“Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

The dining hall was an elongated affair running along one of the sides of the building with benches and tables made of polished wood. Pots with smoking stew were distributed by servants that had followed them from the academy and soon everyone was quietly eating the calm atmosphere only disturbed by some chatter and laughter. It was a harmonious scene. Alyssa sat down with her friends and reached for the ladle as one girl opposite her grabbed it just as she closed her hand hot stew splashed onto her hand and arm drenching the nethersilk gloves.

“Oh, I’m sooo sorry.” The dark-haired girl apologized half-heartedly while looking at her with malice in her eyes.

Hissing through the pain Alyssa concentrated and spoke a spell, water swirled around her arm and cleansed the residues of the stew from her glove and skin. Red welts grew where the hot liquid had touched her. Mireille clenched her teeth in anger, stood up, and shoved the girl roughly while she was still unprepared and gazing at Alyssa which caused her to fall from the bench. Her head hit the ground with a dull thud. The girl screamed in pain.

“Melloris preserve what is this commotion about?!” An elder wizardess stood up and walked closer. Seeing that the fallen girl was bleeding she shouted, “Sarah! We need a healer!”

The stout middle-aged healer hurried over and then nodded. “Only a shallow wound. No reason to be concerned- Please continue eating.” Speaking a spell green-golden light flared from her fingertips and the wound closed.

Alea cleared her throat gathering her courage she said softly, “Alyssa was injured by this girl and has burns on her arm.”

Mireille who looked guilty and angry at once nodded decisively.

“Ah, let me see.” Sarah came over and looked, “Oh, that looks painful. Wait a second.” She spoke another spell and Alyssa saw the waters of life she herself liked to use wash over the burns. Glowing waters poured into her injured flesh and lit it from within. The cold and pleasantly refreshing sensation ended soon and there was nothing of the original damage visible anymore.

“Thank you!” Alyssa smiled.

“What happened here?” The older woman that had seen the incident first asked.

“She.” Mireille turned her head toward the dark-haired girl. “Burned my friend- Intentionally! And then I pushed her away before she could do more damage. Is it my fault she is not only vicious but also clumsy? She should be happy Cyrus didn’t stab her!”

Sarah wrinkled her brows and looked at them. The older wizardess frowned and said, “Anyone else saw what happened?”

Several of the students sitting near them gave their own version which was pretty contradictory.

“So. She hurt Alyssa- intentional or not- and then Mireille hurt her, probably intentional.” She summarized. “A demerit for each of you. You can work it off with chores in the future so it should not affect you too much. But better be careful- If you accumulate too much of them you can be expelled.”

Sarah nodded, “That sounds fair. It's difficult to determine who was wrong. But because everything started with her I propose Alyssa may help Mireille which should make it easier.”

“Thank you.” Alyssa nodded at the motherly healer.

Taking one last critical look at the subdued dark-haired girl Sarah turned and left together with the wizardess.

“And here we go again.” Mireille frowned at her stew before giving the other girl an unfriendly eye. “It isn’t as if there were beasties and freezing temperature, rebels and undead troubling us. We have to make problems for us completely on our own. What, if anything, did you think you were doing?” Her voice rose on the last syllables.

The dark-haired girl shrank back under Mireille’s scolding and had some tears in her eyes.

A boy that sat beside her snorted. “As if you were a saint yourself. Bad in academics, a troublemaker, and a simple branded to boot. And then there is this common-born black witch I hope they soon realize that you shouldn’t be in the Academy at all.” He put an arm around the girl and looked at them with a mixture of caution and disgust.

Alea pursed her lips and seemed to be struggling to say something.

Alyssa raised her eyes and looked at the students that were giving her unfriendly looks. “I would be very, very careful. If I am such a bad person I could think of a few ways to make you miserable. Does anyone remember the duel? Has it been so long that everyone has forgotten it?” Darkness flared in her left eye nearly breaking the illusion and spidery symbols blossomed beneath her skin. The nethersilk gloves rustled as they absorbed the influx of void energies.

“If this keeps on happening I might tell my family.” Alea finally got out. “And they will not be shy to inquire with our friends.”

