Twelve

Thankfully, the journey all the way back to the Academy was peaceful. Well, peaceful for them. The only hiccups were the usual array of storms, a couple of rude travelers who thought they could steal stuff while Ninos was asleep and found themselves with a really uncomfortable rash, and one too-close encounter with a drakon. Though he'd take a drakon over a full grown, eats-whatever-is-moving dragon. He'd almost take having to see Kina again over a dragon. Almost.

They reached Teth in the early evening, right as dusk was beginning to tip into full dark. The weather was starting to turn, the chill from the north slowly spreading down this way. If they left in the next week, they would be in Corlock before the worst of it hit, but that presumed the trip went without trouble and he knew better than to expect that. So they'd have to make certain when they did their shopping that not only was all their winter gear in good shape, but that they had supplies enough to survive getting snowed in at least a couple of times.

All of that was a problem for later though, and all they had to do at present was secure a room, meet with Wintry, and shop for supplies. Thankfully, Teth had more hotels than houses and outside of graduation week there were always rooms available. After securing one, he took the horses to the stable where he'd bought them.

Tarsok's face filled with surprise and delight. "Hello, there!" He immediately left his task to the stable hand who'd been helping him and strode across the yard to them. "Didn't think I'd see you again, Master Ninos. You seemed determined to go very far away. How are you? How are they?" He immediately began looking the horses over. "Did you behave, Strider? Serenade, sweetheart, did you have fun?"

"Doing well, all three. They both really enjoyed all the traveling. I'm half afraid they'll get bored when I stop for good. I was hoping I could board them here for a few days before I leave for Corlock?"

"Of course, of course. For a moment I was worried you wanted to sell them back, when they seemed so happy."

"No, never, I love them dearly. I hope they don't think they're being abandoned."

Tarsok laughed. "Nah, they'll enjoy their food and lodgings as the break they are. They clearly love you. Well done, Master Ninos. I knew you would care for them and I'm happy to see I was right. Don't worry about a thing, I'll have them ready and waiting for you."

"Thank you." Once the bill had been settled, barring any additional costs that Tarsok didn't anticipate, Ninos left.

Back on the street, Sinn flew down to settle on his shoulder, tail feathers wriggling happily. Let's go get your rose.

Though it required significant extra walking, they looped around the Academy grounds to get to the forest path they needed. They could have entered the forest from a different direction entirely, but that would have added hours of extra travel instead of simply minutes, especially since they were doing this in the dark rather than going the smarter route of waiting until morning.

From that path, they walked until he saw the cluster of three small trees where he turned off. After being gone months at this point, the footpath he'd made had faded, but he knew the route well still anyway.

"You really came all the way out here by yourself to grow a rose?"

"Yes, so I could be certain there'd be no sabotaging or stealing my idea. School gets vicious. I thought getting a fellow student so drunk or sick they couldn't give their presentation or take their final exam was low, but murdering a professor definitely sets a precedent. Hopefully not one anyone wants to repeat."

"Let's hope not."

Eventually, the way lit by mage lights that only barely dented the dense, dark forest, they reached the small clearing where his Mourning Rose grew.

And found the entire shrub gone, the upturned earth indicating someone had recently dug it up.

Rage filled Ninos, leaving him trembling with it. "He took my rose. Wintry took my rose so I'd be forced to go see him."

"Bastard," Sinn said. "I'll get it back for you."

Ninos shook his head. "If he wants a confrontation, he'll get it. Tomorrow, though, after we've rested." He laughed sourly. "You know, I never did open his gifts. I just kept hoarding them, like a reward when all this was done. The more I hated the idea of having to give you to someone else, the more I held onto them, like they'd ever distract me. I almost want to throw them unopened in his stupid face. If the lesson everyone was trying to teach me was to not trust anyone ever again, they're succeeding."

"I'm sorry."

"At least I have you, mouse eater. Let's go get some food."

Thankfully, food was an easy thing to find at any hour in Teth. Ninos had gone in search of late-night snacks innumerable times while he was studying, especially around exam time.

After one of the best meals he'd had in ages, roasted duck, potato mash and baked carrots, they returned to their room. He'd paid extra to have a room to themselves, instead of just one of the large lodge-style rooms where you paid by the bed, and this one included a private washroom. After months on the road, sleeping on the ground, occasionally in someone's barn or stable, he felt like a king.

He didn't want to do much unpacking, but they would be here for a few days, long enough to resupply, get laundry done, and simply rest, so he unloaded all of his bags to do some sorting and cleaning.

All the way at the bottom, where they'd be safest and out of the way, were Wintry's gifts. He very nearly did pitch them out of the window.

The leather satchel they'd initially all come in, he'd used extensively. It pained him now to admit that, but he was fond of the satchel, it was perfect for all the traveling he did. Especially now, when it was perfectly broken in from months of us. He hated that it was from Wintry but loved it too much to get rid of it over such an ultimately stupid reason as pride.

