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Even so, all those miseries would have been bearable, for they fell on all of us alike, first-years, upperclassmen, officers, and even our instructors, but shortly after Spink and I returned from our days away from the Acadeets of a different sort of misery

There had always been differences in how the new noble first-years were treated compared to the sons of the older fa choices, endured Corporal Dentus eat later than our fellows, and hunched our shoulders to the fact that we received a rougher initiation than that inflicted on first-years of old nobility Our instructors had seemed aloof from it for the most part Occasionally they renity of the Acade new to its traditions It made us bitterly amused, for no son of any old noble could say that his father had ever attended any sort of raduated fro were in our bones, while our old noble fellows learned theregated for the first third of the year We always sat in our patrols New nobles’ sons did not fraternize with the sons of old nobles, despite soan, not to ainst one another With increasing frequency, our test scores were listed by patrol and were posted side by side outside the classroom doors, where all could see that the new noble patrols consistently lagged behind the old nobility first-years in acade, where we often excelled them, and in drill and on horseback, in which they could not best us

As our instructors began to encourage the rivalry between the two groups, I saw healthy competition take on a darker character One afternoon we raced into the stables, sure that ould triumph over our rivals in an equestrian drill exercise, only to discover that so stripes down the sides and flanks of ourwe had ti ill keh on for precision, we lost for overall appearance, and thus the cup and the half day of liberty went to the old nobility troop

We muttered at the unfairness of it Then several of the scale ham House old nobility first-years were ruined i Carneston House the winners Foul play was suspected, and I found it hard to take joy in the victory My construction of a suspension bridge had been, I felt, so superior that ould have been assured the ithout the sabotage It was very difficult to write ht, for I felt that I had to be honest in stating my suspicions of my own fellows

At about that time, I had a final encounter with Cadet Lieutenant Tiber Rumors about him had died down at the Academy I had heard little about him and seen even less Thus I was a bit surprised to encounter hi as I returned from the library to Carneston House We were both bundled in our greatcoats as we approached one another in the seait now, probably as the result of his still-healing injuries His head was down, his eyes on the snowy path before hinize hiht, I stepped to the side of the path to give him the way and snapped a salute to hi An instant later he rounded on his heel and came back to me "Cadet Nevare Burvelle Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir That’s my name"

Then he let a silence fall I listened to the wind and felt dread build withinforith those names I didn’t knoho juering, I suspected, of course But your saying Jaris’s name aloud hat made it certain for me"

"I should have come forward sooner, sir"

He cocked his head atI’ve been wanting to ask you"

"I wasn’t sure…if it was honorable To speak suspicions without having any facts And…" I quickly forced the truth past e onin his face conde I can’t endure"

He nodded again, and gaveup to your fear and co forward Don’t think yourself a coward You could have never mentioned it to your uncle, or when the ti I wish I could tell you that you’d be rewarded for it You won’t Reht to be cautious of theet e’ve learned"