and they nodded at Mistress Schuylar before they took their seats.
Mistress Schuylar introduced the other apprentices as Emile
and George Fusser, and Stal Larner, and explained for his benefit that their
job was to preserve the records of Chardwick’s fathers and forefathers. Edwin
had been excited to learn that the villagers had kept a record of every
incident and thing to come from the mines, but his excitement quickly faded. Mistress
Schuylar set him to work archiving scrolls—some with titles like The
Fallen Hero of Gelding and Bolin’s Poisoned Well —and Edwin was
salivating at the chance to read what was inside, but Mistress Schuylar forbade
it and never strayed far. Edwin could sense the spirit growing bored, but with
Mistress Schuylar nearby, it never bothered or taunted him.
That night he walked back to Hawthorne alone, and he found
himself missing Walt. Each villager he saw, man, woman and child alike, slowed
to stare at him as he passed. Like Martha, they suspected he hurt their
precious tree, but unlike Martha, they kept it to themselves.
“Come, let’s look for life,” the spirit whispered in his
ear.
“I’m too tired,” Edwin mumbled, not caring if a villager saw
him talking to himself. “And they’ll be expecting me. I just want to go to
bed.”
“But you musst. Your life dependss on it.”
Edwin shrugged. They hadn’t found anything substantial to
sacrifice yet, and he had little hope they would, especially after Lady Nemain
told him that the village kept no livestock and all their meat was salted and
stored. Besides, he was already in enough trouble without breaking more rules.
He only hoped the right opportunity would present itself to him soon.
The next morning Edwin was told he would have to leave his
apprenticeship at midday. “Ask an Oculus,” growled Headmistress Vanora when he
asked why.
Ashton was sitting only a few feet away eating breakfast,
and he jumped at the chance to please the Headmistress. “Every child in
Chardwick is to spend a few hours a week with Lady Nemain,” he explained, and
he gave Edwin directions to her training yard from his apprenticeship, which
wasn’t far.
Edwin felt sick most of the morning, and it was slightly
depressing sorting books that Mistress Schuylar seemed intent on never letting
him read. He also couldn’t stop sweating, he felt cold, and his hand was all he
could think about. When it was finally time to leave, he found Nemain’s
building easily enough; it was labeled with a sign that read Chardwick’s Aegis . Though he couldn’t
see his spirit, he sensed it was near. Slowly, he opened the door.
Entering a long but narrow room, the first thing he noticed
was that weapons hung from every available space on the wall. There were thin
blades and thick, curved and straight, and handles of every type. They were all
also adorned with a polished bloodstone—amber from the hallow tree. Edwin
sensed that his spirit was repelled but also curious. The walls were so
cluttered that Edwin almost didn’t see that there was a door handle.
“Stay close,” he told the spirit, which purred in
acknowledgment. He opened the door, and a wall of fog fell at his feet.
“Edwin, over here,” he heard Walt yell. Unable to see
anything, Edwin had no idea how Walt knew he was there. Making his way
awkwardly around boys changing, he got near the back of the room and saw Walt,
who had his hand up and was trying to get Edwin’s attention. “I’m glad we get
to train together. It’s not fair that Sam will get to spend so much time with
you. You know, at Master Carrion’s shop.”
“Sam your twin?” Edwin’s hands were clammy.
“The one and only. Hawthorne’s not that big. It’s
interesting that you two have gone so long without meeting. Sam is the smartest
person I know, but also sort of a wallflower. But you two should meet today. We
all train with Lady Nemain together.”
“Sam is h-here?”
“No, Sam’s already in the Weapons Room.”
Mistress Schuylar introduced the other apprentices as Emile
and George Fusser, and Stal Larner, and explained for his benefit that their
job was to preserve the records of Chardwick’s fathers and forefathers. Edwin
had been excited to learn that the villagers had kept a record of every
incident and thing to come from the mines, but his excitement quickly faded. Mistress
Schuylar set him to work archiving scrolls—some with titles like The
Fallen Hero of Gelding and Bolin’s Poisoned Well —and Edwin was
salivating at the chance to read what was inside, but Mistress Schuylar forbade
it and never strayed far. Edwin could sense the spirit growing bored, but with
Mistress Schuylar nearby, it never bothered or taunted him.
That night he walked back to Hawthorne alone, and he found
himself missing Walt. Each villager he saw, man, woman and child alike, slowed
to stare at him as he passed. Like Martha, they suspected he hurt their
precious tree, but unlike Martha, they kept it to themselves.
“Come, let’s look for life,” the spirit whispered in his
ear.
“I’m too tired,” Edwin mumbled, not caring if a villager saw
him talking to himself. “And they’ll be expecting me. I just want to go to
bed.”
“But you musst. Your life dependss on it.”
Edwin shrugged. They hadn’t found anything substantial to
sacrifice yet, and he had little hope they would, especially after Lady Nemain
told him that the village kept no livestock and all their meat was salted and
stored. Besides, he was already in enough trouble without breaking more rules.
He only hoped the right opportunity would present itself to him soon.
The next morning Edwin was told he would have to leave his
apprenticeship at midday. “Ask an Oculus,” growled Headmistress Vanora when he
asked why.
Ashton was sitting only a few feet away eating breakfast,
and he jumped at the chance to please the Headmistress. “Every child in
Chardwick is to spend a few hours a week with Lady Nemain,” he explained, and
he gave Edwin directions to her training yard from his apprenticeship, which
wasn’t far.
Edwin felt sick most of the morning, and it was slightly
depressing sorting books that Mistress Schuylar seemed intent on never letting
him read. He also couldn’t stop sweating, he felt cold, and his hand was all he
could think about. When it was finally time to leave, he found Nemain’s
building easily enough; it was labeled with a sign that read Chardwick’s Aegis . Though he couldn’t
see his spirit, he sensed it was near. Slowly, he opened the door.
Entering a long but narrow room, the first thing he noticed
was that weapons hung from every available space on the wall. There were thin
blades and thick, curved and straight, and handles of every type. They were all
also adorned with a polished bloodstone—amber from the hallow tree. Edwin
sensed that his spirit was repelled but also curious. The walls were so
cluttered that Edwin almost didn’t see that there was a door handle.
“Stay close,” he told the spirit, which purred in
acknowledgment. He opened the door, and a wall of fog fell at his feet.
“Edwin, over here,” he heard Walt yell. Unable to see
anything, Edwin had no idea how Walt knew he was there. Making his way
awkwardly around boys changing, he got near the back of the room and saw Walt,
who had his hand up and was trying to get Edwin’s attention. “I’m glad we get
to train together. It’s not fair that Sam will get to spend so much time with
you. You know, at Master Carrion’s shop.”
“Sam your twin?” Edwin’s hands were clammy.
“The one and only. Hawthorne’s not that big. It’s
interesting that you two have gone so long without meeting. Sam is the smartest
person I know, but also sort of a wallflower. But you two should meet today. We
all train with Lady Nemain together.”
“Sam is h-here?”
“No, Sam’s already in the Weapons Room.”
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