"--so for now, at least, she's my responsibility."

The conclusion of Sorrel's long, mostly fibbed tale was met with the equally curious, and confused expressions of his friends. And it wasn't as if he could blame them. After some internal debate on the walk over, Sorrel had settled on giving them the same lie his father had tried to give him. They, of course, believed it about as much as Sorrel had.

Seeming to decide not to press it, the bolder of his two teammates broke away from their table. Curling one hand into a first, he settled it above his heart and offered a shallow bow.

"Leander Dumieres," he announced, before straightening. A bright grin took over his face. "Pleased to meetcha! I'm the leader of these guys, so if you need anything, just ask me."

Their other teammate snorted. If Leander heard her, he ignored it, instead choosing to study the girl with a clearly expectant expression. When she met his loud greeting with a blink and silence, Leander's smile faltered, forested eyes flicking to Sorrel. He shrugged in turn. Sorrel was just glad she hadn't turned into smoke.

"Don't worry," he said, stepping over to their table. "It's not you. She doesn't respond to anyone, really."

He took a seat while explaining, before glancing back at the girl expectantly. As the seconds of his pause ticked by, she remained where he'd left her. Sorrel sighed, catching the leg of the chair neighboring him with his foot and dragging it out. His intention must have been obvious, then, because she instantly took the offered seat.

"I think she only listens to me because Mom told her to."

At his words, the others seemed to study them with a bit more scrutiny than before. If they'd made any conclusions, however, they kept it to themselves. Instead, his other teammate leaned across the table, her auburn hair brushing the cloth as she shoved her near-full plate towards them.

"Rena," she introduced. "If Lee's the leader, then I'm the brains of the squad. Take a cookie. The sweets here are amazing--and the only reason I bother hanging out with these guys."

"Hey!"

She ignored Leadner. "I already had four, so take as many as you want."

The girl examined the plate for a moment, before glancing at Sorrel. He sighed again, before nodding. Was she going to do anything without him first prompting her to? It was almost as if she had no thoughts of her own.

At his permission, she picked up a cookie and took a bite. Her face pinched with sudden concentration as she chewed, leaving Sorrel covering his mouth in an attempt to hide his amusement. "Do you--"

Leander sprung from the table, startling Sorrel into cutting his question off. Before he could ask what was going on, Leander had already darted from their seats on the deck and out into the street. The girl sank closer to Sorrel's side, black smoke curling around her body.

Rena's dark eyes widened in alarm. Sorrel put a finger to his lips, hoping she would understand. Bringing the matter up only ever seemed to make it worse. It was better to ignore her. He'd realized as much after watching his mother struggle the entire day before. The only time the girl would relax was when there was seemingly no one looking her way.

"Aarin!"

Leander's call seemed to draw her attention, and abruptly, the smoke was gone. Sorrel stared at her in shock, teammate forgotten. For the first time since his parents had introduced them, her face showed something other than wariness. What that new emotion was, however, was hard for him to judge. Surprise? Alarm?

Whatever the feeling, it spurred the girl to jump from her seat much like Leander had, and dart after him. Sorrel swore before taking off after her.

"Wait!"

His eyes skipped ahead of her, spotting where Leander had run off to. Or, perhaps more appropriately, who he had run to.

A few feet ahead of him was a familiar figure--although, admittedly not as familiar as he had once been. Aarin's once neatly trimmed, snowy hair had grown into a shaggy mess that reached just below his ears, causing it to peek beyond the edges of his hood. Sorrel shuddered at the reminder of just how far from them their friend had drifted. The enchanted, black hood and gaiter were sure signs someone belonged to Eclipse--the tower's shadowed elite.

Seemingly intimidated, the girl skidded to a stop behind Leander, before tucking herself behind him. Whatever his teammate had been saying to Aarin cut off as Leander seemed to realize his new role as a shield. "Wha--"

"Sorry," Sorrel called as he caught up. "She suddenly took off..."

Seeming not to notice Sorrel's distress, the girl caught Leander's sleeve and gave it a tug.

"Huh? What is it?"

