Faerie's Champion

by M. H. Johnson

  “Well done with the guardsmen,” Juliana whispered approvingly. “Mother says bribery and friendly courtesy are the best ways to be on good terms with the lower classes. Honey opens more doors than vinegar, she likes to say.”

  Jess smirked. “There is that. Come, Twilight, we have dark tomes filled with forbidden lore to uncover!”

  Juliana eyed her friend strangely. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to hearing you speak to empty air, my dear Jess.”

  Jess flashed a quick smile. “You’ll get used to it. Let’s you and me check these stacks. Twilight will let us know if he finds anything at his end.”

  Jess found herself humming happily as she lost herself in the elegance of the library, enjoying the comforting smells of papyrus and paper, the rich luster of ancient, exquisitely preserved leather, the warm golden glow of well-polished hardwood shelves. The library was obviously well cared for, and of this Jess approved immensely.

  Jess had no set plan, she just let her eyes wander where they would, much as she imagined a bored student might, looking for a tome that would catch her interest. She found her hands idly picking up a number of interesting looking tomes. Some she put aside, having no real interest in learning about the history of heraldry, or the best way to raise swine, but the slim volumes depicting the exploits of adventurers long ago lost to the annuls of history fascinated her. With an excited grin she showed her finds to Juliana who oohed appreciatively, happy to carry them for Jess, and after a time Jess happily went to one of the reading tables before opening the ancient volumes, feeling a sense of heady anticipation at delving into the fascinating contents that no doubt lay within, paying no attention at all to the frowning girl nearby who sighed and shook her head before finding a quieter spot to read.

  “Um… Jess?”

  “Hmm?”

  “You know you’re reading aloud, right?”

  Jess nodded. “The words don’t make sense to me unless I hear them. But that’s okay, I get to be my own storyteller this way. I wasn’t too loud, was I?”

  Julia shook her head. “My grandfather read the same way. He didn’t learn to read until after he had achieved noble rank, fighting beside and later supplying armor for the king. Is it a good tome?”

  "Oh, yes!" Jess declared animatedly. "It depicts the adventures of Maven Stonecrow, a Delver who lived upon these lands centuries ago, long before the era of the Red Queen, when the kingdom was still a bunch of small fiefdoms, and the Guild little more than a group of men dedicated to recording the exploits of legendary heroes just like Maven! Right here he recounts his return from the dark witch Abba's domain and the treasures he stole, escaping before she could hunt him down in her deadly maze." Jess grinned. "It appears that our dear Maven was as much a thief as anything else, but oh, to read of the customs and philosophies of men who lived centuries before. Fascinating!"

  Juliana nodded in approval. “That is why I love the study of history. Not quite so exciting as the life of a Delver, I’m sure, but you can explore entire kingdoms; the wonder of their architecture, the mighty discoveries they made, their triumphs and tragic declines, all from the safety of a snug reading chair.”

  Jess nodded approvingly. “Studying the lessons of the past results in wisdom for the future, my father likes to say.”

  "Um… Jess?" Juliana asked a bit later, idly flipping through one of the slim volumes that had piqued Jess's interest. "You didn't happen to find any tomes that, how did you put it, reeked of dark eldritch lore, perhaps with some helpful hints regarding the strange portal into Regio we fear those students might have fallen into?"

  Jess had the grace to look a bit embarrassed. "I sort of got sidetracked. My plan was just to wander the stacks and let my hands grab whatever looked appealing, like a bored student might, in case that's how this trouble all started. And frankly, I didn't really have a better idea on how to go about finding such a tome, and, well, my eye found several things that caught my interest."

  Juliana's carefully neutral nod did not make Jess feel better.

  “Okay. Watch these, I’ll go take another look,” Jess said.

  Juliana gave her an approving smile.

