Matron Sienna

“Unbelievable, simply unbelievable,” I mumbled as my fingers guided the quill pen across the parchment. “We are in the middle of a crisis, and those two can’t keep away from each other‘s throats long enough to find the shadowing mage.”

The heavy oaken door creaked open as Averi poked her head inside. “Matron, everyone has assembled in the courtyard for the duel. Have you finished the writ?”

Averi was one of my best, sharp, well connected, determined, hard working, but she was still young. I could see the impatience flickering behind her hazel eyes. She didn’t want to miss a moment of the action. Battles between knights were quite rare after all, even if this one was sure to be one sided. “I’m just recording the details of the official challenge. I’ll be along shortly, but you go on ahead.”

“Matron, are you certain?“

“Yes, yes, go and have your fun. Just be ready to provide healing. I’m certain it will be required knowing their tempers.“

“Yes, Matron!“ Averi said before scurrying from the room like an excited school girl.

A weary sigh escaped my lips. I couldn’t fault Averi for her naivety, still finding excitement in such immature squabbles. She would come to see the futility of such things in time, but she had been as capable of an aid as one could wish for and she deserved her fun, unlike Amara and Mira. In truth, Mira‘s near betrayal hadn’t actually come as much of a surprise. The girl had always been practically feral, scraping and clawing her way into our ranks. Amara had been against granting her admission, but I saw her potential. If that bottomless ambition of hers could be harnessed for something productive, she could be a great force for good. She simply required discipline, which I thought I had instilled last night. Apparently not. The young ones can be so stubborn. Amara, on the other hand, should have known better.

A lock of Auburn hair fell loose as I hunched over the page. I tucked it back behind my ear, trying, and failing to ignore the streaks of gray. In my prime, those tresses had been a deep, luscious crimson, but time and the burdens of leadership had dulled their splendor.

While she was a few years my junior, Amara had been by my side through it all. She’d won countless battles for the Goddess. She was a force of nature with a blade. She ought to know better than to get drawn into these petty engagements by now.

She cared so deeply for the teachings of Solaris, but she often lost sight of our delicate position in the broader landscape. The Abbey was a powerful, independent force, affiliated with the crown, but not directly under its control. And as of late, Queen Astoria had little patience for things not under her direct control. When that girl had seized power in the revolution, she’d done it off promises of tolerance, freedom, and equality. But as soon as she’d taken the throne, things changed. Now she was as ruthless as the old king, if not worse. She was stoking the fires of war for Goddess’s sake. A gift as precious as a living Stellastrum sorcerer would keep her and those unsettling mages off my back for the foreseeable future. It was still remarkable that any Stellastrum has survived that blood bath, but I didn’t get this far by ignoring opportunities. Sometimes I felt like I was the only one keeping the bigger picture in mind here.

Perhaps one day Averi would mature into a capable enough priest to succeed me, but that day was still a long ways away.

The tip of my pen traced the last line and I leaned back to study my handiwork. All the details looked correct and duly noted for our histories. I gave the ink a few moments to dry before rolling up the scroll and heading for the door. “Oh, well. Ultimately this is but a minor nuisance. I had best get down there and be sure those two don’t slaughter each other like animals.”

Just as I reached the door, it swung open on its own. I had expected to see Averi‘s shy smile and wheat colored hair, but the sight on the other side was wholly different. He loomed over me with a casual swagger, dark coat a striking contrast to the white marble of our halls. A mane of silver hair framed his face, which bore hungry eyes and a smile like a fox.

“Ah, good, the help. Could you direct me to the wine cellar? I’ve been all over this blasted place and can’t find a trace of it.”

My mouth fell open in shock.

“Speechless, I see. Yes, I can have that effect on people.”

“It really is you. You survived the revolution. I had my suspicions, but seeing you in the flesh, it’s undeniable. You’re Eroden, The Dark Star.”

The doorway exploded in a shower of purple sparks. I managed to call down a blessing of protection, a curtain of golden light muffling the blast. Still, I went skidding backwards. When the flashes faded, he was smiling no longer.

“I haven’t heard that name in a long time.”