Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they are the property of Trudi Canavan.

A/N: This piece of fan-fiction is only based on the first three books in the Black Magician novel series, not including any of the sequels.

The Thief

It was a beautiful afternoon, the weather was still tolerable and the air was comfortable warm. The high Lady in her black robe was sitting on the tribune next to the king. Next to her was Administrator Osen sitting in his blue robe, on the other side of the king were noblemen from the finest houses. They were whispering back and forth. On this side was also the leader of the thieves, who was also engaged in a conversation.

The leaders of Imardin were looking at the two condemned prisoners, who were placed appropriately far away.

The high Lady had long dark hair, and that together with her pale face, gave her an almost ghost-like appearance. She did not talk to anyone during the proceedings; she was content with letting the Administrator talk. Her face was stiff and life-less, had she had any emotions she did not betray them. An almost transparent shield hovered between her and the prisoners.

By a sharp sound of a trumpet, all were silently focused on the display of the two sitting figures in the sand. The high Lady had accused them, and had read their minds, seen the treason firsthand. And still she had barely believed it. How could she, but there the evidence had been, in both their minds. It had been the ultimate betrayal: In deliberate details they had planned to over-throw the king and to let Sachakan magicians control the guild.

They had planned to recruit gifted dwells to fight for Sachaka. The high Lady would never have believed it about them, she had trusted them. The last couple of days had been filled with hate, but pity had taken its place, and then disappointment. She had even shed a tear for her old friend.

`But it would mean that everyone got an equal chance. ´ He had pleaded, but he had been a fool. The Sachakans didn't want equal chances; they only wanted power.

`Ambassador Savara of Sachaka; you are on the charge of espionage, conspiracy against the crown of Kyralia, and malicious intend towards the allied lands hereby condemned to the sentence of death. ´ Osen declared with a strong, almost amplified voice.

Two men in red robes moved forward to the kneeling woman. She had been beaten and her long hair was in disarray. A last time she looked with spite at the king and the high Lady, but she was too weakened to protest as the two men pulled down her sleeves to suck the last energy out of her prior to the beheading. She was so weak that she couldn't even scream.

A moment after one from the guard of the king stood forward. Sonea could almost not look. But she knew that the woman was already dead. The man next to the body of the black magician of Sachaka, did not know magic, thus a beheading would be sufficient. A moment silence followed, the man took a long look at his dead lover next to him. Sonea shuddered. Not once did the kneeling man wish to face her. Even though it was the strangest feeling this made her feel rejected.

`Cery of Kyralia; you are on the charge of treason against the king, Kyralia and the allied lands, conspiracy against the crown and malicious intend towards the allied lands hereby condemned to the sentence of death. ´

Cery had betrayed them to Sachaka, an act that not even love could excuse. The grey dishevelled hair was hiding his eyes from her. Somehow she could not recall when he had last looked into her eyes. His clothes were rags from multiple days of interrogation. His upper body was bloody and beaten, and his lips were swollen from the lack of water.

By the sound of the sword, Sonea woke up, drenched in sweat. She breathed heavily. A moment later she realized where she was. She was in the novices' quarters and alone. `This never happened. ´ She mumbled amazed, the nightmare, that nightmare now only lingered in a distant future. Sonea shivered; suddenly she felt more guilt than she had felt in the future she remembered. She had not seen Cery since his appearance at her hearing some months earlier, she had been avoiding him, and she had even avoided thinking of him. In her old age, she had often thought of Cery.

Unable to find any rest, Sonea stood up in her nightgown, the sweat and horror still lingering to her body. The dreadful feeling was followed by a loud knock on the door. She stepped towards the door, however the intruders did not wait for an invitation. `Lord Garrel? ´ She asked in disbelief. A powerful glow lightened the room. Regin and a number of other students accompanied Garrel. She stepped backwards, shocked of this strange display, before they stormed in.

`I know she took it. ´ Shrieked Regin, already looking around in the room for whatever he was referring to. In a state of disbelief, Sonea shuddered. `Search her room. ´ Regin ordered. Sonea was about to protest, but stopped herself in the last moment. A novice removed her sheets, and Regin poured all her notes onto the floor of the room.

`I found it, you little thief. ´ Regin declared, holding a necklace up in front of Lord Garrel. Sonea could not recognize the necklace. It didn't look particular valuable, but she could at the moment not explain how it had ended up among her notes.

