The Merkwood Chronicles

Chapter 4

Once the carriages had landed, the conductor's voice came through the speakers once more.

"Second and third years, please exit the carriages calmly and make your way towards the school building, make sure to bring all belongings with you." He carried on speaking every so often to tell the other years to exit the carriages and move in the direction of the school. Mabel presumed that they sort of knew the drill when it came to the start of the school year. Mabel hadn't been told what year she would be joining, so she asked Florence and Evie.

"You should be in our year, the fourth year, but normally they keep first timers back with the first years, since they will have to be introduced to the school and be sorted and such." Evie said and as she spoke Birdie looked up at Mabel, she was glad to at least have Birdie when the other girls were called out of the carriages.

Finally, after all the other students had gotten out of the carriages and had moved towards the school, the final batch of students were called.

"All first years and the few first timers we have this year, please exit your carriages calmly and go towards Professor Crane by the side of the trail, make sure to take all of your belongings with you from out of the carriages."

Mabel got up off her seat in the carriage when she felt a hand slip into hers, Birdie smiled up at her and they walked off together, looking fearful, but smiling all the same.

Professor Crane was a tall and thin man, the type of man who was portrayed in the stories Mabel had read as quite harsh and strict, but he didn't seem like that at all at first sight.

"Is everyone out?" He asked the conductor who nodded and he cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I am assistant headmaster Professor Crane, I understand that you are all our newest set of students for this year and that it can be quite nerve-wracking to be going somewhere new for the first time. This is why I am here. I will be taking you along to the school in a couple of minutes so that you are able to get changed into your uniforms before being sorted into your respective houses, but first I shall give you a quick tour of the school grounds and then we shall head up to the main school building together and begin the sorting ceremony." He looked around at the faces of the next generation of students, he could see the nerves and panic and curiosity in their eyes, it took him back to when he was just like them all those years ago.

The grounds that surrounded the school were bigger than Mabel would've ever imagined. Professor Crane showed them a building they called 'The Earth Sector', a huge glass-looking building that was surrounded by and contained every type of plant and more. They walked down the side of a long river that glistened in the late afternoon sun, they followed it up to a large dome looking structure. Professor Crane called it the 'Flight Centre', but that was all he mentioned about it as they all walked past a large and very beautiful forest and then onto a path that led up to the school building. All Mabel could think about was how much she was desperate to explore.

They walked across the school's cobblestone courtyard and over to the front entrance of the building so that they were able to enter and get changed into their uniforms. The stones that made up the walls of the school building were stained an even brighter shade of orange in the light of the setting sun, as it vanished amongst the trees and over the horizon. Lamps were lit all along the pathway, old fashioned lamps lit with fire, guiding the students to their new home.

The students were brought into a room with two changing rooms for them to get changed out of their ordinary clothes and into their new uniforms. Once Mabel had come out from her changing cubicle all ready and dressed in her uniform she heard a small voice coming from the cubicle next to hers.