Skwyr Court

gettingalong

One morning, Oshal found himself walking through the corridors of Skwyr Castle with Kurgm and Zifor, on their way to breakfast after the Sun Welcoming Ceremony. He liked that Zifor was going back to the Temple of the Rising Sun, and, based on the warm fuzzy feelings he got from Zifor’s parents, so did they. Even if Zifor was only going because he wanted to talk to Sirshi, although Oshal wasn’t supposed to know that. After a year of learning under Lady Durwey, Oshal still had trouble tuning out the emotions of everyone around him. He didn’t want to eavesdrop on people, but sometimes they were feeling something so strongly that he couldn’t help it.

As they approached the great hall, they came across Roshil and Aonva. They were almost always together, which made Oshal happy. He and his father had both been worried about Roshil making friends, but she was happy with Aonva, and Oshal was happy for her.

“Hello, Roshil,” Oshal said.

The happiness his sister had been feeling vanished like water from a desert. Her world turned gray, and the ground started to shake.

“Hi.”

Oshal’s initial instinct was the assumption that those emotions were directed at him, but he couldn’t imagine that he’d done something. Was she angry about him weaving emotions into her head almost a year ago?

The panic and fear of that day returned to him. Oshal hadn’t dared tried to weave emotion into anyone, even during practice. How could he when it could all go so wrong?

“How are you?” Oshal asked, expanding his reach to everyone else.

The usually nice and slightly passive Zifor was displaying uncharacteristic hostility. As much as Oshal didn’t want to believe it was toward his sister, he knew it was. Everyone was like that around Roshil. He’d hoped Zifor would be better, but the evidence was clear.

While Aonva was terrified, as usual, something different was coming from Kurgm. Something foul, something unpleasant, something that felt an awful lot like guilt. What had he done? Did it involve the reason that Kurgm didn’t talk to Aonva anymore?

“Fine,” Roshil said. “How are you?”

“I’m alright.” Oshal motioned to his friends. “Have you met Apprentice Zifor?”

“No.”

“I see the others,” Zifor said, leaving before he had to say anything else.

“I don’t need to meet him,” Roshil said. “He’s just like everyone else.”

“That’s not fair,” Kurgm said. “Zifor’s—”

“I don’t remember asking your opinion,” Roshil snapped.

The anger inside her burst forth. People ran for shelter. Volcanoes erupted. It all made one thing clear: Roshil was mad at Kurgm.

“Why would you?” Kurgm snapped back. “You don’t care what anyone else thinks. You break the rules regardless, right?”

Oshal found it hard to argue against that. His sister’s relationship with the rules wasn’t a good one. She mostly saw rules as obstacles to overcome, making a problem more challenging to solve. She didn’t just go around breaking rules, though.

“At least I look out for my friends!” Roshil shot back.

“Is that what you call that bracelet you made for Aonva? Looking out for her?”

“You don’t get to talk about her like that!”

“What did I do?”

Aonva felt like a mouse against a lion. Even though Oshal couldn’t see it, he could sense her looking for the exits. She wanted to run and hide as fast as possible, getting out of the line of fire. If his friends cared so much about her, they needed to stop yelling and upsetting her.

“That’s quite enough.” A presence that radiated authority stepped in to stop the shouting match. Master Ekla kept herself between Kurgm and Roshil, acting as a barrier to the war of words. “Whatever this is doesn’t have to be done here. Or at all, for that matter. Both of you, move along.”

Without another word, Roshil entered the great hall, with Aonva behind her. Roshil still radiated anger, which clashed with the fear that came from Aonva. Oshal was confident that together they’d be okay. He didn’t know what was wrong, but Aonva would calm Roshil down.

“Apprentice Kurgm, I expect better of you,” Master Ekla said. “Public disputes don’t need raised voices. Calm heads will always prevail. Learn that lesson now. It will serve you countless times in the future.”

