Carmine heaved a shuddering sigh as she sat on the bed of her windowless quarters. The field assignment would last three weeks in a place with new faces and new obligations. After leaving home and joining the Leval institute, the task felt less daunting, but anxious excitement jittered her hands for the first day. She squeezed her hands together, trying to control her breath. Her cramped quarters reminded her of Rolderston home, with about as much leg space. If she closed her eyes she could be back there in an instant. As much as part of her enjoyed venturing further into unknown territory, another part yearned for the safety of her isolated little shack. Those two parts went back and forth in her mind, trying to assert whether she should be happy or terrified. In recent weeks, she felt she could push back the terror, rather than let it push her into a corner. Maybe Adelaide's attitude was rubbing off on her, or Almyra's confidence, or maybe even Emmet’s sheer obliviousness. Either way, she liked the feeling. Despite her anxiety, when a knock came to her door, Carmine leapt off her bed, ready and able to start the day.

She greeted both Grik and Emmet waiting at the threshold.

"Good morning," Carmine said.

“To you as well,” Grik smiled, briefly looking at Carmine’s tidy garb. “You’re already prepared. Excellent.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Carmine tilted her head.

“Because I wasn’t,” Emmet answered, a flustered smile crossing his face. “Turns out I'm a heavier sleeper without the sun to wake me up.”

“It’s not too irregular for surface folk to need an adjustment period,” Grik added. “It’s perfectly fine, I even came a bit early just in case.”

“I’ll admit I was so nervous I woke up an hour before I planned and couldn’t get back to sleep,” Carmine said. “B-but I’m still looking forward to this.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Grik stepped out from her doorway and motioned down the tunnel. Carmine followed his direction as he and Emmet fell in step beside her. “Today will be very light. We’ll just introduce you to my students and then I’ll get on with the usual lesson. For now I’d just like you to watch while considering how it’s structured. I imagine the contents will be old news to Leval students, so just focus on the teaching techniques.”

“That seems easy enough,” Emmet said.

“Maybe,” Grik nodded, “but you’ll know if you noticed enough when it’s your turn to teach.”

Grik led them up a tunnel to a wide opening to what must be the center of the mountain they inhabited. An immense column traveled up the center of a deep shaft, connecting all the way up to the mountaintop. Lights and buildings climbed the column just as they did on the mountain shelf. She looked out over the Riven city from a spiraling walkway that traveled around the mountain wall, all manner of buildings carved into the stone next to this settlement’s winding main street.

“It kinda looks like my parent’s tower,” Emmet pointed to the column.

“That’s a decent comparison,” Grik agreed. “The pillar is our place of learning in Dwerra, same with most Riven settlements. It’s not just for mages of course, we Riven have many renowned schools for artisans and engineers.”

“But how do we get over there?” Carmine asked, looking over the edge as a long drop stared back. The nearest bridge looked several levels down, and only lightly traveled. Just as Carmine wondered why, Grik spoke up.

“We take one of those.” Grik pointed to a large metal box sliding over the abyss, only kept from falling by a thick steel cable running from the mountain wall to the pillar. A pit cramped Carmine’s stomach just the same as the day she stepped on an airship fpr the first time.

“Why?” She lamented. “Why can’t we just portal over? Why do we have to be so high up?”

“Not a fan of heights, eh?” Grik patted her back. “I assure you, it’s completely safe. We’ve never had any accidents with them once they left the prototype stage.”

“Oh good, we can be the first.” Carmine held her stomach tighter as she walked down with Grik and Emmet. They stopped at a waiting station, next to many other Riven as the cable car, as Grik called it, drifted closer and closer. She took a full minute to step into that suspended coffin, and even then, took a seat that faced away from the windows as she stared at the ground.

"How does this thing work?" Emmet asked, looking around the carriage. "I don't see a lodestone or anything."

"It's powered by a different kind of energy generated by water wheels in a river far below us,” Grik answered. “I can explain it to you in detail later, but it's somewhat unique to the Riven mountains."

"It's bumpy." Carmine grumbled. Every shake and shudder traveled through the car and down her spine.

"A little." Grik chuckled, trying to help her feel at ease. It didn't help. "Before these automatic cable cars, my grandparents had to use hand cranks to get across. Sometimes their arms would cramp up and they'd be stuck for a little while."

"Please don't mention being stuck up here," Carmine asked, the thought tightening a knot in her stomach.

"You'll get used to it, Carmine," Emmet said. "After all, we have three weeks worth of rides to look forward to."

Carmine ‘s breath escaped her in a haunted moan as she rode the rest of the way in silence. Some days she beat back the terror, other days it was entirely justified.

