The Mushroom Farm

Eisenfelde Heldkadettenanstalt was established during the Second Dominion when Eigenland was  the center of the polity. While the academy was still prestigious and supported by traditional aristocrats with a vested interest in maintaining the legacy of its standing, the importance and influence of Eisenfelde had long since waned.

The training hall was on the west side of the academy grounds, so Cecilia and her two female trainees needed to cross the central quadrangle to reach their residences on the eastern edge of the grounds. The plaza was colloquially known as the Ehrenhof, bordered by the main dining hall on the south and the residential Stiftungshaeuser bearing the names of aristocratic families along the other three sides.

It was the early evening as Cecilia entered the Ehrenhof followed by Bischof and Eschen who laughed and chatted behind her. Both of them were tall, almost as tall as Cecilia herself, and hailed from the hinterlands where people were often more traditional. They insisted on carrying Cecilia's gear in a heavy canvas roll, and spoke to her as if they were her retainers, rather than fellow cadets.

Cecilia was embarrassed by the deference they showed her. The experience of being treated with respect in casual company outside of the training halls was jarring; she was so accustomed to being belittled that she didn't know how to react. Their reflexive sense of formality acted as a subtle barrier that made it difficult for Cecilia to talk to them easily, but she was still comforted by their presence at her back.

As the sun started to dip below the horizon, cadets began to migrate toward the dining hall in small, well-dressed groups. The lavishly decorated Stiftungshaeuser that bordered the square caught the last amber rays of the sun, creating a picture of grandeur and opulence. The cool autumn air was filled with the scent of the dishes being prepared in the dining hall, and the chatter of cadets eager to fill their stomachs.

As the trio navigated the Ehrenhof, they encountered the impeccably dressed Hero-Cadet Wiltern accompanied by his coterie of stylishly dressed beauties in front of the Wiltern Stiftungshaus. 

"Well, if it isn't Gullfot and her pair of plow horses," drawled the polished young man mockingly. "Are you headed back to that mushroom farm of yours?"

The girls accompanying Wiltern giggled and smiled with charm, but their eyes were hard as they  glared icily at Cecilia. They pointedly ignored Bischof and Eschen who stood in gambeson and chausses behind their senior cadet. Cecilia noted that some of these girls had been residents of the indigent dormitory before moving into the Wiltern Stiftungshaus.

Cecilia stopped and turned to face Wiltern blank-faced, adopting the dull-eyed stare of the farmers back home when they encountered condescending city dwellers. She was soaked in sweat, disheveled, and carried her training gambeson thrown over one shoulder. They stared at each other silently, until Wiltern coughed in discomfort. 

Passing cadets glanced at their standoff in curiosity, and some muttered at Cecilia's uncouth appearance compared to the well-dressed Wiltern. 

She had a mixed reputation at the academy. Since the end of her first year at Eisenfelde, Cecilia's reputation was one of arrogance for refusing to join the orbit of Karl von Wittmark who was now a Hero of the Dominion. They joked at her preference to reign in squalor rather than yield her standing to a hero and live in luxury. 

A smaller faction of cadets viewed her defiance of convention as daring, characterizing her unkempt yet martial appearance as romantic and gallant.

"Well, let's continue on our way, ladies," Wiltern finally said awkwardly as he started to saunter away.

Unbothered, Cecilia turned back along their path and continued to walk. When Wiltern was out of earshot, she heard the farmgirls guffaw in laughter behind her, and she allowed herself a smile. The girls were humble and comfortable with themselves so the insult was unable to damage their self-esteem.

She heard the girls hurry up to her, and was given a comradely nudge against her back. Cecilia half turned, smiling quizzically.

"If you weren't obviously a thoroughbred, we would have thought you were one of us," Eschen told her laughing.

As they left the radiance of the central plaza, the surroundings became deserted of cadets. The buildings around them cast long shadows as the light began to fail. The dormitories were a cluster of antique buildings converted from the original barracks used for housing during the Second Dominion. The large Stube-style rooms had at some point been converted to more luxurious Bursa-style suites to accommodate a more aristocratic lifestyle.

