Everything, every pang and twinge of guilt and self-accusation, was due to his mother's insane, vicarious ambitions. She had ensured that he entered Arnor House as a pauper, condemning him to the brutal Questor Ordeal, when she could have granted him a prosperous, comfortable lifestyle as a paying Student. Not once had he demurred at her insensate demands, and he had made no more than a token attempt to sway her from condemning his only friend to revilement and universal odium.

Thorn Virias, you're nothing but a coward and a weakling, a disgrace to your craft!

This was a shameful admission for a Seventh Level Questor and House Prelate to make, even to himself, but Thorn no longer cared. As long as Lizaveta plagued him, he would never be free. Because of her, he had subjected an unsuitable Neophyte, Erek Garan, to an intensified Questor Ordeal until the lad had lost his mind. The result was a dead Senior Magemaster to bury and a scandal to be suppressed. The experiment had been a ghastly disaster.

Lizaveta, of course, accepted no blame for the debacle, pointing out how Loras Afelnor's grandson, Grimm, had prevailed in similar circumstances. This might be true, but Thorn feared the lad's survival of his intensified Ordeal had made him altogether too independent and obstinate.

The report from Questor Xylox concerning his and Questor Grimm's recent Quest certainly made damning reading in this regard.

Thorn skimmed through the document: '… a reasonably powerful and confident magic-user.'; 'In time, Questor Grimm may prove a useful asset to our House and Guild, but…'; '…insubordinate, wayward and headstrong… '

The report concluded, 'It is recommended that Questor Grimm Afelnor not be considered for promotion at this time, despite a few useful contributions to the successful conclusion of this most important Quest.'

The Prelate knew Xylox was not one to mince words. The report implied that the older Questor respected the abilities of the young mage, if not his attitude. Xylox evidently acknowledged the youth as a powerful mage, but also as a reckless hothead likely to act on his own initiative if unchecked by his seniors.