Grik’s study hall consisted of one small classroom, his office, and access to a recreational courtyard shared by other schools. Though Grik only had half-a-dozen desks in his hall, each shined wish polished cleanliness. As much as she looked, Carmine couldn’t find a single speck of dirt maring the marble stone floors. Charts and study guides covered the walls, each straight and perfectly spaced from its neighbors. The chalkboard at the room’s front bore the marks of past lessons erased yet embedded into the surface. Carmine’s only comparison was a rickety schoolhouse she attended just a few times in Rieland before her mother decided to teach her herself. Compared to that, she sensed the care Grik put into every corner of the hall.

“Sorry, I don’t have extra desks for you just yet,” Grik said, hauling a pair of chairs from out of his office. “But I do have these. I won’t make you stand all day.”

“This is pretty nice.” Emmet walked through the room, turning his head all around to take in the sights. “Where are all your students?”

“They’ll be here soon. As you might have guessed, I only have six pupils. It might be strange for you, coming from a tower full of mages, but sorcery talent is somewhat rare.”

“I thought there would be more considering all the machines you have here,” Carmine said.

“We Riven have always been industrious folk, but we didn’t see the reason to rely solely on magic as our means of advancement, and not to toot our own horn, but all of Vembris has benefitted from that thinking. Airships? That was us. Trains? Us too. Can’t forget-” Before Grik finished his prideful waxing, a series of knocks rattled his study door. “Oh! That’s them.” He straightened his shirt, dusted off his pants and looked at Carmine and Emmet. “Please, stand at the front of the class and we’ll have you introduce yourselves.”

Before Carmine could even respond, Grik jogged over to the hall’s door and opened it wide. Six children stormed inside, some skipping like wind, others stomping as thunder. Carmine guessed they couldn't be older than seven or eight, some more pleased than others to be there. Happy or grumpy, they all stopped in their tracks when they saw Carmine and Emmet. Most of them were Riven, unsurprisingly, but of the six there stood one human and one Vulfan among them.

"Take your seats, Class," Grik called as he joined Emmet and Carmine at the front. "As you can see we have some new guests who will be joining us for a little while. They're mage students just like you, and they'll be my assistants for the next few weeks." Grik turned to Emmet. "Introduce yourself if you'd like and tell us a little about you."

"Hello," Emmet started first, waving to the pupils. "My name's Emmet Leval, and I'm from The Leval institute in Reefcliff. I'm going to be a professor there one day, so I'm here to learn how to teach."

Carmine side eyed him as he finished. How did Emmet make that look so easy?

"Well said, Emmet," Grik looked past him to Carmine. "How about you Carmine?"

"Hi," Carmine addressed the pupils. She should have thought of something to say, bad introductions, just like yesterday. "My name is Carmine, like mister-er, professor Grik said. I'm from a small town in the north called Rolderston…you probably haven't heard of it. I'm trying to be a wit- traveling teacher and doctor."

"Thank you both," Grik nodded. "Now class, be kind to-"

"What happened to your face?" A pupil, a white furred Riven, asked, a curious frown on his face.

"Hern!" Grik snapped.

"It's fine." Carmine crossed her arms, meeting the pupils' curious eyes perhaps a bit harsher than she intended. Introducing herself never occurred in her mind, but this she knew was coming. "A bad man broke a lantern and my clothes caught fire." Carmine wanted to leave it at that, but the pupils kept staring.

"Cool." A whispered voice escaped another student, the brown haired Vulfan girl.

"Probably hot, actually," that Hern kid joked. His smirk lasted less than a second as Carmine’s glare snapped to his face. Every student in the room, even Emmet, shrunk back.

“N-now Hern,” Grik tried to calm the situation. “It’s not polite to joke about someone else’s injury.”

“I’m sorry.” Hern squeaked.

“It’s…fine.” Carmine pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Good job Carmine, it's been one minute and they’re all scared of you.

"With that out of the way," Grik steered the conversation away. "Why don't I introduce who you'll be teaching?" Grik motioned to the Class.

First he introduced Hern, a white furred Riven boy, who, according to Grik, asks a lot of questions with little tact. Carmine nodded, feeling that first hand.

Next was Powell, another Riven boy with gray fur, and a pouting face. He mindlessly scratched grooves into his desk with his claws, barely paying attention to anyone at all.

After him were Tak and Taggi, a twin brother and and sister pair who showed magic aptitude at the same time and joined the school together.

Then there was Maeve, the class’ only Vulfan. Her parents worked as local hunters and leather workers, often trading with Dwerra. When Maeve showed signs of sorcery, her parents enrolled her under Grik.

And last was Gwen, a blonde haired, bright eyed human girl staying in Dwerra for a year with her uncle. By her telling, she came from Reefcliff as well, and her family built ships for the Vembrian navy.

After meeting the class, Grik settled in for the daily lessons as Emmet and Carmine watched from the back. By the pupils’ current progress, Carmine guessed Grik already taught them about the fundamentals of magic, energy, incantation, and intent. As she watched on, she couldn't help comparing Grik's lessons to Nicholos'. By every regard, Grik showed far more structure and planning. He had diagrams and charts committed in memory as learning aids for students, while Nicholos taught mostly by improvising. Carmine finally understood why; it took a lot of work, focus, and commitment to teach.

