by Lisa Cassidy
“We haven’t had students from Rionn in quite some time. You’re late. Our learning year started two weeks ago.”
Bristling at his lack of deference for her and Ladan’s rank as well as in reaction to the discomfort he roused in her, Alyx spoke before Ladan could. “That wasn’t deliberate, I assure you. We were attacked on our way here.”
Romas was unmoved by her haughty tone. Again, it was as if even news that they’d been attacked was unsurprising to him.
“Madame Grange will see you settled in the dormitories for tonight. First thing tomorrow I will assign one of the masters to supervise your training here,” Romas said as he sat back down.
“You don’t want to hear more about the attack on us?” Ladan pushed when it became clear Romas had no more to say. “I had thought that would be something the Mage Council would be interested in.”
“The council knows more than you imagine, Ladan,” Romas said. “Madame Grange is waiting for you outside. You’re dismissed.”
Grange led them out of the main hall and across open space to one of the smaller buildings nearby. Again, the entry foyer was dim, lit by only one lamp. “Girls, you’ll come with me please. Ladan, Finn, someone will come shortly to take you to the male dormitory.”
At her words, a look of alarm crossed Dawn’s face. Finn looked unhappy also, and Alyx guessed they’d never been separated before. Neither of them said anything though, and Alyx was impressed by their strength, remembering how difficult it had been for her to see Dashan ride away—and he was far from a beloved twin.
“Sleep tight,” Finn spoke, his voice deliberately light.
“We’ll see you in the morning,” Dawn said as brother and sister hugged.
Ladan watched this exchange with a blank expression, arms crossed firmly over his chest.
The woman led Alyx and Dawn away from the entrance foyer, down a draughty corridor and then up a spiralling set of stone steps that was so narrow Alyx had to walk up almost sideways. On the third level, they went through a wooden door and then out across an open stone bridge. The night air chilled Alyx to the bone.
Finally, they left the bridge and entered a long, wide corridor. It was dark, the space lit only by faint moonlight coming through the tall arched windows that lined the hall. The woman stopped outside a small door at the far end of the hall and pulled a small key off her belt to unlock it.
“This will be your room. Breakfast is served at dawn in the dining hall, and if you’re late, you’ll miss it. A spot check on your room will be conducted each Seventhday at dawn, and if I find a speck of dirt or dust, you’ll be washing dishes for a week.” The woman spoke quickly and in a monotone, as if she’d given this speech a hundred times before. “Inside you’ll find uniforms that initiates wear. Appear on these grounds in anything but those uniforms, and you’ll be washing dishes and scrubbing floors for a week. Nobody is allowed outside of the grounds without specific permission from the DarkSkull Master. Disobey that rule, and you’ll be expelled. Any questions?”
Alyx blinked. In her sleepiness and exhaustion, the woman’s diatribe had almost hypnotized her and the end of it was rather sudden. She quickly processed what had been said, nodding as Dawn replied.
“No questions.”
“In you go then.” The woman turned without another word, disappearing back the way they’d come.
Alyx followed Dawn into the room, her spirits dropping even further as she took in the tiny space with two small beds shoved against the left and right walls. An arched window was set into the thick stone wall between the beds and a small oak chest sat at the foot of each.
She’d never had to share a room before, and the thought of doing it in this cramped space was discomforting. She’d barely have any room to move, and where were the closets?
“We’re both in here?” Alyx clarified.
Dawn frowned. “It was pretty clear from what that woman said.... Oh! You’ve never had to share a room before.”
Alyx’s face reddened. “I didn’t mean to… it’s just so small, and cold.”
“It’s all right,” Dawn said. “Finn and I shared a room when we were small, but I haven’t shared for years. I should warn you in advance that I sometimes talk in my sleep.”
Alyx smiled involuntarily. “My father says I’ve been known to sleep walk.”
“I think I can cope with that.” Dawn returned her smile.
