A Slightly Abnormal Day
It's almost time for lessons, Kiara sped through the task of washing the lunch dishes with the efficiency that comes with years of experience. I can't wait. I LOVE history. Haven is so much better than the Hold, at least for me. There, taking lessons like this is unseemly, and Lord and Lady help any girl caught knowing more than she should. Here, I don't have to beg my older brother Thaniel to give me secret lessons, Kiara thought as she finished drying the last of the lunch dishes. Her green eyes shone as the task neared its end-the only outward sign of her excitement. While on the Hold, schooling her expressions had meant the difference between a month's isolation and going unpunished. She, like most of the other Hold children, had learned her lesson quickly. As she had lived on the Hold for the first nine of her fourteen years, it was more effort now for her to show expression than the opposite. Lacking a reason, she hadn't bothered to stop using the old survival skill. Not a survival skill anymore, she reflected.
She turned her attention back to what she considered the most important difference between Holdlife and life in Haven. Here, I'm actually required to take unseemly lessons, she thought happily. What a concept! I'm a little behind everyone else, but that's ok. They've been studying since they were in diapers, and I only got started five years ago. Well, ok, so I had a few lessons in secret, though not nearly enough to be caught up with the kids here, she amended. I guess all that's really important is that I got the opportunity at some point to read and write and learn things other than housework. I can even earn money once I become a master seamstress like my mistress. Few if any Hold girls can say that. I wonder what Father and Thaniel and the rest of the Hold think when they get my letters, she thought proudly. I'm glad Thaniel spoke up for me when I left and talked Father out of disowning me. I wish I knew how he did it, she pondered. She put the last dish away in the cupboard and turned to her mistress, "I finished the dishes, ma'am."
Master Seamstress Elysia Shumaker was a woman in her early thirties currently sporting a bun of light brown hair and well-worn homespun clothes. Even though her family was better off than most of the people in the village--thanks to her income as well as her husband's, she only dressed the part in front of prospective customers. She felt more comfortable in clothes she 'didn't have to worry about ruining', as she put it. Instead, she would display some of her 'masterpieces' in the main room of the cottage, where 'accidents rarely happen'. She looked up, startled, from re-wetting her washcloth, and managed to soak her entire right sleeve with soapy water.
She sighed and did her best to give her apprentice an approving smile, "Wow, that was faster than yesterday." She affirmed to herself, Taking this girl in was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Never complaining, Kiara always made herself useful around the house. As if that wasn't enough, the girl was extremely skilled with a needle and would be a master seamstress one day.
She was grateful that her calm temper and cheery disposition were so widely known that a Herald had thought to leave Kiara in her care five years ago. The girl's talents would have been wasted on her Hold. She remembered seeing Kiara for the first time, a quiet, emotionless young girl who didn't want to leave the Herald's side. The Herald had discussed with the whole family the Queen's new mandate that unhappy children be given the option of leaving the Hold. Elysia hadn't been able to believe that such a meek child would choose to leave the home where she was raised. Then, the Herald continued with a discussion describing Holdlife and the reasons behind the mandate. Simply hearing the description had brought tears to Elysia's eyes, and such a young girl had lived through it? It explained both Kiara's apparent meekness and her desire to leave as far as Elysia was concerned. As the Herald had hoped, Elysia had been more than willing to take the girl on as an apprentice seamstress. After all, even if Kiara wound up being a lousy seamstress, she would be wonderful with Anya and Erven, Elysia's two children. Her conscience insisted she do what she could for the ex-Holdgirl, and Kiara wound up being a delight both in sewing and watching children. Now that her kids were old enough to get into serious mischief, she was even more grateful for the help. She said as she went back to scrubbing the table, "Go find Anya and Erven so you three can get ready to go to your lessons."
Kiara nodded, "Yes, ma'am." She went out back to the garden, thinking that she would find Anya there. Anya reminded her of her little sister Lisbeth, one of the few littles with whom she had had anything in common on the Hold. Both Anya and Lisbeth were extremely mischievous and always getting into things, having more than their share of idle curiosity. Because of this likeness, Kiara found herself transferring some of her affection for Lisbeth to Anya, considering her a younger sister rather than simply a charge. So she found it very difficult to glare disapprovingly at the ten-year-old, when, true to her guess, she found Anya covered in dirt and playing in the garden.
Hearing footsteps, Anya looked up and grinned, "Kiara, look! I haven't seen this before!" She pointed to a leafy green plant in front of her.
Kiara knelt down and inspected the plant, "That's what a carrot plant looks like. Remember your mom said she was planting different vegetables this year?"
"Oh," The younger girl frowned, "I'd hoped it was a wild herb."
"No such luck, I'm afraid. C'mon, time to go for lessons," Kiara prodded.
Anya groaned, "I hate lessons. I learn more outside."
