Page 86 of Into the Isle

Chapter 26

Ravinica

I KEPT REPLAYING GRIM’S parting words that night—while eating in the mess hall with Randi; chatting distractedly with Dagny at Nottdeen Quarter; even before I fell into a deep, bone-weary sleep from my long day.

“You’ll be fighting me.”

Dagny was saying something about how we’d need to go into Isleton over the weekend to get my new clothes, since the first week of classes was turning out to be so busy.

I nodded along. I felt like a zombie.

“You’ll be fighting me.”

I hated the combat trial meant I would have to fight the only man I truly felt I understood here.

At least I knew it wouldn’t be to the death. Right?

I tossed and turned in my bed, yet even Grim’s ominous words weren’t enough to keep my droopy eyes from closing.

I awoke feeling refreshed, and realized I’d gone to sleep relatively early. I had the first few hours of morning to myself, which was a nice break from the swiftness of the academy’s pace. Vikingrune had been beating me over the head ever since I got here. Or at least its students had.

Dagny had a stack of notebooks on her front desk in the lobby of Nottdeen. They were colorful, with cute covers. Her special pile of notebooks.

Knowing I was heading to Dorymir Hall for History & Tomes first, I wanted to be prepared, since I hadn’t gone shopping yet.

I asked Dagny, “Can I use one of your notebooks? I’ll pay you back.”

She frowned at me like I’d suggested a grave injustice. With a solemn headshake, she put a hand on the pile. “We do not write in the special notebooks, Rav.”

I tilted my head. “Huh? There’s like twelve of them there.”

“Each with its own history and significance.”

“Why do you have them if you don’t write in them?”

“They are trophies to be admired.”

I chuckled. She didn’t laugh. Then I scratched my cheek and winced. “Oh. You’re not joking.”

She stood from her chair. “You will understand once you embrace the scholar inside you. Here.”

I smiled wryly. Dagny was certainly a peculiar one.

She bent down and picked up a plain yellow pad from behind the desk, then slid it over to me. “This should work.”

---