A Thorne in Time

by Lorel Clayton

  Gypsum found me later and removed the pillow from my face. “What are you doing here? I thought you wanted to study fencing? I had it added to your schedule.”

  I hadn’t looked at my schedule since breakfast. I had noted the fresh sheet of paper hung by my door but ignored it.

  “What’s the point? I’m going home first chance I get.” Uncle wouldn’t like that, but he didn’t need to know. I could live on the streets, like Duane. Of course, Duane wouldn’t want me around either. I had no place, nothing.

  “You’re experiencing boarding school blues is all. Happens all the time around here. It doesn’t help that you missed the orientation and introduction party. Half the girls in this school don’t know each other and are as vulnerable and scared as you. But you have even less reason to be than most! There’s Karolyne, and me. I want to be your friend.”

  “How could you? I’m Solhan. Perhaps you’re only fascinated by the freak.” I was reminded of my conversation with Hazel. She had boarding school blues too.

  “Never ever say that. The Solhans are a great people, a heritage you should be proud of.”

  “You’ve never met a Solhan before have you?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Few are ‘great’. More like ‘irate’, ‘angry’ and just plain ‘cruel’. Best you avoid being my friend.”

  “I’ll be the judge of who is good and who is cruel, and I haven’t seen anything deplorable about you. A bit of sloth, but nothing a good schedule can’t overcome.”

  I cringed at the word ‘schedule’, and her expression softened.

  “But, it’s my solemn duty to make up for your missing the arrival party. How about we both skip out this afternoon and I take you into town? Cakes, pastries, tea in the ice gardens, window shopping.... You’ll like it.”

  “Ice gardens?”

  “Of course. Gernwold is cold. But the tea is hot.”

  Cakes too. My stomach rumbled. “That sounds better than whatever else was on my schedule for this afternoon.”

  “Let’s go.” Gypsum took my arm, but her grip was broken when Karolyne raced between us and began tearing through her trunk.

  “Hey!” I said. “What’s up?”

  “Madam Jaspar is awake.” Karolyne was frightened.

  “I know.”

  “And she says a student attacked her, one with a cursed silver necklace. They’re searching everywhere for it and the culprit!”

  “Crap.” I started tearing through my own trunk.

  “What’s going on here?” Gypsum asked.

  Karo emerged with a bottle of gin. “Hiding contraband. The school guards are searching every room. Where am I going to put this?”

  Gypsum had a sour, disappointed expression, but a moment later it softened and she sighed. “I know a place. Come on.”

  I tucked the necklace in the pocket of my school jacket and turned to follow.

  “What do you need to hide?” she asked.

  “I forgot. I don’t have contraband now, but I’m likely to later. So, show me where to hide it when I get it.”

  “You are strange,” Gypsum mumbled.

  The three of us slunk out the door and around the corner. I heard boots echoing down the hallway, followed by the wooden sounds of overturned drawers and chests. “They’re close by.”

  “It’s not far,” Gypsum reassured me.

  Soon we were in a deep alcove, hiding behind an urn that stood on a marble pedestal.

  “Where to now?” Karo asked. The footsteps were headed our way.

  “We’re here.” Gypsum clambered atop the pedestal and lifted the lid of the urn. It made the sculp sound of fine china pieces scraping together. “Put it inside.”

  “This hidey hole is not big enough to stash a body,” I pointed out.

  Gypsum froze.

  “She’s kidding,” Karolyne said. “It’s a Solhan thing.”

  I nodded. At least I thought I was kidding. Sometimes I didn’t know myself.

  Karo was taller than Gypsum and had no difficulty reaching inside to set the bottle of gin gently on the bottom. “This isn’t going to work. They’ll look here.”

  “As long as it’s not in your possession, what’s the matter?” Gypsum asked.

  “I might want the gin back when winter sets in. Something to keep the chill away.”

  “Then move it again later when the coast is clear. We must go now.” She ushered us off. They were ransacking our room now, only a few doors down.

  Karolyne and Gypsum headed the opposite way, but they turned back when they saw I wasn’t following. “Come on.”

