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  “How did you circumvent the inquisitor's truth compulsions?” Chancellor Lemmic asked. He was a round man with a mustache. That’s the best way I can describe him.

  It was the day after my disastrous interview with Owlster. The inquisitor never told me his actual name, so that’s the name he gets. I was sitting in a rge office with the chancellor. The bel on the desk said ‘Sheriff Chomill’— a borrowed office then. It was just the two of us, though I’m sure there were guards outside the door.

  “Hmm, I sort of felt something at first, but it didn’t st.” I was being as honest as I dared. I knew this man was much more important and influential than Owlster. He likely had my life in his hands.

  “ ‘Lies, everything she said was lies.’ That’s what he wrote. What am I supposed to think?”

  I was sweating, but I needed to be brave. I took a deep breath.

  “I didn’t lie about everything. But I was not going to be bullied into revealing things private to me either.”

  “Alright. But you need to know something. He is a highly paid magister because he always gets to the truth. That is his cim— for years. That is, until you.” He shook his head, but smiled.

  “You are a threat to him, to his livelihood. I don’t really care about that. But you could also be a threat to this kingdom. It is my job to decide that.

  “You were found during the Theanon invasion.” He held up one finger.

  “The inquisitor knows you lied in his interview.” He held up a second finger.

  “You admit you didn’t tell the complete truth.” He held up his third finger.

  “You have an affinity which prevents his influence from affecting you.“ He held up a fourth finger.

  “I count four reasons for having you executed this instant.”

  “Um, may I ask you some questions?” I asked.

  “Of course.”

  “The inquisitor didn’t say that my siblings lied. Correct?”

  “Correct.”

  “Didn’t they cim we were siblings and that we were all captured and made sves against our will? And that I found more sves along the way and helped them to hide?”

  “Basically, yes.”

  “So, you know I was telling the truth about all of those things.”

  “Yes, but what about your magic affinity?”

  “On that, I really don’t know. I’ve never been trained. We are orphans. To be completely honest, our mother is dead, but our father is just missing. He may still be alive, but it’s been almost two seasons since we st saw him. Did either of my siblings say that?”

  He looked down at the notes, and nodded.

  “Anyway, I know from experience I am a quick healer. It’s been that way since my hair started changing color.” I held it out for him to see, not that it wasn’t already obvious. I was no longer hiding my hair, since during the interview with Owlster, he had the guard take it off my head.

  “Maybe my healing affinity was able to repair whatever the inquisitor was doing to my brain?”

  He looked lost in thought for a second, then said. “How about we test that— your quick healing, I mean?”

  “Um, okay…”

  He reached into his coat and pulled out a fancy looking dagger with a small smile, then stood up and came around the desk. I was getting nervous, but I held out my arm for him. I felt the sharp sting of his knife as it sliced down my arm a few inches. Thankfully, he only broke the skin and didn’t go very deep. I didn’t want it to heal too quickly, as that might scare him more than convince him, so I concentrated on only allowing the wound to heal slowly.

  He wiped off his bde with a handkerchief and put it away as we both watched my blood drip on the floor. I guess he wasn’t too worried about blood in this office.

  It took a few minutes, but I was relieved to watch the wound slowly close up. When it finished he nodded.

  “That’s quite interesting. Most healers can’t heal their own bodies. That’s why healers need other healers around. But you are obviously a healer. Can you heal others? Have you tried?”

  I wasn’t sure how much to admit, but decided this was safe since I wanted him to think that's all I was.

  “Yes, but only minor injuries. I know nothing about healing, so I wouldn’t dare try on anything major.”

  He nodded at that as he continued thinking.

  “Yes, I agree that you need training. Alright, I will trust you— for the time being. But know you will be watched. I will have you sent to a local orphanage, one that is attached to our academy for mages.”

  “Fin and Lil too? I’m their only family.”

  “Of course. You will all go. I will make the arrangements.”

  And with that our interview was done. I was still shaking as the guard walked me back to our cell.

  True to his word we were released the following day. They assigned a guard to take all of us, even Mira, to the orphanage. I asked her about it on the way. She said she had requested to work there, since she knew us already and needed a job anyway.

  It will be nice to have someone else we know there.

  When we arrived, it was a campus of several buildings surrounding an open courtyard with nicely groomed gardens and grounds. An ornate church stood dominating one corner of the yard. The guard took us into one of the buildings. The sign over the entrance read Wentook Orphanage. Inside was a lobby with several offices on either side and double doors at the back, leading farther inside I assumed.

  There were a few children coming and going as well, the sounds of their animated conversations filled the air.

  “Can I help you?” A small woman asked as she came out of one of the offices. Our guard handed her some papers, which she took and read through. “I see. Which of you is Mira, then?”

  “That would be me.”

  “Take this.” She handed Mira one of the papers. “Go through those doors and all the way down the hall, to the door belled Custodian. Ask for Chiany. He'll get you squared away.”

  “Now, the rest of you will come with me.” She took us through the double doors and up the stairs to another set of doors.