  Yet Jess had no better luck, and worse, found no more interesting volumes regarding the history and exploits of Delvers who had walked the land in ages past. She did, however, encounter the library's proctor. Younger than the other proctors, her hair was tied up in the same tight bun, wearing a dress as prim and severe as the uniforms worn by her counterparts in the dining hall. This gave Jess a bit of inspiration, even as the woman locked eyes with Jess and perhaps deciding that Jess didn't quite fit the profile of the typical student most often found in the library, immediately made a beeline for her.

  “You. Student. Show me your gray pass immediately.”

  Jess smiled. “You first. Tell me why students need passes to begin with.”

  The stern looking woman, no doubt expecting immediate obedience, flared her nostrils at Jess’s insouciance, her disdainful gaze making it clear she thought little of Jess or her Highrock attire; tunic, doublet, and tights utterly free of any trace of a decent skirt. Jess, however, would not be cowed, remaining polite but refusing to break eye contact with the proctor. The woman snorted but looked away. Jess saw her suppress a shudder. “It is not for you to question your elders, child. And that is ‘my lady’ when you address me, novice. Now I will ask you again. Where is your pass?”

  Jess gazed at her coldly. "Actually, it is you who will refer to me as ‘my lady', my right as a woman of noble birth and named rank. Or you may call me Squire, should you choose, as I have trained most diligently upon the path of war. Now, proctor, I asked you a direct question, and I expect an answer. Why are these passes required of us, students of this institution, in the one place that should be open to all attendees, the very heart of our education, the library?"

  Even as she made use of her natural authority, Jess stepped closer to the woman, her intimidating presence causing the other to instinctively back away, establishing an unspoken dominance that immediately put the target of Jess’s impromptu interrogation on the defensive.

  The proctor's lips pressed together in obvious displeasure. "We were ordered so by the head disciplinarian, on behalf of the headmistress's edict. No children are to enter this facility without permission, and with a list of the specific tomes they are to make use of."

  Jess nodded slowly. “I understand that. My question is, why is this edict now in effect?”

  The proctor seemed captivated by Jess's measuring gaze. “There are works in this building that are… dangerous to the untrained mind,” she said at last, before blinking free of her strange stupor with an abrupt shake of her head.

  “Not that this is any business of yours, child. Now, if you do not have a pass, I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave.” Though she struggled to reassert her authority, her tone was far more tentative than it had been before, almost apologetic. Jess’s smile made it clear that leave she might, but only of her own volition.

  "It's all right," Jess soothed. "I am here today not as a student, but as a Friend of the Guild, on Guild business. Do you understand what that means?"

  The proctor paled, her look one of surprise. "You are of the Guild, and you have already heard?" She blinked and shook her head, as if striving to regain her mental balance and authority. "What proof do I have of your claim?"

  Jess favored the uncertain woman with a bemused smile. “Come now, proctor. Do you truly think a proper student here would be allowed to wear doublet and tights? Let alone the uniform of Highrock, the college best known for training knights and battlemages, defenders of the kingdom? Do these cross-blade pins look to you like a thing prized highly by girls who love games of intrigue and pulling other’s strings to do the dirty work for them?” Jess chuckled dryly. “Through blood, sweat, and tears alone were these pins earned; by my honest efforts and no one else’s, and should you wish me to prove it to you, you need merely name a time, place, and
a champion, and I shall authenticate the virtue of my words upon his body.”

  The prim woman appeared visibly shaken, stepping back. “I assure you, Guild associate, such will not be necessary.” Her shoulders slumped. “In truth, I was wondering when the headmistress would consent to contacting you. She is one who prefers to take care of matters in-house, as much as possible.”

  Jess peered carefully at the increasingly uncomfortable looking guardian of the book stacks. "You know, don't you? You know what's been going on at this school." She peered carefully into the proctor's increasingly furtive gaze. "I think it's time you told me straight out what it is about these stacks that so distresses you. What you wish to keep hidden from the children." Jess's smile lacked any warmth. "You may consider it a Guild request, if it pleases you to do so."

