Skwyr Court

APlaceToBelong

Roshil pulled her work-in-progress out of the furnace. Setting it back on the anvil, she took her hammer to it again. The sound of metal hitting metal filled her ears, but spending time in the forge almost every day for the past month had turned it into white noise.

Once the metal cooled again, she shoved it back into the furnace. She wiped her brow with her sleeve, sweating in the heat.

“Apprentice Roshil!”

Hearing the Lord High Artisan’s voice, she spun around and stood to attention.

Lord Grund wheeled himself over to her. He looked as dirty as she was, but despite his wheelchair, he managed to give the impression that he loomed over everyone.

“Where’s Master Udra?” he asked.

Roshil glanced around the forge, but didn’t see her master anywhere.

“Don’t know, my lord. She was here earlier. Told me to work with the furnaces this afternoon.”

He looked at the piece of molten steel in the furnace behind her.

“I can see that. Pull that thing out before you ruin it. Nothing more useless than a deformed shield.”

She grabbed her tongs and pulled it out of the furnace, then placed it on the anvil in front of her. She grabbed it with a gloved hand and picked up her hammer in the other.

“Pack it up,” he ordered. “You’re finished for today.”

Roshil looked down at the shield. It wasn’t big, but a buckler still stopped arrows and steel.

“With all due respect, my lord, I’m nearly finished.”

“You’re right. It’ll make a fine shield. Unless you intend to use it to block attacks.”

She glared at him, then went back to work.

“You’re using the wrong tools,” he said.

She paused and studied her creation. It was a little lumpy in places, but she thought it was alright.

“And, you should still be practicing the basics. If you’d mastered them, you’d know what you’re doing wrong. So pack that up for another day.”

“Can’t you tell me what I’m doing wrong?” Roshil worked the metal more, smoothing it out while it was still hot.

“First you flatten it, then you mold it. If you try to do both at once, you end up with lumps and divots like you’re seeing now.”

She growled under her breath, but put down her hammer. After waiting for the metal to cool, she picked it up and moved it to her spot in storage. She took off her gloves, goggles, and apron and put them with the unfinished piece, then returned to the furnaces as Lord Grund was shutting them all down.

“You can go to dinner,” he said. “In fact, that’s an order. You skipped lunch again.”

An image of a hundred staring eyes in the great hall flashed into her mind.

“I’m fine.”

“Having trouble with orders today, I see.” He wheeled over to another furnace and deactivated the spell that kept it hot. He turned his wheelchair to face her. “Food. Now. And if you see Master Udra, tell her I want to see her.”

As much as she didn’t want to go to the great hall, she was hungry, and if she kept arguing, she knew from experience that she’d be banned from the forge for a day.

“Yes, my lord.”

Roshil walked through the door that connected the forge to the rest of the castle. As with all the magic doors in the castle, she felt a tingle when she stepped through it. No matter how many times she walked through one, it still made her smile to think of how beautiful that piece of magic was.

She walked away from the forge, through the stone corridors of Skwyr castle, heading toward the great hall. After spending all day in the forge, the cooler air felt good on her skin. She wiped away sweat again, then looked at her arm.

Five years of living in Skwyr, and she still felt out of place. Pale skin against a sea of brown. People around her whispering about the Kingdom of Nelaro, as though she’d ever been there. All she knew about it was that her mother had grown up there, and that Nelaro City was gone.

Then there were her hair and eyes. Streaks of red ran through her hair, and her eyes were gold. It was the first thing people saw when they saw her.

She walked past a group of apprentices. They glanced in her direction, but didn’t make eye contact. No one liked making eye contact with her, although she didn’t understand why. Were her eyes that bad? Why couldn’t people look past that?

I don’t care, she told herself. I don’t need them.

Sure, she looked different, but she wasn’t the only one. There were people from Alforn and Bywin in the castle too, even a few from Nelaro.

As she neared the great hall for dinner, she spotted a familiar face. It wasn’t a friendly face, but familiar was good enough for her.

“Master Udra!”

She was among a group of people Roshil didn’t recognize. Her first thought was other masters. At first, she didn’t respond, but one of her friends nodded in Roshil’s direction. Udra turned and glared at Roshil.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay in the forge until you were finished making a shield?”

Roshil clenched and unclenched her fists. Lord Grund had ordered her to leave. She was sure his orders overrode Master Udra’s. Why couldn’t people all agree on what she was supposed to do?

Udra said something to her friends, and they walked off, leaving them alone.

