Carryl entered the founder’s lounge and this time, saw herself face to face with four young men there, three sitting in armchairs around a little table, the fourth laying on the sofa reading. All of them had brown to dark brown hair and they all raised an eyebrow when they saw the newcomer.

The man on the sofa rose first and was at Carryl with straight steps. He smiled and leaned into a bow. “It seems by those beautiful locks that we are graced by a scion of House Dwyllaigh. I am Lucas of House Laugnant, I welcome you to the lounge.”

Carryl faked a smile and hinted a curtsey, then responded as taught. “I am honoured by your welcoming, I am Carolinia of House Dwyllaigh, daughter of King Maoldonaich III.”

Soon, the other young men were at her side too and the ritual repeated before Carryl could finally head over to the bookshelf and pick out her previous reading. When she had taken seat in an armchair apart from the others and found where she had left off, it was not long before Lucas appeared by her side again.

“Say, young Mademoiselle of Dwyllaigh, have you yet decided what activity you wish to partake on campus? I can vouch for the good manners and company of the entire literature society.”

Carryl’s jaw clenched and she slapped her book shut. “I think for now, the enjoyment of literature is denied to me in this room.” Without looking at the suitor, she stood up and left the room. Through the closed door he could her the guffawing laughter of the other men at the misplaced gusto of Monsieur Lucas.

She went back outside, past the groups of renewed merriment and towards the dormitory. Maybe she could find some peace and quiet there. Groups of students already travelled down the streets, knocking on the dormitories of all nations to ask for entry and drink before moving on to the next, usually guided by a senior student on this tradition which Carryl had heard from before but never sought to partake.

She came to the dormitory of Cyrrgwarth and went to move past the door to the common room, onto the stairwell, but she heard that aggressively melodic voice call to her.

“HOOOHOOO, Carolinia!” Meredith sounded from the common room. Carryl could see her through the open door. “Come greet our guests.”

Carryl humoured Meredith, she was not selfish at least in her demeanour. The many tables were alive with chitchat between the students and the separation of the genders was gone. When she rounded the door frame to see who else sat at Meredith’s table, she immediately saw again that grain-coloured fur and dark red mane.

“YOU AGAIN!” The crolachan pointed her finger at Carryl. “Are you following me around?”

Carryl leaned back from the clawed index extended right under her nose. “I was here first! And at the library too! And at the gallery too! If anything, you are the one following me around, you brute.” She grabbed the finger with her whole hand and with a levering action, moved it out of her face. “Get your unkempt paws out-“

“-AU!” The crolachan let out a yelp and her face was hit with pain, then, she shot up in a single motion and Carryl saw only a blur approaching from her right.

KLATSCH

An impact shifted Carryl’s world to the left and down, she fell and the floor dealt her another blow.

All was silent in the room that just a moment before had been filled with angry voices. Carryl laid on the floor, only slowly seeing the astounded faces of young people standing above her, one of them came into focus as the crolachan’s. Her jaw clenched, her eyes frightful, dashing left to right, as she scanned the room.

Meredith’s voice came from somewhere to the side. “Carry-Caro- your cheek, it’s”

Carryl rubbed her right cheek and three streaks of pain flared up. When she looked at her hand, there was blood on her fingers. She looked back to the crolachan, who had backed away from her seat, frantically turning head and ears until finally bringing forth “I have to go.” She was out the door and slammed it behind her.

Slowly, a level feeling came back to Carryl and she grabbed one of the many strong arms that had come to her side to help. She wanted to follow the crolachan, but the very same arms held her. “LET ME! I will beat that mutt back into-“

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Another voice joined, it was cousin Sunny. “CARRYL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THIS TIME?”. By her ear, Carryl was dragged into the kitchen adjacent to the common room and the door closed behind her.

“I did not do anything!”

Siangwen put her hands on her hips. “You have always done something, I know that much!”

“That is not true, people just refuse to leave me alone! That mutt accused me the moment i walked into our dormitory and then attacked me!”

Siangwen cocked her head to the side. „Oh sure, SURE, that is absolutely how a sane person acts.”

