School Days by Helen Henderson

Windmaster Golem
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The blistering heat of summer is fading and the cooler nights are perfect for sleeping. No matter what the calendar says, it is autumn. Leaves start to change color, crops start to be taken in, and there is one more thing that comes with this time of year. Back-to-school is also a September ritual for many students and parents. The students may be excited or dreading their return to the classroom. As far as the parents? Let's just call it anticipatory. 

The experience of back-to-school time has changed as has the methods of education itself. In the 1800s, many students did not learn their lessons in 100-room structures with an auditorium, inside plumbing, cafeteria, and gymnasium with weight room. The school was a modest one-room building. In addition to books, handheld slates and chalk to write on them made up their supplies. Today in schools, computers and digital books replaced the print ones.

A great-grandparent reminiscing with the next generation could be the topic of a social media meme today. The tale starts with with the obligatory, "You kids have it so easy today. Back in my day we had to walk to school, " Then comes the, "Five miles each way, in the snow, both uphill."

In my own version of the story, in good weather we rode bicycles (or walked) the long lane from the house to the road. Inclement weather meant driving us out not only so that we couldn't trudge through the mud but have a warm, dry place to wait in for the bus. Later, as we became of age, the oldest drove a resurrected Volkswagen beetle bug. A small pull-off just big enough to park the car in was hacked out of the brush hat lined the edge of the lane. The area had a line-of-sight further down the hill so that when we saw a flash of yellow, it was time to run out and reach the road just as the bus stopped.

In the world of Windmaster, there is formal schooling and more detailed studies using the apprenticeship system. But not everything is book learning, magic has a requirement of its own ... to recognize it. A brief snippit from Windmaster Golem of the recognition ceremony where an apprentice receives the tools they need as they progress from apprentice to journeyman. To set the stage, Kia heard the ethereal summons but fought it until deciding to attend to support her students.

“There are those who wish to respond but do not yet feel free,” Dal called with both voice and mind. “Let anyone who hears the summons of the fire, come forward.” A rustle went through the crowd as some shifted from foot to foot.

Dollag left the students he had been standing with. His first hesitant steps grew surer the closer he approached the fire. Pride in her student fought with worry that he would select “her” blade. Anger rose over the other emotions. They are unworthy of the Oracle, Kia reminded herself and sought a more harmonious center.

Within heartbeats Dollag had blade and element in hand and presented them to Dal. As the boy rose from the blessing to stand between Dal and Ellspeth’s first apprentices, Kia felt the archmage’s approval of the new journeyman and added her own silent well-wishes.

 ~ I hope you enjoyed the snippit and thoughts on education. Until next month, stay safe and read.   Helen

To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL

Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky who have adopted her as one the pack. Find out more about her and her novels on her BWL author page.