The trio entered Tempest once again but they were not alone. The students had been arriving all throughout the day. Some arrived by carriage and other's on horseback and a few arrived riding large wooly creatures that Luna called gruffalos.

***

The students filled the Great Hall with talking and laughter. Many of them were particularly interested in Tristan whilst Luna and Jayce they ignored.

A tall white haired boy wearing a silk coat came to greet Tristan. He was flanked on either side by a petite blonde girl with green leaves growing behind her ears and a short broad shouldered boy with equally white hair. The broad shouldered boy flicked a coin into the air and Tristan watched it rise up and then disappear. The boy grinned at Tristan’s look of confusion.

“Tristan Bell,” said the tall youth and clearly the leader of the pacl. “You are all the talk at this gathering. A noble in our midst that no one has ever heard of.”

Everything about the tall boy from his golden belt buckle to his shiny knee high boots and perfectly combed hair radiated wealth.

Tristan smiled awkwardly.

“My name is Ambrose Dominus. This is Pyson Mews.” He gestured at the broad shouldered youth. “He’s Lord Windheims favorite cousin. And this,” Ambrose placed a hand on the petite girl’s shoulder. “This is Sylvia Grenlock,” he said. “Our families have been friends for ages. The girl’s face turned a light shade of pink and she smiled shyly at Tristan.

Ambrose extended his hand. “I don't believe we’ve met,” he said.

Tristan shook the youth’s hand.

“No,” said Tristan. “I don't believe we have but I am not a noble, so that is probably why.”

Ambrose’s eyes narrowed. “A wealthy merchant's son then?” he asked, as he eyed Tristan’s hair.

“No, just Tristan. These are my friends, Jayce and Luna.”

Ambrose nodded a greeting at Jayce and then he took Luna’s hand and kissed it. “You have the most extraordinary black hair,” he said. “You must be from Ralo or one of the eastern countries.”

Luna smiled uncomfortably. “Westwind,” she said.

“That's close to Porthaven is it not?” he asked.

But before Luna could answer, a woman wearing a green gown walked onto the stage and raised her hands commanding silence.

“Students, please be seated,” said the lady in a booming voice.

The students shuffled back to their tables and Tristan sat beside a chubby youth who nodded a greeting at him.

“That's Lady Kizamere,” said Luna, who sat opposite him. “She’s the Alchemy instructor. We saw her the first day we arrived.”

Tristan nodded but his attention was drawn to a one armed man who’d just entered the room. The man was dressed in black and around his neck he wore a short crimson scarf. Something about the man sent shivers down Tristan’s spine. The man scratched the stump of his missing arm and swept his gaze across the crowd as if he was searching for somebody specific.

His eyes lingered on Tristans for a moment and then the man turned away and said something to a portly lady dressed in white.

“Who's he?” Tristan asked.

Luna shrugged. “Must be one of the instructors,” she said. “But the gray haired man entering the hall is the Headmaster.”

“Aurelian Dibbet,” said Tristan. “Yes, we’ve met.”

Luna’s eyes widened. “When did you get to meet the Arch Magi?” she asked.

Tristan shrugged. “It's a long story.”

“You get a kick out of being mysterious don't you,” she said.

Once everybody had been seated the Headmaster Aurelian Dibbet stood up and tapped his goblet with his fork.

The students fell silent. Tristan noticed that three seats were still empty at the Masters table. So they hadn't found new instructors yet he thought.

“Welcome students,” said the Headmaster.

He did not shout but his voice carried across the hall effortlessly. “It is good to see these halls so full of laughter,” said the Headmaster. “This academy will demand much from each of you. It will bend you further than you thought possible. Be flexible and you will not be easily broken.”

Headmaster Aurelian fell silent. Tristan sensed that the Headmaster wanted to say more.

But instead he said, “Eat and be merry, tomorrow your training begins.”

***

The students began to applaud as silver trays floated out of the kitchen and landed on their tables.

“Now that's what I call magic,” said Jayce with a sheepish grin on his face.

Ambrose took a seat besides Luna and Sylvia sat next to Tristan. Tristan couldn't help but stare at the small leaves behind Sylvia’s ears. The girl glowered at him and he quickly looked away as a tray with roasted duck floated towards them. The tray landed lightly on the table and Tristan thought he felt something brush against his side. He looked around but saw nobody there. Another tray floated towards him, this one laden with steaming potatoes.

