They reached the central hallway, and he turned right, heading south. “There are no bathing facilities in the hall, so you will still make use of the Bath Hall, though each room does have a sink and toilet in a water closet. And there is a common room back at the intersection of the hallways in the middle of the hall. We do not strictly have a lights out time, so you will have to work out such with your roommates. And your neighbors.”
“Roommates?” Jessip asked.
“Yes,” Assistant Proctor Alden replied. “Single people in General Staff are placed up to four to a room.” He stopped at a door and knocked.
Jessip liked the sound of that. Only four people sharing a room? Much better than the bunk room at the dorms.
A large, muscular man opened the door.
“Good evening Bertram,” Assistant Alden said, “I’d like you to meet your new roommate, Jessip.”
Bertram looked at Jessip, who was starting to show the strain of carrying the large trunk. “Hello. Come in, all of you, please.” He opened the door wide and stepped to the side. “You can place the trunk over there.” He indicated bunk-beds on the left side of the room. “You’ll be in the top bunk.” Bertram pointed to a pair of footlockers next to the bed.“That footlocker on the right will be yours.”
There was a man lying in the bottom bunk, his reading interrupted by their arrival.
Jessip made his way over and dropped the trunk on the floor.
Bertram closed the door after they had all entered.
“Now Jessip,” began Assistant Proctor Alden, “as you can see there are two bunk-beds.” He pointed to the bed next to Jessip where the man had returned to his book and to the other one across the room, where there was another man lying in the top bunk. “There are four desks in the room, two by each pair of beds. Over there is the door to the water closet. Additionally, you have a wardrobe . . .” and he paused, looking at Bertram who indicated a narrow wooden piece of furniture, “. . . there.”
Assistant Proctor Alden walked over to Jessip and handed him the small piece of parchment. “Here are the rules. Read them, follow them, and all our lives will be the better for it.”
“Jessip,” Becket said, “if you would, please move your belongings into the footlocker and I’ll take the trunk back to the dormitories.”
Using the key still in its lock, Jessip unlocked the footlocker, then pocketed the key. He began moving his items over from the trunk. After Jessip finished transferring his things into the footlocker, Becket picked up the trunk.
“And the key to the dormitory locker?” Becket stared at him, a questioning look on his face.
Jessip fished the keys out of his pocket and handed his old one to Becket.
Assistant Proctor Alden made his way to the door. “Well, I believe everything is set. Please see me first thing in the morning, Jessip, for your work assignment. My office is up the hallway next to the common room.” And with that, he was out the door.
“Now, remember what Proctor Jarvis said,” Becket began, “work hard and well.” He looked at Jessip a moment, then nodded to Bertram and took his leave.
Jessip stared at the door as it closed behind Becket. He felt empty. His entire world had changed in almost the blink of an eye.
“That desk to the right of your bunk, next to your footlocker, is yours,” Bertram said.
Jessip looked at Bertram then at the desk and nodded.
The man in the top of the other bunk turned over toward the wall, his back to Jessip. Bertram walked to a desk and sat, reading a parchment.
Jessip stood in the middle of the room, list of rules in his hand, unsure what to do. He walked to his bed, climbed up to his bunk, and lay down, staring at the ceiling.
After a few minutes, he touched his nose, which twinged mightily. He gritted his teeth. Stupid runt.
Willem had been much longer at the Leather Craft Hall than he had intended. It was now well past sundown, and though he still had some time before lights-out at the dorms, almost no one was still out and about as he made his way there. He had wanted to get to a certain point on his project before he stopped for the day.
He was making a pair of shoes for one of Lord Baronel’s daughters, the youngest one, Terra. She was going to be nine years old next month, and Lord Baronel had commissioned a pair of soft leather shoes as a gift for her. They were to be informal, casual shoes for wearing around the Caer as well as The Residence, which, among other things, housed Lord Baronel’s living quarters. And even though the shoes weren’t to be formal wear, Lord Baronel wanted them to be special.
