Brown paper littered the grass of the Companion's Field on the Collegium grounds in Haven. A narrow box lay unwrapped and open in Kataya's lap.
"It's beautiful!" the Herald Trainee exclaimed, running her fingers over the polished surface of a wooden flute. Her eyes, sparkling with unconcealed joy, poured over the intricate carvings that twisted over and under.
Next to the young girl sat a Companion, watching his Chosen with intelligent blue eyes. He snorted in response to another youth that lay next to Kataya, a slender girl who was dressed unlike her friend, in the Unaffiliated Blues verses the Herald Trainee Greys. She smiled as brightly as her friend, giving the Companion a wink.
"I told Rynenilkum that you had been looking for a nice flute, so when he saw this in a merchant's cart he bought it and sent it up from Fenbrooke." came the girl's soft voice. "It was delivered just in time."
Kataya gathered her comrade into a gracious hug with the whisper, "What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you, Saphrimienelle?"
The Unaffiliate, who was known as Saphri among her friends, returned the hug with a fierce squeeze of her own and simply replied, "You deserve the best, especially on your birth day."
"Lavien says the same, and also tells me to thank you. He enjoys music, and will so more when I play this for him." said Kataya, resting her head upon the broad back of her Companion. She let the flute fall from her hands into the box.
Saphri ran her fingers through the bright white mane and gave Lavien a hug around the neck. "It was as much a gift for the two of you as it is for me. You do realize that I expect to hear you play sometime? Just because you're almost a Herald in Whites doesn't mean you can shirk your Talent."
Two clear bells rang across the gardens and fields. Gathering up the wrapping paper Kataya had discarded, the two girls stood up. Kataya mounted bareback on Lavien, the box and flute under her arm. She grinned down at Saphri.
"I promise to practice, but the food is my stomach's priority at the moment. I need to groom Lavien and wash up before dinner, or Housekeeper Evi will have my hide. Tomorrow?"
"If I can. It's close to exams, so I will probably need to spend some time in the library. You'll find me there. Or," Saphri said quickly, remembering a previous engagement, "In the washing room with the Healer Trainees. The bandages need to be bleached and I told Valem I would help if I could."
Kataya wrinkled her nose as did Lavien, which was a odd look for a horse, let alone a Companion. Both laughed and left each other's company with a parting wave.
Saphri walked through the gardens back to the three Collegiums. The closest was the Herald's Collegium, for she had just come from the Companion's Field. People clad in Greys and Whites strode through the doors, a few acknowledging Saphri with a smile or a nod. On various nights, although she was a "Blue" in Trainee terms, she ate with the Heralds so that she could spend more time with Kataya. Rarely did someone have a complaint about this, and when someone did, they were quickly silenced with a glance from a Trainee or two.
She came up to the Healer's Collegium at last and walked through the doors into the building. It was smaller that the Herald's Collegium, but larger than Bardic. Though it was peculiar for an Unaffiliated student to live among the Healer Trainees, Saphri did. When she was sent from Fenbrooke to study in Haven, her cousin Rynenilkum had mentioned her knowledge of herbs. Rynen was a Healer Trainee, but was currently on an extended family visit. The Dean of the Healer's had asked if she would like to stay with them, granted that she help with brewing potions and medicines. She had agreed and therefore had her own room at the Collegium, which she made her way to now.
The four bells that marked the start of dinner chorused through the halls as Saphri hurriedly washed her face and hands. To her surprise, rain began to sprinkle against her window, which she checked to make sure was securely shut. It would not do for her to come back to a damp and cold room. She stepped into the hallway and made her way down to the common room to eat with the others. By the time she had taken her seat at a table, thunder rolled overhead and what had been a barely audible patter was now a thrashing storm.
One of the servers set a small basket upon the table and went onto the next table. The cloth inside contained warm buns, fresh from the oven and buttered. She took one for herself and passed the buns along. A tall figure took the seat next to her, and smiled in a way he obviously thought was jaunting.
"You just missed the rolls, Valem." Saphri told the youth, who immediately bounced out of his chair to wrestle a bun away from the diners at the other end of the table. He soon returned two buns in hand and a third in his mouth. "Why are you late?"
Valem finished chewing and swallowed, then reseated himself beside her. "I got held up at one of the temples in the city. They were certain they didn't have enough bandages to last until the end of the spring. Silly fools. Those old men know they can send for fresh supplies whenever needed. After that, it was a race against the rain. I almost didn't win. I feel sorry for whoever was caught out in it; there will be sniffles tomorrow."
"Mmm." was the only response from Saphri, who was helping herself to the new dishes the servers had brought. She carefully piled a stack of greens on Valem's plate, who made a sorrowful face at her. "Oh, stop. Greens are healthy for you, and Healers need to be in top condition because you will never know when you're needed."
