Page 10 of The Last Remaining Light

The lesson had shifted back toward theories of resonance after that, and they continued through most of the morning. Snow descended steadily beyond the stained-glass windows while Elowynn argued with Agatha with increasing conviction over, specifically, resonance stabilization theories.

Caelyn would have left bells ago had it not been for Agatha’s insistence, but he remained nearby throughout most of it, organizing shelves and pretending not to listen to the lesson. And he was pretending badly. Every so often Elowynn would catch him trying to hide a smile whenever she became particularly offended by Agatha disagreeing with her, and sometimes he would even chime in and agree with Elowynn, or correct her. But not often.

“You are both impossible,” Agatha informed them eventually while rubbing tiredly at her temples.

“I am correct,” Elowynn countered with confidence.

“You are exhausting,” droned Agatha.

“Those are not mutually exclusive,” Elowynn muttered under her breath.

Caelyn made the mistake of laughing aloud at that.

Elowynn pointed a finger accusingly toward him. “You are not involved in this conversation.”

He choked on his laugh and quickly smoothed his expression. “Er... apologies.”

Agatha let out a heavy sigh while lifting her teacup and scowling into it. It was empty, so she just set it back down on the table. “One sun the two of you will drive me directly into an early grave.”

Elowynn looked thoughtful. “But Sister Agatha, you are already old.”

Caelyn let out a strangled noise before breaking into a fit of coughing, thumping a fist against his chest as though he could disguise the laugh that had nearly escaped him. Elowynn wasn’t fooled.

Agatha stared at her in silence for several long moments before speaking. “I am quite certain you were taught manners in that noble house of yours, young Lady. Now, leave my library.”

Elowynn just blinked at the laugh-choking Caelyn and then looked back toward Agatha, confused. She was old! She didn't mean any insult by it. It was merely a fact! “I was helping.”

“You were insulting me inside my own place of scholarship,” Agatha said, her tone dry.

Elowynn had the good sense of looking chastised, but she still couldn't help defending herself. “I was being observant.”

Agatha deadpanned. “That’s not any better. Get.”

Elowynn grinned despite herself. It still startled her sometimes, how often she smiled now. The smiles were not constant nor did they come easily, but they did happen. Enough so that the Sisters and her mother had begun noticing. Even Caelyn had noticed, like right now as he stared at her in awe.

“Well, alright. If we are finished, I am hungry…” Elowynn said while easing herself up from her chair. Gathering all six books up in her arms, she would bid Agatha a farewell before moving toward the door.

Caelyn snatched his cloak from a chair and hurried after her to open it. “Here, I got it for you.”

Elowynn gave a small smile, bobbing her head toward him and voicing her thanks before stepping out into the snow-covered abbey.

Sometime after the mid-sun bell, Elowynn found herself back in the library. She wandered slowly between the towering shelves while Caelyn continued his own duties of organizing returned texts nearby.

“You embarrassed me earlier,” she informed him at last.

Caelyn glanced up from the books in his hands, blinking. “I did? How?”

“You understood the harmonic sequence and never told me you knew such things!” she exclaimed.

Caelyn had the sense to look chastised. “I only noticed the pressure imbalance.”

“You are not supposed to notice those things. I thought you had no education?” It was not meant as an insult, merely a fact. Everything Elowynn said was based on some sort of information she had gleaned.

Caelyn lowered another book onto the shelf, setting it down gently. “No one usually asks what I know. Besides, the scholars here in the abbey speak constantly,” he said. “It becomes difficult not to learn something eventually.”

Elowynn fought a smile before she looked back toward a shelf nearby. “So… you spend too much time reading when you are not helping around the abbey. Is that what you are saying?”

“Yes,” he replied, looking at her. “But so do you.”