“Aiden Finn, it is good that you came and did not run as I had heard you might. While it would have served as a momentary amusement while I hunted you down, it would not have spoken well of your spirit so I thank you for not trying. However, I assure you that your time here will be well spent. Come, follow me to your placement in the group where you will begin. Know that if you wish a different place, you must earn it.”
She turned, walking away and after a moment’s hesitation, he followed her towards the back of the triple line of students. She placed him at the beginning of a new grouping and he saw the girl at the end of the one in front of him give a hostile glance. She was younger than he was, with freckles and a turned up nose, but clearly wasn’t happy with him for some reason.
After he was situated, Oya Dihya walked to the front and then led them through several rounds of stretching. The movements warmed Aiden’s muscles but caused him to twinge in several places. Then, she broke the class up into three separate groups, having one run around the arena, another go and lift weighted stones and a third to begin working with wooden practice swords. The last group went toward several wooden practice dummies wrapped in thick rope, called pells, and started to work their sword technique.
Aiden found himself in the running group with Markam. It gave him a chance to watch the other students as they worked. The stone weights and pell work looked easy, but he was sure his eyes were fooling him. Some students were more comfortable than others as they worked with the stones and pells.
After running several laps around the arena, the three groups switched places, with his moving to the heavy stones. He approached the stones wondering what he was supposed to do. He could go over and just grab some, but suspected there was a flow and order to it that he needed to work himself into. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Oya Dihya watching his group, making him wonder if she would come and demonstrate.
When she didn’t, he shrugged and walked up to the girl that had stood in front of him in the lines. He saw that she was struggling with a smallish set of stones, but was still trying to work them in specific patterns of exercise. She was actively ignoring him, frowning down at the ground as he stood there.
“Um… sorry to bother you, but is there any way that you can show me how to do these exercises?”
“What? So you can take my place and send me to the back of the line?” She said waspishly and glaring at him. He was startled by her vehemence and backed off, resigning himself to dealing with Markam who was lifting several sets of much larger stones. If the girl had been hostile, he fully expected Markam to be worse. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised when the large boy just nodded at him and began speaking calmly.
“Don’t worry about Harati,” Markam said. “She’s been kicked to the back several times, so she’s a bit sensitive. She hasn’t gotten it through her head that working together is important. Thinks it’s only a competition.”
“Does anyone try to help her?”
Markam shook his head, continuing to lift his stones. “Nope. She just snaps and barks at anyone that tries to help her, and Oya Dihya just lets her stew. Stubborn. Anyway, I suppose you’re looking for help on what to do?”
Aiden nodded, and Markam instructed him on which stones to start with, and the several exercises he was expected to learn. He was surprised that Markam was so amenable and patient, making sure he knew not only what to do, but what not to do so he wouldn’t hurt himself. In little time, Aiden was working his own set of surprisingly small stones next to Markam.
“Why such small stones,” Aiden asked, feeling that he should be able to work with larger stones since he kept quite busy around the school.
Markam gave him a sardonic grin before answering. “You’d think so right? When you start? Trust me; you’ll thank me in the morning that they weren’t any larger, and with only a single day before you have to do it again.”
He shrugged, continuing to talk in his quiet voice. “We may increase their size later, but I always suggest start low and be safe. The biggest downfall of anyone that wants to learn is letting your ego get in your way. Most of that type ends up hurting themselves permanently.” He nodded towards Harati as if to give an example, and as Aiden watched her struggle he could already see that she was doing some things that Markam had warned him against.
Aiden stuck with Markam for the rest of the morning, learning from him. When they went to the pells he made sure to follow his advice on how to throw basic blows. Oya Dihya moved through the classes, giving corrections here or there, but there was a lot of instruction by the students with each other as well. Aiden learned quickly that throwing even the most basic shot at head height on the pell was far harder than he suspected. There was a whole mechanical flow of not only throwing the shot but recovering it as well.
“Circles. It’s all circles Aiden,” Oya Dihya spoke from behind him, surprising him as he was practicing. “Both large and small, but the most important thing is to feel the flow and guide it, not fight it. Watch”
She stepped forward, swinging her far larger sword in her hand in a slow, gentle clockwise circle down by her side. Several times she let it move in that same circle before she started to raise her arm, letting the circle begin to move from perpendicular by her side, to an angle horizontal over her head and by her shoulder. As it moved, the movement of the blade translated out from her wrist to include first her elbow, and then her shoulder.
Aiden watched, trying to take in how the slow circular motions of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist flowed into the sword itself. When she let it kiss the pell, Aiden expected it to sound light and hollow, but instead, it thundered against the wood with significant power. With each strike, her wrist would turn the blade and allow the sword to continue the circle over her head, powering back into another strike with what seemed to Aiden little or no effort.
She changed the speed several times, going from wide open circles that were slow strikes, to tiny quick turns that resulted in faster movements of the blade. Aiden knew there was far more to what she was doing, watching her hips moving and turning as they added to the many other circles involved in her throws, but he knew it would take time to learn. Finally, she stopped, nodding at him as he stood there.