“Our Lord High Artisan told me to leave. He wants—”

“Sure he did. Or you’re avoiding working in the forge!”

Roshil frowned, not sure what she meant. People confused her, and she did whatever she could to avoid them, but she’d be content staying in the forge all day. It was the entire reason she became an apprentice. Master Udra should’ve known that.

“I’m not—”

“Don’t lie to me,” Udra said, lowering her voice. “Just because I’m responsible for you doesn’t mean I’m going to believe every word you say. Unless Our Lord High Artisan tells me himself that he dismissed you, you’d better get back to work.”

“I’m not lying,” Roshil hissed. She clenched her fists. Her lips drew back in a snarl.

“Why did I have to get stuck with you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Look at you. Anyone can see you’re not normal. I’m not talking about your skin being white, I’m talking about that hair and those eyes.”

“People change the way they look all the time!”

“Normal people do. But you’re an abomination.”

Master Udra looked her in the eye, but shook as if it were painful for her. Roshil had seen that before, that contempt.

Another voice, one from long ago, crept into her mind.

I’m the only one who will ever love you.

“What?” she asked, pushing down old memories.

“You disobeyed an order from me,” Udra said, breaking eye contact. “Go back to the forge. Stay there until I tell you to leave. And never question me again.”

Roshil glared at her, but nodded nonetheless. She was tired of being pushed around, but no one cared enough about her to stop. She turned and started back toward the forge. Keeping her gaze straight ahead, she walked until she was sure Master Udra couldn’t see her, then turned and headed toward the north tower. Along the way, she spotted a familiar crack in the wall. It opened up at the floor, creating a crawlspace big enough for her to hide.

No one will ever love you.

A shiver ran through her body. She hated that voice, but it never left her. She could still feel those eyes on her, watching her from far away. Those same eyes now stared back at her from her own reflection.

He won’t hurt you anymore.

That’s what they’d told her when she’d been brought to the court. When she’d found out what had happened.

Roshil sat there, struggling to keep herself together. People went by, but no one saw her. She knew she was different. She had been for five years. Before that, people said she looked like her mother. But that thing had taken that from her. Taken her mother. Taken her brother’s sight.

I’m not your enemy, Roshil. I’m your friend. The only one you’ll ever have.

She shook her head, shoving those memories down. She held her legs tighter. It wasn’t her fault she was like this. She didn’t want to be.

Time passed, and people returned to their rooms. Curfew was approaching, which meant she’d missed dinner. That didn’t matter; she didn’t belong in the Court. Maybe she didn’t belong in the kingdom.

She heard a familiar sound echoing through the empty corridors. Glancing out of her hiding spot and down the corridor, she saw Lord Grund turn the corner.

She crawled out, got to her feet, and stood to attention.

“My Lord High Artisan.”

“It’s Master Grund, now,” he said. “I’m taking over your apprenticeship. Report to the forge immediately after breakfast tomorrow morning.”

He turned his wheelchair around and started off before stopping.

“Do you know why people don’t like you?”

“My mother was from Nelaro, and—”

“No.”

She frowned, wondering what it was he knew that she didn’t. Was there some other reason? Her hair and her eyes?

“Go to the kitchens for some food, then go to the library. Look up the term ‘dragon-touched’, and explain it to me tomorrow morning.”

“Is that what I am?”

“Curfew starts soon. You’d best get moving if you want to be ready.”

With that, Master Grund left her alone in the corridor.

#VolumeOne #APlaceToBelong

Roshil walked through the stone corridors of the castle. It was quiet, giving her the feeling that she shouldn’t be there.

If anyone asks, I’ve been ordered by my master to go to the kitchens.

It hadn’t entirely sunk in yet that she’d be mentored by the High Artisan himself. The great weapons of the Knights, the King’s throne, all the officers’ weaponry, even some of their clothing, it was all made by him. He was the best of the best.

Is that what I am?

He also seemed to know something about her that she herself didn’t know. What did dragon-touched mean? She knew the dragon had done something to her; it was obvious by her hair and eyes. What else had it done to her?

What am I?

She descended a spiral staircase down below the castle. She heard voices up ahead of her, and saw torchlight flickering from several rooms. These were the servants’ rooms, which weren’t far from the kitchens. Apprentices didn’t venture down here often, or so she’d been told when she’d arrived.

It’d only been a month ago, but it felt longer. Her arriving at the castle, saying goodbye to her father and brother, their friend Master Ekla meeting them at the gates to show her around her new home.

