by Narro, B. T.
“I change mind,” Vithos said. “Stop correct me.”
“Gladly.” Zoke looked as if he wanted to spit.
“I’m sorry, Vithos,” Reela finally answered. “The King sent Rek and Cleve somewhere. I don’t know when they’ll come back.” Her tone was ominous.
“What wrong?” Vithos asked.
“They were told to kill one of the Slugari in the Krepp encampment, both if they can. I’m sure you know how dangerous that’ll be.”
Vithos grew concerned. He asked Zoke a question in Kreppen. After receiving his answer, he said, “Crazy. They die. No success.”
Reela was holding back tears. “I’m so angry with them. They left without telling me. I would’ve gone with them to make sure they were safe.”
“Too many Krepps.” Vithos hugged her. “Better you stay.”
“Vithos and I are moving our belongings to another house,” Zoke said, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “There are two beds there so we don’t have to share.”
So they were sharing a bed! Effie smirked.
“Wait,” Vithos told Zoke. “Much to discuss.”
“I’m leaving,” Zoke said with customary abruptness, starting toward the door. “You can stay.”
“Fine. Reela, you come to Tenred?”
“Yes, I’m going,” Reela answered.
“What about others?” Vithos pointed to Effie.
“Steffen and I are staying,” she said.
“You no want help fight?”
It was strange. This was the guiltiest Effie had felt about her decision. Why did she feel this way when answering Vithos, but not Alex or Reela? Maybe it was the way he’d phrased it—by using the word, “help.” For a breath, she actually considered changing her mind, but then she decided against it when she remembered psychics would be there. Maybe if I knew how to defend myself against them.
She realized then the real reason she didn’t want to go. She was scared. Why weren’t they?
“Aren’t you fearful marching into Tenred?” she asked.
“Yes, very scare,” Vithos answered.
“I am as well,” Reela said. “But you can’t be brave without fear.”
Chapter 6:
STEFFEN
It was a quiet breakfast. Steffen knew it would be as soon as the six of them sat down and no one said a word. He was in no mood to speak either.
Reela, Zoke, Vithos, and Alex were leaving for Tenred shortly after they ate. The King’s men already had started arriving from Kyrro City. The whole dining hall was quieter than usual.
There was one small hope that kept him from despair. He figured the no-visitation rules would be revoked soon and Gabby could come see him. Steffen knew he should want his mother to come as well, and he did somewhat. But she was just going to worry, making him worry in turn. Gabby would make him feel better. She always did.
The noise of eating was the only sound besides his thoughts.
Come on, Effie. There must be something you can say.
But her eyes were stuck to her plate.
Vithos spoke. “What do baby Krepp want most?”
Steffen was confused by the question. But by everyone else’s expression, he soon realized the Elf was telling a joke.
“What?” Reela asked.
“Baby Slugari.”
Reela and Effie let out a laugh as they rolled their eyes.
“That’s not very good,” Reela said with a smile.
“How you confuse thousand Krepps?” Vithos started his next joke.
Zoke looked intrigued. “I haven’t heard this one.”
“Go to market and put Slugari meat in one Krepp pants.”
A deep rumble of laughter burst from Zoke. It attracted looks from every nearby table.
Before Steffen realized it, he and the others were laughing as well.
“Did you know,” Zoke told Vithos, “there were many jokes made about you?”
The Elf’s eyes widened. “No.”
“What’s the difference between Vithos with his arms and legs and without?” Zoke frowned. “It sounds better in Kreppen.”
“What?” Vithos inquired.
“Nothing, he’s useless either way.”
Steffen didn’t understand the humor, but Vithos laughed heartily.
“Another,” the Elf said.
“How long does it take for Vithos to peel a kupota?”
“How long?”
“However long it takes to find a Krepp to do it for him.”
Vithos laughed again.
Zoke was shaking his head with a smile. “The thought of telling you any of those back when I was still part of the tribe…no one dared.”
“And I no find it funny then. Haemon punish me for laugh instead of punish Krepp.”
A sharp whistle made everyone turn. Terren was standing on a table.
“All third-year students report to the north gate,” the headmaster bellowed. “The commander of the King’s guard will be leaving shortly. Everyone else who’s going must meet there as well.”
Terren then hopped off the table and jogged toward them.
“Reela,” he called to her. “Liaison Wilfre told me Cleve and Rek were sent to the Krepps to kill their leaders. Do you know anything about this?”
She shrugged sullenly. “Just that and nothing else. They left without even telling me.”
“Cleve left you in Kyrro City…alone? Not a word?” Anger crossed his face.
“There’s no reason for you to be mad at him,” Reela said. “I’m plenty mad for the both of us.”
Terren nodded. His gaze finally shifted to the others listening. “Zoke, Vithos, Alex, and Reela, thank you all for going.”
“We here to fight,” Vithos said. “So we fight.”
Effie’s head sank. Steffen felt his doing the same.
“Goodbye, Eff.” Reela hugged her.
“Just make sure you come back,” Effie said. “All of you.”
