stopped when he’d caught up. “Give me a minute…to catch my breath.” After a moment he continued, “You will not believe what happened after you guys left lunch. It’s never happened before; all the older boys were talking about it.”
“Well, what happened?” Lucian asked.
“I’ll tell you as we walk. So, you know how Nathan’s been a bit of a jerk recently?”
“Yeah, so? That’s not any different than any other day,” Kaelen pointed out. “He’s almost meaner than me.”
“I’m not touching that, Kaelen,” George teased. “Gelasia must have heard him teasing you because she got mad.”
“Gelasia? Mad?”
“Yeah, that’s what all the older boys were talking about. The weird thing was half of us didn’t realize that anything had happened until that one really pretty witch, you know the one who hates all of us and thinks we’re stealing her plants?”
“You mean Lucretia?” Lucian asked.
“Yeah, she came in looking really confused and walked up to Calista and asked if there had been a mistake because she’d just been called in by Gelasia. She said there was no mistake and told Lucretia what had happened. Have you guys ever seen her mad?”
“Yeah, not an experience I’d care to repeat,” Adrian said.
“She is so scary when she’s mad, but it’s kind of pretty too. Except for the vermillion eyes, that’s really freaky. But her hair started billowing out everywhere and that necklace she wears started glowing red as she was chanting something at Nathan. And now? Oh, you’ll never believe what he’s doing now,” George said as they walked into the room.
“What happened?” Kaelen asked, hoping that Nathan was now something embarrassing. Maybe not a girl, but something terrible.
“He can’t talk right at all. He keeps garbling his words in sentences and adding funky endings to words where they don’t belong. It’s the weirdest thing. Especially when he started trying to tell her off for the punishment. Then she got really, really mad.”
“What did she do then?” Adrian asked. “She’s pretty hot-tempered.”
“He’s now a really awkward shade of purple,” George replied. “Like an eggplant.”
The other three boys looked at each other for a moment and then started to laugh. “What is so amusing today, gentlemen?” Honoria asked as she walked into the room.
“Nothing.”
“I don’t think I believe that,” she smiled, her silver-grey eyes sparkling, “but I won’t press the matter. Make sure you have spare paper. You have a test today.”
The boys groaned and Lucian looked at his arm. “Um, Honoria, how am I going to take my test? I can’t write anything yet.”
Honoria looked up at him. “Oh that’s right. I’d completely forgotten. I suppose you can take your test orally. I’ll have to see if someone has a break right now to watch the rest of the class.” She flicked her wand and a silvery piece of paper flew out the open door. “There, someone should be up shortly. Calista knows everyone’s schedule.”
The boys quickly found their seats as the rest of the class came in. Everyone was already seated as Nathan, who was trying his best to be invisible and failing miserably, slipped into the room. There were several snorts and even some badly covered laughs. “Is something amusing?” Raphael asked as he walked into the room.
The boys turned in unison. “No, Raphael.” Then a barrage of whispers started as the students tried to figure out why he was in the wrong classroom. “It’s not even like we’re on the same level of the castle,” one boy said as Raphael, undaunted, walked to the front of the room and kissed Honoria’s cheek.
“Calista said you needed an extra pair of eyes,” he said as he took a seat near the chalkboard.
“Yes, Lucian needs to take his test orally today and I can’t very well be in two places at once.” She returned her attention to the class to take roll. “I hope you all remembered to study for your test. Raphael is here to watch you while I take Lucian outside to take his test. I shouldn’t have to remind you that since this is a test there is to be no talking and you will need to put your notes away. We all know what will happen if you should break the rules.” When there were nods of acknowledgement, she continued, “If you need to get extra paper or writing utensils, I will give you three minutes to do so. Once everyone has returned to their seat, we will begin.”
There was a flurry of activity as the boys went through their bags. Kaelen was digging through his bag looking for a pencil. “Shoot, I must have left them in my room.”
“Here,” Lucian said, pulling one out of his own bag. “You can use mine. I won’t need it.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Once everyone had settled down, Honoria passed out the test papers. “Please do not write on the test itself; that’s why you have your own paper. When you have finished, hand your paper to Raphael and set the test on my desk. You will then sit quietly at your desk for the remainder of the period. You may take out your textbook and start reading the next chapter. Good luck!” She walked to Lucian’s seat. “Come with me, Lucian.”
