Reborn

Tiergan

Sophie squinted at the glaring light. "I thought you meant my home," she said as she stared once again at the enormous gates of Everglen.

A flash of light appeared that made everyone shield their faces. When Sophie opened her eyes, a tall elf in a simple black tunic strode toward them. His olive skin stood in sharp contrast to his pale blonde hair.

Tiergan! It was strange to see him now, knowing that she would discover he was in the Black Swan later. Now that she thought about it, she would have to meet all of the collective all over again.

"You've got some nerve summoning me," he shouted, stepping right into Alden's personal space. He was a couple of inches shorter than Alden, but he didn't seem the least bit intimidated by the height difference. "I'd sooner be exiled than train anyone in your family."

From the corner of her eye, Sophie saw Fitz's hands clench into fists. Alden barely blinked. He took a small step backward and smiled.

"Yes, Tiergan—I'm well aware of your opinion of me. I can assure you, I wouldn't have summoned you if I wasn't convinced that it would be what Prentice would want."

Tiergan's fierce expression crumbled. He backed away, crossing his arms against his chest. "Since when are you the expert on anything Prentice wanted?"

"Prentice would have wanted you to train me," Sophie said, barely louder than a whisper.

Tiergan spun toward her and his eyes did a quick inventory, widening when they locked with hers.

"Yes," Alden said when Tiergan gasped. "Whatever you're thinking, yes. Tiergan, I'd like you to meet Sophie Foster. Foxfire's newest prodigy, who happens to need a telepathy Mentor."

Tiergan swallowed several times before he spoke. "She's the one, isn't she? The one Prentice was hiding?"

"Yes," Alden agreed. "She's been living with humans for the past twelve years."

"Fitz found me in the Forbidden Cities yesterday." Sophie explained, "I've manifested as a Telepath, and I need someone to mentor me. We were all hoping you would do it."

Alden smiled, "She is the most incredible Telepath I've ever seen." he turned to Tiergan. "Sophie has already broken through Fitz's and Bronte's blocking without training. She needs the best Mentor we can provide. I know you're retired, but I thought—given the circumstances—you might be persuaded to return to Foxfire."

Anger and resentment danced across Tiergan's features, Sophie held her breath until he nodded.

"You'll do it?" Alden asked, his voice a mixture of surprise and relief.

"Yes. But only for this year. That will be more than enough to hone her abilities. Then you leave me alone and never ask for my assistance again."

"That's more than reasonable," Alden agreed.

"Being a Telepath around humans is quite a burden. I'll bet you've had terrible headaches and heard all kinds of things you didn't want to hear. Right?" Tiergan asked.

She nodded.

"It doesn't have to be that way," he said after a second. "With proper training, you'll learn to manage your ability. But you do have a choice. There should always be a choice." He said the last part louder like it was for Alden's benefit. "If you don't want telepathy training, you don't have to have it."

Alden cleared his throat. "Well, that settles that, then. I'll notify Dame Alina that you'll be returning to Foxfire. But the name of your prodigy will be kept classified. The Council doesn't want anyone knowing Sophie's a Telepath until she's older."