“We will,” Alex said, hugging her next. He lingered a little longer and kissed her sweetly.
Then they each shared a goodbye, Zoke even offering to shake Steffen’s hand.
“Good luck,” Steffen told the Krepp.
“Won’t be needed.”
Effie sat back down with her hands over her face as they left the dining hall, Steffen beside her.
Neither spoke.
It turned out that a little more than half the Academy had joined the group marching through the Fjallejon Pathway to Tenred, including Terren. Liaison Wilfre stayed behind to take command, which he announced at Redfield later that day. Effie grumbled and said it was likely he’d been put in charge because the dozens of others who would be better at it had left for Tenred. But Steffen didn’t know him well enough to agree or not.
During his announcement, Wilfre said, “If there’s an issue that requires my attention, you can find me at the headmaster’s house. But I’ll be very busy doing the King’s work, so only knock if it’s extremely important.”
That’s when Steffen figured Effie was probably right.
One thing he noticed, glancing around the Redfield stadium, was that far more women had stayed than men. He figured it was the ratio of warriors, all of whom were men. Half of the Academy was made up of students training as warriors. Although the other three classes predominantly were composed of women, men still accounted for about two thirds of the school.
School, Steffen reflected upon the word. It didn’t seem to fit any longer. And these walls are the first defense against any attackers coming through the Fjallejon Pathway.
It wasn’t a school. It was a fortress.
Steffen’s mind wandered. Wilfre was boring everyone with unnecessary details about what constitutes an emergency, when second helpings of food are appropriate, and the importance of punctuality.
“The King pays for you to eat and live here.” Wilfre’s tone was haughty. “So I’m going to make sure you’re not wasting his money.”
“And where was W
ilfre while we were fighting off the Krepps?” Effie whispered.
Wilfre continued. “You’ll have one day off from battle training—and that’s today. Your instructors and I need time to discuss how this Academy will be run in Terren’s absence. That’s it for now. But I expect all of you to return here promptly the moment the Redfield bell rings twice. Dismissed.” He flashed an irritatingly proud smile, clearly pleased with his own speech.
“I’d love to see what he’d do if the Krepps arrived before Terren returned,” Effie commented. “Probably run crying to the King.”
She seemed to be in a worse mood than usual. Steffen often had trouble figuring out exactly what Effie was feeling. Her sister was more transparent, at least around him.
“I’m going to write to Gabby,” he said. “And my mother. They need to know they won’t be allowed to visit us for now.”
“You’re right, I should write to Gabby and my parents.” She grumbled. “And I should tell Airy about Reela. She didn’t get a chance to write to her mother before she left. Actually, I’ll just make my parents do it when I write to them. I don’t know how to tell Airy that her daughter volunteered to fight.”
“I’m sure she’ll be proud.”
“Worried is more like it. Possibly angry at me for not stopping her.” Effie scoffed. “Like anyone could ever convince Reela not to do something.”
That confirmed Steffen’s earlier belief. Definitely in a poor mood.
A student walked past them at a brisk pace. Effie grabbed Steffen’s arm with a gasp, quickly letting go a moment later.
“Bastial hell,” she muttered. “I thought that was over.”
“What happened?” Steffen asked.
“I thought it was Brady…that bastard.”
“Sometimes when I see a girl with red hair, I think it’s Marratrice, even though I know she’s gone.”
“I’m sorry.” She sighed and leaned against Steffen’s shoulder, tucking her arm through his. “What are we going to do after we write our letters?”
“We’ll take them to the mail building to be delivered.”
She grumbled. “You know what I mean.”
“I don’t.”
“How will we pass the time? It’ll be so dull around here with everyone gone and battle training canceled.”
But Steffen was excited for the time to read. There were several books he hadn’t had the chance to start. Clearly, Effie wasn’t in the same mindset.
“I don’t know” was all he could say.
Steffen didn’t know what to write. It felt as if too much had happened for him to mention any of it. The Krepps attacked. Marratrice died. He lived. Cleve came back…only to leave once again. Gabby had met Cleve briefly, and Steffen had told her about Cleve being sent to Goldram, so he figured he’d mention it in her letter. But he certainly wouldn’t mention Marratrice.
Gabby would get the wrong idea.
He felt as if someone should know that he missed Marratrice, that he felt guilty every time he smiled, every moment he wasn’t mourning her.
He put pen to paper and forced words out, still unsure what he wanted to write.
Gabby,
I’m alright, and everyone else is as well. I was hoping to see you, but you’ve probably found out by now that visitation to the Academy isn’t allowed during this time. How are you?
—Steffen
He couldn’t bring himself to tell her anything else. He knew she would be curious about the battle against the Krepps, and she’d probably already heard about the attack on Tenred. But he just couldn’t write about it, not when he didn’t know how he felt.
He looked over his short letter, utterly disappointed. The next one, to his mother, was even worse.
Mother,
There’s no need to worry. Everyone is alright. I’m doing fine. I love you.
—Steffen
He was tempted to rip up both letters but knew he couldn’t come up with anything better.
