Wildlings

21: Blackhouse

They split the students up into girls and boys.

After breakfast, the freak-heads had all stood in the social area waiting for their lessons to start. Then Moustache, Ponytail and Rama came and took all the boys outside, to do God knows what in the fields or woods.

Judit desperately wanted Rama to acknowledge her, but he didn't, and her heart deflated with disappointment. Then just before the guys all exited, with his hand on the door, he looked at her and smiled. His beautiful eyes crinkled. How had she ever thought he wasn't attractive? He was to die for. She blushed and nodded a greeting back.

"Teacher's pet." Merle appeared, punching Judit playfully on the arm. "And you don't even tang him. Ugh, life is so unfair."

Judit didn't say anything. She felt the need to hide her feelings for Rama at all costs, and especially from Merle, for some reason.

"Oh hell!" Merle exclaimed, hitting her big forehead with her palm, grinning. "That reminds me. I can't believe I forgot! I was gonna tell you! I think I've worked out who you're paired with. I was trying—"

She was cut off by someone, an old teacher lady, clapping her hands loudly. Judit and Merle turned, then Judit returning her gaze momentarily to Merle, questioning.

"Tell you later," Merle whispered as the teacher began to speak.

"Alright ladies," Teacher-woman said loudly, addressing the class with her hands as much as her voice. She had long, coarse hair, sandy brown streaked with grey, which was pulled back from her face and tied at the nape of her neck. She looked old and weathered, like a witch.

"So now the guys are out of the way, we can get on with the important stuff. I'm Dr. Goodmin, but you can call me Thura. I'm going to talk about how you're all going to look after yourselves, the vital business of everyday life. If you have any questions at any point, just feel free to stop me and—"

She paused, her eyes on a girl at the front whose arm had shot up immediately.

"Mm-hm?" Dr. Goodmin said, her tone suggesting she hadn't expected questions quite so soon.

"Can we... What are we supposed to do about our periods?" the girl said, her voice shaking. She was one of the sobers and Judit didn't know her name. "Can we take our menstrual cups when we..." Her voice trailed off.

"No menstrual cups," Dr. Goodmin said firmly. "You'll use soft cloths and a certain kind of moss, which we'll teach you how to identify and gather. It's just as effective as a modern sanitary pad, really."

Gross. The girls all looked at each other. Judit caught Lintie's eye and raised her eyebrows. Lintie did the same in return. Her nose was tiny like a button, her braid fat around her head. She's so pretty, Judit thought, reminded of that first day in the music room when she'd been struck by Lintie's unusual beauty, despite her dark orange hair.

"OK, let's get on," Dr. Goodmin said, sounding annoyed. "We're going to do a bit of spinning and weaving today, and I'm going to introduce you to what you'll be wearing. But first, it's time you got to know the blackhouse."

What you'll be wearing, Judit thought as they filed into the quad to line up by the squat stone building in the centre of the grass. She thought about the blue paint, being naked in front of Hegri and Gaen—in front of Rama—and her heart began to beat painfully, like it was being squeezed and released by a strong fist. She rubbed her chest.