It took most of the class a moment to process what was going on while the teachers filed out. In that moment, Astor, Olivia-Marie, Ellis and Ingrid all looked at each other, jumped up, and shot out the door.

“Well, we probably shouldn’t be late, Miss Fancy.” Finn drawled, as he nudged Rowena. Instead of the usual reaction that the class had (admittedly) gotten used to, there was no incoherent rage. Instead, there was a jagged, cold seething as she started to sing. Theo recognised it as the song she had sung during her fight against Edgar.

Her hand darted out, and held Finn’s elbow where it came into contact with her. She held eye contact as she sang, long enough for ice to cover most of Finn’s upper body.

“Do not touch me.” Rowena ground out. It wasn’t aggressive like a threat, just a command. Finn’s eyes had gotten wider than anyone had ever seen before by now, and he nodded with a tight expression on his face.

“Right, sorry miss.” Finn apologised, voice lowered. Rowena nodded her head, removing her hand from his arm. There was an uncomfortable silence, as she realised that everyone else had stayed around and were surreptitiously not staring (but definitely, very clearly listening). She flushed, before taking in a deep breath.

“And how dare you talk to me the way you normally do? Do you know how embarrassing it is for me to…” Rowena resumed the sputtering rage, and everyone let out a collective held breath.

Finn cracked a smile. “Well, if only Miss Fancy wasn’t so hoity toity, then maybe…”

The sound of their arguing accompanied the class as they made their way over to the Arts Exchange.

---

The energy at the Arts Exchange was not what Theo was used to. Everyone there (except the four from his class) was visibly uncomfortable. It took Theo a moment to realise that it wasn’t discomfort on everyone’s faces – sure there were some that were, but there were also a lot of really excited faces, that some might even call starstruck.

It was then that he remembered that Sparrow was actually rather famous as The Dancing Wind, and surely the other teachers weren’t far behind (and frankly, those participating in the Arts Exchange in the courtyard of the College of Song likely recognised the teachers).

Theo took a moment to laugh quietly to himself. He had started out starstruck too, and now not a few months later he had forgotten that Sparrow was even someone famous in the first place.

They all made their way over to the circle, and there wasn’t enough space to all sit down easily, so they milled around for a little bit, some crossing their legs (like Theo), some remaining standing (like Rowena), others squatting (like Finn).

Currently Astor was performing in the centre a lively piece as Sparrow and Sasha danced. It was clear to see how differently they moved, and how their styles affected this. Sparrow was flighty, barely touching the ground, almost gliding as they waltzed. Sasha moved with strong, precise motions, staying rigorously in time, as Sparrow seemed to flow around them.

Then, each with an arm outstretched, as Sparrow went past they grabbed Sasha’s hand, pivoting around them as their legs left the ground and Sasha flung them upwards as Astor seemed to be reaching the climax of the song. And as he held the final chord, and Sparrow spent a surprisingly-long time in the air, they whistled The Fisherman’s Song, and out of the doors of the College of Song a red and silver couch (that Theo recognised from when he was tested) came bursting through. Theo noted that the accordion and whistling worked well together.

The couch laid itself down next to where Theo was sitting (and where it looked like Sparrow was going to land). And as the final chord from Astor’s accordion finally ended, Sparrow landed, perfectly outstretched on the couch, as if they had always been there.

There was thunderous applause, as well as distant yelling as Maria poked her head out and criticised Sparrow. They ignored her, and both Rowena and Finn had an odd look on their face. After a few more moments of yelling, Maria stomped out of the college into the courtyard, whistling The Fisherman’s Song so loudly that all attention was on her, and everyone in the circle paused.

Sparrow’s eyes bugged out, as they were yanked from their couch and pulled through the air into Maria’s outstretched hand. She dragged them into the college, and closed the entrance.

The energy in the circle changed, and although the next performer who went up was lovely, neither Theo nor anyone in the Arts Exchange really paid them much attention, too unnerved by what had happened. In fact, even the performer didn’t seem to have their heart in it.

Eventually, Sparrow walked out of the college unharmed, and sat down on the couch as if nothing had happened. When Theo sent them a curious look, they just winked, and gestured for them to come closer.

“I found some more coins for your collection. Enough to finish the set, I think.” Sparrow whispered. They brought their hand up to their face, as if rubbing their nose. At that angle, only Theo could see the three coins held in the palm of his hand.

“How did-“ Theo began.

“A lot of people owe me favours. We’ll talk about this on Fesday.” Sparrow interrupted. “Speaking of Fesday, you’ve got Thelonious’ writing class on Fesday morning, correct?” Sparrow asked.

“Yes. Also, Sas- The Silent Fist and The Doomsday Siren both mentioned auditing classes on the weekend?” Theo said, correcting himself out loud. Maybe it wasn’t the best habit to think of his teachers by their actual name, but Sparrow introduced them to him like that first, and admittedly it was less unwieldy than their official Bard titles.

