“Elder,” Wesley replied lightly. “You sent for me?”

She laughed briefly. “If I had not, you would have remained outside until well after sunset. Or do you deny it?”

He blushed a deep, green. “Indeed, I would have. Is there something amiss?” He asked seriously. She rarely summoned him unless there was something wrong.

“No,” She denied, shaking her head. “However, there is a task that I would ask you do perform for me—and the other elders.”

“Of course,” He said quickly. “What is it?”

“A member of the Disiaron house—a Saydhe, specifically, is arriving this evening to begin his studies. You are the Reithi Disiaron nearest in age to him, I felt that you would be most appropriate to see to his settling in.”

“You mean, since I am the youngest adult member of our clan, I am the one you can most easily convince to get this new person into his quarters without getting lost,” Wesley restated teasingly. “And I am quite willing to assist. It is not every day that I get such an opportunity to meddle in the studies of one so young.”

“He is not that much younger than you,” Rinhe corrected. “Remember…”

“I know, I know,” Wesley said. “I managed to regain my childhood rather spontaneously.”

“Keisri,” Rinhe warned. “Do not fear, this burden will be shared by Rraiec. You should not expect to do all the work.”

“Rraiec is assisting?” Wesley asked curiously.

“You and he will be sharing initial teaching responsibilities. I leave the distribution of lessons to your capable hands,” Rinhe said with a tone of finality in her voice. “I would prefer to continue this conversation; however I must meet with the elders. Young Baura-gahmaeri will arrive an hour before sunset. You should meet him in the courtyard.”

Rinhe left Wesley staring at the fire. In all his eighty-eight years, he had never been given this level of responsibility. To see to the instruction of a new pupil! Even sharing such a responsibility with another did not lessen the shock. That the elders trusted him so much… It humbled Wesley. He shook himself out of his trance and ran off to find Rraiec. There was much to plan before the arrival of their new student.

•••

Wesley searched frantically all through the hold. Rraiec wasn’t in his quarters, or in his usual perch in the library. Nor was he where he liked to sit outside, or eating in the dining hall. In short, the midnight dalhari was nowhere to be found. Wesley bit his lip and returned to his own quarters. They would have to make do with a very brief meeting while they waited for the new student.

Logically, he knew that he was capable of the responsibilities he’d been given. After all, he’d been immersed in his own studies for more than sixty years, working practically non-stop. While it was true that he was younger than many others at his level, he wasn’t alarmingly youthful. Actually, he was given much leeway due to his changed status. Rinhe had even told him once, many years ago, that the normal taboos regarding age and bonding didn’t apply to changed-dalhari. He’d shrugged that bit of knowledge off, having no real desire to get married.

No, he’d devoted his life to spiritual pursuits. Even after he completed the rather arduous task of repairing his tortured mind he continued on that path. Along the way he’d realized that he had an honest fascination with the construction of the mind. Since he’d already spent so much time on it, the natural thing to do was take up those studies as his focus. Now he was one of the hold’s experts on repairing and healing the mind.

He also shared supervisory duties with Uvu, the wallbuilder. The two dalhari worked together on the endless project of shifting the hold’s walls, helped by an ever-changing stream of young and old religious students. Their assistants came to work with them for one of two reasons: either to meditate in the lovely silence and noise of wallbuilding, where the pounding of stones together was never interrupted by voices; or to talk at length with Wesley about some healing subject. Uvu laughed that his walls were becoming classrooms, but the ancient dalhari didn’t really mind. He liked the variety of all those new faces.

Rraiec even came out to assist occasionally. Wesley enjoyed those times, when he and his best friend would tear down a wall while arguing over the relevance of the changing seasons. He missed talking to Rraiec on a daily basis, but both of them were busy with their work and studies. Once Wesley had completed his recovery, there was no real reason for them to stay together all the time.

A knock on his door got Wesley’s attention and he went to open it. On the other side he found Rraiec, waiting patiently. “You’ve been searching for me?” Rraiec asked politely.