  “Let’s split up,” I said. “Meet you at supper.”

  Gypsum pulled Karo’s arm, shaking her head, and the two of them soon vanished into the depths of the school.

  I climbed atop the pedestal and dropped the necklace inside. I nearly dropped the ceramic lid too, when a voice behind me said, “You can’t leave it there.”

  It was Hazel. She was hiding in the shadows, and I hadn’t heard her sneak up behind me.

  “Hiding some of your own contraband?” I asked. Hazel didn’t seem the type to break the rules. Then again, she was half-Solhan.

  “You can’t let Madam Jaspar get hold of it.”

  “Why not?”

  “You can’t....”

  There was no time to argue with her or hide it anyplace else, because one of the guards was coming right for us. I stepped boldly into the corridor and started walking.

  “You there,” he said, and I stopped. “Turn out your pockets.”

  I turned and did as he asked, glad my jacket was empty now. There were no pockets in my dress, but he eyed my boots and stockings, as though I might hide something in there. I took them off and threw them at him. “Is this how ladies are treated in Gernwold?”

  “Apologies.” He was a reddish dwarf who grew redder looking at my bare ankles. I lifted my skirt, about to show him there was nothing in my garter either, but he held up a hand. “There’s no need for that, young lady. My mother would whip me for being so disrespectful to a lady, even a human.”

  I would have felt some sympathy for his predicament if he hadn’t added ‘even a human’. As it was, I pounced on his hesitation. “I bet you enjoy this chance to ogle school girls. What sort of a man searches through our private things, unless he takes some pleasure in it?”

  My words and brazen pose were making him uncomfortable. He looked at the ground and pulled at the ruffled collar that hung over the rim of his etched breastplate. He said, “Only following orders.”

  “Now that is the worst excuse, and yet I hear it every day. Whenever a new band of refugees arrives in Highcrowne, city guards, ‘following orders’, send the women and children into the slums and the men are paraded before the shipmasters who draft whoever they like into interminable ‘employment’, sometimes never to be seen again. Those are the lucky ones. My uncle’s minions ‘follow orders’ whenever they offer food in exchange for muscle, for gangs of desperate men to war with other desperate gangs. Victim or tyrant, all claim to be following orders of man or gods and take no responsibility for themselves. Are you another tyrant? Another victim?”

  The guard seemed thoroughly off kilter from my lecture, his mouth open, speechless. His compatriot showed then to ask what was happening, and the guard dragged him away from me, clearly eager to avoid any further moral contemplation.

  “Hmm.” I smirked at their departing backs.

  I put my boots and stockings back on and looked around for Hazel, but she was nowhere to be found. She was a sneaky one.

  I left the necklace where it was, now that I had managed to divert the search from this area. I’d come back for it tonight and find a better hiding place. Maybe in the meantime, someone would tell me what was so special about it.

  4 | FOUND OUT

  ~

  CLASSES THAT AFTERNOON WERE AWASH in whispers. I missed Fencing and was stuck with Knitting and Rhetoric. Rhetoric might have been interesting, if the instruct
or had wanted to discuss current issues and hadn’t, instead, been reviewing tired arguments for the matriarchy that were centuries old. Gypsum was in all my classes, so I knew she’d pulled strings to be there. She wanted to ask what I’d been up to, I could tell, but there was no opportunity with every whisper squashed by watchful teachers. Gypsum and I never did sneak out for some time on the town, because the gates were locked.

  They were locked the next day too, and the one after that. Gypsum forgot to ask me anything, and I forgot to move the necklace. It hadn’t been found, and I didn’t have any place better to hide it.

  At dinner, on the third day after all the excitement, Madam Hale led prayers to the dwarven gods of hearth, home and education. Madam Jaspar was there, and she stood to speak too. She was pale and trembled, the bandage around her midriff plain for all to see. Why hadn’t they paid a mage to heal her? I would have thought a fancy school like this would take care of its own. Many of the other teachers attempted to offer a helping hand, but she waved them off.

  Karolyne sat beside me and Gypsum across from me. One nudged me in the ribs and the other kicked my shin to make sure I was paying attention, but I already was. I was hanging on every facial expression to see who she would accuse as her attacker. Would it be a Solhan?

