Ashes

by Lauralana Dunne

  Elise and Sophie clapped excitedly as Phoenix dashed from their room, Kit bounding next to her at her heels.

  The kitchens were a flutter of activity. Orders were flung back and forth with ease, raising in volume in an attempt to drown out the general noise of chopping and banging from the various stations. Phoenix was unable to see Tessa, so she quickly ducked out of sight from searching eyes and scrambled to grab a platter of food before it all went out.

  While she was loading up a plate with eggs, a heavy pitcher of tea was placed on her tray. Phoenix looked up to see Rae, her hair tied back and her face sweating with the heat.

  “You’re gonna need this,” she said with a wink.

  Phoenix frowned. “Aren’t you joining us?”

  Rae shrugged. “I’ll be out of here soon. I stayed late yesterday...” she trailed off, and the girls exchanged a grim look at the reminder of their adventure last night. “Which is good, because I need to wash and get ready.” Rae mirrored Elise and Sophie’s excitement, and Phoenix smiled to see her friend so happy.

  “Why don’t you do that now?” Phoenix offered. “I don’t have much to do - I’m just wearing my formal uni - so I can take over here and you can go ahead and get ready.”

  Rae clapped her hands excitedly. “Really? Thank you! You’ll need to help Anna baste the fowl, and probably shape more dough rolls, but that should be it!”

  Excitedly, Rae gave Phoenix a quick hug and dashed out of the kitchens and up to their room with the serving tray in her hands.

  Phoenix chuckled to herself and pulled an apron from the storage bin and reported to Anna.

  The work was fast-paced, but not taxing. She found that her mind could wander while her hands automatically completed their tasks.

  Phoenix decided that she would try and smooth things over with Camden. She was tired of their constant bickering. They had to practice together before the celebrations, and they would continue to work with each other far into the foreseeable future. The idea of always being at odds with him, or them having to tiptoe around each other felt like a stone sinking in her stomach. She liked Camden. She wanted things between them to be easy, even if she had to force the two of them to figure it out.

  An order was shouted out for Master Malcourt and King Benedict, and Phoenix hid a smile at the thought of her Master watching the King so early in the day. She wondered if he’d remained in his tower. Knowing him, he probably used the cot in the King’s chambers, keeping watch during the long night.

  Time passed, and before she knew it she had finished her work. Washing her hands, Phoenix tossed her apron in the dirty pile up and snagged herself some food before exiting the kitchens. She also grabbed some extra to give to Kit, who had been sitting patiently at the main kitchen doors and waiting for her. Once the dog had dared to follow her into the kitchens and Tessa had thrown a fit - as well as a pot - at the pup. Kit had not ventured into the kitchens since.

  Phoenix hurried back to the dorms to get ready for her practice with Camden. Smoothing things over with the other Apprentice would go more easily if she were on time, so she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going, and in her haste she bumped into a youth who was wandering through the corridors. Stammering out an apology, she held out her hands to steady him so that he wouldn’t fall over.

  He was about her age. His clothes were dusty from travel. She could tell they were new, as though he had gotten them specifically to wear while visiting Castle Angor, but they were not extravagant like many of the other visitors. He looked familiar, and she tried to place him against all the new faces that had arrived recently.

  He blushed. “My apologies, Miss,” he said, giving Phoenix a practiced bow. “I didn’ see you there.”

  “No, it’s my fault,” she assured him. “I was in a hurry. I didn’t look where I was going.”

  He looked uncomfortable, his cheeks tinged with embarrassment while he refused to meet her eye, and Phoenix felt sympathy for him, remembering how long it had taken her to learn how to act in the castle.

  “Are you lost?” she asked kindly. When he nodded she offered a smile. “Don’t worry about it. It took me moons to learn my way around this place. It’s tricky.”

  “It is,” he agreed with relief.

  “I’m guessing you’re looking for the dining hall?” When he nodded again, she stepped to the side to gesture down the corridor. “The kitchens are just past those doors - they go down a level - but you don’t want to go there. Just walk a ways further and there’ll be a passageway to your right. Follow that to the end of the hallway and you’re there!”