Alyx moved into the room, inspecting the folded pile of clothes at the foot of the nearest bed. The loose pants and long-sleeved jacket were a dark cream colour, and a drab brown hooded robe topped the pile. When she dug through to look more closely, she also found two identical tan long-sleeve shirts.
Alyx slumped to the bed, dropping her head into her hands. She couldn’t bear the thought of wearing such drab colours—and having to wear pants! She thought mournfully of her favourite dresses folded neatly in her canvas bag, all left behind with their carriage.
“I was miserable when my father told us we were being sent here.”
Alyx looked up at Dawn, who’d sat down on the bed opposite. “Who wouldn’t be?”
“But then I thought about it a little. I didn’t have much of a future back in Alistriem, really, apart from marrying another tradesman like my father, having his children, and looking after his house. Women don’t become blacksmiths, even if I wanted to do what my father does.”
“I’m already betrothed, and that’s all I want. I just want to go home and marry Cayr and live the rest of my life with him and a family.” Alyx hugged herself, fighting tears.
Dawn’s eyes widened considerably. “You mean Prince Cayr? You’re betrothed to the future king?”
“We grew up together, the two of us, and Dashan as well. We’re not officially betrothed, but we will be when I go home.”
Dawn looked overawed by the information. “I’m sorry, Lady Egalion. You must feel very out of place here. It has to be worse for you than it is for Finn and me.”
“Judging by that long list of rules we were given, it sounds like there might be a lot of dishes duty in our near future.” Alyx changed the subject, trying to get back on equal footing with the girl.
“Well, at least that’s something I know how to do.” Dawn laughed lightly.
“Of course.” Alyx knew Dawn didn’t intend it, but Alyx felt even more out of place than she had before. She’d never touched a dirty dish in her life. Her father had warned her that she’d have to look after herself at DarkSkull though. She supposed the quicker she learned, the better off she’d be. Not that expulsion would be such a terrible thing, except for the fact she’d be going back on her promise to her father, and even worse, letting him and their family name down. The spark of pride deep within her wouldn’t allow that, no matter how miserable she was.
“I don’t mean to be rude, Lady Egalion, but why were you sent here?”
“My mother was a mage.”
“Really? What sort of magic did she have?”
Alyx frowned, trying to recall but unable to pierce the fogginess that shrouded her earliest memories. Ignoring the unsettled feeling that always evoked, she replied, “I don’t remember. She died when I was five.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Dawn hesitated. “Nine months here. It seems like a long time, doesn’t it?”
Alyx lowered her face back into her hands. “It seems like forever.”
Dawn rose and busied herself inspecting her bedding and pile of clothes, giving Alyx a moment alone. Eventually, Alyx stood and opened her chest, dropping her new clothes into it. When she looked up, Dawn was staring at her.
“What?”
“I’m guessing you had servants folding all your clothes for you at home.” Dawn giggled.
“I….” Alyx felt discomforted. “Yes, I did.”
“Well.” Dawn regarded her own pile of initiate clothing. “I see no need to fold any of that neatly.” With apparent relish, she picked up the clothes and dumped them into her chest just as Alyx had done.
Alyx couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Dawn.”
By then tiredness had overcome them both, and they mumbled a good night to each other before curling up in the narrow beds. Alyx was out the moment her head touched the pillow.
Chapter 10
Despite the stern instructions delivered to them the night before, both girls—for the first time in weeks sleeping in a proper bed in relative safety—slept in well past dawn. When Alyx cracked open an eyelid and saw light streaming through the window above, it took her a moment to realise where she was. Then, she panicked. She called out to Dawn and jumped out of the bed, regretting it immediately as her sore and stiffened muscles protested painfully.
She stumbled against the bed, then, righting herself, went to the window. The sun was well above the horizon.
“Oh no,” Dawn said from behind her, mouth open as she stared out the same window.
“We’d better hurry.”
