She slipped on her cloak quietly and fastened it at the front. Her feet slid into her leather boots and at the same time she reached for her satchel. Her left hand pulled her hood up, covering her head. The fancy, thick curtains the inn provided blocked out almost all of the morning sunlight, but if she squinted she could convince herself there were two unmoving bumps on the other side of the room: one on the other bed and the other on the floor. She tiptoed towards the exit, hand reaching out into the darkness for the smooth surface of the wooden door.

Her fingers touched something soft and warm.

"And where are you going, Tiamat?"

Her heart nearly popped out of her ribcage. She gave a shriek of surprise as she leapt backwards, putting distance between herself and the speaking object standing between her and freedom. Scrabbling behind in a panic for the curtains and ripping them open, her wide eyes rested on Enlil as sunlight streamed through with a blinding intensity. The boy squinted but there was no mistaking the disapproving downward curve of his lips.

"I–I–" she spluttered, trying to figure out an excuse as her heart palpitated. Her satchel had fallen at his feet when she'd leapt away and her hood had also slipped off.

"You promised the Master you would not seek frivolities, Tiamat!"

Mommu stirred on the bed, blinking blearily at the two.

"I have lived a sheltered life, Enlil. You keep telling me that!" She couldn't keep the snappy tone out of her voice. "How can you expect me to be a more educated, worldly being if I am to stay within high walls for the rest of my life? I want to live my life! I want to see the world!" Her voice rose in both pitch and volume. Tia stamped her foot. Her cheeks burned. Stupid Enlil! Why could he not have stayed asleep? "What is the point of taking me to Kiramone if I am expected to just study indoors, like some lady?"

"We are not here to seek thrills, Tiamat! We are here to accompany and assist the Master." Enlil's voice was straining.

"And we are! But he is busy and we are not! So why can we not enjoy our time?"

"You cannot look after yourself. What if people like those bandits we came across were to capture you?" He began to lose his calm. He was still standing in front of her; his makeshift bed of sheets and a pillow was kicked aside as he barred her way to the outside world.

"I saved you from them, had you forgotten?" she snapped, tilting her chin upwards defiantly.

"What's going on?" Alerted, Mommu sat up at last, rubbing his eyes. Tia gave him a furious look, brushed her brown fringe out of her eyes, and stamped her foot again.

"Make Enlil move, Mommu. I am going out."

"No, you are not," Enlil enunciated, staring down at her. She glared right back, disregarding how broad and muscular he had become. "Master said you are not to engage in frivolities. He also said none of us are to be without each other at any time."

"Then come with me and–and eat or something," she begged, changing tactics. She turned a sorrowful face to Mommu, who leant back with a wary look. She knew when she pleaded with her big, long-lashed eyes like that it was impossible for anyone with a heart to disagree with her.

Although it seemed Enlil had no qualms about rejecting her outright.

"No is no, Tiamat." His voice was steely. She cursed to herself. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Enlil turned and in two long strides opened it, revealing a beaming face.

"Good mornin', sirs!" the boy squeaked, holding up three bowls of steaming soup and hard bread. It was relatively early but Anshar already looked like he had been working for a few hours. "Mister Lahmum instructed to bring breakfast up to yous, I 'ope this is enough!"

Tia couldn't help but notice the little boy was always dressed in the same well-worn but smart tunic and slightly frayed trousers, with patched boots. She glanced at the two boys, who had their backs to her, and edged towards the window.

"Thank you, Anshar," Mommu said with a smile. The boy grinned back. He peered around the two trainees.

"Shall I take one bowl back, sir? So that when Miss returns she can 'ave 'ers warmed up an' all."

"What do you mean when Miss re–" A sharp curse came from Enlil. Tia covered her mouth to smother her giggles as she squeezed herself into the shades beneath the balcony and the windows. Enlil stomped across the room in two large strides and stuck his head out, before cursing again. "She's gone."

