3. Reunion
The following morning, just before eleven o'clock, Horyse stood in front of the wrought iron gates of Wyverly College. The train had made good time, and he had been able to get a lift to Wyverly Village with the post van. He pushed open the gate, strode up the drive and knocked with his swagger stick on the imposing front door. It opened a few moments later to reveal a frowning porter, who broke into a smile of recognition.
"Mr Horyse, sir! Long time, no see. Here to see young Jayelle, no doubt. Shall I inform Miss Fortescue that you are here?"
"Yes please, Mullins," answered Horyse, somehow dredging up the porter's name from a distant memory. A few minutes later he was in a light and airy study, standing in front of a polished desk. Across from him sat Miss Fortescue, the formidable headmistress of Wyverly College.
"Mr Horyse, we were not expecting you," she said with a frown.
"I did not expect to be here myself," answered Horyse. "A last-minute posting." He was unsure how much would have been reported in the newspapers up here in the north, where the Frontier was of little concern.
"Indeed," answered the headmistress. "You are going to the Perimeter?"
"Yes, ma'am," he answered cautiously, sure that her opinion of a Perimeter posting would be as disapproving as everyone else's. He was somewhat surprised when her face broke into a warm smile.
"Then perhaps we may see more of you. Jayelle has done so well, but it has been hard for her." She held up a hand to forestall his protest. "I mean no criticism of you, Mr Horyse. You have done all a brother could, and more. But it will do her good to see more of you, and perhaps, if I am not speaking out of turn, it will do you good to see more of her."
Before Horyse could respond to this astonishing statement, Miss Fortescue reached for a tasselled bell-pull. The summons was answered promptly by a young woman of about 18, her school uniform immaculate, wearing a badge that proclaimed her to be a member of the sixth form and a prefect.
"Rityala, present my compliments to Miss Prionte and ask her to send Jayelle to me immediately. Then go to Cook and ask her to prepare a picnic basket for two." The girl bobbed her head and left. Miss Fortescue smiled. "It's a beautiful day and you won't want to waste time and money driving into Bain, and the village pub is so dreary." It was true that the only pub in Wyverly was a gloomy place of dark oak panelling, hunting prints, and less than indifferent food. Horyse' thanks were interrupted as the door burst open and a girl of about 16 flung her arms around him.
"Sammeth!"
At a loud throat clearing from behind the desk, the girl released him, blushed bright red and bobbed her head.
"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Fortescue. But Rityala said that Sam was here."
"Just this once, Jayelle, I will overlook your lack of courtesy. But please remember to ask Miss Prionte for extra instruction in how to enter a room." Horyse thought that he saw the headmistress' mouth twitch in what might have been the beginnings of a smile. "Cook is preparing you a picnic, and tell Mullins that you may take the Blenheim. I assume you can drive, young man?"
"Yes, ma'am, and thank you," stammered Horyse, gratefully.
"Not at all." Now, Miss Fortescue really did smile. "Just make sure you have her back before sundown. And, Jayelle, be sure to catch up on any work you have missed."
A while later, they sat together in the Blenheim 128, which was the smaller of the school's two motorcars.
"Where shall we go?" asked Horyse. "It says on the map that there's a cairn of some sort, and a viewpoint, on top of a hill at a place called Dockey Point. That sounds interesting."
"Oh yes," answered Jayelle enthusiastically. "It's beautiful up there. Salleyne says that on a clear day, you can see all the way to Bain, but I've never believed her. The view is smashing though."
Following the map, they drove up a rough track and parked the car. A smooth, grassy hill with a rounded top lay before them, with a stone cairn at its top. The midday sun was bright, and Jayelle soon removed her woollen school blazer and rolled up the sleeves of her white blouse. But as they climbed, Horyse felt an inexplicable chill coursing through his body, and a sense of unease, growing to nausea, which he fought. He was not going to spoil the day by being unwell.
At the summit of the hill, Jayelle climbed to the top of the cairn, excitedly calling to her brother to come and join her. But as soon as he touched one of the stones, he felt a wave of nausea so intense and uncontrollable that he reeled away and fell to his knees, vomiting uncontrollably. Instantly, Jayelle was by his side, a concerned arm around his shoulders.
"Sam! What is it? Are you ill?"
"I'm not sure," gasped Horyse. "Let's go back to the car."
"Alright, if you think you can walk. Lean on me."
As they descended the hill, the feelings of unease lessened, as did the chills and nausea. By the time they reached the car, Horyse felt quite himself again and rather foolish.
"Do you want to go back to Wyverly, Sam? Matron can check you out and I'm sure Miss Fortescue will send for the doctor if you need."
Horyse shook his head. "No, I'm fine now, Jay. Whatever it was has passed. Maybe something I ate didn't agree with me, but I'm hungry now. Let's go and find somewhere else to picnic. Somewhere away from here."
It was a pleasant afternoon and Horyse soon forgot his mysterious bout of illness at Dockey Point. The weather was warm and sunny, and they found a pleasant lake with a wooded shore by which to picnic. Horyse had always enjoyed his visits to Wyverly and the surrounding countryside, feeling a strange sense of homecoming, which he attributed to the fact that this was where his only living relative was. Time passed swiftly in conversation, for it had been over a year since brother and sister had been together. By tacit agreement, no mention was made of recent events on the Frontier.
"I'm so glad you are going to the Perimeter, Sam," said Jayelle, as they were packing up to return to the college. "Will it mean you can come and visit more often?"
"It should do," answered Horyse. "Northern Perimeter HQ is only thirty miles or so north of Bain, so even on a day pass I'd have time to get here and back. If that dragon of a headmistress will let you out."
"Oh, Miss Fortescue isn't as bad as she makes out," answered Jayelle. "Will you get to visit the Old Kingdom?" she added, wistfully.
"Not properly, I don't think. The Perimeter garrison sends patrols in but I don't think they go more than a mile or two beyond the wall."
"Even so," breathed Jayelle, with a sparkle in her eyes. Horyse laughed.
"I promise you that if I meet a real dragon, or some other Old Kingdom monster, I'll come straight here to tell you all about it."