Alistair counted the orphans – there were fifteen of them; eleven boys and four girls. Most of them were crying, but one girl caught his eye. She was sitting at the edge of the group on her bag, staring into space. She glanced around with mild curiosity at the buildings, trees, and the officers helping organize the refugees. She craned her neck to get a glimpse of the city she was about to call home, and as she did her hair caught in the light and glistened like embers. That was all he was able to make out from where he was.

"Alistair! Are you coming?" Lance called, snapping him back to reality.

His friends were already heading back down the cobblestone street away from the bridge.

"Ah – sorry!" Alistair glanced back at the girl with the fiery hair one last time and scrambled to catch up with his friends.

The group went back to the academy. After they entered their classroom Elyan climbed onto a table. She grinned mockingly at Alistair.

"Alistair was checking out a girl," Elyan sang.

"I was not," he said furiously, feeling his face heat up.

"Yes, you were," she said, doing her best to wind him up. "Alistair and Bellmare Girl ~ sitting in a tree ~ K-I-S-S-I-N-G-"

"Elyan!" he protested.

"First comes love ~ Then comes marriage ~ Then comes a baby in a baby carr-"

"Elyan," Lance said reproachfully, making the girl's mouth snap shut in a heartbeat. "And Alistair. None of that until you're eighteen."

"But-"

"Eighteen."