4

The royal carriage that brought you to Elith departed shortly after your arrival—Evander insisted that the driver wasn't to put herself at risk by staying. Verity arranges a carriage to leave in the early afternoon, and then it's just a matter of fetching everyone from around town.

Back at the mansion, Verity is conferring with a nervous-looking Sophia out on the front steps. "This is where you should be able to reach the professor at the Academy," you hear Verity saying as you approach, pressing a note into her assistant's hands. "He's always been solicitous enough of his hometown, and we could really use another magical hand in the restoration now that I'm leaving."

Alvis stops walking a moment before the rest of you, just staring at her. Eventually he calls, "Do you know what the worst part of this unfathomable decision you've made is, Verity?"

Verity's shoulders tense. "What is it, Alvis?"

You're expecting a tirade, but Alvis just jerks his thumb in Min's direction and says, "This one's going to spend the entire way back to Archa explaining that you did the right thing."

"It's true, I am," Min says brightly.

Alvis is only barely suppressing a grin, and Verity scrutinizes his face. "You don't sound furious."

With a shrug, Alvis slides his hands into the pockets of his robes. "I could berate you, but it'd take time we don't have to do it properly," he says. He starts walking toward the stables at the edge of town to meet the carriage. "Missed you, anyway, Carras," he adds, without looking back.

Sophia is looking progressively more unnerved, but Verity battles a smile as she makes her way down the steps.

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