An Ode to Uncertainty

Jarl lost count after the fifth time that Mistress Varja took him. It all blended together in a wonderful mind-breaking climax that lasted forever. As he settled down into the bed after what apparently had been the final coupling, she lay naked beside him. He did not remember at what point she had discarded her clothes but now he lay there looking at her amazing body. She was like something out of a fairy tale. Flowing fiery hair that lay curled over her large round breasts. Long limber legs that cradled a red bush that hid her sex. He reached out with one hand and caressed her. She did not seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to be completely out of it. He turned her head towards him, and her eyes looked right through him. It sent a shiver down his spine and he went back to caressing her body. She purred as his hand slid down over her stomach, past her sex and down over her thighs. She blinked and then looked at him as if she just realized he was there.

"I'm sorry," she said sitting up. "That was not at all professional."

She was shaking her head, stood up from the bed and grabbed her discarded robe and held it up in front of him. Jarl sat up looking at her.

"It was just ..." she begun.

Jarl rose and took a step towards her, but she held out her hand.

"No. Best if we end here. I ... I need to record the results. By the gods. The power ..."

Mistress Varja headed over to the table the robe still clutched to her chest which gave Jarl a perfect view of her naked backside. She sat down on the chair and started scribbling. After a few drops Jarl cleared his throat. Mistress Varja sat up and turned around.

"Oh. You can go now. No. Wait," she said reaching out to grab a long chain with an octagon shaped medallion hanging at the end. "Take this. I ... I made it for you."

She held out the medallion towards him. Jarl took a step forward and took it in his hand. It was cold to the touch. He vaguely remembered wearing it at some point of their debauchery. Then it had felt hot, almost burning his skin. He touched his chest. There was no mark.

"Wear it. It will help," she said her focus back on her notes.

Jarl thought about something to say but just nodded, collected his clothes from the next room and put the medallion around his neck. Then he left.

Outside the door he found Sigrid. She was standing straight up, not even leaning against the wall.

"Are you still here? I thought you would've left long ago."

She snorted and shook her head.

"I guarded the den of the Last Lady for nineteen days. The snow went up to my chest. Standing outside the door in a warm house for ten bells while my charge is trying to break his teacher in half, is nothing."

"You heard?"

Sigrid laughed a dry little laugh.

"There is a gap under the door wide enough to let a small dog in. I would be surprised if there is anyone in this building that did not hear. They would have had to be completely deaf."

Jarl could feel himself blushing. He never blushed. I need to change the subject.

"I was in there for ten bells?"

"Third bell just struck," Sigrid said nodding.

Jarl looked around and just now realized that blueish lights were lighting the corridors. Outside there was darkness.

"I told Mirja that you would meet her at nine bells in front of the Matrimancy building. This building. So, you better get home and get some sleep."

"When did you talk to her?" Jarl said raising an eyebrow.

"When she came looking for you."

"She was here?"

Sigrid nodded.

"She heard as well?"

"Everyone heard."

They headed back to his quarters in silence and Jarl was so tired that he fell straight into bed.

Something hit him in the face.

"Get up."

It was Sigrid's voice. By the seventh, he hated that girl. She hit him again.

"Get. Up."

Jarl put his hands on his face. By the ravenfolk, it felt like he had been out drinking for three days straight. He tried sitting up.

"You are meeting Mirja in ten drops. We have to leave. Now."

Jarl looked up at Sigrid who was looming over him.

"Why are you so insistent on taking me to class?" he groaned and almost lay down again.

"I never fail. And if you fail, I fail. So, get out of bed. Now."

Jarl rubbed his temples. Most of last night was a blur but images of Mistress Varja's body came back to him in flashes.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Five bells."

Jarl groaned. No wonder he was feeling horrible. He stood up and looked down at himself. He looked exactly like he expected of someone sleeping half a night in their clothes.

"I need to change."

"No time. We are not going to be late for your class," Sigrid said and began dragging him out of the room.

They went past two of the other dormitories and along the way several other groups of students walked next to them.

