Day 1, 2589 going to apartment.

Another year another story. I have no idea where this is going and fear it will not last. all the same here we go. 

Who is Kat Wildstone?

Part 1 Return.

Kat smiled a bit as she left the boat it was odd to be back here, when she left she never thought anything would bring her back. That it would always be her past, even with the offer from Scholar Roost. Yes it was a good school, but there would be others out there. Yet here she was, four years later, finally coming to take up the offer she had run from. All right so it wasn’t the offer so much as it was the expectations. After all she had never said she had it, still having a year of high school yet. Not that it would have mattered if they knew. She had been to head strong to see past the refusal. To sure that she was right and they were wrong. Hurt that they just brushed her off yet again. I do wonder if they will talk to me. It is so odd not to know what to do. I wrote the parents a few time, but no one else and who knows if they read the messages. I wasn’t ready to hear what they had to say so never gave them a way to respond. I should have, I suppose. It was unfair, but well I wanted those that knew me to move on. I hope they have. Could be they won’t even know me. I have changed a good deal.
She moved on and found her bags, then looked for the real estate agent that was to be there. Predictably one of the men hang around the docks saw her and came over. “First time in Coline? Most places are a bit busy this time of year. It is near the start of year at Scholar, and everything fills up. However I know of a place that has rooms yet, clean bed and good foods, fair prices.”
Kat said. “And a nice cut for you. Likely most in Ale, for the look of you. No thanks, son. I am well set.” He looked at her clearly offended, but she was used to that. She had that affect on most that didn’t know her. She shook her a bit and looked at the man coming up. “Seal, I am fine, now go on, they don’t want to linger long. You heard them say they were late. You don’t want to miss the tide. I will see you in a month, Brother, and you can see my place then.”
Seal said. “It will take them a bit to get things loaded. There is time to see that the lass meets you. This dock isn’t the worst, but still you don’t need to be starting a fight. I don’t like leaving you here. No matter what you say you are not used to this. It isn’t going to be easy to get by. There is a lot here that you never had to deal with at home. You shouldn’t be alone. I still say I should.”
Kat shook her head. “If you don’t go then we are left with what Rainbird sends. You want that? We have to have a Jursth by the years end. I would prefer it be one that fits me. I can’t be in two places at once so you need to go to Porth. It is the only way. I will be fine here. Yeas it has been a few years since I have been on this side. Bits will have changed, but I am not that far behind. You and Tiger saw to that. Mrs. Lares is right there, see. I am fine. Now go on, and I will see you in a month.”
Seal shook his head. “Fine I will wait to see the place. You are being silly I know that it won’t look right until you have unpacked. I am not going to throw a fit over it. Just want to make sure it is safe. You take care of your self. The house here won’t be as good, but you make use of them regardless. A month is to long not. There will be some specialties that will let you get a few swats at least. Working out only goes so far.”
Kat shook her head. “Tiger gave me a full list of the whore house and there location, with the person she felt I should ask for. As you know. I am going to fine. Go on, and yes I will let you know when I go, and what the person was like. Not that you will believe me until she conforms that there was a lad him in that house. Now you have scandalize them enough. Go, I will see you in a month.” She turned to the lady who had come up, relieved that she didn’t look the least upset. Her mother would have. “Mrs. Lares, thank you for meeting me, I am sorry about that. However he would have just kept hinting had I not said it. Now do you know which of the boys here can be trusted to help with my bags? I fear that more got added than I expected.”
Seal said. “Nothing that you don’t need and you left much you should have brought. I will see you here in a month and there had best be regular letters are you will have to explain the flock of birds and negales. I don’t like you being alone here so yes there will be letters. You are right I do need to be there are you will end up with some meek thing that will let you hurt yourself. Not so worried about mine, I can make it work, but you need someone that will see to you, not just bend over. So I will go but you had best take care of yourself. I had best not find you looking any worse than you do now. Sorry ma’am but she has a bad habit of neglecting her needs tell they make her ill. Helps to make her say it, for all I will still have to plague her about it.”
Mrs. Lares smiled a bit. “It is no a problem and I will be sure to point out the houses we pass. It is normal on the docks, we have enough mages here to know that some need outlets. There are plenty of places to take care of them.”
Seal nodded and looked again at Kat, then left hoping she wouldn’t push to much. Still she was right, he did need to go. Still don’t see why here of all places. “Thank you, that will help. She just has a hard time believe she needs what she does. I will see you in a month Sis. I expect you to be able to give me a tour of the town by then.” He gave her one last look then turned and left, for all it was hard. She might have grown up here, but leaving her here didn’t feel safe. At least the lady did look like she was used to the area, not that anything here was a threat.
Kat shook her head as he left. “Just because I was half dead the first time we met. First time I had been to sea and we were attacked twice. Yet he still thinks I have shown that I am not safe to be on my own. Then worry is normal when leaving those you love in a place you haven’t much knowledge of. I do hope that he doesn’t have you worried. It has to be a bit odd to have sold an apartment in that building to one you have never met. Thank you for this.”
