Yes, of course

“Someone was climbing down that wall.” Winlay said pointing to the empty expanse of the lower garden. “Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me.” Sister Margaret scanned in the direction that Winlay pointed, but shook her head almost immediately.

“My eyes are so weak now I can barely see the wall from here. Let’s get a closer look.” Walking briskly down the terraced layers of the garden Margaret explained “Sometimes boys from town will sneak in and steal a basket of food. I don’t even begrudge them the food, but they damage the plants in their haste.” Winlay knew it wasn’t one of the local boys, all she could remember was Mika’s jaunty smile as she said ‘I never get caught.’

“Sister Margaret, they were wearing grey robes like mine. It must have been one of the initiates.” As she spoke they came to the corner where the figure had climbed down. No one was around and Winlay felt a surprising wave of relief as they surveyed the empty corner of the gardens.

“It was just my imagination. I’m sorry Sister, for wasting your time.” But Margaret was kneeling by the path at the foot of the wall.

“No dear, I think you were right, it looks like someone has been here, it’s hard to tell because the ground is dry, but you can see where they landed here.” She said pointing to a set of faint depressions in the ground. “I’ll report it to Sister Bernadette, she can look into it further.”

“Now child, you still haven’t answered my question about working here.” Chided Sister Margaret in an attempt to get Winlay’s mind to a more pleasant topic. This would not be the first time an initiate had snuck out of the convent, sadly more and more young men and women were taken in by the church who had no true calling from Xelta.

“I’d like that Sister Margaret, I really would.” Winlay tried to sound eager, but even to her ears her voice sounded flat. Margaret must have thought so too because she took Winlay firmly by the arm and steered her back to the upper gardens.

“Come back to my workshop, I’ll make you some tea and you can tell me how you like Telnon, I know when I first arrived here from Cryn I didn’t think I’d ever settle in.” Winlay’s mind whirled as she was led into Margaret’s workshop. She barely noticed the benches crowded with broken tools and stacks of empty flats, even as she washed her hands and face using the sweet-smelling soap in the jar by the sink, she wondered about Margaret being from Cryn. She watched in silence as Margaret brought the coals in a small brazier back to life and heated a small kettle of tea. Margaret seemed like the nicest person she met in all of Telnon (except Mika), not at all threatening or greedy like she imagined Crynians to be.

“What is it dear?” Asked Margaret “You haven’t said a word since we saw the figure on the wall.” Winlay took a sip of her tea before speaking. She did not want to be rude, but her father always said that honest feelings were like burdens, always easier to share than to carry alone.

“Are you really from Cryn?” She asked after another sip of tea. She was startled by Margaret’s burst of laughter.

“So that’s what I said! I thought you were still troubled by the intruder.” Leaning forwards and taking one of Winlay’s freshly washed hands in hers Margaret tilted her head and placed Winlay’s hand on her grey hair. “See, no horns.” She laughed again and Winlay squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. Margaret noticed the motion and her laughter subsided. “Sorry, just an old woman’s joke.” Her eyes were earnest again as she gazed into Winlay’s. “People on Cryn, dear, are just like people everywhere. Some are power hungry, and greedy, but most are good people who just want to be left alone.” This time it was Margaret who paused to sip her tea while she looked for the right words.

“When I first came to Telnon I was only a year or two older than you. Based on the stories we heard in Cryn I thought I’d be assigned to an army legion, to heal Victor the Second’s soldiers using any method possible so they could be sent right back into battle.” She shrugged her shoulders and gave Winlay a smile, “Instead I was assigned to work here in the convent, probably because they thought I was sent to spy on Veertor’s forces, but by now I imagine that no one even remembers I grew up in Cryn. – I just have to remember to stop telling initiates.”

“But what about the new levies raised by Emperor Victor? So we can fight back against the Cryn embargo?” Winlay stopped when she saw Margaret smiling broadly. “What? What did I say?” She asked in confusion.

“It is not the place of a gardener to tell you about the emperor’s taxes or international politics, but this evening, or even now if you wish, visit our library and find some maps that show the relative sizes of Cryn and the empire. You may also want to look at how the boarders of the Empire of Veertor have changed in the past one hundred years I don’t think that Veertor fears Cryn nearly as much as Cryn fears the Empire.” Putting down her teacup Margaret stood slowly,

“I think I’m going to the baths, would you like me to show you them? Or would you prefer to freshen up in your cell? Or…” added Margaret with a grin “…go to the library map room.”