The arrival

The carriage ride took several days. Korvus was tired and frustrated. The stewards had decided to try and make the trip as short as possible so they pushed the horses for every mile they could get. Sleeping, when it happened at all, was inside the carriage or in a hard bed roll on the ground beside the fire. Bugs ate at his flesh and he had already cried several times when the gnats had bombarded his eyes and had to be dug out by less caring hands than what he was accustomed to with his mom around.

The last leg of the trip was up the side of a mountain and brought frigid air and a vicious headache. They past through a small village of people who lived on the side of the mountain. Each person lugging bundles of sticks for fire or herding mountain goats. Soot from constant need for warming fires had left every person and building marred in black with clothes in shoddy repair from being stretched layer over layer in order to stay warm.

Finally, they reached the tower. Tall and absurdly thin, it was as white as polished ivory and draped in constant clouds of fog that poured down the mountainside. Black rocks jutted from the snow around its base that looked sharp like glass and glissened from wetness. The carriage stopped and the stewards went to work unpacking the bags and tending to the horses. Massive double doors atop the stairs leading to the tower opened in unison and a single man in purple robes stepped out to survey the work. "You must be master Korvus", he said in a formal but friendly tone that affected an air of stern exactness.

"Yes sire", Korvus said with a shaking voice that came more from fear than the cold. One of the stewards nudged him forward and Korvus took a few steps and made a formal bow that his father had taught him, which made him feel akward and a bit silly.

"My name is Lord Master Riven. I am a master magus and have studied in every great academy accross this land and a few that lay beyond the world itself. Do you know what that means boy?", he asked with a calm and honest tone.

"I...I'm not sure sire", Korvus stammered as he pondered exactly what answer his new master was looking for.

Riven smirked and placed a hand on the boys head,"For the time being I supose it means very little at all." Riven gestured at the boxes on the ground that held all the boys things, "What have we here master Korvus?"

"This is everything I own sire. My mother packed for three days to make it all fit", he replied as a slight smile slipped his lips at the thought of her.

"Well, that is a pitty then", Riven commented as he flicked his wrist at the baggage. All of the cases and boxes opened themselves and emptied their contents into the snow. "Pick out three sets of clothing. You will not reqire anything else." Riven kneeled beside the child and looked him evenly in the eye. "From this moment forth you will eat, drink and sleep magic boy. There will be no time for foolishness or idle endevors. Do you understand son?" There was no malice in Riven's voice but the steely look in his eye let Korvus know that he would brook no half answers.

"I understand Master Riven."

Riven turned to walk into the spire as Korvus scrambled for three sets of clothes. "Oh, and Korvus", he said softly as he looked over his shoulder and waited to meet the boys eyes," Welcome to your new home."