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this kind of magic. What is so difficult about these new visitors that has you on edge all of a sudden?"
    "I am not...," the wizard started loudly, before catching herself. Dropping her speech into a quieter tone easily masked by the hammering in the room, Maura started again, "I am not on edge all of a sudden. This project of yours has been a thorn in my side from the beginning. This magic is like its originator that way," she finished in complaint.
    The two had never gotten along perfectly. It had started by having the high wizards force her on him for his voyage to find the Grimnal months ago. While he had been placed in charge by the king himself, Maura had been waiting for him to fail only to have a crisis of confidence of her own along the way. It had cemented him as leader, but she had always been a somewhat resentful follower of the much younger battle mage.
    Maura was one of the many wizards who believed they should lead and mages, believed inferior to them, should follow; but under combat conditions the research wizard's lack of battle training soon led to the entire ship looking past the elder wizard to the falcon instead. Though she had accepted her limitations in the end, there was still a certain quality to their relationship that remained strained for the same reasons even now.
    Waiting silently for the woman to vent her true grievance, Sebastian showed the restraint that had helped make him a good leader. The battle mage had learned that asking useless questions or simply speaking to fill the silence gave the appearance of less confidence, plus it was usually just a waste of effort. He had actually learned much of that from someone the mage now considered an enemy.
    Regrouping as Maura realized that Sebastian wouldn't ask her for more, the wizard confided, "They've sent for so-called experts from Red Hall."
    Red Hall was one of three wizard schools, though learning continued outside of those schools for most wizards as well. Still the three schools served to train new wizards to control their powers before their magic could run amok as wilders, like Ashleen. A teenager with unimaginable power that they couldn't control was one of the greatest fears of the common people of Southwall and other lands. Most countries had some group of wizards which sought these individuals to train them before they could become a true danger.
    Despite her explanation, Sebastian was left uncomprehending as were the rest of his people. They were all students of White Hall except for Rilena, but in theory that should make little difference. All three schools served Southwall and often had teachers from other schools spread throughout each anyway.
    Again it was Maura who gave in and added, "Wizard Gefflen and his team came in earlier. He gave me the impression that they planned on taking over the study and manufacture of your Hollow Swords. They have rune and relic experts who believe that they can make them as well or better than we are here."
    Her tone moved from shock towards annoyance or perhaps even anger to Sebastian's ears. At his new shrug, the woman frowned.
    "I am not in competition with Red Hall as far as I know. If they can make them to help ease the burden of our smiths here, then why is that a problem? There is more than enough work for us. Another set of hands or a school wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?"
    Maura shook her head, "If that is all they looked to do. Gefflen came here looking for you earlier. He will be back this afternoon. From his arrogant tone, I am guessing that they plan to do more than just help."
    The battle mage thought of all the spells and work that seemed set on him alone. He had labored to build defenses for the portals without any wizards stepping in aside from the help he received from his friends as assistants with the basic work. The first five Hollow Swords had been created by the owl mage, while transferring runes to soldiers and other mages often rested on him as well. A few healing