One could have said Cobra was smiling again if one had cared to look at him sometimes - and nobody was doing so - and if Cobra had been actually smiling - which he was rarely doing. But it was true there was something in his eyes, a sort of happiness that had rarely been there before.
In front of the others, the four of the Snake tribe kept their secret. They didn't change their last behaviour and Rennard lost all his fun bullying Elenie, since neither Cobra nor Elenie were reacting. The only change the reconciliation had brought to the open was that the fear in Elenie's eyes had totally disappeared. She still didn't answer any of Rennard's questions - mostly because they had nothing to do with the class - but gave him instead an infuriating little smile.
Actually there was another change. Bond rings had taken their place on the fingers of Elenie, Errol and Viper. Cobra had still his since he had never been able to take it off, no matter what. Now they were all wearing one, on the ring finger, with a quiet confidence and Viper's admirers were driven crazy by her refusal to explain its provenance, as were Errol's 'girls'. As for Elenie, Rennard asked her - during their private talks - but she only shook her head with a light smile, infuriating him a bit further. Nobody asked Cobra about it; his father, Lord Ydriss, already knew he was bound with Elenie and, anyway, he knew for already quite a long time that it was of no use to try to force Cobra into something he didn't want to do.
Several teachers were tempted to complain for their unjustified absence - strangely, the Headmaster hadn't even explained why at least Viper should have been excused - but as the four students were able to catch up with the others in no time, none dared to - except Rennard, of course. In order to make him wrong, they decided to catch up with astrophysics and even take some advance. For this purpose Errol asked Jayan, one man of his circle, who was one of the best in astrophysics - and, incidentally, Rennard's favourite student, though Rennard hardly showed his preference. Jayan was delighted to help his great friend and they spent hours at the library studying.
Naturally, each evening after the studies with Jayan, Errol was sharing his knowledge with Cobra, who was working also on his side, and the two friends explained it again to Viper and Elenie. Errol winked to Elenie, suggesting it was more than time to show Rennard that she was able to understand an astrophysics lesson and remember it. She smiled knowingly; Errol of course knew that Rennard was her uncle, but they were all quite upset by his attitude anyway. They thus worked very hard, far after the curfew and very early in the morning.
For once they were quite glad to be the last day of the week, though it was their worst day - to their opinion. Fridak was the physics day and for Cobra, who better liked mathematics, it was pure horror. The first lesson, ballistic, was still quite interesting, especially that Professor Ranya was a dynamic little woman, who really had a passion for ballistic and wanted to communicate her passion to her students. They rather liked her - she would never refuse another explanation and loved answering questions - and they had nicknamed her Professor Rocket, nickname that had spread even among the teachers, who called her Rocket Ranya, except of course, Rennard who would still use her last name.
For once Errol arrived a bit late at the ballistic lesson and Ranya had a surprised look for Errol was one of her most enthusiastic students.
"Sorry, Professor," he apologised with his usual grin.
It was well-known no teacher could resist Errol's grin - except Rennard - and Ranya was no exception. She repressed a smile and shooed him to his seat. Cobra had a slight frown, especially that Errol's wide grin didn't reassure him the least.
"What did you do again?" he whispered as Ranya was drawing a diagram on the blackboard.
"I found something quite amusing. You know Rennard never told us his first name? He has always been referred to as 'F. Rennard'? Well, I found his first name."
Cobra had a very light smile.
"You could have asked her, she would probably have told you."
By 'her', Error knew he meant Elenie.
"Yeah, I know, but family business, you know, she could have refused to betray him."
"Rather say you wanted to have a sneak peak at the registry once again. Is there so a registry for the teachers?" Cobra teased him, following attentively Ranya's explanations on her diagram.
"Yes, a huge one, a nice black leather-bound book. And yes, I love to look at the registry. It's full of very interesting information."
"So you found the name?"
"Yeah, I did! Any guess?"
"Nope," replied Cobra, who wasn't really listening to his friend.
"Fox! His full name is Fox Rennard! I thought it was hilarious."
Elenie, seated in front of Errol, turned the head toward him and had a light smile.
"That's my middle name," she added in a whisper.
"Elenie Fox Snake-Eyes?"
"Exactly. Since my mum was from the Fox tribe..."
"What was her name?"
"Can't you guess? Vixen, of course!"
"Does that mean your mother family was an important one in the tribe? Since the children were named Fox and Vixen... Is it the same meaning as my father having 'Snake' as last name?"
"Nope, that's just show off," she replied, grinning as evilly as Errol a moment earlier.
