Edwin looked back
the way he came, so Walt added, “No, not the War Room. All the weapons in there
are for show. The Weapons Room is really just a closet full of our everyday
weapons.”
Edwin bit his lip, uncomfortable with the idea of everyday
weapons.
“All the weapons in the War Room are special because they
contain bloodstones,” Walt explained. “No bloodstones have been made since the
last great tree fell. A bloodstone traded with a rich merchant from Newick will
supply the whole village with food for months.” Walt turned to finish changing.
“Didn’t you bring a change of clothes?”
Edwin had been looking down at a dark smoke moving across
the floor, which stood out from the white fog. “No o-one said anything about
changing… was I supposed to?”
“Yes. Don’t worry about it. I have an extra pair.” Edwin let
his focus turn back to the spirit while Walt rummaged in his bag. He pulled out
a tattered-but-warm-looking shirt and a pair of shorts that had once been
pants.
Edwin held up the shorts and inspected them. They were faded
and frayed at the ends, and they looked like they would barely fit him, let
alone someone as tall as Walt. “Won’t I be c-cold in these?”
“Being cold is a part of the training. You’ll see. Go on, put
them on, unless you’d rather wear your Hawthorne uniform.”
“Fine,” Edwin said. Then, changing the subject, he asked,
“Walt, what is this place? What’s Lady Nemain’s training? I’ve been wondering
all day, but I was afraid to ask. I’ve been trying to blend in since, you know…”
Walt rolled his eyes. “Ugh, you missed so much up on that
ledge. Every child in Chardwick must be trained. We’re not just a village of
silly miners, you know. If the dark times and the Others ever return, I mean
truly return, we’ll be ready. It’s hard to explain right. Finish getting ready.
You’ll see soon enough.”
Edwin nodded and started changing his shirt. A moment passed
and Walt added, “You know, you barely stuttered back there.” Edwin hadn’t even
noticed, but Walt was right. “You’re an interesting guy, Edwin. I can usually
figure people out pretty quickly, but I think you’re going to take a while.
Don’t worry, that’s a good thing.”
Edwin and Walt were the last two boys to reach the Weapons Room.
“Grab a sword and follow me,” Walt said. Edwin picked up a sword and held it
awkwardly. He had never touched a sword before. Walt then led Edwin out another
door to the War Room, where they joined the other children outside. Edwin
realized that the rooms he had seen formed three walls of a hollow rectangle.
Each child stood erect and stared forward at the door to the fourth room.
Huddled in the middle of the other children, Edwin saw Martha and her two
puppies, and farther down were three boys waving for Walt to come join them. As
Edwin followed, he heard a pale girl tell the boy next to her, “That’s the new boy.”
“My dad told me to stay away from him,” the boy replied.
Edwin turned to look at the two children, who turned away.
“Where’s Sam?” Edwin asked Walt.
Walt glanced at the crowd. “Down there, next to Martha.”
A little shiver ran down his spine. Hiding behind shoulder
length black hair, Sam couldn’t look more different than Walt. With an angular
nose and strong chin, Sam looked harsh where Walt was soft. There was also
something odd about Sam, something Edwin couldn’t place. Edwin felt himself
blushing, and he had to stop himself from staring. He reminded himself that Sam
was Martha’s friend, and Martha had as much as accused him of stepping on that
tree.
A moment later there was the loud snap as the door to the
fourth room jerked open, and Lady Nemain walked in with an animal horn hanging
from a string around her neck. She nodded towards the children, and they
responded by hitting their swords against the ground with one quick thud.
Edwin, trying to mimic the others, lifted his, but his tardiness only drew
the way he came, so Walt added, “No, not the War Room. All the weapons in there
are for show. The Weapons Room is really just a closet full of our everyday
weapons.”
Edwin bit his lip, uncomfortable with the idea of everyday
weapons.
“All the weapons in the War Room are special because they
contain bloodstones,” Walt explained. “No bloodstones have been made since the
last great tree fell. A bloodstone traded with a rich merchant from Newick will
supply the whole village with food for months.” Walt turned to finish changing.
“Didn’t you bring a change of clothes?”
Edwin had been looking down at a dark smoke moving across
the floor, which stood out from the white fog. “No o-one said anything about
changing… was I supposed to?”
“Yes. Don’t worry about it. I have an extra pair.” Edwin let
his focus turn back to the spirit while Walt rummaged in his bag. He pulled out
a tattered-but-warm-looking shirt and a pair of shorts that had once been
pants.
Edwin held up the shorts and inspected them. They were faded
and frayed at the ends, and they looked like they would barely fit him, let
alone someone as tall as Walt. “Won’t I be c-cold in these?”
“Being cold is a part of the training. You’ll see. Go on, put
them on, unless you’d rather wear your Hawthorne uniform.”
“Fine,” Edwin said. Then, changing the subject, he asked,
“Walt, what is this place? What’s Lady Nemain’s training? I’ve been wondering
all day, but I was afraid to ask. I’ve been trying to blend in since, you know…”
Walt rolled his eyes. “Ugh, you missed so much up on that
ledge. Every child in Chardwick must be trained. We’re not just a village of
silly miners, you know. If the dark times and the Others ever return, I mean
truly return, we’ll be ready. It’s hard to explain right. Finish getting ready.
You’ll see soon enough.”
Edwin nodded and started changing his shirt. A moment passed
and Walt added, “You know, you barely stuttered back there.” Edwin hadn’t even
noticed, but Walt was right. “You’re an interesting guy, Edwin. I can usually
figure people out pretty quickly, but I think you’re going to take a while.
Don’t worry, that’s a good thing.”
Edwin and Walt were the last two boys to reach the Weapons Room.
“Grab a sword and follow me,” Walt said. Edwin picked up a sword and held it
awkwardly. He had never touched a sword before. Walt then led Edwin out another
door to the War Room, where they joined the other children outside. Edwin
realized that the rooms he had seen formed three walls of a hollow rectangle.
Each child stood erect and stared forward at the door to the fourth room.
Huddled in the middle of the other children, Edwin saw Martha and her two
puppies, and farther down were three boys waving for Walt to come join them. As
Edwin followed, he heard a pale girl tell the boy next to her, “That’s the new boy.”
“My dad told me to stay away from him,” the boy replied.
Edwin turned to look at the two children, who turned away.
“Where’s Sam?” Edwin asked Walt.
Walt glanced at the crowd. “Down there, next to Martha.”
A little shiver ran down his spine. Hiding behind shoulder
length black hair, Sam couldn’t look more different than Walt. With an angular
nose and strong chin, Sam looked harsh where Walt was soft. There was also
something odd about Sam, something Edwin couldn’t place. Edwin felt himself
blushing, and he had to stop himself from staring. He reminded himself that Sam
was Martha’s friend, and Martha had as much as accused him of stepping on that
tree.
A moment later there was the loud snap as the door to the
fourth room jerked open, and Lady Nemain walked in with an animal horn hanging
from a string around her neck. She nodded towards the children, and they
responded by hitting their swords against the ground with one quick thud.
Edwin, trying to mimic the others, lifted his, but his tardiness only drew
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