The two girls dressed quickly in the clothing they’d been provided. The brown robe was loose and too long on Alyx, and she was glad of the brown leather belt she used to buckle tightly around her waist. Even that was too long, its tail hanging down almost to her knees.
“Shoes?” Dawn asked, panicked.
Alyx thought a second, then suggested, “Under the beds?”
Dawn knelt, shoulders sagging in relief as she pulled a pair of brown leather boots from under her bed.
“I am not wearing men’s boots.” Alyx emphatically refused.
“I don’t want to be rude, Lady Egalion, but it’s cold out. I think these boots are preferable to frostbite.”
As the sense of Dawn’s words sank in, Alyx capitulated with a heavy sigh, and crouched down to drag out the pair under her bed. They both struggled with pulling the calf-length boots all the way on over the baggy breeches.
“I feel like I’m swimming in all this,” Alyx grumbled as she tugged on the second boot.
Neither girl bothered wasting time tying the laces on the boots before running from the room. Both halted almost immediately as they realised they had no idea how to get to the dining hall.
The hallway was empty. Presumably all the girls on their floor were already down at breakfast. A moment later, though, a maid appeared around the corner carrying a mop and bucket.
“Good morning,” Dawn said. “Could you tell us how to get to the dining hall?”
The maid gave them a knowing look. “Newly arrived initiates, I take it?”
“We only got in last night.”
“Well, you’ve missed breakfast already. You need to go back down the main stairs, out the front doors, and straight across the lawn. The dining hall is on the ground floor of the main hall. You can’t miss it.”
“Thank you,” Dawn said, before she and Alyx took to their heels.
DarkSkull didn’t look as eerie and menacing in daytime as it had under the darkness of the previous night. Instead, it just looked grey and miserable. Alyx glanced around, catching a brief glimpse of fields and other stone buildings as she and Dawn hurried across to the main hall. The tops of the hills surrounding the valley wall were wreathed in thick fog, though Alyx thought she caught sight of a stone tower on the south-eastern corner of the valley wall, its tip poking through the mist.
When they finally arrived at the dining hall, Finn was sitting at an empty table. A tall, dark-skinned boy their age stood beside him and the two were talking. The rest of the dining hall was empty and three workers were moving around clearing dishes and cleaning the tables.
“Morning.” Finn looked up as they approached. He had dark circles under his eyes but looked pleased to see his sister.
“How long have you been here?” Dawn asked, giving her brother a quick hug.
“Not long. I slept in, then got lost finding this place.”
“You’ve missed breakfast,” the other boy said unhelpfully.
“This is Tarrick,” Finn introduced them. “He’s Zandian and an initiate like us. Our rooms are on the same floor, though I’m on my own for the moment.”
“Nice to meet you.” Tarrick held out a hand.
“Lady Alyx Egalion.” She took the hand politely. “Daughter of Lord Garan Egalion of Rionn.”
“Finn mentioned you were Rionnans.” Tarrick offered Dawn his hand next.
“You’ll be the only ones here at DarkSkull. Most of us are from Tregaya or Zandia.”
“How did you miss breakfast?” Dawn asked him.
He shrugged. “The hours here are long, so I chose sleep over food.”
“What can you tell us about this place?” Alyx wanted to know.
“What do you know already?”
“Nothing.” Alyx replied for all three of them.
Tarrick looked confused. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Finn said. “Our king appointed a new lord-mage recently, and one of his first recommendations was to send more mage-potentials to train at DarkSkull. Lord-Mage Casovar came to see us shortly after, and before we knew it we were here.”
“Master Casovar!” Tarrick said. “I’d heard he left the Council and had been appointed to the court in Rionn.”
“You know him, then?” Alyx asked.
“Not personally, but all mages have heard of him, of course. The Council was disappointed to lose him.”
“Oh, I see.” Dawn shared a confused look with Finn.
“So you’re not from mage families?” Tarrick looked disappointed.