  "A Guild request. Like the king asking if you would like to pay your taxes." The proctor's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Very well then, Guild associate. I didn't think you looked like a student, not once I got a good look at your eyes... I mean, you." She blushed for a moment, covering it up with a beckoning wave. "Follow me, then. But I warn you, this tome is not to be trifled with. Should anything befall, on your head so be it."

  Jess nodded solemnly. “No blame shall fall upon your shoulders for what transpires from this moment forth, so long as you are acting in good faith.”

  Hesitating no further, the proctor quickly made her way down the central hallway, past numerous hardwood bookcases and various cozy looking reading nooks and alcoves, some few occupied by studious looking girls who immediately stopped reading to peer at Jess very intently as she passed by. After all, Jess thought, if the library proctor, no doubt a woman of feared renown sufficient to send noisy girls quaking in their silken slippers, was now hurrying along looking for all the world like a troubled student herself, interesting things must be afoot indeed.

  33

  Jess's escort did not slow her rapid pace until they had arrived at a winding staircase of stout oak, all but hidden in the back of the library. The proctor looked surprised by how quickly Jess loped up the staircase, choosing instead to carefully hold the banister. The steps did look rather narrow, Jess noted, when gazing down upon them from above. One could only wonder how they ever managed to carry books up and down the perilous stairs without tragic mishap.

  “It is up here, my lady,” the breathless proctor assured, woefully out of shape despite her youth, as far as Jess was concerned, walking down a final narrow corridor, an area obviously used for little more than storage, shabby and poorly kept. They stopped at last before a well secured door, unlocked with a great brass key by hands now trembling, the proctor favoring Jess with the strangest stare before entering the chamber.

  Jess felt her body tingling with excitement, flexing her gloved hands, enjoying the comforting texture of metal rings lining her gloves, gloves that had neatly caught steel blades swung with intent to kill in the past, now ready for whatever lay in the room ahead. Nearly bouncing on her feet, Jess entered, prepared for anything. Yet there was nothing inside more terrible than a single lonely looking reading room, albeit one that underneath the dust and grime of long disuse had the singular virtue of a fine stained glass window that, once cleaned, Jess had no doubt would fill the room with the glow and sparkle of a thousand rays of fractured light. Even now, under the grime, the room had an almost magical multihued glow.

  Jess imagined it would be like reading under a great rainbow.

  Coughing slightly, the proctor moved to unlatch the shutters to the smaller window set distant from the grand display of glass panes, letting in some much-needed air.

  “This could be a beautiful reading room if it were properly cared for,” Jess said softly, almost a sigh.

  The proctor gave her a curious look. "Careful now, Delver. One wouldn't want to be mistaken for a scholar." She quirked a smile, seeming a bit friendlier, now that Jess had confessed to an appreciation for the reading room's virtues. "Once upon a time, visiting scholars made sufficient use of the library to justify continued maintenance of our gallery reading rooms. Alas, patrons and funds are not what they once were, leaving us in our current state of…storage," she sighed, gazing tiredly at the many piles of books carefully stacked within the room, yet so crowded it nonetheless had the look of clutter, for all that such a collection of tomes was no doubt priceless.

  Jess nodded sympathetically. “For all that we do our best to put a brave face on it, the undeclared war of attrition we’ve had with Velheim for so many years has taken its toll on trade, scholarship, and revenue.”

  The proctor sighed and nodded. "Truer words, rarely spoken. A decisive victory against our foes, now that would be best for all, I think. Within a generation or two, our merged kingdoms would truly be an economic power, and scholarship could flourish once more."

  Jess grinned. “Now it is you who sounds like a scholar or a diplomat, my dear proctor.”

  The severely dressed woman, now appearing far more the young lady that she was, gave a mirthless chuckle. "And the former I had trained to be. But there are few calls for a female scholar in what universities we do have, and as not all of us have a noble bloodline to fall back on, I have much reason to be grateful to be able to work in a place of learning, in any capacity."