`So can you explain yourself? ´ Garrel asked very severely, his eyes piercing into the stunned girl in the nightgown. Sonea tried a moment to compose herself, not really knowing what to answer. `Eh, Lord Garrel? ´ She asked, still a bit confused over this apparent set-up. `Explain yourself. ´ Regin yelled. `I can honestly say, that that is the first time I see that necklace. ´ Sonea said firmly. `That is a lie; I saw that you stole it. ´ Regin hissed. Garrel raised a hand to silence his novice.

Sonea was still a bit confused, looking at the necklace. For a moment the situation seemed absurd. `Lord Garrel, You have no right to... ´

`I decide what my rights are in this. ´ Garrel interrupted. Sonea could see that Regin was nodding very smugly in the background. Sonea breathed heavily, it would definitely make it easier if she could reason with Lord Garrel alone.

`Lord Garrel, can I have a word with you alone? ´ Sonea asked seriously. `No you cannot. ´ Garrel answered. Sonea stepped backwards, so her low height seemed less important, still breathing deeply. Then she said with a very stern voice. `Lord Garrel... ´ `you cannot speak now, please come with me. ´ Lord Garrel interrupted again. Sonea ignored him a moment before she declared in the voice she had in her old age reserved for commanding the higher order magicians:

`Lord Garrel, I will accuse Regin of planting that necklace in my room and I will prove it by truth-read. ´ However her most authorial voice was more trembling than she recalled.

`That is a lie! ´ Regin yelled. `You little stealing slum-girl. ´ Sonea ignored the outburst and just looked calmly at Garrel, who for the first time looked at bit insecure.

`You cannot threaten me, little girl. ´ Garrel said more calmly than his nephew. `Why would my nephew do that? No one here believes you. ´ Sonia smiled, still not taking her eyes away from Garrel, ready to resists if anyone touched her.

`But as a novice, inside the guild, being accused by another novice with a crime, it is my right to a formal hearing before you can expel me. ´ Sonea said. Maybe she was pushing her luck quoting guild rules. She didn't know whether she knew the rules better than Lord Garrel, or whether he had just hoped that she didn't knew them. If she confessed the matter could be dealt with in a more smooth way than a formal hearing.

Garrel hesitated for a moment. `You have no rights as I see it. ´ He then said. Probably he was now desperate to not loose the argument. `I know I have done nothing wrong. ´ Sonea said, backing away from Regin, who had taken a threatening position in front of her. That was a lie, but Sonea had by practice become a good liar. Garrel's facial colour had turned to red, but he did not speak.

`If I am right, Lord Lorlen will have no choice but to expel Regin. Lord Garrel, is that really a risk you would be willing to take? ´ Sonea said. Regin had become pale in the background,

`Stupid girl, why would he do that? ´ Regin asked angrily. Sonea tried to keep calm, quoting a passage she herself had removed from the guild laws:

`For a novice, accusing another novice of a groundless serious crime is punishable by public humiliation, blocking of powers and being banned from the guild. ´ Sonea quoted. Garrel was getting mad.

`Those laws have not been used in more than...´ Garrel interjected.

`Yes, and I am sure Lord Lorlen is aware of that, but it is still the law... ´ Sonea interrupted smoothly.

`Listen to me; you will be punished for this. ´ Regin now half screamed, dangling the necklace in front of the other novices, however it seemed that the enthusiasm had left them.

`Punished for what, Regin? ´ She asked condescending, while her eyes impaled Regin.

Garrel hesitated a moment. `All of you outside. ´ He barked. The others left willingly, mumbling something among them, only Regin protested slightly, but he too left after a quick look at Garrel's strict facial expression.

When the novices had left, Garrel turned towards Sonea. `Listen to me girl, maybe or maybe not you did this, and I don't really care, however do not think for one moment that you will get away with threatening me. ´ Garrel hissed, bending his face towards Sonea. She had won this argument and they both knew it. Sonea considered a moment, she didn't really know Garrel all that well, however her situation would be unlikely to be improved after this little incident. She didn't answer.

`I will let your guardian deal with you. And I assure you; I will make sure he takes this serious. ´ Sonea just stared at him in a moment of amusement. Then she bowed and said:

`Yes, Lord Garrel. ´ That made Garrel storm out of her room, in an apparent fit of fury, not repaying her greeting.