Eunice smoothed the dingy linen apron that covered her simple, light wool dress and fidgeted in the hard wooden chair.
On the other side of the heavy wooden desk, the half-Elf officer- Blade DiRisa, as she had introduced herself on the cart ride to the prison- didn't look up from her writing. The scritches of the quill against the rough grain paper in the Purple Dragon's leather bound notebook seemed to irritate Eunice's bones.
Eunice did everything she could to notice something other than that sound. Wiggled her toes to get the feel of her bare feet in her shoes. Breathed deeper to catch the thick air in the stone walled room. Watched the alluring dance of the flame in the two iron lanterns that lit the room.
The scritching stopped, and Eunice felt her upper body relax just slightly. She only noticed that her lower jaw had been clenched when she softened the muscles in it.
DiRisa looked up from her notetaking, catching the tail end of Eunice's relieved reaction, then turned her eyes to a bit of paper off to the right side of the desk. "You're missing a... hmmm... transmutation class right now for this, isn't that so?"
"Yes," Eunice replied, keeping her tone calm, low, and even.
DiRisa hummed and nodded. "Well, glad to give you a brief reprieve from trying to turn stone into metal, or metal to wood."
"I'd actually rather get back to it," Eunice answered. She scratched at the clay that had dried into the bottom right corner of her apron. "It runs until duskbell, so I was hoping-"
"It's unusual for Ranclyffe to allow you to take classes he doesn't offer, isn't it?" DiRisa interrupted sharply. She couldn't afford to allow the woman before her to get too comfortable; had to keep her just the slightest bit off balance.
"No," Eunice said, working hard to keep the suspicion out of her voice. "Battlemage Ranclyffe only teaches about half of the divination and enchantment classes, and he doesn't teach abjuration or transmutation at all. Battlemage Parsipanni offers those."
DiRisa hummed again. "When you say 'enchantment,' what precisely does that cover?"
"I can't tell you what precisely it covers," Eunice frowned. "My enchantment practicum focused on charging crystals, weaving magic into armor, putting wards into wearable charms, things like that, but the coursework might be different for actual war wizards."
"Do you think Ranclyffe treats you oddly as compared to other trade students?" DiRisa asked, putting her nearly-dry quill into its holder and leaning her forearms onto the desk.
Eunice tried not to stare at the odd scarring on DiRisa's wrists, but couldn't help but wonder if the wounds had been too grievous for magical healing, or instead, healed too late to prevent the scars. After a few moments, DiRisa folded her arms, and Eunice felt guilty for looking at them for too long.
"No," she finally managed. "He directs me coursework just as fairly as he does for anyone else. He does send letters directly to the leaders of my village, and takes counsel with them about what they think might help keep my people safe. There are some classes I don't need, but he's always seen to it that I get the ones that I do."
"Like evocation practicals?" DiRisa asked pointedly.
"Yes, like evocation practicals," Eunice agreed uncomfortably.
"And you've taken practicals with Ranclyffe already?"
"One of the three in divination, yes," Eunice answered.
"What's stopping the other two?" DiRisa fired almost before Eunice had finished speaking.
"Basic practical transmutation," Eunice replied. "The class I'm missing right now."
DiRisa either couldn't take the hint or didn't realize that there was any hint to take, and looked at Eunice with stone eyes. "Are you also taking basic divination classes?"
"What?" Eunice asked sharply, with a look of incredulity that flooded her face before she could stop herself. "No, that's not how that- no. I'm taking the intermediate practical for divination. I passed the intermediate study class last midwinter, so I started the practical this year."
DiRisa looked at Eunice blankly, and Eunice let a small, airy squeak of annoyed air pop directly from her throat without shaping it into any sort of word.
"I can take as many classes as I want, up to the most advanced levels, as long as I keep testing into them," Eunice frowned. "I do have to watch out for taking more classes than I have potential magicka to participate in, or for taking classes whose times conflict, or for taking classes with prerequisite experience that I don't have, but those are matters that Battlemage Ranclyffe keeps a close eye on. That's actually how- so, when I first got here- the morning after the caravan had dropped me off at the gate- I went through aptitude testing. That's how you take on new fighters too, isn't it? They have to take a physical trial, right?"
DiRisa nodded slowly and silently, reminding herself of the fact that the Dragon with whom Eunice had spent the most time had never taken any kind of spellcaster's trial.
Eunice purposefully ignored DiRisa's reticence, deciding to hope that her silence was positive. "Okay, so it's similar for the College; you have to show what you know so that you can be assigned a mentor and placed in the right classes. I'd never cast any offensive magic, because I... nevermind. Anyway, despite testing into first or second level classes for every other school of magic, I had to be classified as a unleveled caster, because I couldn't even pass the unleveled evocation practical. I tested into third level divination classes, so I was assigned Battlemage Ranclyffe as a mentor- even though he technically shouldn't have been teaching or mentoring anyone, since he's supposed to be retired. He began placing me into the classes and practicals that I needed to bring me up to second level in other schools. Meanwhile, War Wizard du Palivane developed and gave me a single evocation practical that spanned unleveled, first level, and second level coursework in about a year and a half. It was brutally difficult; I cried just about every day. But it was worth it, because when I finished it, and tested out of the second evocation class level, the other coursework that Battlemage Ranclyffe had me complete contributed to my practitioner level, so I was immediately considered a second level caster. Does that make more sense now?"
