‘Probably. If not some will pitch their tents and sleep in here,’ Drako said and then led the way outside to the outbuildings all now full of people too.
‘There’s a mainly empty barn down beside the stable block,’ Jim said. ‘We were using it for horses until I fixed the stables yesterday, so it may not be too clean. The paddock is probably empty too,’ he added as they came to the area of the stalls. Each stall had a horse and many more were loose in the muddy outdoor training field. Jim eyed them unhappily. It was cold and the stalls had a solid back wall and sloping roof but were otherwise open to the elements. ‘Will they be ok like that?’ he asked, seeing most had blankets on but not all.
‘They’re used to being cold, although normally we pitch our camp in the forest under the shelter of the trees,’ Drako said. ‘You mentioned a spare barn?’
‘Yes, help yourselves. The stable block has a hayloft that’d be warm for sleeping although I’m not sure how much space there is now. They may have put more hay into it since yesterday. I put a spell on it to deter vermin too,’ Jim added, his gaze on the small grubby equipment and tool sheds where people were trying to make enough space to lay a blanket. These weren’t warriors but women and children.
‘The other alternative is to find space in the house; if only for the women and children,’ Jim suggested, eyeing Drako keenly. It would require a great deal of trust on both sides to split up the warriors from the women and children. But Jim doubted there was space to accommodate everyone without major reorganisation. The students too might feel vulnerable sleeping without so much as a locked door between them and complete strangers.
‘Have a look at the barn and talk it over with your people,’ Jim suggested. ‘I’ll go and see what space in the house I can free up so at least some of you can be properly indoors.’
‘Thank you,’ Drako said, glad of the suggestions. Jim was right, the tool sheds weren’t really adequate, particularly since the near capture this morning had meant some of their tents and kit had had to be abandoned. A vermin free hayloft sounded far more appealing than these oily tool-sheds. While Jim and Amelie headed back to the house, he returned to the arena.
‘Max, do you make a habit of lurking in corridors?’ Jim asked with a grin.
‘I like to know what’s going on,’ Max responded unabashed.
‘Fair enough,’ Jim laughed softly. ‘Either way, I needed to talk to you. Maybe Vako would be useful if he’s still up.’
‘I doubt he would be at this hour,’ Max said glancing at the clock. ‘I know it’s not remotely late, but he always did retire early. And now he’s handed responsibility over, he makes a quick exit from everything.’
‘You’ll do nicely then,’ Jim said and settled into a chair in the headmaster’s office. ‘Max, I need a deputy head. Someone everyone knows and respects. I’d like it to be you. What do you say?’
‘I thought you’d ask Amelie,’ Max said quickly.
‘You know the school and students. I will also need your council and remarkable ability to always be where you’re needed.’
‘I accept,’ Max said happily. ‘You’ve got some awkward work in mind haven’t you,’ he added suspiciously.
‘How’s the mood after our guests’ arrival? How are the students feeling?’
‘Well that’s a loaded question!’ Max exclaimed. ‘The mood swings have been dramatic ever since your arrival. You seem to have captured everyone’s imagination, even the most hardened cynics. I think most feel that as long as you are here, nothing can harm us. And that’s borne out by what we would usually consider dangerous outlaws falling immediately under your thumb.’
‘Are you kidding me? Obviously I’ve done some major construction projects, that seem to have impressed people, but everyone knows that wasn’t achieved alone. Why would they think I can protect them? I’m one man and am not a warrior.’
‘No, you’re a powerful wizard and a leader. That’s far more useful. I think nearly everyone saw your super-speed dash down to the main gate today. I can normally fly faster than a galloping horse but I couldn’t get close to your speed. You certainly left Drako coughing in your dust. I only caught up when you had to slow down to dodge trees in the forest. Yes, excitement seems to follow you. We’d done fine with a hole in our wall for months, yet as soon as we think of fixing it, we have a series of alerts and threats. But I for one will sleep better tonight knowing we’re secure and have a defender again.’
Jim stared at him. ‘So, I’m not under any pressure to deliver then?’
Max laughed at his droll tone and shrugged. ‘How’re the visitors settling in?’
‘There isn’t really enough space up there and seeing children trying to sleep amongst spades and shears in the workshops is nagging at me,’ Jim admitted. ‘I mentioned to Drako that they could use the barn beside the stables and the stable hayloft. I image they’ll rush down there instead, but those places haven’t got adequate space either. I said to him I’d find out if there was any space for the women and children in the house. Obviously we could clear somewhere fairly easily but I thought the main concern was whether you think the students would be upset having strangers in their midst.’
‘I doubt if many would give that a second thought. They will assume that you wouldn’t invite strangers inside if you didn’t think it were safe. They probably don’t think anyone would dare disobey you.’
‘Thanks! You’re not telling me I’m scary?’
‘How long do you think they’ll want to stay?’ Max asked, evading that question.
‘I suspect that will depend on their welcome. As I understand it, they have been driven from their homes and no longer have anywhere to go to. Amelie and I were talking earlier and we agree with Louis’ comment; a quiet stand for animus people does need to be made. As the attack today showed, they didn’t care who Amelie was they just saw an animus eagle and tried to kill her.’