Lucian followed silently. Honoria led him to her office on the second floor. Inside was a plain oak desk with comfortable blue chairs on either side. There was a shelf with several pictures. Some were family pictures and one of her wedding day.
He turned his attention to Honoria as she said, “What we’ll do is I’ll read the question to you and you answer me orally. For the map section, I’ll point to an area and you tell me which province or landmark it is. I’ll write in your answers and then grade it with the rest of the tests later. Make sense?”
“Yeah,” Lucian replied.
“Then let’s begin,” Honoria said as she pulled out a test from one of her desk drawers.
When the hour was finally over, the boys walked downstairs to go to horsemanship. They walked quickly through the snow to the stables. “Maybe we’ll be lucky and Phillipa won’t make us ride,” Adrian said through chattering teeth.
“Yeah right,” Lucian replied. “If the snow isn’t falling she’ll have no problem sending us out in it.”
Kaelen secretly hoped they wouldn’t be riding. He hadn’t gone to see Lightning since the riding final. He knew the spirited horse was easy enough to handle when he was himself, but as a girl?
“Good afternoon, class,” Phillipa said. “Everyone here?”
“Herely be everbodies evenish Kaelen,” Nathan garbled.
“I beg your pardon?” she asked, looking very confused. “All I got out of that was Kaelen and I can see that he is here.”
“We’re all here. Nathan can’t talk properly; he was punished by Lucretia,” Jacobi replied.
“Ah, that explains the purple. That’s been her favorite color recently,” she said. “Well, in that case, Nathan, I’d ask you to refrain from speaking in class. I’m afraid I don’t understand you.” Nathan turned an even brighter shade of purple while everyone else turned to face Phillipa as she started their instruction for the day. “It’s not horribly cold out, so I was thinking a brisk trot through the forest would be nice.”
“Um, Phillipa, have you been outside? It’s freezing.”
Phillipa frowned, but stepped outside. “Freezing? It’s not that cold, Adrian. Just a little nippy. Besides, you all need to learn to care for your horses in all types of weather. Oh, Kaelen, follow me and I’ll get you a sidesaddle you can work with. It should fit Lightning perfectly.”
He sighed, but did as he was told. Everyone else went straight to their horses and started putting their tack on. He could see Lightning looking about for him. At least he wouldn’t start playing like Rex had. Then a worse thought came to him. This was going to be a catastrophe.
“Why so gloomy, Kaelen?” she asked as she handed him an old, but well-polished, sidesaddle. “You love riding.”
“Lightning doesn’t, um, he doesn’t like girls.”
“What makes you say that?” Kaelen’s reply was so quiet she couldn’t make out anything he’d said. “W
hat was that?”
He sighed. “He charged my sister when I brought him home; and when she tried to pet him a few days later he bit her. Badly.”
“Oh,” Phillipa said, looking surprised. “Well, I’ve never had a problem with him. I’m sure you’ll be just fine. Tell you what,” she continued when he looked doubtful, “we’ll see how today goes and then we’ll decide from there. Lightning has to be worked, even when you’re a girl.”
Nodding, he started walking towards Lightning. Most of the boys were already standing outside with their horses. He could see Lucian and Adrian watching him. Blushing, he walked up to the large horse. Lightning seemed bigger than normal, but then he was sure that his punishment had also cost him at least three inches in height. As he walked into the stall, Lightning snorted and flattened his ears against the back of his head. “Easy boy,” he said, his voice quavering to his annoyance. “It’s me, Kaelen. I just look funny today.”
Lightning snorted again and started stomping his foot.
Kaelen turned to Phillipa. She nodded at him, holding the reins of her palomino mare. He gulped and walked to Lightning’s side with the saddle. Lightning turned and tried to bite, but Phillipa grabbed his bridle. “No,” she commanded. “Hurry and put his saddle on him, Kaelen. I’ll help you lead him out.” She turned her attention to Lightning as Kaelen worked. “Listen to me, Lightning, and don’t pretend you don’t understand me. You will behave as a gentleman today. Understand?”