The other presents, though, he'd tucked away. Four of them, one clearly a book, but the others he had no idea.

He opened the book first—and laughed. Familiars, Spirits, and Guides: the Ethereal Beings of Magic. "I think he wanted me to figure it all out on my own. Whoops."

Sinn sighed. "How differently everything might have gone. You wouldn't have gotten hurt, wouldn't have nearly died. "

"I'm alive and well, don't dwell on it." He set the book aside and opened the other gifts. One was a handsome knife even better than his current one, infinitely useful when traveling. The second remaining package was a rain poncho. Also would have been useful, he was an idiot. The third item was a small pocket guide for traveling, with foraging and hunting tips, safety tips, and more.

The final gift was several packets of seeds for all kinds of plants and flowers.

Opening all of them, he was only left further confused about what Wintry had intended for him with the journey. Was Wintry on his side or not? These gifts said yes, but stealing his rose said no.

"Or it says desperation," Sinn said. "Maybe we're being too hasty. He may not have known how Havartin would act. When was the last time they saw each other? People can change, especially people tucked away on a distant mountain lording it over everyone else on that mountain."

Ninos sighed. "I suppose you have a point." He put everything away, stripped down to his underclothes, and climbed into bed. Once he was comfortably settled, Sinn shifted and settled on his chest.

Sometimes, when he wanted to hurt himself for no reason, he wondered what it might be like for Sinn to sleep with him in his human form. That big, warm, reassuring weight pressed up against him from behind, or draped over him.

But whatever the uptick in his ridiculous flirting, that was for amusement, for fun. Sinn was fond of him, any halfwit could see that, but there were leagues of difference between being fond of someone and being fond of someone. He seriously doubted Sinn thought about cuddling in bed, or kissing him, or anything else.

He was lucky to have Sinn at his side at all. An actual, real spirit? Choosing him? Being his friend?

Asking for anything more was a fool's game at best, selfish and greedy at worst.

So he simply enjoyed the weight of Sinn on his chest, though he had no idea why Sinn continued to sleep that way and wasn't brave enough to ask.

If he fell asleep spinning daydreams of what would never be, that was his business.

When they woke, he took another shower just because he could, and it would soon be weeks again before he could bathe properly in anything but a stream, though thankfully the water south would be significantly warmer than what he'd dealt with going north.

After they were dressed and ready to go, they got breakfast at a coffee shop he'd frequented as a student. Well, frequented when he had money, which wasn't often, not on his stipend. He still wasn't used to having money now, though he'd have to find a way to earn an income eventually.

Back on Academy grounds an hour or so later, everything felt familiar and strange all at once. He hadn't been gone long really, not in the grand scheme of things, but after spending so much of his life here to be away from it for so long…

It seemed smaller somehow. Not as grand. He was glad to be done with it all.

He wasn't surprised, when they entered the main building, that two vaguely familiar students from the class before his—the graduating class now—jumped up from their seats and rushed over to him. "Ninos! You're really back! They said you ran away to Shadowfell to learn blood magic."

Ninos laughed. "They what? I did go to Shadowfell, but it was just to sort out a problem. It's been sorted, and now I'm going to head home. I just came to get some stuff I had to leave here. And see Wintry briefly."

The second one said, "He wanted us to wait here to escort you to his office since he was called away early this morning to deal with a problem in town. Didn't say what. He was worried if he wasn't here that you'd just leave."

"I'll wait for him, but by all means lead the way." He asked them questions about school while they walked, leaving them to chatter excitedly, until he was able to bid them farewell outside the door to Wintry's office.

Inside, in a wooden pot exactly like he would have chosen to transport it, his Mourning Rose sat pride of place on the table in the seating area, it's dark color immediately drawing the eye in a room otherwise done in a mix of neutral and bright tones.

He rushed over to it, checking it thoroughly, but it had clearly been lovingly cared for since its uprooting because it seemed to be thriving. Then again, there were plenty of sylvan mages who'd be willing to earn extra credit by taking care of it.

Relieved, he sat down, slumping back against the delightfully soft sofa. After so long on the hard ground, the occasional hard chair, real comfort was unfamiliar and greatly welcomed.

Sinn shifted and stood by the long bank of windows overlooking the main school lawn, hands lightly clasped behind his back. The sunlight spilling through put him in beautiful, almost glowing profile, leaving Ninos breathless and aching.

Seeming to feel his gaze or, far worse, glean his thoughts, Sinn turned to face him with an unusually pensive gaze. "Ni—"

The door flew open then, and for a brief moment Sinn looked beyond peeved, but Ninos was immediately distracted by how relieved Wintry looked to see him there. "Thank goodness! Ninos, lad, I'm so happy you came. I know you're probably not happy to see your rose here, but I was worried it would get destroyed."