  “Thank you very much,” he said, bowing to her again with the same stiff little bow.

  “You’re welcome! Enjoy the festivities!” Phoenix splayed her fingers in farewell and headed towards the dorms again - this time at a much slower pace. She noticed, when turning the corner, that he was standing there and staring after her in disbelief.

  He had probably caught sight of Kit.

  She wracked her brain to think of when she saw him last, but the familiarity kept teasing itself away from her. He was probably one of Alexandri’s friends from sparring practice yesterday, she decided at last, already pushing the exchange from her mind as she eyed the sun’s location in the sky.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, Phoenix hurried back towards the dorms.

  ***

  Phoenix padded from the bathing room. She clutched the thick towel around her, tightening the soft cocoon around the tingling she felt from her rushed attempt at scrubbing the smell of the kitchens from her skin.

  Kit trotted next to her happily, her wet paws pressing prints on the stone as they walked down the empty corridor.

  A strange smell caused Phoenix to wrinkle her nose. She waved her hand in front of her face to displace it, but the action did little to help. The further she walked, the stronger it became. Kit snorted from the smell.

  Phoenix opened the door to the drying room and found that it was strongest inside. The windows had been shut since her last visit, shuttered tightly against the wall so that the foul scent was amplified in the stuffy room.

  Trying not to gag, Phoenix took a hesitant step forward and looked around. She could find nothing that was the cause of the smell. She could find nothing in the empty room. Her outfit was missing.

  Frantically, she peered around the room, even going so far as to open the windows - as if her uniform had decided to drop out of the three-floored opening. She frowned and looked around.

  “Maybe someone brought it back in the room,” she said reasonably to Kit, fighting the panic that was rising in her throat. “They probably came in to close the windows and dropped it off.”

  Deciding that that was what had happened, she shut the door behind her and returned to her room.

  The smell grew even stronger as they continued. Eventually she was forced to cover her mouth and nose with her hand as she walked to keep herself from gagging. She had no idea what could be causing such an odour - especially in the girls’ dorms, where everything was kept completely clean and tidy. It smelled almost like rotten fish, she thought, remembering the smell of the leftovers from a few days ago. Rotten fish that had somehow been combined with a dirty stable. The smell of decay clung to the back of Phoenix’s throat.

  The stench came from the bedroom. Pinching her nose, Phoenix pushed the door open all the way and stopped mid-step.

  Rae, Elise, and Sophie were all kneeling on the floor, scrubbing the object that was undoubtedly the cause of the horrible smell. There was a bucket of steaming soapy water and a bucket of what Phoenix assumed was slop, all of which were surrounded by dirty used brushes. Puddles and chunks of filth were all over the floor where the dirty bucket had spilled over.

  Next to her, Kit sneezed.

  “Hurry up,” Rae said, facing away from the doorway as she worked. “She’ll be back before we know it.” The three girls were in their under clothes as they scrubbed, their dresses hanging up across the room at
a safe distance.

  “What the sweet jumping toad is causing that horrible smell?” Phoenix asked, stepping into the room. Her voice sounded strange, she knew, having her nose pinched as she spoke, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t understand how the other girls could handle the smell.

  Rae jumped at the sound of her voice while Elise squeaked with fright and dropped the brush she had been holding. Sophie just sat back on her heels and sighed, frowning at Phoenix with a strange expression. It took her a moment to realize that it was a mixture of sorrow and pity.

  There, crumpled on the floor between the three girls, barely recognizable, was Phoenix’s uniform.

  The outfit had obviously been soaking in the bucket for some time. The bucket that Phoenix now recognized as the one missing from the stables. The uniform was beyond redemption, whatever was collected had undoubtedly absorbed permanently into the fabric. Even if the girls managed to wash it clean, there was no way that the horrible smell would ever disappear.