Willem was incredibly proud that he had been selected for this commission by Master Helfin. Lord Baronel had specifically said not to bother any of the adepts or masters with the commission, which left only apprentices and journeymen. And out of all of them, Master Helfin had selected him. He was going to make sure the master would not regret that decision.
He already had the leather for the upper shoes ready. He had spent some time deciding which leather and what dye to use to make them perfect. He had consulted with a few journeymen and adepts and even Master Helfin before making the final decision. The design was already selected and the various patterns completed, based on measurements of Terra’s feet with just a touch of room for growth. Lord Baronel wanted the shoes to be elegant but simple, so there wasn’t need for fancy scrollwork or metal ornamentation or jewels, which was fine with Willem, as he didn’t really like any of that either when overdone.
The last task had been deciding on the construction of the shoe’s soles. He wanted the shoes to be light, but he also wanted them to offer Terra very good protection from stones or anything else she might step on. His new layering technique that he finally perfected tonight, which included thin plates of formed steel, worked great at keeping the weight of the sole light but still provided excellent protection for the bottom of the feet. And because it used a two-piece plate design, it maintained flexibility of the sole for walking.
He clenched and unclenched his fists, stretching his fingers and massaging his palms. His hands were sore from all the sewing and the forming of various layers of leather he had done lately as he tested his ideas for the soles. It had been worth it, though. He would begin final construction of the shoes tomorrow. And once he had the final set of steel plates from the smith, it should only take a day or so more to complete the slippers.
He took the steps in front of the dormitories two at a time and headed inside. Half the sconces in the main hallway had already been dimmed, their covers closed almost shut. As he passed Proctor Jarvis’ office, he noticed the door had no light coming from under it, which meant the proctor had retreated to his rooms at the back of the office for the night. He poked his head into the Common Room to see whether Aeron was still there reading or playing cards or something, but there was no sign of him. Willem continued down the hallway to the bunk room.
Aeron wasn’t there either, which he thought was odd. He was sure Aeron mentioned coming straight back to the dorms when they’d parted earlier at the Leather Craft Hall. Willem walked to the end of his cot, unlocked his footlocker and put his things inside. He had just finished changing into fresh nightwear he had grabbed from his footlocker when he realized two things: he would need to pick up more uniforms and sleepwear from laundry as he only had one more change of each, and it was much quieter than normal.
He looked around the room as he finished straightening his nightshirt after pulling it over his head, but he didn’t see anything unusual. Boys were around the room, some in their cots reading, some hanging around at other cots quietly talking with their friends.
“Willem.”
He turned and saw Cheddar behind him, his shoulder-length jet-black hair pulled back in a leather strap. The tall boy’s normal pale complexion looked almost gray and his thin face had a pinched, worried expression.
“Hey, Cheddar,” Willem said. “What is it?”
“Something happened earlier, with Jessip. And I think with Aeron, too.
”
Willem’s heart sank. That’s what was different. No Jessip laughing with his stupid friends, making fun of someone or just carrying on. He saw that Jessip’s friends were all in their cots, faces pressed into books. He glanced over at Aeron’s cot. It didn’t look like it had been touched since this morning. The pillow, sheet, and blanket, were all still neatly in place. Where was Aeron?
He looked at Cheddar again, questioningly. “What do you mean something happened?”
Cheddar blinked, swallowed, and said quietly, “Well, it’s been somewhat slow at the Archive Craft Hall, no printing jobs right now, so I came straight here after dinner, lay on my cot, and started reading. I’d been here for a bit when I saw Beckett come in and clear out Jessip’s footlocker.”
Willem walked over to the footlocker on the other side of the room. A key was in the lock. He lifted the lid, and the room went silent. Willem stared into the locker. It was empty. He looked up and saw that almost everyone in the room was staring at him. He closed Jessip’s footlocker and went to Aeron’s. There was a key in it as well, and to his dismay, it was just as empty as Jessip’s. Several of the boys started talking again in low whispers.
