“Are you all right?” A concerned Jess asked.
"Yes." The young proctor nodded. "It is just that we found the book in one of the reading rooms downstairs, being perused by one of the girls who shouldn't have been in there, even though none of us rightly remember the child. We only know of her because of the notes I took of the event. I didn't record the girl's name, no doubt for the same reason I always keep my notes sparse. Less of a paper trail of past transgressions for Grimsly to use against the girls later, and haven't I just revealed far more to you than is prudent?" She chuckled softly, earning a bemused smile from Jess.
"I merely noted that one of the students had been found with an odd tome within one of the rooms reserved for instructors, and had been sent on her way after we had confiscated what looked to be a most inappropriate book, or so I can only assume it seemed to be from the notes I had kept. And that, of course, is one of the most chilling elements of the mystery." Her lips pressed in a sudden frown. "We had thought this book safely locked away here. Yet when we returned, it had vanished. And there is no record of anyone having taken the book or even entered this chamber since."
Jess nodded slowly. “I understand. But, odd as it may be to say this, I don’t think the book is missing.”
Indeed, she felt as if the object of her interest lay just the smallest distance away, in a direction at right angles to any she knew. Infinitely close, yet impossibly far away. It was a puzzle she found equally enticing and frustrating. "I think it's there. Just out of our reach, somehow."
The proctor tilted her head curiously. "And yet you can sense it? How? Forgive the seeming impertinence, but are you sure?"
Jess nodded solemnly. “It is like the faintest glimmerings of a trail into the realm of dreams but, for some reason, I can’t seem to pierce the veil.”
The proctor blinked. “If it's all the same, I’d rather you didn’t pierce any veils in reality while we are in here.”
Jess chuckled softly. “I can imagine.” She then focused the full force of her warm gaze upon the far friendlier proctor than had been the case but minutes ago in the main reading room. “I don’t suppose I could have the pleasure of your name?”
“It is Anna,” she said with a soft smile. “And it is a pleasure to meet such an intriguing student, if I may say.”
Jess gently brought the proctor’s hand to her palm and kissed it as would a knightly courtier, eyes twinkling in merriment, the proctor too shocked to resist. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, my Lady Anna. And I thank you for your aid, this day.”
For some reason Anna started to blush, gently pulling her hand away. "I am happy to be of service to the Guild, Del Jessica de Calenbry. And I too worry about the fate of any girls who might have been trapped by this most mysterious tome."
It was then that Jess felt a familiar presence land gracefully upon her shoulders. “I see you have managed to find the object of our search, my Jess.” Twilight peered carefully at the empty book lectern. “Though it does appear a bit…misplaced, at the moment.”
“That’s because right now it's turned to face the Shadowrealm it originated from,” Jess said knowingly.
"And you can sense it? Odd that it appears beyond my capacity to comfortably discern. This indicates a realm of dream either exceedingly distant, or one at right angles to any we’ve encountered before, and that would be troubling indeed.” Twilight swung around to face the lectern once more, tilting his head as if to catch the faintest glimmer of something.
“Why would it be so troubling, my dear Twilight? It would be good if it is only faintly connected to our realm, yes? Less chance of the veil between our worlds rupturing, and this school being pulled entirely into that realm of Shadow.”
Twilight nodded. “That much is true. But if it is this difficult even to sense, it might point to a Regio alien to anything we have encountered before. And that strangeness is something I find quite discomfiting. Let us proceed with caution, my mistress.”
Jess nodded solemnly. “Of course, Twilight. If you believe caution is to be our watchword, I will certainly not gainsay it.”
“I’m sorry, my Lady Jessica? What was that about the book?” Anna asked, blinking in slight confusion.
“Forgive me,” Jess smiled apologetically. “I was talking to my familiar.”
“Your familiar?”
Jess nodded. “Yes. You can’t see him, however, because he’s invisible.”
The proctor gave a bemused shake of her head. “That’s right. I recall you having such a familiar from your biography. It really is… unexpected to meet you in person, and to find that Alexo took far less license writing your tale than most scholars would assume was the norm for a bard.”
