Upon entering, they were greeted by Kyle, the co-owner. He wore an emerald green robe with fitted sleeves. Not the most stylish sleeves, as Lucy was to find out, but they did not get in the way of trying to help customers. Kyle was tall and on the older side with long white hair and a mustache. He had a kind demeanor and a polite smile. His wife and co-owner Nancy, a plump older lady with curly white hair wearing a blue robe, was helping other customers.
“New student?” asked Kyle politely.
Lucy nodded.
“I think between Justin and myself we can sort you out,” he smiled. “Let’s see your list to make sure nothing has changed and see if there are any special circumstances.”
Lucy handed him her list and watched as his eyes ran over it. She had not even looked at the list. Kyle umhummed to himself and handed her back her list. Lucy looked at it.
1 set gloves
2 sets footwear
3 sets everyday clothes
1 cloak
2 sets pajamas
2 sets work clothes
Underwear (no more than 8 sets)
1 pack
10 pairs of socks
This all looked reasonable to Lucy. She wouldn’t expect a normal school to provide things like this. Anything extra she could work to buy. By then, she would have a better idea of what was comfortable, stylish, or what she needed more of. Although, 10 pairs of socks and 8 pairs of underwear? The fact that they were uneven amounts bothered Lucy. Hadn’t people learned from the hot dog versus hot dog bun fiasco? Well, she would simply have to buy extra underwear at her first opportunity to even things out.
“Where would you like to start?” asked Kyle.
“What would you suggest?”
“I think we should get everything that needs trying on out of the way. Then you can wear a set of everyday clothes out of here and pick out boots and a cloak to match,” suggested Justin.
“I quite agree,” said Kyle. “Work clothes first I think.”
Lucy let herself be led to the back left of the store. There were a variety of shirts, pants, tunics, and other clothing items. All of them appeared to be more heavy duty than what Justin was wearing.
“These will be what you wear for your weapons and horsemanship classes. I suggest clothing that will move with your body and not get caught on things,” said Kyle.
“I suggest you also make sure you can move in them without chafing,” added Justin.
“My clothes never chafe!” exclaimed Kyle, sounding rather offended.
“My leather breeches were no picnic.”
“That was because you refused to wear the hose that we recommend you wear under them.”
“I was not about to wear tights.”
“Sweating, with this kind of leather next to your skin, is not a good idea.”
“I found that out the hard way.”
“If you had been more concerned with function and less concerned about looking good if front of the ladies, you never would have bought them.”
“Why do you sell non-functioning clothing in the first place?”
Lucy let them argue on. This seemed to be an ongoing discussion every time the two got together, so she left them to it and looked at the clothes. She picked out a form-fitting beige under tunic, a pair of brown leggings that felt sturdy yet comfortable, and a leather over tunic.
“Can I try these on?” asked Lucy, nervously interrupting their discussion.
“Certainly, this way,” Kyle led her to the fitting room.
It was easy to put the clothing on, and Lucy liked the way it felt. There were no zippers or Velcro. It was all held together with ties, or in some cases, buttons.
“How’s this?” she asked coming out to model the outfit.
“That’s more like it,” said Justin giving her an appraising look.
“I think the fit is perfect,” added Kyle, “You only need the one leather over tunic, but would you like a second pair of the rest or would you like to try something else?”
“The same would be lovely. A light blue tunic and dark green leggings if you have them, please. That way the four pieces are interchangeable.”
Kyle ran off to get the pieces while Lucy slipped back into her jeans and sweatshirt.
“Perhaps you should pick out a pack next. That way we can start putting the things you want in it,” suggested Kyle when he came back.
“We should have had her do that first,” said Justin.
“That’s ok, lead me to packs,” said Lucy before they could start arguing about that.
It did not take Lucy long to pick out a lightweight, dark brown leather pack. It was waterproof, spacious enough for her clothes, and had lots of extra pockets. Lucy liked pockets.
Then they moved on to everyday clothes. There were even more choices here. There were only so many types of clothes it was wise to ride horses in, but to go to normal classes anything went. There were leggings, pants that flowed, skirts of every length, tops of every cut, and they all came in every fabric and color imaginable. Lucy looked everything over. She dismissed anything too skimpy. She was there to learn, not to show off cleavage. She decided against the skirts. Some of them were beautiful, and some of them were funky, but she was sure if she got one she would end up wearing pants most of the time anyways. She could come back for a skirt another time.
Lucy ended up with 3 different pairs of leggings. One soft, dark blue, and fitted, one flowy, silky, and red, and the third loose, but not too flowy, warm, and brown. To go with them, she got three tops. Two tunics that went down to her mid thigh, one green and one light blue, both with simple but elegant embroidery around the bottom and the cuffs. The third top was beige with brown embroidery all over it. It was fitted and showed a little bit of her mid drift when worn with the red pants. Kyle and Justin both agreed she looked good. She kept on brown leggings with the green top. Kyle confiscated her other clothes, and Lucy never did find out what happened to them. He took her shoes as well so they went to look at those next, picking out her 10 pairs of socks on the way.
