Two weeks pass without a response and I'm starting to worry. I keep leaving him letters every class, to try and get a reaction from him, but there is nothing. I've told him about the faeries we found, and how you can apparently use faerie hairs in all kinds of potions, and I've told him all kinds of things about Cole and some other teachers, and I told him how excited I was when I found out there might be something magical going on in the school.
The faeries were my first hint, because while this region has always been free of nests in the past, strong magical presence or occurrence can sometimes draw them to a location. There's also other things, things that don't really draw suspicion to them which is why no rumours have yet to emerge, but I keep noticing little changes in the surroundings; foreign plants, more faerie rings, trees that have moved from where I am certain they were before. I even saw a unicorn in the distance one night I was coming back from town. It ran away when it noticed me, but that made me absolutely certain that there is something magical going on.
I doubt it's related to events that have been going on in the school for ages, it's much more recent, not to mention sudden (and I've told as much to the boy.... I seem to be telling him a great deal of things...), but it is exciting. Magic is coming back. Or so I hope, because if magic is coming back, then...
"-z.. Oz!"
I snap out of my thoughts. Alica is looking at me with a frown. We're sitting in the dining hall, eating a very late lunch before our sword fighting class begins. Gil has already taken off, his chess class starting earlier then ours. Alica dips her bread into her soup.
"Sorry, what were you saying?" I ask and she chuckles.
"Wow, you were really out of it," she says. "I was just saying that I won't be attending the sword fighting class this term."
"What?" I ask, surprised and greatly disappointed. We've always been partners, her fighting style integrated into and matching my own. It'll be a pain to get accustomed to a new pair. Not to mention the distinct fact that it's entirely possible there won't be an even number of students, which would mean I wouldn't have a pair at all, meaning I would have to practice with, ugh, the teacher... Maybe I can find someone who's taken the basic classes and would have a free period at the time of the class... I have to look into that. "Why?"
"I have another class I want to attend that's at the same time," she answers simply, shrugging and stuffing the rest of the bread into her mouth. "And before you ask, no, I won't tell you, it's a secret. And please, Oz, please, don't look into it. I will tell you when it's time."
She gives me the puppy dog eyes and I sigh. It's impossible to say no to that face. "Okay, fine. But if I'm forced to practice with Miss Graysmith it's on your head."
Alica flashes me her brightest smile and then gets up.
"I gotta go now," she says, picking up her plate of half-finished soup. "I'll see you after classes!" And then she's off to her mystery class.
I sit alone at the table for a moment, considering, but then decide that no matter how curious I get I promised I wouldn't look into it and so I won't. I stand up too, returning my own plate and then sulking off to the courtyard for the sword fighting class.
Oh, this won't be fun at all.
~x~
I was wrong. I was so wrong.
I get to the courtyard just as the class is about to begin and I quickly fall in line next to everyone else. The teacher explains that from here on out we'll be using real swords - although obviously dulled - and then starts to hand them out. I get mine and I weigh it in my hand. Good balance, nice grip... I do prefer my own sword of course but this is indeed a great sword for practicing purposes.
There seems to be some kind of commotion in the middle of the row and I look up, intrigued, when someone gets Miss Graysmith to raise her voice. I am floored when the boy steps forward after the teacher.
I cannot believe it. I simply cannot. Sharing a class with him never even crossed my mind, he's two terms behind me we don't have same classes. And he's never attended a single sword fighting class, what is he doing here, in the advanced class? I don't know how to react so I just stare at him as he takes the starting pose, the teacher his opponent. At first they stand there, Miss Graysmith obviously waiting for him to make the first move.
They start small, with the basic stuff, surprise obvious on the teacher's face as he counters all her moves and then some. There is such conviction in his eyes, such focus, and I feel something akin a buzzing underneath my skin. I don't know why, I don't understand what is so special about this boy but something is and I need to know. He is clearly advanced in his movements and I'm sure the teacher must know at this point he belongs here too, but she keeps pushing, whether because she wants to know exactly how much he knows or perhaps her wounded ego doesn't allow her to yield.
The whole class watches, mesmerized, as steel hits steel but then something changes and I shiver.
I don't know exactly what it is, I can't pinpoint it, but something in the air shifts, a tension starts building up and for a moment I think that the boy might win the round but then it falls apart as he trips and falls down. Miss Graysmith stands above him, sword pointed at his chest, and they're both catching their breath. She is still annoyed that he was so good, but she offers him a hand anyway and pulls him up.
"Very well," she says, "You can stay with this class. Everyone!" she addresses rest of us and the look on the boy's face tells me he had quite forgotten we were here. "Take pairs.
Go through the movements we did in the end of last term. Get used to the
weight of the new swords. Now let's see..." She turns back to him again and thinks for a moment. He is still breathing a bit hard. "Alica won't be here this term.
You take her partner."
It takes me an embarrassingly long time to realize exactly what she just said and she's already waving her hand at me impatiently when my mouth falls open just a little.
"Osborn, please, we don't have the whole day," she's saying as I walk over to them. I scratch my ear. "I am sure you are aware that Alica won't be attending this term." I start to nod, but she doesn't really wait for an answer. "So, lucky for you, we have a new student for you to pair up with." She motions at the boy who offers me his hand, somewhat warily.
"Knute," he says. I take the hand.
"Oz," I say. "Please don't call me Osborn." His lip tugs upwards. I grin.
"Okay, boys, you heard the deal, now start training," Miss Graysmith says and goes off to give out swords to the students who hadn't gotten theirs before the impromptu duel.
