After breakfast, I headed back into the living room and looked at the mirror. Now whom to contact at winter hall? Bahruun? He’d cut the connection the moment he saw me. The Hall Master? He was probably busy. Salia? She was nocturnal, and I didn’t fancy the idea of waiting until nightfall to contact the hall. Fine, the Hall Master it was then. Even if he was busy, this was a minor emergency, so he might be open to listening.

  With my mind made up, I focused on the mirror and cast the spell while focusing on Ahron, the Hall Master of Winter Hall. The mirror turned a dull gray for a moment, before a beautiful room made from some kind of white stone appeared. It was filled with various magical doodads and shelves of tomes.

  The mirror itself looked at a beautiful desk. At the desk, was a large potbellied man with a short grey beard and hair. His arms well-defined and muscled. Showing that he was not someone you’d want to brawl with. He was dressed in white robes embroidered with snowflake patterns of silver threads that shimmered in the light of the torches on the walls. He was writing in a ledger of some kind. “Ahron, I apologize for the interruption, but I need to talk to you.”

  He looked up from the book he was writing in. “Oh, Lady Morgana, I am rather busy right now, so if you could…” I held up a hand, causing his words to trail off. “I would love to wait until your schedule opened up, but I cannot. You see, I need to speak with Bahruun, but because of certain… events before he left this area, I doubt he would do so if I contacted him directly.” Ahron looked at me in silence and scratched his beard for a bit.

  “So that’s why you contacted me. You want me to set up a meeting in your stead. Unfortunately, Bahruun isn’t here right now. He’s off in a private lab over in some nearby ruins. I take it you intend to travel here if you wanted to set up a meeting, so I can point you in his direction when you arrive.”

  Off in a private lab? That wasn’t what I was expecting, but alright. “I see. Well, I will be arriving per teleportation circle. The cipher is Chaos, Moon, Chaos, Order, Time, Earth, Star, Moon, Chaos, Earth and finally Water.” Ahron noted down the runes in the cipher. By using words, I hoped. “Understood. I will inform the Transporarium about your arrival. Do you have an estimate?” Just then, Meleri and Irenji entered the room. Upon seeing me, she smiled and waved before Irenji got her attention again.

  Ahron looked a bit confused. “If you already have a sorceress, why do you need Bahruun?” I glanced over at Meleri. “Because my sister over there has never cast a single spell in her entire life.” Ahron blinked a few times, his eyebrows arching a bit.

  “Ah, I see. I will inform the Transporarium immediately, and will be awaiting your arrival personally to point to towards Bahruun upon your arrival. Good Day, Lady Morgana.” He broke the connection. Ahron must’ve made the connection between Meleri’s Shimmering and lack of spell-casting immediately. Good, that saved me a bit of time.

  I turned towards the duo. “Alright, sis, we need to get you some thicker robes. We’re going on a bit of a trip.” Before she could reply, I dragged her back to her room. “Let’s see if they gave you winter robes or if you have to borrow one of mine.” I opened her wardrobe and was pleasantly surprised to find an extensive set of robes and gowns. “Good, now then…” A bit of rummaging later, and I pulled out a thick fur coat, mittens, and cap. “This should do.” I tossed it to her. “Put this on and meet me in the Teleportation room.” After a moment, she nodded, and I hurried back outside.

  Irenji was standing outside the door. “Will everything be alright?” His ears were flat against his head and his tail was between his legs. I reached down and stroked his head. “It will be alright, I am quite certain that Bahruun will teach her. If there is one thing he has always wanted, it’s a talented apprentice. And given Meleri’s Shimmering…” Irenji’s tail began a gentle, hopeful, wag. “He’ll decide to teach Meleri.” He finished my conclusion.

  “That’s the general idea. Why don’t you join Meleri, while I’ll inform the others where we’re going.” Irenji tilted his head. “You’re not taking all of us?” I shook my head. “The cold climate would be dangerous for Ivy, since she is of the summer court. And there is no way I am leaving her alone with free access to my pantry. I want some food to remain when we get back, after all.”