“The student needs one pair of sturdy boots for work, and the other pair can be whatever you want,” said Kyle.
“I recommend a pair like mine,” said Justin modeling his.
Lucy agreed and got one pair that laced almost up to her knees. The leather was soft, but strong and there were supports in the ankle to avoid buckling when fighting. Her other pair was more fashionable. They were even softer leather and slipped on to mid calf. She kept those on as well. Kyle put the other pair in her pack.
Lucy picked out a warm hunter green cloak. Kyle and Justin helped her pick out sturdy leather gloves for riding and fighting. Lucy made them go away as she picked out her underwear and pajamas. They did not need to know everything she wore. Lucy really enjoyed shopping for clothing and was excited to come back and add to her collection once she figured out what else she might wear. Right now she was trying to find things that were interchangeable, practical, and colors that would hopefully blend in rather than catch other people’s eyes. Lucy never felt comfortable if she thought people were watching her.
Lucy thanked Kyle and they left the shop. Justin carried her pack.
“See, that wasn’t so bad,” said Lucy. She was used to shopping with guys who cringed at the mere idea of a woman trying on clothing.
“I told you you seemed practical,” responded Justin.
“What next? How are we doing on time?”
“I think we should get your books next. We can hand George the list and he can get them for you faster than you can blink. You can look at what else is in the shop some other time. We still need to get you things like quills and parchment.”
“Oh, can you show me where the Apothecary shop is too? That’s where I will be working.”
“Certainly,” replied Justin as they entered the bookstore.
“What can I get you?” asked George without so much as a hello. He was not rude, just straight to the point.
Lucy handed G
eorge her book list and watched as he rushed about. He was a small, middle-aged man, clean-shaven with short brown hair, small spectacles, and a slight limp in his left leg. Before she knew it she was holding a stack of books. Just to be on the safe side, she double-checked the stack against the list.
A Very Basic Over View of Other Worlds by Linus Dexter
Did you Really Think your World was the Only One? By Darwin Nelson
Things Everyone Should Know About Healing by Hanna Cory
Potions for Beginners by Kent Fogg
How I Blew up my Cauldron (items you should never mix) by Emma Dent
Basic Spells Every Wizard Should Master by Darla Mirander
Everything appeared to be in order. George wished them good day and was off helping the next person. Some of the books were very thick. Lucy had a lot of reading ahead of her, and these were just the beginning books. Lucy was excited though and reading was not hard. She was an English major after all. Frankly, she was more concerned about weapons training. She had never held a weapon of any kind in her life unless you count a kitchen knife, which she was dangerous enough with but mostly to herself.
Justin handed her her pack and carried her pile of books for her instead. Lucy appreciated this. They went next door and supplied Lucy with quills, ink, and parchment. Lucy had lots of questions for Justin, but he brushed them off, asking her to wait until dinner.
Justin quickly took her past the Apothecary’s.
“If we want to make it to dinner, we don’t have time to stop.”
“I’m famished so I’m not going to disagree,” replied Lucy.
“Don’t worry, we’ll have time to stop by later. New students don’t start their jobs until the second week.”
“I’ll need the week off just to deal with the culture shock.” They both laughed.
“I’m afraid we don’t have time to stop in your room and drop these things off either.”
“I don’t mind. Besides, is it unusual for people to come to dinner with books?” If this was the school it sounded like it was, there would be books at dinner.
“Not at all. Most people see dinner as a social time, but some people need to study, and no one bothers them about it. Some people might guess you are a new student; others won’t even notice,” Justin smiled and kept walking.
Chapter 5
The Dining Hall was a buzz of activity. There were many oak tables of various sizes seating as many as ten and as few as two. Lucy liked the room immediately. It had a sense of warmth about it. The floors were wood, which was easy to clean and also added to the sense of comfort. There was a fireplace to be lit in case it was cold. Before she had much of a chance to study the room, Justin was being hailed.
“Justin,” called a pretty blond girl with dimples waving to Justin.
He walked in that direction, motioning for Lucy to follow.
“Hi,” she said, as they got closer.
“Lucy, Maya… Maya, Lucy,” Justin said.
Maya and Lucy smiled at each other.
“Put your stuff here. I’ll watch it while you go grab some food,” said Maya in a friendly voice, a musical voice.
“Thank you,” said Lucy.
She put down her pack. Justin put down her books and led her to the food.
Lucy followed Justin to the far end of the Dining Hall where there was a buffet of food. There was a section with salads and fruit. Lucy loved fruit and selected some she had never seen before. It was always worth trying new things. Next to that were different types of breads, pastas, and sauces to put over them. Some of the sauces were labeled as meatless. Although Lucy was not a vegetarian, she appreciated the effort that had been made for those who were. Lucy selected some warm rye bread and a small helping of pasta with a sauce that she hoped was mild. She was not a fan of spicy foods. The next section contained various meats. She helped herself to some fowl (turkey, she hoped). The last section held desserts. Lucy grabbed two cookies, filled a glass with water, and made her way back to Maya. She beat Justin there; he was still heaping food on his plate.