When she’d arrived, she’d been excited. Possibilities had opened up for her with her acceptance to the court. Her father had been so excited when they’d been told she’d been accepted.

“Your mother would’ve been so proud of you,” he’d said.

She walked down the corridors, following the signs to the kitchens. If there was one thing for which she was grateful, it was that there were signs throughout the castle to guide apprentices. Without them, she’d have gotten lost a dozen times a day between classes and the forge.

She arrived at the kitchens and walked inside. Servants were bustling about, cleaning up from the day’s meals, or preparing small snacks for themselves. When they saw her enter, they stood respectfully at attention.

“How may we help you?” one woman asked.

Roshil wondered if they recognized her in particular, or if they knew she wasn’t a servant.

“I missed dinner,” she said, “so His… my master sent me here to get something to eat.”

The woman nodded and motioned for Roshil to follow her. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll get you something to eat.”

She walked through the kitchens as the servants went back to work. Roshil watched with interest as they all moved with a purpose, everyone knowing where they needed to be.

The woman reached into a cupboard, took a plate, and handed it to Roshil.

“What’s left of dinner will be in there,” she said, pointing to a large cupboard. “Everything’s okay to eat. Take whatever you like.”

“Thank you,” Roshil said. She turned to the storage cupboard, then turned back to ask the woman her name, but she’d vanished. Roshil looked around the kitchen, but the woman was nowhere to be found.

She turned back and opened the cupboard. Not only was there light coming from the shelves, but the inside of the cupboard stretched into the distance. Roshil walked through, overwhelmed by the food inside. She spotted some chicken, and added that to her plate. After taking some greens (making her father happy) and potatoes, she left the cupboard.

She walked through the kitchens, taking a glass of water that was offered to her as she did, moving from one room to the next, until she found another familiar face sitting at a table. This one wasn’t only familiar, but friendly.

Master Ekla smiled at Roshil when she saw her. She stood up and motioned to an empty seat at her table.

“Roshil… Sorry, Apprentice Roshil.” She smiled with a touch of pride.

“Master Ekla,” Roshil said, smiling back at the closest thing she had to a friend in the castle. She sat down at the table across from Ekla, then tore into her chicken. The salty taste filled her mouth as she chewed.

“I see your table manners are as respectable as ever,” Ekla said, sitting back down.

“What?” Roshil mumbled through a mouthful of potato that had joined the chicken.

Ekla laughed, covering her mouth before sitting up straight.

“Cut, chew, swallow, talk, repeat,” she said. “A girl as smart as you can manage that.”

Roshil frowned, then put another bite of food in her mouth.

“What brings you here?” Ekla asked. “Skip dinner?”

Roshil nodded as she drank some water.

“Really?”

Roshil started to explain, but closed her mouth when Ekla motioned for her to be quiet.

“Swallow.”

Roshil forced the food down her throat.

“I was working on the furnaces. Master Grund told me—”

“Master Grund?”

Roshil sensed another lecture coming on about using the proper titles when referring to members of the court, so she explained before Ekla could start.

“He found me a few minutes ago, told me he was taking over my apprenticeship, then told me to get food because I’d missed dinner.”

Ekla nodded, a knowing look on her face.

“That makes sense.”

Roshil frowned, put more food in her mouth, then remembered to finish her mouthful before talking again.

“It does?”

“Master Udra… she’s not a people person. All Masters are supposed to take on an apprentice sometime, but not all of them are good at it.”

You’re an abomination.

“I noticed,” Roshil said, putting an edge to her voice.

While Roshil ate her next mouthful, Ekla stood up and walked away. Her voice came from another room, along with the clattering of silver. She came back a moment later with a fork and knife.

“These might help,” she said, sitting back down and handing them to Roshil.

Roshil stared at them.

“Can I stab Master Udra with them?”

“Roshil!” Ekla snapped. “No! They’re for eating! Don’t talk about anyone like that!”

“She started it! I didn’t do anything wrong! She’s the one that said I was an abomination!”

Ekla froze, her eyes fixed on Roshil. Even the sounds of the servants seemed to fade away.

“She didn’t,” she said in a low voice. “Roshil, that’s not funny.”

“I’m not lying!” Roshil shouted. Her lips drew back into a snarl.

“Lower your voice. Calm down, I believe you.”

Roshil sat back in her chair, glaring at Ekla. The rage inside her quelled, and she took another drink of water.

“I believe you,” Ekla said again. “Our Lord High Artisan wouldn’t have taken you on himself without good reason.”