The green clad youth sighed and obediently ate his food with a small grin. Together, they ate mostly in silence. Near the end of dinner, Valem looked over at the Unaffiliate and asked, "You do remember your promise, don't you?"
"To assist you with laundering the bandages? Of course. Kataya knows not to expect me. In fact, she won't even come looking for me. She loathes the smell of bleach." Saphri giggled.
"Good." the Healer Trainee said in a tone that made Saphri stare. He winked and leaned closer. "The way you two act around each other, I'm beginning to think you're lifebonded to that girl and her Companion. It'll be nice to have you to myself for awhile."
"Really?" inquired the girl, her act every bit as flirtatious as Valem's, "The only thing that'll have myself for awhile is my bed. I'm dead on my feet, and from the looks of you, you might as well get to your bed now or you'll drown in the bathes."
Valem shook his head. "I'm on clean up. You get to bed, lady blue. I except you to be rested and ready to tackle those bandages tomorrow." He stood and began to stack the empty plates upon one another.
She only nodded and waved a small goodnight as she made her way with the small crowd of green out of the eating hall and to the girl's hallway. She'd take a bath in the morning, for now that she realized it, Saphri was more tired that she had thought herself to be. Quietly, she let herself into her room and changed into a long night shirt. The young girl crawled under her covers and before she could reflect on her day, fell asleep.
- ~ -
The morning sunlight poured through the single window of Saphri's room and straight onto her pillow. Groggily, she blinked and yawned, sitting up in bed with her arms stretching. She shuffled around her room, collected what she would need for a warm soak. In place of breakfast, Saphri walked straight to the bathing room and found it blissfully empty. After filling one of the large tubs with steaming water, the Unaffiliate stripped down and eased herself into the water.
Hot water worked away at the tension in her body and she soon found herself relaxing peacefully. Saphri closed her eyes and let her mind go blank. It was nearly a candlemark later when she finished washing and rinsed off. She toweled herself down and slipped into one of the white robes the Healers wore whenever working with potions or cleaning. She dropped the rest of her dirty laundry down a shoot conveniently place in the wash room.
Valem was already preparing tubs of boiling water when Saphri entered the laundering room. No other Trainee's had arrived yet, but more would come. Chores such as these were custom among the Collegium to set all the students on an equal footing. She was surprised when he place a mug of tea in her hand along with a slice of bread.
"What is this for?" she asked.
"Your breakfast. I noticed you skipped and I doubt it would be helpful for you to pass out in this heat, which you will surely do on an empty stomach." he explained, carrying a bundle of dirty bandages and dumping them into one of the various tubs.
She took a sip of the scalding tea and a bite of food before pushing up her sleeves and taking a place beside him. "How did you know?"
He smiled. "Your hair is still damp."
"Oh."
Valem measured a cup of powdered bleach and poured it in among the bandaged. Taking a wooden staff, Saphri began stirring and watched at the bleach ate away at the stains. She glanced up to see her friend staring at her intently, causing her to flush red. Thank the gods for the heat; she could blame her pink cheeks on the steam. Saphri caught his glance with a question in her dark eyes.
"It's just... you look like a Herald in Whites whenever you're wearing those robes." he said, turning a pink shade himself. "It's different, because I usually see you in Blues."
"It's no different for you, always striding around in those pale green uniforms of yours. And Kataya is the only one who it going to get Whites. I have no Gift whatsoever." she told him.
Valem nodded, then hesistated. "Bitter?"
"What? Oh, no! I'm happy for Kataya. We spent so many years together in Fenbrooke, and she was always there for me when I needed her. She deserves everything in the world. I'm glad she has Lavien, because sometimes I wonder if she's lonely, but no one with a Companion could be alone in this world." admitted Saphri. With some difficulty, she fished out the bleached bandages and rinsed them in a tub filled with luke warm water.
"And who do you have?"
It seemed like a simple question and could have been meant as one. But Saphri paused in her work, even if it was for the slightest moment that no one would have noticed. Except for, perhaps, Kataya and Valem. She wrung out the bandages and laid them out on a high rack to dry.
"Lady blue?" Valem whispered, that question that had always lay between them finally asked.
"Valem, I... Exams are coming up, and Kataya is preparing to get her Whites soon. She needs all the help she can get, and...." Her voice trailed off, and in the akward silence that followed, she wished her friend would say something.
Instead, he turned back to another load of bandages. His voice didn't sound any different, but Saphri knew she needed to leave when he said, "When you go, can you remind Winrif that she has serving duty tonight. You know she always forgets."
With all of her heart Saphri wanted to tell Valem, to explain to him how she felt about Kataya and about him, the two closest people to her and yet...
"I'll tell her for you." she said quietly, letting herself out the door and into the corridor.
She didn't noticed the single, salty tear running down her cheek.