Triss sipped at a cup of warm tea as the storm howled its fury outside. Master Horton had led them straight to the monastery's large stone kitchen, then pulled a heavy wooden table away from one far wall, closer to a large fireplace. "Have a seat, please. I'll start the fire to warm you up. Goodness, but you must be chilled from that rain." He stacked woood and lit the fire with a quick spell, then swung a pot of water over the quickly growing flames. "I'll grab you all some robes. Go ahead and pull a chair up to the fire if you like. Wouldn't do to get sick now, would it. No, it certainly wouldn't."

  Now they all sat at the table wearing thick brown robes master Horton had provided, drinking tea and eating soft bread slathered with butter. Triss realized why the old monk was as round as he was, seeing the copious amount of butter and bread he devoured. He never stopped talking, but Triss didn't mind. She found the monk interesting, and his rambling speech endearing.

  "And wouldn't you know, she showed up before the body was even cold!" Horton proclaimed, waving an arm at Naiela and nearly knocking over his tea. "I've always known the council is wise, but to have known about this in advance? Remarkable! It's a shame she wasn't able to make it in time, but I'm sure it was from no lack of effort on her part." He said with a broad smile.

  "And no one heard anything?" Reginald asked.

  "Not with the storm. It was even worse than this one, if you can believe that!" Horton replied. "No, if it hadn't been close to dinner time, we likely wouldn't have even know why Mistress Naiela came!"

  "What does dinner time have to do with the murder?" Triss asked.

  Horton looked confused for a moment, then his eyes suddenly brightened. "Oh, dear me, I'm leaving out details. Wizard Ailen found poor Goranda when he went to fetch him for dinner." He shook his head sadly, his long white beard swinging across his chest. "Poor Ailen. Completely ruined him. He ended up quitting the order the next day."

  Reginald say up, a gleam in his eyes. "Left the next day? Where was he going?"

  Horton shrugged. "He didn't say. Just said he couldn't stand to be here anymore, that he was terrified that what happened to poor Goranda."

  "Was he a member here long?"

  Horton shook his head. "Barely a month. A shame, he was so talented."

  "What did he say when you questioned him, Naiela?" Reginald turned to the council wizard. Naiela didn't respond. She sat in her chair, staring down at the still full cup of tea in front of her. She seemed....small. Almost defeated. Triss wondered what in the world was going on with her.

  "Oh, mistress Naiela didn't have a chance to speak with him. She left in the middle of the night - no doubt important instructions from the council, eh?" Horton nodded towards Naiela, and she responded with a non-comittal grunt. Something was definitely off. Triss decided she'd have to speak with the council wizard when she had a chance.

  The conversation turned to more mundane things after that, though Reginald was able to convince master Horton to show him the room where Goranda was killed later. Horton insisted they spend the night so their gear would be able to fully dry. "Besides," he said, "no one wants to sleep on muddy ground, eh?" He laughed like he'd told a wonderful joke, and Triss couldn't help laughing along.

  Horton gave them some rooms to stay in, suggesting they relax for a while and promising to get them for supper. All three rooms were next to each other, and Triss only waited a few minutes before leaving her room and heading to Naiela's. She knocked gently, calling out softly to the woman inside. "Naiela? It's Triss. Mind if I come in?" When no answer came for several seconds, she took a deep breath and opened the door anyways.

  Naiela sat on end of the thin cot, head down, face hidden by the cowl of her gifted brown robe. She didn’t move when Triss entered, but whispered words drifted from the cowl. “I didn’t say you could come in.”

  “You didn’t say I couldn’t either.” Naiela’s body tensed at the words, like she was getting ready to yell at Triss. Then her shoulders slumped.

  “Whatever.”

  Triss walked past Naiela and sat on the cot. “You want to talk about it?”

  “About what?”

  “Whatever it is that’s bothering you. You’re obviously not ok.”

  Naiela tensed, lifting her head but not turning to look at Triss. “Like I would talk to you. It’s none of your business.”

  “True. I just want to help.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Naiela barked a short laugh. “You want to help. A dark wizard. Thats funny.”

  “Funny or not, it’s true. I know you see me as an enemy, but I don’t see you that way. We’re both just people. And I think people should help one another when they can.”

  “You can’t help me.”

  “Not if you don’t tell me what’s bothering you.”

  Naiela sat in silence for a long moment. Triss waited patiently, giving the other woman time to think. “You wouldn’t understand.” She finally said.

  “Maybe not. But we won’t know if you don’t tell me.”

  “I’m a failure. Ok? Happy?”

  “No.”

  “No?” Naiela seemed genuinely puzzled by the reply.

  “No, that doesn’t make me happy. I don’t like to hear that you feel like a failure. I think you’re amazing. You’re good with magic, and you’re brave. You stood up to Yurnash, and you saved us both from that demon. I don’t think you’re a failure at all.”

  “Hmph.” Naiela grunted. “Shows what you know.”

