said that the Welgo’s came over the mountains to the north and started pillaging the towns and holy sights close to their border. This happened for a couple years—before this was called a war. After they got tired of that they started sending raiding parties throughout Chell. They destroy anything they can, especially towns now. A lot of people are scared; they don’t get what those things are trying to accomplish.”
“But we’re fighting back though, right? We should have defeated a lot of them by now.” Ackerley said, his voice shaking slightly.
“They’re fast.” Jarn added. “Deadly fast. They get up and down our rivers in their little boats faster than anything. They’re horses are also faster.”
Ackerley could hear the breathing of the Welgo horse in his ear. He shivered.
“The worst part of it all,” Jarn lowered his voice, “is they keep coming—over and over again they come over those mountains. There’s no end. There’s no shortage. When some die there’s a new batch coming over to take their place. They come and go so fast and so quiet. It’s haunting.”
“I know.” Ackerley whispered. “I’ve seen it.”
Jarn slid his legs off his bed and leaned forward. “What happened?”
Ackerley slowly and quietly recounted what happened in that town he stayed in. He told about Madame Orly and the sights and sounds he experienced. He wondered if he should tell him about the chase, and decided in the end he should.
Jarn’s mouth fell open. “Your brother really is great.”
Ackerley rolled up his sleeves and showed Jarn the red marks where the embers hit him.
“War badges.” Jarn said in awe.
Dinner was the same as lunch, except the food was better. The line for food stretched out the door. There weren’t any tables left by the time Jarn and Ackerley got their food so they took it out and sat on a window sill overlooking the gardens. Ackerley watched gardeners go about the hedges and trees, carefully snipping here and there for perfection. He asked if any of them were allowed out there.
“In our free time, sure. It’s not all that great. I went a few times to look around but it got boring.”
After dinner Ackerley finally got to his first free time. He quickly changed into his shirt and pants only to be reprimanded by Craith, who seemed to snoop around for the sole purpose of finding kids doing something wrong. Ackerley begrudgingly put his everyday green tunic back on and kicked his shirt and pants under his bed. Apparently he was never really going to wear them.
He set off through the castle intent to explore, but had a secret wish that he might come across a certain part of the second floor. He went straight there. The fear of Yinnib was enough to keep him from exploring the first floor alone. The second floor had multiple classrooms and the library, which was locked when he arrived. After a bit of wandering he found a door blocking what should have been a much longer hallway. He figured a whole part of the second floor had been dedicated to that princess. But why? The door, to his immense surprise, was unlocked. It was very dark in this corridor. He crept in and closed the door behind him. It was almost pitch black. He felt around and found a couple door knobs. After a few more steps he froze. His footsteps echoed off a hard floor. The carpeting ended. He stood in a large pillared room. A single candle burned in a chandelier on the far side of the room. Directly under the chandelier sat the princess in the yellow dress. She faced the wall and didn’t move when the footsteps echoed.
Ackerley didn’t know what to do. If he went up to her he might get in trouble, but he was already too far into the room to get out without making any noise. He stood frozen for quite a while before the intrigue of this lonely princess forced him a few steps further. His feet echoed louder still, but she did not move a muscle. He gathered all the courage left inside and let it out.
“Hello.” He said. It was barely a whisper but it was loud enough through the silence. “I’m lost I think.” He added.
Very slowly she turned to face him. Her hair was up in an ornate bun. Her features shined with refinement and what Ackerley thought was sorrow. She showed the slightest tinge of surprise, but she never lost her composure.
“Hello.” She said slightly uncomfortably. She looked like she didn’t know what to do in that situation.
“Are you here by yourself?” Ackerley asked, trying to sound carefree.
She didn’t say anything. The sound of someone running took too long to get from Ackerley’s ears to his brain.
“What in the world are you doing in here?!” A nasty voice scolded as menacingly as possible. It was the woman who walked with the princess through the cloister.
“I got lost.” Ackerley said innocently.
“I doubt that.” The woman roared.