"Did you hear about what happened down at the docks last night?" said a girl walking next to them. "There was a ship from Etherese that brought in a basilisk and when they carried it to land the crate broke and before they got it covered up seventeen longshoremen had been turned to stone."

"I bet it was one of those Idiotic noblemen that wanted it for some hidden menagerie," said the guy next to her.

"Or it was for Master Olgric's experiments," a third voice chimed in.

"That man is going to get us all killed one day," the first girl said shaking her head.

Jarl stopped in his tracks and watched the little group of students walk away. They didn't look like they were from Nordheim.

"Hurry, we're going to be late," said a guy brushing past him to another running next to him.

Sigrid was five paces ahead now and turned around.

"Don't just stand there. We need to hurry," she said tapping her foot on the cobbles.

Jarl looked around. He heard voices from at least a dozen throats. And he understood them all. Sigrid went back to grab him by the elbow, and she dragged him all the way to the entrance of the Matrimancy building where Mirja was impatiently waiting.

"I understand," Jarl said as he was face to face with her.

"You're late. Let's go," Mirja said. Then she looked Jarl over. "Have you slept in your clothes?"

"He has," Sigrid nodded.

Mirja sighed and shook her head. Then she dragged him into the building.

Jarl could not stop listening to the hushed conversations in the auditorium. Suddenly he felt so ... connected.

"It's amazing," he whispered.

"You're so strange," Mirja said shaking her head. "Now quiet. She's here."

Mistress Varja had just entered the stage. Her head turned towards Jarl as if she knew exactly where he was. When her gaze landed on him, he got a sucking feeling in his stomach. He grabbed the edge of his desk. They locked gazes for not more than a blink and when she let him go it felt like he was falling.

"Look at her. She looks completely out of it," Mirja whispered.

She was right. If Jarl looked a bit crumpled, she looked completely disheveled. It did not look like she had slept a single drop since they parted.

"What did you two do?"

Jarl shook his head. He honestly had no idea. He remembered what Mistress Varja had said before they parted. The power. Mistress Varja started her lecture. Jarl had a hard time concentrating as she once every few drops looked his way and it felt like he was falling straight towards her.

"I need you in my office tomorrow at five bells," Mistress Varja said without looking up.

Jarl nodded. She had not even had to ask him to come down to her after class, he had just known that she wanted him to.

The following class with Master Cerdic passed in a blur. Mirja took his arm when it was done and led him back to his room.

"Are you okay?" she asked as Sigrid closed the door after them.

He nodded.

"Get some sleep won't you. The afternoon is free."

His limbs felt like lead. The two women helped him get undressed and he did not even remember making it to the bed before he fell asleep.

Someone shook his shoulder. Jarl groaned. He had had the most wonderful dream where Tilda had brought him breakfast and then finished him off after he was done.

"I'm tired. Let me be," he said turning over.

"You've been summoned to the dean of Matrimancy at ten bells. We need to leave soon."

Jarl opened his eyes. Mirja was sitting next to him on the bed. She looked down on him with concern plain in her face. His foggy mind cleared, and he looked up at her.

"What's with the face?" he said reaching up and caressing her cheek.

"You've been asleep for close to twenty bells," Sigrid said from the other side of the room.

Jarl sat up. Sigrid was leaning against a wall looking at him with the same concern as Mirja.

"I'm just fine," he said smiling. "Actually, I feel great," he said standing up smiling widely.

He did. He felt stronger than he had in a long time. And he felt ... he looked down at his very erect member that was standing straight out from his body. Neither of the girls could miss that fact. Jarl leaned down towards Mirja and grabbing her neck he kissed her hard. She hesitated for a second before returning the kiss. They kissed for a long while before he broke off the kiss.

"I want you. Now," he said looking into her eyes.

She nodded. He stood up and put his glans at her lips. Mirja quickly took him into her mouth and started working his shaft. Jarl raised his hands to the ceiling and yawned widely as Mirja kept working him. She looked up at him and he caressed her hair and watched her please him. It felt absolutely amazing. He looked over at Sigrid. She was watching intently as usual.

