Cloud Piercer

One

They're gone.

I have to get back to Veymaw before school starts. Or worse, before Casimir notices I'm missing. My movements are sluggish as I drift back to the main street, feet dragging. In the past year, I can count on one hand the number of times I've suspected a deserter in the forge, and the disappointment of losing one tonight deflates me.

But venturing into the forge at night is dangerous enough. Wandering into the forest that borders the Elel mountains would be suicidal.

***

Veymaw is radiant in the glow of the morning sun.

Vines claw up the cottages, concealing their cracks, and the cobblestoned streets are more even than in the forge, untainted by decades of drunken street brawls. Lower down the mountain, the sky is a vibrant blue as the sun pierces through the arch of the mountains above. We're only just heading into autumn, but the Elel mountains are already dusted with snow.

I pick up my pace. There isn't enough time to get home before class starts; I can only pray that Casimir won't check my room before he heads to work. If he does, I'll be expecting much more than a lecture when I get home.

Anton, owner of the Veymaw bakery, hangs out the window swatting a web with a tea towel. "Mornin' Freya."

I wave a hand as I bustle past. A few months ago, Anton caught me returning from the forge in the early hours of the morning. I was terrified he'd tell someone, and it'd get back to Casimir, so I paid him off with a couple of coins I'd nicked. He never said anything.

I sidestep a bunch of children playing with a ball outside the orphanage. By the time I reach the school building, it's 7:05am. I breathe a sigh of relief, slipping into the classroom. All heads swivel to me–all except for Professor Fin, who's scribbling on the blackboard. I spot Cadence's golden hair and slide into the empty seat beside her.

"Freya," Professor Fin says without turning around. "You're late."

"Sorry, Professor."

"What was it this time?" He turns to face me, a tired frown on his face. "I do hope you're not making a habit of this."

"It's only five minutes."

"Five minutes you can make up during the break." My classmates snicker as I sink into my seat. "As I was saying, we have a new teaching assistant. Mr Killian Li, please continue."

I don't notice him until he shifts in the chair at the front. He's broad-shouldered, his frame dwarfing the desk as he turns to face the class. His inky hair shimmers beneath the harsh light from the window, eyes raking across the room. When he speaks, the entire room leans on the edge of their seats.

It isn't often that we get outsiders, and when we do, they're old and retired, coming to Veymaw because there is nowhere else for them. His eyes scan past me. Despite his broad frame and strong features, he looks young, too young to be a professor.

I can't focus on his words, distracted by his accent and the way his r's are slightly rolled. Despite being exposed to most of the different accents in Elel from lingering in the forge, I don't recognise the lilt to his. It almost sounds like the traders from Torinne, but I haven't spotted a Torinnians for months now, and there's no way someone from a different country would migrate to Veymaw.

Beside me, Cadence waggles her eyebrows, nodding towards him.

She leans over to whisper in my ear as Professor Fin picks up the lesson, droning on about the war. "How old do you think he is?" she whispers. "He doesn't look much older than us, right?"

"Cadence," Professor Fin says before continuing.

She leans back, drumming her knee on her desktop, her eyes still on Mr Li. He looks bored as he folds his arms and leans back against the wall, expression blank.