“Circles. There are many other tricks, but in the end, most of what you throw with a sword will involve various circles. Think on this as you practice the basic shot that Markam has shown you. If the sword ever feels like it catches rather than flows then you are doing something wrong. It should give you some insight,” She said, turning to walk away to another student that seemed to be having difficulty with a strange backhand blow.
“Thank you, Oya Dihya,” Aiden said, already thinking hard on what she’d shown him. He knew there was much to learn, and his body already felt tired from the morning exercises.
“You may call me Oya,” She said, pausing for a moment, “It means teacher, amongst other things.”
“Yes, Oya,” Aiden said, watching her stride off before turning back to the pell. He continued to practice on the basic shot that Markam had shown him, pausing every once in a while to just swing the sword in the air to feel the circular flow of it. He could tell there was something to it, but knew it would take him a while to really figure it out.
Toward the end their time with her, Oya Dihya called the class to the center and had them pick up wooden shields from the tables. With these, she had them work with a partner and practice various half-speed strikes and blocks. Aiden was paired up with the girl that had first spoken to him in class. She was very good and just like Markam, was polite and helpful.
His muscles were screaming in protest as he struggled to keep his shield up, even with the half- speed movement. For some reason, it seemed to work his muscles even more than throwing full-speed strikes at the pells, and the addition of the shield on his arm was torture.
“You stupid moron,” A voice yelled to his left. He turned, watching as Harati threw her sword and shield to the ground. “You hit me on
purpose!” She screamed in anger at the boy she’d been practicing with, before bursting into tears and running for the exit of the arena.
The class had all stopped by then, watching her as she ran away. Aiden turned, expecting to see Oya Dihya taking off after her, but instead she was just stoically standing in the sand. He wondered why she didn’t give chase since it seemed something she enjoyed doing, but instead she let it happen. He frowned, trying to figure it out. Was it a lesson she was trying to teach? And for whom? His thoughts were interrupted when one of the school orphans replaced Harati in the door to the arena and raced towards Oya Dihya.
He sighed, for some sick reason knowing that it involved him. A thought that was confirmed after the boy spoke to Oya Dihya and her eyes fell on him directly.
“Aiden Finn,” She called over the sand, “You are to go to the headmaster’s office, immediately.”
Of course he was. He sighed and moved over to the tables where he unloaded his practice sword and shield, and then made his way dejectedly towards the exit. He wondered what was going on now, but figured he would find out soon enough.
Chapter 18
The headmaster’s office was actually a mixture of a work area where the man could take care of business, and a cozy living area where he lived full time on campus. There were dorms where the staff could stay as well, but many of them chose to live in the city. Still, as Aiden opened the door and walked in, he felt uneasy. Most other times he’d been here, it was as an orphan to perform some service, but today he felt more like a student.
The secretary was an older, slight man who wore well-cared-for clothing and nodded politely at Aiden as he came in. “Welcome. Are you Aiden Finn? We just sent a runner, so…” Aiden nodded, agreeing silently as the man stood, opening the door behind him and peeking inside. After a few seconds, he turned and gestured for Aiden to enter.
Aiden had always liked the headmaster’s office, being composed of a small wooden desk, a rich burgundy carpet and several built-in bookshelves with numerous tomes and the occasional tasteful decoration. It was inviting and warm, with Headmaster Bing nodding politely to him and giving him a half-smile as he gestured towards one of two seats facing his desk. The other held Professor Reivus, who gave him a distracted nod as he stirred his tea, not realizing he was tipping it until it spilled in his lap. He yelped loudly and began patting his already food stained robes down, making Aiden grin as he sat.
“Would you like any tea, Aiden? It’s a special blend, perfect for afternoons and not too strong. I get it from the eastern provinces of the duchy.” Headmaster Bing took a sip of his own tea then, sighing softly before picking up the teapot and holding it near another empty cup. “They have a particularly gentle blend of tea and herbs that help with stress. I see from the state of your clothes that Oya Dihya’s class was as energetic as ever? It may help you relax.”
“Thank you, sir,” Aiden nodded, feeling embarrassed at the state of his clothes but knowing there is nothing he could have done about it. The headmaster looked nonplussed as he poured, asking Aiden if he’d like some tarfin milk. It wasn’t long before the tea was stirred and passed to him in silence.
For a few minutes, they each blew and sipped at their tea quietly. Professor Reivus, at least, managing to get most of it into his mouth rather than on his robe. Despite this, he seemed to enjoy it the most and Aiden watched the older man fondly.
“Well,” the headmaster finally spoke, lowering his tea cup and casually moving his hand to the top of his garcat’s head, “you’ve probably surmised we didn’t call you in just for a bit of tea, pleasant though it has been. However, before I launch into our issue, I do want to make sure that you are the assistant that was assigned to watch over the professor’s beginner glimmer stone class and their first assignment?” The headmaster finished, raising one of his eyebrows in question to Aiden.