  I could hear a low growl from Irenji as I headed for the living room. Was he chuckling? Well, either way, I didn’t care. As I entered, I looked around. All of them were here, good. “Alright, you four, listen up. I will be heading north with Meleri and Irenji to get Bahruun on board. Since Ivy doesn’t do well in the cold, I will ask that the four of you house sit for me while I’m away. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours, lunchtime at the latest.”

  Ivy looked relieved, while Winter looked disappointed. She probably wanted to play in the snow. Soot landed on my shoulder and gave me a quick nuzzle. “Fair enough. We’ll look after the place, permission to raid the pantry if you wind up being late?” I glanced over at Ivy. “Only if it’s after the usual lunch hours, and we’re still not back, and only within reason.” Soot followed my gaze. “Understood. I’ll make sure of it.” I reached up and scratched his neck. “Thanks Soot.”

  I gave Winter and Midnight a few scratches as well. Midnight tilted her head and looked up at me. “What about Irenji?” A reasonable question. “Whether he stays or comes with is up to Meleri since he’s her responsibility, but from the look of it he will be joining us on this trip.” Midnight nodded, before she pranced over to the couch and jumped up on it. “Alright then. See you soon, Meowstress.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Winter chirped happily as I gave her the scratches. “Come back soon, Mother.” She chirped a bit as I scratched lightly under her beak, before she flew back to her roost. “See you soon, Morgana!” Ivy waved from the bowl of nuts on the table. “See you soon, Ivy.” I gave her a wave and received one of my own. I could only hope the bowl of nuts wouldn’t be empty when I returned. Well, that was of no consequence, not compared to what was at stake. Before heading to the teleport room, I headed into the potion room and grabbed two gate stones.

  As I arrived at the teleportation room, I found Meleri and Irenji waiting. “Alright then, ready to go?” The two nodded as I led the way inside. I stuffed one stone into my pouch and placed the stone into the small indent in the middle of the circle. The circle began to give off a pale glow. "Alright, you two into the circle. Just need to dial up Winter hall." Let's see it was Water, Moon, Moon, Moon, Water, Time, Water, Time, Chaos, Earth, and Water. The pale glow changed to dark blue as I entered the circle as well.

  Meleri looked down at the circle. “So… anything I should know about teleportation?” I looked at her and shrugged. “Wouldn’t know, never used it.” Before Meleri could reply to that revelation, the glow turned green and there was a bright flash of light, a sense of falling before we regained our sight, standing firmly in place at a different location.

  “Welcome to Winter Hall, Miladies.” I blinked a few times to get the retina burn out of my eyes. “Thank you, Ahron. You alright, Meleri, Irenji?” Meleri shook her head a bit. “Aside from a ton of retina burn, I’m fine.” Irenji seemed unaffected by the entire thing. “I’m fine.” He wagged his tail as he looked up at Meleri.

  “Well then, Ahron, as Much I would like to continue the pleasantries…” He gave a nod. “Of course, follow me.” He led us through the white stone halls and past windows showing a snow-covered hilly landscape and the mere hint of mountains far in the distance to the south. Ahron led us through the hall and towards the entrance, from where we could hear arguing.

  “Something wrong?” Ahron just shrugged his head. "A Mummir, of all things, arrived in the hall earlier today to peddle wares. Things were going well until the peddler learned we were acquainted with you and made the outrageous claim of being your child." Jaira were here at Winter hall? “The Mummir’s name wouldn’t be Jaira, would it?” Ahron stopped, turned and looked at me. “Oh dear, we have made a mistake, haven’t we.” I nodded. “Jaira is indeed my adopted daughter, though how she got this far north in the three days since she left my home is beyond me.” Ahron shrugged. “She’s at the entrance, so you can ask her yourself.” Meleri lit up at the mention of Jaira, while Irenji seemed uninterested.