“Then ask Meredith, she sat right next to it all!”

Siangwen took Carryl up on that and peeked her head out the door to the common room and it appeared that she found Meredith standing right there. “Oh, you are already here, come in!”

Meredith entered the kitchen and looked around confused. “Are you okay, Carolinia? Are you very hurt?”

Carryl did not know and checked her cheek. The bleeding had already stopped, the few drops had already dried. It seem the crolachan’s claws dealt only dealt some superficial injury.

“Tell me what happened, Meredith. And be truthful!” Siangwen put her hands on her hips.

Meredith began to tell. “Well, Carolinia came in, I wanted to introduce her to the guests I brought, but then Nannade, that other girl pointed her finger at Carolinia and accused her and I didn’t know what was going on, but then Carolinia took Nannade’s finger and...” She looked to Carryl in a way that seemed to say that she was deeply regretful for her coming betrayal. “She bent the finger until I heard a crack! I think her finger was broken. That’s when she hit Carolinia on the cheek. Then she kind of... left.”

Carryl tried to interject, she had never even tried to break that crolachan’s finger, but as she inhaled, Siangwen got her to shut it with a single raised hand, then she turned back to Meredith. “Who was that girl? How can we find her, we have to set this right.”

Meredith seemed afraid at that question. “I don’t really know, she said she was a spirit caller from Sturreland.”

The words stood in the room for quite a while and nobody said anything. Siangwen’s jaws were clenched and Carryl knew exactly why. Merely Meredith was unaware and confused by the reaction. Finally, Siangwen broke the silence. “We have to get Roy before this turns into a major incident.” Sent one of the students in the common room to fetch Roy and in the tentative minutes until he arrived, she granted Carryl merely angry scowls. Neither of them said anything and Meredith seemed to follow them in that.

When Roy finally did arrive, he threw the door to the kitchen open with an angry shove, then slammed it back closed behind him. He did not have his staff with him and even his robes of a commanding officer seemed thrown on hastily rather than well.

“ONE DAY, not ONE bloody DAY before you manage to stir up trouble. What is it this time!” He stepped to Carryl, who leaned back but tried to hold tense and upstraight against his posture. “Tell me!”

But Carryl looked to Siangwen, who took the reigns from Roy and handed Meredith the word so she may retell the story once again. When it was all said, Roy put his hand to his forehead. “You really have the best hand in picking your outbursts, Carryl. Of all possible places it was Sturreland and of all possible people to attend this University each year, you pick the one spirit caller!”

Carryl held back no longer. “I knew nothing of her, just that she kept showing up where I was. And she had then the gall to accuse me of following her around!”

Roy began to massage his temples. “Just... just shut up. Shut your damn yap, for once in your life shut it and do not open it again!”

“I wanted to be left alone, you insisted I join these merrymorons!”

Between clenched teeth, Roy grumbled something without saying anything, eyes pressed shut, massaging his temples. "I have to find a neutral party to chaperone a formal apology before the Lodge of Sturreland decides to turn this into a diplomatic issue.”

“Why should they, she knows very well she did wrong, that’s why she-“

“BE QUIET!” Roy’s voice rebounded from the walls of the kitchen. “I have no patience for your petty impulses, Carryl! You will do as I say or you will stand before the Lord Father alone, do you hear?!”

Carryl’s arms, straight and close to her body, trembled by rage within, her fists clenched, her nails pressing deep into her palms. But she knew there was no fighting chance. “Fine.”

Roy exhaled with relief and turned around. “I will return as soon as I have found someone. Until do, you are to stay here and out of trouble. Do not even go the lectures, that’s an order.” He opened the door and was about to leave but turned around another time. “And that girl too, we need a proper witness both parties will accept.” He pointed to Meredith, who instantly stiffened and replied.

“Yes, my Lord.”

It seemed as if Roy wanted to rebuke the address, but decided to get on his way instead.

He pulled the door shut behind him and all was quiet until Siangwen clapped her hands together. “Well, I am late with getting dinner started. You two are already here so you will help me, troublemakers.” She finished with her motherly smile. Carryl could merely sigh in defeat.