Lightning snorted again. He pawed at the ground and tried to toss his head.
“I mean it Lightning. You know better.” She turned to Kaelen. “Go ahead and take the bridle. You have to show him that you’re the boss. If you can be just as commanding as you normally are, you shouldn’t have any problems with him.”
Kaelen nodded as they walked outside. He tried to step up into the saddle, but missed. “Um, how am I supposed to get into this thing?”
“Kaelen horsey getting upto cantaloupe,” Nathan guffawed and then covered his mouth as the other boys started snickering at him.
“I believe I told you to refrain from speaking Nathan,” she chided. “Luckily for you, whatever snide remark you were trying for was so jumbled no one understood it. The more you speak, the more foolish you appear.” After helping Kaelen up, she mounted her horse and said, “Alright class, let’s head out.”
The boys headed into the forest. Kaelen was struggling to control Lightning who did not want a girl riding him. He tossed his head angrily. “Whoa, Lightning, easy.”
Adrian and Lucian followed close behind Kaelen. They rode in silence as they tried to listen to Phillipa instructing them on their course. At one point she had all of them stop. “Everyone gather around me. Who can name one of the dangers of winter riding? Kaelen?”
“Ice patches. The horse can slip on them just as easily as we can.”
“Excellent. What is one way of protecting your horse from that danger?” she asked.
Adrian raised his hand and waited to be called on. “Special shoes with a better grip help the horse maintain balance while walking on ice. An easier way is to watch carefully for ice patches and avoid them.”
“Very good point. The best horsemen are very observant. They know what is ahead of them, what is directly around them, and what is behind them. Other dangers?”
George raised his hand. “This kind of goes along with ice patches, but there are also icy stones or fallen icicles that can get lodged in your horse’s hooves. The best way to prevent that is observation. If your horse does start to limp, you should have a horse pick in your pack at all times so you can dislodge any unwanted objects.”
“Excellent, George. You should always be prepared for anything,” she said. “Having the necessary tools for basic first aid or to prevent injury is essential. Your horse will be far more loyal if you are taking good care of him than if you neglect him. Other ideas?”
“One time I forgot to put a blanket on my horse at home,” a boy in the back said. “He got really sick because I hadn’t taken care of him. When you get back from your ride, you should always rub them down and then give them a warm blanket to keep them from getting sick.”
“That is a wonderful example. Even though horses are blessed with long winter coats, they still need that extra warmth when they’ve been out just like you do,” Phillipa explained. “Let’s continue on our path.”
The boys clicked their tongues and the horses began moving again; except for Lightning who stubbornly stood still by the tree. “Come on, boy,” Kaelen begged. The horse snorted and flattened his ears.
Adrian turned to see Kaelen still sitting there. He rode Stardancer up to Lightning’s side. “Go on, Lightning,” he demanded, hitting Lightning’s flank lightly with his riding crop.
Lightning reached around and bit at the crop, but still refused to move. Frustrated, Kaelen kicked him hard in the side. Lightning half-reared before bolting past Phillipa and everyone else, causing Kaelen to squeal in terror. “Whoa, boy!” he shouted, pulling back on the reins. His skirt was flying up around him and the sidesaddle was hard and unyielding as he bounced around. “Whoa!”
“Lightning, stop,” Phillipa’s commanding voice came over the rush of wind blowing past Kaelen’s ears. Lightning planted all four hooves on the ground and Kaelen, already off balance, fell unceremoniously out of the saddle. “Are you alright, Kaelen?” Phillipa asked as she hopped down and came to his side.
He stood shakily and brushed the snow off his skirt. “I think so, I landed on my ankle, but it doesn’t hurt too badly.”
“Here, you ride Dawn and I’ll ride Lightning back to the stable. It’s hard not being in control, isn’t it?” she asked as Kaelen tried to brush tears away without her noticing.
Kaelen nodded, but didn’t speak as she boosted him up into the sidesaddle. This one wasn’t any more comfortable than the other, but at least Dawn didn’t squirm around or try to bite him. He could hear Phillipa speaking harshly to Lightning. He could only hope that Lucian healed quickly so that he would soon be back to his normal self.