‘Thank you again Max for helping me,’ Amelie said grasping his arm and sending him a wave of warm appreciation. ‘You didn’t mention it earlier, but were you injured?’
‘No, I think Drako got him before he could get me,’ Max said, still feeling warm and fuzzy from her brief mental touch.
‘You’re all useful men to have around,’ Amelie commented gratefully.
‘But, what I’m saying,’ Jim continued, ‘is that it could just have easily been you Max, or any of your class, shot whilst out getting supplies. What I really want to do is create a safe refuge for animus families. Am I right in thinking no-where is truly safe for an animus person? I know this is the only place I’ve come across, that still openly accepts animus students. There may of course be others, but I’ve never heard of any. Drako’s clan are mainly animus, as you probably know. You could teach the children, make this school a place they feel safe enough to come and learn. But obviously this isn’t a decision I can make without your support.’
‘So animus people are persecuted where you come from too?’ Max asked glancing at Amelie.
‘We met in jail,’ Jim said to Max. ‘They don’t much like wizards either and tried to poison me. They put me in Amelie’s cell. I’ve never been more horrified in my life. I was a fit and healthy man, yet they put me in with a barely clad girl. You can imagine the kind of lewd suggestions being thrown at me in such a place. She’d been starved into severe weakness too; she wouldn’t have been able to defend herself.’
‘They’d have been hoping you’d kill me. Once you’d shown them some sport,’ she added in a flat tone. ‘You could easily have done as you wished,’ she added.
‘I did,’ he told her. ‘I got us out of that place.’ Jim met Max’s eyes again. ‘She was imprisoned for nearly three years as a young teenager in a dark underground jail alongside the worst of humanity. Her crime: being born to an old blood family. They didn’t care that her family had also produced leaders and top grade wizards, or that she had never changed. Her crime was simply to have animus blood. They planned to kill her and me for that
matter.’
‘So how did you escape and get onto this continent?’ Max asked riveted by the story.
‘The prison was on the site of a Portal. She knew of it and was determined to go that way. I’m fairly good with locked doors. I could have taken my chances out the front gate with all the rioting prisoners we set loose, but I knew I had to go with Amelie. Even when she told me the portal was an air one. She changed into a dragon to get us both down to the ground. It was the first time she’d ever changed too.’
‘They imprisoned you as a girl child, in the dark, amongst the dregs of society?’ Max muttered shaking his head in appalled disgust. ‘How many of our people and indeed next generation, are trapped alone in the dark?’
‘It’s what happens all too easily when families are on their own and have no-one or no-where to turn to,’ Amelie said bleakly. ‘It’s why I’ve lost my family. My father was animus and he was murdered trying to protect me. My mother and sister were taken; I don’t know what happened to them. The only one I think is safe is my eldest sister and that’s only because she doesn’t have any magic and she’s married with a new name.’
‘I thought you were determined to take her home with you?’ Max asked Jim.
‘I was. I thought we could disguise her as an ordinary wizard. But she’d always have to be careful and hide her dual nature. Here she can be free and have animus company. I didn’t have many other options before, but now you seem keen for me to stay, it gives us an alternative.’
‘I like your idea. I’ve been trying to encourage animus families to send their children here for years. But it’s a school. Are you meaning for an adult community to live here too?’
‘Yes. Why not? The grounds are huge. There’s no reason a support village couldn’t spring up inside the walls. It wouldn’t necessarily impact on the function of the school. If anything it’d give it more life, continuity and strength.’
‘But what of the wizard students? Might their parents refuse to let them study here if they think this is an animus place?’ Max suggested anxiously.
‘I’ve no idea. But my thought is that, for obvious reasons, we wouldn’t be advertising to the outside world that our animus population was growing. Our wizard students, and of course their parents, already know they share the school with animus students. I doubt we’re talking about taking on more than one extra class. Why should a few more animus students change anything?’
Max nodded. ‘You have a point. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We need to find a safe place for them for tonight. Discovering if they would want to live here will come later.’
‘Yes. I’ll speak to Drako and let them think about it. But first, I’ve just felt them, probably everyone, heading down to the stable block. I mentioned the hayloft and barn so they’re probably going to try and find a warm spot to curl up. But I doubt there’ll be space enough. What rooms are free in the house that could be turned into dormitories, at least temporarily?’
Max frowned thinking hard, then rose quickly to lead the way. ‘There’s a big room on the top floor we used to use when we’d lots more students. But it’s always been rather cold and an odd place. The students preferred the smaller lower rooms, even if it meant being crowded.’
‘Wow, you could use this room for archery practice,’ Amelie exclaimed, astonished by the length of the room. ‘I know it’s a big space, but why is it so cold?’ Amelie asked with a shiver. There was a neat row of metal beds down both sides. ‘Oh, the window is broken here and those other frames have so many holes. We can fix that can’t we, while we’re here?’