She grabbed Ackerley painfully by the arm and dragged him back through the castle. He kept waiting for her to let him go but she didn’t all the way down to the first floor and up to a door. She rapped on it and Yinnib answered.
“What does the Great Spirit have here today?” He said brightly.
“This boy! This thing was in the princess’s wing just now. I thought you told all of those louts to stay out of there.” The woman spat.
Yinnib looked at Ackerley as if he couldn’t believe that he was the one to be dragged down there. “Young Morzha, I am very surprised at you.”
“Nobody told me anything about the second floor.” He said truthfully. “I was looking for stairs and thought they might be behind that door. When I saw someone I asked for directions.”
“Stop lying.” The woman dug her fingernails into Ackerley’s arm, which still stung slightly from the embers.
Yinnib looked relieved. “That’s all it was, a mistake. This is young Morzha’s first night. Craith must have forgotten to mention about the second floor. He would have never done this on purpose. His brother personally guards the king at all times, you know.”
The fingernails loosened. “The king’s private guard?”
“Oh yes.” Yinnib cried. “It’s marvelous to have a boy of that bloodline with us.”
Ackerley didn’t remember Kenton saying that he was a private guard, but whatever. If it could get him out of trouble he’d let Kenton be anything they wanted him to be.
The woman let go of his arm. “I hope you tell him about the second floor. And I expect a thorough punishment nonetheless.” She stamped her foot and waited for a decision.
Yinnib looked from Ackerley to the woman. “I will have young Morzha work with Mr. Jett tonight.”
“One night? He should do it for a month.”
“Now I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Yinnib said, attempting to keep calm and lighthearted.
“Fine, but next time it’s a month.”
She stormed off.
Yinnib grabbed his chest. “So much stress for such a lovely night. Please do not go to that wing of the second floor again, young Morzha. Madame Thrindle can be rather, well, excitable I suppose. Once she dragged five children twice her size down here for just looking at the door. I don’t know where she gets her strength but we’d all be better with a little of it.”
Ackerley rubbed his arm tenderly. “Who is Mr. Jett?”
“Oh yes.” Yinnib smiled with relief. “He’s the head janitor. He goes around all night cleaning this place so it looks absolutely spotless by morning. He’s got a few staff but he always needs more help. I will tell him you’re coming. Meet him in the large dining room tonight at eleven. Until next time we meet young Morzha. I’m sorry to have to say goodbye so soon but it is getting late.” He smiled and closed his door.
5.
Ackerley meandered back up to his room. Jamie and Murdo were back. Murdo lay on his bed throwing a ball up and catching it. Jamie was reading. Jarn wasn’t there. Ackerley left the room and went looking for Jarn. He found him by the window they had dinner at. He gazed out the window at the gardens. It was too dark to see a
nything.
“Where have you been?” Jarn asked.
“I accidentally ended up somewhere I shouldn’t have been.”
“And where was that?”
“I don’t know. I went through some door on the second floor and all of a sudden some lady was yelling at me and next thing I know I have to work with somebody named Mr. Jett tonight.”
Jarn snickered. “You went looking for that princess, didn’t you?”
Ackerley rolled his eyes. “I didn’t go looking, not really. I wanted to explore and the door was unlocked.”
“And now you have to work with crazy old Mr. Jett.” Jarn seemed very happy about the whole thing. “I’ve gone a whole two months without having to see Mr. Jett.” He puffed up proudly.
“I guess I’ll get some sleep before that. Can you wake me up a few minutes before eleven?”
“Sure.” Jarn agreed. “Man, you sure are having an eventful first day.”
Shortly before eleven Ackerley was shaken awake for the second time that day. He sat up and rested his head against the wall. It took several minutes to fully wake up. He stumbled over the dividing fence and found the main dining room after only taking three wrong turns.
A surly old man leaned against a mop. He had short white hair and a beard. He shoved the mop at Ackerley.
“This’ll be yours.” His voice was rather smooth for such an old man. “I’ve been told it’s your first day here—must have done something exciting to get here.”