"I know you hate sitting still indoors, but you have to go. Count your blessings: there are lots of Hold girls who would give their left arm for the opportunity," she gently chastised. At the guilty look on Anya's face, she added compassionately, "Look, you don't want Hava and me to face Benjaman alone, do you?"
"I still don't understand why you don't make him stop teasing us. You're older than he is!" Anya pouted self-righteously, flinging her shoulder-length pigtail braids. For whatever reason, Anya was the only one in the village who would stand up to the young bully. His family had lived in the village the longest, and he used that status to push the other kids around. He also happened to be taller than any of the other kids his age, so most of them followed his lead. Anya, who was the same age as him and also a child of a well-established villager, did what she could to stop him, but then he decided to focus his efforts on her, especially regarding her family taking in an ex-Borderer. Taunting her wasn't enough, however. He decided based on Anya's lack of reaction to get his gang to start in on Kiara directly and telling her to go back where she came from. Hava, who was Anya's age, was targeted because of her close association to Anya and Kiara. Erven, Anya's eight-year-old brother, would try to help, but he was in a different crowd and wasn't often present for the bullying.
Kiara answered as patiently as she could since this argument had occurred daily for two years, "Because I'm older than he is. I'm not a bully." 'Sides, boys still intimidate me after all these years, she sighed. "We have to get going, or we'll be late. You're a complete mess."
Anya stood up and brushed off her breeches, "I'll go get my pack." When she stood up, it became readily apparent how thin she was. Both her breeches and her blouse looked like she could fall out of them at any moment. In fact, her clothes made her appear as though she had no substance at all and that her presence was a mere trick of the light.
Damn, she's getting too thin for her clothes. I'll have to make new ones. Must be all the exercise. My god, she's barely got anything covering her bones. I'll make sure she eats more at dinner, she noted mentally."Good girl, and get your brother while you're at it. Now, hurry!" Kiara watched as Anya bounded into the house and then quickly followed suit. She made sure her auburn hair, which she wore in a bun, and her clothes were still presentable. As she grabbed her own school pack, she heard someone calling her name. "What?!" she responded.
Elysia poked her head out of the kitchen, "I ordered some lace for Lady Sarina's dress. Could you pick it up on the way home? It's picked out and paid for and it would save me a trip."
"Sure. The Wheelers, right?"
"Yes, Dafney said she would have it done by today."
"Alright then, Anya, Erven, time to go!" Kiara yelled impatiently.
"Coming, already," They kissed their mom and left with Kiara. Unlike his sister, Erven had already been prepared to leave for lessons and hadn't needed prompting. His short hair and his heftiness provided another direct contrast with his sister when the two stood side by side. He spent a good deal more time sitting and watching his father cobble than his sister did.
Anxious to show her brother up, Anya suggested, "Let's race to Hava's house." One of the reasons they always left so early was so that they could meet up with the Coopers' daughter, Hava, and all walk together. Without waiting for a response, Anya burst into a run, leaving Kiara to pound along after her, grateful that she was also in breeches. Erven was breathing heavily, trying to keep up with the girls and failing. Not only was he a few inches shorter, he wasn't in as good shape. Hearing him, Kiara spaced herself between the brother and sister, knowing that Anya would stop if she got too far ahead.
As they ran down the road, Kiara took the time to wave to her neighbors in hurried greeting. The citizens of Haven were friendly folk and would take insult to being ignored, even when in a rush. This was another one of the practices she had needed to get used to when she came to Haven. While no one commented that she rarely smiled, they had made it abundantly clear both to her and her mistress that she was insulting them by staring at the ground and pretending they didn't exist. She really hadn't meant to be rude; she was just extremely shy in front of strangers. Plus, she had been taught on the Hold that people were more apt to take insult to being acknowledged. Now that she knew people thought differently in Haven, she had made the effort to change her behavior, and although she still had trouble acknowledging strangers, she knew and felt comfortable around most of her neighbors.
The Coopers were a prime example of a family she felt comfortable around, and she suppressed her excitement as they neared Hava's house. The cottage itself was a respectable, upkept wooden structure with a lived-in, air of home about it. Hava was waiting outside for them, her pack slung over her shoulder. She waved at them, said her goodbyes, and ran up to them, "C'mon, if we hurry, we'll make it on time."
The four of them were out of breath by the time they reached the Temple, but they skidded in right before the hourly bell rang, just barely on time. Snickering came from the back of the room, which Anya acknowledged by sticking her tongue out before sitting down. One glare from the priest silenced the room. Choosing to ignore the infighting, the priest said simply, "Today we will begin with history. I believe we left off last time with the coronation of King Treven . . . "
Kiara sat through the lesson completely enraptured, so much so that it seemed hardly a minute before the priest concluded and it was time for them to go home. Erven tapped her on the shoulder, "Can I go over to Alrik's house for a while?"
