Asking Questions, Part III
Kurgm sat in the gardens the next day with Master Ekla and his newest attempt to be a normal, functioning person.
With them was a girl, Tabonda, who was in tears. As far as Kurgm could understand through the blubbering, the fifth-year apprentice had caught her boyfriend kissing another girl. Also as far as he could tell, this was not the first time she’d caught him doing so.
“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” she sobbed. “I’m good to him. I let him come back when he apologizes and promises not to do it again. He brought me earrings last time, and cleaned himself up, and looked so handsome in a brand new tunic his parents had bought him. But then he… he… he was kissing that… that…”
“While you’re choosing your words,” Master Ekla said, “let’s try to keep this civil.”
“That tramp!”
“Or we can resort to name calling,” Kurgm said.
“She is! She’s from Alforn, they’re all like that! You can’t trust any of them!”
That sounded like Amnadm. Was he right? Were the people of Skwyr the only ones they could trust?
Kurgm came back to reality and realized Master Ekla was staring at him. He tried to think of something positive to say. The first thing that popped into his head was Daylarl. He was from Alforn, and he was alright.
Although, Aonva had said he’d taught Roshil that breaking and entering was fine so long as you didn’t get caught, so maybe he isn’t the best example to lead with.
“They’re not all bad,” he tried.
He caught Master Ekla giving him a significant glance that he understood to mean “right, but not the point”.
At least I can figure out what she’s trying to tell me.
“I mean… that was awful what she was doing.”
“I know! With her hair all done up and covered in makeup.”
“She sounds awful.”
“She does,” Master Ekla said, “but have you considered that maybe you shouldn’t go back to your boyfriend?”
“But… he’s so sweet, and he buys me the nicest jewelry.”
“How many times has he done this sort of thing?” Master Ekla asked.
Tabonda sniffed, then blew her nose in a handkerchief. “I’m not sure.” She started counting something on her person. Looking closer, Kurgm saw she was counting jewelry.
Starting to notice a pattern here.
“Seven. Wait! Eight. I forgot the dress he got me.”
Master Ekla gave him her “you can take this one” look.
“If it’s about the things he gets you, there’s got to be someone else that can do that.”
Master Ekla’s face changed to exasperated. Once again, he’d gotten it wrong.
“Every time he does this, he buys you jewelry or clothes,” Master Ekla said. “You take him back, then within I’m going to guess a week, this whole thing starts over again. Right? This time he’ll come back with something expensive, promise to never do it again, and you’ll take him back, again.”
“Um…”
“Then after you two finish your apprenticeships here, which, considering you’re in your final year and are back at the castle means you’re finished soon — and keep in mind that you don’t know what he got up to while you two were on your fifth-year assignments in different towns — maybe you two get married. He buys you a nice dress, his family pays for a nice wedding, and you two settle down only for him to do this again. After a year or two of finding out that he’s been with every willing woman in town, all you have left is the shattered remains of your self-esteem and a lot of expensive things. Given that he doesn’t seem good at making smart choices, I imagine that when his parents leave him the family business, it will go under in a matter of days, if not hours, meaning not only will he not be able to buy you nice things, but you’ll have to sell the ones you already have.”
Both Tabonda and Kurgm stared at Master Ekla.
“You’ll eventually grow numb to this feeling,” she continued, “so get out now before it’s too late. Are your parents aware of any of this?”
“Of course. They like him.”
“Any parents that are aware of a man breaking their daughter’s heart repeatedly and are okay with him don’t care enough about their daughter. No, they like his family’s money. You aren’t something that can be bought and sold. You’re better than that, Apprentice Tabonda. You deserve happiness.”
Tabonda sniffed and dabbed at her eyes.
“You think so?”
Master Ekla took her hands. “I know so. Find a man that makes you happy, not one that makes you feel like this. No matter what your parents say. No matter how many expensive things he buys you, it’s not worth it.”
Tabonda stood up with a smile on her face.
“Thank you both so much.”
“Happy to help,” Master Ekla said.
“Good luck,” Kurgm added.
Master Ekla waited until she’d gone before talking again.
“Questions?”
“Several. How did you know all that?”