****

Stupid Enlil, Tia fumed, stomping her way down as many streets as she could, putting more and more distance between herself and the Far-Land Inn. The more she thought about his stubbornness, the angrier she got. She jammed her hood down over her hair, keeping her head ducked, her fists swinging stiffly at her side. He does not know how to have fun. How boring!

She had half-considered donning her trainee's cloak before slipping away. Even trainee Casters would get nods of polite acknowledgement and better treatment because of their affinity with Wind, even if they were not yet fully qualified. As she blended in with the crowd, she was glad she hadn't taken the blue cloak. She could laugh at the jesters as loudly as she liked and eat all the flavoursome foods she could find and nobody would give her a second glance.

She was getting used to the jostling and bumping that came with a busy city. The air was filled with the usual buzz of people hurrying to their destination, shouting over their shoulders and selling or buying. She took a big sniff and the delicious smells of a countless variety of food wafted into her nose: the slight spice of black bean, the alluring aroma of freshly baked pastries, the sharp scent of raw onions being fried. She grabbed a newly cooked meat pie that was offered for sampling and bit into it and almost squealed with contentment. The sweet juices gushed over her tongue and her mood lifted immediately. The tender meat contrasted exquisitely with the golden crust. The sauce was delectable, complimenting the creation perfectly.

She skipped down the streets, her head almost spinning on her neck as her attention was stolen by each and every shop she passed and her hood threatened to fall off. The sounds of cooking were everywhere: the sizzling of meat hitting a hot pan, the chop-chop-chop of a knife slicing through fresh vegetables, the bubbling of a cauldron of hot broth. Colourful banners rippled in the gentle wind. She popped the last mouthful of fresh pastry into her mouth, its crispiness melting on her tongue, and within moments had a block of coloured sugar on a stick in her right hand.

If Mooncliffe had more people I am sure it will be like this too, she thought dreamily, licking her confectionery. It was a flat, circular block of coloured sugar in streaks of blue and white. The sweetness made her feel light and happy. It is so nice here. I do not see why Master Anu was so against everything. I am not allowed out in Mooncliffe, I am not allowed out in Kiramone...

At that thought, she pulled a face, lost in thought and not paying attention to where she was going.

"Come and join us, ladies and gentleman!" roared a voice from across the street. She jumped. It was booming, audible even above the loud chatter of swarms of people, and sounded like it bounced off the windows. "We just opened today and it is free food, drinks, and lovely ladies all around!"

Tia moved with the sudden surge of the crowd. Kiramone's food had been mind-blowing, to say the least. Even when equipped with little money that the Master had spared her, she was determined to make it last and she was going to enjoy it.

It seemed Kiramone was not only a city of colour, but also of endless festivities and opportunities. At every shop or service, there were children, some of them her age, some of them nearing adulthood, who were obviously novices at their catering, decorating, or carving job. Chances of employment and learning new skills were everywhere. Games and new challenges were present at every step. Feeling full after her first food stop, Tia took several corners, passing more eateries and she neared the sounds of balloons popping, people whooping, and screams of delight.

Music was playing jovially. The tones were cheerful and overlapped each other, rising to a crescendo and harmonising together, and then falling apart in a cascade and dancing through the air. A group of men with musical instruments – what specific types, Tia had no idea – were tapping their feet along with the beat, drawing their musical bows and slapping the drums. In front of them was a circular open space, laid with stone slabs, where groups of people danced, laughed, and squealed with excitement. Tia's heartbeat picked up with the thrill and she couldn't help but grin at the cheerful music. Her foot began to tap by itself.

"Want a dance?" someone said over her head. Tia tilted her head upwards and met a pair of warm brown eyes. She gigggled and took his proffered hand.

The tune changed. The pace picked up, but there was enough space to manoeuvre around so that they did not step on anyone's toes. Tia fell into awkward steps with the taller boy. She gripped his shoulder tightly as he spun her around off her feet, on cue. She squealed, feeling the wind whistle through her hair and her hood fall. All the male partners had swung their female partners at the same time. She landed light as a feather on the tips of her toes, giggling uncontrollably. Their palms resumed touching in front of them as they stepped in time.

