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It was not her first visit to Seliuo No, indeed After co F’ryan’sWhen she finally answered the Rider call, she had carriedpreoccupied by difficult school days, she looked forward to visiting with good friends

Soon the campus atop its hill and the city clustered beneath it rose above the open faran clucked Condor into an easy lope with a sainst her face She slowed to a jog when they reached the gate to accoatekeeper and continued on through No one stopped them or questioned them, for Selium was an open city, not a fortress No wall surrounded it—the gate was merely a marker of the city’s boundary

Almost as well known as the school that was also called Selius, which drew tourists and the infirm from afar to bathe in one of the nuhfare Stea qualities of the springs and listed prices There were public baths and private Some were luxurious, and others less expensive to meet only basic needs Today there were no lines, not this late in the season The bathhouse operators would be more dependent now on local patrons Some simply shut down for the winter

“Who would wish to bathe in public?” Fergal asked, wrinkling his nose as they passed such an establishment

“Who would want to throw hi more acerbic than she intended

Fergal clamped his mouth shut

Feeling a little guilty, Karigan explained, “The public baths are inexpensive compared to the private ones, and not all who cos are wealthy Some are farmers and laborers”

“Have you ever used theal asked

“The school taps into the springs I never had to” Al her friends, she looked forward to one of those baths As king’sHouse, which, of course, had big tubs that could be filled with hot spring water

The city felt subdued as they continued on, with only a few students sitting on the steps of the artthe war the street, but now these were also closed for the season There were so for stray coppers played for them Most students would be in classes at this hour

As the h the city, Guardian Avenue, traveled upward toward the cas on either side were of older architecture, with colus of the school, for the city had grown up around it

Guardian Avenue led beneath the ancient P’ehdrosian Arch onto the school grounds The campus itself was an orderly “town” of well-laid paths and acades, residences, and administrative offices On the far side of campus were fields for athletics and arms practice, and stables with pasture, paddock, and outdoor riding ring

Immediately inside ca This here they’d find the offices of the Golden Guardian and the dean

Karigan and Fergal rode up to the front steps of the ad and handed over the reins of their horses to a stablehand