“Yes, Master Ekla.” Kurgm’s voice held a cocktail of emotions. A dash of resentment, a splash of anger, and still what Oshal was sure was guilt. What had happened between him and Aonva? It had upset Roshil to the point of anger. And what was the bracelet Roshil had made for Aonva? Oshal knew there was a lot more to this argument.

“Apprentice Oshal, how are you?” Warmth spread out from Master Ekla, making the flowers grow and the sun shine. It reminded him of his mother.

“Confused, but alright. How are you?”

“Fine.” The sigh that accompanied it told Oshal that the word “fine” didn’t begin to summarize how Master Ekla was feeling. The weather in her mind changed several times before settling back down. Once again, she reminded Oshal a lot of his mother.

“You two, go get some food. After breakfast, Apprentice Kurgm, we’ll continue this conversation.”

“Yes, Master Ekla.”

Kurgm led Oshal to the table with their friends. They were just in time for the officers to enter the great hall and begin breakfast.

“What was that about?” Demndun asked.

“Apprentice Roshil,” Kurgm said.

“She’s so creepy,” Zifor said. “I can’t stand those eyes.”

“Please don’t talk about my sister like that.”

After that, the conversation ended. With Cremwa away on her fifth-year assignment, there was far less gossip at the table. Oshal was still curious about what had happened. Why was his sister so angry at Kurgm? Judging by his guilt, Oshal guessed that it had something to do with Aonva. But what was bothering them both so much? Whatever it was, it was upsetting them, so Oshal made up his mind that he was going to help.

#VolumeThree #GettingAlong

The argument stuck with Oshal for the rest of the day. Why were Roshil and Kurgm so angry at one another? What had happened between them? How did it involve Aonva?

Oshal should’ve realized that the more something bothered him, the more likely Nourd would be to pick up on it.

“You smell different today,” Nourd said. “Elder Wolf smelled like that when the other tribes were fighting over territory.”

They were together in the gardens. Grand Master Gorkle and Master Durwey weren’t far, but they were at least pretending not to eavesdrop on their conversation. Oshal liked the feel of the gardens. Especially with the warm season returning, children were running around and playing together. He liked children; they were always so happy about something.

Oshal explained to Nourd what had happened that morning. When he finished, Nourd had a suggestion.

“The best way is to let them fight it out,” Nourd said. “Elder Wolf told me that.”

“Apprentices aren’t allowed to fight each other. They shouldn’t have to fight or argue. I’m sure they can talk it out. They used to be friends, I think. I don’t know what happened. Last year, Roshil stopped spending time with anyone. At least she’s spending time with Aonva again.”

“Is Aonva the girl that acts like a squirrel?”

Oshal laughed. “Yeah, that’s her. She’s my sister’s best friend. Roshil’s never really had friends before, so it’s good that she does. I’m worried, though. I know how Roshil handles people that annoy her, and it doesn’t go well for anyone. She’s… crafty.”

“Like a fox.”

“A little. But in a good way, I think.” Before Nourd could continue the conversation that Oshal really didn’t want to be having, he changed the subject. “Didn’t you say you’re going to be eating in the great hall soon?”

“Master Gorkle said I will be eating in the great hall in one month. I am learning about human things now. Your world is still confusing.”

“What sorts of human things?”

“Master Gorkle says since I would not do well in school, the humans are teaching me under hir supervision. I do not know what this ‘school’ is. It is a new word.”

“School is where you sit at a desk, which is like a chair with a small table in front of you, and someone teaches you and a bunch of other people something.”

“How long must I sit at this ‘desk’?”

“Around an hour, but there are different classes. When one is finished, you go to the next one for another hour. That’s what you do most of the day.”

“That sounds horrible. I do not think I would enjoy this ‘school’.”

“Aonva’s the only person I know who enjoys it. Most people get through it so they can learn what they need to. You only go until you’re an adult.”