“We didn’t mean you! Everyone knows you are too noble to discriminate and would rather suffer in silence.” The girl said slightly panicked.

Alea looked truly confused at that.

Iseret who had silently neared the altercation interjected, “There have been rumors that you were forced to live with Alyssa. Even as everyone can see that this lacks any substance.” As she explained she mopped the spill from the table.

Some of the students who were listening whispered to each other. The word ‘snake’ featured in some of those murmurs and the snake-woman garnered many an unfriendly stare.

Vivienne who had been halfway to Alyssa’s table turned and nearly collided with her brother.

Valens frowned slightly, “Why don’t we go and help them?”

“All in good time.” Vivienne smiled at him looked back over her shoulder and then shrugged. “They seem to do well enough at the moment.”

Valens sighed and stood aside. “Then after you, sister.”

As they returned to their quarters Mireille was still fuming. “Is it all for nothing? Didn’t we fight Lieseleta’s murderous brother and hordes of undead? How can they still be like that?”

“Some of them I know. They are the children of nobles belonging to Carl Askander’s faction. Or to put it more accurately: Former faction.” Alea said softly. “I had Mrs. Silverstone- the head of the townhouse in Kronenburg tell me about them. Knowledge about my peers is something I was sorely lacking as I had not socialized much before.”

Iseret smiled but her words were cold, “Self-interest, greed, and hate are the driving forces for most people. That’s nothing new and often it is paired with a severe lack of understanding or intelligence.”

Lorelle cleared her throat, “Mistress? I asked Magister Flammensiegel and he acquiesced to your request.”

“That is good.” Alea nodded.

“What did you ask?” Mireille asked curiously.

“I wanted one of the empty rooms for my workshop of course.” Alea shrugged as if that was natural. “Butler One will help me tomorrow.”

Laughing and somewhat cheered they entered their room after saying good night to Iseret and Lorelle. Mireille threw herself on the upper right bed the wood creaking as she turned and looked at the ceiling. “How can there still be such idiots?”

“It’s not been that long that Alyssa was the target of Leonhard and Otto. They were somewhat popular and their ‘nobles against commoners’ agenda even more. Don’t expect people to change so quickly.” Alea said quietly.

“Don’t be so reasonable while they are unreasonable that makes me want to be even angrier.” Mireille pouted.

Alyssa laughed. “In the beginning, it bothered me a lot. But after everything that has happened, I’m only glad to have you on my side. The only sad thing is that Lieseleta and Maximilian are not with us.” Alyssa began to put on her night clothes.

“And Semiramis.” Mireille grinned.

“Yes, and we lack a cat.” Alyssa smiled back. They had left the feathered feline with Reneus' secretary Mrs. Glenspring.

Cyrus was cleaning the claws growing from his wing joint with his teeth as they discussed the next day and the group selection.

“How many are in a group?” Alyssa asked.

“I think it should be around ten people? It would be difficult to come up with competent wizards to teach us otherwise wouldn’t it?” Alea mused.

“That doesn’t sound too good. What if the students other than us are the same sort as that girl just now at dinner?” Mireille grumbled.

“We will be much too busy for that kind of thing...I hope.” Alyssa finished her reply on a hesitant note.

“Did you manage the barrier thingy, what with the cold and all?” Mireille looked at the shutters that were rattling with every gust of wind. “The latch could use a bit of tightening too.”

Ice coated the window frame and where rime met the warmth emanating from the metal plate inset in the chimney thawing water ran down the inside of the fortress wall.

“We really need to do something about that, it's barely habitable as it is.” Mireille murmured sleepily.

“I’m working on it,” Alea replied shortly.

Only the rustle of cloth and the endless sighing of the wind remained.

“Alyssaaaa…”

“Mh. I know, come here if you want to.” As Mireille clambered down and quickly dove under the covers of Alyssa’s bed Cyrus looked at the both of them and some calculation was visible in his reptilian eyes. “No. You are not allowed to come into my bed, we will be crushed if you do!” Disappointed the wyvern blinked his green-yellow eyes. “No, even if you look like that. No!” Turning his head to the wall one wing rose and covered his nose, the tail flicked aggrievedly.