“It’s the story of every upper-class man and middle-class woman. Man’s family sends him to the court so we’ll educate him in something they need for the family business, usually an artisan, then pull him out before he completes his apprenticeship so he doesn’t have to serve the court for the rest of his life. We have to tolerate them because we need the family’s cooperation because the court doesn’t run itself. The woman’s family sends her to the court hoping that she’ll meet a rich man and make them all wealthy. Failing that, they can boast about their court-trained daughter at parties where they’re hoping to marry her off.”
She stood up.
“Come on. Time to go.”
“But… how do you know that?”
“Our Lord True Knight told me when I was his apprentice, and I’ve seen it time and again since becoming a master. It’s unfortunate, and I imagine the officers try to weed them out as best they can, but there’s only so much we can do. Our Lady Arch Mage probably saw something in Apprentice Tabonda that she liked, or wanted to get her away from her family to help her self-esteem and show her a better way. That’s why so many of the women in these situations are mages; Our Lady Arch Mage tries to help them.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be that good,” Kurgm said.
“You’re only in your third year here. There’s always plenty to learn.”
“But… it’s more than that. I can’t listen and think of an answer at the same time. I can’t seem to say the right thing with anyone other than Aonva.”
At least, I used to.
“It takes practice. Stop comparing yourself to other people.”
“My mother, Our Lord True Knight, my uncle, you…”
“Your uncle isn’t…” She stopped walking at the door to the castle. “I only had to think briefly about what I was going to say because I’ve said it to people over and over again. People are unique, but their problems aren’t. The question isn’t ‘What’s the solution?’, it’s ‘How do I phrase the solution so she’ll understand?’ Next time we run into that situation, you’ll be able to handle it better.”
“That’s what you said the last time we had a common problem. And the time before that.”
“And the time before that. This takes hard work and practice to get right. And don’t start complaining about how I did this faster. I—”
Without warning, she stopped talking and stared into space. Kurgm had seen this before; someone was sending her a message.
She held her hands to her mouth and whispered into them, then blew sparks out of her hand.
“Is everything alright?” Kurgm asked.
Master Ekla held up a finger to keep him silent. She took a few breaths (which Kurgm knew to mean someone was giving her orders), then sent another message.
“Come on.” She stepped into the castle without waiting for him to follow.
Kurgm ran to catch up with her fast pace.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re escorting an apprentice.”
Kurgm frowned. They’d never been asked to do that before.
“Why?”
“Because this particular apprentice isn’t allowed to walk the corridors unsupervised, and her master is busy.”
“And we’re not?”
“Not busy enough to ignore an order from an officer.”
When they arrived at the forge, Kurgm realized it was obvious who the apprentice in question was. At least, it would’ve been obvious to anyone with half a brain, which he clearly lacked. An apprentice whose master was an officer meant only two apprentices that he knew of: Roshil and Oshal.
“She’s just going to class,” Lord Grund said. “I’ve got orders to fulfill.”
“We’ll get her there, no problem,” Master Ekla said.
Roshil kept her gaze down. Her hair covered part of her face, something Kurgm didn’t think apprentices were even allowed to do, keeping herself unkempt. Maybe not unkempt, but untidy.
She doesn’t belong here, his uncle’s words echoed.
Master Ekla motioned toward the door, and Kurgm and Roshil followed her out of the forge. Once they were out, she walked between them.
Why do you think that dragon attacked her? They don’t just pick people at random.
Kurgm wanted to ask Roshil while he had the chance. He’d hardly seen her at all in the past few weeks. Maybe if he worded it right, it wouldn’t upset anyone.
Did it matter if he upset Roshil? Master Ekla might care, but why? After what Roshil had done to Aonva, did it matter if he rattled her a little? It wouldn’t be that bad just to ask her, would it? The worst she could do would be to ignore him, and everyone would be fine.
“Roshil—”
“Quiet, both of you,” Master Ekla said. “We’re walking Apprentice Roshil to class, then we’re going about our business.”
Kurgm knew the no nonsense expression on Master Ekla’s face. He’d have to wait to talk to Roshil. If he ate in the great hall, he’d see her again. As they walked into the school, he started to make a plan.