Sparrow nodded. “Yes, I’ll want you to go to the offer and focus classes on Tefday, at least this weekend. You don’t have to keep it up if you don’t like them; I just want you to have exposure to all forms of magic. Don’t worry about internal magic, follow the plan I have for you and you’ll be fine.” They said, as they chuckled to themselves.

“Fesday you’ve got writing with Thelonious, and then training with me. And then Tefday you’ve got two audit classes. Your days are really busy now, aren’t they?” Sparrow mused, rhetorically.

Theo paused.

They were right. He was getting busy, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it (besides a rat that was slowly being cornered in an alley). Remembering how tired he was even just last night, Theo asked a question that had been on his mind.

“Is there any magic that helps me need less sleep? It’s only been a week of classes, but I’m already starting to find it hard to get up in the morning.” Sparrow stayed silent, but from their shaking shoulders Theo knew they were laughing (and were probably staying quiet not to interrupt Olivia-Marie, who was currently reciting a lovely poem that Theo was still trying to pay some attention to).

“Well,” Sparrow choked out, taking a moment to breathe, “Funny you should mention that. How’s your internal magic coming along?” They asked.

Theo shrugged his shoulders as he shifted and adjusted his crossed legs, which were starting to feel a little numb from how long they’d been sitting there. “I’ve only had an hour or two after class finishes before I head to The Pub to perform. That’s when I try to practice cycling multiple internal magics at once, but the rest of my practice time is subconsciously cycling things while I’m walking or performing.” Sparrow nodded in approval.

“Well, that’s good. If your goal is to sleep less, then you’re on the right track. What’s your progress on Self Awareness? Can you cycle it with another internal magic?” Sparrow asked.

Theo grimaced. “I can barely manage it with another internal magic, but not for long.” Sparrow raised an eyebrow. “I can handle Owl’s Eyes, Bat’s Ears, and Dog’s Nose at the same time, but it all fall apart the moment I add in Self Awareness.” He hastily added.

“Theo, you are truly monstrous. To be able to maintain three after this long.” Sparrow shook their head, while surreptitiously looking around to make sure nobody was listening.

“I’ll bring someone along on Fesday to help you progress in another way. Maybe that will make second tier internal magic clearer for you.” They smiled, and Theo smiled back.

A thought came back to him. “Wait, so what can help me need less sleep?”

Sparrow’s voice appeared really close to his ear, and Theo had to stop himself from jumping out of his skin. Even though he heard their voice, their mouth wasn’t moving at all. It was rather disconcerting (like seeing a taxidermied pet, or a doll with lifelike eyes). “There is a theoretical third tier internal magic that I know of, but best to have this conversation away from curious ears and not in public.” Theo winced, and nodded.

Theo heard coughing from behind him. Turning around, he saw Eleanor looking at the two of them huddled together and talking, lips set in a scowl and rolling her eyes. She reset her face, and looked over the circle.

“To the regulars in the Arts Exchange, you may be wondering why all of us have joined you today. To the veterans, you know exactly why.” Eleanor said, as a few knowing smiles were traded (in a sea of neutral faces).

“This week marks the start of another year for the College of Song, and another group of students on their way to becoming bards. And as always, we have a tradition after their first Music class.” She stood up straighter, smile growing on her face, staring up at the sky.

“We give them a test, not of skill, but character. What is a bard, if not someone who sits around a fire and makes music?” Eleanor let that hang in the air for a moment, as she returned her gaze to the crowd of artists all enraptured. Theo dimly noted that Sparrow covered their mouth, as the centre of the Arts Exchange burst into flame (exactly the right size for a campfire).

“You are not allowed to leave until every single person has performed. Doesn’t matter what. Doesn’t matter how. But you all must perform to prove that you are true bards.” Eleanor said, addressing Theo and his classmates.

They shared looks, and one by one they all performed, for better or worse.

Edgar brought out his whip, cracking it to and fro.

Drew took out a stick the length of his forearm, and played a nice beat over his suit of drum-armour.

Rowena took a moment, gathering courage (and air), before performing an aria as clear as a starry night without a single cloud.

Jade took out an oddly-shaped sword, and hit it against the ground. It rang, and as she continued to swing it in a dance the sound only grew stronger.

Everett simply sang the dire aria that caused space to almost crumble in battle, but contained in such a way that they could all marvel at how beautiful and fragile the world was.

Finn stood up, arms crossed and jaw set. He hesitated, before starting to softly sing a sea shanty. By the second time round, he’d found the confidence in his voice, and by the third Edgar had started cracking his whip in time, people were clapping, and everyone was singing along.

Theo was one of the last to go up, and frankly it had all become a blur of sounds and shouting and generally making merry. As he stood up, he knew he didn’t have a song prepared. So, he did what he did best, and made one up.

Theo sang of friends and music and nights around a bright-eyed fire. That was exactly what they did, spending time in each other’s company, late into the night.