She gestured toward a young man standing near the back entrance, who stepped forward at her signal. "This is Cadet Jarren Voss. He's a second-year and will be your hall monitor. Any questions about housing, recreation, or other non-academic or flight matters should be directed to him."
Jarren nodded to us, his expression neutral but not unfriendly. "Welcome to the most challenging year of your lives," he said. "I survived it, and I hope all of you will survive it too. We need riders."
A few nervous chuckles rippled through our group.
I wasn't among them.
The Elite Forces' Vedona Academy had probably been more challenging, and I'd graduated top of my expedited training class. Elucian Forces were formidable, but their command structure was much less rigid and seemed amateurish in comparison, but no one could argue with their effectiveness, so perhaps less rigidity was preferable.
It was one of the things I was here to learn.
Captain Odinah handed her clipboard to Jarren. "Cadet Voss will assign you your rooms and provide a brief tour of thefacilities. After that, you'll proceed to the mess hall for the Feast of Fate, which I'm sure you are all eager to get to."
The truth was that I had forgotten about my empty stomach and the festive feast that had been promised at the end of the pilgrimage. The tea's drugging effects must have included appetite suppression.
She fixed us with a final appraising look and then cracked a smile. "Dismissed until 0500 tomorrow. Jarren, they're all yours."
As she exited, Jarren motioned for us to follow him. "When I assign you to your rooms, leave your packs there and come out. You can check out your accommodations after dinner.”
"There are no keys because there is no need to lock the doors when you leave your rooms," Jarren said as he led us down the corridor. "Stealing is an affront to Elu, and no self-respecting Elucian would transgress in such a dishonorable manner." He cast a quick glance in my and Codric's general direction, but I didn't think he had done it intentionally, or at least I hoped that he wasn't implying we were more likely to steal things than his fellow Elucians.
After a quick glance at his clipboard, Jarren called out two names, and as the cadets opened the door to their room, I craned my neck to see what was inside.
I didn't have high expectations, and I was proven right. The place looked a lot like the room Codric and I had shared in the pilgrims' lodge.
"Morek Wagoy and Terral Novis." Jarren motioned for them to step forward. "Room 214."
Morek's roommate was a lanky guy with a shock of red hair, a face covered with freckles, and a friendly smile. He offered Morek his hand before opening the door to their room and stepping inside.
"Alar Tekum and Codric Teress," Jarren called next. "Room 216."
"Thank you," I said.
Just like the other rooms, ours was spartan but functional, furnished just as the Captain had said they would be. Codric and I dropped our packs at the foot of the beds and stepped back out into the corridor, but not before I noted that there was a chain and hook to lock the door from the inside.
I was relieved, not because of the added safety, but because it was a much-needed privacy measure, especially for the girls.
Kailin and Shovia got assigned to Room 229, and I wished I could check whether they had the same security feature in their room.
After everyone had been assigned their lodging, we followed Jarren through a series of corridors, each lit by a combination of electric lights and occasional natural light from strategically placed shafts that penetrated from the mountainside.
"First years are housed on the second floor," Jarren explained as we walked. "Second years are on the third and third years on the fourth floor. Permanent staff have quarters on the fourth floor. The rest of the floors are occupied by riders according to rank, and the top floor is where the offices and war rooms are located. All floors above yours are off-limits without direct invitation."
He led us to a modestly sized common area with several worn couches arranged around a television set that looked at least a decade out of date. A single telephone hung on the wall nearby.
"This is the first-year lounge," he said, gesturing around the space. "It's not much, but you'll be lucky to have any time to spend here anyway. The phone is for emergency calls only. First-year students are not permitted to place outside calls. If there's an emergency requiring outbound communication, you'll need to speak with your commanding officer. They'll evaluate thesituation and, if warranted, place the call for you and monitor it."
Shovia raised her hand. "What constitutes an emergency?"
"Serious injury that means you are going home."
"Oh." Shovia looked disappointed, which I found odd.
She didn't strike me as the type who was overly attached to her parents, and she had no boyfriend back home. Codric was right here, and the two could spend as much time together as their schedule allowed, but I didn't know how serious she was about him and whether she wished to continue their relationship in the academy.
I glanced at Kailin, but she averted her eyes again like she'd done every time I looked in her direction.
What was her problem?
