For a large city in the east, Bicknor didn't seem that impressive.

Madeleine loved the train journey past. It grew steadily more green and luscious, with the farming fields stretching further than towards Danaway and ending in a straight line meeting with the sky. Animals grazed without a care in the world. The temperature was warmer, drier, and only held a hint of the chill of pending autumn. Seiren hopped off the train when it stopped, half-expecting to be mugged a second time, but she was only met by the locals there who tipped their caps at her and greeted her in their nasal accent.

Bicknor people sure are friendly.

It's almost creepy, actually.

It seemed genuine. People greeted each other as warmly as they would their loved ones, laughing and cracking jokes. Sellers in the marketplace advertised their goods, but also offered freebies to those who wanted a try. Seiren lingered, eyeing up the oranges on sale. They were rounder, juicier than the ones in Garlinge.

"You want a try, miss?" A young woman proffered a plate of sliced ones for her. "They're the best you'll find in this end of Karma, guaranteed! Freshly picked only this week!"

Seiren picked up a slice and squeezed it. Fresh juice dribbled out of its flesh and trickled down her wrist. She tore off the skin and ate the rest, closing her eyes in enjoyment as the citrusy taste exploded on her tongue. She licked her lips. The young woman was already bagging several oranges for her.

"How many?"

"Two... no. Ten."

"That will be two silvers, miss."

Your first salary and you spend it on... oranges?

Nice oranges, Madeleine.

"Hey, you're a state mage, right?"

Seiren turned, surprised. A middle-aged man with a balding head approached her, dressed in a simple tunic, trousers, and open-toed sandals. He rubbed his head sheepishly, holding out a piece of slate in his other hand.

"How did you know?" Seiren's black travel cloak was generic; she'd ensured her mage tattoo was hidden too.

"There's a lot of chalk on your fingers and we don't have any chalksmiths in this city so..."

Seiren shoved her hands back in her pockets, self-conscious.

"So I, uh, broke the light rune that's in my house yesterday. I still have lots of errands to do so I can't find my local state mage to fix it and my wife will kill me if I let the house sit in darkness again for another night. I was wondering if I can, like...?"

"Get a light rune off me?"

She'd heard of mages selling their runes as service for a small fee. Drawing runes was no problem; it was getting the mages with enough skills to infuse their magic and keep it stabilised for later activation by a non-magic-user that was the difficult part. Seiren took out her chalk and pondered. Light runes were simple enough to draw, and symmetry was the key or the rays of light wouldn't converge to create a bright enough light. The runes didn't even warrant locks on their design to stabilise them as the energy converted purely to light; Seiren added some anyway to prolong their duration, seeing as the man seemed accident-prone, and then added more locks to make the chalk resistant to smudging. She used a small bit of her reserve to infuse the rune, leaving it ready to be used at any point by anyone.

"Here."

The man seemed delighted. Seiren hadn't noticed but he had very shiny and prominent cheeks. He stared at it for a good few seconds before tucking it into his breast pocket and flinging an arm around Seiren in a crushing hug. She grunted. He was strong, making her shoulder joint pop, before pushing her back and grinning from ear to ear.

"This is fantastic, miss! I'll put it on right away. Just a clap will do, right?"

"It's primed. Just give it a tap when you want it on and it'll do what it's designed for."

"This is amazing! My missus will be pleased. What can I do for you? You're not from around here, are you? Can I house you for tonight? Do you want a lift anywhere? I have a cart!"

"It's all right, Connon. I'll take care of her," said a new voice. Seiren swivelled round immediately. The crowds continue to bustle, but making her way through was a slender, glamorous woman with tumbling blonde curls and intelligent grey eyes. She had a rainbow-lined shining black cloak. A mage. "You get back to your errands."

"Ah, Loren! It's nice to see you. How are you today?"

Seiren fidgeted as they exchanged pleasantries. How awkward.

"Where is this young mage heading?"

"Oh." Seiren was caught by surprise. "Uh... I need to get to Bicknor Research Institute. I could do with a ride there. I'm okay for shelter, though."

She hadn't expected her research application into healing and life runes to be processed and approved so quickly. One week after the Danaway business and one tutorial with Rowan – which ended in the usual failure and infuriating jibes – the new task was straight to Bicknor to pick up the keys to her new laboratory and initiate her research, with the requirement of her reporting her results once a month directly to the research department of the council.

Not even to Rowan. I'm surprised.

Rowan is in charge of my well-being as a state mage, not my duties to the country.

I suppose. But it's odd that this bypasses him entirely. A courtesy notice would be the least we can do.

Not for that short-ass I won't.

"Are you sure? I have space at my place," said the blonde mage.

"I'm sure." That was a lie. She just didn't fancy spending the night in a stranger's house, friendly as the population seemed to be.

"The Institute?" He tilted his head like a squirrel, before it clicked. "Oh, that place! That's way out towards the edge of town!"

"I'll sort her out, Connon. The old lady next door needs you to fetch those groceries."

