaton, or the townsfolk will seek to drive us out themselves. And this is excluding the possibility that the Sons are gathering an army in the Scar!

"So when you come here, and demand a ship, with mages to crew her, you can see why I'm reluctant to dwindle my resources even more." She finished and sat back in her chair.

Kanick was momentarily struck dumb. He didn't know what to make of the High-Mage's revelation about the state of affairs in the Kingdom. He also found that he agreed with her. The longer things were left to rot, the harder the remedy would need to be. And yet, his mission was already delayed, and he felt the death of Regius gnawing at him, especially in this place.

"I am truly sorry," he said, carefully choosing each word. "But I must get to Woodbend with all haste." Marya continued to stare at him. "A spell maker has died, maybe murdered."

"Oh, just the one?" The High-Mage offered caustically.

"My friend." Kanic said, plainly.

"I have a whole chapter to consider, a whole kingdom. My acolyte, where is her justice?"

Scorched on the cobbles, no doubt, Kanick thought, but instead ignored her question. "I have a writ from the Arch-Mage," he told her finally, feeling sullied that he had to force her hand this way. "I could have simply turned up at the docks and commandeered a ship, but I came to get your blessing first, as a courtesy."

"Well, you do not have it, Kanick," she spat and then appeared to calm once again. "But I am powerless to stop you. Windwitch is crewed and provisioned, you will find her in the harbour." She waved a hand, dismissing him. "You may go, and I would hope to not look upon you tomorrow."

Kanick heaved himself up to leave but paused halfway to the door. It might only be of scant comfort, or none at all, but he offered it anyway.

"The Arch-Mage believes the Sons of the Prince may have had a hand in Regius's death, and if what you say is true, they are very organised. If I gain any intelligence that may be of help to you, I will pass it on."

High-Mage Marya didn't respond as he closed the door behind him and set off in search of Bera and deHeyes.