"Sure, just be home before supper or you'll have both me and your mother to answer to," Kiara answered, mentally reminding herself what Alrik looked like and who his parents were. She knew Erven would be back at dinner because he was at the stage where he wanted to please his elders, as if the thought of missing food wasn't enough.
Erven smiled and ran off before she could change her mind.
She looked around for Anya and finding her suggested, "Anya, how about you walk Hava home while I go to the Wheelers and then we meet up at the pass to walk home?"
"Works for me," Anya smiled.
Kiara packed up her things, and made her way to the Wheelers. She knocked briskly on the door, "Hello? Is anyone home?"
Dafney Wheeler, a plump blond woman in her early thirties, came to open the door. "Kiara, hi, I've been expecting you. I have Elysia's package all set to go. Is the family doing well? Nothing's wrong, I hope."
"Oh yes, perfectly fine. Thank you for asking. I'm on my way home to help with dinner, otherwise I'd stay longer," Kiara responded politely. I don't have to mention that I'm only chopping vegetables and stuff. Everyone doesn't need to know what a horrible cook I am.
"Of course, dear. By the way, did you hear that someone attacked Princess Elspeth? My cousin has a friend whose wife attends Lady Nara, who was complaining that she didn't get to meet the Princess because the poor girl was attacked!"
"No, I didn't hear. How horrible. Is the Princess alright?"
"Yes, she's fine. My cousin told me that the Queen had a fit though. What mother wouldn't."
"Do they know who it was?"
"Rumor has it her attacker is dead, but no one knows who sent him. It could have been anyone really: a Karsite, a Hardornen, or even a Valdemaran who wanted to force the Queen to declare a new Heir."
"The Borders have been a bit too quiet lately. I hope this doesn't mean we're going to fight another war."
Dafney threw salt over her shoulder, "Don't say things like that. Lord and Lady, I pray you haven't just brought misfortune on us all." She relented, "You probably didn't know what you were saying, being an ex-Borderer and all. You'd better be getting along before Elysia starts worrying. Send her my regards, would you?"
"The package?"
"Oh, of course, I completely forgot," Dafney left the room and returned with a basket containing a box presumably filled with lace. "Just return the basket the next time you stop by."
"Yes'm. Have a good day," Kiara accepted the basket and ran off to go meet Anya, but when she came to the pass, Anya wasn't there. Odd, she should have gotten here before me. Maybe she stopped to look at the plants or some such nonsense. I should go find her and bring her home or else she'll stay out til dark. Kiara sighed and started walking on the path to the Temple for the second time that day. Too bad I'm not walking to the Temple. After a few minutes, she thought she heard sounds of a scuffle off to the side of the road, where she remembered there was a small clearing. Probably just the birds, but I'd better go check it out. She broke into a run.
Before long, she found out that it wasn't just the birds, as she saw that Anya was on the ground crying with Benjaman, a blond haired, muscular, ten-year-old, looming over her. As she got in closer, she saw why Anya was crying. Of the injuries she could see, Anya had a black eye and a bloody nose, and Benjaman didn't look like he was stopping. Kiara let out a loud high pitched scream.
Benjaman glanced up with an angry look in his eyes, "Well, well, if it isn't one of your lackeys come to help you out. Too bad it won't help. She doesn't have the guts to stop me," he boasted, causing Anya to cry even louder.
Kiara wavered for a moment before remembering she wasn't on the Hold and could get away with calling a boy to task. She then bellowed with an authority that comes with raising children, "STOP right there if you know what's good for you, young man. Your mother will have your hide. You went too far this time!" She pushed him out of the way to look at Anya, "Get hold of yourself hon, it will be alright. We'll get you cleaned up."
"This was all her fault you know. Mention this to anyone and she'll be sorry," Benjaman did his best to save face from the shock of Kiara standing up to him. He tried to stare her into submission, but although his height was formidable to Anya, it came nowhere near threatening to Kiara, who was four years his senior.
Kiara laughed, "You think her mother won't know exactly what happened just by looking at her? She's a mess, and a good many people know how you've been picking on us. Really. Don't make things worse on yourself than they already are. Go home. Maybe you can talk your mother into believing you if you hurry."
Benjaman looked stricken. He hadn't thought about that. He hadn't thought past the moment. He paused, uncertain what to do.
"I said, GO HOME!"
Instinct took over and he ran back toward the road. When he was out of sight, Kiara held onto Anya for a moment, "I'm so sorry. I never thought he'd go that far. I should never have left you alone. Let's go get you cleaned up. I think I saw a well nearby."
"I just wanna go home!" Anya cried.
