Work Text:
This morning, I received the message I was expecting.
“Black, please bring your services to the Third Wing Dormitories today. I saw a rat scurrying around the back hallway. – Wingleader Silver”
I pulled on my hooded cloak and started toward the Rider’s Quadrant. Heh, mindwork works so brilliantly on rats – I barely have to take any power at all. When the fliers arrived, it worried me that they might notice mindwork and put a crimp in my plans. But, they seem to be just as stuck up and oblivious as the riders. Nobody cares about the rats until they are in their quarters, chewing on their boots. It was easy enough to send a few to the dorms this morning.
This week, years of turning in small bits of hearsay to Berwyn has finally paid off. He only lets me draw a small amount of power from the earth, only enough to do lesser magic and mindwork on rats. Berwyn says he’s proud of me, he needs me, and the riders can’t notice. I begged for more when the urges consumed me, but he says I can’t mar my green eyes with red veins. Not yet. Mostly I’m skulking about in the lower tunnels looking for rats with my cloak on. Who would notice a little red streak in my eyes here and there?
Everyone at Basgiath ignores me or is disgusted by me – the poor, dull rat catcher, born to a struggling bar maid. They don’t notice when I listen to their conversations or that the rats seem to come right to me when I’m catching them. Typical, privileged fools! How would they live without me? There’s so many nooks and crannies for rats to hide in the old masonry and winding tunnels. I keep the buildings clean and the food garden safe. For awhile, I thought that Broccoli might cut into my business, but he has been riding in a basket on a gryphon. What a spoiled cat, just like the riders!
Not Berwin though. He found me, knowing I have access to the whole campus. He asked about my green eyes, if I had ever touched magic, if anyone had seen my potential. He taught me to draw power from the earth, only a tiny amount. It was the first real power I had ever touched. The thrill of it – I finally feel alive with power, equal to the others. Like I can finally control my destiny.
So when Berwyn said he needed my help, of course I came through. I sent rats into Aetos’ office each night this week. First, they burrowed out of a crack in the wall and scurried up his large bookcase to the locked wooden box at the top. Then, over several nights, they chewed through the back of the box. Finally, my best rat grabbed the alloy key with runes on it and ran back into the walls, bringing it all the way back to me in the tunnels where I was casually investigating for rats. The rat scurried right into my pocket and dropped the key. I could feel the power radiating off of it.
Finally, I procured an item for Berwyn that isn’t just overheard gossip or stolen glances at classified maps. He has to care about me now! He’ll want to keep training me. Maybe I can meet my brothers! He says there’s more brothers in Basgiath and that we’ll all be together soon, but only if I bring him the key. A family – that sounds nice.