Roshil placed the utensils on the table, then ignored them and picked up the chicken and took another bite.

“Stop eating for a minute so I can talk to you, please.”

Roshil grumbled and put down her food. While she could tune out hunger when she was working, it was harder when it was right in front of her and she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. That, and ripping something apart made her feel better.

“Are you alright?” Ekla asked.

“Fine. People have always been that way. I don’t know why you’re surprised.”

“People aren’t supposed to be that way. Your brother isn’t. I’m not.”

Roshil thought of her brother. The one person in the world that had never treated her worse. He was nice to everyone, but he’d always been a little nicer to her than everyone else.

“Sure. But everyone else is. I shouldn’t have come here. I should go home.”

Ekla shook her head.

“Remember when you told me you wanted to be an apprentice? What was my first question?”

“‘Why?’”

“And you said you wanted to work in the forge. You didn’t have to become an apprentice to work in the forge, but you did anyway.”

Roshil nodded, remembering their discussions about it over the past several months. Serving the court seemed tedious, but the stories of people of all sorts fitting in at the court had made her want to go. She’d believed it. She liked making things, and she wanted to be at the court.

“I wanted to be where people could fit in,” she said. “Where I could fit in.”

She hated admitting it to anyone out loud, but Ekla had worn her down months ago by questioning her about her motives.

“And I want to be like my mother.”

As much as I still can be.

“You belong here too,” Ekla said. “If Our Lord High Artisan took over your apprenticeship, he thinks so too.”

They didn’t say anything after that until after Roshil had finished her food. The only conversation they had was Ekla giving significant looks at her and the utensils near her plate, and the nods when Roshil started using them.

“Do you know what ‘dragon-touched’ means?” Roshil asked when she’d finished and a servant had cleared her plate.

“No, why? Is… is that what that thing did to you?”

“I don’t know. Master Grund told me to look it up after I was finished here.”

Ekla got up from the table.

“Then you’ve got to get going. Curfew’s in half an hour. I’ll walk you to the library, but I can’t stay with you. I have important master things to do.”

Roshil nodded and got up from the table. She wasn’t sure she wanted anyone else to know the truth about her. If she was right, it was why people hated her. It made her inhuman.

An abomination.

They left the kitchens, with Master Ekla leading the way. No one questioned them or reminded them that it was almost curfew. They walked through the corridors until they reached the door with the word “Library” in gold letters above it.

“You’re on your own from here,” Ekla said. “Don’t worry about whatever you find out in there. It doesn’t change who you are.”

“I’m not worried,” Roshil said, ignoring the churning feeling in her stomach. She chalked it up to having eaten too fast. It certainly wasn’t from nerves, because she wasn’t nervous at all.

Ekla faced her and stood at attention.

“Good luck, Apprentice Roshil.”

Roshil mirrored her posture.

“Thank you, Master Ekla.”

Ekla turned and left, leaving Roshil to discover the nature of her curse alone.

#VolumeOne #APlaceToBelong

The library of Skwyr spanned three stories. Roshil walked in on the ground floor and looked up, wondering where the books on dragons were. She could see up to the top floor, but had no idea how long she’d have to look. With curfew approaching, she had to be back in her room soon.

She looked around the first floor, trying to remember where the librarian was. She started walking further into the library, hoping to stumble upon someone that could help her.

No. I don’t need help. I don’t need anyone.

She spotted a sign up ahead and walked over to it. She scanned the list of sections and saw one with animals. Following the sign, she made her way up one floor. Walking through shelves of books, she kept her head up.

Roshil turned a corner into an aisle just as someone else turned out of it.

“Sorry,” the other girl whispered as they nearly ran into one another.

Roshil opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped when she saw the other girl.

Her bright brown eyes stood out against her black skin. Her hair was done up in a pair of braids going past her shoulders. She clutched a book in her hands.

“Sorry,” Roshil said.

“Sh,” the other girl said.

She kept her head down and walked around Roshil.

“Can you help me?” Roshil asked, trying to keep her voice down. “I’m looking for books on dragons.”

The other girl froze and glanced back at her. She stared for a moment, and Roshil caught those eyes moving to Roshil’s hair.

“My name’s Roshil,” she said. “What’s yours?”

The girl averted her eyes and spotted something interesting on her shoes.

“Aonva.” She met Roshil’s gaze. “I can help you find what you need, but we don’t have long.”

Roshil smiled at her. She felt excited for the first time all day.