"Mister Snaffles, I would rather have you stop disturbing the class," said Ranya's voice, trying to sound severe. "Would you please come to the blackboard and show everybody how well you did understand that last diagram?"
Naturally she had just erased it and Errol hadn't listened to any of her explanations.
"I would be very honoured, Professor," replied Errol immediately, smiling.
While standing up he murmured to Cobra:
"Which diagram?"
"Ballistic waves."
"Oh! This one!"
He walked confidently to the blackboard, still smiling, took a piece of white chalk and began to draw the diagram on the blackboard, explaining what he was doing at the same time. Cobra knew Errol loved ballistic - and this class only would have decided him to choose the rather physics-charged timetable rather than management - and he more than probably knew the diagram by heart.
As it showed, taken by the subject, Errol kept adding things to the diagram, using chalks of different colours, and Cobra smiled lightly, for half of what he was adding had never been on Ranya's diagram. The class was silent, listening to things they wouldn't learn before the next month. Ranya, on the side, was almost dancing with joy, having probably forgotten in her enthusiast that she hadn't said so much.
"Excellent, mister Snaffles, excellent!" she exclaimed as Errol's diagram was so surcharged that the last rows of the classroom couldn't see anything. "I see you have well understood this diagram and I hope it is the same for the other students."
Some moved the head in such a way it was impossible to say if they were nodding or shaking it. Cobra had simply opened Errol's book at the beginning of the ballistic waves' chapter and was looking at the diagrams, which were explaining pretty much the same as Errol had drawn. The book was already worn and Cobra knew Errol had bought it brand new. He wondered how many times his friend had read it.
Errol came back to his seat and closed the book, looking at Cobra with feigned indignation.
"Mister Slake, would you please stop trying to cheat?" he exclaimed sotto voice.
"Oh, mister Snaffles, I was just learning the first lesson of next year!" his friend replied, half-shaken with silent laugher.
"Please, babies," whispered Viper from behind, "be quiet, I can't hear a word and I certainly didn't learn the next lessons in advance."
"Sorry, Vy," murmured Errol and he became quiet till the end of the class.
The next class was optics and while the beginning had been easy - geometric optics had nothing very complicated in it - they hated physic optics. They listened attentively to Professor Sonora, a tall ascetic man, who spoke slowly and weighed each of his words. While each teacher had his or her favourite student - for example, everybody knew Ranya's favourite student was Errol - Sonora wasn't known to show any favouritism. He was very prosaic and, when studying geometric optics, Sonia Ravenna had exclaimed how lovely the spectres were, declaiming some verses sotto voice - hoping to impress her idol Errol - Sonora had wryly replied that poetry and fancy interpretations wouldn't help her for physic optics - and Errol hadn't been very impressed.
Actually, for once, they wanted to be in astrophysics. Elenie felt more confident than she ever had been in her five years at school and she really had enough to be Rennard's punch-bag. They had to wait the beginning of the second hour before Rennard began to bully her again - he had tried to take on Cobra and Viper before, only to have them answering quietly, even if he asked them questions on the lessons they had missed.
For Elenie he didn't bother too much; he asked an easy question, trying to shame her, since she was unable to answer the easiest question anyway. He didn't even wait for her to answer and walked back to the blackboard, already ready to vituperate against her frightened silence. He was indeed very surprised when he heard a voice quietly answering him. He turned on his heels and looked at her; she was smiling lightly and all fear had disappeared from her eyes. Sharply he asked another question, a lot harder, from the lessons she had missed. Yet again she answered.
Rennard began to get angry. He didn't like the mocking gleam in her eyes, nor her crooked smile. The class was holding back their breath and their dislike of Rennard was clearly showing, for they didn't care a bit for Elenie, but were rather overjoyed to see her tease Rennard. The next question he asked was not in the lessons he had taught and almost nobody knew the answer. Elenie did and said it. Rennard bent down toward her.
"Tell me, miss Elenie, did someone cast a spell on you? Or is someone hissing the answers in your ear? One month ago you couldn't repeat the word I had just said and now you recite the next lesson? Are you laughing at me, miss Elenie?"
Elenie stared at him, dumbfounded, then opened her book and looked for the chapter they were studying.
"Oh my god," she said, "I learnt the wrong lesson! I am sorry, Professor."
"Miss Elenie, I do not like your mocking tone," said Rennard very coldly.
He breathed deeply and found back his scathing tone.
"I guess you are then very impatient to learn the lesson about astrology, miss Elenie."