Dancing is so fun! Tia's heart thumped with joy. The steps were easy to follow: step forward, clap, step back, spin, and whenever the beat climaxed she would be spun in the air. Occasionally she would miss a step and get bumped into, but it seemed everyone participating was in it for entertainment and so they all laughed off her mistakes. She kept her eyes down at her feet, trying her best not to tangle her legs with anyone else's or step on her own cloak. She squealed again as she was swept off her feet.

By the time the song finished, she was sweating, her cheeks bright pink, and her eyes shining. She sucked in the warm air and exploded in giggles, her heart still racing.

"You dance well," complimented her partner as they left the stage. A new song started up again, this time a slow, romantic tune. Tia brushed her matted fringe off her eyes, a delighted smile on her face.

"It was my first time!" she said, breathless. The boy smiled down at her and kissed the back of her hand. She blushed profusely.

"I must leave. Thank you for the dance, my lady." With a charming smile, he disappeared into the crowds, leaving Tia as red as the setting sun. She pulled her hood back onto her head and burst into another fit of giggles, making her way further along the street and past all the dancing couples.

Confetti and other streams of decorative paper flew out from all directions as customers won prizes. Filled with curiosity and cooling down after the bout of exercise, Tia joined a mother-and-daughter pair who was throwing wooden balls at a stall. The mother was murmuring encouragement to the girl, who was a few years younger than Tia herself and who was concentrating hard. Her little arm trembled and she steadied her aim by stretching her other arm in front of her.

The first throw was wobbly but the aim was true. The stack of hollow wooden cylinders tumbled down until the bottom three remained standing and the top three lay atop the surface of the platform. The pair cheered and Tia couldn't hide a grin, feeling the triumph in the girl's laugh. The stall owner, a bored-looking man leaning against his post, didn't even bat an eyelid.

The second ball knocked the last three containers over, sending two flying off the surface so that four remained, on their sides, atop the platform. They cheered again and looked at the owner expectantly.

"What?" he grunted, almost rudely. Tia was taken aback. His attitude ruined her good mood. Hadn't the girl won a prize? The young girl looked crestfallen and her mother swelled indignantly.

"She knocked over all the cans, like you had asked! Where is her prize?"

"She did not knock them off," he said, jerking his head over his shoulder at the pile of containers lying on the platform. "I said 'knock them off' not 'knock them over'. There is still a bunch of them on there, see."

That is cheating, Tia thought with a frown at the man, who shrugged at the disgust on the mother's face.

"If you're not going to throw that, give me back that last ball," he snapped, holding out a rough hand. The girl looked like she was on the brink of tears, clutching the wooden ball as though her life depended on it.

"Throw it," Tia couldn't help but say. The girl turned, tears threatening to spill, and gazed with a beseeching look at her. Tia patted her hood, making sure that her identity was still safe, and nodded.

The girl sniffed and drew her arm back. Her elbow wobbled but then steadied and she threw it as hard as she could, at the platform.

The man gave a snort of derisive laughter, seeing the wobbling trajectory. It hit one of the remaining four cans without much power.

To their astonishment, the impact made all four cans shoot off in four directions as though a cannonball had careened into it. The thick sheet of material that draped the back, preventing missed balls from flying too far away, was whipped nearly off its pegs with the accompanying hard gust of wind. The wooden cylinders tumbled in the air and bounced on the stone ground some way away.  When the clatter of wood quietened, there was a silence at the stall.

"Did you see that?" someone shouted. Tia jumped and looked over her shoulder. It was a tradesman with a big bag of grains over his shoulder, his mouth dropped open.

"Was that Wind magic?" someone else asked. Tia's heart pumped as her eyes darted around. More and more people had congregated around the stall but she, thankfully, was still part of the crowd. For now.

"That wind was not natural!" a third person exclaimed. At that, Tia melted back into the crowd, making a hasty disappearance.