Cheddar looked even more agitated. Though he wasn’t a close friend of Willem or Aeron, they both thought well of him. “That’s exactly what I saw after Becket left. Everything Aeron owned is gone. You know how Jessip seems to take special care to always pick on Aeron? I figure something must have happened.”
Cheddar looked around the room and lowered his voice. “And a little bit after Becket left, Jessip’s friends came slinking in with their tails between their legs. They’ve been quiet all evening.” He turned to Willem and whispered fiercely, “What do you think it means?”
Willem closed the footlocker, numbly made his way back to his cot, and sat on it. “I don’t know, Cheddar.” He turned and looked at the pillow on Aeron’s cot. “I just don’t know.”
Chapter 5
Therday, Duody 4, 1873
Morning
Aeron was so excited about his new room, he had no trouble getting up early the next morning. Although, now he thought about it, how was he going to continue getting up on time? He didn’t know whether there was a morning wake up call like at the dorms. He’d have to come up with something.
He had spent a lot of time exploring his room last night, but he still spent several more minutes looking over it again this morning. He just couldn’t get used to the idea that this whole room with all its furnishings was for his use alone. Eventually though, he knew he had to get ready for the day.
He decided that he wanted to stop by the infirmary before heading to the Dining Hall so he could have breakfast with Willem and Sharrah before meeting Master Doronal. Otherwise, he’d have to leave breakfast early, and he didn’t want to do that.
Why did Master Doronal want to see him before chores anyway? Aeron pondered the question as he walked down the hallway to the bathing rooms.
The Magic Craft Hall bathing rooms turned out to be smaller versions of the rooms at the Bath Hall. There was a front area with sinks and mirrors and two tub rooms, men’s and women’s. In addition, however, the tub rooms also included devices Aeron had never heard of before, devices not at the Bath Hall. Showers.
Well, he assumed both tub rooms had them, he hadn’t been brave enough to peek into the women’s side to check whether they had them too. Located in the back corners, the showers were bathing devices you stood under. Water flowed out of a spout much like a rain shower, except that you could control both the temperature and the amount of water. It was much faster than waiting for a tub to fill and then empty, though it was nowhere near as relaxing. However, because Aeron was in a hurry, he made use of a shower instead of a tub.
Afterward, he made quick time to the infirmary. A nurse looked up from her desk as he walked in the door.
“And how can I help you, young sir?” she asked.
Aeron walked up to her desk and said, “If you please, Miss, Master Doronal asked me to come by this morning to get some kind of cream or ointment for my cheek?” He pointed to his cheek and turned his face so she could see it.
She studied his cheek a moment, then narrowed her eyes and asked, “You wouldn’t happen to be Aeron, by chance?”
Aeron gulped. Why did she know his name? “Uh, yes, Miss?”
A crooked smile appeared on her face. “You can call me Nurse Heather.” She leaned forward a bit and said, “I treated a young man last evening with a broken nose. From what I understand, you are the one who gave it to him, yes?”
Aeron sighed and looked down at his hands. “If it was Jessip, then yes, Nurse Heather, that was me.”
“Well good on you!”
Aeron looked up in surprise and confusion. “I’m sorry?”
Nurse Heather looked around, turned back to Aeron, and in a slightly conspiratorial voice said, “Just don’t tell anyone I said so.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Aeron said.
“Listen,” she said, her face becoming grim. “Since I arrived here almost two years ago, I have treated dozens of children with bumps, bruises, scrapes, and cuts. Mostly, I suspect, from Jessip.” She paused, looking at Aeron. “None were willing to tell me who had done it, but after a while, I put the pieces together. And could do nothing about it. If no one is willing to speak up, there isn’t much that can be done.”
Aeron felt a little guilty then for not having said anything sooner. Perhaps if more had spoken up there would have been fewer incidents?
“So you can imagine my, ah, surprise, when Jessip was in here with a broken nose.” She smiled at Aeron. “Come along, let’s see what we can find for your cheek.”