DiRisa nodded as though any of what Eunice had just said had been anything less than a collection of meaningless words to her. In response, Eunice sighed deeply, realizing that Piettro really was quite different from other Purple Dragons.
"Anyway, Battlemage Ranclyffe has already started me on my fifth level enchantment practicum, but he doesn't want to overload me. Because intermediate divination would be... with transmutation, that would make three practicals in one year; that's overwhelming. He'd also have to offer me a separate day class, and-"
"Is it possible that he's overwhelmed himself?" DiRisa asked calmly.
A moment of quiet thought went by.
"No," Eunice answered at last. Some kind of glint from somewhere in front of DiRisa briefly caught Eunice's eye, but she was too focused on holding firm on her statement to pay it any mind. "Although if anyone were to finally be worried about that, or any stripe of battle madness, they could just let Battlemage Tennant replace him."
DiRisa hummed a single note that couldn't be clearly understood as support or disagreement. "As I understand it, there are quite a few old war hounds on campus that could all use the rest, and I wish that were my call to make. Ranclyffe does deserve to fully retire. Deserves to be set free, as it were- free to do as he pleases, go where he pleases- fraternize as he desires."
It was Eunice's turn to blink dull eyes at DiRisa.
"Has Ranclyffe been keeping unusual company lately?" DiRisa asked, not seeming perturbed in any way "Making the acquaintance of folks you're unaccustomed to seeing around?"
"I don't know what you mean by asking me that," Eunice said suddenly, getting the distinct impression that she was being tricked. "I don't live in his house; how would I know whether or not he's 'keeping unusual company'?"
DiRisa raised an eyebrow at Eunice, then motioned to the paper that was just within her reach. "Your schedule says you take private classes with him. Independant studies, I believe they're called?"
"Yes," Eunice frowned.
"And in the time that you take those private classes, you haven't seen any unusual visitors at all?"
"No," Eunice replied in a flat tone. She smoothed her hands over her apron and patted them on her knees, as though trying to get the apron to stay flat on her lap.
And the glint in front of DiRisa glowed more proudly. Eunice looked directly at it, and immediately recognized it for what it was, even though it was half-buried by DiRisa's other arm.
"That's a detection ring," Eunice demanded, scandalized. "Where's the priest, or the divination magister? You're supposed to-"
"First of all, you've been documented so many times for practicing various forms of unannounced divination that I'm really surprised to hear that you have a problem with someone else doing anything similar," DiRisa smirked wickedly. "Second, you wouldn't have to worry about any sort of trick of mine if you were telling the truth. Now, about unusual visitors has Ranclyffe been seeing- what sort of people do they seem to be?"
Eunice pressed her legs together until her hips and knees hurt. "I am from Nesmyth, an entirely Human village that nearly fought an actual war over canals and what did or didn't live in them. To me, everyone who isn't a Human is 'unusual'. That includes you, you splitblood, you hae'pen Sel'd'rinner, you well-cucked Fae."
"Try to calm down; there's no need for hostility," DiRisa frowned, unfolding her arms completely for the first time in the entire session.
"There is a need for context," Eunice charged, her eyes stinging with embarrassed tears, "if you intend to use my testimony for anything besides getting a laugh out of your friends in a tavern somewhere. Battlemage Ranclyffe can have any creature the gods made under his roof and not think a cross thing of any of their races, but to me, every non-Human is 'unusual,' which is why your tawdry little bauble lit up."
"I can get one of my Human compatriots to finish this inquiry, if my being a half-Elf is stressful to you," DiRisa offered seriously, beginning to regret her choice of tactic.
"Oh, how dare you?" Eunice hissed. "You, the law keeper, flaunting the breaking of the law now because I've done so in the past, and saying you can trade places with a Human guard as though that were some comfort that I should have? You're boldly twisting and bending me down to the lowest possible version of myself I can be- and I don't even know what for."
"You're here because I need some clarity about Ranclyffe; there have been concerns raised by the other magisters on campus," DiRisa soothed, reminding herself to write that even lightly brushing over the subjects of unwanted divinations and race, despite being very effective in roads to Eunice's feelings, had been a bad call on her part.
"I don't believe a word of that," Eunice spat, crossing her own arms. "If this were some kind of 'War Wizard Thus-And-So is worried about Battlemage Here-and-Gone, then I'd be invited to tea with the mage commander, a war wizard, and two apprentices of my caster level, for everyone's safety and security. That's been done before, and I helped gladly, never mind that I'm only a trade student. This... this what you've done- drag me off in the middle of the day to sit singly with you, so much as using an enchanted bauble to replace the wizard or priest that should have been in here- I can say with utmost certainty that absolutely no magister prompted or even approved this action, and I don't need any spellwork to tell me that. I will say not a word, not another word, until you tell me who is in charge of this investigation, who commanded it, and why it's being done. Not. A. Word."
