"I did not think this day would come!"

"Relax, old man; I am merely fulfilling my duties. It is not like I wanted one."

"And yet you manage to sound so keen; you never fail to impress me, my boy."

"And you say I have an attitude?"

"I can concede that nothing has changed after all these years. The Wind has not taught you humility."

"You speak as though I need it."

"You will understand one day. Who knows? Perhaps taking on an apprentice will make you appreciate your own insignificance in this world. I know it did for me."

"And I shall say this again: your method may please people, but it will never get tasks done."

"Perhaps I am getting old. Nevertheless, I stand by what I have done. I do not regret any of my actions or decisions, and I hope you shall never do that either."

"If it pleases you... when shall I come to take her?"

"Sunset on the morrow. I shall ready her."

"Very well. Grace be with you, Master."

"Grace be with you, my child."

****

"And then what were you asked to do?" Tia asked, enthusiastic.

Enlil was quiet for several seconds, brushing with slow, steady strokes down the black-haired flank of Nutesh, his carrier. Being trained as a scribe had appeared to mellow the slave boy, to his companions' surprise. Having missed him for several days as the students trained some more, when the boy had met them again the changes were impossible to miss. The blaze in his eyes had dimmed and his sullen features had more gentleness around them. The anger seemed to have lessened.

"We shadowed the senior scribes so we may gain an idea of what is required of us when we are qualified," he said, scratching his obedient carrier under its chin. "We were permitted to observe the law-making of this country, the delegation of responsibilities and the jurisdiction matters."

Tia leant up from her sprawled position on the pile of hay on the other side of the low paddock wall and faced her friend with bright eyes; Mommu, out of habit, brushed the bits of hay stuck to her back and ponytail. "And...?"

"The laws are as infuriating as I had anticipated." A flush crept up his neck, but he breathed evenly continued on brushing. "So much privilege extended to the rich and powerful and such disregard for the slaves and lesser fortunate Dernexans. Did you know it is a crime punishable by death if you are found to have offended or threatened the king or any of his underlings in anyway?" Tia raised her eyebrows at him, but he ignored her. "Did you know that if any task given to you by the king was deemed inadequately done, by his greatness, it is punishable by however he sees fit? That when war comes, if you are found to be fit for war and yet have been discovered to not have joined the army, you and your family will go without food for two months?"

"I suppose Dernexes needs all the men they have, given... you know," Mommu said, uncomfortable.

"That is true, but also consider at the same time that ministers, scholars, scribes and so on who are working directly for the king are exempt from such a rule. There is no financial encouragement to join the army, for pay remains low, and families struggle."

"If everyone goes to war, then who is to run the country?" Mommu tried again.

"I assure you, Mommu—" There was a scowl on Enlil's tanned features. "—there are more than enough ministers running each city." He straightened his face again. It was obvious his reaction was a milder version of how he would have reacted compared to back then. "And you are liable to receive lashes if you do not show governmental bodies the appropriate respect. Such sycophancy!  Respect is earned, not deserved."

"What's 'appropriate respect'?" Tia wondered, crossing her legs. Enlil finished brushing his carrier, hung the brush back on the wall, and went to recline beside her.

"Depends on the superior," he muttered. "Some require you to nod and get out of the way; others wish you to grovel and vomit praises over them–" Tia giggled at the imagery "–and it depends on their mood also. It is all a very pathetic state of affairs."

"But you wish to stay?"

He grimaced, his arms acting as pillows behind his head.

"Master Anu is correct." He appeared most reluctant to admit it. "From what I can see, there are always backup... positions. If you manage to topple an official, there will always be one to replace him or to act on his behalf in his absence. If the entire government was eradicated, there will only be chaos."

"You think you can change it from within?" Tia asked, watchful.

"It is the best way." With a heavy sigh, he stretched. "The powers of scribes are quite remarkable once they have reached a certain level of prestige. Their influences are significant and many of them are genuine, unlike the king."

"Hush!" Mommu hissed. Enlil rolled his eyes at him.

"But what will happen when it is time to depart, Enlil? Master Enlil is returning to Mooncliffe soon with Mommu and I; are you to continue your scribe studies here? There are no scribes back in Mooncliffe, after all."

"And this is the best place for what I want to do," said the dark-haired boy. "Yes, that is very true. I think I shall request to stay in Capital to further my learning, if Master acquiesces."

"That means I will not see you for many years," Tia said, sad, putting her hand on his broad shoulder with her lips down-turned.

"You have Mommu to look after you, just like he has always done, no?" His voice was gentle. He patted her hand. "Hey, no tears!"

She sniffed; her eyes were welling up.

"Perhaps Master will not return to Mooncliffe yet; perhaps he has further duties here. Even if it is not, we shall meet again, you know. Perhaps you as the next Windcaster of Mooncliffe and I one of the king's esteemed scribes." He ruffled her fringe.

"I hate this growing up."

****

The three youngsters packed their bags as instructed by the messenger boy on the last day of the congregation. They trooped out of the inn and made their way to the city hall at sunset.

The skies were stained a mixture of blood-red and rich magenta, blending to a violent orange and yellow at the extremities, obscured by the silhouettes of the square stone buildings. The days were getting noticeably shorter as the summer's end was in sight.

