Chapter 3 – Work and Work
The whole morning had been brilliant. Ebony had loved every moment of the Shang and hand-to-hand combat. The moves were complicated and required great flexibility, something a lot of the Pages had yet to gain. Ebony had studied every tiny little move the two teachers had made, and still hadn't completed one sequence completely right but in her eyes the two moves she had managed to learn were impeccable. The fact the Shang Wildcat had picked holes in both of them was forgotten. She had performed them and she still could. Perfection came with practice.
The pages were in their last lesson before lunch and it was telling on them. Two of the firstt years boasted black eyes and they had already lost one of their number. He had been taken to healer to mend his broken fingers.
Ebony hadn't escaped either. Justard had thought it extremely amusing to land on her arm during a complicated Yamani toss and she sported an ugly looking bruise. She had got him back later in hand-to-hand combat when she had "accidentally" punched him full on in the stomach. He sported a red, turning slowly blue, fist mark and he wasn't going to let her forget it.
But for the moment Ebony had forgotten him, and everyone else. She watched fascinated as Lord Padriag executed the faultless kicks, turns, and punches of, what he called, his easiest pattern dance. It would take weeks to learn, and Ebony wanted to start immediately. They were one of the first years to learn this technique, one of the first years to have kicks included in their training. The moves were graceful, but powerful. Ebony noted that each time he kicked, Lord Padriag brought his leg up first, meaning he kicked from the knee.
He slammed to a halt, after a kick which travelled in a circle followed by a two handed punch. He stepped back.
"That is the first pattern dance we shall learn. For those who wish too, I will run extra lessons in your own time on your Friday afternoon breaks. Now watch these first five moves. These are the starting moves we will learn. Copy exactly what I do"
He turned his back to the onlookers and placed his feet shoulder width apart. He brought up his arms to chest level. The Pages scattered around and giving each other looks, copied his stance. He led a merry dance.
Ebony followed slowly, copying everything exactly. Lord Padriag started with a right-handed punch, followed instantly by a left-handed. Then by switching your weight quickly onto the right foot he brought up his leg into a swift kick, his body facing sideward. He placed this weight down quickly, bringing his right hand immediately into another punch. Then to cap it off, he swung himself round to the right, bringing his right leg up into a kick.
Chaos ensued. Justard grabbed Ebony in an attempt not to fall over. They knocked into Hadrick next to them. He couldn't keep his bulk steady and fell into another Page. Both landed with load groans.
Ebony snatched her arm from Justards grasp and stalked away. This was a lesson she really wanted to excel in and she could do without falling all over the place. Justard watched her storm away. He looked slightly hurt.
But Ebony numbed herself to it. He could wait. Lord Padriag didn't even turn to inspect the damage.
"And again until we can all stay on our feet" he called.
Lunch was a muted affair. Most of the new Pages were holding various aching limbs or moaning about various bruises. Ebony was tending a hurt friend.
"I'm sorry. I know I seemed stuck-up and above my station, but Justard you've got to understand. I really want to do well in that class, I love hand-to-hand combat, and falling over in the first lesson is not exactly what I had in mind"
"Come on give her a break, Justard lad. She is obviously really sorry" Taylor agreed between a mouthful of peas, "I'd forgive that smile any day"
"Oh please, gag me" was the short reply.
"Please" cajoled Ebony, "I mean, Father mentioned something about visiting on my first night and I hate it for you two not to be formally introduced"
Justard swung round in his seat to face her "Your Father is visiting tonight? I mean to say; as I am such a giving person I'll forgive you this time. It won't be so easy next"
"There we go" said Taylor, "All good friends again" The bell rang to signal afternoon classes were beginning.
"Well I'm off for an interesting afternoon of spidrens and hurroks. How about you two?" Taylor stood up and pushed his floppy locks from his eyes. Ebony shuddered. Neither of the boys seemed to notice.
"Arithmetic I think" offered Justard, "Although I remember reading something about History"
"Sounds as exciting as my afternoon. See you two at dinner" and he jogged off to join a group of waiting second years, which included Hadrick.
"Well where do we go?" said Ebony. "Do we go straight to the classrooms or do we wait here?"
Justard stopped a passing boy. "Hey Rickad. Do you know where we have to go now? Do we go straight to the classrooms or wait here or what?"
The boy looked shocked to be spoken to directly. He looked round behind him as if he thought Justard addressed someone else. When he turned back Ebony saw he was the serious, brown haired boy whose quarters were opposite hers. He smiled shyly at them and she gave an encouraging one back.
"We go straight there," he said, "I asked Lord Padriag after his lesson"
"Well now we know," said Justard to Ebony, "Well let Ebony and myself escort you, since you seem to be alone"
Rickad nodded and walking out of the mess hall they took a left to the classrooms, the opposite way they would have taken to get to the Pages quarters. Rickad was silent, and kept his gaze down.
"Well" said Justard, trying to make conversation, "I believe you two haven't been introduced. Ebony, this is Rickad of TreeLeak, Rickad this is Ebony Salmalin. Ebony, Rickad is a friend of mine. His fife is right next to my own and we spent many days down on the beaches together"
They nodded to each other and Ebony's eyes widened "You live near the coast, near the sea? Oh, I have always wanted to see the sea. I never have before. My Mother said it's beautiful, so powerful but… Oh sorry I'm going on a bit aren't I?"
