Chapter 1
“Master,” said
Bess, as Master Van Huys drew out his warding plan on a blackboard in the great
hall, “I think we have a problem.”
There had been
an attack shortly before on the School of Wyrm Lore and Draxery, which showed
flaws in the defences, and the plan was to fill those deficiencies.
“Tell me your
thoughts, Mistress Marlowe,” said Van Huys. “I do not claim to be omniscient;
indeed as a sailor learning to be both a teacher and a war leader against those
who will attack children, I feel sometimes out of my depth.”
“Master Coxe
says any decision is better than no decision,” said Bess, absently, quoting the
teacher of Arts of War. “The problem is the church.
Its churchyard marches with our grounds, and there is a gateway through
the wall into the churchyard, for the scholars to attend. And the folk of Haseldene Village use the
church as well of course, as it is their church.”
“And this is a
problem in what respect?” asked Van Huys. “Ah, I think I understand, but tell
me what problem you see anyway, and I will see if it agrees with what sprang to
my mind when you drew attention to it.”
“It is a way
into the grounds,” said Bess. “Passage
must be granted to the scholars to go to church, and for the rector to visit
the school, but no others, however, the wards cannot be too aggressive or we
will lose the support of the village folk. And it is better for us to mingle
with them, so they may see as ordinary children, rather than to have our own
chapel and rector.”
“Your thoughts
are cogent,” said Van Huys. “I will speak to the rector. Perchance we might put a lower level of ward
about the churchyard itself, which will stick to the ground anyone who has
hostile intent within the church or churchyard.
It will undoubtedly also catch petty criminals and wife-beaters, but
that is not a disadvantage. It should then restrain any of ill intent before
getting to the other wards. And entering
the grounds of the school without being invited could be included in ill intent.”
“Yes, Master;
a frightening thing for a villager, but no real danger to him,” said Bess.
“You are a
good girl to think of such things,” said the Master. “This is why I am sending
you and Frostfire home for two weeks. I
want you to travel around the country near Stratford and see if there are any
young people suitable to come to the school.
And if they are older than eleven or twelve, but love dragons, then they
might come and welcome.”
“I would be
delighted, sir, but why me?” asked Bess.
“Partly it is
because of Frostfire,” said the Master.
“She is not white, but many people will see her as predominantly white,
with those specks of colour in her being an addition. And to most people, white is a colour of
purity. If the first dragon they
encounter is, say, a Ruby dragon, how many will think of the fiery wyrm
defeated by St Michael in Revelations?
Many, I trow. Moreover, Ruby Knights are chosen for their martial
prowess, not their diplomacy. And Topaz,
many will think much the same even though Topaz dragons are Nurture-wyrms. I think the black Diamond dragons would also
frighten people, and to be honest, some of the sorcerers who are draxiers to
the spellwyrms are a little ... erratic.
Beryl will be others I send out, and Amethyst. When people are more used
to them, then Topaz draxiers can go to search.
I am looking forward to Coll’s dragon being grown enough, the empathy of
a Rose Quartz dragon will be tremendously helpful.”
“Very well,
Master. After the warding is done,
then?”
“Yes, indeed.
And I have written to thy guardian, Master William Shakespeare, to let him
know, and the school will cover the cost of feeding Frostfire, should she need
to hunt.”
“Thank you,
Master.” Bess was excited; and yet also had a hollow feeling inside at the
thought of visiting her previous home. For she had never felt as at home there
as she did now in the school!
All those
capable of magic were helping with the warding.
Bess was astounded to find out that this encompassed very few of the
older students. The chant was a little more complex than the one which had been
held by the whole school for the basic wards, but Bess was pleased that she was
able to follow its complexities in understanding of what was being done.
She asked,
“Why are not
all the scholars involved?”
Mistress Carey
answered her surprised query
“The original
wards needed reiteration which could be undertaken by almost anyone so long as
there was someone magical at each cardinal point. This chant was more complex and we could not
afford any mistake.”
“So only the
most magical could do it?”
“Bess, my
dear, you and your friends are exceptional.
Even Mistress Woolfstone, who is capable of some spells, to aid her
alchemy if nothing else. I’m going to
have the largest class I have ever had in your third year, when electives can
be chosen and classes dropped; six of you, quite half of those who came.”
“Marry! In
sooth, Lil, I assumed that all would want to continue the amazing things we can
do with magic and runes,” said Bess.
Mistress Carey was one of the teachers who had invited the young draxier
to use her first name out of school, anticipating the girl becoming a
colleague.
Lil Carey
laughed.
“Why, Bess,
did you not realise that those who are dropping magic are doing so because it
does not work for them?”
“I did not,
no,” said Bess. “I know Lance Webber has
trouble, but he is not the sharpest sword in the scabbard.”
“It is not
about intelligence, though those who are not smart are also generally not good
at magic,” said Mistress Carey. “It is an inborn talent, like music. And some of you have more than others.”
“Oh!” said
Bess. “And Diccon is good at seeing how to craft spells, especially
transmogrifications, and Tannie is good at healing and musical patterns to make
magic. I am glad we are a talented year
though.”
“Yes, and
Tangwystl used some most ingenious runework to aid Amice Kettlewell to birth
her baby,” said Mistress Carey. “It will help Mistress Percy too, when that
poor young woman births.”
Bess
shuddered. Lucy Percy had been a maid of
honour to the Queen, but had been controlled and impregnated by Spain’s evil
magical ambassador, against whom there was not enough evidence to have him
declared persona non grata. He had used the foetus as a focus to send a
curse to John Wolf, formerly Igon Lopez, who had escaped his power. And it was the physical agents of the
Necromancer of Spain, and any unwitting allies he used, against whom the school
needed extra warding. The attack by a
veritable rabble of Catholics, all with, it seemed, their own agendas, had been
troubling. Only coincidence, and
Diccon’s ability to see auras, had prevented a possible blood bath of the
scholars. Instead it had been the invaders who had been killed, most of them
burned in dragon fire. Bess shuddered.