“Yes. I trust that Rinhe has spoken to you,” Wesley asked as he ushered his friend in.

“Not recently, no,” Rraiec replied. “Is there something amiss?”

Wesley smiled. Those had been his exact words. “Yes, there is. I am to take upon myself the care of our newest student, and you and I are to share the initial instructional duties.”

Rraiec’s face broke into a wide grin. “Ah! You will enjoy this very much. When does this new student arrive?”

“He arrives tonight, before sunset,” Wesley replied. “I would like to discuss lessons before then, however.”

“You mean you do not want to teach languages,” Rraiec accused. “That is fine.”

“No, I do not want to teach languages, no more than you want to instruct him on water meditation,” Wesley shot back. “Or am I mistaken in thinking that you despise teaching them.”

Rraiec just laughed. “As you wish, Keisri. This student will hate both of us soon enough.”

“Why?” Wesley inquired. “I never hated my instructor.”

Rraiec blushed slightly, although Wesley couldn’t see it. “You did, for a time. Remember?”

Wesley shook his head. “No, I never hated you, Rraiec. I hated the truth, not you.”

“Ah.” The dark dalhari paused briefly. “You will, of course, want to instruct in the morning.”

“The earlier, the better,” Wesley agreed. He’d come to love studying in the still hours before dawn. “That will leave you with the remainder of the day.”

“Yes,” Rraiec agreed. “We have perhaps an hour before we must fetch this new student. Have you dined?”

“Are you trying to drag me to the dining hall again?” Wesley accused, even as he grabbed up his warmest cloak. The evenings were already getting cold in anticipation of winter.

“No,” Rraiec lied. “I would never do that.”

“Lying doesn’t become you, Rraiec-inaelhae,” Wesley retorted. “Shall we?” He continued, holding the door open. The two dalhari walked quickly through the winding corridors, arguing good-naturedly all the way to supper.

•••

“That should be him,” Wesley said, gesturing towards the shady form walking through the main gates of the hold. “I cannot believe he walked all the way from Adaes Der!”

“There are those who like to walk,” Rraiec commented. “Although that does seem to be an uncomfortably long distance to trek on foot.”

Wesley grinned, then turned to greet the newcomer. He was a slender, petite dalhari, immediately recognizable as a Saydhe Disiaron. The young man had incredibly pale, clear blue skin and purple hair so dark it was nearly black. Huge black eyes peered up at Wesley, showing a glint he swore was naughty. “Baura-gahmaeri?” Wesley murmured questioningly.

“Of the Saydhe, of the Disiaron,” The younger dalhari replied automatically. “And you are who, of the Reithi, of the Disiaron?” He asked back.

“Keisri-tvalnemna, also called Wesley,” Wesley replied. “And this is Rraiec-inaelhae, also of the Reithi, of the Disiaron. If all formal introductions are over, may I inquire about your general health and the quality of your journey?” He asked with obviously exaggerated hauteur.

Baura laughed. “I’m hungry and my feet hurt and I’m fine and is there food here?”

“All you can eat, so long as you make sure he eats as well,” Rraiec replied, gesturing towards Wesley. “He will waste away if you do not watch him carefully.”

“And Rraiec will fatten you like a winter yimkia if you never refuse him,” Wesley shot back. “Come along; I am sure the kitchens have something to eat in them.”

“They’d better,” Baura swore. “Or I’ll gnaw on my cloak.”

“No one fed you in Xo’pa?” Rraiec asked in surprise. “Or in Adaes Der, before that?”

“Oh, they did,” Baura replied. “But that was hours ago.”

“Ah,” Wesley murmured. “Perhaps we should go to your quarters first, so that you may leave your possessions.”

Baura nodded, then frowned. “You have a familiar accent,” He mentioned. “Very familiar.”

Rraiec’s eyes widened a bit. “He does? I have never heard another like it.”

The pale dalhari thought for a moment. “Yes, definitely. You sound a lot like my sister’s mate, Laio. I wonder…” His voice trailed off. “What does your trade tongue sound like?”

