Fall of Autumn, Week 5, Day 1

My eyesight grew dark, and the sounds of the class were muffled. It was as if their whispers were underwater, as if I couldn't breathe without drowning.

I could feel the lack of oxygen going to my head and froze in place. It was as I glanced up —toward where there should have been a ceiling— that I was able to force a single thread of a thought through my mind.

Bend, Nora. Do not break.

It was just a moment, a half of a breath, but it was enough. I carefully swallowed and brought my eyes down from the sky to focus on the faces surrounding me.

At the moment, it was all I could do to recognize that they were children and that they were all around my own physical age. Eyes? Nose? Ears? Yes, they were all there. Hair colors? Clothing types? Scars? Couldn't say. So, rather than look at any of them too closely and risk worsening my tunnel vision, I focused on the area where I'd found myself.

It would best be described as an oversized courtyard. On three sides were half walls that showed halls and doors beyond the courtyard—the fourth wall being the one I'd entered from and being the only wall that could not be seen through. The ground was packed dirt with four quadrants outlined with white paint. Most of the other kids were in the back two quadrants; a dozen of them were to my left, and four were sat to my right. Those four were sitting relatively spaced out in the area they occupied, but I turned away before I made eye contact with any of them.

I gripped the fabric of my bag and closed my eyes —briefly, just long enough to take a breath. When I opened them, I found a group of children staring at me. Five finely dressed kids were surrounding me, all in delicate fabrics with intricate embroidery. I was nearly certain I was supposed to recognize them from the list Gristle had given me.

Garbage. I groaned internally, trying to kick down the growing tightness in my chest. Shhh, it's okay. Everything will be okay.

My eyes flicked across the faces surrounding me, three girls, two boys. Two of them, one boy and one girl, were dressed in cream outfits with similar bases but different embroidery —the girl had pale blue swords decorating her clothes, and the boy had red and gold stars freckled across his outfit. The second boy had a deep blue outfit with white stylized eyes adorning the edges of his sleeves and pants. Of the last two girls, one was in a deep brown outfit with warm pink roses climbing across the shoulders, and the other was in a pale orange fabric that gradually turned pink and yellow at the ends.

It all meant something. Alas, I didn't know what that something was.

The boy in the blue outfit had a wide grin on his chubby face as he pretended to clear his throat—in a clear mimicry of what an adult would do.

"Are you Lady Dawn?" His voice was on the sharper end of squeaky and I blinked.

Oh, I thought, the sinking feeling in my stomach lightening all at once, he's adorable.

I flicked my eyes across the other four that had surrounded me. They're all cute. They still have baby fat on their faces, and that one's mouth is twitching. That girl is wringing her hands —and that one is gripping her friend's hand so tightly his fingers are scrunched together.

My nose scrunched in amusement and I looked back at the boy who had spoken. My hand did not loosen its grip on my bag.

"I'm Nora Dawn."

"Oh!" One of the girls, the one with roses decorating her clothes, gasped and covered her mouth, "It's a pleasure, Lady Dawn! I'm Leanna Rosea, of Count Rosea's House."

While I didn't recognize the name, I could put two and two together. Leanna was from Poplar, the Southern Duchy. The theme of a name told more about where one was from than anything else.

The boy in blue snapped his head to the Rosea girl, before whipping his head back to me, "I'm Edwin —Edwin Horus."

That's a name I'm supposed to know. 100%. I griped to myself. Definitely a family under the Dawns.

I forced my mouth to tick up into a smile, "It's a pleasure Lord Edwin, Lady Leanna."

Edwin preened as I spoke, but Leanna's hand dropped and she dug her nails into her pants.

Messed that up somehow, then. She must be higher ranked. Before I could process that thought much further, the two in cream outfits leaned forward.

"I'm Juliette Mithra, daughter of Baron Mithra," the girl said softly, still gripping the other boy's hand so tightly I began to worry for his circulation. Juliette paused, a gentle smile on her face, and glanced to the boy she was holding on to. It was a long second before he caught on to what was happening.

"And I'm Paul Starling! My mom's a baronet!" He forced out in a rush, as if to make up for his delay. When he finished speaking, he held out his hand. The hand that Juliette was holding.

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The abrupt movement caused her to stumble.

I looked down at their intertwined limbs and let a huff of a laugh escape.

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Juliette, Lord Paul—though we've met already, haven't we?"

And thank you for saying your family's rank. Unlike Edwin.

As Paul's face went flush, I glanced at the last girl, in the pale orange and pink outfit, but as she went to speak a chill permeated the air. It was less the coldness of the late autumn wind and more a sense of unease crawling up my spine. Suddenly, the mood shifted, and the group that had surrounded me scurried off to where the other children were. The two boys, Edwin and Paul, went with the girl whose name I didn't know off to the left and Juliette and Leanna went to the larger group of children toward the far wall.

None of them went to the right, where four kids were splayed about.