Alea giggled softly. “Good night.”

“Good night!” came a chorus from both her friends.

The next day found them shortly after sunrise assembled in the courtyard. Mireille stamped her feet and looked half-awake while yawning. The still low-hanging sun cast shadows over the yard while the sky was a pale blue-grey with some scattered clouds.

In front of the students stood the teachers, led by Reneus, and behind them stood several unfamiliar men and women in military uniform, some of which carried the implements of a warmage, staves, and wands while others wore the more practical attire of a scout.

“Attention please!” Reneus Flammensiegel looked a bit unwilling but resigned. “As Magister Illimen had to stay in the academy I have the...ahem...pleasure of supervising this training camp. So we will now be dividing you into groups of ten. Each of you will either get a military mage or a teacher and one army scout. At this point, I have to thank the northern border battalion for their generosity in helping us as is traditional. The friendship between the academy and our protectors in the north has been a constant since over a hundred years ago.” He clapped and the students followed suit. The men and women in military garb returned the gesture with a friendly nod.

“So, I will read out the groups and you will assemble behind the teacher calling out that number. So I will now begin.” He began to call out names in order and the teacher representing the group would also take a step to the side.

Soon a sizable part of the students had been sorted.

Alyssa looked at Mireille and Alea, careful to hide her nervousness.

Metallic legs clicking Cecilie walked from Alea’s right shoulder to her left carefully circling her neck.

‘So she is nervous too.’ Alyssa smiled slightly.

Mireille looked like the only thing keeping her from sleeping while still standing was the cold. Cyrus rummaged behind some frozen bushes and removed a long, bleached bone, deer probably. The thing seemed to have been there since autumn and looked highly unhygienic but before Alyssa could do anything the wyvern bit the bone in two and began to chew on the shards. Shaking his head he spat it out again. Alyssa winced and covered her eyes with her hands.

“….Alyssa Miner.”

“Which group?” Alyssa whispered desperately.

“Thirteen!” Mireille whispered back.

“...Mireille Annirstochter, Alea von Graufurt…”

“Thank Jaros.” Alea sighed in relief.

As they walked over to where several others were already standing Alyssa grinned and said, “You did not really think that Illimen or even Reneus would separate us. That would’ve been cruel.”

“You never know.” Mireille seemed to be more awake and in better spirits too.

An older military mage with close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair sporting a well-groomed van dyke beard greeted them with an acknowledging nod and gestured for them to get behind him. A younger woman in scouts attire with a blonde ponytail and piercing grey eyes gave them a disinterested half-smile before returning to polish her short bow with an oiled rag.

Shortly after they arrived two slender students with green hair streaked with strands of white walked up to them- “Vivienne, Valens, are you in group thirteen too?!” Mireille exclaimed and grinned brightly.

Vivienne smiled at her and replied, “There was an opportunity to change groups. Two students wanted to be in group eight and so we traded them for it.”

“That’s great.” Mireille replied enthusiastically.

The older mage gave them a reproachful look and interrupted them, saying “The selection is not over. No talking until then!”

“Mh, understood.” Mireille nodded and reluctantly held her peace.

Alyssa rubbed her back comfortingly. Soon the energetic redhead was back in her usual cheerful mood.

Alea stood at their side and remained silent.

In the background, Lorelle, Iseret, and Butler One waited for the selection to end as Adam joined them. Grumbling he patted some snow from his ample stomach and remarked, “Good to see that the young miss is with her friends. I have a bad feeling with the cold and the rumors I hear.”

Iseret turned her slit-yellow eyes on him and suppressed a shiver from the cold, her more or less cold-blooded constitution making the freezing temperatures more than just an annoyance. “What did you hear?”

“Mrrrm.” The old coachman spat in the snow. “The wolf-tribes are moving, prey is scarce. Elementals have been spotted all over the place and creatures from the heights have come down to forage. The Nordmarks are suspiciously well behaved. They even sent patrols to ‘help’ the army.”

Lorelle looked between the two. “That sounds...pretty dangerous?” She asked hesitantly.

Iseret nodded thoughtfully. ‘I hope Vanessa comes soon or I will have my hands well and truly full.’