Enquin Herst stared down at the smooth surface of his dining table, an old piece of furniture that he'd crafted on the day that he had first been permitted to live his life out in Distan. Atop it lay the little magic crystal that Alistar had given him years ago, which had originally been gifted to the boy for his first Name Day by his roguish friend Corrie. As soon as he'd learned that Enquin had been forced to give up his magics in exchange for being granted permission to live on Caedmon's lands—he hadn't gained citizenship to the kingdom; his presence was simply acknowledged along with his right to remain in the county—Alistar hadn't hesitated to drop by soon after to offer up the little crystal, saying to him that it was better to have it and not need it than not to have it at all.
Such a bright lad.