I didn't have much time to consider that before a woman materialized at the center of the courtyard.

She was tall, and not just in comparison to the children around her. The woman was taller than Sir Rellar had been. She crossed her arms, and the muscles of her arms rippled. Silence found the courtyard within moments, even the wind was quiet before the woman. She was dressed in a sleeveless flowing shirt beneath a leather vest only half laced up and leather pants. It was similar to the leather armor the Dusk Knights wore when in a town —save for the color— and her hair was pulled back in a thick braid that reached the small of her back.

Scanning the group of children, the woman barely focused on any one child —until her dark eyes met mine.

"We have a new arrival."

The smile I'd forced on faltered. The woman didn't wait for me to process her words, she simply continued.

"First years, welcome your newest classmate - Eunora Dawn." Her gaze never left my face. "Dawn, I am Yasmine Druigach, the instructor for all practicals. You may address me as Instructor Druigach during class."

Instructor Druigach paused, tilting her head slightly as if in question. I belatedly nodded in understanding.

"Good," the instructor broke eye contact, sweeping her gaze around the courtyard again. This time, she focused on Edwin, and when she spoke I had a feeling the words were meant for the group that had approached me. "Now, as you are new to the Fellan Swordsmanship Academy, there is one rule above the others you must obey."

I tightened my grip on my bag.

"Within these walls, there are only two titles —Instructor and Student. Noble or commoner, all who come to a Crown-sponsored Academy are equal, so long as their tuition is paid." Instructor Druigach turned her sharp eyes back to me, "That means no 'Lady' or 'Lord.' Any perceived slights to one's honor can be settled by a sanctioned duel —in your second year. There is to be no fighting outside of spars until then."

Once again, she turned her head away from me.

"Am I understood?" She asked the class of some thirty-odd kids.

Thirty-seven, [Quick Calculation] whispered to me.

"Yes, Instructor Druigach." They responded in unison, some more enthusiastic than others. I mumbled my own affirmation alongside them.

"Good. Now, for the benefit of Dawn, and also anyone who didn't care to pay attention last week, we're going to run through this week's schedule."

"In preparation for Winter lessons, we'll be selecting new weapons this week. If you know what you want, whether it's the same old dagger you've been working with since Spring or you're going for a new weapon, then you will have all week to attempt to gain a relevant Skill. If you don't gain a Skill within three full practical sessions, try a different weapon. If you do not switch your weapon and have not gained a Skill by the end of six full practicals, you will have one final chance before Winter to switch it out. If you still do not switch, then you are stuck with that weapon until the end of Rise. I am not going to let you switch mid-month, so do not bother asking."

Druigach snapped her fingers, and four red motes of light materialized mid-air before zipping off to the four quadrants of the courtyard —settling above large rectangular boxes pressed up to the half-walls in each area.

"All weapon blanks are in the chests. You will be able to choose between daggers, spears, and swords. If you would like permission for a more advanced weapon, you will have to see me so I can get the appropriate blanks. Today, you will be separated by weapon bays. Weapon bays are categorized into four levels: bronze, silver, gold, and mithril."

As she spoke, she pointed to the four quadrants —bronze was in the back left corner, silver was in the front left, gold was in the back right, and mithril was in the front right.

"Your Academy plate will allow you to unlock your bay —Dawn, what color does your plate glow when you hold it?"

I fumbled with the plate in my free hand and flipped it around. I peered at the metal rectangle, but no light appeared. I flipped it again, this time running my finger over the runes —they began to glow in a vibrant purple light. I held up the plate for Instructor Druigach to see.

"Purple?" I said, unsure of what that would mean. Unsurprised, the instructor nodded her head and waved her hand to the front right.

"Mithril it is. You're with Remour, Munster, Gills, and Hyperion. Once everyone has picked one of the three simple weapons, I will start the training —and then I will handle anyone who wants a weapon outside of the three."

Instructor Druigach waved her hand dismissively, gesturing for the class to disperse to their bays. I couldn't help but notice that no one went to the bronze bay. Meanwhile, over half the class went to gold.

I turned to the mithril group, finally focusing on the group of four that were gathered. Three were boys, and the fourth was a girl. I recognized one of the kids —it was the boy I'd seen getting out of his carriage earlier. The other three were strangers to me but clearly not to each other. The remaining two boys were whispering amongst themselves, with the girl just a few feet behind them giving them a warm look.

As I made my way to approach, I felt an itch of a memory.

It was a small thing, but it clawed its way up to the forefront of my mind, and suddenly, the scolding voice of Eunora's governess filled my head.

"There is a family nearly as great as the Dawns in the Western Duchy. They pledge fealty to the Dawns, but it was the Queen herself who granted them their marquisate. They were given the name Hyperion. The Watcher of the West. Even as a Dawn, they are to be shown respect —but never fear."

Ah.

I ran the instructor's words back in my head.

Hyperion.

I twitched my nose. I really should have listened to Gristle and done my homework.

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