Solving a Problem, Part IV
Roshil and Aonva ate dinner in silence. Roshil wasn’t that hungry, but she didn’t want to ignore her stomach forever.
“I… um… I didn’t find anything,” Aonva said. “I didn’t tell anyone, I promise! But I was rereading the books I’ve got on dragons, thinking maybe there was something I missed, but I couldn’t find anything about any other symptoms. I’m really sorry.”
Roshil spotted Master Ekla when dinner finished. She pushed her way through the crowd until she caught up with her.
“Master Ekla, I’d like to talk to you. Please.”
Master Ekla stopped walking and turned to Roshil. “How can I help?”
“Alone, please. In private.”
Roshil hoped Master Ekla would agree quickly, because she wasn’t sure how long she could keep her gaze straight. She could feel her face growing hotter, and really wished Master Ekla would say something.
“Oh. Of course. Follow me.”
Master Ekla led her out of the throng of people and into the corridor between the east and south towers. She opened a door and led Roshil inside. It was an empty study room. Master Ekla walked inside but didn’t sit down.
“What is it?”
Roshil glanced back at the closed door, still reconsidering her plan.
“Um… you said that things would change with me. With… with my body.”
Master Ekla kept her face steady, showing Roshil that she was taking her seriously.
“Whatever it is, I won’t tell anyone else,” Master Ekla said. “I promise. I’m sure it’s natural.”
Roshil shook her head. “I don’t think this is supposed to be happening.”
“Why don’t you show me?” Master Ekla said. “If you’re comfortable, that is.”
Roshil turned around and pulled off her tunic, then her undershirt.
“Are these scars from…” Master Ekla’s voice trailed off. Roshil imagined her face as her eyes landed on the spot below her left shoulder. “I see.”
“It started a few days ago,” Roshil said. “I think it’s been spreading, but I’m not sure.”
“Is it alright if I touch it?” Master Ekla said.
“Yeah.”
Roshil felt Master Ekla’s cold fingers on her back, gently prodding the spot. She waited, hoping Master Ekla would tell her that it was some sort of skin infection, and not what she feared it was. Not what she knew it was.
“I wish I could tell you this was normal,” Master Ekla said. “But… I’ve never seen something like this before.”
“It’s part of the curse, isn’t it?” Tears welled up in Roshil’s eyes. “My eyes and hair weren’t enough, now I’ve got scales growing on me.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions. You can put your tunic back on.”
Roshil slid her undershirt over her head, then her tunic.
“Have you told anyone else?”
Roshil shook her head, then rubbed her eyes. “I told Aonva that there was something wrong with me, but I didn’t say anything else about it.”
Master Ekla laid a hand on her shoulder, and kept her voice level. “I think we should tell His Lord High Artisan. I know there’s not much chance he’ll be able to do anything about it, but he should be informed.”
“I know I should tell him!” Roshil snapped. She wasn’t a child and didn’t need to be spoken to like she was. “I will, but… I just…”
“You don’t have to show him,” Master Ekla said. “Before you get angry at me for talking calmly, would you rather I be panicking?”
“No,” Roshil mumbled.
“It’d be better if Our Lord High Artisan heard it from you than from me. And I’m sorry, really I am, but I’ll have to tell the council about this. I don’t have to tonight; I can wait until tomorrow, so it’d be best if you told him first thing in the morning.”
Roshil nodded. She didn’t like the thought of telling Master Grund, but he’d take it as well as Master Ekla had. Knowing him, his response would be “So?” or “Good for you, now get back to work!”
“I will.”
Master Ekla smiled at her. “Okay, then. I think it’s time we both got some sleep.”
When they walked out of the room, Aonva was waiting there.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping!” Aonva jumped back, then ran forward. “Honest, I wasn’t! I saw you go off, and I know I shouldn’t have followed you, but I was worried about Roshil, and I wanted to know if everything was alright! I wasn’t listening, I didn’t hear anything, I promise. I was… I was… Is everything alright? It’s not bad, is it? Something normal? Maybe not normal, but not something about which we need worry, is it?”
Roshil looked around the corridor. They were alone. Even then, she kept her voice down.
“I have scales growing on my back.”
Aonva’s eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open. Her eyes flickered back and forth as her mind processed what Roshil had just said.
“I… I don’t… I mean I’m… It’s probably… or… um…”
“You’ll be alright,” Master Ekla said, as much to Aonva as to Roshil. “The court will look after you no matter what happens. So I don’t want either one of you worrying about what you’re going to do about it.”
“I… I noticed something,” Aonva said, fidgeting with her hair. “That’s what I wanted to tell you. Um… There are records of other dragon-touched people, but… not a lot, so maybe there’s not… I think you’re the youngest person to have it happen to you.”
Roshil frowned. She’d never heard that before. She hadn’t dug deep into it, and it’s not like anyone had ever told her about it before Master Grund had a year ago.
“Really?”
Aonva nodded, then started pulling a book out of her pack. “I realized the other people were all adults, usually mages. Obviously, they don’t… I mean, they didn’t have much to say, um…”
“Because they didn’t live long,” Roshil said. “I know. If the dragons don’t get you, the druids will. And that one man that was executed.”
“I’m sorry! I know, I don’t need to remind you, but… I don’t know, maybe it’s different because you’re younger? Or they didn’t notice other symptoms? I—”
“Let’s leave this for another day,” Master Ekla said. “Apprentice Aonva, you did well to find this. I trust you two can find your way back to the north tower without getting into trouble?”
They both nodded, although Roshil felt that that comment was meant more for her than for Aonva.
“Then I’ll be off. Good night to you both.”
“Good night, Master Ekla,” they said.
Roshil watched her go. It was nice to know she had friends in the court, even if everyone else could be called “hostile” at best.
“Thanks,” Roshil said. “For finding that out, I mean.”
“You’re welcome. Um… it’ll… it’ll be okay.”
Roshil smiled at her. Aonva smiled back.
“Yeah. It will be.”