“Neither of our parents has a shred of magic,” Dawn said.
“My mother was a mage,” Alyx said.
“Really?” Tarrick perked up. “Who is your mother?”
“Her name was Temari, but she died when I was young and I don’t really remember anything about her.”
“Oh.” He looked awkward, as did the twins, and an uneasy silence fell.
Dawn eventually broke it, clearing her throat. “How many initiates are there at DarkSkull?”
“About twenty, now that you’re here, but initiates are first-year students. A lot never make it through the first year, and some don’t break out,” Tarrick said. “Those that display magic and pass their first year are called apprentices. They’re the ones wearing grey robes. Full mages wear black.”
“How many years do you have to study here before becoming a full mage?” Finn asked with interest.
“Usually it’s about four, but it depends on when the masters think you’re ready.”
Dawn grimaced. “And from what Madame Grange told us last night, we’re essentially trapped here on threat of expulsion.”
“That’s not really a threat,” Alyx muttered, mostly to herself. She was only grumbling though, the idea of letting down her adored father by failing so quickly was too much to bear.
“That’s right,” Tarrick said, ignoring Alyx. “Except for the two-day festival held in the Spring. We’re all allowed off the grounds then.”
“Well, aren’t you all a sorry-looking bunch?”
All four of them turned to stare at the man who’d spoken. He was of average height, with a short brown beard and portly figure. He carried a polished ebony staff in one hand and wore the same serviceable black robe that Romas had been wearing the night before. A mage, then, given what Tarrick had just said.
“I imagine you have a class you need to be at, Initiate Tylender?” he spoke again.
“Yes, sir.” Tarrick nodded at them all and strode away.
“Missed breakfast did we?” The man raised an eyebrow. “Always happens to the newcomers. Nobody ever bothers to tell them where the dining hall is. I’m Master Howell, one of the mage teachers here at DarkSkull Hall. I’m also head librarian for the Mage Council. Most of our works are kept here at DarkSkull.”
They continued to stare. Howell looked rather innocuous for a mage. He had none of Lord-Mage Casovar’s aura of intensity or hawk-like gaze. Nor did he have the cool self-assurance Romas had displayed the previous evening.
“A bunch of mutes, are you?” He p
eered at them. “Or deaf maybe? You look far too tired and hungry to be shy.”
“I am Lady Alyx Egalion of Rionn,” Alyx spoke in the tone she usually reserved for greeting court nobles for the first time. “My companions are Finn and Dawn A’ndreas. All of us can speak and hear perfectly well.”
“Excellent.” He beamed. “You may call me ‘master,’ or ‘sir.’ I’m to be your supervisor for your time at DarkSkull. Come with me now, please.”
“Sir, could we get something to eat?” Finn asked.
“No. You’ve missed breakfast,” Howell said. “It’d be against the rules for me to let you eat now. You’ll have to wait till dinnertime. Come along, I don’t have all day.”
Dutifully, they followed Howell out of the dining hall and into the cold morning. Now that she wasn’t rushing to find the dining hall, Alyx was more at leisure to take in her surroundings. Outside the front doors of the main hall was a long, open valley. As she’d seen the previous night, the buildings that made up DarkSkull Hall sat clustered around the northern end of a grey lake, with fenced-off fields spreading in all directions. Ringing all of this was a tall line of hills; the fog clouding the summit had cleared some while they’d been inside but was still visible. It was hard to believe they’d crossed through those hills the previous night.
Alyx wondered where Ladan was. It seemed odd that he wasn’t in their group given they’d all arrived at the same time.
“Your travelling companion—Ladan, was it?—has been placed under Master Taner’s supervision,” Howell said, as if reading her thoughts. He said nothing further to explain that decision, though, and silence fell as they walked through the snow towards a forested section of the valley floor.
“Tarrick said I had the look of an innocent. I think that disappointed him,” Finn said.
“An innocent?” Dawn asked.
