"At the university?" it took Alexi a moment to realize just what she was asking. Trying to figure out when he had met Charles was like trying to recall when he first started walking. It had just... always been, as far as he could remember. "No, it was long before that... We did go to the university together, though."

Oh, wasn't [i]that[/i] a collection of memories he hadn't brought up in a long time. It helped distract him from their surroundings, a grin forming across his lips at the images rising to the fore of his mind.

"He's the very same Charles you met last night... and hasn't really changed. He's a younger son- no real pressure to one day take his father's position, allowed to do what he wants as long as no one gets too mad... Though we certainly pushed that to it's limit."

It was strange, thinking about those years now. The church had never been a concern, then, his thoughts occupied by far baser joys. No need to restrain himself, no curfew or stern, watchful nuns...

...No massive, overbearing worries that could send him foolishly across the land on his own...

"Though mentioning the university brings back memories. The two of us probably never would have made it through the courses alone." No, they definitely wouldn't have. Charles was fascinated by all one could learn in the world, but never had the motivation to follow up on that. And as for Alexi himself? He had motivation to spare, following his love of language and writing, but there always seemed to be... distractions.

"Charles preferred chasing women to attending lectures, but he always wanted to see me do well. Unfortunately, I had a bad habit of missing the courses myself. Not intentionally, I would just... well... forget I had to go..."

"Anyways!" No reason dwelling on that fact for long. "He decided that my education was more important than his pleasure, slightly, and we worked together to actually learn something from the university while we were there. We'd trade off attending lectures and doing the assignments, goad each other on with threats of elaborate punishments should one of us fall behind again, celebrated each success with a well-earned bout of drinking and women-chasing... And somehow graduated with high standings by the end."

Somehow indeed, but maybe not so unbelievable. Alexi still wasn't sure what, exactly, Charles did aside from chase enjoyment, but he hadn't become a successful scribe through luck alone. Convincing the monks to grant him apprenticeship, impressing them with his skill, managing to ply his trade as a freelance scribe into a career that provided him more than enough to live. That drive could have been the same that helped him turn things around at the university.

"But what about yourself?" He had gone on a little longer than he expected, but it seemed that returning the query would only be polite. No need to only talk about himself on this trip, certainly. "I'm afraid I'm not that familiar with the mercenary path. Did you start with the army? Or did you apprentice with a mercenary group?"