  Jess nodded. “I understand. And I thank you for being patient with me in turn. I know I can be a bit… direct at times.”

  In her words lay an unspoken apology, seeing before her not a grim-faced opponent there to give her a hard time anymore, but a young woman who had lacked the resources Jess had taken for granted all her life, the proctor having made the best choices she could in life, her dreams placed forever beyond her reach.

  The proctor smiled. “Actually, it is refreshing to hear plain speech. I grow weary of the constant gossip of young ladies who try so hard for venom laced honey with every turn of phrase. As if I was an idiot who didn’t understand their innuendo. Honestly, if nothing else, the gray passes have allowed for this library to become a sanctuary of sorts for girls who actually wish to study, free of the gossip and slander of students with nothing better to do.” She blinked then, collecting herself. “Not that I wish to formally criticize any of our fine young charges. I simply appreciate a quieter sanctuary of learning for serious students.”

  Jess grinned. “I understand completely. Half the girls at this Academy are nothing more than backbiting gossips. Frankly, I’m crawling out of my skin to get out of here.”

  The proctor smiled. “Careful, Guild associate. Now you are starting to sound like a student.”

  Jess chuckled wryly. "All right, my dear proctor. Candor then. I am a student and Guildfriend both. Jessica is my name, and I've journeyed into the realms of Dream and Shadow more than once, to save friends and students in peril. It was hoped by certain parties that I would be able to perform a similar act of grace while I was here."

  The proctor's smile widened, nodding her head in sudden approval. Jess flushed, feeling her heart skip a beat. The woman, when she smiled and lost her stern demeanor, was really quite attractive. “Jessica’s Journey. I’ve read the tome, of course. You really do come across as larger than life. I heard about your impromptu speech in the eating hall. Gave the head disciplinarian fits, let me assure you.” She chuckled softly. “And how she crowed about having bested you in some way, acting just a bit too smug for one charged with looking after the well-being of her students.” The proctor flushed suddenly. “Not that it is for me to judge my superiors, of course. I stick to the library and avoid the politics of this place as much as possible. Please forgive my words.” She gave a curious frown. “Come to think of it, I haven't seen Lady Grimsly in well over a day, and I haven't even been trying to avoid her of late, as I actually have some questions for her.”

  "I wouldn't worry too much about Lady Grimsly," Jess said. "I got the impression she had offended a few too many lords with her rather stern treatment of some of the girls, myself included. It seemed that more than a few irate
fathers had words with her during the gala, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if she chooses a far more hands-off approach regarding school discipline, assuming those lords let her stay on at all." Jess grinned. "Personally, I don't think she will trouble herself with my eccentricities again. In fact, I'm almost certain of it."

  For some reason this made the woman before her smile once more. "Between you and me, Jessica, I've seen more than one girl emerge from that woman's office pale as a sheet. Something felt wrong, yet I knew that me in my proctor's uniform was the last thing those girls would feel safe talking to. I'm as tolerant as I can be and still keep my job, just so I can avoid feeling responsible for those haunted gazes. I came here originally hoping to be able to teach these girls, not terrify them, and frankly I would have loved seeing Grimsly get her comeuppance."

  Jess couldn't help noticing the proctor's beautiful gray eyes catching the light from the windows as she shook her head, and Jess found herself idly wondering how sweet those lips would taste if she kissed them. Blushing, Jess found her eyes roving idly about the room, looking anywhere but at the young woman before her.

  And suddenly she blinked, feeling a strange chill race up and down her spine as she felt a tingle of utter certainty that the object of her search was before her.

  “That’s where the tome should be. I am certain of it,” Jess whispered, feeling a shiver tingle through her as she pointed to a bare book lectern crafted of a single piece of expertly carved and polished hardwood, placed directly before the exquisitely constructed glass paned window.

  The young proctor inhaled sharply. “You can see it? Is it actually there?” She shut her eyes and rubbed her temples.