Keira hid her smirk as she moved to his back to continue her work.
“Do you live nearby?” Keira asked, curiosity getting the better of her. Though she had been to the village with Ignatius on more than one occasion, she hardly had the chance to socialize and didn’t imagine she knew everyone, not even everyone her own age.
“I’m just passing through, looking for work,” Caspian explained.
“But your family, are they very far?”
Caspian shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I was raised in the abbey.”
Keira paused. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
She continued her work in silence for a time.
“So, what about you? Your family, I mean.”
“They sent me here when I was eight to learn to control my magic.”
“Do you see them-” Caspian hissed as she accidentally prodded one of the marks.
“Sorry! But no, I haven’t seen them since I left home- Could you turn slightly?” She guided his shoulders until she could see the whole of the injury.
Years ago she had acknowledged, though perhaps not entirely accepted, that her parents had sent her with Ignatius to find her own path. Still, to think that they had given up on her so completely stung like an old wound.
Keira cleared her throat, pushing such thoughts aside. Instead, she supplied Caspian with the kind lies she often fed to herself. “I’ve eight brothers and sisters for them to look after. They have the farm to tend as well, and even in the off season there’s logging. Plus, it’s a long journey, they can’t just-”
“Ah!” Caspian cried out.
Keira’s eyes widened. She shouldn’t have let her mind wander, foolish. The mark was gone, the proper magics had taken effect, though perhaps overzealously. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” he said, voice strained. “Is there much more?”
Keira shook her head. “I’ve gotten the worst of it. You could let nature take its course with the rest if you prefer.”
“I think I might,” he said, pulling his shirt back on. As he stood, Keira recalled how tall he was.
“I’m sorry for the discomfort. I’m only just learning and-”
“Thank you.” He silenced her with a soft smile. “I feel better.”
“It’s time for your studies,” Ignatius’s unmistakable voice carried from the tower.
Keira straightened, wholly accustomed to her guardian’s uncanny awareness of all that carried on within the bounds of the tower’s magics. She scooped up the Sanitatem, and Caspian followed her inside.
That evening, Ignatius sat beside the fire, Keira in her seat opposite, copying a series of warding runes. He’d allowed the boy to stay for the rest of the day, finding chores for him to complete. Caspian had finished them all without complaint and had been genuinely grateful when offered the chance to sleep another night in the hayloft.
Ignatius watched the flames as he breathed in the flavorful smoke from his pipe. The boy’s arrival had carried him off on a wholly unexpected stream of thought. At first, he had considered his curiosity about the boy’s strange appearance. Were he to stay, he could observe him further, perhaps unravel the mystery of the boy’s parentage to see if any answers lie there. But as he set to work, Ignatius was surprised to find how convenient itwould be to have a strong lad around. Though his magic served him well, he couldn’t very well use it for everything. As his years stretched on, it was growing more of a burden to keep the tower in working order while maintaining his other priorities. Yes, the years were beginning to weigh on him… The realisation settled uneasily in his bones, not for fear of stepping into the next life, but of what he would leave behind. When he was gone, where would that leave Keira?
Ignatius could admit that when the girl’s parents had asked him to take her in, he had accepted for selfish reasons. Having no children of his own, he had wanted to pass on his legacy, his knowledge, to another. Only after she had come did he realize how lonely he was. In the years since, she had become both protégé and companion to him, yet until this day, he had never considered what would become of her when he was gone. She would have no family to fall back upon. That wouldn’t do at all.
“I mean to ask the boy to stay,” Ignatius’s voice pulled Keira abruptly from her thoughts.
“Perhaps he can be of use, tending the horses, helping out on the grounds,” he continued.
Keira looked back at him, at a loss for words. What use did they have for a farmhand? The Domus Charms on the tower managed all the food and menial chores. Between Ignatius’s magic and her own, they handled the rest. Besides, they’d never even had so much as a guest, but now Caspian was going to stay with them?
“Of course, if you would object…” Ignatius said, taking another puff on his pipe.