Soon, Effie had finished her two letters. They walked to the mail building to deliver them.
“The campus feels deserted,” Effie commented as they walked by Warrior’s Field.
Steffen didn’t mind the emptiness. It was peaceful, and he knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
“There’ll be battle sometime in the near future,” he said. “We might as well enjoy this calm while we can.”
“I can’t.” Effie shook her head. “Not without something to do.” She took two deep breaths that did nothing to help her relax.
The mail building was surprisingly small, considering all incoming and outgoing mail went through it. Students were allowed only in the front, where a surly woman with a bundle of curly blond hair greeted them halfheartedly. She was so thin, her bones could be seen through her skin.
She pointed at a chart on the wall as Steffen put his letters on the counter. Glancing over, he saw the sign she pointed to was new. It listed a fee depending on where the letter was going, Gendocks being the most expensive and Kyrro City the least.
“But I don’t have any money here,” Effie complained.
“Neither do I,” Steffen said. “And we’re not allowed to leave the Academy.”
The woman folded her arms. “King’s orders. We can’t deliver your mail without payment. It’s the same for everyone now. The King needs money for the war.” She handed Steffen’s letters back to him.
“How are we supposed to communicate with anyone outside the Academy?” Effie asked.
The woman shrugged. “They can write to you if you don’t have money.”
“But then we can’t even write back!”
Effie’s raised voice made Steffen uncomfortable. He put his hand on her back in hopes of calming her.
“Do you have any mail for house number two thirty-nine?” he asked.
“Don’t know yet.”
Effie let out a frustrated breath. “When will you know?”
“Depends. What city are you expecting mail from?”
“Oakshen,” they both answered, Steffen far more politely than Effie.
“We just got today’s mail from Oakshen.” She pointed a thumb over her shoulder toward the back of the building, where a closed door blocked their view. “We’re sorting through it now. You can wait if you want…if you keep quiet.”
She seemed to be looking at something behind them. Steffen turned to find a wooden bench so small he hadn’t noticed it before.
“I’m going to wait,” Steffen told Effie.
Discouraged, she said, “I might as well also.”
The woman went through the door behind her as Steffen sat on the bench.
“Move over,” Effie ordered.
Steffen did, and she sat beside him. There wasn’t enough room for them to sit without their shoulders and knees touching.
Steffen was in no mood to chat, and Effie clearly wasn’t either. So they waited in silence, watching as other students came in with letters only to encounter the same problem. Many hadn’t brought any money to the Academy. A few had and went to retrieve it. The rest glanced at Effie and Steffen, then left instead of waiting for the mail to be sorted.
“How much longer?” Effie asked the woman behind the counter.
“Soon.”
Eventually a man came through the back door with two letters and handed them to the woman.
“Two thirty-nine,” she announced.
Effie stood and accepted them. “Only two?”
“From Oakshen, yes.”
“No one else would be writing to us,” Effie said.
“Then that’s all the mail for you today.”
Effie accepted them and handed one to Steffen as they left. It was from his mother. Effie’s bore her family’s return address.
Gabby didn’t write to me? he thought. It was a complete shock.
The letter was heavier than usual. It must have a few coins in it so I can write to her back, he realized. It was thoughtful of her. For just a blink, he considered using his mot
her’s coins to write to Gabby, but he could never be so cruel.
“Is this what our days are going to be like?” Effie asked. “Waiting, walking around an empty campus, reading mail?”
Steffen shrugged.
“I should’ve gone with them,” Effie muttered.
He wasn’t sure why she couldn’t relax and even less sure what he could do about it.
When Effie opened her letter after they’d arrived home, they found out Gabby had written to Steffen. She’d put his letter in Effie’s envelope to save on postage. It read:
Steffen,
They posted lists around the city of all those who died at the Academy. The one near my house had hundreds of people crowding around it to look. I was nearly trampled. I was so nervous I would find your name or my sister’s. I’m so thankful everyone is alright. I can’t believe it has come to this, with a list informing me whether you’re alive or dead. I hate it.
I understand not being able to visit. Train hard so you can protect yourself. I miss the days we spent together without fear of battle, but they’ll be back once this is over.
Let me know how you’re doing.
—Love, Gabby
She sounded older with each letter she wrote. It must be the war, Steffen figured. There’s no denying there’ll be more fighting. She’s come to terms with this.
Effie appeared in his doorway. “Done reading your letters?”
Steffen hadn’t read the one from his mother yet, but he knew exactly what it would say. She would tell him how worried she was and would want him to write back about everything he was doing to keep himself safe.
“Just about,” he answered.
“What did Gabby say to you?”
Steffen handed her the letter.
Effie mumbled some of the words as she sped through it. When she was done, she said, “Gabby sounds different in your letter also. I can’t figure out what it is. Is she no longer afraid?”
“She might be scared but doesn’t want to show it.”
“Is that how you feel?”
“Not at this moment.” Steffen was surprised by his answer. “Although, maybe I should be.”
