Ismerie froze as she read the last line, her smile fading instantly. For a long moment, she stared at the page.
Then she muttered softly, half exasperated, "Unbelievable. He takes on a pupil and doesn't even leave a name. How am I supposed to find anyone in all those mountains?"
Beneath her frustration lingered a faint, quiet warmth.
For years, she had been Master Anselm's only disciple. Who could possibly be gifted enough to make him break that tradition?
Yet she found herself smiling again, curious about the stranger she had never met.
When everything was ready, and she descended the slopes of Everlasting Hill, her smile disappeared.
"You?"
Leontis inclined his head slightly, his voice calm and gentle. "The Council appointed me as your escort."
He said nothing of the three days a