“Anything particular on dragons?”

Roshil hesitated and wondered if it was okay to tell her. Without knowing what she’d find, Roshil couldn’t know if it was bad. What if she was a monster waiting to emerge and slaughter the castle? Udra might deserve it, but Aonva was nice.

She is nice. And she’s different too.

“My master told me to look up ‘dragon-touched’. I think it’s a spell specific to dragons.”

The face of a black dragon loomed over her. He hissed words Roshil didn’t understand, then moved his claw to her. She backed into a corner and squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to scream for help, but no one was coming. Everyone she’d ever known was dead, he’d said.

I’m the only one who cares about you, Roshil. I promise, I’ll take good care of you.

“Excuse me?”

Roshil opened her eyes. She was in the library, in Skwyr. Safe. Aonva was watching her. Was that concern? Was she worried? Did she care? Why did it matter?

Roshil’s heart had started beating faster than she thought it was supposed to be. She calmed herself down, pushing memories of that thing back where they belonged.

“Are you alright?”

Roshil grinned and nodded.

“I’m fine.”

“If you’re sure. The hospital’s—”

“I’m fine,” Roshil repeated, not wanting to go near that place again. All it held was bad news.

Aonva turned and walked back into the aisle she’d been in. Roshil followed her a little ways until she stopped. Aonva pulled a book out, tucking her own book under her arm. She handed it to Roshil without taking her eyes off the shelves. She grabbed another book, then another one, and handed them both to her. Aonva took two more books and gave them to Roshil. After thinking for a moment, she pulled one out from the middle of the stack in Roshil’s arms and put it back.

“I think I remember reading something about it in one of these.”

“Come on,” Roshil said. “It’ll be faster to look if we both do it.”

She didn’t think she wanted help, but she didn’t want Aonva to leave.

“It’s almost curfew. Just check them out and find it later.”

“I’ve got to find it tonight!”

“Keep your voice down.” Aonva glanced at the clock. “I’ll help, but only for a few minutes.”

“Great!” Tucking the books under her arm, Roshil grabbed Aonva’s free hand and led her over to a table. “Are you an apprentice?”

“Um… yes. I’m an apprentice mage under Master Kaernin. Um… what about you?”

“Artisan, under Master Grund.”

“Our Lord High Artisan? I didn’t think the officers took apprentices.”

“He took over my apprenticeship a few hours ago when he realized my old master wasn’t good at it.”

Roshil sat down at the table and put the books down. She slid one over to Aonva and started flipping through another one.

“There’s an index at the back,” Aonva said, flipping to the back of the book in front of her. “Got it.” She flipped through the book, then began to read.

“Through prolonged exposure to magic, creatures are known to mutate. While this often happens as a result of exposure to Nature’s Essence, resulting in griffins, phoenixes, etc., it is also known to occur as a result of magic.”

Roshil frowned, then looked at the page upside down. Where was this going?

“Dragons, being the source of magic, have an enchantment to expedite this process,” Aonva continued. “Those enchanted this way are known as dragon-touched. The particular symptoms differ from dragon to dragon, but physical effects are common, eyes and hair in particular.”

“That’s… me.”

Thoughts rushed into Roshil’s head. The world started to spin. She shook her head, trying to stay grounded. Why had it done that to her?

“Why?”

Aonva skimmed the page, then began again. “There’s no consensus as to what benefits this provides to the dragon. Some researchers believe it strengthens the bond between dragon and victim, while others believe it to be a way of branding those they believe they own.”

“No one owns me!” Roshil hissed.

She clenched her fists, and a low growl escaped her throat.

“Did you just growl?” Aonva asked.

Roshil grabbed the book and skimmed the page. None of this answered why people hated her so much. Did they all know what she was? Did they think she was a dragon’s servant?

“It’s worth noting that those exposed to Nature’s Essence are known to react negatively towards the dragon-touched. While unicorns in particular believe dragon-touched creatures to be a disruption of the natural order, most humans have some natural instinct that compels them to distrust, or even hate dragon-touched humans. This is exacerbated by prolonged exposure to Nature’s Essence, making druids the most outspoken against those who have been dragon-touched.”

She stared at the book, at the word “hate”. This was what that thing had done to her. People near her had an instinctive hatred of her. They always would. What was the point of trying to make friends if they’d hate her eventually?

“I’m really sorry.”

Roshil tore her eyes away from the book. Aonva stared at her with sad eyes. She didn’t look like she hated her yet. Was it only a matter of time? What about Master Ekla, or her brother, or her father, or Master Grund? Would they all hate her in the end?

