Burning Night: A Tale of the Everburning City

Chapter 15, Part 3: Tabitha

"That was informative," Mathias said, as they walked across the walkway leading to the train station. "Although, I'm concerned about the extent of his abilities. Tutelage with Coraline Estoban could mean that he can wield more than two crafts at the same time."

Tabitha muttered in agreement, her mind lost in its own musings.

Her distracted awareness wasn't something her shadow would overlook, and his next words brought her back to the moment.

"You're considering sparing him again, I take it?" Mathais asked.

"Of course I am," Tabitha replied, tartly. "You heard that tale; Carver Raeth walked miles through the Gloam to save the son we're going to murder."

Mathias had a strange, sad smile on his face when he looked at her. "I'm not going to talk you into a course of action, one way or another. It isn't my decision. My only issues in the matter lie around how much an apprentice is allowed to learn, just because he has talent."

"By the sounds of things, he's a shoe-in for the Coat," Tabitha replied.

"That angers me. He's an apprentice, who made it to his first year paper. According to stats, it's still even odds he will fail. Yet he's allowed to learn formidable talents from a combat crafter," Mathias remarked. "Now, here we are, having to clean up the mess created by a Crafter's insistence that their own judgement is paramount."

"This is not at all-" Tabitha began, but Mathias cut her off with a glare that seethed with anger.

"How is this any different from Nathaniel Olman?" Mathias asked, loudly. "Except that perhaps Gerald Raeth isn't quite as dangerous?"

Tabitha didn't respond to Mathias's indignation, though not by choice. She simply had no rebuttal to his question. So when she did eventually respond, she didn't deny it.

"I dislike the Guild. It's lazy, self-indulgent, and foolishly equates a lack of strength with a lack of willpower," Tabihha said, the anger building in every word. "But it chooses its members and standards. I choose what I do, to serve the City. As does everyone who has earned this coat. That is the price you pay for the shackles I wear!"

"Shackles-" Mathaias began, but Tabitha cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"You! The knife at my back, the 'powers' of the City that I could grind under my heel is I wished it!" Tabitha fumed. "I wear your chains willingly, endure your restraints and your paper-thin power over me because I find your autonomy important. The price you pay in turn, is that my judgement, and mine alone, will decide how any apprentice of mine is trained. As is true for anyone who wears this coat."

Tabitha's rage faded near the end of her speech, when she started to understand the strangely placid expression on Mathias' face. His fingertips rested in his sleeves, his eyes were half-hidden beneath his hat, but to Tabitha, Mathias seemed...

Calm.

"You noxious fume, you were testing me," Tabitha realised.

"I'm not a fan of arguments," Mathias said. "But this helps me differentiate your slipping willpower from your temperamental personality."

"Don't you dare make a redhead joke," Tabitha demanded, pointing her finger at him.

"You're a bad stereotype, madam Crafter," Mathias remarked.

"Go throw yourself in the Spire," Tabitha cursed, but she smiled despite herself. "But we're not any closer to finding Gerald."

"Not true," Mathias said. "We have a credible second opinion that he's hoping to study the Gloam, and we know he's not willing to involve his family. If he finds a way to the wall, it will likely be at a different section of the walls than his father works in. Which means he'll need to apply through official channels. Now, it's possible he forged documents, but it's also possible he will use his own name, since he may not believe he's in danger. Even if he is using an alias, I rather expect his entry test scores will have raised some eyebrows."

"So we head back for now, and make inquiries with the Bureau of Civic development tomorrow," Tabitha finished. "It's a good lead."

"Hopefully we find him before he shares the dangerous secret he doesn't realize he knows. I'd dislike having to kill more people simply because they learned something they shouldn't know," Mathias remarked, and Tabitha nodded in agreement.