Jess grinned. “In other words, scholars are like nobles in their desire to believe that the exploits of adventurers are at best exaggerated and aggrandized tales told for the political benefit of the Guild, and at worst, the entire profession of Delvers is a farce performed solely for the benefit of the credulous masses, and to assure that the Guild remains relevant within the power structure under which we live.”
Anna chuckled ruefully. “You do like to cut to the heart of the matter, don’t you Jess?”
Jess laughed. “I have found that a powerful enough Zornhau strike cuts to the heart of most things, my dear Anna. But yes. I prefer achieving a direct understanding with blades bared, all cards laid upon the table, far more than I do pussyfooting about with endless innuendo. Obviously I am quite poorly suited for this particular academy. I would far rather be at Highrock even now, to tell you the gods' honest truth.”
Anna nodded solemnly. "Everything about your demeanor speaks of a life dedicated to the arts of war and a life of action. I can tell you are not one for patience or excessive analysis, but you don't strike me as a fool, either."
Jess chuckled softly. “Please tell that to my sister and mother at some point. One trained in the art of overarching strategy learns to carefully consider all variables when formulating a grand scheme of conquest. Yet for those trained in the arts of blitzkrieg tactics and battlefield command, it is vital to learn how to take in all relevant factors and adapt one's strategies in an instant, and clear lines of communication are vital. For the one constant of battle is that carefully laid out stratagems never survive first contact with the enemy. One must be willing to pivot and move with the tides of war in a heartbeat, able to communicate your commands clearly and concisely, not be frozen in indecision ruminating over endless variables, worrying about the political ramifications of shouting too loudly at your underofficer. For there is no time to waste in the heat of battle.”
Jess smiled. "In other words, save for preparing or sniffing out ambushes, patience is not my strong suit, and having trained for years to pierce the fog of war and develop concise and direct lines of communication with those under my command, I've learned to appreciate the power of plain speak. Yet in this bizarre world of politics and intrigue, those strengths that make me an excellent commander are the exact opposite of how one must act to prosper in Court, unless you are like my father, utterly honest and direct, with a sterling reputation and the might to back up your threats." Jess sighed. "As far as my mother is concerned, however, the fact that I'm not one for subtlety or innuendo appears to be a capital sin."
Anna gave a surprised bark of laughter at that, covering her mouth in sudden embarrassment. “You do like to dive into the familiarity of friendship quickly, don’t you, Jess? I have to admit it is rather… refreshing meeting someone like you at this academy, of all places.”
Jess nodded in wholehearted agreement. “Believe me, finding myself at this school of intrigue was not high on my list of things I would like to be doing but, well, politics.” She shrugged sheepishly.
Anna smiled sympathetically. “You’re not the first girl to find herself amid intrigue of one sort or another, but I must say if the players pulling your strings were hoping for a docile stay, they will be a tad bit disappointed.”
<
br /> Jess grinned evilly. “That’s because I cut all my strings.” She looked down at her exceedingly out of place Highrock uniform, the cut of her powerful thighs and calves clearly visible through her silken tights. “But the least I can do as a freed marionette is try to be useful and help find these missing girls.”
“A noble endeavor,” Anna acknowledged. “Of course, it would be helpful if we could somehow access the tome that is both here and not here, a tome which I am now increasingly certain is at the heart of the mystery involving these missing girls who almost no one seems able even to remember.”
Jess turned her head towards her shoulder. “What do you think, Twilight?”
Her familiar looked thoughtful. “Even if this tome is out of alignment with our realm, it must have been accessible at some point to have fallen into the hands of quite ordinary girls who might have unwittingly opened a portal to this mysterious Regio we are having such difficulties tracking down.”
Jess nodded in agreement. "Perhaps it manifests at a certain time of month? Or… hold on a moment…" Jess pondered thoughtfully for a bit, before her face lit with a smile. "Twilight! Anna! What’s the one time when all locks and barriers are open to a person?”
Twilight and Anna both gazed at Jess curiously.
