School in Hastelan, chapter 39. (Patreon)

Here we are. Please enjoy.

I pondered the clear jar and contents within. Any I consumed now, I would not have for winter proper.

Yet the nuts mocked me with their ready nature, and I knew the box of jams and other nuts I had under my bed also existed.

No, I would wait for my fast to be broken the normal way, and save all those treats I had obtained at great cost. The day before I had managed to find all the items, and even some wheat for bread preserved in the most expensive barrel used for such a purpose. Wheat in such a state should remain good enough to eat for a year, and free of those pests as might also desire a snack, even as I did.

The separate box filled with dried fruits was best pushed from mind for now, lest I fall all too quickly to gluttony. I should remain as steadfast as only one of the church might, or even the very mice within it were rumored to be. Such vows suited many of us, being chosen acolytes of the Goddess herself.

The wash water was more bracing than the morn before; the cold was settling in. With all my needs met, as well as those of my bosom friends, I was free to use this day for the study I desired. The study I needed. I was certain I could do more, with some little guidance.

Guidance that none here were able to provide; as only one of those from us, of Earth, could do as I do and was empowered as I was. There were few of us - which made it even more important that I leave a clear record of my own finds and searches, so that any like me from the future might have a better time of it than I would.

My robes were clean, the chore done and done well after my journey into the city, and our efforts had been noticed. Others not among our own had taken notice and begun their own study into cleanliness.

It was a welcome change, to my thinking. A fit of industry that could only improve our standing among all who beheld our now sparkling cloth.

I was early for the meal, yet I had nothing else I might do. I would not take the precious books loaned me today, for fear of staining. Yet, I loathed the waste of time... no, I would not do such a thing. I would go outside and work on my control of earth and rock before the meal.

There was no law, no custom against such a thing.

I left, locked my door, which was even more necessary while my chamber held such valuables, and made my way to the main hall. The almost empty main hall; save for a few servants the space was empty. None of those in charge of the school present, which seemed unusual... yet I had not been here at this hour before, the earliest I had managed once receiving my wonderful bed was five or mayhap even ten parts of the glass.

The air past the gates was bracing, the guards past the gates were alert, and the day itself one of beauty as the sun rose in quiet majesty beyond us. Quiet, then, save for the birds, who seemed raucous this morn.

The other wildlife was far more cautious, more hidden. the ability to fly and perch where few could reach really did spoil creatures.

Even so, with the Goddess's grace, I could reach them if wont arose. Even so, birds by and large were not tasty or filling in my past experience.

Even the control of many snakes of my own making seemed to do little for me now. A small scale little castle, with little royals inside and all the spaces I knew of faithfully recreated, did little. I had my small troop of snakes attack it, weaving in and out and around. The castle resisted such attacks of course, being a castle.

It was no longer difficult to do, even with details etched by individual grains of sandy earth.

Eyes were upon me.

I turned... to find the guards, the ones who were supposed to be before the gate, staring at my display, agog. I had gone far enough that they would not see apurpose, which meant they were shirking their duty.

I quickly stopped my display and returned all to normal within the garden. "Are you not supposed to be watching the gate?"

One of the guards stepped closer, hand on heart. "We have been relieved, Sorceress. We thought you might like to know the morning meal is soon, as we get spelled just before it."

I was wrong. "Ah, my apologies then, have a good morning. Thank you for the information."

I made my way back as those two guards moved on, already discussing their own meal and warm beds waiting for them at the barracks. Two new guards were before the gate of course, and they saluted me as I passed. I knew both by appearance of course, as they were the ones before the door most days.

I thought there was a revolution of that duty; such as with the outer gate, yet here was attestation of it being otherwise. I wonder why it was different between the gates? There had to be some purpose for it.

Beyond the portal of course, the scullions had appeared, and places were being set. I could now get tea at the so-called far table, which was close to my current location. It was a morning for the bracing heat of the tea. I should consider a cape, a shawl or warmer garments soon.

The more coin I made, the more I found need to buy. There was some lesson in there, some rule of nature I was certain, yet I was not certain at all of what it was entire.

I poured my newfound vitae and turned to find my friends mostly seated in our normal arrangement already. I joined them, giving a muted smile and mumbled greetings, as they were less aware than I and more apt to appreciate a lack of structured noise. All save lady Serapis, who, if she had yet to flee from sleep's embrace, none could rightly say.

"How does this day find you all?"

"It finds us upright, is how it finds us," lady Nells grumped, giving the gimlet eye to my tea directly, as if offended that it was not something stronger. Which she very well might be.

"You glare too often," lady Serapis intoned. She had her nose firmly caught in a small book herself. Likely one she owned, and had recently purchased, as I did not recognize it. It was not one of those that I had purchased for her at great expense the day before.

I would borrow those in time, as I felt time permitted. I had my own fields of study to pursue today.

Lady Metis sighed deeply. "I must go a-field today. Work of a sort has been found for those of us who control flame."