“You don’t hate me, do you?”

Aonva took the book from her and closed it. She looked down, but shook her head.

“It feels a little weird being around you, but it’s not bad. I… I don’t really have friends.”

“You do now!” Roshil exclaimed.

“Would you keep your voice down?” Aonva hissed. “We’re in a library!”

“I know that,” Roshil whispered back.

Aonva got up and took the books back to the shelf. Roshil followed her, wanting to spend as much time as she could with her new friend.

Aonva put the books back, then glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Oh no.” She pushed past Roshil, nearly running through the library. Roshil raced after her.

“It’s almost past curfew,” Aonva said. “We’ll be in so much trouble.”

“Only if we’re caught,” Roshil said with a grin.

The two friends raced out of the library as the lights began to dim to remind them that it was time for bed.

#VolumeOne #APlaceToBelong

The next morning, Roshil ate breakfast with Aonva. Roshil had never eaten with anyone in the castle before, apart from Master Ekla the previous night. She glanced around and saw people all over sitting together and talking, as though everyone else had friends. She turned back and smiled at Aonva. Now she did too.

“What?” Aonva asked.

“I’ve never had a friend before!” Roshil said, then focused on her food when her face felt hot.

“Me either,” Aonva said, just loud enough to be heard over the din of the great hall. “I spend a lot of time in the library, so I’ve never gotten to know people here.”

Roshil tore into a slice of ham, stabbing it with her knife and fork.

“What about your master?” she asked before she’d finished her food. She glanced across the hall and spotted Master Ekla eyeing her from behind Aonva. Roshil wasn’t certain, but she thought she saw her mouth “cut, chew, swallow, talk” before smiling at her.

“I’m sorry?” Aonva asked after she’d finished her own mouthful. She didn’t eat with the same enthusiasm as Roshil. Instead, she picked at her food, never eating too much.

“Your master?” Roshil asked.

“Oh, that’s Master Kaernin. He’s nice, if not terribly talkative. You said you were being taught by Our Lord High Artisan, right?”

Roshil nodded and glanced up at the officers looming over them. Master Grund wasn’t there. Maybe he was already in the forge. Would he be upset if she arrived too early?

“He wants to see me right after breakfast,” Roshil said, then turned back to Aonva. “You don’t think it’s bad, do you?”

“I don’t know. Probably not, right?”

Roshil shrugged and ate more of her food. They didn’t talk much before they were finished and everyone began to leave. Roshil bid farewell to her new friend, then made her way through the castle to the forge. When she arrived, she found Master Grund there, working on something.

“Master Grund!”

“Apprentice Roshil, right on time.” He put down his work and turned to her. “What did you find out?”

Roshil repeated everything she’d read the night before. It didn’t feel real, even when she said it out loud. This was her. She was enchanted, an enchantment she guessed couldn’t be undone. Her face and eyes were going to be like this forever. People would always glare at her, insult her, regard her as inhuman. She was grateful Aonva was a mage and not a druid.

“Very good,” he said when she was finished talking. While she’d been talking, he’d placed his project in a furnace. When he removed it, he took a chisel and began carving something into it.

“Now it’s my turn. There’s something that you need to understand about Skwyr Court. There’s a place for everyone. Years ago, it wasn’t like this. The Kingdom of Nelaro was the norm, not accepting people outside the kingdom into the court, not allowing them to make the rules. Only the royal family or people like them had a say.”

He looked her dead in the eye. She gasped and took a step back, unaccustomed to people being so direct with her.

“Your family knows that better than most, I think.”

Roshil nodded, remembering the stories her mother had told her about growing up in Nelaro. It also crossed her mind that Master Grund knew a lot more about her than she’d realized. If it’d been anyone else, she’d assume they were just assuming she’d grown up in Nelaro, but Master Grund was better than that.

“But now, we make room for everyone. His Majesty sees to it. Had he taken the throne when he was your age, we’d have called him ‘her majesty’. Lord Gorkle prefers ‘Grand Master Gorkle’ because zie doesn’t identify as male or female, and doesn’t believe our titles should force us to identify as such.”

“‘Zie’?” Roshil asked.

“Gender-neutral pronoun,” Grund replied. He tapped his chair. “My legs have never worked, and when I was married, it wasn’t to a woman. Lady Emgard doesn’t feel the need for companionship at all. Half of the officers come from outside the kingdom, and we accept more people in every day.”