After a bit of silence, Oshal asked, “What about the Temple of Words? Have you gone back?”

“I have. I enjoy hearing their poems.”

“That’s good. Have you ever heard singing?”

“I have heard the birds sing.”

“Humans sing like that, but they put words to it. Like reading poems, but with music.”

“That sounds interesting. Can you sing?”

“Not well,” Oshal said, laughing. “My family traveled around a lot, so we got to see and hear all sorts of performances. Performers travel around a lot too. Maybe we can go to one sometime.”

“I think I would like that. Can we go to one tomorrow?”

“I don’t think there is one tomorrow. Master Durwey would know, though. I’ll ask her, and maybe we’ll find one. It’s the warm season, so I’m sure there will be plenty.”

Master Durwey cleared her throat. She’d gotten into the habit of doing that, since he couldn’t sense her approaching otherwise.

“Apprentice Oshal, it’s time to get going.”

“Okay.” Oshal smiled at Nourd. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“I look forward to it. I hope you smell better tomorrow.”

Oshal laughed. He liked the way Nourd talked. “Me too.”

On his way out of the gardens, he sensed Kurgm.

“May I please talk with my friend for a minute?”

“You have a few minutes.”

“Thank you.” Oshal turned toward Kurgm. “Apprentice Kurgm!”

Unlike earlier, Kurgm was happy to see him. Oshal could still sense some lingering anger, though, along with guilt.

“Hi, Oshal.” Oshal couldn’t see it, but he sensed Kurgm bow. “My Lady Grand Weaver.”

“Apprentice Kurgm. I’ll let you two be for a few minutes, but we must be going after that.”

Once Master Durwey was far enough away, Oshal asked Kurgm about that morning.

“Why are you angry at my sister?”

“Did they tell you about the bracelet?” Kurgm asked.

Oshal shook his head.

“Roshil enchanted a bracelet and gave it to Aonva. It gave her a splitting headache, bad enough that it shook up Aonva.”

Oshal felt short of breath. He didn’t know what to say to that. His sister had enchanted Aonva?

“Master Durwey said that Roshil had enchanted another apprentice, but… it couldn’t be Aonva. Roshil wouldn’t do that.”

“She did. I was there. She breaks all sorts of rules. Me and Master Ekla caught her trying to break into the West Tower a while back, before you were an apprentice. Roshil was annoyed that Aonva was spending more time with me than with her, so she enchanted the bracelet to get payback.”

“But…” Oshal didn’t want to believe it, but it wasn’t that far from what he’d seen Roshil do in the past. Despite their mother’s influence, their father had taught them never to go at someone from the front. Always go from the side. Was that what Roshil had done? She wouldn’t do that to Aonva, though. Would she?

“I know she’s your sister, but I don’t trust her. I know Aonva’s talking to her again, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“What isn’t?”

“Trusting her.”

“But—”

“Just leave it. I’ve got to go. We’ll talk later.”

“Okay. Bye.”

As Kurgm walked off, Oshal realized he didn’t know the other half of the story. If the bracelet was why Kurgm was angry at Roshil, why was Roshil angry at Kurgm? And had Roshil really hurt Aonva on purpose? That didn’t seem like her. Oshal resolved to talk to his sister and get the answers.

#VolumeThree #GettingAlong

“Concentrate on the threads. Feel how they intertwine with one another. Each one affects all the others around it. Together, they weave a tapestry of life. As people move, their threads move. As people live, their threads live. Feel all the life around you.”

Oshal had always been good at sensing emotions around him, whether he wanted to or not. No one had really offered him an explanation; some people were born like that, and that’s how it was. It meant he always knew what everyone around him was feeling. But there was so much more to the threads than he’d realized. His mother had tried to teach him, but even she hadn’t known everything.

Now, Oshal could feel it. He felt the threads intertwining, dancing around one another through life. Master Durwey was right; as everyone lived, their threads lived too. Swirling, gliding, dodging. Like another world connected to his own.