Maya was thin and blond. She had green eyes, and a bubbly personality. Lucy put her plate down and sat next to Maya. They had been joined by yet another student.
“Lucy Gavin, Gavin Lucy,” Maya made the introductions.
Lucy and Gavin smiled at each other and shook hands. He was tall, lithe, well-muscled, dark blond, and confident. Hopefully his confidence did not extend into an overlarge male ego.
“New student?” asked Gavin conversationally.
“Yes, does it show?”
“Not too much, but I haven’t seen you around before. Besides, Justin seems to have a knack for finding new students.”
“Then why aren’t we at a larger table?” wondered Lucy. If Justin made friends so quickly, he must have a lot of them.
“Oh, I just said he finds the new students. If they seem vapid to him, he does not make an effort to become or remain their friends. They usually find people more to their liking and drift with that crowd instead.”
“Is it cliquey here?”
“Not really,” put in Maya. “Most students are here to learn and are friendly enough to everyone. No one is excluded. Some people float from group to group. Some people just find they are similar and hang out together most of the time. It is easier for people taking the same class to find something to talk about or have shared experiences, so they tend to spend time together. It’s more out of a sense of comfort than direct exclusion. They wouldn’t not let you sit with them, but you might find you have nothing to add to the conversation and thus look for someone else to sit with the next meal.”
Justin arrived and sat down between Lucy and Gavin. Everyone began to eat.
“I bet you are bursting with questions,” said Maya.
“Feel free to ask,” added Gavin.
“Well, I’m sure I could think up a few,” said Lucy. “Let’s see, for starters, there was food up there I did not recognize.”
“Of course,” said Justin, “The head cook gets food from many different worlds. That way, it gets you used to the food. You learn to be open-minded and try more things or some nights you don’t eat. Also, if you end up in a world that has the melon you are eating, you will now know it is safe to eat and whether or not you like it.”
“That makes sense.”
“And it’s fun,” put in Gavin. “There is always something new to try.”
“Next question,” demanded Maya with a smile.
“I noticed Justin helped me buy quills and parchment. Thank you for all your help by the way,” Lucy added to Justin who grinned. “Anyways, I was wondering if we use computers at all around here?”
“Ugh! Would you honestly want to go to any world that’s like the one you came from? The point of this is to get away from all that!” responded Gavin.
Lucy thought about that for a moment and had to agree. She had no problems living without computers.
“Since you will not be going somewhere with computers, you get used to not using them here. Believe me, your penmanship will improve dramatically,” said Maya.
“That makes sense, but aren’t there other lands with computers?”
“Yes,” said Justin. “The High Tech School of Wizardry is housed in a whole other area. You won’t come in contact with any of them, and after awhile here, they might seem like a whole different race.”
“Probably somewhere out there in cyberspace,” interrupted Gavin with a grimace.
“People going to those worlds are recruited differently. The admissions officer watches high scores on video games, monitors hackers, and recruits through the internet,” Justin explained further.
“Most people here have read a few too many fantasy books, have an obsession with medieval weapons, believe horses are a better way to get around than cars, and would rather drink tea to cure an illness before they go anywhere near a modern medical doctor,” added Maya.
“The more I hear, the more I like this place,” said
Lucy with a smile.
They continued to discuss things until Lucy began to yawn.
“Come, I’ll escort you to your room,” said Justin. He stood up and picked up her stack of books.
“Thanks,” said Lucy. She rose and picked up her pack. She said goodnight to Maya and Gavin and followed Justin out of the Dining Hall.
“Your map?” asked Justin once they reached the hallway.
“Hmmm?” questioned Lucy with another yawn, looking confused.
“Your map?” asked Justin again.
“Why do we need that?”
“Well, I don’t know where your room is yet. Do you?”
Lucy smiled, “That’s right. I forgot. Here.”
Lucy pulled the map out of her pack and unfolded it. There was her blue ‘you are here’ arrow right outside the Dining Hall. Lucy studied the map further and found a blue rose on the other side of the building labeled ‘your room’. Justin looked at the map, nodded, and started off down the hallway. Lucy refolded the map and put it away. They wandered down one hallway then another, up a flight or two of spiral stairs, down another hallway, and then Justin paused in front of a door with a blue rose on it.
“Interesting,” said Justin.
“What is?”
“Well, my door has a green leaf on it. You’re welcome to come in at any time by the way,” he said with a smile that was more friendly than invitational. “Maya’s door has a purple cloud on it, and Gavin has a quiver of arrows fletched with red feathers. The symbol is not something we pick, but it says something about us.”
“You are right; that is interesting,” said Lucy. She loved roses, but why would someone choose that symbol for her? Lucy reached out and pushed open her door. It was dark. She looked at Justin.
“It’s dark in there.”
Justin laughed, “That’s right, your first lesson. Look down the hallway and tell me what you see.”
Lucy looked and really studied it for the first time. She had wandered here in a sleepy state of mind and had not paid attention before. It was obviously dark outside, but it was light in the hallway, and there were no torches to provide this light. She looked higher and realized the light source seemed to be blue stones lining the top of the wall every few feet.
The Eye of Elicion: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol 1 Page 3