founded Hawthorne because she hoped that
solving the orphan problem would earn her recognition and a seat on the Council.”
His pinched nose in the air, Ashton said, “I think
Headmistress Vanora is a woman of great patience and vision. They should put her on the Council.”
Walt snorted, but they were already downstairs. The door
across from Headmistress Vanora’s office was open, and red candlelight
flickered into the hall. Inside, the room was warm and bright.
“So many candles,” Edwin remarked. “Enough to light the Medgards’
inn for a year.”
“It’s not usually like this,” Walt said. “Tallow is
notoriously expensive. The fat all has to be imported from Newick, and the
Tallow Chandlers Guild keeps a tight lid on production. My grandfather
says—”
“Shh,” Ashton hissed, his nose held high as he led them
forward.
One long wide table filled the length of the room. Walt bent
down and excitedly whispered more in Edwin’s ear: “Lady Nemain is here! That
explains the candles.”
Edwin followed Walt’s gaze and saw a thin woman with a long
thick braid trailing down her back. Most of her hair was black, but Edwin
caught sight of a few strands of gray. Her mouth was upturned in a wide grin,
and the candlelight played tricks with her eyes, which at the moment were
staring right at him.
On the table in front of her sat several large iron pots
filled with stews and bread. Headmistress Vanora stood next to Lady Nemain,
scowling. There were a few boys waiting in line in front of them, but Ashton
pushed his way forward, saying, “Move aside, move aside. Oculus coming through,
move aside.”
Walt and Edwin stayed behind, and Walt leaned over and said,
“You feeling all right, Edwin? You look tired. You’d think after that nap you
took you’d be well rested.”
“I’m fine,” Edwin lied, wondering where the spirit had
gotten off to. He hated to admit it, but it was right when it said he felt
better and physically stronger when it was with him. All around him, he saw
that the children’s eyes darted anxiously between him and Lady Nemain.
When he reached the front he found the remains of pork stew,
a basket still half-full of bread, and a pot of beans. “We are so glad to have
you here in Chardwick, Edwin. My name is Nemain. I think we’re going to be fast
friends, you and I.” The woman smiled down at him, while Headmistress Vanora
filled his plate with food.
“Erm, thanks,” Edwin replied. His thoughts were on the
beans. He got his food and left as quickly as he could.
At the table, he saw that Walt had saved him space. Ashton
sat on the other side of the table, visibly uncomfortable. Under his breath,
Walt asked, “Why has the Lady Nemain taken an interest in you? She never comes
here.”
“I thought she made the uniforms,” Edwin said.
“That’s charity,” Walt said. “As the Lucent’s ward, she’s
expected to set an example. It’s different. She never makes personal visits to
Hawthorne.”
Edwin shrugged. He and Walt hadn’t even started eating, but other
children were already finishing and walking up for seconds. Headmistress Vanora
seemed to begrudge these second helpings but said nothing in front of Nemain.
Three children passed behind him.
“There’s Sam going for more food. Sam and I are twins,” Walt
remarked.
Looking up, Edwin could only see two faces: those of a thick
muscular boy and a girl with pigtails. Behind them he saw the legs of the
third. The girl with pigtails turned to smile at Ashton, and Edwin caught a
quick glimpse of Sam.
“Don’t stare,” Walt added, elbowing him in the side.
“Sorry,” Edwin mumbled, feeling his cheeks burn red. “Is Sam
a boy or a girl?”
“What kind of question is that?” Walt asked indignantly.
Before Edwin could answer, Ashton spoke up from across the
table. He was gesturing aggressively at Edwin with a piece of bread in his
hand. “Why haven’t we ever seen you around, Edwin? The inn isn’t very far,
solving the orphan problem would earn her recognition and a seat on the Council.”
His pinched nose in the air, Ashton said, “I think
Headmistress Vanora is a woman of great patience and vision. They should put her on the Council.”
Walt snorted, but they were already downstairs. The door
across from Headmistress Vanora’s office was open, and red candlelight
flickered into the hall. Inside, the room was warm and bright.
“So many candles,” Edwin remarked. “Enough to light the Medgards’
inn for a year.”
“It’s not usually like this,” Walt said. “Tallow is
notoriously expensive. The fat all has to be imported from Newick, and the
Tallow Chandlers Guild keeps a tight lid on production. My grandfather
says—”
“Shh,” Ashton hissed, his nose held high as he led them
forward.
One long wide table filled the length of the room. Walt bent
down and excitedly whispered more in Edwin’s ear: “Lady Nemain is here! That
explains the candles.”
Edwin followed Walt’s gaze and saw a thin woman with a long
thick braid trailing down her back. Most of her hair was black, but Edwin
caught sight of a few strands of gray. Her mouth was upturned in a wide grin,
and the candlelight played tricks with her eyes, which at the moment were
staring right at him.
On the table in front of her sat several large iron pots
filled with stews and bread. Headmistress Vanora stood next to Lady Nemain,
scowling. There were a few boys waiting in line in front of them, but Ashton
pushed his way forward, saying, “Move aside, move aside. Oculus coming through,
move aside.”
Walt and Edwin stayed behind, and Walt leaned over and said,
“You feeling all right, Edwin? You look tired. You’d think after that nap you
took you’d be well rested.”
“I’m fine,” Edwin lied, wondering where the spirit had
gotten off to. He hated to admit it, but it was right when it said he felt
better and physically stronger when it was with him. All around him, he saw
that the children’s eyes darted anxiously between him and Lady Nemain.
When he reached the front he found the remains of pork stew,
a basket still half-full of bread, and a pot of beans. “We are so glad to have
you here in Chardwick, Edwin. My name is Nemain. I think we’re going to be fast
friends, you and I.” The woman smiled down at him, while Headmistress Vanora
filled his plate with food.
“Erm, thanks,” Edwin replied. His thoughts were on the
beans. He got his food and left as quickly as he could.
At the table, he saw that Walt had saved him space. Ashton
sat on the other side of the table, visibly uncomfortable. Under his breath,
Walt asked, “Why has the Lady Nemain taken an interest in you? She never comes
here.”
“I thought she made the uniforms,” Edwin said.
“That’s charity,” Walt said. “As the Lucent’s ward, she’s
expected to set an example. It’s different. She never makes personal visits to
Hawthorne.”
Edwin shrugged. He and Walt hadn’t even started eating, but other
children were already finishing and walking up for seconds. Headmistress Vanora
seemed to begrudge these second helpings but said nothing in front of Nemain.
Three children passed behind him.
“There’s Sam going for more food. Sam and I are twins,” Walt
remarked.
Looking up, Edwin could only see two faces: those of a thick
muscular boy and a girl with pigtails. Behind them he saw the legs of the
third. The girl with pigtails turned to smile at Ashton, and Edwin caught a
quick glimpse of Sam.
“Don’t stare,” Walt added, elbowing him in the side.
“Sorry,” Edwin mumbled, feeling his cheeks burn red. “Is Sam
a boy or a girl?”
“What kind of question is that?” Walt asked indignantly.
Before Edwin could answer, Ashton spoke up from across the
table. He was gesturing aggressively at Edwin with a piece of bread in his
hand. “Why haven’t we ever seen you around, Edwin? The inn isn’t very far,
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