She asks the Hand who guards the knowledge to lead her to the information about the back room of the library, and he sighs and walks her through the halls of acolytes who are working on re-scribing the information onto new parchment ( Read more... )

It has been two years since Helen began work, six polished caves, and ten centuries of artifacts. This is only an overview of things already known to exist-to make sure they are in the correct caves, are actually there, or else it would take far longer ( Read more... )

It is half way through her second day in the archives-she has only browsed the edges, knowing that they spread far into the recesses of the caverns and not willing as of yet to stray so far-that she tucks her hair completely behind her ears, raises her chin, and approaches the desk having come to a decision ( Read more... )

“They say the fourth try is blessed,” the Hand who instructs her in Magic tells her at breakfast that next morning ( Read more... )

As her studies come to a close, and her decision draws nearer she asks that she might take part in the duties of the acolytes, to see what of the things she is deciding between she will do.

The first day she sits and copies words written long ago-then rewritten, then rewritten, so that the book she is copying from is in an acolyte’s hand of only ( Read more... )

 Today, Helen has been five years at the House of Uquar, and the Hands acknowledge it with quietly fond blessings as they passed her in the halls, if they remember it is her birthday at all. Few of those who dedicate themselves to the dusty tomes do remember; their minds are so full of facts and figures that the present day always comes as a ( Read more... )