Gregory groaned softly at the sound of the knocker, blinking himself awake.<br/><br/>Early mornings shouldn't have been a problem for him; he'd been getting up early to work almost all his life.  Too bad the Binding made it so damned hard to sleep.<br/><br/>Nevertheless, he rolled out of bed quickly.  He was a tall young man, well-built and lightly tanned from a youth of hard work.  Gregory's hair was chestnut brown and neatly trimmed, framing a pair of hazel eyes in a handsome face.<br/><br/>All things considered, he really did owe Isabeau quite a lot.  She'd been responsible for discovering his gift for earth magic, not to mention teaching him how to use it.  He wasn't convinced that his life had actually gotten easier, but "apprentice magician" had more advancement potential than "menial servant" any way you looked at it.<br/><br/>It was just too bad about the Binding.  With a sigh, Gregory tugged on his breeches and tunic (desperately trying to ignore the uncomfortable tenting in the former) and scrambled off to grab breakfast.