Tristan reached out into the space below the tray and felt nothing.

“What are you doing?” Luna asked.

“I thought,” began Tristan. “Never mind.”

Tristan offered the duck to Sylvia and then to Luna.

“No thanks,” said Luna.

“You’re not hungry?” Tristan asked.

Luna shook her head. “No, I'm starving.”

“Oh, ok.”

“I don't eat meat,” said Luna.

“Really. I've known you all this time and never noticed,” he said.

“I don't blame you. We have been busy lately,” said Luna.

“ Are you an animal lover?”

“Not really.”

“Ok,” he said in confusion. “Trying to save the environment?”

Luna shook her head.

“Health reasons?”

Luna laughed. “You ask a lot of questions,” she said.

Tristan went red. “Sorry.”

“No, I like it,” said Luna. “Curiosity means you care about things. I don't eat meat because the magic doesn't allow it.”

“No dreams and no meat,” he said. “That's hard.”

Luna smiled. “As long as I get to heal people then having this power is worth it.”

Tristan took a bite of a chicken and immediately felt guilty.

“You don't mind me eating this?” he asked.

“It's fine,” she said. “I don't get cravings. The magic removed all desires for meat. I don't think I'm even allowed to eat it.”

“That's strange,” he said. “What would happen if you did?”

She shrugged.

Talking about meat made him think about the stormcrow. He hadn't seen Buzzbeak lately.

He took a napkin and filled it with scraps of meat. He pocketed the napkin and looked up to see Luna looking at him.

“For the meat cravings,” said Tristan.

She laughed.

After the main meal deserts were brought out but Tristan was so full all he managed was a bite of steaming pudding before he pushed his plate away.

Luna on the other hand ate a whole chocolate cake all by himself.

She realized that Tristan, Sylvia and Ambrose were all watching her as she put the last mouthful of cake into her mouth.

“Being a vegetarian isn't all bad,” she said sheepishly.

***

Mollie Hornfel the history Master led the girls to their dorms on the east side of the castle. The Artificer instructor Master Talos led the boys down black tiled corridors to the west side dormitories. Tristan was too tired to appreciate the statues, the paintings or the suits of armor that decorated the halls.

After climbing a set of marble stairs they arrived at the boys dorm.

“You see the runes on the door?” asked Master Talos.

The boys nodded.

“The girl’s dormitories have similar runes,” said the Master. “They prevent the use of all spell effects from passing through.”

“Master Talos, could you clarify?” asked Ambrose.

“Invisibility and teleportation spells won’t work,” said the Master. “I'm sure that won’t stop students from trying.”

The boys sighed in disappointment.

***

Tristan chose a bed beside the window and Jayce threw his bags down on the bed opposite his. Jayce left to shower and Tristan unpacked his few items and put them and his sword in the chest at the foot of his bed.

He opened his window and called out for Buzzbeak.

He looked out at the night sky and the silhouettes of trees in the yard down below. He wondered if the stormcrow would return.

Minutes passed and just when he was about to give up and close the windows. The stormcrow appeared outside the window and landed on the window sill. Buzzbeak’s blue eyes watched Tristan.

“One sec,” said Tristan, as he took the napkin from his bed and opened it. He held a slice of smoked pork out for the bird.

The stormcrow ignored the meat.

“Really what am I supposed to feed you?”

“I'm as full as a tick,” said Jayce as he entered the room. “I'm going to sleep so…” he trailed off. “What? It's that stormcrow? Here. Why?”

“This is Buzzbeak,” said Tristan.

Jayce shook his head vigorously. “Those birds are bad luck,” said Jayce. “Whenever we had a storm, my pa used to say that the stormcrows were feasting on lightning. When the storm ended he’d tell us to get into bed and pull the blankets over our heads so the stormcrows wouldn't come and eat our souls.”

“I wouldn't mind if it ate souls,” Tristan said. “The damn thing won’t eat anything I feed it.”

Jayce waved his towel at the bird and the crow cawed at him. It fluttered its wings and jumped off the window sill and disappeared again into the night.

Jayce closed the window.

“You scared of a bird?” asked Tristan.

“I don't want to wake up and see that thing sitting on my chest,” said Jayce. “And it’s got blue eyes like a demon. It's damn creepy.”

***

Tristan had a strange dream that night. It could have been from all the excitement of the day or possibly from all the food he'd eaten. He dreamt that a pair of blue eyes were watching him as he slept.