The rest of the class went by quickly and soon the boys were on their way to fencing. “Are you okay, Kaelen? You’re limping a little,” Lucian said as they walked into the castle.
“I’m just sore. I don’t know how girls do it,” Kaelen replied. “I hurt in places that never hurt before when I was riding. My ankle is really sore though. I might go see Tallia after sewing. Anyway, you guys need to get to fencing. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye Kaelen,” Adrian said. Lucian waved as they walked down the hall to the fencing room.
The two boys walked past Raphael who was standing at the door. He frowned as Lucian walked in. “I’m afraid I have nothing for you to do, Lucian. Unless you’d like to try learning right-handed.”
“That’s okay, Raphael. I’m so left-dominant I’d be more of a danger to myself than my opponent. If you need me to get any materials for you, I’d be happy to do so.”
“Well, I hate to see you sit out, but very well,” Raphael sighed. He ushered the last few students in before closing the door and beginning their instruction for the day.
Lucian had never experienced a more boring day in fencing. He normally loved fencing; it was his favorite class. Now he was stuck sitting on a stool watching everyone else. The only bright spot occurred after watching Adrian work with Nathan. Adrian was much better than Nathan, even though he rarely fought right-handed.
“What are you mumbling about?” Raphael asked Nathan as he observed the two work.
“Blading he’s quickerly toos mesee forlorn,” he whined.
Raphael looked at him as though he’d grown another head. “What did you say?”
“Adrian swordfish meals tooly quicksome forty.”
Laughter burst through the room and Raphael gave Nathan a withering glare. “I’ve never seen such a blatant lack of respect in my life.”
“Raphael,” Lucian interrupted, “it’s not exactly Nathan’s fault. He
can’t talk properly because of a spell. He’s being punished. I think he was trying to say that Adrian is too fast with his sword. But I think the problem is that Nathan’s not holding his sword firmly enough. See how loose it is? I think he needs to tighten his grip; then he could move faster.”
Raphael looked at Lucian and then at Nathan. He thought for a moment and then said, “In that case, Nathan I apologize. Perhaps it would be best if you didn’t speak. Lucian, I’d like you to help me observe. You needn’t sit out. You can be my assistant until you are able to work again.”
Lucian agreed and began meandering about the room, stopping to help where he saw problems. While he couldn’t fight right-handed, he knew how to hold his sword. It felt good to help his fellow students. He wished his dad could be there to see him.
Year 1 Chapter 5
Back to Table of Contents
Friday was a long day usually, but especially long for Kaelen. While he was able to be in class with all of his peers, his modifications put him on the spot more than once. In art, Stefanos had insisted that he sit in front of the class holding a bouquet of flowers. Nathan would giggle and garble off a random string of nonsense, which, thankfully, took the attention away from Kaelen.
The boys went to lunch and then to alchemy. Aurelia was waiting beside the door, her sunny smile greeting them as they came in. As Kaelen walked by she said, “Kaelen, I have wonderful news. When I told Alantria of your predicament, she immediately sent a spinning wheel. So, you won’t have to be my assistant at all. You’ll find your materials in the corner. I’ll show you how to use the wheel and then leave you to it. I’m sure you’ll catch on quite quickly.”
Later, Kaelen bitterly thought that Aurelia’s idea of quickly and his were polar opposites. In the time he’d been sitting at the wheel he hadn’t managed to turn any of his straw to gold. He hadn’t even gotten it to change to bronze, which was supposedly even easier than gold. Instead, the same pile of straw, slightly kicked about, was still sitting in the corner. His only achievement had been in getting several blisters and making one bundle of straw look slightly shinier. Of course, he thought that was probably more from being rubbed raw than transforming to a golden thread. “Here,” Aurelia said as he left, handing him a book, “read this by next class. It’ll help. You’ll soon get the hang of it.”
After alchemy, the boys headed over to music. Kaelen hated music normally, but being the only singer in a chorus of off-key recorders was awful. Amadeus was also known for being exceptionally picky. He stopped the boys over and over again, making them retune their instruments. He also stopped Kaelen. “No, no, you’re singing an A, that should be an A sharp. You need to stretch your voice a little higher. Not another word, Nathan! No one understands that jibber-jabber!”
Once class was over, the boys went to supper before separating to work on