Maris traced her finger underneath the words she was reading, brushing the ancient scroll. With Quint beside her she never could keep concentrated for long and she kept loosing her place, so she had taken to marking it with a finger. She smiled contentedly, her back resting against his shoulder. The two of them were in the Knight's Academy library. Quint was supposed to be writing an essay on stormphrax and his companion was reading a barkscroll. But neither of them were finding it easy to concentrate in each other's presence. It had been three weeks since they had returned to Sanctaphrax after their great voyage and things had pretty much returned to normal.
There were lots of candles scattered around the room, several on the table Quint was using. They provided enough light to see by, but kept the room in an almost sleepy, dusky state.
Abruptly, Quint dropped his quill and groaned. He flopped back on the cushions of the small couch. Maris lifted her eyes from the scroll.
"Finished already?" she inquired. Quint said nothing but screwed up his face. Maris laughed.
"Come on, slacker! I thought this was due in tomorrow?" she poked him. He groaned again.
"Not till lunchtime. I'll do it in the morning." He muttered, waving a hand dismissively.
"Quint, you won't," she pushed him back upright, "I know you won't. The sooner you get on with it, the sooner you'll finish."
"You sound like Welma," he grumbled, but picked up his quill and began to write. Maris sighed, smiling, and got back to her reading.
"If you don't work, you're never going to graduate. I want to boast that I know a Knight Academic." She murmured, half to herself. Quint glanced up.
"You know Raff, don't you?" he interjected. She rolled her eyes.
"Ok then, smarty pants, I want to boast that…that I've kissed a Knight Academic." She finished, smirking triumphantly. He wouldn't catch her out this time.
Quint grinned, placing down the quill.
"And have you?"
Maris leant closer. Their faces were millimetres apart now. "Well," she whispered, eyes fluttering closed, "He's not a quite a Knight Academic…" His hand was on her cheek. Hers was on the back of his neck. Maris felt butterflies in her stomach.
"…But he's not far."
Quint closed the gap between their mouths.
After a few minutes, Maris broke away. Her cheeks were flushed and most of her hair had come unplaited. She put on a serious expression and pointed an accusing finger at him.
"Now look! Get on with your homework before someone walks in on us!" ordered Maris.
"You started it. 'I want to boast that I've kissed a Knight Academic'. What else did you expect me to do?" Quint grumbled. Maris grinned.
"Ok, maybe that was my fault." She squeezed his hand, "But break's over!"
"Alright, alright." He sighed. Quint looked up again and met her gaze. He held it for a little while, smiling, before turning to get on with his work. Maris patted down her hair and picked up her scroll off the floor where it had fallen.
"Hey Maris?"
Maris glared over the top of the paper at him.
"What now?"
Quint grinned, "When's my next break?"
Quint had no memory of falling asleep, but his eyes flickered sleepily open as the visitor's bell tolled and woke him. Something registered in his mind - didn't Maris need to go home now? He turned to look at her; she was so calm, so comfortable, snuggled up with her head cushioned on his shoulder. One of her hands rested lightly on his chest. He didn't want to wake her. It was too nice - just the two of them. He felt his eyes beginning to close again and he rested his head on top of hers. Oh well…
Maris yawned and opened her eyes. Natural light flooded through the gaps in the curtains and the clock on the wall chimed six hours.
Suddenly she froze. Natural light? Six hours? Last time she had checked it was…
Oh no.
She had been in the Knights Academy library all night. With Quint.
There he was, right beside her. He was so close, so warm, his arm wrapped around her protectively.
"Quint!" she hissed, "Quint, get up! Its morning!"
"Huh?" his eyes flickered open. "Oh, hey Maris. What are you…?" Then he stopped as he saw the clock.
"Oops."
"You can say that again! My goodness, Welma must be worried out of her mind! What will she think?? And if this ever gets out - the rumours! Oh sky above, the rumours!" she buried her face in her hands. "What are we going to do? People will think that we…"
"It'll be fine." Quint reassured her, "We just need to get you out of here without anyone see-"
Footsteps sounded down the hallway outside.
"Hide!" he hissed. Maris slipped round behind a bookcase just as the person entered the room.
"There you are, Quint old chap! You're up early."
