~.)-(.~
~.)-(.~Shang~.)-(.~
~.)1(.~
"Please Da! You Have to let me go," the small girl pleaded.
"Ye wouldn't last with all them boys. Ye wouldn't have a chance. Ye're a girl!" The tall man behind the desk sighed. "Ye're my only daughter and I won't send ye of to Mithros knows where."
The small girls amber eyes looked surprised. She frowned at her father, a little hurt that he didn't have faith in her. "Mithros knows where and what Shang is! You know I can out run all the hunters and the boys here. I don't come cryin' to you when I get a little bit of dirt on my face either," she spat out, small face turned upwards at her father. "Please Da?"
Her father looked down at his daughter. His only daughter. He didn't know why, but he was actually considering sending her to Shang. He knew she could out do all the boys and everyone else in their large fief of Goldenlake. "Ye're right. Ye are the best here. But that is only here. You do not know what you can do amongst others." he sighed tiredly and rubbed his temples. "Let me think, you will have my answer by tonight."
Natani Frost sighed and turned her small, ten-year-old frame out of the small brick house she shared with her older brother and father. Her eyes had to take just a moment to adjust to the bright light of outside. She breathed in deeply, in taking the smells of the large fiefdom. If she was to leave Goldenlake, Tortall even, she would want to remember the smells exactly.
As it was, the smaller of the villages in Goldenlake smelled heavily of smoke, sweat, harvesting, and spring blossoms. Trudging through muddy roads, she peered into the windows of market stores, watching a Baker place bread on shelves and decorate pastries, looking at the many gleaming swords and other weapons. She briskly walked on until she left the quiet noises of Goldenlake behind her.
Once out in the open meadow that surrounded the fief, she slowed her pace, taking in her surroundings. This wide, spacious clearing was her favorite place. True, it wasn't much of a hiding place, or a place to come and get away from everything, but it was peaceful and serene. Natani loved to watch the great thunderheads roll violently over one another from the meadow. Because it was early Spring, only a few bright red lights glimmered amongst the golden hue of the meadow. When these blossoms were in full bloom, the meadow was alive with bursts of red, gold, orange, and the occasional sapphire. The flowers were the reason the meadow was named, Meadow of Fire.
Now she ran, leaping over brush and twigs, until she found herself in the middle of the Meadow of Fire. Falling heavily, she began to think things over.
She would be taking on a new, harder way of life. Learning nothing but fighting all day, every day. She would leave behind friends and family, only to make new friends and some friends enough to consider them family. She didn't know what they were schooled in. Something boring I bet. Why waste time in the classroom when you should be out learning to fight and ride and hunt? Why spend time in a classroom learning things that couldn't possibly help you on a battlefield, when you could be getting dirty and sweaty and having fun? Tani thought these things over and over again until she heard the sentries call the watch. She got up stiffly, where had the day gone? Taking short moments to stretch out stiff and sleeping limbs, she raced back through the meadow, running into the small village and into her small house, where her father awaited her with his decision.
~.)-(.~
A short time after dawn the next morning, Natani stood in the Meadow, staring at Goldenlake, a gloomy look on her face. She watched as a small group of travelers set out from the East Gate. Sighing, she said a last goodbye and turned to rejoin the group that headed for Maren and Shang.
~.)-(.~
Almost two weeks of non-stop traveling brought them to Berat, the city in Maren that housed the Shang headquarters. They had followed the Great Road East for a week through the Tusiane Mountains and then through Tusiane itself, before turning south and travelling through Northern Maren into Berat. When they at last arrived in Berat, a few hours after sundown, the weary travelers and the Shang Master that had lead them there, the Shang Bear, were quickly seen too and brought to rooms to sleep the rest of the night through.
As tired as she was, Tani was wide awake a short while after dawn. She found her bags and opened them, remembering that this may not be the room she would live in for eight years. She dug out clean breeches, a pale blue shirt and a soft, white tunic. Pulling on her normal boots, she looked herself over in the mirror as she pulled a comb through snarled, black hair.
Smiling, she was just going to rinse her face when a tap on the door changed her direction. Opening it wide, she saw a short, plump man I his middle thirties looking across at her. His chestnut hair as streaked with early gray and his lips and eyes were smiling.
"Good morning. I am Shawn Grey. I am to show you to the Shang Rabbit." He offered her his hand.
"Thank you Mr. Grey, I am Natani Frost, or just Tani." She took the offered hand and shook it, returning his tight grip.
"Ahhh. Please, just Shawn of you would like." He turned, leading her down the hallway. As they walked, Tani began to notice her surroundings. The hallway, like the rest of the building, was gray stone. If not for the burning torches in notches along the wall, they would be unable to see. As it was, brightly colored tapestries depicting mythical creatures and normal creatures alike, were hung along the walls, adding a lot of color and very little light.
As they walked on, they passed door after door after door. Sighing Tani asked, "Are these the students' rooms? And exactly how big is this place?"
The plump man smiled slyly. "These are indeed the rooms the students are given." Chuckling lightly, he added, "Ahhh. 'Tis not that big." At seeing the shock that widened her eyes, he went on. "Well, at first it may seem that way, but in a week or two, you will know your way around."
