12. The Weave
A eden tossed and turned in his bed. His legs were restless, and his mind couldn’t switch off.
He was dreading the next day, having to go about things and attend his sessions like nothing had happened.
He could already imagine Kael’s smug face when he eventually bumped into him. It was only a matter of time.
He found himself staring up into the dark space above him. A light rain tapped on the metal roof of the bunkhouse. To Aeden it was hypnotic, calming. Usually the sound would lull him to sleep, but not tonight, not when he was this worked up.
Mistress Plato and her team of healers had done a fantastic job in healing his physical wounds, but the battle he was facing now was in his head.
Letting out a sigh of frustration, Aeden sat up in bed, pulling the thin sheet back and rubbing his legs. He hoped it would help with the restlessness. He had never experienced this feeling before. It didn’t help his feeling of unease .
Looking out at the rest of the bunkhouse, he could see the shapes of everyone tucked up in bed. Most of the room was sleeping peacefully, though Harrison’s heavy breathing had turned into snoring.
Aeden was just about to lie back down when the strange tugging sensation pulled at his stomach, causing him to fight back a wave of nausea.
It was the third time this had happened, and Aeden wasn’t one to believe in coincidences.
It had all started at the hatchery, when Master Ember had challenged them to connect to the weave at its base level.
If he thought his restless legs were frustrating, it paled in comparison to this.
It felt like he had hundreds of butterflies fluttering around inside of him, and he had an overwhelming urge to get out of the bunkhouse.
Where to, Aeden had no clue. All he knew in this moment was that he needed to escape.
Deciding that maybe a short walk and some fresh air might help him settle, he listened to the compulsion, put on his boots, and headed outside as quietly as he could.
“You okay, Harrington?” Vivienne asked, startling Aeden as he walked past her.
“I’m fine,” he lied, “I just need some air.” He spoke in a delicate whisper, not wanting to disturb the others.
She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes. “Want some company? Do you think it’s wise wandering around on your own with what’s happened?”
“I’ll be okay. Thanks, though. Sorry for disturbing you.”
Aeden pushed the door open and stepped outside, immediately appreciating the cold air and the light rain that greeted him. Raising his head towards the sky, he closed his eyes and took a deep inhale of breath through his nose .
The tugging on his stomach didn’t ease, but looking up at the moon, he had the urge to head in its direction, so he did.
His instincts seemed to take over as he wandered around the academy grounds, barely watching where he was going.
The more he walked, the more he seemed to calm.
The strange sensation in his stomach was still there, but it seemed to get stronger or weaker depending on the direction he was walking, as if he were following a compass.
By the time he realised where he was, he was on the far side of the academy grounds, heading towards the hatchery. His white shirt was soaked. He had barely noticed the time that had passed, as if he had been transfixed on following the sensation.
The sky above him was hauntingly beautiful. Dark clouds hung above like a thick blanket sitting around the half-moon. The air itself had turned stagnant as mist drifted on the ground all around him.
“Can I help you, boy?” The voice sounded more like a low, grumbling growl, and Aeden looked up to see Master Ember staring at him. He was wearing a thick red gown that was wrapped up tight around him. He had a pipe in one hand, the end lit up as he placed the pipe against his lips and inhaled.
“It’s freezing out here. You’ll catch a fever being out in this without a coat or jacket.”
Aeden looked around him. He had barely noticed the drop in temperature. If anything, he felt warm, even with his clothes soaked through.
“Is it?” Aeden said.
“You didn’t answer my question.” Master Ember’s accent was strong, but his tone was more of curiosity than sternness. Aeden could only imagine the reception he would have gotten had it been Master Storme he bumped into at this time.
“Sorry, sir, I couldn’t rest. It’s not been the greatest of days.”
Master Ember eyed Aeden up and down, then took another drag of his pipe before exhaling a thick, choking plume of smoke towards him.
Aeden didn’t appreciate the smell or taste in the air, and he coughed slightly.
The smoke seemed to hang in the air longer than he would have liked, so he swatted it away with his hand.
“Harrington?” Master Ember said. “You’re the Harrington boy.” He wasn’t addressing Aeden but rather talking to himself. “Sounds like you’ve created quite the storm today, boy.”