Their particular residence was nicknamed the Pilzhaus, or more recently, the Gullfot Pilzhaus by the rest of the academy. It was largely abandoned, and overlooked a desolate courtyard. Cecilia could see a few illuminated windows in the north wing of the stone building. The lights were the only evidence she had that there were any other inhabitants in the building other than herself, Eschen, and Bischof. 

The main doors of the center block were locked, and the keys had vanished ages ago, so Cecilia and her two trainees had to enter through the auxiliary north wing entrance.

As they entered the building, they were met with the smell of old wallpaper and stale air from the many unoccupied rooms. Personally, Cecilia did not think the Pilzhaus was particularly bad except for the southern wing of the building which could arguably live up to the building's damp, moldy reputation.

 Cecilia had kept her own suite a few doors down from the stairs leading up to the residential quarters. Bischof and Eschen shared a suite next to her. Each suite consisted of a large inner and outer room once used to house up to twenty cadets.

Cecilia only used the inner chamber since it had a window overlooking the courtyard. The outer chamber was largely empty, but there were a few boxes stacked in a corner for storage. Letting her gambeson slip onto the floor she began unlacing her padded chausses from her arming belt, allowing each one to fall around her ankles. Cecilia grabbed a coarse linen towel and a fresh tunic as she gathered her damp clothing in a basket and headed down to the boiler room.

Entering the downstairs boiler room, she was relieved to note that someone had already started the fire in the massive iron boiler and it had not gone out. A large canvas sheet blocked off the left side of the room. Slipping behind the canvas with her basket, Cecilia counted three sets of training gear already hanging on lines that crisscrossed the room. She had just started hanging up her padded armor when Bischof peeked her head from behind the canvas. She entered with her equipment followed by Eschen.

"I'm going to stoke the fire, so you can go directly to the baths," she told the two girls.

The communal bathhouse for the north wing was a stone-walled room that smelled faintly of wet mold that was only partially masked by boiler smoke from nearby. A  row of stalls for showering were installed along the eastern wall, while a number of sunken stone basins ran along the western wall.

When Cecilia entered the bath, Eschen and Bischof were already soaking in the stone tubs. She  stripped off her soiled clothing and entered a shower stall. Twisting the two brass taps, Cecilia adjusted the water to an acceptable temperature. She stepped into the stream of lukewarm water to rinse away the grime and salt of the training hall from her body.  

Scrubbing her skin with a block of harsh soap, she watched the water swirling around the drain turn black with soot from the boiler. She let the water run over her head, washing the sweat from her hair. 

Ready to soak in the bath, she turned off the taps and exited the stall. Bischof indicated the tub next to her which she had already filled with water. Cecilia stepped into the water and sat. She leaned her head against the cool lip of the basin, allowing her muscles to relax and the warmth to soak into her.

The girls reluctantly left their baths, needing to return to Ehrenhof before the dining hall was closed.

Once dried and dressed in her sharp senior cadets' uniform, Cecilia met Eschen and Bischof in the corridor outside of their suites. The two farmgirls held greatcoats in their arms, while Cecilia had an aristocratic cloak draped over hers. 

The trio headed back to the central square to reach the main dining hall, which cast a welcoming golden light out into the dark square. Their dinner for the evening consisted of thick slices of  bread, gently simmered beef served with apple-horseradish sauce, vegetables in clear broth with noodles, and semolina dumplings.

They sat on opposite sides of one of the long sturdy oak tables that furnished the dining hall. Eschen enjoyed her meal with a hearty appetite, while Bischof carefully carved her beef, still maintaining a semblance of the traditional manners favored by the noble class. 

The girls ate with easy camaraderie, with Eschen and Bischof sharing thoughtful commentary on the differences in the way their food was prepared in the countryside. Cecilia who was not particularly adept at cooking, did not have much to add, but listened and nodded in contentment.  The food tasted rich, and the enjoyment was enhanced by the comfort of genuine company.