Her eyes flicked to him, before returning to Aarin. Leander's face lit up as he seemed to catch onto her silent question. "Oh, that's Aarin! He's my--"

Leander cut off as the girl silently stepped around him and closer to Aarin. The mage in question watched her blankly as she locked her hands behind her back and studied him head-to-toe. Then, without warning, she turned on a heel and returned to the cafe's deck. Sorrel scratched his cheek as he looked between her and where Aarin still stood, brow knitted.

"Have you met her before?" he asked.

Aarin shrugged.

Then, without bothering to explain what had just happened, he turned away and continued his trek down the street. Leander swore and took off after him, complaining that he should stop and eat. Seeing no other option, Sorrel left them alone and returned to the cafe.

After all, he was as likely to get an answer from the girl in question as he was from Aarin. His former classmate had become impossibly close-mouthed and distant ever since he'd been invited to Eclipse. Not that Sorrel could blame him. Not many could go through what he had and stay the same.

By the time Sorrel returned to the table, the girl was already reseated, cookie in her hands.

"What was that about?" Rena asked.

Sorrel shrugged and once again settled in his seat. A cough rattled his chest before he could reply, resulting in Rena calling a waiter for drinks. By the time he'd calmed, the girl had finished her treat and been urged into taking another by his teammate.

"Not sure," he answered when he was certain the fit was finished. "If you didn't hear him, it was Aarin that caught his attention. Don't know how. He was all dressed up in Eclipse gear."

"Did Lee go after him?"

He nodded, noting how the girl's attention seemed to zero in on their conversation. What was it about Aarin that held her attention so strongly?

Rena sighed, picking up the glass of water she'd ordered for herself. Her hands curled around it, dark eyes staring into the drink as if it could answer whatever questions she had about the matter. "He won't be back anytime soon, then."

"Probably not."

"He's just going to piss Aarin off."

"Probably," Sorrel agreed. "I have to watch her, so it's your job this time."

Rena groaned, and Sorrel offered an apologetic smile. She glowered in turn, he laughed. Sorrel couldn't blame her for her newly sour mood. Picking Leander up after he'd dragged Aarin into a sparring session and been soundly beaten wasn't something either of them enjoyed. Why he continued to confront him and push Aarin until the mage's temper snapped, Sorrel had no idea. His best guess, however, was that it had something to do with Leander's insistence that leaving Aarin to his own devices was negligent of them.

But, what else were they supposed to do? Tell him that everything was okay?

It obviously wasn't.

"Sorry I'm late!"

The call tore Sorrel from his thoughts, and dragged his attention to the deck steps. Standing at the base of them, a sheepish hand on the back of his neck, was the final member of their odd lunch group.

"You missed the drama," Rena grumbled, then brightened. "Right, Noa, you can be the one to do it."

Her declaration made their friend falter, his violet eyes flicking over the group, then back to her warily. "Do what, exactly?"

"Collect Lee," she explained. "He took off after Aarin. I got him last time, Sorrel has to watch the kid, so fair logic dictates it should be you."

Noa paled. One of his hands went up in a warding gesture as the other pulled back the chair next to Rena. "No way. Last time Aarin saw me I got third degree burns. Your teammate, your responsibility."

Rena groaned and dropped her head on the table.

"Have sympathy for a classmate," she mumbled, voice muffled by the surface.

Noa patted the top of her head, while raising his other hand to catch the waiter's attention. "I do. But, I also value my health right before a mission."

Sorrel's curiosity perked. "You have a mission?"

"Yeah," Noa began, before trailing off as he gave the waitress a request for his usual muffins. His attention returned to them, then, eyes focusing on where the girl sat next to Sorrel. "More importantly, though....shouldn't you introduce me?"

"Mystery girl, Noa Iotura, Noa, mystery girl," Rena grumbled.

Noa snorted. "Sorrel?"

"Ah, she's a family friend staying with us for a bit. Situation is complicated, so I don't have a name to give you," he explained, then glanced at the girl. "Noa's the general's son, and an upper classmate of mine."

The girl's eyes widened the slightest degree. If Sorrel hadn't been watching for a reaction, the emotion was so slight he wouldn't have noticed. Noa reached his hand over the table in greeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

She simply stared. Sorrel grimaced, and gave a small shake of his head at the questioning look that flashed across Noa's face.

"What's the mission?" Sorrel asked instead.