Aiden’s head lurched and then sunk. Was this about the plate? Had they found out something about that night? He’d been so busy he hadn’t even thought about the plate in several days. Amazing as it was, so much had happened in-between that one class and now. He couldn’t lie, though he considered it for a second. With Professor Reivus involved it was always a chance that he’d misremembered things which might help him, but he decided not to try. The headmaster was known for ferreting out untruths.
“Um… yes, I was,” Aiden confirmed, taking another sip of his tea. “Though to be honest I have been in the infirmary much of that time.”
“Ah, good, thank you Aiden.” The headmaster said. “I didn’t want to involve you unless it was necessary. Sorry to question you, Professor, but you have to know that sometimes your memory is a bit eccentric.”
Professor Reivus shrugged, clearly not insulted. “Oh, quite all right, Mikel. No need to be bashful. I’m well aware of what the other professors say about me, and you’ve always been polite. Sometimes I’m not sure myself if I even have socks on so it’s to be expected. That being said, Aiden has been my assistant for a few years now and done a wonderful job. Very fast, too! When I ask for things it’s almost like he hasn’t left the classroom to get them, eh?” Professor Reivus winked at him then, smiling and patting his arm. “Don’t worry, Aiden. You’re not in trouble. We just ran into something…unusual we need your help with.”
“Unusual? I’m not sure what you mean, professor, but I’ll help if I can.” Aiden answered. Where was Glowby when he needed him! He hoped it wasn’t about the plate, but when he looked back at Headmaster Bing, he had the sinking feeling it was. The man didn’t appear upset, but his eyes were settled on him in a long, clearly-considering stare.
“Thank you, Aiden. I appreciate your willingness to help,” The headmaster said, reaching into one of the drawers in his desk and pulling something out. As he settled it onto the top of his desk, Aiden could feel all the blood drain from his face. It was the plate, bright and vibrant as the day he’d made it, and sitting there as innocently as a bloody knife.
“Aiden, one of the students turned this in as his work,” The headmaster continued, “He said he’d made it the first day, against all odds of that being true, and we…Aiden are you all right? You look ill.”
Aiden realized that his going pale was giving him away, and tried to cover it by taking a sip of tea before answering. “No… I mean yes…I…” He stopped, trying desperately to think of something. But what? Wait, he did have something! “I… Sorry sir, yesterday was difficult. I was on the duke’s skimmer and…a trench serpent attacked the docks. It was rather horrible.”
“Ah… of course,” The headmaster frowned. “We did hear of that, and I am desperately sorry you had to see so much death. My apologies, Aiden. take whatever time you need. We’re just curious about the plate, but time is not in short supply.”
Aiden’s mind raced furiously though he tried not to give it away on his face. Someone must have taken it, but who? He was pretty sure it wasn’t Gavin, Chari, or any of their friends but he wasn’t sure. Not about all of them. Then there was Ashrak and Skeeve. Didn’t Ashrak say that Skeeve had disappeared for a few days? His mind was racing but instead of lying, he decided to play dumb, just as Ashrak had recommended in the bathhouse.
Aiden took one last sip of tea and then straightened, nodding to the professor before speaking. “I was there, on the first day but not afterward. I saw them all working on plates, and other than the beginning, they didn’t seem to need my help. I wasn’t aware that any of them had even completed a plate that day? What is so special about it?”
Headmaster Bing picked up the plate and handed it to Professor Reivus, who took it excitedly. “Ah well, what’s not special about it, eh? First of all-” he flicked the plate with this finger, making it ring softly throughout the room, “-there is that. I don’t even know seasoned engineers that can make a plate ring like that. It’s not even flat, either. It has a very subtle curve to it. Do you know how difficult it is to make a gentle curve? Not even a uniform curve, like a circle, but a graduating one? Oh, m
y boy,” the professor gushed, “The calculations alone would make your head spin, and take several weeks to complete. Not easy at all.”
Headmaster Bing kept his eyes steady on Aiden’s. “And it glows, which no one even knows how to create any more. Some of the ancient artifacts have this capability in several different forms, but no one has been able to make something like it since the Cataclysm. The student that turned in the plate was not even aware of these things, as proven when they showed us the standard plate calculations that were used.” Pausing, the man scratched the garcat’s ear for a moment before continuing. “What we’re asking, Aiden, is if you saw anything unusual in the workroom that day? Did anyone exhibit anything out of the ordinary? As you know, all of the stones were drained that day, but we doubt the student who turned in the plate had anything to do with it. Do you know or did you see…anything?”
Aiden stared right into the Headmasters eyes and lied. For a moment, he wanted to tell him everything; wanted to spill all that had happened to him, and get some help from an adult with everything that was flooding his life, but that moment passed. Being an orphan for most of his life, and the fearful image of being thrown into the tar pits or hung by the neck rose before him, instead. Slowly he shook his head. “No…No, sir. I wish I could help, but I don’t know anything.”
The Glimmer Steel Saga, Boxed Set, Books 1 - 4 Page 22