Mrs Lares said. “It is no trouble and not as strange as you might think, with the Universities here we get a number arranging apartments by messages. Let me just round up a few lads to help with the bags and we can be on the way. This city is far easier to travel on foot then in carriage as most parts were made to exclude them. As close as we are to the border the engines are not stable and the magic was not stable in the early days, so the founders thought it best to just limit the places they could be.”
Kat nodded a bit, smiling remembering all the complaints about the difficulties of getting goods delivered to the store. “I see the sense behind that, for all I can bet it cause problems now. Still it will serve you well. I have been gone from this area for years, but well rememberer days of making some spending money carrying goods. What is common now to tip? I don’t want to be thought cheep.”
Mrs. Lares said. “Now this is my doing, it was included in the fees you sent. However in the future it is common to give a gold for packages that size. “ She pointed at the largest of the boxes. “The small ones there would be a half to each carrying them. Those in stores are normally paid by them for delivers, but there will be young ones in the markets offering to carry for a bit. The young ones are safe to trust, but watch the older ones that offer. Most are fine, but you do get some that find it a good way to make off with goods.” She then walked over to a group and soon they were picking up the boxes. “There, now we don’t have far to go. You will see that it is not to hard to find your way around. However that lad there lives near you and any of his family is likly to be willing to play guide. Right Billy?”
The red head nodded. “Once Mom knows that you have moved in she will be across the hall to see to it. She is glad that someone is in that apartment it has been empty since we moved in. Now don’t get all worried. We aren’t that loud for all there are four of us. We won’t be bothering you. You here for school? My older brother is at City. Dad teaches there, that is why we moved here, for all it upset the grandparents that we were so close to the border. However Helan is doing better here. Less dust and more light, just like the doc said. Still they think we should have gone to Orchlend. Never mind that it wouldn’t do  for dad at all. Being an archaeologist this area is far better.”
Kat smiled. “Yes I think this would do better than, from the bit I remember the school in Orchlen was more for sciences. I will be taking classes at Scholar, so yes that is in large part what brought me here. I lived near here years ago, but no doubt a lot has changed. These days my home is on the other side, far south of Cailm’s Port.”
Billy said. “I did run on a bit, but it is just good to have someone in there. That’s across the sea. It has to be strange here, but then you did say you lived her before. Still the bit I hear says that they don’t have tec at all over there. So has to be a change. Sorry Mrs. Lares, we are ready to go.”
She smiled. “Now I minding I wouldn’t have introduced you. But we should get moving.” She started walking, so they did. “Mrs. Leaders has been asking me everyday when you would be here and I was sure that you were moving in. She truly is excited that the apartment sold. I am sure that is why Billy was here, for he isn’t normally on the docks. Now then you boys help me point out places to visit or avoid as we go along. That one there is one of the smaller houses, it offers special services, but given the size they tend to be busy. Your better choices is the blue one there, for all it looks more rundown.” Kat laughed. Mrs. Lares shrugged. “I told him I would point a few out to you. Truly, my brother insists it helps to know that his wife will go to them. Makes it easier on him that she does. Sailors are different that way.” Then went on down the road, all of them pointed out different places to her. She had to smile at some, surprised they were the same. It was shocking how much had changed and how much hadn’t.
They came up to the tall sparkling back and gold building. Kat smiled, delighted, for she had been sure it would have been toned down some. The pictures didn’t do any good at relating the shine. Her mother hated this when it was going up. Said only hoodlums with more money than brains would ever lived there, that it would be the downfall of the neighborhood. So of course Robbie and I each said we were going to live there. He wanted apartment 456 as that was the number that Father said was the most unruly one in the world. He refused to move to a larger store because that was its address. I said that in that case I had to have 640 as Grandmother said it was the devils sign. We even talked away in to  see the apartments as they were painted and made inputs on the counters and cupboards. To are shock some of those were taken. I wonder if he got his to? He would have received his first trust fund payment last year so should have been able to, if it was open. “The pictures didn’t come close to seeing it. It sure shines. I am surprised that they allow. It has to have caused accidents. It was to good to pass on the name alone, but seeing it. I can just hear Seal. He is going to yell for a year. Darkness Haven sure fits it.”
Mrs Lares said. “That is does, it is one of the four towers that mark our town. It is the newest of them, made to be the opposite of Lights Birth, that rests at the heart of Scholar Roost. It is the red building that serves as the main mage school. There was a lot of complaints in the first years after it was built, but no for all the complaints it is a part of the city and none want it changed. Truly most of the glare is at the top and so just cause distraction to those seeing it for the first time. Most of the residents are students or faculty at one of the universities. I do think you will be happy here.” She led the way in and over to the lift. “There are stairs as well, but with the bags it is far better to take the lift up. Have you used one before?”
Kat nodded. “We have some at home, magic not mechanical, but the same principles. I am not troubled by them, for all it is a bit jarring not to feel the spells. It is going to take me a bit to get used to have electrics again. We did have some solar, but most we did with spells.”
Mrs Lares nodded. “Even having been here before it has to be odd. So few come here from the other side. Even as close as we are.”