Anna frowned, shaking her head. “I am sorry, Jessica. I am not sure I know the answer to this. Is it a riddle?”
Twilight looked thoughtful. “A time when all barriers are open to a man. Do you mean death?”
Jess grinned. "No, silly. I mean when you imagine them to be! Any of us can close our eyes and daydream about flying like an angel high above in the clouds, or turning annoying doors and headmistresses into a blizzard of butterflies soaring away in a pretty cloud. What I'm saying is maybe this book can be opened when people are in an altered state! Maybe some of the girls daydreamed about exploring this rather remarkable library, equal to Highrock's own in terms of books, frankly, and in their imaginings found an amazingly detailed tome amidst fuzzy half realized musings, and it was enough to engage their curiosity and coax them into reading it, and thence the portal was opened!"
Twilight and Anna both looked skeptical.
“I don’t know, Lady Jessica. Daydreams are ephemeral things, easily broken, fuzzy and incomplete,” Anna noted.
Jess nodded. "Okay, fair enough. Then how about with dreaming? Think about it. The gentle light of a full moon giving the entire grounds an almost mystical glow as a girl gazes out her window, feeling a tingle of awe for just a few brief moments, wondering what it would be like to live a life full of excitement and possibility, to be free of a jaded courtier-in-training's lot in life, whose only purpose will be to scheme and connive for a clan that will ultimately just view her as another piece to be cynically traded away in exchange for an alliance or item of greater worth in the eyes of her mercenary family?” Jess shuddered. “The very thought of having to live such a life would send me running for the hills. I can well imagine how in her heart of hearts, many a girl would be desperate to escape such a pointless existence bereft of true love, adoration, and genuine loyalty.”
Jess stroked a purring Twilight thoughtfully. "Maybe these girls simply yearn to find release and succor in their dreams. And perhaps this strange tome is their key to a dream that seems far more appealing to them than the life they live now."
Anna blinked, gazing at Jess with newfound respect, nodding her head slowly, as if the pieces to a difficult puzzle were beginning to fall into place.
Twilight butted his head against Jess’s cheek approvingly. “I do believe you are on to something, my dear Jess.”
Jess laughed with excitement, and gave a surprised Anna an impulsive hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Anna. I think we are close now to solving this mystery."
“Of course, Lady Jess.” Anna blushed and smiled. “It is a pleasure to help, and indeed, a rather refreshing change of pace. What do you plan to do now?”
“Why, to come back to the library of course!” Jess’s voice was brimming with excitement. “Only I doubt I’ll have a chance to say hi, because I’ll be doing so in a dream, you see.”
Anna nodded. “I wish you the best of luck, and I do hope you will return and tell me how your journey fares.”
"I would be happy to, Anna," Jess declared, giving the proctor before a friendly squeeze to her shoulders before her grip of a sudden became hard as steel, friendly smile instantly transformed to the cold measuring gaze Eloquin had so approved of, once upon a time. "I would have your word, however, before I go, Anna. For as much as your smile warms my heart, and you seem a decent soul in a den of petty spite, I have revealed much in trust and good faith."
For some reason Anna turned pale, Jess suddenly holding her upright as opposed to in place, the poor proctor's legs going weak. "Pease don't kill me, Lady Jessica. I meant no offense, I swear it!”
Jess blinked, suddenly taken aback. "What are you talking about, silly? I just want your word! Look me in the eyes and swear to me that you bear no ill will or malice towards me or mine, and that you have no plans to betray my trust." Jess gently sat down before the now trembling proctor. "Come now, that's not so hard, is it? We are friends now, I hope."
Anna took a few deep breaths, collecting herself, her gaze suddenly that of a lady before her liege lord. "My Lady Jessica de Calenbry, I, Anna Hearth, do swear that I bear you neither ill will nor malice, and have absolutely no intention of breaking the trust you have shown me this day. And further, if I have offended you in any way, Del Jessica, please forgive me."
Much relieved, Jess impulsively held a stiff Anna close, waiting for the young woman to thaw and hug her back. “Just as I thought. Honest, noble, and true. You deserve better than to be locked up in this foul place, Anna.” Jess kissed the proctor's surprised cheek, quickly getting up and helping her to her feet. “Please forgive me for scaring you.”