Rickad smiled warmly, "No your not. The sea is beautiful. You haven't lived until you've watched it. Although Justard and I spent most of our time there chasing crabs and trying to entice monsters out of the ocean. It never worked," he added, seeing a worried look cross her face.
"My Mother said she spoke to some kind of monster. I can't remember what exactly but, Father said she called it too them and it was enormous. He said that's like Mother, always going one step further."
She stopped outside an oak door. The painted sign nailed to it read "History, Sir Myles of Olau"
"Looks like we're here" said Justard, "Well into the lions den we go" and he pushed open the heavy door.
History really wasn't that bad. It was an interesting lesson, although Ebony was unsure she would ever be able to remember dates like Sir Myles could. Justard had been in his element. Every question asked he seemed to know the answer to. History was his forte. Myles had been overjoyed to have someone else in the room that hadn't fallen asleep by the time their hour was up.
Arithmetic had been a nightmare. Ebony was hopeless and secretly hoped she would never be left in charge of a squad, they probably would end up starving. She had barely understood what the teacher had shown them on the board, and then was lost when they had been set questions, ten questions, which also had to be finished for the next day. Ebony had got through two, with an enormous amount of whispered help from Justard and Rickad on either side of her.
And now she sat in her own quarters, trying to finish the rest of the set questions.
"At least I still have the whispered help," she thought, "Although it's a bit louder this time"
Every comfortable seating space was taken. Taylor sat draped over the rocking chair, half-heartedly pretending to read his set book, Justard and his History work were strewn over Ebony's desk, Rickad lay stretched out in front of the fire, it's light flickering across his features as they concentrated on the book in front of him, and Hadrick sat on the spare chair, openly fast asleep. The book, which had sent him to the world of slumber, lay forlorn in his lap.
Ebony curled deeper into her sheets as she watched them all. She lay on her bed, wrapped in sheets and blankets, brow creased in concentration as she tried to work out the sums.
"How did you do question five again?" she called out, letting her head drop onto the pillow in frustration.
"Just add the two together, then multiply" Justard called, his flow of writing never breaking.
"Yeah, that's what I did," muttered Rickad, his mind elsewhere in his book, "It's the same as question three"
"Ok" Ebony muttered to herself, "Add three hundred and eighteen and eighty-one, that's four, no, three hundred and ninety nine," she scribbled quickly on the side of the page, "Multiplied by five would be, would be…"
"One thousand, nine hundred and ninety-five" Justard added, sensing she lad lost her train of thought. He swivelled in the chair. "Are you keeping track of everything, writing it all down?"
"Yes" she wailed, holding up the scribbled on and completely covered piece of parchment. There was not a space left on it that didn't have a variety of numbers written on.
"Ok. I believe you," he said, "If you lose track just calm down and start again. Don't worry, it'll come with time"
"I hope so," she muttered, going back to the page of questions. Justard continued to look at her, watching her brow crease as she concentrated, watching as she pushed annoying curls from her eyes.
He turned back to his own History work. Sir Myles had asked them to read and comment on the war with Scanra, twelve years ago. It was the last real war Tortall had seen. Sir Myles had asked for three pages and already Justard had filled five. He was on his sixth now.
Taylor coughed and stood up, letting his book crash to the ground. The resulting bang made both Ebony and Rickad jump out of their studying dazes.
"Sorry, please forgive me" he said, hand on his chest, "But fun as this gathering was, I cannot stand another minute of Sir Ralatin's description of the forming of Tortall's hierarchy. I'm going for a refreshing walk, will anyone join me?"
Hadrick, who had been shaken awake by the book's fall, nodded. "I could do with a break," he murmured.
"Yeah because you have been working so hard," muttered Justard, sarcastically.
"I have" Hadrick replied, grabbing Justards head and pulling him backwards to look up at him. "Sleeping is always hard work"
"Get off" said Justard, half-heartedly trying to smear ink on Hadricks face. "See you later" he called as the two left the room.
Ebony looked up, "Yeah see you tomorrow" she called to the retreating backs. Both waved a hand over their shoulders.
"Justard" she called, a slight pleading tone in her voice, "Would you please come over and help me finish the rest of these sums"
He sighed, "Well you are extremely lucky. I have just written the last words of my six page comment on the Scanra war and have a few spare moments before I fall asleep." He pushed the chair slowly away from the desk and strolled over. He dropped onto the bed next to her.
"This one, and this one" she said pointing to them as she let herself fall backwards onto the pillow. Justard quickly scribbled answers in.
"There" he said, "And don't think your getting this special treatment every night. I thought your Father was going to visit this evening?"
"He said he was," said Ebony, her voice muffled from where she had huddled under a sheet, "He has probably forgotten though, he usually does"
"Yes" agreed Justard, "Great minds are often forgetful. "Well Rickad, it looks as if Ebony is just about ready for bed, so I think we will take our leave. Are you nearly done?"
"Yeah" was the reply. He read for two more seconds before slamming the book shut. "That's that completely finished"
"You read that whole book in four hours" moaned Ebony, "How did you do it? I've still got three chapters and it has to be finished by Wednesday"
"See you tomorrow, bright and early" laughed Justard as he quietly shut the door.
Ebony pulled the covers from over her face as she heard Chandra enter.
"Bath" the woman said.