“So everyone’s different,” Roshil said, not understanding the point of the lecture. “But none of them compel people to hate them!”

Grund flipped the metal over in his hands, inspecting it. Roshil caught a glimpse of it, then glanced over at the storage cupboard. Was that her shield?

“You think because you have magic making people distrust you, that you can never fit in?” He glanced at her and let out a laugh that echoed through the forge. “Ha! You think there aren’t people that hated me and my husband because we were different from them? There will always be people that hate you because you’re different. Always remember, Apprentice Roshil, that it’s not you that needs to be fixed.”

He held the shield, closed his eyes, and muttered under his breath. Roshil picked out a few words, but it was all in the arcane language.

“Are you enchanting that?”

“Enchanting something you make happens throughout the crafting process,” he said when he was finished. “You start the enchantment when you start the project. It makes the spell a part of the object, so the two will always live together.”

He wheeled over to her and handed her the shield. It wasn’t perfect. There were rough edges and divots, and it was too small to do any good. It bore a spiral pattern now, with a flower engraved over it.

“All you need is someone to accept you for who and what you are, and help you grow into the best person you can be.” He placed the shield on her wrist, where it stayed without a strap, then extended her arm toward the wall. “Do you know the arcane word for ‘extend’?”

She nodded. “Deistudo.”

“Good. Now, focus on the shield, and say it like you’re reaching out to grab something.”

Beginning to catch on, Roshil focused on the shield and repeated the word.

“Deistudo.”

The shield uncoiled and a thin ribbon snapped out in front of her. The ribbon stopped abruptly when it reached the far wall.

“What’s the word for ‘contract’?” he asked.

She focused on the ribbon returning to her, and said, “Odstowro.”

The shield coiled back up, returning to her wrist to sit snugly as though it had never moved.

“Don’t use it on people in the court,” he said. “Don’t hurt anyone except in self-defense. If you’re going to impress your new friend, don’t do anything stupid.”

Roshil nodded, then frowned when something occurred to her.

“You weren’t at breakfast, how’d you know—”

“You weren’t my first visitor this morning,” he replied.

She nodded again, then looked down at the shield. She noticed the flower pattern again, then asked him about it.

“Everyone has a single, unique name,” he said. “It’s the Naming Phenomenon. For some reason, everyone ends up with a unique name in the arcane language. Do you know what yours means?”

She shook her head, but guessed the answer based on what he’d carved on the shield.

“It’s a type of flower,” he replied. “Like ‘Grund’ is a type of metal. You’ll learn all about that in your time at the court.” He handed her a piece of paper. “That’s your new schedule. Your classes have been rearranged, but I think you’ll find the arcane language classes more enjoyable now. The bad news is that you only get to work on the basics of forging for a few months.”

Roshil nodded again, still more interested in the shield than anything else. It wasn’t big, but it would help keep her safe. It would help her protect herself.

“What you said before,” she said. “About there being a place for everyone. The world isn’t like that.”

“Maybe not the whole world, but we’ve built an entire kingdom on it.”

He picked up his hammer and chisel, then went to put them away.

“Get your apron and gloves. We’re gonna start with the basics today.”

Roshil stuck her new schedule with her old schedule in a pouch on her belt, then followed Master Grund to the furnaces.

#VolumeOne #APlaceToBelong

Later that day, Ekla made her way to the forge. She knew Roshil wouldn’t be there. There were a few apprentices and masters running around, working with the furnaces. But the person she’d come to see was there too.

“My Lord High Artisan,” Ekla said, standing to attention. “I humbly request a minute of your time.”

He looked up from the furnaces.

“She’ll be alright,” he said.

Ekla didn’t allow her confusion to show on her face. “My lord?”

“Your equipment’s fine, so unless you want me to knit you a nice sweater or a pair of socks, I can only assume you’re here to ask about Apprentice Roshil.”

She didn’t want to seem out of line, but she knew better than to confront Roshil directly about her feelings. That would get her an “I’m fine!” and a growl for her troubles. She looked around at the other people in the forge. She couldn’t exactly lower her voice with the sounds of the forge all around them.

“Yes, My Lord. May I ask you something?”

“You just did.”

“Did you send me to the kitchens because you knew she’d be there? So I could talk to her?”

He pulled an iron bar out of his furnace and laid it over an anvil. He took a hammer to it, adding to the sounds of metal striking metal ringing through the forge.

“What do you think?”

“I think so, but I don’t understand why.”