She was still having nightmares, though Frostfire usually took over her
thoughts to quiet them. Fortunately she would be too busy in the coming year to
have much spare time; Bess had elected to take nine classes, two of which would
be fitted in by John Wolfe, teaching her Spanish, and Rafe Sackwild, teaching
her advanced logic. As the logic tended
to go with work on the runic protective maze, this meant he had a larger class
than those he had found intimidating, now that some of the younger ones joined
in, but as he had not noticed, Bess had not mentioned it.
Diccon and
Aloysius Cobb were also tackling nine subjects, the logic being the advanced
class with Bess. Bess was looking
forward to embarking on the subject of Geography, and allying it with
navigation in Dr. Bray’s class. She was
not particularly looking forward to French and Italian, but if she was to be
any kind of ambassador, languages were what she needed. This started another
train of thought about the teachers of the electives. She frowned, and went to see Matt Tyler, the
senior draxier of Amethyst House.
“Matt,” said
Bess, “We were assigned Master Parnell as Head of Amethyst House when he
Bonded. I can’t put a face to the
man. Does he only take notice of you
older ones?”
Matt frowned.
“To be honest,
I can’t say I’ve spoken to him more than once or twice. Lawrie knows him better, as he took
Literature. Master Stephens, I should say,” added Matt.
“No little
kids around here; some of the dominies are happy to have their given names used
out of school, once anyone is a draxier anyway,” said Bess. “So he hasn’t taken much notice of the older
ones; he certainly hasn’t helped out the younger ones. What are you going to do about it?”
“Go to the
Master, I suppose,” said Matt. “Honestly, as Amethyst House goes, I’ve had more
help from Master Sackwild, not that I ever thought I would say so! He has heard my Latin for me, because I
struggle, and it is the basis of casting spells. And I know he works with you
and your assorted band of friends.”
“Yes, he’ll be
teaching an advanced class of Spellcrafting in the fledgeling university,” said
Bess. “He and Diccon evolved it between them.”
“Now that
sounds interesting,” Matt brightened. “I
will ask that Master Parnell be replaced. I don’t think he even likes being a House
Head.”
“How can he
not like what he hath not even managed to do?” said Bess, scathingly.
“I need a
diplomatic way to put it to the Master,” said Matt.
“I usually
just say what I think.”
“Yes, but
everyone knows that’s only you and it is not meant as colossal impudence,” said
Matt. “I, however, will approach the Master with tact. I’faith, I am amazed you have come to me for
advice not gone straight to the Master.”
“I was not
sure whether Parnell merely did not like younger scholars, not being used to them.”
“Methinks he
wants to debate literature and no more,” said Matt. “I will return.”
It was not
long before Matt sought Bess.
“The Master
will speak to Master Parnell,” he said.
“I gave him my word that so far as I know he has never spoken to you, Tannie,
Diccon or Lixie. I cannot say if Jane
speaks to him, but she does study Literature.
And I said I thought you younger ones would be happy enough with Master
Sackwild, as Lawrie is a little young.”
“It is hard
even to think of him as Master Stephens,” admitted Bess. “I am glad I am having
lessons with Master Sackwild. Though I imagine scholars from other houses find
it easier to treat Lawrence with the proper distance.”
“Yes, and that
is why he could not be Head of House,” said Matt. “I would not be comfortable,
and I am older than he is. And only a
scholar on my own time while a university is explored. And I hear that you, too, are going out to
search for scholars?”
“Yes, the
Master thinks people will look on Frostfire as harmless.”
“It makes sense.
And Hazedancer is not threatening to look on.
Why are you laughing?”
“He may not be
as big as Skyshadow, but Matt! To most people, most dragons are
threatening. Those damned souls who
attacked us found Frostfire threatening enough, and Hazedancer has a few years’
growth more than she does.”
“She should
catch up by the time you leave school though,” said Matt.”
“I’m not
worrying about it; I have no idea how Opal dragons grow, so I will not be
unduly concerned,” said Bess. “There is no material difference in the size of
the different colours save for ancient lorewyrms like Skyshadow so you are
probably right.”
“Diw! The Master has you running about as though
you were an adult, look you” said Bess’s Welsh friend, Tangwystl, as she helped
Bess to pack.
“My fault for
Bonding with a rare dragon like Frostfire, I suppose!” laughed Bess. “And attracting the attention of the Queen
too, so that she asked me to bring her secret grandson to the school.”
“Robert is a
good lad,” said Tangwystl. “No stuck-up
little aristocrat with more snot than sense like some of them.”
“I like him
too,” said Bess. “And he’s in your care
while I am away, as Diccon went home.”
“Diw! Well, if
the school is burned down when you return it was because I could not control
him and Lixie at their pranks,” said Tangwystl.
Bess laughed; Prince Henry Robert, as he would be rightly known when his
existence was announced, was as thick as thieves with Elixabete Wolfe, a Basque
girl who had escaped from the Necromancer of Spain. She was the daughter of
John Wolf, who was now the Spanish teacher.
Their pranks were harmless and funny, and Tangwystl was exaggerating for
effect.
“Just think
what will happen if they befriend Diccon’s little sister, Avice; he said he was
hoping to persuade his parents to let her come, as a more useful way of making
contacts than merely by marrying her off.”
“I’faith,
methinks the world will burn,” said Tangwystl, dramatically.
Bess laughed.