Nourd’s thread was intertwined with weaker threads from the forest. They weren’t weak to Nourd, but they weren’t strong to Oshal. He couldn’t sense much, apart from Nourd’s relationship to them.

His sister’s thread trembled. There was another thread connected to it, one that was connected to Oshal as well. He tried to ignore it, but then it moved. It strummed up and down, like a heartbeat. Or wingbeats.

Oshal screamed and snapped out of his trance. He knew to what it belonged. It connected straight to him, to his father, to his sister. The thread that had torn his family apart.

“Apprentice Oshal?” Despite not sensing her emotions, Oshal could hear the worry in Master Durwey’s voice. “Is everything—”

“Fine. Just… fine.”

Master Durwey didn’t say anything for a moment. Oshal was familiar with the silence; the silence of someone thinking about their next move, their next words. He often used it when talking to his sister.

“Is something bothering you?”

Oshal knew she wanted to hear about the thread, but he wasn’t willing to talk about it. Instead, he changed the subject to his current problem.

“My sister and Apprentice Kurgm are mad at each other. I don’t know what to do.”

“Why do you have to do anything?”

“I think they used to be friends. And… and I don’t like it when people are mad at my sister. Or my friends.”

“I’m sure it will work itself out without you getting involved. Why don’t you let them be for a while?”

Oshal nodded, although he still wanted to know the whole truth about Roshil. She couldn’t have enchanted Aonva, not on purpose. Maybe she’d accidentally enchanted the bracelet? No, he knew she’d enchanted someone. Maybe Kurgm misheard the situation? Maybe it was because someone had done something to Aonva. But Kurgm had said he’d been there. How could he have confused it?

After their lesson, Oshal made his way to the forge to find his sister. He didn’t need to check her thread. She was always in one of a few places, the forge being one of them. It was still one of her favorite places in the court, although the library might’ve been a close second.

He didn’t need an escort to get around. If he followed the signs, which were helpfully engraved in the walls, he could find his own way. People didn’t always understand that he wasn’t a victim. He could sense their pity, and it bothered him. Although, written words weren’t always easy to figure out by touch alone. He had to remember to ask Aonva about something easier to read by touch.

None of that was important right now, though. What was important was finding out the whole story from his sister. She couldn’t have enchanted Aonva. She couldn’t.

“Oshal?”

Oshal smiled at his sister’s voice. He could still imagine them all together as a family. All four of them, living happily together.

“Hello, Roshil. Are you going to the library?”

“How’d you know?”

Her mind shifted, barring his way in. Despite their mother’s constant reminders that weavers couldn’t tell what people were thinking, his sister remained paranoid (although their father described it as “cautious”).

“It’s not time for food, so you’re only going to be in one of two places. You’re leaving the forge, so you must be going to the library.”

Flickers of joy popped up in his sister’s mind.

“And people say I got all the brains. Why isn’t anyone with you?”

“I’m fine. I can find my own way, although it’ll be nice to walk with you.”

Roshil took his arm and helped him to the library.

“You can’t be going to the library,” Roshil said, “they don’t have anything you can listen to.”

“I wanted to talk to you.” Oshal took a deep breath. “I wanted to talk to you about the bracelet you made for Apprentice Aonva.”

Roshil stopped walking. Her mind flickered through anger and sadness several times before she cut him off.

“Kurgm told you?”

“Yes. I asked why he was angry at you.”

“He’s angry at me?” Anger took over inside her, pushing the sadness into a corner. “He brushed off Aonva like she was nothing! He had her attention, and he threw it away! What right does he have to be angry at me?! She—”

Roshil stopped herself from going any further.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you. Just stay out of it, okay?”

Oshal nodded. He didn’t like lying to his sister, but it was for her own good. He hadn’t gotten an answer about the bracelet, but he was sure there was nothing wrong. She wouldn’t have done anything to Aonva would she?