For a moment, he thought Noa would press for more details, but then the older boy shrugged. "Mom was being all cagey about it back home, so I'm not sure. What little she gave me makes me think we're gonna be an escort for some big shot. She said I'd be going with an A-Class team. Training for the exam or something."

Rena sat up. "They're pressing you to get tested too? Are the rumors true, then?"

Noa seemed to hesitate, his attention dropping to the girl again.

"She doesn't talk to anyone," Sorrel reassured him. "I'm pretty sure you can say whatever."

"It's still not a topic for kids, whether she talks or not," Noa replied with a frown.

"You're a kid," Rena argued. "We're all kids. Just tell us."

"I'm sixteen," Noa retorted. "That's practically an adult."

"Just tell us," Rena pressed.

Noa sighed. "It's not like I know much more than you guys...just, that we should be prepared is all. I've heard every academy team has got called back, and most seem to have had the same experience. Their mentors are pushing them to get better qualifications."

"To give us better chances," Sorrel murmured, his mentor's words flashing through his mind.

Rena grimaced. "Then...it is true. Hanoai is preparing for war."

꧁༺ ༻꧂

The days after she arrived passed by in an uncomfortable blur.

Before, she had always kept track of time through testing. There was the during, when she saw Others--those who lived outside her quarters--and the after, when it was just her and the Watcher. Then, occasionally, there would be the outside, when they had to travel from her old quarters to new ones. It was during traveling she had come to know of sunrise and sunfall, and how it was used to guide time. It had sparked many questions in her head.

The most pressing had been the concept of a day, as the way the others tracked time had seemed odd to her. The Watcher had explained that on the outside tracking time was important. Back then, it had made little sense to her. What need was there for hours when one blended into the next with no rhyme nor reason?

It wasn't until she lived with the Lunas that she understood.

There was no black and white way of explaining their days. They had a schedule much bigger than anything the her of before could understand. And somehow, that meant she had one, too.

Camilla would wake her up in the morning and guide her to the kitchen. There, the mage would cook breakfast while the girl watched. Camilla filled each second with endless chatter, using a countless number of words that the girl couldn't understand. Many times, she almost asked what they meant, but each time something held her back.

What if she asked, and Camilla got mad? Girls like her weren't supposed to ask questions. He had told her that many times. She was to listen and exist unseen. Unheard.

So, she listened. Then breakfast would be served. Around that time Rhom and Sorrel would wander in.

Rhom would greet Camilla with a kiss, grab whatever she had fixed for him, and bid the others a farewell, before leaving. Except, that was, on Voidday and Natureday. Then, he would sit down at the table and talk about whatever plans they had for the day. Or the weather. For some reason, Rhom really liked talking about the weather.

Sorrel always started his day with medicine. Why he had to take it, and not her, she didn't know. In the before, she had always started her waking hours with pills and needles. It made her uneasy watching Sorrel do the same, but he didn't seem to mind. Afterwards, he would answer whatever questions Camilla had about his day, before getting up from the table. Sometimes, he would reach a hand for her head, but he always stopped when she got scared.

She tried not to, but it happened anyways.

Sorrel always brushed it off without a word, told her to have a good day, then left.

She liked Sorrel.

On the days Rhom left for work, Camilla would follow breakfast by bringing her to a small building near the tower. There, she would be asked to wait with a hooded man while Camilla disappeared into the magic tower. The first time she was there, the man tried to entertain her with books that she couldn't read, dolls, and strange block toys. After he seemed to realize that she wasn't sure what to do with his gifts, the man started reading the books instead.

The tales were odd, but interesting enough. If talking to him had been okay, she might have questioned why all the animals in his stories talked, or why there were so many princesses in need of rescue; but she didn't, so he never told her.

After the sun had dipped much lower in the sky, Camilla would return and lead her back to the house. There they would have dinner with the others. They talked a lot about what had happened during the day. Then, Camilla would take Sorrel to the deck behind the house and they would swing swords at each other for hours. Rhom liked to watch. Once, when she had stared at him instead of the fight, he explained that while he liked to make swords, he was no good with wielding them.

After, it was time for bed. She would fall asleep to a story from Camilla. Have nightmares. Then wake and start it all over again.

She hoped against hopes that it would never end.