“As I said, it’s been a long day.”
“Why don’t you come on in and tell me all about it. I’ll fix you a hot drink.” Master Ember offered a welcoming smile that barely escaped his huge beard.
It was clear that Master Ember was the complete opposite of Master Storme in the way he spoke to the students at the academy. There was something about his presence that made Aeden feel that little bit calmer.
Master Ember led Aeden through the entranceway and past the two guards, but this time, instead of heading straight into the hatchery, they took a right.
Aeden didn’t know what he was expecting; part of him thought Master Ember might have lived inside the main chamber with the unhatched eggs.
Master Ember let out a slight laugh as if he heard Aeden’s thoughts, the strong smell of smoke still choking the air as he led the way .
“This way, son,” he said, “not much further now.”
Aeden continued to follow Master Ember down the darkened corridor.
They were still outside, but the exterior of the hatchery and the thirty-foot wall surrounding it at least gave him a reprieve from the drowning mist. When they reached the far side of the hatchery, Aeden noticed what looked like a shanty house attached to the side.
The walls were made of stone, with a thatched roof that had been more than patched together.
Small, circular windows sat on either side of a wooden doorframe that had seen better days.
In all honesty, Aeden wondered how the building stood up.
“Built it myself, what do you think?” Master Ember said with a hint of pride in his voice.
“It looks lovely,” Aeden said. The pulling sensation was still rooted to the pit of his stomach, but it was subsiding ever so slightly. Aeden was just grateful for the reprieve, even if it was only for the briefest of moments.
Master Ember entered the house first, pushing the door open before turning and welcoming Aeden inside.
“Take a seat, son, I’ll go fetch us some tea.”
Aeden stepped in and was immediately greeted by a wall of heat from the roaring fire in the far side of the room. The outer edges of the space were darkened, hidden by the shadows, but the centre was lit up by the open fire, the wood cracking loudly as embers spat up into the air.
It was warm enough that Aeden’s cheeks started burning instantly. The sudden change in temperature was a little overwhelming. He didn’t have a jacket to take off, having been wandering around in nothing more than his boots, trousers, and bed shirt .
Two old wooden chairs sat on either side of the fire.
Both had a cushion on the base. They were worn and frayed but thick enough that Aeden imagined they were comfy to sit on.
He stopped himself, however, realising that he was wet through to his bones.
Not wanting to dampen the cushions, he opted to stand in front of the fire, holding his hands out and rubbing them together as he embraced the warmth.
He turned around to allow the heat on the back of his clothes. Perhaps if he dried a little, he would feel more comfortable.
Master Ember was in another room, clattering and banging around as if it wasn’t the middle of the night. It was a good job he didn’t have any neighbours other than the eggs; he would likely have woken up half of the academy at this rate.
Aeden took the moment to look around the room. He had gotten over the initial sting of the heat and was now embracing it, his stomach still lurching.
The room was perfectly tidy with everything in its place – the complete opposite of what Aeden had expected given the look of Master Ember’s house from the outside.
Everything was old and dated. Nothing matched.
There were the faded red curtains, the yellow cushions on the chairs, and the furniture was different sizes, some made from dark wood, some lighter woods like beech or oak.
In front of Aeden sat a circular ulan table, big enough for two or three people to sit around.
When Aeden looked underneath, he realised the tabletop had been placed on top of an old whisky barrel. Had Master Ember built all of this ?
On the far side of the room stood a large bookcase, filled from top to bottom with leatherbound books of varying shapes and sizes.
“Here we go,” Master Ember said, walking into the room with two large tankards in his hands. “Lucky for you, I had not long since brewed some tea.”
“Thank you, sir,” Aeden said as Master Ember passed him the beverage. The tankard was metal, meaning it conducted the heat well, and Aeden wrapped both of his hands around it as his fingers started to thaw.
The tea smelt strong and earthy, and was that a hint of whisky, too?
It was a strange flavour, slightly sweet but definitely earthy too, and Aeden couldn’t decide whether he liked it or not.
“Take a seat,” Master Ember said. “The fire will soon have you warmed up.”
“I didn’t want to get your cushion wet.”
“Pah,” Master Ember laughed, “take a seat, son, it is quite all right.”