56A/N A fic examining the complications and dynamics of a lifebond between Alberich and a criminal, the dirty dealings in black market Haven, foreign lands, and just how you're supposed to live with someone you absolutely hate.
Enjoy!
PROLOGUE
"I don't think so."
"Sungod damn you."
Healer Eldritch, a senior healer at the collegium with decades of esperience under his belt, stared at the pair of them, still bickering and sniping at each other, even throughout when the healers still awake at the ungodly hour had stitched their wounds.
"Juelian and Alberich just stop fighting for one moment."
"Impossible this thing is, it cannot be."
"Why don't ye check it again, for godssake I'm going to kill someone soon."
Healer Eldritch put on his best no-nonsense voice and glared sternly at the pair of them.
"Look, you'll just have to get used to it. The pair of you are life-bonded!"
He deflated with a sight and cast his eyes heavenward.
"Gods help us, I wish it weren't true either."
CHAPTER 1
"Your pace you must quicken now. No hope there is, to defeat an enemy, slow your footwork is."
Alberich circuited among the sparring students administering heavy-handed discipline liberally among all of them. They worked hard, of course half of them deathly afraid of his formidable reputation, and the other half loathe for a beat or extra laps around the salle. No matter how hard he drove them, though, it seemed one particular heraldic trainee just refused to pick up that day.
"Angus!"
He barked. The boy had been slothful the entire class and even now he moved sluggishly, feebly trying to ward off his partner's wooden practice blade.
"In future abstain more from poppy-seed eating, no? Or consumed the healer's sleeping draught, have you?"
Angus screwed up his face in concentration and prepared for another block. However, the second his companion burst into the salle Alberich knew something was wrong. A split second afterward he had dropped to the floor of the salle and was giggling. Alberich sent up an immediate call for healers via Kantor, and dropped to his knees beside Angus. His eyes were glassy and Alberich could smell something on his breath.
:Chosen, the healers are here.:
they had a stretcher with them and took Angus away. The scene left all in the weapons salle unsettled and with a grimace. Alberich looked toward his students.
"Around the salle run, six laps. Then to lunch you may go."
Already the buzz of conversation started up as the students began to jog and Alberich yelled,
"No gossiping!"
When he stopped by the healers wing after dismissing his class, Alberich could see Dean Elcarth, and Monarch's Own Talia beside angus' bedside. His eyes were still glassy and there was the hint of a foolish smile playing around his lips. His companion, Lys, stuck her head through the open window.
Healer Darn, a spitfire of an old woman, came up to angus, this time with a draught and a few mint leaves. The draught was trickled down his throat and Angus began to cough. Healer Darn helped him up and propped him against the pillows. She broke the mint leaves under his nose and instructed him to keep them there. To fight against the onslaught of nausea.
"Do we know what caused this sudden sluggishness?"
"Correction,"
Darn said, holding up a finger to Talia.
"It was not sudden. It was gradual, which tells me if our lad unknowingly took it, the substance was disguised and thus it took many candlemarks to break down and run loose in his system. Sneaky, subversive and sly."
Darn then brought out a bowl of water, some herbs and a needle.
"Which substance it is, to determine, those are for?"
"Correct Weaponsmaster, correct."
She pricked Angus' finger, at which he flinched a little. Darn held his finger over the bowl and added the herbs. She watched how the blood reacted and moved and thickened and her eyebrows raised.
"Usually I wouldn't be able to give you a specific substance, but this is very clear and tell-tale. Angus, you have opium in your blood."
Dean Elcarth and Talia shared a startled look while Alberich's gaze narrowed towards the boy, who looked just as surprised.
"Know you of this boy?"
Angus looked like he was about to cry and shook his head desperately. His companion opened a public mindspeech link.
:I don't think Angus did this knowingly. Angus, do you think it could be that home remedy from last night:
Dean Elcarth looked sharply at Angus.
"Home remedy?"
"Dean Elcarth sir, last night I couldn't sleep so I walked around the collegium grounds with Lys. I hoped the night air would set me to rights. There was a woman walking around the grounds, I asked her if she needed help."
Alberich's eye twitched. He was pretty sure he knew where this was headed.
"She couldn't find the gate to get out, so I walked her to it. She asked me what I was doing up, just being friendly, so I told her I couldn't sleep. She gave me some tea and herb pellets, told me it would help. Home remedy."
Dean Elcarth sighed gustily and pinched the bridge of his nose, a sign of waning patience. Alberich spared him and spoke up instead.
"And ask yourself you did not, how past the guards and innocent woman could slip?"
Angus paled.
"Oh Angus, you're far too trusting for your own good."
Talia patted his shoulder soothingly.
"I'm sorry, I think I'll go to my quarters now."
Elcarth shot Darn a look, and Alberich didn't catch on as to what the matter was. It seemed this trouble ran deeper. Darn gave Angus a strange look.
"Angus boy, you're going to stay right here in this bed."
"But why? Is everything alright?"
It seemed Talia didn't quite catch on as well.
"This isn't your regular knock-you-off-your-socks sedative kind of opium Angus. This is the black market narcotic kind."
Angus paled even more, his companion let out an angry whuff and Alberich felt the blood pounding into his ears. Whoever was hoping to prey on these youths was going to die.