Thud thud. The quick sound of walking boots pierced the once quiet air.
"What's that?" A girl of around fourteen years asked as she ushed her hbrown curls out o her face.
"Room inspection" Laryn hissed. He grabbed yesterday's breeches and pulled them on. "Take these" he shoved Havira's clothes into her hands and pushed her off the bed and into the closet. The girl squeaked then did as the older boy asked. She was used to this routine, maybe not here at the famous school for mages and mercenaries, but boys all over were the same. She had perfected her morning routine with many others before. The closet door closed, leaving Vira in darkness. She could hear Laryn shuffling to tidy his bed as the footsteps got closer. Vira held her breath. Even though this was only her second night here the girl already knew of several ways into and out of the keep. If someone found her here she would bolt, just like she had at the other boys' houses.
T
The door creaked open and Vira held her breath.
"Good morning Laryn." A harsh voice said from the other room.
"Good morning Tarma." The young man's – Vira guessed Laryn to be a year or two older than herself. – voice told the world he was hiding something.
I guess these women know how to punish their kids, doubt they need too much though. Pity. As Tarma walked around the room Vira relaxed. The swordmistress would not check the closet where she stood so much for her being thorough.
The girl started to breathe more easily, not aware of how much dust she was stirring up until it reached her nose. "Ah-aaaachoo!" She sneezed so hard her eyes watered and the back of her head hit the closet wall. The footsteps stopped. No, now they were coming closer. The Shin'a'in's footsteps grew louder as she approached where Vira hid.
Panic took over the girl's mind and all coherent thoughts fled as Tarma opened the door. It wasn't until the closet door was open that Vira realized she stood in plain sight.
"Hello there," the sword lady's harsh voice brought Vira back to the situation at hand. "Who are you?"
The girl bit back an answer of 'none of your business' knowing that would not help her plan at all. "Havira, they called me Ken'dessah in me old village."
Tarma's blue eyes betrayed nothing. This is not good. Vira's plan depended on the women knowing what exactly her name meant. "Y'do know what that means, don't ye?"
"You told me your name was just plain Vira!" Laryn shouted from somewhere in the room behind Tarma. The girl decided to ignore him, his clan mother was more important to her at the moment.
"Yes, I do know what it means to be Ken'dessah, but that does not excuse you for what I am sure you have done."
"Don't it?"
"No, it does not." Tarma replied coldly. "Now, you have distracted my student enough. We will discuss what is to be done with you later. Laryn, get ready for your studies and tell the other sword masters that they are going to have to deal without me until I have talked to Kethry." Turning back to the girl in the closet she continued "I will not disrupt the training of my students by figuring out what to do with you. I will take you to Kethry and be glad; she is much kinder than I."