‘Yes. Let’s just do it. This is ideal,’ Jim said and grasped Amelie’s hand to merge their strength. Under his direction glass fused back together, sealing holes and repairing numerous cracks. The wooden frames slowly renewed themselves becoming flawless and smooth once again. Fresh putty flowed around the frames sealing the drafts out. He finished off with a fresh coat of paint. Using their merged strength Jim scanned the room checking for other problems. ‘Agh vermin,’ Jim muttered and set to work banishing insects, then the mildew in the mattresses. He turned the cold damp air into hot steam, washing and sterilising the entire room. Years of ingrained sooty dirt on floors, walls and furnishings peeled off and slid into a growing pool of thick goo on the floor. Under Jim’s magical prompting, it slowly flowed towards the door in a growing wave of black filth. Max yelped and leaped over it, staring at the disgusting black stuff approaching him as though alive. But behind it, gleaming wooden floorboards came out of the blackness. Even the air freshened, losing the smell of damp and mildew.
While Jim carried on down the long room cleaning, Amelie and Max quickly lit fires in the fireplaces at either end of the dormitory. The fires would help dry the dampness and begin warming the room.
Off the landing outside were several rooms, with washing facilities and separate toilet cubicles. Everything the refugees needed was here. Jim directed the dirt into a big sink and watched it flow down the drain and disappear. Then he looked more closely at the washroom amenities that obviously hadn’t been used in a long time. He directed a new wave of cleansing steam through each room; ensuring no-one was going to catch something nasty from the plumbing.
‘Who needs to employ cleaning staff with you around,’ Max said amazed by the transformation in cleanliness and Jim laughed.
‘Now it is fit for habitation by people,’ Jim said with satisfaction and they headed downstairs. He slowed and peered into the unlit dining hall, feeling an animus presence. ‘Drako, there you are. Getting warmed up?’ Jim added seeing Drako’s hands were stretched out to the dying fire.
‘Wizard. Nice fire you’ve got here. The hayloft’s quite nice too,’ Drako added.
‘We’ve just prepared a room upstairs if you’d like to see it?’ Jim asked and plucked a long piece of hay off Drako’s coat and threw it in the fire.
‘Has it got a fire?’ Drako asked wistfully.
‘Two. Come and see,’ Jim said. ‘Oh, by the way, this is Max, my deputy.’
Drako turned and took the owl man’s hand in greeting. He’d been aware of the owl during the day and that he’d been the one defending Amelie from the savage dog earlier. ‘Good to meet you properly,’ Drako said.
‘Here’s the room we have in mind. It’s not being used at all, so your people are welcome to it. We’ve just cleaned it so they could come straight in. There’s water and toilets next door.’
‘Beds,’ Drako said softly and sat down on one. ‘I’ll go get them,’ Drako said. ‘Thank you.’ He’d taken Jim at his word and brought all the family groups down to the house. They’d been standing in the barn next door patiently waiting. He was very relieved he could now deliver on their trust in him.
‘Come into the house. We’ve been offered a big room with beds,’ Drako told them. His men helped usher their cold and weary women and children inside and lug their baggage up the long staircase past one floor and on up to the top floor. They took one look at the room and rushed inside with glad cries. Here there was space, it was clean, and there were lights and roaring fires either end of the massive room. This was real and dignified human shelter from the elements. It was also big enough for everyone to stay together with no need for the men to rough it outside.
Jim and Amelie stood back and watched them. Little family groups now resolved themselves, each taking one bed to share amongst them.
‘Hold on a minute,’ Jim said to the family closest. ‘Can you stand clear of the bed? Thanks.’ He concentrated and replicated the bed, forcing it to copy itself. These new beds he made wider than the original design, but he had to stop at an extra six, feeling the massive sap on his strength. But that did now give sufficient beds for everyone to get off the floor, albeit most slept double to a bed meant for one.
‘Toilets and water are just outside on the landing,’ Jim advised in a carrying voice. ‘I’ll call you in the morning when we’ve got some breakfast together. Good night everyone.’
‘We�
�d better warn the cooks,’ Amelie said as they headed wearily down the stairs. ‘They’re not going to be impressed to be asked to double the number of mouths to feed without some warning.’
‘I know. But we do eat well here. We can eat more simply and share it round. Some of those people are painfully thin. We’ll just have to encourage everyone to forage and help in the greenhouse to grow food.’
‘Yes. Come on, let’s get this done so we can get to bed,’ she said.
20
Invitation
Jim rose early and went along to the dining hall. The grounds-men were already busy bringing in and assembling additional big trestle tables from storage, where they had been since the days they’d had far more students. As soon as a table was setup the cleaning staff washed it and laid it ready.
Jim noticed Mrs White the housekeeper supervising and went over. ‘Sorry to be causing so much extra work.’
She shrugged. ‘It’ll be nice to see the place full again. How many are there?’
‘About seventy people I believe.’
‘Will they be staying long?’
‘I don’t know yet. Would it cause a problem if they did stay for the winter?’ Jim asked seriously.
‘We’d need to stock up the larders sufficiently, but otherwise the school was designed for 300 people. We have the space, the seating, and cutlery for instance, for that many. We need to get them out of storage and wash them, but we have the kit. Where did they sleep last night?’
Amelie: Wizards of White Haven Page 32