"Destroyed? By who? Nobody knew anything about it except you, Brandor, and…" Kina, of course. He'd never taken Kina to see it, but he'd talked about it enough, and knowing the truth about Kina as he did now, he wouldn't be surprised if Kina had followed him at least once.

Dread filled his stomach, made it twist and lurch like bad food. "Wintry, who would want to destroy my rose?"

Grimly, Wintry replied, "Kina. I received word just this morning that he escaped custody while being transferred from the courthouse to the mine where he'd been sentenced to hard labor. Killed two guards in the process. I don't know further details on that. But it all happened two weeks ago, and I'm beyond angry they only told me now. I knew you'd reached Teth, and if you hadn't come to see me today, I was going to do whatever it took to find you. Please, be careful. I can't imagine he would be stupid enough to come after you, but caution prevents tragedy."

"What about my parents? He doesn't know their house, but he knows the village and that's more than enough."

"They're fine. Once the court knew what happened, they dispatched people here, to your village, and to Corlock, as I sent all your information with the guards who escorted him on the thin but not impossible chance something like this would happen. I'm glad I did."

"Thank you. I never told him about the house in Corlock, thankfully, so I don't think that will be a worry, but we'll be careful," Ninos said. "Why did you really send me to see Havartin? Was it to be locked in my room while Sinn was enslaved to a magic experiment for him? Why didn't you just tell me the damned truth?"

"The Havartin I grew up with, and thought I knew, would never have done those things. I am saddened that he has become everything he once ran away from," Wintry said, looking genuinely distraught. "I didn't tell you because one, I only suspected, but mostly because if I was right in that Sinn was a spirit it would be safer for both of you if you didn't know. Better to be honest in ignorance than try to lie about the truth. That was clearly a misjudgment on my part, and I apologize. I thought Havartin would help you, teach you."

Wintry rubbed his temples. "Truly, I cannot apologize enough. I only wanted what was actually best for you, and that was to understand the magnitude of what your familiar really is and learn how to protect him and yourself." His gaze fell to Ninos's left arm. "I see you've learned quite a lot on your journey. I have never seen someone who mastered sylvan magic at such a level, and only know confidently of two who died when I was a child. It's a rare level of mastery, nothing that can be achieved through schooling. Congratulations. I'm glad you both survived my mistakes."

"Thank you for the gifts, by the way. They were greatly appreciated on the journey, though I made the mistake of not reading the book, assuming I could enjoy it at my leisure whenever I stopped traveling."

"Naturally," Wintry said with a laugh. "I'm glad you liked them. Would you like some tea? Is there anything else I can get you? I'm sure you're eager to be on your way again now that you've got your rose."

"We'll be in town a few days to resupply and to get my clothes to stop smelling like sweat and horse," Ninos replied with a smile. "Would you like to maybe meet us for dinner tonight? This is Sinn, by the way, if you wanted to meet him properly."

Wintry looked surprised for a minute, then huffed a small laugh. "I apologize. I was so scared for Ninos I forgot my manners. It's a genuine pleasure to meet you, Master Sinn. I never thought I'd see a spirit, let alone speak with one."

"You've probably spoken with several in your life and simply never realized it," Sinn said. "We're more common than you might think. Humans are good at getting into trouble, and spirits make use of that."

"I see. Dinner, then? How about the Black Boar? Say final bells?"

"We'll meet you there," Ninos said.

After they left, he looped his arms through Sinn's, a habit he'd fallen into with embarrassing speed. "Do you think my parents will be all right?"

"Yes," Sinn said slowly, "and unfortunately the morbid truth is that we are hearing this news two weeks late, and even if we thought they were in danger there is no way we could get to them in time. I am sorry."

"I appreciate the honesty." Ninos had figured that much for himself, but it did genuinely mean a lot that Sinn would be so honest with him, instead of giving him any sort of false hope. "Hopefully his only plan is to secure a ship or caravan out of the country and get far away from here."

"That would be the smart thing to do, but the smarter thing would have been not to kill anyone at all, so…" Sinn shrugged. "Let's focus on getting resupplied and obtaining suitable clean clothes for dinner tonight, because I doubt you thought about all your clothes being at the laundry. Which, speaking of clothes… I should probably obtain a wardrobe and other miscellany of my own, since I am spending more and more time in this form. Maybe a horse of my own, so that if we come across people while I'm human, they will not ask questions about why there are only two horses and one of them clearly a packhorse. Poor Serenade would never tolerate carrying me in this form, that's not what she does. If I am to be a human once more, I should work harder at acting the part."

Ninos smiled. "No more mouse eating?"

"Let's not get drastic or anything."

Ninos threw his head back as he laughed and shunted away all his worries to simply focus on the pleasure of spending the day doing easy, simple things with Sinn at his side.