Anna gave a shaky smile. "Of course, Lady Jessica. Gregarious and open you may be, but I already I know you are no fool. And you have made it more than clear that, open as you are, there are consequences for breaking your trust." She tilted her head, flashing a bemused smile. "Why do I have the feeling you can actually discern truth from falsehood, naïve as you pretend to be, and dare I even guess what the consequences would have been, had you found me unworthy?"
Jess chuckled throatily, forbearing to answer the question. "Farewell, my dear Anna. I do hope you will consider me a friend. And if you have need of my aid, please don't hesitate to ask!" With a final wave to the bemused looking proctor, Jess dashed back down the stairs to report her discovery to her friends, Twilight, as ever, balanced perfectly upon his master's shoulder, no matter how she sprung or moved.
Focused as she was, pointedly too distracted to answer any uncomfortable questions, her familiar would not be deterred. “And if you had sensed malice and deception, what then would you have done, my mistress?”
“I think you already know the answer to that, Twilight,” Jess confessed sadly.
Her familiar gave a slow nod. “When you put it like that, indeed I do. I am glad, however, that she proved worthy of your trust and warmth. For I know the toll it has on you, when the ruthless demands of destiny and even survival lay at odd angles to the leanings of your heart."
Her familiar sighed contemplatively for a moment before perking up. “Ooh look, there is Juliana up ahead. Just look out for hmm... all right, jumping over students works as well as going around them, I suppose. How interesting. One looks to have dropped into a bout of the shrieks. This building has surprisingly good acoustics. A design flaw in a library, if you ask me.”
“Juliana, get up! I figured it out!” Jess declared, her exaggerated whisper so loud it might as well have been a shout. A good thing, Jess thought, considering the odd screams still echoing through the library. Her friend jerked upright, already looking spooked, slamming down the tome she had been reading with a start.
"It wasn't anything improper, Mother, I swear!" She blinked. "Oh,
hi Jess, you figured it out? That's wonderful! Ha ha. You caught me a bit off-guard, I'm afraid. I thought those cries were from another of the proctor's victims caught out with something embarrassing, thankfully far from me. It's really not polite to sneak up on someone unexpected, you know. Jess?"
But Jess was already racing ahead for the entrance. “Come on, Juliana, time's a wasting!”
Unfortunately, Juliana didn't seem to be keeping up, Jess in her excitement somewhat forgetting herself, having decided to charge ahead at a pace usually reserved for a royal messenger's stallion, earning herself more than one look of awe as she raced past, full speed, for her tower of residence.
“You do know that you are supposed to be at least nominally under cover?” Twilight quipped sardonically as the wind from Jess’s passage whipped through his fur.
“No point in that, my friend! I already threw down the gauntlet!”
Her familiar sighed. “I understand completely. It has been what, almost an entire day since you smashed a hole in the headmistress's wall with enough force to do a trebuchet proud? Ridiculous to expect you to blend in, running at a mortal's pace and all.”
"Exactly. And thank goodness I was able to smuggle in a couple of my Highrock uniforms. Those dresses are an absolute horror to sprint in," Jess agreed, most definitely not paying attention to her familiar's pointed stare.
“Jess! By the gods! What’s wrong?” Apple asked on her way back to quarters, alarmed to see her sister racing toward her at such a speed, raising her arms up defensively before Jess came to a complete stop, tearing up the turf as she did. “Ooh, that’s never coming out of your boots,” Apple sighed, looking at her sister’s feet.
Jess shrugged, smiling happily, ignoring the students gazing at her in awe and exchanging whispers. “Who cares about the bloody boots? And where’s Rulia? I’ve got exciting news! I think I figured out what happened to the girls!”
“What happened to what girls?” one of the students found the courage to ask straight out, shying back only slightly when Jess spun about, locking the suddenly furtive girl in place with her gaze, pointedly ignoring the sudden nervous whispers about eyes the color of blood.
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