Wesley peered down at the shorter man. This young dalhari was quite the character, full of curiosity and life. He made Wesley feel old. “It sounds much like anyone else’s, I suppose,” He replied in the human language. Baura’s eyes got impossibly big.

“That’s it! You do sound just like Laio!” Baura exclaimed. “That doesn’t make any sense though, unless…” He frowned and stared at Wesley. They had arrived at Baura’s new quarters, which Rraiec was opening. The three men moved inside, Baura still studying Wesley.

“Does television really rot your brain?” Baura asked suddenly.

“Yes,” Wesley replied automatically. Then he realized what Baura had asked. And what he’d said. “You—“

Baura caught the look of shock and growing worry on the dalhari’s face. “He’s from another world, like you.”

Wesley just sort of stared. He hadn’t really thought about his old world in a long time. “It is not something I discuss very often,” He admitted. “I have been here for many decades.”

“So has he,” Baura replied. “More than a century and a half, actually. But he’s not the only one. His friend Xander is here too.”

“Xander?” Wesley whispered brokenly. “He was here?”

Baura nodded. “Still is, unless something happened to him that I haven’t heard of. He’s in Na’alha with Laio and Del. His family’s thinking about moving to Tragith, though, to be near other siv. So you know Xander?”

“Before I came here, I was working with his friends to find him,” Wesley admitted.

“He talks about them sometimes. Buffy, Willow and some others,” Baura commented. “Laio has many stories about them too.”

“Laio?” Wesley echoed.

“Oh, we call him by his old human name sometimes too, although not as much anymore. Spike, that is,” Baura stated.

Rraiec watched as Wesley paled as much as a verdant green dalhari could. He wanted rather desperately to reach out and comfort his friend; Wesley looked shocked to the point of fainting. He couldn’t imagine how the man felt; after all these years learning that there were others he knew here in this world. But Rraiec honored the space Wesley had placed between them and waited for the other man to recover.

“You mentioned that you were hungry,” Wesley murmured. “We should find you some food.”

Baura quirked an eyebrow and glanced at Rraiec, who simply nodded towards the door. “I should probably stock up,” Baura said as they walked out. “I like to cook.”

•••

It wasn’t until after their meal, during which Rraiec and Wesley had set up a lesson schedule with the younger dalhari, that the subject of Wesley’s origins came up again. Baura stopped in front of his quarters, turning to the pair. “Keisri, I apologize if I have offended you,” Baura began. “I forget myself occasionally.”

Wesley managed a weak smile. “You did not offend me, Baura. I simply…do not dwell upon my past, nor do I share it very often.”

The pale dalhari nodded, understanding what hadn’t been said. Yes, he knew now where the man was from. However, that knowledge was not to be shared with others, but rather kept to himself. Baura didn’t mind; his own family did not broadcast Laio’s origins either. They were by no means ashamed of him, but it simply wasn’t a matter they wished to share. He well understood the value placed on privacy. “I will see you in the morning then, for meditations.” With that he slipped into his quarters to get some rest.

Rraiec walked Wesley back to his rooms. While they went through the halls, Rraiec tried to get a sense of how Wesley felt about this new situation. “Do you wish to remove yourself from his instruction?” He asked Wesley after a while.

“What? No!” Wesley insisted. “No,” He repeated, “I look forward to it. I am simply shocked; I never imagined that I would hear of another from my world here.

“But you do not want to meet with them,” Rraiec murmured.

Wesley looked up at him with tired eyes. “Not now. Perhaps one day; they are not getting any older.”

They reached Wesley’s quarters soon thereafter. “I shall see you tomorrow then, to plan further,” He said to Rraiec as they parted.

“You shall,” Rraiec confirmed. “Sleep well.”

“And you as well,” Wesley replied as Rraiec disappeared down the hallway. Wesley closed the door and leaned heavily against it. He would not sleep well tonight, nor for many nights in the future. He couldn’t help but think of this as a test of sorts; he thought he’d healed himself. How would he deal with facing such stark reminders of his past?