  “And what you know.” Triss kept her tone calm and level.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Naiela finally turned to regard Triss, a bit of heat entering her tone for the first time.

  “Simple. Whatever it is that’s bothering you, you’ve decided that it makes you a failure. At the same time, you’re ignoring all the good things you’ve done.”

  “Good?” Naiela snapped. “I’ve gotten myself tied up with dark wizards. The council - or at least someone pretending to be them - wanted me arrested! I saved someone the council would want dead. I completely failed on my first mission! I-“ Naiela cut off her words, and Triss got the feeling she’d said more than she intended to.

  The silence stretched until it was uncomfortable. Finally, in a quiet voice, Triss asked. “What mission?”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “It obviously matters to you.” Triss said gently.

  Naiela didn’t respond. Triss decided to give the council wizard as much time as she needed, keeping her mouth shut as the seconds dragged into minutes. “You wouldn’t understand.” Naiela finally said, turning away and slumping again. “I know what you’d say anyways.”

  “What would I say?”

  “That I’m horrible. That failing my mission was a good thing. That the council was wrong to give me the mission.”

  “Partially.”

  “What?” Naiela sat up and stared at Triss from under the hood of her cowl. “What do you mean, partially?”

  Triss sighed. “It’s no secret I disagree with the council. Whatever your mission was, I probably disagree with that too. But I don’t think you’re horrible. This division, dark versus council, it’s a false division. It doesn’t matter if you’re a dark wizard or a council wizard. What matters is what you do.”

  Naiela frowned. “Dark wizards are dark wizards because of what they do.”

  Triss nodded. “Based on the council’s way of dividing people, that’s true. But I disagree with that. I think Yurnash should be called a dark wizard, because he likes to hurt people. That’s not ok. Me? I’m considered a dark wizard because I like to drink coffee. But I don’t hurt people. Not if they don’t deserve it.”

  “And who decides if they deserve it?” Naiela shot back. “You? Are you so wise that you know who deserves to live and who deserves to die? Can you even hear yourself right now? That’s what makes a dark wizard a dark wizard. They don’t listen to anyone but themselves!”

  Anger flared in Triss's heart at the outburst. She almost snapped back, but managed to stop herself. Naiela didn't know about Thomas. She couldn't know the decision Triss had to make. Or how it haunted her still, when she wasn't able to shove it down and pretend it didn't happen. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting it out slowly between clenched teeth. "Just because a wizard's council, or even because a large portion of society agrees with something doesn't make it right." She said, a firm edge to her voice. "Groups can be wrong as easily as individuals."

  "And I suppose you're wise enough to know what's right?" Naiela sneered.

  "Not always. I make mistakes. I do things - or fail to do them - and regret it later." Naiela's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but Triss pressed on. "But I do my best. I try to treat everyone with respect and kindness, and to use my powers to help and protect. That's all I can do, really. And if I don't know what to do, I talk to people about it."

  Naiela snorted. "It's apparent you've never left that backwater village I found you in. That sort of belief doesn't hold up in the rest of the world. People are evil, and if it weren't for the council they would steal and kill, and dark wizards would rule over everything." She shook her head, one stray lock of her blonde curl falling out of her cowl to hang in front of her face. "Your beliefs would shatter the moment you faced any real issues." She pushed the lock of hair back, tucking it behind her ear.

  Triss paused, not sure she wanted to voice the thought in her head. "I killed a man." She said, her voice small. "He hurt my friends, and was going to hurt more people. And I killed him."

  Naiela made a scoffing sound, but her words died on her lips as she saw the expression on Triss's face. She stared at Triss for a long time, an inscrutable expression on her face. Finally, hesitantly, she spoke. "I was supposed to kill the people living here."

  Triss tried to keep her expression neutral, but obviously failed based on the glare Naiela suddenly shot her. "Sorry. Sorry." Triss said quickly. "I...they wanted you to kill them all? Why?"

  Naiela blew out a short breath. "They study demonology here. They don't actually use it, just study it. I guess the council decided it was a good time to deal with them. They told me to wait until night, and then execute them. I...I couldn't do it." Her eyes stared through Triss, watching her own memories. "I stood over master Horton as he slept. For an hour at least. Knife in hand. I just....I just couldn't do it. I ran. Lied to the council, said the mission was a success." Tears began to form in her eyes, slowly sliding down her cheeks. "This is what I was trained to do! I'm supposed to be an assassin!" She said, fury in her voice. "And my first job, I fail completely!" Tears ran in a steady flow now, dripping onto the soft fabric of her robe. "I just...I couldn't do it." She finished softly, the anger gone from her words. She stared down, face hidden by the cowl of her robe.

  Triss searched for the words to say. Anything that would help. Nothing came to her. No words would help here. She steeled her resolve, ready for the negative reaction she was sure to get. The she slid closer to Naiela, wrapped her arms around her, and pulled her into a hug. Naiela stiffened at first, then, slowly, she relaxed, dropping her head onto Triss's shoulder. Within seconds, her body was heaving in great, noiseless sobs.