What work could be suited for such destructive potential? "What is it you must do?"

"Several farmers outside the walls wish for their fields to be scorched. They say it improves the yields for next year, and make the request of us so that any fire set does not burn out homes and villages, and remains in the fields themselves."

I did not see how that could be so, and I came from a farming village. I believed the request at least, and I would check the certitude of the rest at some later date.

Work was work. "It sounds like a wonderful opportunity to get outside on a wonderful day."

"Bah! I am not suited for slogging about in muddy fields," lady Metis replied with yet another sigh.

How to support my friend? "I am certain you are up to the task. Are some of those gifted in water coming along?" It would be good to have some along in the event of an accident.

Lady Delia shook her head "Mayhap among the chaperones, but the task has been given to those of us who know fire, and only us. Any snuffing of flames is to be performed by us alone, and you would have to ask our superiors the why of it."

I would of course, at the best chance for such a question. Even so, it would be a wonderful day for such an outing.

Mayhap I would do some study outside the city myself, if I was able. I could use some time among the smells and sounds of unrestrained nature. Fitting for a bumpkin such as I.

I never thought I'd miss the pastoral setting I'd grown up in, but such is life.

Another day. I should devote myself to dusty tomes and even dustier libraries for now.

"Those gifted in water are tasked with controlling the rivers and streams when the rains arrive." lady Serapis intoned.

That seemed a truly prodigious task. The river was long, and would need sorceresses along much of that length in order to ensure no floods. If too much rain came, then even the best and strongest of us would be quickly overmatched.

"For earth, it is construction and shoring up foundations." I turned to lady Istha.

She noticed. "What is the matter?"

"I was simply wondering if there was as similar task given to those gifted in air."

Lady Istha shrugged. "I would not know, if so. I am of air, yet I am new to the whole affair and if some task is given us, I have not been given or informed of that task yet."

It made sense, as we had many among us gifted in air and yet at first thought little could be done with it to save lives and treasure. Well, outside of warfare. The Goddess only knew to what purpose the gift of air could be bent, aside from fanning flames.

Better air for those who dug into the earth, mayhap? Yet if that were a task for us, would we not know of it?

Another question to wait for the perfect moment.

The food arrived, and it was porridge, as expected. there were some dried fruits with it, and plenty of bread and cheeses. Oddly, there seemed to be fewer jams and spreads than in past days.

I would be fine with any lack of course, as we were granted plenty of butter.

A nice bread made of squash and slathered in the substance was all I needed to offset the blandness of the porridge. Others used a dollop of jam in the porridge itself, yet I needed no such fripperies.

If another loaf of the bread were to go missing, it would be the perfect crime, with none the wiser, and none willing to confront me on the crime if so. So long as I were careful with the crumbs, at least. We had few mice or rats, and no one wanted more.

There were none in my chamber, I has seen to that; there was no entry for them save the sole window, and I had that shuttered most days. More so now, as the weather turned. I could do the same for all the chambers of course, yet I had not been asked to do so, and some oft kept rodents as pets. I did not see the appeal, yet it must hold some, as it happened.

The official stance on any pets, however, was hard as iron; there were to be none.

I would not go against such laws. However, I might procure a horse of my very own - it would not be a pet but transport, and could be kept in the stable with the horses of the guardsmen and the knights. Surely others had done such before. Surely some were doing so even now, with how big those stables were; I did not envy anyone the task of mucking it out.

There must be an army of pages and squires that I had yet to see, or maybe simple stable boys. Mayhap all three.

That was a plan for the future, however, as even the meanest horse was more than I could conceive of parting with just yet. I would see my father in comfort first.

It was time to wait; in my haste I had eaten too quickly. I drank my cooling tea and pondered; all things should be done in their own time, even this. I should use this time to study... how should I do such a thing? I dare not shift the earth or stone beneath our feet. Even if I had done as much before, out of sheer boredom.

Ah, I could shift the earth in my own gift, as easy as it was. I could try for speed, and see if I could make the substance blur to the eye.

"What are you doing?" Lady Metis asked me.

I looked to find her eyes going cross as she beheld my efforts. "I am working on my skill, of course. It is the best I can do while sitting here."

Lady Nells shook her head: "You are far too serious on this. You should take what rests you can find. Dip too much into that well, and you may not like the results. Or rather, how quickly the results occur."

Lady Nells had a good observation. Yet, I will not shirk my duty. "I care not. The Goddess shall rest happy and easy in her choice with me."

Lady Nells winced. "That one stung," She complained, then smiled to show she did not mean her words.

She surely must know. "The Goddess must be happy in her choice of you.. of all of us."

If she were not, she would certainly take back her gift. Such a thing was beyond merely rare, yet not unheard-of - some few names known to history told that tale.

It seemed that comment was the right thing to say, as smiles broke out among us as the sun from clouds.

"Might you cease?" Lady Delia asked. "The motion is too much for my simple sensibilities," the worthy declared, swooning.