"Sigrid. Come here," he said without thinking.

The Sister stared at him for a few moments. Then she nodded sharply and moved towards him. She halted two steps away. Mirja's head was moving back and forth, she was completely engulfed in what she was doing. Jarl met Sigrid's eyes.

"Remove her clothes."

Sigrid stood completely still. Jarl kept looking at her and did not flinch. After what felt like an eternity the Sister nodded briefly. Then she moved behind Mirja, went down on her knees and started to undo the other woman's dress. Mirja kept pleasing him but Jarl kept all his attention on Sigrid. When she had untied Mirja's back she roughly jerked the dress down over Mirja's shoulders and down her arms exposing her chest. Jarl pulled Mirja up to standing and Sigrid pulled the dress the rest of the way down so that it was laying at Mirja's feet. Then she took a step back.

"Thank you, Sigrid," Jarl said turning Mirja around and bending her over, then he sank his flesh deep into the dark-haired girl.

Mirja had trouble standing up as he thrust into her from behind.

"Keep her steady, would you," he said looking at Sigrid.

The Sister nodded and stood in front of the naked Mirja and put her hands on the other woman's shoulders. Jarl thrust harder into Mirja and the dark-haired girl put her hands on Sigrid's shoulders to better keep her balance. The two women were almost face-to-face as he time after time sank his flesh deep into Mirja. The dark-haired woman was breathing hard and Sigrid was studying Mirja's face as Jarl took her. Not long after Mirja came in a shuddering climax and almost collapsed on Sigrid. The dark-haired girl put her arms around Sigrid and hugged her with her head on Sigrid's shoulder as Jarl pushed towards his own peak. With his eyes locked on Sigrid's he came with a deafening shout and spilled his seed into Mirja.

"Acolyte Jarl, fourteenth son of Tormund the Great, Prince of the Stormpikes and the Wild Ranges," said the woman sitting at the middle of the table opposite him.

There were five of the Mistresses and Masters sitting at the other side of the table from him. He recognized Master Cerdic. Mistress Varja sat at the end of the table. For some reason she refused to meet his eyes. She had cleaned up and no longer looked like something that had been lying under a rock for the better part of a year. The other three he did not know. The Mistress who had been speaking, at least Jarl assumed she was a Mistress, had long flowing blonde hair and wore a dress that would have been better suited at a high-class brothel. Next to her sat a Master with sharp dark, almost black eyes that were fixed on Jarl, his stare made Jarl even more uncomfortable, if that was at all possible.

"Please note that this is not a formal hearing. And no charges have been brought against you, or anyone else."

She pointedly looked at Mistress Varja who looked down at the table.

"I am Mistress Lorelee, dean of Matrimancy. You know Master Cerdic, dean of Elemancy. Then we have Master Olgric," she said indicating the man next to her.

For an instant Jarl met the Master's gaze and felt like he was stabbed in the gut. It was not that the Master was intending to kill him, rather that he would very much like to see what Jarl's insides looked like.

"He is our dean of Animancy."

Jarl had no idea what that meant but was relieved when the Master finally looked away and nodded at Mistress Lorelee.

"Mistress Jora. Our dean of Phantasmancy."

A very young-looking woman with short blonde hair nodded at him smiling. She looked even younger than he did. He smiled back.

"And lastly we have Mistress Norei, dean of Scriptomancy," Mistress Lorelee said nodding at a nondescript woman with bleak streaks of hair running down over her face.

The woman seemed to flinch when Lorelee mentioned her name and visibly exhaled as the attention left her.

"Normally principal Sirka would be presiding, but she is out on official duty. Now," Mistress Lorelee said putting her ringed fingers on the table.

Jarl could not help but look at them. She wore at least one ring per finger, two on several. There must have been enough precious stones on there to fund a decent sized city for the better part of a year.

"Well. Let's get started. I think that Mistress Varja has a few words to say?"