She lead him down a hall and into a side room. Aeron was amazed at how tidy and clean everything was in the infirmary. When he entered the room, his mouth nearly fell open at all the shelves filled with assorted bags, jars, tins, bottles, and boxes, large and small.
Nurse Heather searched along a shelf and muttered to herself as she did so. Finally she said, “Well, it’s a bit on the large side, but I think it will suffice.” She removed a jar from the shelf and handed it to Aeron. “Here. It’s the smallest I have at the moment.”
Aeron took the jar, which was about two inches tall and four inches wide. He stared at the oversized jar in his hands.
“Well go on then, open it up.”
He unscrewed the lid of the jar and then tentatively sniffed the slightly off-white cream within. It had a faint, woody scent. It smelled rather nice.
“It has ingredients to help with the pain and soreness of the bruises and in fading them as well. Plus, it will moisturize your skin and keep it nice and soft.” She smiled at Aeron.
Nice and soft? Aeron looked up at her doubtfully, then dipped a finger into the cream and spread it gingerly on his upper cheek, the light touch still causing some discomfort. Within moments, though, he could feel the soreness begin to fade. He smiled at Nurse Heather and said, “Golden! It really does work!”
She laughed and said, “Of course, I wouldn’t steer you wrong. Now off with you; I’m sure you have somewhere to be.”
Aeron closed the jar, and with a quick smile, gave her his thanks before heading off to breakfast.
“Why did I even get this food? I’m not hungry.” Willem slumped on the bench next to Sharrah.
She glanced at his plate. He had gotten the same things she had: bacon, eggs, a biscuit, and a glass of juice. Though he hadn’t touched any of his. He looked miserable.
She placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sure Aeron’s fine. Did you ask Proctor Jarvis about him?”
He grunted. “You were always the smart one. I didn’t even think to do that this morning.” He picked up his fork and played with his eggs, still not really eating.
Sharrah returned to her breakfast. She was hungry, though concerned as well. Willem had told her about what he had discovered in the boys’ bunk room last night, and she had been thinking on it. “Did anyone e
lse know anything? Other than Cheddar?”
“No. No one else knew anything. And I wasn’t about to ask those stupid friends of Jessip any questions.” He looked up at her, concern in his eyes. “The thing that worries me is that he might have gotten turfed out of the Caer. You know how much Proctor Jarvis hates fighting. If he got angry enough, he may have asked Lord Baronel to turf them out entirely.” He looked back down at his scrambled eggs. “I have a horrible suspicion that Jessip did something to Aeron, and they’re both getting punished for it.”
Sharrah nibbled on a piece of bacon. “I can definitely see Jessip getting turfed, but not Aeron. He’s much too sensible. He normally has a level head on his shoulders, and I just can’t see him doing something so terrible that he’d get turfed.”
Willem sighed. “That’s just it. I told Aeron he was eventually going to have to stand up to Jessip. What if he took my advice and got in trouble?”
“Willem, he’s fine. I know that we don’t have very much information—” She made a face. “Actually, we have no information. Even so, I just don’t see Proctor Jarvis turfing someone out with no warnings or anything. Despite his being strict, he is fair.”
“Where is Aeron then?” Willem asked loudly. He shoved his plate away from him and put his head in his hands, elbows on the table. “He hasn’t been seen by anyone since dinner last night. Well, since he walked us to the craft halls, anyway.” He lowered his arms to the table and looked at Sharrah. “I distinctly remember him saying he would see me in the dorms later. He never showed up.”
She stared at him, sympathy in her eyes. But honestly, where could Aeron be? She scrunched up her nose in thought and said, “Truth be told, there aren’t many places he could be. He’s too young and isn’t a journeyman so he doesn’t have the option to move into the Housing Hall. And he obviously wouldn’t have moved to the Botany Craft Hall dorm at the Farm. The only thing I can think of that makes any sense is he moved into the Magic Craft Hall. It’s the only other craft hall that has living quarters.”
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