Page 26 of The Song of Sunrise (The Prentice Teller #1)
A Lily and a Lion
I never minded winter, when I had the right shoes, that is.
A Midlander, especially from the northern region, is very familiar with snow.
What I’m not familiar with is snow on anything other than rolling hills.
If my ankles had mouths, they would surely be complaining from the excessive slipping on the icy mountain switchbacks trails.
“It’s not my fault,” I mutter at my feet.
“What are you going to do, walk off on me?” I chuckle.
The narrow trails surrounding the Watch castle are steep , and I found myself sliding around a few times this morning more than a true Midlander would ever admit, despite my Watch-issued boots that are better than any shoes I owned previously.
Besides my ankles being freshly tested by the slopes, I feel great. No, better than great.
Amazing .
The springs under the library worked nothing short of a miracle on my body last night. I’m definitely going to have to find another time to sneak down there soon.
It was probably foolish of me to go for a hike in the dark, but the sunrise was worth it.
If I could paint, I would attempt to capture the way the navy sky retreats.
How layers of sparkling snow blanket the giant pines.
How even a simple gust of wind scatters snowflakes into the air, glittering in iridescent waves of pink and orange as the sun rises.
My cheeks burn in the bitterly cold air, but I smile nonetheless as I return to the castle. If I’m not careful, I’ll start thinking of the Watch as home, and every place I call home ends up destroyed. My mood fractures like the ice cracking beneath my boots.
I pass many castle maintenance staff members on the way back from my morning walk along the snowy grounds. They are busy scrubbing every inch of the castle in preparation for the cadets returning today from winter solstice break.
The main entryway is decorated in twisting garlands of pine.
Jars of orb lights are hung by a string across the ceiling beams and around railings.
The shallow pool at the center of the foyer is frozen.
A large pine tree is in the center, decorated with hundreds of frozen icicles, likely thanks to Moon’chers and their affinity for water.
Light from floating candles refract against the tree, scattering rainbows along the white stone pillars.
Giant golden and silver bows wrap along the base of the staircase, surrounded by what looks like a miniature village on either side, complete with trees strung with red blooms and wooden beads, toy-sized cabins, bridges, and roads, and horse-drawn carriages that are magically enchanted to circle the town.
Fireplaces crackle and pop along the halls on my way back to my room.
I slam another book shut, then choke on the dust. Hours of researching and I still know practically nothing about Starwatchers or the creatures supposedly in the Summit.
The only new piece of information is that a Starwatcher seat is supposed to be on the council, though it has remained empty for nearly fifty years.
I wonder why they’ve left that seat unfilled?
Are they really so rare that another Starwatcher hasn’t come along to fill the position since then?
It wasn’t clear why Markus was so desperate to get Helios Blessing either. Would it somehow replace the missing Starwatcher? Professor Novak mentioned in Introduction to Talent that Starwatchers were able to see memories, so how does that factor in?
Rome was not built in a day, Akemi . Marrow’s voice echoes the odd Old World saying in my head. I’ll have to return to the library every night at this rate if I actually expect to find answers.
Patience, prentice, the old man says.
Yeah, yeah, I know, Marrow.
The door to my room bursts open. “Akemi!”
Ramona stumbles in the room, out of breath and carrying three more bags than when she left.
I jump up from my desk and take some of the bags off her small frame. How she managed to carry all of this here is a mystery.
“Let me help you with that.”
“It smells amazing in here. Ah look, my bed! Oh, and my desk, so clean and tidy.” Ramona spins around, grinning ear to ear. “I swear I would cut my own nose off if I had to spend another day with my brothers. Men stink. I’m serious.”
I laugh and set her bags down near her bunk. “I missed you too, Ramona.”
She goes into a deep spiraling story of how her brothers fool each other the entire break.
Adding colored dye to bath soap, letting the chickens loose in the house, or only speaking in questions the whole night—that was one Ramona said she was especially good at.
Each meal, she said, was a full on war of who would get the most portions.
After Romona is finished recounting the entire Mitchell family saga, I tell her about my continued training with Leaf and meeting Torvi to get fitted for throwing stars.
