People around him snicker or smirk like his question was stupid. It makes sense to me, though. Anassa disappeared. I thought it was just because she wanted to get away from me, but I haven’t seen a single direwolf since arriving.
“Ah, there’s always one,” Egith says as we pass through a set of massive iron-studded doors and turn down another equally elaborate hallway. Some servants scuttle past us, eyeing us with blatant apprehension. “Learn quickly, Rawbond. The wolves prefer to be outdoors. While in training, the wolves stay in pack terraces carved into the mountainside across from the outdoor training grounds. You will get a full tour of the facility tomorrow.”
To his credit, Henrey nods sternly, focused, and ignores the assholes muttering about him under their breaths. His cheeks are ruddy, though.
We reach the end of the hallway and approach yet another pointed stone archway. This one has lush red velvet curtains draped over the bend of its arch, dripping down to the shiny floor in gentle folds.
Egith bats a curtain aside carelessly as she steps through. We all follow her like a gaggle of ducklings imprinted on the only authority figure in sight.
The circular room we enter is massive. It’s clearly some sort of common space, if you could call a place like thiscommon.
It’s well-lit with flickering oil lamps covered in warm-colored shades. One half of the room has dozens of long, polished dining tables set with delicate, spindly chairs. The other half has huge, plump couches and chaises set around several enormous fireplaces. One of the gargantuan fireplaces is being stoked by a servant in castle livery, who doesn’t look up when the crowd of us enters.
The walls are lined with stacked bookshelves, tapestries, or massive portraiture and landscapes. The walls themselves are made of a rougher stone, scenes of hunting wolves carved in bas-relief throughout the entire room.
It’s immaculate, of course, as the rest of the castle is. Every detail is in place, down to the perfectly pruned flowers in the vases. How they managed to get this many flowers from the outer fiefdoms, I have no idea; they don’t grow outdoors in Sturmfrost. We see them occasionally in the markets, but they’re exotic, priced high.
I guess that’s one of the unnecessary things rich people like to spend their money on.
As the rest of the crowd files inside, my eyes catch on the large adjoining doors set around the room. Four of them, spaced out evenly. They’re very clearly labeled with the pack names Izabel shared earlier.
Strategos, Kryptos, Daemos, Phylax.
Below each gilded inscription, there’s a unique symbol crafted from some sort of runes. I’m just starting to examine them when Egith’s voice rings through the room again.
“This is the Rawbond common lounge, where you will receive your meals,” she announces, finally stopping to turn and look at us. “Behind your respective pack doors are your pack dormitories. Each pack has its own common space, bunk room,bathing areas, and private rooms for the instructors. You’ll eat within your pack dorms tonight, but starting tomorrow, all packs eat in this shared lounge.”
Silence settles over the room, punctuated only by the shuffling of feet and a loud pop from the fire. Seconds pass before Egith rolls her eyes and juts her hand towards the labeled doors.
“Whatare you waiting for? Go!”
Immediately, the Rawbonds flood towards their pack quarters. I clench my jaw as Izabel waves to her sister, smiling and signing a few words. Then she turns to me and touches my elbow gently. I fall into step with her as we head towards the Strategos quarters.
“Home sweet home,” Izabel says as we step inside.
I sway slightly on my feet at the sight of it. It’s equal parts sickening and thrilling, seeing all this luxury.
We’ve stepped into a massive antechamber crammed with comfort. There’s seating everywhere, including plush-looking nooks by the windows. More bookshelves line the walls. Mountains of pillows heap on the various chairs and couches. Soft, ornate rugs blanket the floor. A chandelier hangs low, flickering with gentle light.
There’s another massive fireplace, big enough to fit my entire body standing upright within. The walls are covered in shimmering wallpaper, a deep mauve color with silver damask patterns reflecting the roaring fire’s light. The windows have stained glass patterns on them—silver wolves in various states of elegant motion. Above the mantel is a massive carving of the military crest.
Goddess, it evensmellsrich in here, like someone’s burning incense somewhere. Cloves, maybe?
“What the fuck?” I mumble under my breath, gaze catching on the crystalline tea set sitting on the low table near the fire. Who needs that? Aren’t we meant to be fighting a war?
Around the anteroom are four closed doors and one that’s open.
“Welcome to the Strategos dormitory,” Egith says as she moves toward one of the closed doors. I’d wager that all of those doors lead to the private rooms for the instructors. “For those of you who need clothes to change into,” her eyes linger on me at this, “there’s a store closet in the bunk room that has everything you’ll need in a variety of sizes. Sleep well.”
I stare back at the servants that start to pour into the room as Izabel drags me through the open door. This is clearly the sleeping quarters. There are thirteen bunk beds lining the walls, all identical and separated by matching dressers. There’s another hearth burning at the end of the long room, with a stack of wood next to it and a grate with a howling wolf sparing the lavish rug from rogue sparks.
At the end, an ajar door reveals a lavatory and washroom, likely just as large, luxurious, and gleamingly clean as the rest of this place.
As Izabel and I wander among the other Rawbonds, looking for a spot, I drag my hand over the linens on one of the beds. Soft.Sosoft. Nicer than anything I ever washed back home, let alone owned.
My mind spins. This is what Bondedtraineesget?! We’re not even proper soldiers yet!
The contrast is ridiculous. The recruitment center I visited was run-down and barebones in comparison. What are the soldiers on the front lines getting? Probably a cold bed roll and gruel for breakfast.