Quint felt relief wash over him. It was only Raffix. If a professor had caught him and Maris in the library at six hours…
"Uh, yeah. Just getting some homework done. Can you tell Phin I might be a bit late? Tell him to make up an excuse for me." He quickly improvised, indicating the scroll on the table.
"Alright then. Do you want me to wait for you?"
"Um, no, thanks. You go ahead, I'll catch up. I just have some…business to finish."
"Okay then," Raffix left. Quint let out a sigh of relief.
"Is he gone?" Maris asked in a tremulous voice.
"Yes, its okay." He called back.
Maris came cautiously back around. He saw that she was shaking.
"Oh Quint," she breathed, "What are we going to do now? If we get caught you'll surely be expelled…"
"We won't be caught," he said firmly, taking her hands and squeezing them.
"But what are we going to do?" she whispered.
Quint was silent for a few seconds, then,
"I'll have to distract the guard at the gates whilst you sneak out. If you stick to the West wall you'll be able to sneak back without being seen."
Maris nodded, then groaned, "I don't know what I'm ever going to tell Welma. She'll be furious."
"Tell her the truth. She knows us. She'll believe you." He smiled encouragingly.
Quint poked his head out of the door to check no one was coming. Then he began to remove his jumper. A look of bemusement passed over Maris's features.
"Quint, what on earth…?"
He handed her the jumper.
"Put it on," he commanded. She held it between forefinger and thumb.
"But its much too big," she protested. Quint nodded.
"Exactly. Put the hood up to hide your face. If a professor catches a girl in the Knights Academy…"
"Okay, okay," she slipped it over her head and pulled the hood up, tucking in her hair.
"How do I look?" she asked. Quint checked her over.
"You'll do. Now, follow me, and whatever you do, don't say a word!"
Hand-in-hand, the two youths snuck down the fortunately empty corridors. They weren't far from the courtyard door when suddenly a loud bell tolled.
"Uh oh," Quint murmured.
"What was that?" Maris whispered anxiously.
"The breakfast gong." He replied.
A low pounding sound grew, coming from everywhere. It got louder and louder…
Maris's eyes were wide.
"What's that?" she asked, having to shout over the dull roar. Quint pulled her against the wall as the sound rose.
"Five hundred hungry academics who want their breakfasts!" he yelled back.
Suddenly, the doors burst open. Boys of all ages poured in, Maris and Quint were pressed against the corridor walls.
Then it was over. As suddenly as it had started, it finished. All the boys had disappeared through the double doors at the other end of the passageway. Quint let out a sigh of relief.
"That was cl-"
Suddenly the door at the end of the corridor flew open. A final lad, an academic-at-arms, raced towards them, obviously late and wanting his breakfast. Then he froze as he saw the two teenagers.
"Quint!" he exclaimed, "I've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you-" then he stopped as he caught sight of the startled green eyes peeking out from the second hood.
"Maris…?"
"Sorry Phin got to go!" Quint said quickly, pushing past his friend and pulling Maris along the corridor and out the doors into the courtyard.
Phin stared after them, mouth ajar. Maris in the Knights Academy? At six hours?
Ideas began to form in his imagination…
"Excuse me! Excuse me, sir!" Quint panted. He put on his best innocent look, hoping that the guard would believe him.
The guard turned to look at him. He frowned.
"Yes?"
"I thought…I thought…" Quint acted panicky. He took a deep shaky breath. Perhaps if he acted nervous enough the guard would think he was a first year and take pity on him.
"Spit it out boy," the guard snapped. Quint pursed his lips together, bottom lip wobbling.
"I-I saw someone climbing out of one of the East w-wall w-windows…" he claimed. The guard gave him a stern look.
"Which window?"
Quint climbed through the Gate of Humility and pointed with a shaky finger, the other hand ushering Maris through behind him.
"U-up there, sir," he stuttered. The guard swore.
"Bloody fifth years," he muttered. Quint smiled to himself. He wasn't lying - the fifth year knights often took advantage of the placing of their study alcoves and snuck out into Sanctaphrax at night. Many times they came back in the next morning with bad headaches.
The guard turned back to Quint and clapped him on the back.
"Don't worry lad, happens most nights. If you ever happen to recognise any of 'em just come and tell me, right?"
Quint nodded and raced back inside. He had no idea what he was ever going to tell Phin but he was going to have to come up with something quickly…