She blushed slightly, perfectly knowing it for an insult: astrology was more than despised here and those who believed in it were laughed at without any distinction - teachers or students.
"Oh no, Professor, I would rather learn the lesson about astrolabes. That seems to be much more fun."
"Are you trying to be impertinent, miss Elenie?"
"Oh no, Professor, I would never dare."
The whole class was trying not to laugh. Rennard didn't appreciate it the least.
"Miss Elenie, I think you are going to see the Headmaster."
"It would be a great honour for me, Professor."
"Frankly, Fox," said Errol casually, "that wouldn't be nice at all."
Rennard paled and wondered what had gone wrong with this class.
"Miss Elenie and mister Snaffles, to the Headmaster! Class dismissed! Or maybe would miss Elenie have her knight with her?" he added, hoping to shame her, as she was looking toward Cobra.
"Oh, yes, thank you for the permission," she replied, smiling. "Cobra, dear, would you accept to come along?"
"Dear, I would be delighted."
He stood up, threw his bag on his shoulder and offered his arm to her.
"Shall we go?"
"Are you sure you're not forgetting someone?" said Viper, crossing the arms on her chest.
"Oh, my dear," exclaimed Errol, "I'm so sorry! I didn't think you would want to come. Of course you are very welcome."
Rennard growled loudly. The four friends were standing up, everybody looking at them and they were obviously mocking him.
"To the Headmaster, all of you!" yelled Rennard.
But it was written somewhere that it was not Rennard's day. When seeing the four friends enter the headmaster had a nervous smile, immediately followed by a frown as Rennard was entering the room also. Rennard aired his grievances: he insisted on the impertinence of the four students; he explained that Errol knowing his first name - and claiming it - could only come that he had had a look in one of the registries and thus that he deserved an exemplary punishment; he even protested against Elenie's cheek to learn the next lessons!
The headmaster listened patiently to him and then said, after a quick glance toward Cobra:
"Fox, I am surprised. I only receive compliments from other professors about these four students, except from you. It is the second time you bring mister Slake in my office and it seems really strange to me. Ilya hasn't enough words to tell me how happy he is to have such a model student."
"I do protest, Headmaster! Mister Slake is well-known to be the little protégé of Professor Orceo."
Cobra raised the eyebrows.
"That's news for me," he murmured.
The headmaster looked at him nervously.
"Fox, honestly, seeing that you are the only one to complain about these students, I have to assume that you are a bit quick to be offended. There will thus be no punishment, especially for miss Elenie; last I knew, learning the next lesson is no crime. As for mister Snaffle being able to say aloud your name, well, I would suggest a lucky guess."
"I don't believe in luck!" roared Rennard before leaving abruptly the room.
The four friends took politely their leave and found themselves outside the headmaster's room without really believing in their luck.
"Phew!" said Errol, leaning back against the wall. "I would never have believed that the headmaster would stand for us if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!"
"He probably dislikes Rennard as much as everybody else in the school," suggested Viper, with a wink for Elenie.
Cobra shook the head.
"Wrong guess, both of you. If I'm right - and I usually am, right? - the headmaster didn't stand for us; he stood for me because he thinks he owes me something for having brought back Viper from Bloodtracker's claws. That was a one-time joker, believe me."
Elenie nodded.
"And now, Rennard will hate us some more."
"Oh, come on, it was worth it! Just seeing the face he made when he heard his name claimed in front of the whole class!" laughed Errol.
"No, no, the best was when Elenie answered his questions! I thought he was going to collapse or else jump to the ceiling!" exclaimed Viper.
"And you know what's the best of all? Since we've taken so much advance, we won't have any homework for at least two weeks!" continued Errol.
"I doubt it," muttered Cobra.
And he was right. Rennard was so infuriated that, pretending he wasn't giving enough work since students were mocking him, he gave twice more to do. The other students threw dark glances to Elenie - nobody would have dared to accuse Errol. She had a sheepish smile, but didn't protest. Actually nobody protested but in the evenings, everybody gathered in little groups, trying hard to learn the lessons and do the exercises. Cobra, after one hour of work, stood up and left the common room without a word.
He went straight to the first-years' room, settled down in his favourite hidden spot and watched the students. He noticed something almost immediately: the tension between Aranea Whydah - the girl from the Spider tribe - and the Bird sisters. Swanilda Fledging, the eldest, looked at Aranea as a hungry wolf would look at a hurt rabbit but Aranea didn't seem to care. She had an irritating little smile and toyed endlessly with the ring at her middle finger. Naturally, her ring was in shape of a spider and, more exactly, it seemed to be a black widow.
