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They found Denri and Kivit together. Kivit had healed well but he would always have a bad limp now so he had been given the task of recording the harvest as it was loaded onto the cart rather than actually helping in the fields. Denri meanwhile was loading bushels of wheat into the cart and he looked up as they ran towards him.

“Well look at you, apprentice battle mage Kilit!” Denri exclaimed with a warm smile. “Battle red suits you well.”

“Thank you,” Kilit said politely.

“Mummy wants you and Uncle Kivit to come as soon as possible.”

Kivit and Denri looked at each other.

“She wouldn’t call us during harvest if it weren’t important and the cart is pretty full,” Kivit said finally. “Let’s take this load to the granary. It’s the last one for the day so we’ll have plenty of time to see what she wants.”

“That’s a good idea,” Denri said before turning back to Alidra. “Do you know why she wants us.”

Alidra looked around and saw a few people who might be close enough to overhear if they tried. Her father noticed and hummed to himself.

“You know but she said not to say here?” he asked. Alidra nodded. “I see, that just makes it seem more serious,” he said as he closed the back of the cart. “You can tell us on the way.”

They all clambered aboard and headed up the short road to the village. As soon as they were clear of being overheard Alidra quietly told her father and uncle what Aunt Mayin had said when she broke down.

“She thinks she’s damned?” Denri said quietly, then when Alidra nodded. “If Mayin’s hiding what I now think she is it explains a great deal and I am very glad it’s Vessin who was sent here.” He said no more as they pulled up outside the granary and handed the record to Lilat who was organising the unloading. She also paused in her tasks to complement Kilit on her robes and as soon as she had double-checked their numbers they all headed back to the house together.

“We brought Lilat,” Denri said as soon as he opened the door. “I thought she should be here.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Tamasa said as she shut the door firmly behind them. “She needs to know about this.” She gave a deep sigh. “What a mess, I wish I’d realised sooner.” She nodded to where Vessin was kneeling in front of Mayin, holding her hands. Both of them had their eyes closed and while Mayin was no longer weeping there were still obvious tear tracks on her cheeks.

“He’s mediating Mayin?” Lilat said. “Why? What has she done?”

“Nothing,” Tamasa said. “Or well, she’s done plenty but not what she thinks she has.” She bit her lip. “She has magic, Lilat. She’s been suppressing it and clinging to Perfectionism so hard partly out of fear of being discovered and partly because she really believed it. She… she thought she was damned and wanted to make sure she didn’t cause anyone else to fall. She’s been hurting so badly and I thought she was just annoying.”

“I see.” Lilat eyed Mayin thoughtfully. “Well Rindalam will set her straight as long as she accepts Vessin’s arbitration anyway.”

“I think she will,” Tamasa said. “She’s stubborn but not that stubborn.”

“I hope you’re right,” Lilat said. “I’ve seen too many people deny the Lawgiver to his face because they can’t believe they are wrong about what he teaches.”

“She was already having doubts,” Tamasa said. “And hating herself for doubting. She may not accept it fully at first but she’ll accept it enough I think. She’s not a bad person.”

Indeed even as she spoke Mayin gasped and pitched forward in her seat, sobbing once more. Vessin wrapped his arms around her and whispered soothingly to her.

“He doesn’t hate me…” there was wonder in her voice. “But I don’t understand. Why do the Council condemn commoner magic if the Lawgiver doesn’t?”

“Because unlike you they won’t listen to him,” Vessin said dryly. “Commoner mages mean they aren’t special and that is unacceptable to them. Commoner mages were at the heart of the Mage War you know? Prior to the Council’s coup peasant mages were adopted and trained and when the High Mage at the time tried to stop the Council from perverting the Law they condemned him as a heretic and forced his successor to flee.“

Mayin’s eyes narrowed. “And even though they accept Holy Kadriya now they won’t accept she’s right about this? But still what are we going to do? I’m too old to be trained, I guess, even if we could safely.”

“For now nothing,” Vessin said gently. “You’re actually not to old to be trained if you wish. It is easier for children but there really isn’t an age limit on it. Unfortunately, I don’t see a way to get you to Fasrat that won’t raise suspicions. Fortunately you’re also old enough that your magic is unlikely to flare up and give you away. At least not until people begin to notice you age slower than usual, which won’t be for a couple more octades at least. That gives us time to think about it… and also to change things so it’s not a problem.”

“Why Fasrat?” Mayin asked. “I mean I know it’s where the loyalists based themselves during the mage wars, but…”

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