  I hadn’t spotted Hazel lately and wondered if she was in hiding. Someone had told me she’d gone home, but I didn’t believe that for a second. Her home was worse than mine, her birthright a taint. That kind of thing could weigh on a person, make them depressed or angry. I knew from experience, and I usually went for angry. Had Hazel done something? Had she attacked the teacher?

  Or would Madam Jaspar blame me, knowing full well I was innocent, if only to expunge a filthy Solhan from her presence?

  Madam Jaspar looked at no one as she spoke, her gaze distant. “I have only recently recovered from a fever that set in from my wound. Many of you may know I blamed a student for the attack, but it was a fever dream. My...apologies.” The word seemed difficult for her to utter. “I’m unsure who attacked me. A thief perhaps. Nevertheless, I am looking for a necklace that was stolen from me. It is silver, featuring a rare variety of green jasper, and is a dear family heirloom. The thief may have absconded with it, but if anyone has knowledge of its whereabouts or how to find it, I will provide a generous reward.” She sat back down again, and quiet reigned.

  I didn’t think anyone had expected her to claim the cursed necklace or show such single-minded concern for it.

  Finally, Madam Hale stood again. “Thank you for your apology, Madam Jaspar, but no one blames you for your fever. We all wish we could do more to find justice for you. The guard on the school has been doubled, to protect from future incursions, and we will do all we can to find this heirloom. It must be precious indeed.” She didn’t add ‘for you to bear it being silver’ but we heard the unspoken sentiment.

  I was quiet too, and bemused. Karolyne and I returned to our room. Gypsum came along with us, wildly conjecturing. “Perhaps she’s a sorceress?”

  “Madam Jaspar? Why?” I asked.

  “Farseeing? Silver?” Gypsum made it sound like those were obvious signs.

  “Why can’t she far-see where the necklace is?” Karo wondered, logical as always.

  “What difference does it make if she’s a sorceress, witch, mage, enchanter or whatever you want to call her?” I said.

  It wasn’t illegal to practice magic in the Kingdoms, even for pay, and a title was only used if you were a professional in your craft. Many people dealt in weak spells, amateurs, while those of great skill were usually involved in the war effort. If they were human that was. The mysterious Avians, who ruled the Kingdoms alongside the Matriarchs and Elf King, did not concern themselves with external matters, and they were as magical as it was possible to be. Elven magic was pervasive too, almost all elves had it, but it wasn’t powerful. There were very few magical dwarves. Maybe that’s why Madam Jaspar was of note?

  “If she’s a sorceress, perhaps the necklace is necessary for her spells? It could be what gives her that legendary far-seeing ability? That would explain why she needs it so badly. How will she make maps without it?” Gypsum seemed smug about her reasoning.

  “That does make sense,” I admitted.

  “Yes,” Karo agreed. “Do you think they’ll search our rooms again?”

  “It sounds like she is relying on someone wanting the reward to find it now,” Gypsum said. “But, you never know. It would be a good excuse to ferret out any more contraband. I hear Juliette had a flask of whisky in her bag. She’s a month detention to look forward to. What is it with you human girls and drink? We dwarves are raised on barley ale; it’s a foodstuff and the easiest way to import barley, as mice are unlikely to eat it fermented. Why the need for hard liquor?”

  “Because our parents would be furious,” Karolyne said. “Why else? Plus, you can’t get as drunk on barley ale. It fills you up before you go blind. We need something to help the school years blur by.”

  “Maybe I should have brought some too,” I mused, not that I thought numbing my brain was the best way to rebel against my family. Using my brain was probably the best revenge.

  “Never fear.” Karolyne removed the candlesticks from a side table. She pulled off the tablecloth, and then I saw it wasn’t a side table at all. Actually, it hadn’t been there this morning. It was a crate. “I have enough to keep everyone well lubricated. Mail arrived today with my shipment. I have a consignment deal with a Highcrowne distillery who were willing to back me, knowing I could operate inside the school. Only, that urn isn’t big enough to hold all this. I need you to help me bury it in the woods. Someplace I can hide this long term. There’s a forest at the edge of the grounds; I checked.”

