[hr][hr][color=39b54a][center][h1]Karlus Marsh[/h1][/center][/color][hr][hr]
[color=39b54a][b]"...perhaps it could. If you wanted."[/b] [/color]

Karlus regretted the words even as he had spoken them. What was he doing? Involving himself in the problems and passions of these strangers, people he had only just met, and as of yet had little reason to trust. In fact he had already seen how the young one, Sacha, handled his secrets. By offering himself into this conspiracy he was as good as signing his own writ of execution. And yet... he had done it anyway.

Perhaps his brush with death had not chastened him after all. He had stared death in the face before, and he was still here. Somewhat reduced, somewhat constrained... although not as constrained as he had expected, perhaps even freer in some ways if what Aemma told him about the order's attitude to mages was to be believed. Maybe he should be bolder in pursuing what he wanted, and the power he would need to achieve it.

He kept his own face impassive as he saw the look of giddy excitement spread across Sacha's. Aemma was more difficult to read, but she did not seem thrilled by their exchange, perhaps she harboured some of the same misgivings Karlus felt. But she acceded nonetheless, she would bring him tomorrow morning for this examination they would perform. At her motion he nodded his head to her and went to the infirmary doors. He had almost left when some instinct made him glance back.

Sacha stood beside the old doctor, hand upon her shoulder, fingers intertwined, while she held him in a maternal embrace. It made him pause. Affection such as this was a strange sight to Karlus. The College had never been a place of warmth or love, such emotions were discouraged. He had few memories of what the life he had with his birth family had been like, but he did remember what it felt like to be held like that. Or at least, he thought he did, maybe he just wanted to believe that he had been loved by someone.

As Sacha thanked the doctor and they broke apart, Karlus realised he was staring, he glanced away self consciously. He kept looking away as the other youth went past him. But before he left, Sacha turned and spoke to him one last time. [i]A pleasure to make your acquaintance.[/i] He didn't know what to say in return. He wasn't good at small talk. 

[b][color=39b54a]"Ummm... yeah, pleasure."[/color][/b] He mumbled in reply, looking like a startled animal at the unexpected address. After he had gone Karlus's eyes met with Aemma's one last time and she nodded him off. Karlus took his leave without another word. 

He returned to the privacy of his own room through the darkened cloister, he could see some faint lights coming from the widows of the temple, but other than that it was dark and quiet - except for the sound of the rain. Once the door was closed behind him once more, Karlus lit a single candle, sat the his plain wooden desk and opened the leather bound journal he had placed there. 

He began to write.