"Ok, then home it is," Kiara felt bad enough to give in instantly and moved to get up, when she saw a shadow and realized they weren't alone in the clearing. If Benjaman came back, I'll . . . her thought trailed off as she turned around and saw a beautiful white horse. A horse like the one the Herald rode when he took her to Haven. Her eyes widened, Of course! Companions always Choose people who are in trouble. It must be here for Anya. Then she caught the gaze of the Companion's deep blue eyes and felt like she was being measured against something.
The Companion snorted in ridicule: I Choose you. My name is Amberlyn. She stood over them, basking in the girls' awe. Her coat and mane were as pristine white as in all the tales, and her empty saddle reiterated why she was there. Both girls knew, as did everyone in Haven, that a riderless Companion outside of Companion's Grove meant the Companion was seeking its Chosen.
For a while, Kiara just continued to stare into the Companion's eyes. With the whirl of emotions whizzing inside her, that was really all she could do. Where she had once been alone, she now felt her Companion's presence inside her mind and gently pressing its way into a place in her heart she hadn't realized was empty. The feeling was more wondrous than anything she had ever experienced. Even more importantly, the pairing felt right somehow, like she had found someone with whom she could share her deepest thoughts and feelings. She started to come out of her daze, and her mind started reeling, a Companion just spoke to me, inside my head! I must be going crazy.
Crazy or not, the Companion, her Companion, was looking at her expectantly, and after a minute, motioned for her Chosen to get on her back. When Kiara didn't respond, Amberlyn pawed the ground impatiently.
"Only if I can take Anya home first," Kiara suddenly found her voice.
Amberlyn sighed and nodded as though she understood. She continued to paw the ground as if to hurry her Chosen.
Kiara got onto Amberlyn's back, grateful that Thaniel had insisted she receive riding lessons on the Hold, "Anya, here grab onto me," she pulled the younger girl up in front of her. "Hold on tight. Ok, just follow the path to the end and we'll hit the house."
Amberlyn nodded again and took off much faster than any horse Kiara had ever ridden. Even when she'd left with the Herald, she hadn't actually gotten to ride a Companion, just one of the pack horses he'd brought. Now, here she was, on her own Companion, "Anya, can you believe it? I'm gonna be a Herald."
"Wonderful, as soon as the pain goes away, I'll jump for joy," Anya cracked a smile and then winced from the pain. The twinge of jealousy was dulled by the fact that she got to ride on a Companion, even if it wasn't her own.
Kiara frowned, worried about how badly Anya was hurt. They rode the rest of the way in silence.
Elysia, hearing hoofbeats stop outside her window, went to see what the ruckus was about. She saw Kiara and Anya on a Companion and then she saw that her daughter was hurt. "Lord and Lady, what happened to you?" she asked, her voice soft as she removed her daughter from the Companion's back.
Kiara responded instantly, "Benjaman Harper decided she was easy pickings while I was at the Wheelers."
"I'll bring this up with his mother later. C'mon baby, let's get you cleaned up. Do you need a Healer?" She said as she started inspecting the bruises and looking for signs of shock.
"Mooom..." Anya had dried her tears right before getting home and had resumed her 'tough girl' act.
Amberlyn shook her head as if in response to Elysia, although only Kiara seemed to notice.
"Amberlyn says she doesn't think so, but I think someone should check her over just in case," Kiara relayed calmly, as though speaking for her Companion was an everyday occurrence.
"It doesn't look life-threatening, but that's a good plan . . . wait, who's Amberlyn?" Elysia asked, registering the new name. "And why were the two of you riding on a Companion without a Herald?"
"My Companion. She let me bring Anya back here before going to the Collegium," Kiara answered, and gave her Companion an affectionate pat.
Elysia mentally hit herself for not realizing this for herself, as she had lived in Valdemar all of her life. She should have known immediately what was going on. I hope this isn't evidence of an upcoming war. She bit back tears of pride and worry, "Well, I can take it from here as far as Anya's concerned. Get off that Companion for a minute so I can hug you before you go."
Kiara gave her mistress, who had been like a mother for five years, a huge teary-eyed hug, and promised to visit on holidays. "I'm going to miss you," she said, teary-eyed. She then got back on Amberlyn's back, waved, and rode away before she lost her courage.
After a few minutes of riding toward the Collegium at a speed only a Companion could take, Kiara started to try to put the days' events in perspective. "I wish I knew why you Chose me. I wasn't in trouble or anything. I left the Hold five years ago," Kiara thought aloud.
Amberlyn snorted again in ridicule, hoping her Chosen would get the hint.
Kiara laughed as something clicked, "Are you trying to tell me you don't Choose people because they're in trouble?"
Amberlyn made a sound which reminded her of laughter and followed it up with a nod.
"But in all the tales...I must say I'm happy about that. I don't know what I would have done if you'd Chosen Anya instead of me," she hugged her Companion, who sighed in contentment. "This will definitely be something to write the Hold about," she contemplated, and enjoyed the rest of the ride to the Collegium in a peaceful silence.