"Of course!" With another nod of his head, he disappeared into the crowd.

The tall woman turned back to Seiren, smiling broadly. For a second time in ten minutes, Seiren found herself in an embrace she did not consent to.

"It's nice to meet you at last, Seiren! Ro has told me so much about you!" The woman swept her hair behind, pearly white teeth shining between full pink lips. "I'm—"

"Loren Rummage." Seiren had read up on her before, too. She was one of the younger mages, having qualified only two years ago, the same as Rowan. She was one of the state mages based in Bicknor. Seiren hadn't banked on meeting her so early. At the point of reading, Loren was still a general mage and hadn't chosen a specialty yet.

"I'm glad you know me!" Loren's eyes glistened – with tears? Seiren wanted to roll her own. Why were all the mages she'd met so far so odd? "Listen. I know you don't have anywhere to go. You're welcome at mine!"

It was as if the previous exchange about accommodation hadn't even happened. "I don't need—"

"That wasn't a question! You're staying at mine!"

"I have money for room. I don't need—"

"Oh pooh-pooh. Like hell you get paid enough as probationary. I was in your shoes only three years ago and I definitely had to beg for my share of scraps. The pay is pittance, don't you lie. You're staying with me!"

What a stubborn old hag.

Be nice, Seiren. She's being really generous here.

"I'll take you back to mine to drop off your stuff before going to the Institute. Just let me run some errands first, okay?"

Seiren shrugged, non-committing. It wasn't like she was in a hurry anywhere anyway.

Loren didn't act like a typical state mage. In fact, if not for her state mage's uniform, Seiren would have just thought her a busybody. The woman dropped medications off at an old housebound person's house, fixed a hole in a schoolboy's bag, and helped a sickly man visit a doctor. The later part Seiren was a little interested in. The doctor wasn't a mage, although she knew sometimes mages offered healing as part of their services if they were proficient enough at it, although most weren't. The sickly man was all skin and bone, with a constant productive cough. The doctor listened to his chest and then shook his head. Nothing to be done.

Loren's shoulders sagged. She helped the man up onto his feet and into his wheelchair, before taking him home. She patted his shoulder and whispered in his ear. He nodded, his exhausted-looking wife watching with forlorn eyes when Loren left. Even as she made her way back to the horse-drawn cart, people passing by greeted her with smiles, and she did the same in return. As if they were the same family.

Aren't you just a little envious?

Not in the slightest.

Oh, you're lying to yourself. Look at what a doting mother figure she is.

Excuse me whilst I vomit.

"Aren't these duties beneath that of a state mage?" Seiren couldn't help but ask when Loren slowed her cart for a fifth time to hop out and help some guy pick up the apples he'd sent tumbling all over the ground. Irritation prickled at her back. They'd never get to the Institute if Loren insisted on stopping for every stranded cat and bewildered child, and the military didn't pay so much for Loren's status as a state mage for her to kiss a scraped knee. It was a total waste of time and resources.

"Is it?" Loren said when she returned. She dusted the dirt from her cloak from when she knelt down by the fallen child. The cart rocked on up the wide dirt road. People bustled by on either side, waving at Loren as they passed. "Does being a state mage mean you're above being compassionate? Does it make you better than everyone else?"

"Caring too much only makes you weak."

Seiren flushed when Loren burst into giggles.

"Who taught you that? Some lonely old fool living in a hut? Caring is about all we can do as humans. You can't ever care too much. The moment we stop is when we stop being human."

"How can you be part of the military when you think like that?" Even the greenest of military personnel knew they'd signed up to be the military's dogs, to shoot on order and to kill on order. This bimbo had no idea what it was like to be part of the military.

She's got a good three years ahead of you, Seiren. I wouldn't say she has 'no idea'.

She's airheaded and unrealistic. She'll just get hurt one day.

"It's precisely because I'm part of the military that I think like that." Loren's eyes locked onto Seiren's and the intensity suddenly made Seiren very uncomfortable. The cart rocked. Passers-by waved at Loren, but she kept her gaze on Seiren. "My job doesn't define me. The military doesn't define me. I do what I want, what I feel fulfils me. Not because I'm told to, but because I want to. Because otherwise when the military stops being in power, I lose my reason to exist... and that's sad."

It's people like her that makes the military weak. Seiren grimaced.

I wouldn't say that. She thinks what she wants to but at least she knows she has that freedom. Not many in her position do.

Loren tried to make light conversation for the rest of that journey but Seiren made an obstinate point to not engage. This woman was frivolous and airheaded and knew nothing of the real world. She really thought being nice would solve problems – well, being nice didn't stop that Hannan rogue from killing Seiren's father and Madeleine and wouldn't bring back her mother. Being nice did nothing for those children in Danaway. The surroundings might be summery and warm, but she couldn't appreciate any of it. This Loren woman clearly had never seen the hardship of the world and Seiren would rather scoop out her own eyeballs than make further acquaintance with her, let alone stay with her during her Bicknor trip.

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