“No way! I never would have pictured a Teller with illegal weapons!” she says in awe as I hand her a few stars to examine.
“I never would have pictured a Prentice Teller enrolling in the Watch, but here I am.” She laughs and rolls her eyes at my insistence of using the correct Teller title.
Hours pass by quickly as we catch up.
“Ramona,” I start pensively, “I have something to tell you.”
“Oh shit, Kem. What is it?” Ramona sits, sensing the mood darken.
“You know how I said I was training late at night in the Lower Fields on the obstacle course?”
“Yes?” Ramona says apprehensively, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. Her globe green eyes are almost fully round.
“The night before the final, Elder Superior and Elder Hightail came in. I was taken by surprise and didn’t know what to do.
So I basically buried myself in the sand and waited…
I overheard them talking about the first task.
They mentioned all sorts of magical creatures.
The Elves are going to bring rocs from the Forest Tribe and kelpies from the River Tribe.
” I wait for a moment to gauge Ramona’s reaction.
I have been so nervous keeping this information from her.
She is turning out to be one of my closest friends.
If she is upset that I didn’t tell her sooner, she does not look like it.
I continue, “There is more. The Underworld is bringing ghosthounds and likely something else, but they weren’t sure.”
“They must be a part of a Summit task. My dad told me about some of the past Summits, and there are usually dangerous components… I just didn’t realize they would take it this far.”
“Elder Superior Markus is forcing Elder Hightail to choose Castor as her champion, something about ‘keeping the Helios Stone in the family line’ and how it’s the ‘closest thing we have to a Starwatcher,’” I recall and go on to share how I told Castor, and how he didn’t believe me.
She doesn’t seem to care that I kept this information from her, and I cannot help but feel a new level of unconditional friendship growing between us.
“Markus is a snake,” she says, picking her teeth from the hard mint candies she brought back from her home. They are delicious little round sweets that her dad makes.
“Something is off about him,” I add.
“He has always been a creep. Trust me, I was shocked to death as a kid when I connected that he was Castor’s father. Never really believed he was capable of having a normal son… though Castor really isn’t normal either.”
I shudder at the thought of having someone like Markus as a father.
Guilt fills my stomach as I let the day go on without telling Ramona about the hot springs under the library.
I told her about everything else, but something about the springs seems mysterious.
Like a secret that is only real if kept.
Plus, I would not want to put anyone else in danger, knowing that the Underling could show up again.
I most definitely am not planning on going again to spy on his corded muscles and swirling tattoos.
Definitely not. That would be dangerous.
I almost told her at the Lower Fields when we trained, and again at Anita’s in Olwythion when we met Selene, Leo, Lacerta, and a few other cadets for a drink.
And yet, I find myself staying silent on the matter even as we celebrate the end of break at Anita’s. After many cups of ale, Castor and I decide to walk back to the Watch, Ramona and Leaf staying behind.
Our boots crunch on the snowy path. Tree branches hang low, heavy with snow over the shadow filled pathway back to campus. Our silence is usually comfortable, but now the thread between us is about to snap. We haven’t spoken much since our argument
“I…” I start.
“I’m sorry, Akemi,” Castor interrupts. “Before finals. You were just trying to warn me about my father, and I didn’t believe you.”
Relief fills my veins, spreading warmth across my cold limbs. I must be shivering because Castor takes off his Watcher blue cloak and sets it carefully on my shoulders.
“Thank you,” I say, looking up into his light blue eyes. They almost glimmer in the moonlight.
“This whole break, my father tried telling me about the first task. Telling me that I am to win the Summit or our family name will be put to shame. He told me that he will make sure I’m selected by a human delegate so that when I win, the prize stays with the humans.”
He looks disgusted, tired, and a little sad. Castor may be stoic, even cold at times, but it is because of his hard shell of honor he wears like armour. Being handed a slot as a champion in the Summit goes against his internal metronome of fairness.
“It’s okay, Castor. I forgive you.” I reach out, palm down. His large hands envelop mine. We walk in silence back to the castle, holding hands until we reach my door.
Castor leans on the doorframe, looking down at me, eyes searching for the right words. He bites his lower lip.