room in the house. The bedroom. It contained a queen-sized bed, perfectly dressed in a white, hand-stitched quilt and decorative pillows. Definitely a woman’s bed. He hoped she did not have a jealous husband.
He combed the room for something that could give him more of an insight into the woman who lived there. He found nothing in the dresser at the foot of the bed and only bedsheets and quilts in the long chest that was off to one corner.
John examined the fireplace on the opposite wall, to the right side of the bed. There was no soot. In fact, it looked like it had never been used. He glanced around. Outside of the furnishings and bed coverings, the bedroom was empty, like the kitchen. He did not even find any dust.
If whoever lived there was gone, why would she leave a candle lit in the kitchen? That was unsafe. Maybe she forgot the candle was lit. He wondered if she would mind him bunking in her house for a while.
John checked the softness of the mattress by lying down on the bed. Good enough , he thought, since it was really the heat he was after, not the comforts the little house provided. John lay there for a while, feeling very comfortable. Then again , he thought, heat is part of comfort. Heat and a relaxing scent . He drifted off.
When John woke up from his catnap, his hunger bordered on starvation. He gasped at recalling the burning candle on the table. He ran into the kitchen and noticed it was gone. Did he imagine the candle? No. Its faint smell lingered in the air. Someone must have entered and put it away.
How was that possible? He was a McCall. His senses should have awakened him if someone neared him. How could someone have gotten past him a second time? Was he that tired from enduring the cold? John bundled up and headed back to the castle, deep in thought.
During a quiet lunch with the king, John asked Yudit if he knew who lived in the small house beside the school.
“Yes, that’s Jasira Eversole’s houz.”
“Jasira Eversole?”
“The headmistress.”
“Head mistress?” repeated John. The word created a negative image in his head. First a back scrubber, now a head mistress. He wondered if this place respected women.
The king stared at him. “Headmistress of the skool.”
John quickly understood. “Ohhh.” He chuckled. He felt relieved and foolish for thinking the worst.
“Why do you ask?” asked Yudit before scooping a forkful of food into his mouth.
“I was wondering if you knew where she went.”
“Why?”
John reached for his mug. He replied before drinking his tea. “No offense, Lord Yudit, but I wanted to ask her if I could stay at her house until I leave Surreal.”
“Why? Has someone offended you here?”
John shook his head. “No, not at all.” He stabbed his meat with his fork. “It’s just…I’m freezing my butt off here.”
The king scanned John’s bundled form.
“In fact, the only place I’ve felt warm was at the school or at Jasira’s house.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Do you know where I can find her? Do you think she’ll mind if I stay there for a while?”
“Well, Jasira is hard to find.” Yudit reached for his goblet.
“What do you mean?”
Yudit took several swallows of his wine. “She’s a very busy woomuhn.” He placed the goblet down. “She’s either running errands, working with the midwahyf Nadia, or working at the skool.” He motioned for a maid to refill his goblet.
“Sorry, what is midwahyf Nadia?”
“Nadia delivers infants.”
“Oh! You mean midwife and her name is Nadia.”
Yudit nodded.
“Sorry. So when do you see Jasira?”
“When I’m lucky.” He nodded his thanks to the maid.
John’s features turned desperate. “I have to find her. Do you think she’ll mind if I stay there?”
Yudit’s sights roamed over John’s clothes. “You say you are freezing while we are in peak season?”
“Can’t you tell?” spoke John through chattering teeth.
“And the only places you feel warm are at the skool
He combed the room for something that could give him more of an insight into the woman who lived there. He found nothing in the dresser at the foot of the bed and only bedsheets and quilts in the long chest that was off to one corner.
John examined the fireplace on the opposite wall, to the right side of the bed. There was no soot. In fact, it looked like it had never been used. He glanced around. Outside of the furnishings and bed coverings, the bedroom was empty, like the kitchen. He did not even find any dust.
If whoever lived there was gone, why would she leave a candle lit in the kitchen? That was unsafe. Maybe she forgot the candle was lit. He wondered if she would mind him bunking in her house for a while.
John checked the softness of the mattress by lying down on the bed. Good enough , he thought, since it was really the heat he was after, not the comforts the little house provided. John lay there for a while, feeling very comfortable. Then again , he thought, heat is part of comfort. Heat and a relaxing scent . He drifted off.
When John woke up from his catnap, his hunger bordered on starvation. He gasped at recalling the burning candle on the table. He ran into the kitchen and noticed it was gone. Did he imagine the candle? No. Its faint smell lingered in the air. Someone must have entered and put it away.
How was that possible? He was a McCall. His senses should have awakened him if someone neared him. How could someone have gotten past him a second time? Was he that tired from enduring the cold? John bundled up and headed back to the castle, deep in thought.
During a quiet lunch with the king, John asked Yudit if he knew who lived in the small house beside the school.
“Yes, that’s Jasira Eversole’s houz.”
“Jasira Eversole?”
“The headmistress.”
“Head mistress?” repeated John. The word created a negative image in his head. First a back scrubber, now a head mistress. He wondered if this place respected women.
The king stared at him. “Headmistress of the skool.”
John quickly understood. “Ohhh.” He chuckled. He felt relieved and foolish for thinking the worst.
“Why do you ask?” asked Yudit before scooping a forkful of food into his mouth.
“I was wondering if you knew where she went.”
“Why?”
John reached for his mug. He replied before drinking his tea. “No offense, Lord Yudit, but I wanted to ask her if I could stay at her house until I leave Surreal.”
“Why? Has someone offended you here?”
John shook his head. “No, not at all.” He stabbed his meat with his fork. “It’s just…I’m freezing my butt off here.”
The king scanned John’s bundled form.
“In fact, the only place I’ve felt warm was at the school or at Jasira’s house.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Do you know where I can find her? Do you think she’ll mind if I stay there for a while?”
“Well, Jasira is hard to find.” Yudit reached for his goblet.
“What do you mean?”
Yudit took several swallows of his wine. “She’s a very busy woomuhn.” He placed the goblet down. “She’s either running errands, working with the midwahyf Nadia, or working at the skool.” He motioned for a maid to refill his goblet.
“Sorry, what is midwahyf Nadia?”
“Nadia delivers infants.”
“Oh! You mean midwife and her name is Nadia.”
Yudit nodded.
“Sorry. So when do you see Jasira?”
“When I’m lucky.” He nodded his thanks to the maid.
John’s features turned desperate. “I have to find her. Do you think she’ll mind if I stay there?”
Yudit’s sights roamed over John’s clothes. “You say you are freezing while we are in peak season?”
“Can’t you tell?” spoke John through chattering teeth.
“And the only places you feel warm are at the skool
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