Mistress Varja cringed as the attention centered on her. She took a deep breath and then looked straight at Jarl. He did not feel the same sucking feeling that he had in the lecture hall, but he could not help but shift a little in his chair.

"I deeply apologize for the unprofessional handling of our initial encounter. I went far past what is considered acceptable practice. It will not happen again."

The room went silent. Jarl looked around at the others. Lorelee was waiting for ... something. Master Cerdic was nodding slowly. Master Olgric was watching Mistress Varja with that same dissecting look as he had earlier put on Jarl. Mistress Jora was still looking directly at Jarl with that same crooked smile. He quickly moved his gaze to Mistress Norei who almost ducked down as he did so.

"Well then that's sorted. Now, young man," Lorelee said looking at him. "I have discussed with Mistress Varja and Master Cerdic. It seems that, despite her unconventional handling, Mistress Varja has had some remarkable results in her studies with you. Far, far too interesting to let go of, in fact. At the same time Master Cerdic informs me that it would be a pity not to put such a talented Geomancer's focus on ... Geomancy."

She looked around the table and got a few nods.

"So. From now on you major will be Elemancy with a focus on Geomancy. You will also continue studying under Mistress Varja, but under my personal supervision. Do you agree?"

The room went silent as everyone watched him. He did what seemed to work best, he nodded.

"Good. And you may keep the artifact."

"Artifact?" Jarl said hesitantly.

"The medallion," Mistress Lorelee said pointing at the item hanging around his neck. "Impressive work," Mistress Lorelee said turning to Mistress Varja. "Very interesting indeed," she continued while nodding. "I look forward to working with you," Mistress Lorelee said standing up and stretching her hand out.

Jarl rose and took her hand and kissed it. Her fingers were soft and warm, and his lips tingled as he pressed them to her skin. Someone laughed. Jarl looked up but could not say who it had been. Mistress Lorelee just smiled at him.

"How did it go?" Mirja said as he rejoined them outside the Matrimancy building.

The sun was shining down sharply, and Jarl was almost blinded compared to the dim light inside.

"All right," he said. "At least I think it went all right," he added shrugging.

Mirja looked at him with an inquisitive look. Sigrid just had her arms crossed over her chest.

"So. Tell us. What happened?"

Before Jarl could start a voice interrupted them.

"Acolyte Jarl."

Jarl spun around. In the doorway stood Mistress Lorelee. He nodded towards her.

"Please report to Mistress Varja's office next Moonday at four bells."

Jarl nodded. The Mistress smiled at him and went back inside. He could not help but follow the movements of her backside as she ascended the stairs.

"Was that Mistress Lorelee?" Mirja whispered as the woman got out of earshot.

Jarl nodded. Mirja whistled.

"What?" Jarl said looking at her.

"There are more stories going around the campus about her than there are students. Apparently, she spends most of her time either at the palace or at one of the Parlors. She only comes back here on special occasions."

"Parlors?" Sigrid asked.

Jarl was thankful that the Sister never accepted not knowing something. It made him seem less uninformed.

"That's what they call the brothels that the faculty of Matrimancy runs in the city. High class establishments that only attract the best clientele. They're the main reason why the faculty is so influential. Not only do they stand for the lion's share of the College's income and acts as a major source of information, they also create bonds that channel power to supply most of the energy to the College."

Jarl looked at Mirja. He was about to open his mouth when Sigrid beat him to it.

"How do you know all this? You said you've only been here for three days now?"

Bless that girl, Jarl thought.

"I've gotten to talking to the other girls at my dorm," Mirja said shrugging.

"That's excellent. Keep doing that," Sigrid said nodding.

Mirja smiled from the praise.

"I also heard from the second-year girls that once you mastered the first tier of Coitumancy you can start working extra at the Parlors. It's the reason why most of them don't have to stay in the crappy dorms. They rent nicer apartments outside of campus that they share."

"Crappy dorms?" Jarl said raising an eyebrow. "I think my quarters are rather acceptable."

Mirja shook her head sighing.

"You really should get your head out of your ass sometimes," Sigrid said.