“Did you enchant Aonva?”

He could feel his sister’s glare on him. He could still see her green eyes glaring at him from inside his memories. They were different now, but he could still imagine how they used to be. How she used to be.

“Yeah.”

“But it’s Aonva. You wouldn’t—”

“I did, okay? I said to stay out of it! I don’t need Kurgm’s approval for anything! Me and Aonva are friends! If he doesn’t want to be friends with us, I don’t care!”

He heard his sister’s footsteps echoing down the corridor.

“Can you find your way?” she asked before she left.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Good. I’m… I’m sorry for yelling. Again.”

Oshal smiled at her. “It’s okay. Love you, big sister.”

“Love you too, little brother.”

Oshal knew there was more to the story. He felt bits of it in Roshil’s mind. If Aonva had forgiven her, then something else was amiss. Kurgm needed to know. The only person he’d believe was Aonva, and Aonva didn’t go anywhere without Roshil.

A plan began to form in Oshal’s mind. Roshil was the smart one, but he was good with people. And this was a people problem.

#VolumeThree #GettingAlong

The next day, Oshal put a plan into motion. After talking with Roshil and Kurgm separately, he needed one more thing to complete his plan. Someone to back him up, someone who wouldn’t take sides. Someone who could get peoples’ attention and hold it.

“Apprentice Sirshi, I need your help.”

While Roshil and Aonva could almost always be found together in the library, Sirshi could almost always be found in the Temple of the Rising Sun. This made it easy to enlist her help.

“What do you need?”

“Someone who can yell louder than I can.”

Sirshi stopped her chores.

“Why?”

“I told Roshil and Kurgm to meet me in one of the study rooms this afternoon. I’m going to figure out why they’re upset with each other and fix it.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because Roshil is my sister, and Kurgm’s my friend. I don’t want them to be angry at each other.”

“Why do I have to get involved?”

“Because Nourd’s not allowed in the castle unsupervised yet, and you’re the only other person I can count on not to be hostile toward my sister.”

Sirshi sighed. “What time?”

“One hour.”

“Fine.”

Roshil and Aonva met Oshal in one of the study rooms. He had told them that he needed help studying. He knew Roshil suspected him of being up to something; he rarely asked them for extra help, but Aonva was all too willing to help out. Roshil wouldn’t let Aonva go alone, as Oshal had suspected.

Roshil was happy to see Sirshi, almost happy enough to stop being suspicious of Oshal. A few minutes later, Kurgm showed up, and the shouting started.

“What’s he doing here?”

“Me? What are you doing here?”

“Oshal’s my brother! I’m helping him study!” He felt her glare on him again. “At least, I thought I was!”

“I thought we were meeting here before going out!”

“Why would he want to spend time with you?!”

“We’re friends! That’s what friends do!”

“Oh, really? I thought friends abandoned the people they cared about when a better offer came up!”

“Stop it!”

Sirshi did her part and raised her voice over Roshil’s and Kurgm’s. Oshal felt her thread move and block the door, barring their escape. None of them would try pushing past her. With Sirshi’s part out of the way, it was Oshal’s turn.

He reached out to the four threads, starting with Aonva. According to Roshil, everything centered around her. A wave of terror blocked out the sun, threatening to crash down and destroy everything. He thought back to the guilt he’d sensed from Kurgm every time he’d looked at Aonva. Something had happened, something about which Kurgm didn’t want to talk.

“Kurgm, why did you stop spending time with Aonva?”

That same feeling of guilt arose once again, but Oshal felt something else along with it: shame.

“I… I’ve just been busy.”

“But not too busy for—” Roshil started.

“Roshil!” Oshal said, glaring at her (something made considerably harder with bandages over his eyes). Still, it smothered her anger before it got out of hand.

With that, Oshal turned his attention back to Kurgm.

“Kurgm, is that really the reason?”