  “What?” Phoenix was so dumbfounded that she dropped her hand to her side. She winced as the smell hit her full force. “How... ?”

  Rae jumped up and gave her a hug. “Oh, Phoenix. I’m so sorry. I found it when I went to bathe. All the windows were closed and your clothes were just lying in this... bucket,” she wrinkled her nose at the filth, face twisting in disgust.

  “We tried as best we could,” Elise chimed in. “We wanted to clean it for you, before you noticed, but we couldn’t. It’s been soaking too long...”

  There was an uneasy silence in the room as everyone stared at the filthy outfit.

  Sophie made a loud noise of frustration and threw her brush at the dirty heap. “It’s all Brianna! I know it is! Her and her rotten little lackeys. She’s been put out of sorts ever since you came here. She can’t stand anyone else getting any attention!”

  Sophie’s fit of anger was completely uncharacteristic for her, which momentarily endeared her to Phoenix before the melancholy set in.

  Phoenix just stared at the ruined clothes. “But why would she...”

  “Because she’s awful,” Sophie spat.

  “Sophie’s right,” Rae said quietly. “Brianna and Jenny have seemed particularly suspicious the last few days.”

  Phoenix nodded numbly, remembering the way the two had been laughing at her during evening’s meal.

  “Not that we can ever prove it,” Elise said, bitterly.

  “Not that we can do anything about it, either,” Phoenix muttered.

  Sophie narrowed her eyes and clapped her hands together with a strange show of authority. “Never mind that, now. We’ve got to get Phoenix a new outfit,” she declared.

  The three stared at her.

  “What?” Elise blinked.

  “You heard me,” Sophie told her.

  Rae frowned. “Sophie, none of us are the same size as Phoenix. She’s so...”

  “Gangly?” Phoenix asked darkly.

  “Tall,” Rae supplied quickly.

  “So we’ll ransack the discard room!” Sophie said with a mischievous smile. Her voice took an innocent tone. “After all, who else would have a key to it at this time of day?”

  Rae cheered and Elise clapped, and Phoenix felt herself smiling despite her rotten mood.

  “Go to your lessons, Phoenix,” Rae turned her about and pushed her out the door while Elise tossed a mostly-clean outfit after her. “We’ll take care of everything here.”

  “But what about the mess?” Phoenix asked, clutching her towel, looking helplessly behind her at the slop on the floor.

  “You leave that to us,” Rae said, her eyes dancing. “I think I heard Sophie talking about what we should do with it earlier.”

  Elise and Sophie grinned. The door closed in Phoenix’s face before she could ask any more questions, the definitive sound of a lock clicking had her swallowing her objections as she stared at her barred chambers in disbelief. Kit huffed and, with a shrug, Phoenix ducked into an empty room to change.

  ***

  The stone tree shifted behind Phoenix as she stepped onto the floor. The branches rolled back onto themselves, twining together to obscure the fabricated stairs that were paramount in accessing the higher floors. Stone tendrils clung to the wall like hanging decorations, interwoven as thoroughly as a spiderweb, while the buds of leaves peeked out from their vantage points.

  Phoenix gave one of the vines a pat of thanks, convinced as always that the tree settled more quickly because of it.

  She was the first to arrive at the practice chamber. The area was empty except for the kindling targets that stood around the perimeter of the room, and except for the large box of floating rings that Camden used for practice.

  Feeling jittery, Phoenix launched into a pace to calm herself, concentrating on the motions of her legs carrying her across the room, the impact of her boots against the stone floor. Despite her best efforts she was unable to make it work. Her body still shook with anger, the heat of it flickering between her fingers.

  Settling in Angor had been a challenge. Learning how to integrate herself into the castle’s routine while having to work constantly on her lessons to catch up with her peers - she had pushed a lot aside in order to get to where she was. That would be her last mistake. Now she was done. Brianna’s nasty prank was the final straw.