  “Girls are on this floor, so you two,” she looked down at her paper, “Jerisha and Lilleren, will stay here. And, Finneren, you will be one floor up. Be aware that it is forbidden for any boys to go beyond these doors. The same rules apply to any girls upstairs in the boys dormitories. For now, sit there while I get these two settled. I'll be back for you.” Fin sat on the couch she had indicated, trying to put on a brave face. I gave him a small nod and wink in reassurance.

  It was still weird to think of myself as one of the girls, but I kept being forcibly reminded.

  Eventually it will sink in, right?

  The dy led us through the doors and down the hall. There were dorm rooms on each side. I counted six beds in each since some of the doors were open.

  “You will be in here, room 24,” she said as we walked in. Three of the beds are taken. You may choose any of the others. I see you didn't bring any luggage. I assume you don't have anything else?”

  “No.” We both shook our heads.

  “No matter. We have donated clothing and supply rooms downstairs. Anyone can show you when you come down to eat. Meals are served in the assembly room downstairs also. You’ll hear a bell when it is time to eat, if you are in the building, of course. The lunch bell should be rung pretty soon. Don’t be te, or you may go hungry.

  “Every room has a leader, including this one. Her main job is to make sure you keep your bed area clean. There will be periodic inspections, with demerits earned for messes or clutter. There is also a head girl and her assistant. Be sure to mind them. If you work hard, one day you may even merit one of those positions.

  “Everyone has daily chores which you will be expected to perform, to your supervisor’s satisfaction. You will also have csses scheduled, once we have time to interview each of you. Expect to be called down to the office tomorrow. On the Sabbath all are expected to attend church, dressed appropriately. Now, do you have any questions before I leave you?”

  I nodded, and asked. “Um, yes. What about the trine, and somewhere to wash up?”

  “A trine, of all things! Where were you raised girl, the backwoods? We are civilized here. You will find the washroom at the end of the hall, with proper toilets and heated showers. All buildings on this campus have modern plumbing, installed and maintained by our master artificers.”

  “Heavens” she muttered, shaking her head as she left us.

  My face was beet red. So what if we were raised in the backwoods?

  The toilets were a new experience. I was amazed that there was almost none of the smells I had grown to expect. We tested the showers, too. Unfortunately, we were rewarded by getting completely drenched with cold water. After finding some soft towels nearby to dry ourselves off as much as we could, we decided to go outside to finish drying in the hot sun before the lunch bell rang.

  We got many snickers and finger pointing as we hurried down the stairs and out through the lobby. We couldn’t be more embarrassed. So what if we were raised in the backwoods?

  “What happened to you?” I turned and saw several girls standing behind us, disgust evident in their faces.

  “Um, well…” I wasn’t sure how to answer her question, without further embarrassing myself.

  But Lil took care of that when she said, “The showers…”

  “Showers? Why were you pying with the showers?”

  I decided to just admit our mistake, since they knew already. “Well, we’re new. We didn’t know how they worked.”

  “Of course— idiots. If you are going to be on my floor, you can’t be stupid like that. All you had to do was ask. You deserve what you got. Now, go get changed, this instant— before the head mistress finds you out here. Why are you wearing those rags anyway?”

  “Well, we don’t have anything else.”

  “Of course— idiots. Idiots! Come with me.” She turned and stormed off, back into the building, her silent partner following behind her.

  I really hate this girl. Who is she anyway?

  “Are you coming?” She yelled at us from the entrance. “Or are you going to continue to stand out here like fools?”

  I groaned under my breath as I grabbed Lil and pulled her along with me.

  “A dress? Why do I have to wear a dress?” The girl was holding up a blue dress to me, to see how it would fit, I guess.

  The girl looked at me like I just said something scandalous. “Of course you will wear a dress. What else do you think you are going to wear? Do you want to look like a boy?”

  That sounds great to me.

  But I didn’t say that out loud. Lil nudged me, a new dress already in her hand. “Come on. You can do it.”

  I closed my eyes, and groaned again.

  “Alright.” I snatched the dress out of her hands, and hid it under my armpit. I had already been embarrassed and humiliated multiple times that day. What was one more?

  “Oh, you won’t just need one. Here, this one will look nice on you. It goes with your hair— and maybe this one.” She was holding up two more dresses, one vender and the other a light green. Lil was picking out her own, so I guess she didn’t look as helpless as I did.

  I grabbed those two also. I kind of liked the vender one, though I would never admit it. I could no longer keep them under one arm, so I pced them over one of my arms instead.

  When we walked out of the clothing room, I had a rge stack of clothing in both arms, including various underclothing, stockings, and several pairs of shoes. Lil’s arms were just as full.

  Right then the lunch bell started ringing. Someone was having fun hitting it as hard as they could. It was hurting my ears, it was so loud. I understood what the first dy meant when she said we would hear it anywhere in the building.

  “Now, hurry upstairs and change. Get back down here quickly if you want to get any lunch.”

  “Why do we have to get changed?”

  She just stared at me, and muttered, “Idiots. Now go, or I’ll make sure you won’t get any supper, either!”

  She was right. It took me so long to get changed, there was very little food left when we returned to the assembly room. On the other hand, Fin got plenty to eat, I noticed.