It was a jest of course, yet I could parse the hint of concern. I ceased my gift's action on the flow instantly, not that the motion was affected right away. I put the bauble away so that others might remain unaffected by the sight. "My apologies."

"It does not affect you?" Lady Istha noted, her own hand firmly to her mouth. An attempt to stave off sickness, likely.

"No, I have done as much before." The sickness was new, yet I had done as much by myself. Mayhap my reaction was not the normal one? It was a bit of knowledge I'd not had before, and so I would write it in my journal.

"You must learn to take your time. You should rest as you can, as you will be worked. You even more so than the rest of us."

I could see the point, and yet I did not see it. "I have been given days of my own. It is in fact this time which governs my actions this very moment."

"Ah, you are one of those people," lady Nells rejoined. "I shall make it the task of my life here to corrupt you."

Hah. There was little to say to such an absurd challenge. "I wish you luck in the endeavor."

Lady Nells grinned then, and her eyes gleamed. "I need no luck. I need only the fullness of time to make any I wish as I am."

That was a frightening thought - yet I was sure I was proof against such a thing.

Lady Metis waved an arm between us, turning to me with some emotion I did not know flickering within. "Silly. I for one am all about such work as you may finish in your calling, and the best way you may go about it - yet are you sure? Each task, each practice, each use of your gift will remake you as the Goddess wills. Is that what you desire?"

Asked outright, a nearly forbidden question for this setting. I could hear the others around us lean in to hear my answer, such as it may be.

"It shall be so in time no matter what I will," that ship had long sailed, after all. "Why should I wait?"

I was of fallen noble blood at best, and so own lineage mattered little. I was not elated at learning of any joys of childbirth, yet I need not do so, as we were oft married to our work. The king would not require it, surely - marriage to some nobleman.

I was no fool of course, and I knew what one must about such affairs, yet my knowledge was from my father rather than my own doings. There was a chance I did not know all, but what I did know did not fill me with warm thoughts. I would assume it was the same for my friends.

Yet I did not need that kind of happiness to serve. I had given my oath, and I would serve come what may.

"I have heard that vantage before," Lady Metis declared. "and even now, I admire it. My heart wavers at times."

Mine did not. "You are as you are. If you prefer to go through such gates before they are closed, that is your choice. I shall certainly not fault you for it."

"I would not," lady Metis replied, indignant. "Me least of all, yet... it is hard to remain true in one's own thoughts."

"Methinks this is a topic best left for private spaces," lady Serapis intoned.

Lady Metis took a shuddering breath. "You have the right of it. My apologies for unseemly pursuit of the matter."

"There is no need to apologize for such a trifle," lady Istha stated before I could assure lady Metis of the same myself. "We all ponder these thoughts on our own, and it is best to hear the thoughts of others, and let their wisdom guide our path."

"Such wisdom as it is," Lady Nells scoffed. "We are all still children ourselves, despite any pasts we may have."

She raised a glass - one I had not seen in her hand yet today. One that bore a reddish substance which could not be tea. How had she even kept that on her person? It wasn't as if the scullions kept wine glasses for us on their carts.

I would say nothing of course, what lady Nells drank was no dealing of mine.

In the sudden silence, the whispers of others seemed to hold more weight.

"Did you hear?"

"About the ghost?"

There was a spirit?

"I did, I heard lady Halvin saw him, just yesterday!"

Lady Metis also had an ear cast to our fellow table mates, even as she sipped her tea and acted none the wiser.

"I heard he was far too handsome to be a living man!"

The other, a lady whom I did not know, scoffed openly. "I shall believe such when I see it. Such weak proof for the apparition. Lady Halvin and many others saw the so-named spirit in the daytime, and all know that spooks and goblins both are not active in the sunlight."

Both worthies realized the silence, and stopped, casting around themselves and taking note of those who seemed too interested.

I leaned in toward lady Metis. "What is this?"

Lady Metis shrugged. "Those of us allowed out have seen a recent phantom. Those few have seen a man... or rather a boy our age, who is of passing beauty and clad in a black cloak. He is seen in the throng and draws his hood back, revealing his face and with his sky-blue eyes peering into one's very soul... and then he is gone, vanished into the crowd just like that."

Blue eyes? It could not be so then - not the one I had seen. "Blue eyes? Are you certain?"

Lady Metis snorted indelicately. "Of course not, it is a rumor, a tall tale, and I've not been out."

Then her eyes narrowed. "You know something. What do you know?"

Ah. I had not wished for this. "I saw such an apparition yesterday, in the road just before the school itself, on my way back from my trip. Only, his eyes were a different color."

Around me there were gasps, and another weighted silence. Then those around us exploded into chatter, worse than a family of squirrels near your ear.

"You saw it then. You can confirm the boy exists?" Lady Serapis asked, sounding almost involved.

"I can, if it was the same one. Surely there is more than one handsome lad in the kingdom."

Some few preened as they considered my words. It seemed I had touched something sensitive in many.