"I just told you the reason for it; you're simply too offended to realize the urgency of the matter," DiRisa noted as calmly as she could. "You don't need to know my entire chain of command or who is directly overseeing this investigation, but what you apparently do need to know is that the matter is very serious. If I can't get the information I need, you could be jailed for obstructing justice."
Eunice cawed out a bitter laugh, firming her grip on her arms. "I'm no foreigner; you can't lock me up without permission and representation from Nesmyth unless I waive that right, and I don't."
"It says in my notes that you did," DiRisa said with a faded smile. "You were hysterical."
"Your notes are lies, then!" Eunice brayed, pushing herself firmly against the back of the chair. "You can't use them for anything; I won't allow it!"
"You won't allow it?" DiRisa chuckled softly. "I'm trying to help you. You began calling me racial slurs, began cursing at me- do you want to admit that you did that of your own free will, or do you want to say that you were hysterical?"
Eunice squeaked in frustration again- a consonant-less expression so potent that it nearly manifested in arcane force. "I'd admit to the truth! That although you're a law keeper, you broke the law, then teased me for complaining- of course I got upset! Who wouldn't?"
"See; you admit that you 'got upset,' that was easy," DiRisa said sweetly. "It'll be just as easy to talk to me about Ranclyffe's visitors. Otherwise, you can stay here for a night or two, or you can meet me at the Pillars."
"You can't-"
"Yes, I can, and I will," DiRisa urged, deciding to follow her bad decisions to their ends. "If you don't cooperate, you'll have bigger problems to worry about than missed classes and failed exams."
Eunice's eyes glittered. "Not a word. I'll wait right here."
"Do you think someone will come to get you?" DiRisa asked innocently, leaning back in her chair. "Xiarlethi? He's got troubles of his own, and you helped him into half of them. Besides, he's a Dragon; he was assigned to you, he's not your friend. He'll do no more for you than he's commanded to do. Worse than that, I have it on good authority that Firstsword Soire rightfully considers you competition for his wandering eyes; she's certainly not going to stop by to see how the side dish is doing. Real war wizard apprentices avoid you, since you're a lowly trade student, and if Ranclyffe himself managed to show up, I wonder if he wouldn't expect you to cooperate, as he is a loyal veteran. Or isn't he?"
Eunice closed her eyes and wiped roughly at her face, not wanting to give the officer the chance to gloat about her emotional state.
"I understand your holding your silence to protect your mentor," DiRisa commented, leaning forward onto her forearms again. "That's very virtuous of you, but right now, you are sheltering the one man in this city who has hurt you the worst."
Eunice again wiped at her tightly squeezed eyes and breathed as deeply as she could.
"Do you know why you were stuck with Xiarlethi instead of a properly tested personal guard? Ranclyffe. Why you don't live in the divination hall with the rest of the apprentices? Ranclyffe. Who handed over your schedule so that I knew exactly where to find you? Ranclyffe. Is he short changing you because he's a wicked old man, or because he's slowly becoming a dotish old man?"
Eunice bit her lips between her teeth to keep herself from saying anything, and felt the righteous fury burn inside every fibre of her being.
DiRisa began writing again. The sound was every bit as irritating as it had been before, and Eunice felt herself begin to grind her teeth.
"This is the man you trust with your education," DiRisa said with practiced concern. "The man that, by extension, Nesmyth is trusting, because when you return, you'll be the sole arcane magic practitioner in the whole village, won't you? The only caster who isn't a priest or a dedicant to some god of the wilderness? Your training up to this point has been less than pleasant; we know that much. We want to keep you safe, and make sure that when you return home, you can serve your village faithfully, according to established College standards. In order to do that, we have to ensure that Ranclyffe is meeting the mark. When you help us do that, you're helping yourself, and your village, too."
Eunice took a long breath and let it out as slowly as she could. Then she opened her eyes.
"I'll be happy to stay here, on one condition. Please send word to Battlemage Parsipanni that I'll be missing the rest of this evening's lab, and to Magister Odryx that I won't be in either familiar training and maintenance tomorrow morning or in theorem writing in the afternoon. Battlemage Ranclyffe, whose title was righteously earned in wartime by service to Cormyr in magical combat, won't notice my absence until the morning after tomorrow, as you can see on my schedule. He'll be quite displeased that I lost my temper, and outright disgusted with my use of offensive language, but despite that, I'm certain that the brunt of his formidable focus will be directed at you. He has a very, very low passive perception threshhold, which means that you won't successfully trick him into taking a sneaky mental fortitude test. If that's even what you really want in the first place. And if it's not, he'll know that, too."
DiRisa sighed and nodded as she got up from her chair. "Alright, if that's the way you want it. Bear in mind that when we walk out of this room, you're going to be charged with obstruction of justice."
"Charge me with whatever you think you can get away with," Eunice said calmly as she rose, "but Tyr himself will judge between me and you."
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