Elise Ariane Wynn was late again.
The halls of Wysteria Academy were already settling into their quiet rhythm when she finally slowed, the faint hum of magic still clinging to her like a second heartbeat. Elise hummed along with it, picking up the edges of her cloak as she climbed the stairs.
Ink stained her fingers, evidence of another half-finished journal entry, and the strap of her satchel was wound too tightly around her wrist- an old habit when her thoughts refused to behave. Elise had lost track of time writing. And to be blunt, her mind wouldn't stop spinning until she had a finished entry.
She paused before the door of her class. Ancient Languages. Elise had an A in this class, but she still didn't want to skip it. With a deep breath, she opened the door. "Gaulish had both short and long vowels-" Professor Clariance shot Elise a look, marking down her second tardy in the week, before continuing, "They were pronounced in the following way: ā, as in father; a, like the u in but.”
“Miss Wynn,” Professor Clariance said without looking at her.
Elise froze.
“Since you arrived in time for phonology,” he continued, “perhaps you can tell us why confusing these sounds was once punishable by exile.”
Elise winced internally, "They.. uh.. these sounds were punishable by exile due to the way they interacted with magic?" Elise knew it was a long shot, but still. It came out more like a question than an answer, but she pressed on anyway. “Gaulish vowels don’t just change meaning. They change the effect.”
The room went very quiet. Professor Clariance stopped pacing. For the first time since Elise had entered, he turned to look directly at her. “Careful, Miss Wynn,” he said mildly. “That is not the answer most students give.” A few heads turned in her direction. Elise felt heat creep up her neck. “But,” he continued, after a beat, “it is not incorrect.”
Professor Clariance inclined his head once, as if filing Elise away for later. “Moving on,” he said. “Gaulish ē.” He wrote the character on the board, the chalk leaving a faint shimmer behind. “Ē, as the a in marry,” he said. “And e, as in bet.”
Elise felt the difference immediately. The long vowel settled warm and heavy in her chest. The short one snapped, quick and sharp, like a struck match.
“As before,” Professor Clariance continued, “length determines intent. Sustain the wrong sound, and you invite consequences.” He went on through ī, i, ō, o, ū, u without calling on Elise again. "In addition, the vowels i and u also had consonantal sounds when they appeared before certain letters. In general, if they appear before another vowel, then they are pronounced in the following way: i, pronounced y, as in yet,” he said. “And u, pronounced w, as in wet.” A ripple of murmurs passed through the room. These always confused people.
.
Elise didn’t write them down. She didn’t need to. The sounds slid too easily into place, gliding instead of settling, like they refused to be pinned.
Yet. Wet. Spelled: Iet. Uet.
Movement words. Transition sounds. Bridges.
“These vowels,” Professor Clariance continued, “do not hold power on their own. They direct it. Misplace them, and a working does not fail- it wanders.”
