The Merkwood Chronicles

Chapter 5

'Strength lies in unity' were now words that Mabel was going to keep with her for the rest of her life, even if she didn't realise it at first. She sat down in a comfortable chair in the hall next to Evie, trying to concentrate. Then, the hall fell silent, echoing sound of heels on hardwood floors filled the silence and a woman who looked about the same age as Professor Crane, walked up to an elegantly carved podium at the very front of the room and began to speak. She looked fairly young, but there was something unmistakably old about her, despite her outward appearance.

"Hello, students, and welcome to yet another grand year at Merkwood Academy!" the woman began, flinging her arms into the air until they were just about in line with her shoulders. With that, the whole hall cheered loudly as the candles within lamps on the walls lit with bright and flickering flames, then dropping back down to silence as her arms lowered, hanging on to her every word.

"We welcome back older students and we welcome the new students who will be stepping to our ancient halls for the first time." She cleared her throat and then carried on speaking. "I am Professor Chase, Professor of elemental studies and Headmistress of this prestigious academy. As I do every year, for those of you who have been fortunate to experience this new start for a few years or more now, I would like to ask for all of the first years and the students who are joining us here for the first time to stand please." Heads darted around nervously as the newbies stood up, slightly embarrassed. Mabel stood up, trying not to fall over her own feet, and she caught a familiar small girl grinning from out of the corner of her eye. Birdie was sat with Florence, Evie's friend from the carriage ride, in the Blackwood sector of seats over at the far side of the room.

"I will tell you what I have told our new students every year for generations and generations before." Headmistress Chase's face turned quite stern and serious, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. It felt as if the room had suddenly dropped darker and colder than before.

"During your time here, you will learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible. There will be things that you will find unnerving and slightly terrifying, but that's perfectly fine, nobody is perfect. Don't give up, even if things don't work out how you wanted, don't give in." She took another pause, "And finally, you are all here for a reason, you belong here, you deserve to be at this school. Never believe anything different." Mabel glanced down at Evie who was sitting down at the table still, she didn't look worried at all, so Mabel pushed any thought of fear or concern out of her mind. "Now, I'm guessing that you are all quite hungry?" Professor Chase said, a bit more lightheartedly than before, the light seeming to seep back into the atmosphere around them. A small cheer came from a few students, silenced when Headmistress Chase lifted her hand and smiled.

"The older students from your houses should be coming around and will hand each of you a slip of card, on the slip of card it should say where your dorm rooms for this year will be. They will then start to lead to your dorm rooms, you will be able to find the remainder of your way alone, it's not incredibly difficult. There in the dorm blocks food will be served, and you will have time to get to know your roommates as well as unpack some of your belongings before going to bed." The older students started handing out slips of card, small rectangles of information, and students started departing group by group and going off in what Mabel presumed was the direction of the dorms. As Evie and Mabel got up from their seats and started making a move, two familiar faces came bouncing out of the crowd of strangers.

"EVIE!" Birdie shouted, making both Evie and Mabel jump almost a foot off the ground. Lord, that child had a big voice inside her. They stood still as Birdie came bolting and Florence came walking towards them.

"Looks like both of us have a friend in our houses now Evie," Florence laughed gesturing at the badge on Mabel's tie and then gesturing to Birdie who was beaming ear to ear.

Birdie told them about the friends that she had already managed to make and how she was in the same house as Florence. As a small group of girls who Mabel recognised as some of the first years that had waited outside of the sorting room earlier that evening walked by and said hi to Birdie, she went off with them and left Mabel, Evie and Florence to go about their own business. Each of them looked at their slips of card to find out that they were all in the same dorm building. They looked again and they were actually in the same dorm room, they would be living together!

Evie and Florence had been sharing a dorm for years, since they started at Merkwood, but now they had been put with Mabel too, they could only guess that their friendship can only grow stronger. It was how they had become friends in the first place. They had been put in the carriage together for the ride to school on their first day, nerves all over the place, but then sorted into different houses. They were put into the same dorm and their friendship grew from there. They both just hoped that it would be the same case with Mabel too.

"So," Florence started, her and Evie gave each other a glance as they opened up their cases and trunks and started to unpack their things onto their beds. Evie knew that they were thinking the same thing, it was time to try and break the newly formed ice. "What abilities do you have Mabel, do you know them yet?"

"Oh... I-I don't know yet," She started, realising how lame that sounded, she turned the question around by asking them the same thing. "What are your abilities? If you don't mind me asking, of course..."

"Of course we don't mind!" Evie exclaimed, excited to show off her gift. Florence felt her excitement too and gave her a quiet stern look before answering first.

"I'm a healer, I... erm... I heal things," Florence started, a calm tone entering her voice, she sounded like she was going to stop there, "But, like, that's kind of self explanatory, really." She then added, finishing with a sweet smile.

Evie then answered, "I have telepathy, I can read minds, both me and Birdie have it, a gift that's been passed down from my mother's side of the family," Evie looked quite impressed at her ability, 'as she should be' Mabel thought 'at least she knew hers'.

"I can also do this," Evie carried on, she stopped talking and knelt down on one knee, her head down and then suddenly she was no longer there, instead, in her place, there was a stunning young wolf with light grey fur. The only similarity was that the wolf had Evie's eyes.

"Evie is also a shapeshifter, but at the moment a wolf is the coolest thing she can do," Florence said, reaching into her case and unpacking still.

"Hey! It's still pretty cool though!" Evie had transformed back into herself and laughed.

"It is cool," Mabel said, "all your powers are cool, both of yours," She looked between the two best friends that stood before her. She wished she had some fantastic and unbelievable power to show off to them, but right now she just had no idea if there was even anything special about her at all. Mabel lifted her head from her trunk of clothes and made direct eye contact with Evie who was looking at her with a sympathetic look.

"Don't worry Mabel, you'll find it soon, it's always like this on the first day. None of us really know our powers at all until classes start." Evie said, making Mabel remember that Evie's ability is literally that she can read minds. There was no hiding anything from that girl.

The girls unpacked and began to get to know each other before heading towards the dining quarters to eat some food, smiling and laughing, new friends.