said. He was still frowning, but the anger had left his voice and posture. "You still should have told me. I can take care of myself, Kyros."
"You don't know these people," Kyros said, sighing quietly.
"I do. They're ruthless, and there's every chance they'll drag you off anyway, simply because you're close to my mother."
"And you didn't think I should know that?" Raslin asked, back to angry. Kyros sighed, running his hands through his hair and wondering if there was anything he couldn't make a mess of with Raslin.
"I don't know," Kyros said after a moment, wishing he could make the right choice for once. "Every decision I make seems to blow up in my face. I don't know if it's better you know or if it's worse. I hope it's better."
Raslin rolled his eyes, and stepped close. Kyros tensed, half expecting Raslin to shake him or hit him, but Raslin just sat down, leaning up against the gate stone next to Kyros. He sat in silence for a moment, and Kyros relaxed, staring at the magical fire. It was oddly comfortable, sitting next to Raslin in the ruins, and Kyros wished for the hundredth time he'd never left Ourenville.
"What's the cover story for Ailynn leaving?" Raslin asked.
"My great-aunt is sick and needs help around the house,"
Kyros said. He didn't have a great-aunt, but he doubted anyone in Ourenville knew otherwise. "So she's heading out to help her for the winter. In Tristowne."
"That's a long trip," Raslin said. "I won't ask where she's actually going."
"Thank you," Kyros said quietly. He stared out at the broken stones around them. Hopefully Ailynn would be happy on the coast. He hated that he had to tear her away from everything she'd ever known; Ailynn had lived in Ourenville since she was a girl. He wished he could send Raslin with her, but that would draw a lot of suspicion in the village, and he doubted Raslin would go.
"Why are you going back to Alesdor?" Raslin asked again, not trying to hide the skepticism from his voice. "You're just going to be killed there."
"Probably," Kyros said. He didn't answer the question, not sure he could explain. Raslin didn't understand; he hadn't been there to see the corruption in the council, the way the mage candidates and assistants were treated. He hadn't seen the way the mages treated anyone who wasn't a mage or a noble, anyone they considered unimportant.
"Ow!" Kyros snapped, jerking away from the elbow Raslin drove into his ribs. It had startled more than hurt, with both of their jackets between them, but had been more than sufficient to draw him from his thoughts.
"Stop being an idiot," Raslin said curtly, scowling at him.
"Why would you just throw your life away?"
"You don't understand," Kyros snapped, shuffling away from Raslin.
"Well, you could explain it to me," Raslin said, rolling his eyes. He was very obviously unimpressed, staring at Kyros like Kyros was a complete idiot.
Which, all right, that was possibly true, but not because he was going back.
"If I don't go back, there won't be anyone to stand up to the council," Kyros said slowly, wondering how he could impress the importance of that on Raslin. Kyros had to go back.
"Really."
"Really," Kyros snapped, annoyed at the disbelief in Raslin's tone.
"Then how do you plan to do anything?" Raslin asked. "I mean, if no one is willing to stand up against them, then what's the point? You'll just be going back to die, and that's stupid."
"I can't give up," Kyros said heatedly. Raslin was being purposefully antagonistic, and Kyros couldn't help but rise to the bait. "If I give up, the council wins and can keep doing whatever they want."
"Which is?" Raslin prompted, and Kyros wondered if he'd heard the entire conversation that Kyros had had with his mother.
"Anything they want," Kyros said sharply. His breath puffed out in white clouds as he spoke, and Kyros watched them dissipate before continuing. "They use their power and their magic to get away with everything. They blackmail and murder.
No one
"You don't know these people," Kyros said, sighing quietly.
"I do. They're ruthless, and there's every chance they'll drag you off anyway, simply because you're close to my mother."
"And you didn't think I should know that?" Raslin asked, back to angry. Kyros sighed, running his hands through his hair and wondering if there was anything he couldn't make a mess of with Raslin.
"I don't know," Kyros said after a moment, wishing he could make the right choice for once. "Every decision I make seems to blow up in my face. I don't know if it's better you know or if it's worse. I hope it's better."
Raslin rolled his eyes, and stepped close. Kyros tensed, half expecting Raslin to shake him or hit him, but Raslin just sat down, leaning up against the gate stone next to Kyros. He sat in silence for a moment, and Kyros relaxed, staring at the magical fire. It was oddly comfortable, sitting next to Raslin in the ruins, and Kyros wished for the hundredth time he'd never left Ourenville.
"What's the cover story for Ailynn leaving?" Raslin asked.
"My great-aunt is sick and needs help around the house,"
Kyros said. He didn't have a great-aunt, but he doubted anyone in Ourenville knew otherwise. "So she's heading out to help her for the winter. In Tristowne."
"That's a long trip," Raslin said. "I won't ask where she's actually going."
"Thank you," Kyros said quietly. He stared out at the broken stones around them. Hopefully Ailynn would be happy on the coast. He hated that he had to tear her away from everything she'd ever known; Ailynn had lived in Ourenville since she was a girl. He wished he could send Raslin with her, but that would draw a lot of suspicion in the village, and he doubted Raslin would go.
"Why are you going back to Alesdor?" Raslin asked again, not trying to hide the skepticism from his voice. "You're just going to be killed there."
"Probably," Kyros said. He didn't answer the question, not sure he could explain. Raslin didn't understand; he hadn't been there to see the corruption in the council, the way the mage candidates and assistants were treated. He hadn't seen the way the mages treated anyone who wasn't a mage or a noble, anyone they considered unimportant.
"Ow!" Kyros snapped, jerking away from the elbow Raslin drove into his ribs. It had startled more than hurt, with both of their jackets between them, but had been more than sufficient to draw him from his thoughts.
"Stop being an idiot," Raslin said curtly, scowling at him.
"Why would you just throw your life away?"
"You don't understand," Kyros snapped, shuffling away from Raslin.
"Well, you could explain it to me," Raslin said, rolling his eyes. He was very obviously unimpressed, staring at Kyros like Kyros was a complete idiot.
Which, all right, that was possibly true, but not because he was going back.
"If I don't go back, there won't be anyone to stand up to the council," Kyros said slowly, wondering how he could impress the importance of that on Raslin. Kyros had to go back.
"Really."
"Really," Kyros snapped, annoyed at the disbelief in Raslin's tone.
"Then how do you plan to do anything?" Raslin asked. "I mean, if no one is willing to stand up against them, then what's the point? You'll just be going back to die, and that's stupid."
"I can't give up," Kyros said heatedly. Raslin was being purposefully antagonistic, and Kyros couldn't help but rise to the bait. "If I give up, the council wins and can keep doing whatever they want."
"Which is?" Raslin prompted, and Kyros wondered if he'd heard the entire conversation that Kyros had had with his mother.
"Anything they want," Kyros said sharply. His breath puffed out in white clouds as he spoke, and Kyros watched them dissipate before continuing. "They use their power and their magic to get away with everything. They blackmail and murder.
No one
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