Cobra chewed thoughtfully his lower lip. The ring almost shouted "Poison!" to him. It wasn't a bond ring but it definitely was a tribe ring. He tried to remember all the things he should have known on the different tribes, certain it would give him the answer about this curious ring. As to answer his prayer, Errol popped up next to him.
"What is puzzling you?" he asked cheerfully, though being careful to keep his voice down.
"Her ring," muttered Cobra, frowning.
Error didn't even bother to ask whose ring it was. He looked down at the common room and fixed his attention on the three only persons Cobra could take interest in. He naturally noticed Aranea's ring and frowned in turn.
"Ah! Interesting..."
"Thought so. Any idea? I'm afraid I forgot everything concerning the Spider tribe."
"Do you think she knows about us?" Errol asked while thinking.
"Dunno how she would. There's no communications between the students, except if they are sitting in the same classroom and even then. Remember, it took us four years to notice that Elenie hadn't any last name... officially."
"I remember, thanks. My memory's not as bad as yours," grinned Errol. "Definitely a tribe ring, huh?"
"Yeah, I could find that out by myself. Glad to see you have such a good opinion of my mental capabilities. What kind of tribe ring? We don't have tribe rings, do we?"
"Yes, we do, but we never wear them."
"Oh? Which one do we have?"
"The venomous ring. Supposedly looking like the snake you're bound to and warning people that it's a venomous snake - in case they didn't know. But as people consider us to be all venomous, we don't bother wearing it."
They looked at each other.
"That's it, naturally!" exclaimed Errol. "It's a venomous ring. A black widow, Cobra! She's warning the Bird sisters that she is no dinner for them and that she would answer by poison to any attack against her."
"Fancy that! That's going to help the security in the school..."
"Oh well, one can't have everything, huh?"
"Anyway, if there's a death by poison, I know where to look for," muttered Cobra.
"Yeah. It's almost too obvious. I'd use her as a scapegoat if I wanted to commit a crime."
"True. Very true. Anyway I'll keep an eye on her."
"You better, especially that Swanilda doesn't look like she's going to care that Aranea is venomous."
"Ah, you noticed also?"
"I'm not blind."
"And don't you feel something strange about the eldest Fledging?"
"What did you unearth again?" sighed Errol.
"She's a guardian, maybe even the Guardian."
"You're kidding, right?"
"What did you say you weren't? Blind? Yeah, sure. Use your Sight, silly."
"Oh. Hum. Alright, I see. She is the Guardian."
"That's what I thought. Now the thing is, where is the one she's guarding?"
"Her sister? That's strange, I can't see any aura on her. Total emptiness."
"You see white?"
"Not even that. I can't use my Sight on her. No matter how hard I try, I see only her. Not her tribe aura."
"Hmm. Interesting..."
"How did you know?"
"How did I know what?"
"For Swanilda. Her Guardianship."
"Oh, that! As usual. The same way I knew she was from the Bird tribe. My sixth sense, I guess. I can't explain, Errol. I just know it."
"Well, I don't like your innate knowledge. It makes me totally useless," replied Errol, half-pouting.
"Ah, no... No innate knowledge could replace the presence of a friend. Please keep in mind that I consider you to be my friend first. You are not my Guardian, even if my parents said the contrary."
"That's still something."
"Errol... When you look at Iriss, what do you see?"
"A snake, what else?"
"Be serious. What is your Sight telling you?"
"Oh! Err... I don't think I've ever tried my Sight on Iriss, honestly."
"Well, try it the soonest possible."
"Why so?"
"Because I have an idea, the wildest idea ever... An idea so stupid I prefer not to tell you."
"You're scaring me. Each time you have a stupid idea, it proves to bring lots of trouble."
"Oh well, don't tell me you don't like a thrill from now and then."
"Please remember that not so long ago, Elenie, your father and I took your wound and that it's still healing."
"I thought it was healed a long time ago."
"Wrong guess."
"Where did you transfer yours?"
"Left shoulder. Where did your father and Elenie transfer theirs?"
"Arm for my father and hand for Elenie."
"Why hand?"
"She said she should have reacted and raised the hand to stop the knife of her own father. A way to punish herself," he added, sneering a little.
"Let's go back to the common room. Viper and Elenie are going to wonder where we are."
Cobra nodded, a strange little smile on his lips. Errol rolled the eyes and grumbled.
"Alright, alright, I'll say it: you were right about Viper and me from the very beginning. There, are you happy?"
"Ecstatic."
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
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