  Phoenix was fed up with the snotty girl attacking her at every turn. She had tried to downplay the situation for the past few moons - tried to avoid a direct confrontation that would shame her Master - but she could see now that that was no longer an option. Phoenix would have to figure out a way to deal with the girl on her own terms.

  Her anger overwhelmed her and she punched a target, reveling in the satisfaction she felt when it burst into flame, breaking apart from the force of the heat that sprung into life. She snatched a fallen piece and hurled it at a second target. She glared at the piece as it sailed through the air, pinpointing her Power against the stick as it spun across the room.

  Wicked delight snaked down her spine as the second target also caught fire from the impact. She couldn’t help but feel a small kernel of pride glow in her stomach at her newfound trick.

  The sound of clapping startled her and she whirled around. Master Malcourt and Camden had arrived without her noticing, and as Phoenix fought to control her emotions, the flames behind her guttered into nothingness. They stood in the doorway. Camden was looking at her with a muted show of respect, but Master Malcourt beamed openly while he clapped.

  “Very good, my dear,” he congratulated her. “You learned that much more quickly than is customary.”

  “Master?” Phoenix hastily wiped the sweat from her brow, feeling embarrassed that she had broken the targets without permission.

  “It takes a while to learn to direct Power,” Camden explained, removing his fancy overcoat to hang it on a wall hook. The threaded design that was stitched into the dark fabric flashed in the light “It took me almost twice as long.”

  Phoenix shrugged, feeling self-conscious. “All I did was keep my focus on the piece I threw,” she disagreed.

  Master Malcourt nodded in acknowledgement. “You’d be surprised how long that can take some Apprentices… despite how simple it seems in hindsight.”

  He shrugged off his overcloak as well, hanging it next to Camden’s. His outfit was formidable. He wore a long, dark cloak which hung past his waist, matching the tempered steel of the sword scabbard that hung from his belt. She had never seen him wear one before, noting how odd the weapon looked on her Master. His tunic underneath was a deep red, the dark embroidered patterns caught the light of Phoenix’s dying flames - much the same as Camden’s did - and flashed ominously with the movement.

  Master Malcourt watched her assess his clothing and made a face. “Acting is sometimes part of the Calling duty, Phoenix,” he told her dryly. “It’s always more prudent to impress others without the need for demonstrations. It’s usually a lot less messy, as well.”

  Camden remove
d his under vest and sat cross-legged on the floor. He was dressed as most nobles were, in one of the outfits that Phoenix always found to be silly and overly ornate. It was a dusky blue, a color borrowed from the sky that trailed the setting sun. A color which strangely accented his alert grey eyes. What impressed her was that Camden had his Apprentice stripes added to the sleeve of his coat. Phoenix wished that she had thought to do that.

  He caught her watching him and tilted his head, his eyes shifting greys as he appraised her. “I’m surprised that you’re not changed as well.” He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t girls supposed to spend half a day preening themselves?”

  “We’re not birds,” Phoenix retorted before ducking her head and muttering something about getting ready after. She crossed her legs as well and sat down a few hand-lengths away from him.

  Camden blinked in surprise. “You’re not wearing that, are you?” When Phoenix shrugged a shoulder despondently, he looked aghast. “You can’t wear something like that!”

  Malcourt joined them on the floor, sitting with a grace that spoke of the countless times he had spent taking part in the exercise. The three of them sat in silence for a moment, forming the shape of a triangle with Master Malcourt seated at the top.

  “Where is your dress, Phoenix?” Master Malcourt asked gently. “I’ve been so preoccupied that I didn’t think to check in on you. I keep forgetting that this is your first royal ball.”

  Phoenix rested her chin in her hands and picked at the scorched debris on the floor to avoid looking up at him. “I did have something,” she admitted. She felt a wave of emotion as she tried to explain what had happened, so she stopped talking to try to swallow the lump out of her throat.

  “Did?” Master Malcourt prompted.

  Phoenix glanced up, but she was unprepared for his concern and froze before she could avert her eyes again. His sapphire gaze was shadowed as he assessed her, darkening the distress that was evident on her face.