Kurgm’s shame grew bigger, an ugly monster looming over him. Oshal had sensed a lot of things from Kurgm, but never had he felt so small before. More than that, Kurgm felt foolish.

“Was it—” Aonva’s voice squeaked when everyone paid attention to her. Oshal really understood why Nourd likened her to a squirrel.

Aonva’s fear grew stronger, binding her mouth shut. She knew something, something helpful, but she was too afraid to say anything. Not for the first time in his life, Oshal wished he could hear thoughts instead of only sensing emotions.

“It’s okay,” he said. “What were you going to say?”

“If you hurt her,” Roshil said.

“Roshil!” Oshal said. “Aonva, it’s okay.”

“He didn’t hurt me,” Aonva said. “It wasn’t anything like that. Only we stopped spending time together the last time your uncle was here. I thought maybe it was what he said that time we were going to eat together. We didn’t spend much time together after that, so I thought that maybe…”

“What did he say?” Oshal asked, cutting off his sister before she could start yelling at Kurgm.

Silence prevailed once again. Kurgm wasn’t going to say anything, so Oshal turned his attention back to Aonva.

“Aonva, what did he say?”

“I shouldn’t have been listening. It was something he said when they were leaving. I don’t think they knew I could hear them. I didn’t mean to, honest I didn’t. But… but… he said I’d drag him down.”

For the first time since she’d called for silence, Sirshi started paying attention. Both she and Roshil glared at Kurgm. Fury radiated from the pair, and for the first time, Oshal began to wonder if this had been a good idea.

“I don’t care about that!” Kurgm said. “He said it, but… but he also said… he made me think that Aonva might not stay in the court.”

“And that’s better?” Sirshi asked.

While Sirshi started yelling at Kurgm, Aonva herself was shrinking. She wanted to run and hide.

Instead of joining Sirshi, Roshil stepped closer to Aonva. Oshal felt a whirlwind of emotions from both of them, but it softened as they drew closer.

“I didn’t know what to think,” Kurgm was saying as Oshal turned his attention back to them. “If Aonva was only going to leave, I didn’t want to… um…”

“It’s okay,” Oshal said. “You didn’t want to get hurt.”

Kurgm’s guilt remained, but his shame began to subside.

“Yeah. I didn’t. Aonva, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“It’s okay,” Aonva said softly.

Oshal felt something new from Aonva: confidence. Its attempt at overpowering her fear felt as futile as a mouse beating a wolf in a fight, but she was trying.

“See?” Oshal said. “There’s no reason we can’t all get along again.”

“She still enchanted another apprentice,” Kurgm said, turning on Roshil. “That bracelet hurt Aonva.”

“It was an accident,” Roshil said, her temper rising.

“Please stop,” Aonva and Oshal said together.

“Kurgm,” Aonva continued, “I’ve already forgiven her for the bracelet. It… it wasn’t meant to hurt me.”

Oshal smiled. His sister’s relationship with rules wasn’t always the best, but he knew Roshil would never do anything to hurt Aonva on purpose.

“See? There’s no reason we can’t all be friends.”

He heard his sister huff. That meant she’d folded her arms and knew she had to apologize.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she grumbled.

“I’m sorry I yelled too,” Kurgm said. “I… I should’ve realized you wouldn’t have hurt Aonva on purpose.”

Oshal opened his arms.

“Group hug?”

“Not happening,” Sirshi said.

“I don’t really like hugs,” Aonva said.

Something the approximate size and shape of his sister collided with him and wrapped its arms around him.

“You’re a pain sometimes,” she said, “but I love you.”

“Great, everyone’s happy,” Sirshi said. “Can I go now?”

“If we’re not going anywhere,” Kurgm said, “I should get going too.”

Oshal figured it was too much to ask for them all to go out in the court, so he let everyone else go. It wasn’t perfect yet, but it was a good start. Most of his best friends, all getting along.

#VolumeThree #GettingAlong