That wasn’t entirely true. She’d been a master for over five years, but she still remembered the feeling of being told to talk to someone without being made to understand why. She’d eventually learned that it was part of the training of a knight. Learning to help anyone, even people you didn’t know.

He turned the iron rod over and started hitting the other side as the tip changed from orange to pink. After it cooled, he wheeled over to the furnace again and shoved the tip of the rod back inside.

“When most people start their apprenticeship, they’ve grown up in the court. They might have dreams of taking the throne one day, or being an officer, or just finding adventure.” He pulled the rod out and returned to striking it on the anvil. “Those people have it hard enough, because being a teenager is difficult on its own. But then there are those who grow up thinking they can’t possibly fit in anywhere.” He glanced at her before fetching a chisel to hold against the rod. “Like your apprentice, for one. Or Apprentice Roshil’s new best friend. Or Apprentice Roshil’s brother, when he gets here in a few months.”

In spite of everything, Ekla smiled to think of the happy little boy with no eyes. As nervous as she was to see him in the castle, she had no doubt he’d manage by himself. He’d gotten good at it over the past five years.

“When there are people like that, it’s important that they find someone to look after them, remind them that the world isn’t horrible like they think it is.”

“I doubt Oshal will ever think the world’s horrible.” She thought for a moment, then asked, “If I may ask, My Lord, why did you assign Roshil to Udra?”

“Master Udra was the only master I had under me that hadn’t had an apprentice yet.”

“For good reason,” Ekla grumbled.

“I’d seen Apprentice Roshil work before. She focuses on the task at hand until it’s finished, so I thought she’d be an easy apprentice to have. Sure, she has some issues with authority, but most people her age do. She wants to do things her own way, so she needs a nudge in the right direction from time to time. When I realized that Master Udra wasn’t doing even that much work, I knew it was time to take over myself.”

He brought the rod over to a press, then bent the rod until it snapped where he’d been chiseling it.

“Do you know what Master Udra called R— Apprentice Roshil?”

“No, but I can guess.” He placed the rest of the rod aside and inspected the piece he’d snapped off. “When I found her in her usual hiding spot, I knew it had to be bad. That’s why I sent you in.”

“That little crevice in the wall near the north tower?” Ekla asked.

“That’s the one.” He placed the piece of metal on the anvil and started hammering it again. “I keep filling that in, but someone keeps breaking through it again.”

Ekla suppressed a laugh. They both knew who that someone was. There was an artisan who always went there when life was too tough. It hadn’t been the first time, and Ekla wished she’d been able to be there for her every time like she’d been this time.

“How’d you know what it did to her?” Ekla asked. “The dragon, I mean. She said you told her to look up ‘dragon-touched’.”

“Lord Velal recognized it when he got her away from that dragon. Lady Emgard confirmed it. They told the rest of us when we considered her for apprenticeship.”

“Why didn’t anyone ever tell her? Why didn’t anyone ever tell me?!”

“What was there to tell? That some people would hate her for the rest of her life? That we can’t undo it? That we don’t even know the extent of what it did? Besides, not many people outside the officers knew about it.”

“So?” Ekla’s voice approached a shriek. Some instinct told her not to speak to him like that, but she pushed it aside. Roshil was like family to her.

“Most people won’t know she’s been touched by a dragon. If they did, it could be worse. Every druid will already look at her funny. If they knew, they might start thinking she’s working for the dragon.”

Ekla wanted to argue more, but she knew it hadn’t been his decision. Had they been afraid that she’d tell Roshil and her family? Why had Lord Velal of all people kept her in the dark?

“Have you met her new friend?” Grund asked.

Ekla shook her head, but smiled. “I saw them eating together. Roshil looked happy. I don’t think she’s had friends before.” She frowned. “You weren’t at breakfast.”

“News travels fast.”

Ekla waited for him to elaborate, but he continued to work on his project with no further response.

“Do the others know you told her?”

Lord Grund inspected the metal in his hand that had slowly taken the shape of a blade. After a time, she realized he wasn’t going to answer that question either.

“That will be all, My Lord.”

She stood at attention.

“Keep an eye on her,” he said without taking his eyes off the blade. “Like I said, she needs a nudge in the right direction from time to time.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

She turned and left the forge, letting her mind wander for a moment. It would be hard for Roshil, but Ekla was going to see to it that she was looked after. For now, she had her other responsibilities. She made her way through the castle, wondering where her own apprentice had disappeared to this time.

#VolumeOne #APlaceToBelong