  As we neared the door, the voices grew louder, and I could now recognize Jaira’s voice among the noise. Ahron grumbled as he sped up ahead of us and rounded the corner. “Alright, you three simmer down. We have other guests here. As for you, Lady Jaira, on behalf of the hall, I apologize for not believing you earlier.”

  Since Ahron was blocking Jaira, I couldn’t see her expression, but knowing her, it would be somewhere between delighted and a poorly attempt at not being smug. “I accept your apology Ahron, though if I may ask, what prompted the sudden change in… Mother, Auntie, what are you doing here?” The two of us finally caught up to Ahron and joined him at the entrance, where a gust of icy cold wind greeted us, along with Jaira, Ahron, and two other mages of the hall.

  As we stepped outside, I could see Irenji shiver a bit before he disappeared underneath Meleri’s coat. Neither Meleri nor I were affected at all by the cold, thanks to enchantments woven into our clothes. I turned my attention to Jaira. “I could ask you the same thing. You could not pass the Atharim mountain range and the distance from them to here in three days.”

  Jaira gave a dramatic sigh. “Alas, when I arrived in Tropol the evening after I left your hut, dear mother, we learned that the mountain range was a no-go. The pass was blocked by a massive avalanche, and I was not waiting who knows how many weeks for them to clear it. So I did the only natural thing. I paid to use Tropol’s Gateway north, and since the only Gateway big enough to allow my wagons to pass through was Nulim two days to the west of here... Well, here I am. Saved myself about three weeks of travel. But what about you Mother, I doubt you and Auntie… Is that Shimmering?”

  Meleri nodded. “Showed up yesterday out of the blue.” “Then you must be here to find a teacher. I can’t really imagine Mother would drag you out here otherwise. In that case, don’t let me hold you up.” Jaira gave us both a polite nod and, with a pointed look at the hall members she was arguing with earlier, entered the hall itself. Ahron looked after her with a thoughtful expression. “Quite the child you’ve reared there.” I looked after her as well. “Tell me about it. Anyway, Ahron, the ruins?”

  Ahron nodded. “Right, Ikini, please guide them to the ruins of Reben. No need to stick around afterward, as I am certain Lady Morgana can find her way back afterward.” One of the two mages that was arguing with Jaira earlier, nodded. “Of course, hall masster.” I gave her a good look. She was taller than even Ahron, with long white hair, pale blue scales along the edges of her face, pointed ears, amber, slitted eyes. She was dressed in a thin silk robe and her six scaled fingers ended in small blunt talons. A thin scaled tail stuck out from the bottom of her robes, and now and then a forked tongue would slide out from her lipless mouth. Her nose was just two small slits. A Rahlani.

  “We will be in your care then, Ms. Ikini.” I gave a light bow without breaking eye contact as I spoke. A customary greeting among their kind. She blinked a few times, with eyelids that went horizontal, rather than vertical. Then she returned the gesture. “It’ss quite refressshing to meet sssomeone who knowsss our cussstomsss. You mussst be Morgana and Meleri, the pleashure isss mine. Pleasse follow me, I will get you to your dessstination posst hasste.” she began to walk through the snow, leaving not a single footprint in the snow as she went.

  “Ms. Ikini, wouldn’t it be easier for all of us if we flew?” She stopped and blinked a few times as I pulled out the carpet and set it to hover. Her eyes widened before she walked over to the carpet and gave it a few trying pushes, then sat down on top of it.

  She remained calm and collected, but she couldn’t control the eager wagging of her tail as Irenji and Meleri jumped onto the carpet as well. All Rahlani held a fascination with flight, dreaming of soaring through the air. What better way to reward our guide? I hopped on as well. “Well then, Ms. Ikini, which way?” she pointed, and a few moments later we were soaring through the skies towards the ruins and our meeting with Bahruun.