  “Oh my gods,” Gypsum exclaimed. “A bottle of gin is one thing, but a bootleg conspiracy? Who are you people?”

  “Descendants of merchants,” Karolyne said.

  “Criminals in my case,” I said. “At best.”

  “I suppose that explains it.” Gypsum’s look of shock slowly transformed into one of mischief. “You two are way more fun than anyone else in this school.”

  “The guard has been doubled,” I reminded Karo. “Madam Hale said so. How are we to get your stash to safety?”

  We both looked at Gypsum, and she shrugged. “I’m out of ideas.”

  “The window at the end of the hall,” I said. “I hang around down on the ground to collect each basket of booze, while one of you lowers it down a few at a time and the other runs lookout.”

  “I’ll run lookout below with you, Eva,” Gypsum said.

  “You’re volunteering?” Karo asked, surprised. “On the ground is probably the riskiest job, because of the patrols.”

  “I’m far better at talking my way out of trouble than either of you, besides it sounds fun.” Gypsum was taking quickly to our bootleg conspiracy.

  “We can’t let you do that,” I said. “You’re an innocent, and it’s bad enough we’re corrupting you. We can’t let you get caught. Karolyne, you’re on the ground with me. Gypsum runs lookout up above while we get...Juliette to lower the bottles.” I was amazed by the words coming out of my mouth. “She’s already got detention, so what does she have to lose?”

  I had thought about Hazel first, but she was nowhere to be found. I wanted to know what she knew, anyway, so if I found her I wouldn’t waste breath on this silly scheme. I’d hit her with some real questions instead.

  “More months of detention,” Karolyne pointed out. “I thought you hated Juliette. Or is this part of the plan? Get her in worse trouble?”

  “I do sort of hate her, but we need help. Gypsum and she have nothing against each other. Right?”

  Gypsum nodded. “You humans all look alike.”

  “Funny,” I said, thinking humans believed the same about dwarves. “Give her some whisky in payment, Karo. You do have whisky in there?”

  “I do. Fine. It’s a plan.” Karo made us all swear a blood oath not to
betray one another. That meant sharing a few drops of pinky blood, released using our embroidery needles and mixed in a thimble before we each downed a sip. It wasn’t a real Solhan blood ritual, so I thought nothing of it. Nobody died and no souls were bound. They took it seriously though.

  “If we get Juliette to swear too, I’ll be happy,” Karolyne said.

  We hung back as Gypsum approached Juliette. The blonde girl was sitting by herself in the common room. Seemed she didn’t have any friends either, at least the other human girls weren’t with her, and the dwarves avoided her as much as they did us Solhans. We all looked alike after all.

  “Juliette, is it?” I heard Gypsum say.

  I ducked out of sight before she could see I was involved. She’d refuse outright if she caught sight of me and Karolyne. This all had to be Gypsum’s plan.

  “Let’s find a rope,” I told Karolyne. “A basket too. Something to lower things down.”

  “The well!” she and I said at the same time. It’s like we should have been twins. Maybe the red hair had put us in synch?

  We hurried to the well house behind the kitchens. I had a sheathed knife in my garter, so it was good the guardsman hadn’t let me show more leg the night before. I would have been punished worse than detention for that, even expelled, but that suited me fine. I’d definitely need the dagger if I was living on the streets. I used it to cut the rope, while Karolyne made sure no one from the kitchen came in and caught us vandalizing things.

  I hid the knife again and rolled the rope up so it was inside the bucket. I tossed in some potatoes from the cold storage in the well house, and then whistled as I strolled back inside and up to our room. It was nearly dark and time for curfew.

  Juliette was there, a smear of blood on her lips.

  “You took the oath?” Karolyne was serious.

  “I swore to Gypsum. She promised me a winter’s supply of whisky,” Juliette said.

  Karolyne glared at Gypsum, but nodded. “More than the bottle I had in mind, but fine. As long as you agree to help with future shipments, you’re in.”

  Juliette’s expression soured. “This once.”