"Well, I guess we better start then," I say and get in position. "You weren't here last term, so I'll show you the moves we were doing. Judging by that show just now you'll have no trouble blocking."
He nods and gets into defensive position. We train in silence, and as I suspected he has no trouble countering my moves. After I've gone through the movements he tries them as well. He has a good, powerful stance, even if it is a bit unpolished, somehow... homemade. I'd wager he's never had any official tutoring in swordplay, learning the techniques by teaching himself. It's very impressive.
The class goes by rather uneventful, most of the exercises revolving around getting used to the weight and handle of a "real" sword. I don't find it too challenging, having used a real sword most of my life, but it's good for the students who haven't been brought up in a family where sword fighting is considered a necessary skill to teach a child. Knute seems to get a hang of it pretty quickly too, though I can't say whether it's thanks to the same reason as me, or if he simply is a fast learner. In either case he is clearly enjoying himself, whatever pressing at his mind when I first saw him no longer an issue - or not as big a one as it had been.
We return the swords into the cart at the end of class and I catch up to him as he's leaving, falling in step with him as we make our way back inside.
"So, boy," I start and he seems if not annoyed, then confused. "Seeing as my dear, dear Alica decided she won't be attending at all this term, I was wondering if you'd be my partner for the whole term? I do think we'd be a good match, you know, skill level wise." I give him a wide grin, which doesn't prompt me any of the typical responses, and instead he shrugs in an altogether indifferent fashion. I am a little hurt by that, to be honest.
"Sure, I guess. I don't really know anyone else in the class anyway, so it's fine," he says and seriously? The boy was so energetic just moments ago when he had a sword in his hand, and now it's all whatever. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from making a rude comment.
"You were really good by the way," I say instead. He smiles, a little bashfully I'd say. "For a moment there I was sure you'd beat Miss Graysmith."
"For a bit there, I thought so too," he admits. "But I guess I still have to train my stamina to do that."
"Swimming is a great way to increase your stamina," I suggest and he makes a thoughtful noise. "It takes some of the weight off of you cause you're in the water, but it's still hard work to push through it. It's also very good if you have weak legs so you can't go running. Although I'd say right now running would be a better idea, because there's not much of a swimming opportunity around these parts."
He frowns. "There's a lake just by the town though, isn't there? Can't you swim there?"
I shrug. "I guess you could, though I can't say I'd recommend it. Because of the whole ottori infestation, you know."
"The what?"
"Oh you don't know?" I say, surprised and he shakes his head. Well, he is only a fourth termer and maybe he isn't really interested in his surroundings as much as he is in studying. "There's a whole bunch of ottori, in the lake. They're pretty harmless creatures, generally, like big balls of fluff swimming in the lake, but in large groups they can be problematic for humans. If you go swimming they join you in hopes of getting you to swim too far into the lake so you won't have enough stamina to swim back anymore and once they've caught you, they suck out your soul! ...or something. I think it's rubbish, the whole soul sucking thing, but there are so many of them in the lake, it's not really a nice place to swim in."
"Oh," is all he says. I swallow. I talked too much again, didn't I? Oh, why can't I ever keep my mouth shut!
"Anyway," I say and clear my throat. We're at the front gates. "Today was fun. I'm glad I got a good partner, I was worried I'd have to practice with Miss Graysmith."
He nods and smiles. "I can imagine that would have been awkward."
"Yeah," I say with a small laugh. "She's a good sword fighter, but she is the teacher so... Besides, she..." I trail off. It's really late and everyone else is already inside I should really stop talking and let him go now that he probably still kinda likes me. "Never mind," I say instead. "I better go now, promised to help my roommate with an assignment for tomorrow."
"Oh, okay," he says, and I am certain that the hint of disappointment I hear is just my imagination. "Well, I'll see you next class, I guess."
"Yeah, bye," I say and off he goes to his dorm room and I stand there for a moment alone before turning around and heading to my own.
Gil is there when I get back, laying on his bed, reading a book about something or other. I can't be bothered to look. He looks up when he hears me come in and I walk right over to him and let myself fall on top of him. He only barely manages to get the book out of the way.
"What's got you so down?" he asks, slipping a bookmark into the book and putting it on his nightstand.
"I think I fucked up," I say, my face burrowed into the crook of his neck. He rests his hands on my shoulders. "I met someone really interesting today and I'm pretty sure I scared them off by talking too much."
"Oh, nonsense," Gil says with his most comforting voice. "I for one love it when you get excited about things and start to explain stuff."
"Well yeah but you're you,"I argue. He huffs. "Don't get me wrong here, I love that you're you it's just... Most people don't really see me like you do..."
"That's their loss."
"Yeah... but it's my loss too....."
We are quiet for a while. I can feel Gil's heartbeat underneath my own and it calms me down. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't need to, and eventually I take a deep breath and prop my chin up on my hands that lay crossed on his chest.
"Thank you," I say and he smiles.
"Any time."
I smile as well.
There's a knock on the door and Alica comes in without bothering to wait for a reply. When she sees us on the bed she runs over and bounces on top of me. Gil makes an 'ooof' sound and I can't help but laugh.
____________________________________________________________________
Had some trouble integrating the topic to today's story.... Ottori are fluffy? Also the ending is super fluffly, although not literally but figuratively. Anyway.
Sorry about being a bit late again. I hope you find Knute's (few) lines acceptable. I tried to get you to write them with me but you didn't care.
Oz is acting like a big baby here, I don't know what's happening. Knute makes him all weird. In any case, your topic is "Possession(s)". G'night.
Pie out.
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