Bathed in the orange rays, standing at the end of the stone-paved street with his bejewelled staff in his right hand was Master Anu; his travel bags were already hitched onto Aplaa, his carrier. A stable boy stood next to him, holding onto the lead of a single, long-haired carrier.

On his other side, clad in the same pale blue Windcaster's cloak as Master Anu, was another figure, whose face was hidden in the shadows of the hood. He was tall and thin and had some sort of frightening, powerful aura. Mommu shuddered, beside Tia.

"Master!" Tia bobbed a curtsey as they reached the two Windcasters. She gave Kuri a curious look. "Where is my Enusat? Why have you only Mommu's carrier?"

"Tiamat..."

"We are not leaving? But where...?"

 Enlil cottoned on quickly.

"Tiamat is to stay?"

Tia's heart skipped a beat. She turned to the Master in disbelief.

"Why–?"

The old man held up a wrinkled hand. "My dear, please let me speak."

Tia bit her lip, another question burning in her mind.

"I am getting old, Tiamat, too old to tutor two students at once. The times ahead are getting more difficult and I do not wish the future generation be compromised in their Casting skills."

"Master, what are you trying to say?" She couldn't keep her voice steady. Her fists clenched.

"I am too old for an energetic girl like you. I know someone who is willing to take you on and train you better than I can at this age. You are one of the most talented trainees I have seen in many years and I feel you can fare better under a younger, equally talented Windcaster of great credentials."

"Who... do you mean?"

He gestured at the silent figure standing beside him. The man slowly reached up and drew his hood back.

The orange sunlight fell on a sculpted face with high cheekbones and strong facial structures. His silky blonde hair was swept to one side, casting shadows on his right eye.

Tia swallowed a gasp. The cold, steel-blue eyes held no emotion as they surveyed her. Her heart palpitated. She knew that face.

The first and last time she had seen those cold eyes and arrogant pursed lips, the man had been ordering the execution of the rebels after catching them in the dead of the night.

"This is Master Marduk, the Censor of Ptarmigan Fortress." Master Anu appeared to not have noticed Tia's horror. "Marduk was one of my best students and he is one of the best Casters there is. You will do great under his tutorship."

"I... Master – you are leaving me?" A whirlwind of emotions twistede her gut: astonishment that Master Anu had suddenly proposed this without warning, dread that she was assigned tutorage under the very same man who had ordered the execution of a group of slaves, disorientation, and disbelief. She felt sick.

The old man gave her a gentle smile, his eyes crinkling at the edges, as Tia's green ones welled up.

"Of course not, my dear." He reached out and enveloped her hands. "You will always be the little troublemaker who puts the books back in the wrong order and steals food from the table during preparation–" Tia gave a hiccup of laughter "–but I think you can benefit more under Marduk. It is for the best, I promise you."

"You will not forget me?" she said, feeling sorry for herself. Master Marduk turned away, whether out of respect for the farewell ceremony or disgust for the emotions, Tia cared not. Master Anu shook his head, wiping her tears with his thumbs. She snivelled, withdrawing from the embrace.

Without warning, Tia threw her arms around Mommu, knocking him out of his brooding.

"I love you, Mommu." Her voice cracked.

"It will be all right, Tia," he said. She squeezed him. Dear Mommu, always so sweet and accommodating.

"You have always looked out for me." She hiccupped. "I do not know how I would fare without you."

"You will do just fine," he said firmly, pulling back and giving her a confident smile. Her face crumpled. How could he smile in a situation like this? "I have faith in you, Tia."

"And I you, Mommu." She mopped her eyes with the edge of her trainee's cloak. She felt horribly lost at the thought of the future without her best friend to back her up and to bail her out of trouble. Her chest was hollow and her throat had closed up.

"And I, Master?" Enlil spoke at last.

"You are to continue your scribing studies here, my boy. I have made negotiations with the ministers here about your... situation and you shall train in the same way as all of the other scribing boys. I expect you to follow through with this training and stay on the path." He gave the boy a significant look. "Do I have your word on that?"

"Yes, Master." Enlil met the old man's light blue eyes with sincerity. He bowed. "I thank you for everything, Master."

He slapped Mommu and Tia's arms, giving them an encouraging grin and a nod of the head, before heading away. Tia watched his figure disappear with each long, purposeful stride.

She shuffled over to the Master and buried her face in his shoulder, her shoulders heaving in silence.

"There, there," he said tenderly, stroking the top of her head. "It is not the end of the world, my child."

"I will miss you, Master Anu," she said in a strangled voice, mopping her eyes again.

"And I you, my dear, but it is time for you to leave the nest. Be studious and become as great a Windcaster as you can be."

"Of course, Master."

"Good girl. Now hold your head high; be proud to be a disciple of the Wind."

She dried her eyes and stepped back, picking up her staff and her travel bags. She stuck her chin out and managed a wobbly smile.

"Make me proud, my dear." He kissed her on the forehead. "Grace be with you, Tiamat."

"Grace be with you, Master Anu," she whispered, tears threatening to fall again as the old man and Mommu parted ways with her. Mommu gave her one last, longing look. There was a rustle of cloak behind her and knew Master Marduk had turned and began to walk away. She hurried to catch up, head bowed, biting her lips hard. She threw one last look behind her at the two figures she knew so well and she could feel her heart splintering.

Acutely sensing the distance growing between her and the old man, who had brought her up like a daughter, Tia wept, without a sound.