In front of his pupils, Grik's usual squirmy demeanor fell away. He chose words the pupils could understand, each sentence providing more insight, and it’s as if he knew every question the pupils would ask before they did. Carmine wasted no time noting down everything she saw, writing without looking down at her notebook as she realized an evident truth; teaching was hard.

As hard as it was, Nicholos had done his best, never intending to be a mentor until he had a pupil. With a growing sense of appreciation, Carmine spent the next few days observing and absorbing Grik's techniques.

As time passed, Carmine and Emmet spent time assisting the pupils with class work at Grik's behest.

Hern was a joker. He couldn’t stay focused on anything for more than a few minutes. While that made assisting him difficult, once he and Carmine moved past the frightening incident, Carmine caught herself smirking at his quips when she knew they should be studying.

Powell didn’t want to be in school. He dreaded every lesson, and thought they were wasting his time. He only enjoyed the minutes between classes and when it ended. Carmine had no idea how to assist a student that didn’t want to tlearn. She relied on Grik’s assistance at that time.

Tak and Taggi would never stop speaking to each other, even when Grik insisted on working alone. Between their constant chitter, Carmine could barely get a word in, but at least they focused on the work they’d been given.

Maeve struggled with reading. Carmine sensed that Vembrian might have been her second language. Carmine spent most of her time reading aloud to help Maeve understand her texts, but once the young pupil heard the material her mind retained it in a vice.

And lastly, Gwen shared a bad habit Carmine did in her early years; she read ahead on her own. She barely needed any assistance in learning lessons or incantations, but struggled when it came to casting spells. Carmine guessed it was because she mixed up too much information in her head.

By the end of the week, Carmine had each of their names and faces memorized and as she helped them along she caught herself smiling more and more. The desire to teach may have been a snap decision for her in the pressured moment of a circle meeting, but perhaps it had been the right after all.

—

"I'd like to plan what you both do for your lessons." Grik said after the final day of the first week. All the students departed, leaving Carmine and Emmet alone with their mentor, cleaning the classroom. "I'm hoping to have you both help with a little application activity. Do you think you could be ready for it?"

"Yup," Emmet replied. Doubt, once again, never rooted in his mind, but for once, Carmine shared the same conviction.

"We’re ready," Carmine added, “but what do you have in mind?”

"Oh," Grik flinched in pleasant surprise. "I expected a bit more hesitation. You’re both taking to this quite well."

"We've been watching like you wanted." Carmine assured him. "I think trying it would give us a better idea of what's needed next."

"Good to hear." Grik smiled. "I was thinking that it's important for students to see practical use of basic sorcery in a day-to-day activity, like travel." Grik focused on Carmine. "Especially when traveling is going to be part of your trade."

"Yeah, I've been considering buying some good walking shoes," Carmine nodded. "So we show how sorcery is used in daily tasks?" Grik answered with a nod. "We can do that.”

"I have bigger plans than just a lesson." Grik shifted on his feet, excitement slipping through his composure. "There's an ancient sanctuary in the mountains, a place of power where you can feel the presence of old magic. I want us to guide the pupils up there on a small expedition. Shouldn't take more than the week to go there and back, and teaching practical skills is an important step to being a mentor."

"That sounds good to me," Emmet raised his thumb in approval. "I've been going a little stir crazy underground this whole time, it'd be fun to see what's outside the mountain."

"Besides the cold?" Carmine grumbled, but a smirk fought its way to her face at the thought of a new adventure. "Are you sure it will be allowed? A week-long trip seems irregular."

"It's actually a yearly trip for my pupils, I'm just moving it ahead early so you both can participate as well. I'll have to confirm it with the parents, but I doubt there will be a problem," Grik explained. "With the sanctuary being so close, scholars and devotees make pilgrimages to see it quite often. The road is well traveled and safe."

"Awesome!" Emmet pumped both his fists skyward.

"Whoa," Carmine flinched.

“Someone likes the idea.” Grik chuckled.

"Sorry." Emmet blushed as he tried to contain himself. "I've never had an adventure before. Not like you, Carmine. My mom doesn't like me leaving Reefcliff unless it's with her or Dad." His eyes widened as he looked at Grik. "We don't…have to tell her, do we?"

"I don't believe it's necessary," Grik answered with a sly smile. "It's part of your field assignment after all."

Emmet’s eyes shined on his face, his grin a mile wide as he turned to Carmine, spreading his enthusiasm. "This is going to be great! We're gonna climb mountains, go camping, maybe even fight bears!"

"Don't fight bears, stupid," Carmine chuckled. She sensed she'd spend more time on the trip looking after him than the pupils, and yet, that idea didn't bother Carmine at all.