Keith immediately recognized Frank’s voice and hoped Maddie did as well. “The Worshipful Society of Typefounders and Alchemists has existed uninte...rrupted for 500 years. We have not taken a new member in nearly twenty,” he continued and then chuckled a little. “Forgive us if we are a little rusty on the formalities.” Keith still had his hand resting lightly on Maddie’s shoulder and could feel her relax as Frank spoke. She may have said that she was not worried about the midnight ritual, but just. ‘I wish you had been here in my first year, I might have stuck with architecture,’ the young man said with a joking inflection. Michael walked up to the couple smiling ‘Well, I’m sorry we missed the opportunity, I’m Michael Dane, I’ll be teaching the intro course this year for first years, this is my friend Tera,’ Michael said motioning to the woman who was now at his side. ‘I’m James this is my friend Catherine, we didn’t mean to intrude but heard someone in here and wanted to see what was. Once the meal is finished, we sit beside the fire and talk more. We talk of life, of family, of fun, of work. We share life’s joys, frustrations, triumphs, tragedies, and hopes. The sharing brings us closer, the talk more intimate than sexual intimacy, a sharing of hearts and souls that melds us together into a single being.I fetch a blanket from the tent and spread it beside the warm fire as the evening cool begins to move in. I throw more wood onto the fire. We snuggle, enjoying the closeness. "Watch where you are going pipsqueak," the man grumbled, "and watch where you are throwing that water around." Watch yourself," Aaron growled, throwing back the hood of his cloak.The man spun around fists clenched, but before he could comment further or start something, Red Rose flashed out drawing a line across the man's throat. The man staggered back putting his hand to his throat, feeling the razor like wound starting to seep blood and then looked at Aaron in shock and surprise.Aaron did not.