Still not believing what he said about finding her way about, Natani followed the short man, eyes wide as she took in her surroundings. After they walked out of the long and winding hallways, Tani stopped in shock. She had been too tired to noticed the great hall the night before. The room was large and seemed to explode with color. The walls were a light sage green, the floors covered in red carpet. Tani was a little disturbed to find the red of the carpet was the color of blood. Paintings lined the walls, accompanied by statues of bronze and marble. The Shang Globe was wrought in silver and edged in bronze. It was mounted on the far wall, big and overpowering. On either side of the Globe, a dragon seemed to break from his marble encapturedment.
Staring wide eyed, Tani watched as the many Shang masters walked or lounged in the room. She was led into the center of the room then she turned right, following the short man. Sighing, Tani figured she would be led down yet another long and boring hallway. Her eyes widened as she was abruptly stopped in front of a rather large door. It was a deep mahogany, intricately carved with features and outlaid in gold. Shawn opened the door and led Tani inside.
Natani was surprised to see that the room was actually fairly small. Beautifully detailed furniture was spotless and amazingly clean. A warm sense crept into Tani, the room was cozy. Stone figures, paper weights at what Tani guessed, were placed in various places around the room. All of them were animals, mythical and normal. The largest of these was a rabbit, looking fierce with black opal eyes. She looked at the man who sat in a leather chair at the largest of the desks. He was slender, and middle- aged, with a very stern face and cold, green eyes. He looked down at her from a long, and crooked nose.
Tani stood before the desk, not noticing Shawn had left, and watched as the man flipped through papers. He looked at her from underneath bushy brows. He looked back down at the papers Tani sighed as he did so.
"Natani Frost." His voice was stern and caused her to jump.
"Sir?"
He stood, pushing his chair back. "I am Lyondell Basic, the Rabbit of Shang." He stopped, as if waiting for her to laugh or snicker. Jocelyn bit the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from doing so. "If you find that funny, I shall make sure you will not by the end of the month."
Walking over to the rabbit figure he went on, "I will start at the beginning. If you wish to learn Shang, you must keep Shang hours. Every day, starting tomorrow, you will be up at dawn. The bells will wake you up and if I'm correct, I think they are right above your room. You should be able to hear them quite nicely. You will dress and go to the Banquet Hall for breakfast. From there you will acquire your things from your room for morning classes.
"After classes, you will come back to your room, change and shower if you wish, go to lunch, and head to the Practice Courts for training. There you will learn to become a Shang. It will be hard, very hard, and you may injure yourself and you may quit. There are Healers here incase you do hurt yourself.
"There are punishments and rewards as usual. We take days of Worship off, including the week of Midwinter. Are there any questions?" He looked at her as he walked back to his desk, picking up those papers again.
"Actually sir, there is one." She looked him in the eye.
"Yes? Well, go on girl."
"Well sir, should I have supplied my equipment?" She had no idea that she had to supply her own weapons, books, writing utensils, or anything else.
She was startled to hear him laugh, something, she guessed, he did not do often, for it was choppy and harsh, much like a bark. "Everything will be supplied to you. Schooling things will be returned after your studies of Shang are completed in eight years. You will use the weapons given to you in practice, soon, you will need to buy your own weapons. A pair horses and their tack will also be supplied, along with the boarding. You may purchase the animals at the end of the eight years, if you wish. You may also wish to buy your own horse from the Markets too.
"The remainder of the day you will be shown around and you will acquire clothes and your mounts. Someone will be your Sponsor. Now, if there is nothing else, you will be on your way."
Nodding silently, Tani watched as the Shang Rabbit motioned with his hand for Shawn to come forward.
"She needs a Sponsor and see to it her bags are unpacked."
"Sir."
Shawn turned and led her away from the room. Natani walked a step behind, thinking over what she had just heard. She didn't know if she liked the Rabbit, he was very stern and cold. The rules and such wouldn't be so bad. She was used to falling and hurting herself on a daily basis.
"He's always like that." the plump man's voice startled Tani put of her thoughts.
"Excuse me?" She didn't know she had asked anything.
"The Rabbit. Lyondell Basic. He is always stern and seems overpowering." He looked back over his shoulder and saw her surprised look. "Everyone always asked and I knew you were thinking it."
"Oh. Where will I find a Sponsor?"
"You will be assigned one of the fourth years. We were hoping to pair you with another female, but not many choose Shang. Most of the ones that are here are eighth years. Your Sponsor is... er... old, for a fourth year." He paused. "Here we are."
Natani hadn't even noticed that she had been led all the way back to her door.
"If you will wait here for a moment, I will get your Sponsor."
She nodded and watched Shawn retreat a few doors down around the corner. Tani heard a faint exchange of words and then saw Shawn come around the corner, leading a tall boy.
He looked to be fifteen, tall with an athletic build., the years he had spent at Shang showing. His frosted blonde hair was cropped short, but still long enough that he was brushing it out of his eyes. Sapphire eyes, set underneath level, dark brows were bright and smiling. When he saw her, a smile tugged at his sensitive mouth. Tani looked down, hiding her blush behind her raven clad hair. His smile made her insides turn over.
"This is Heath Hart. He is to be your Sponsor. Now if there is anything the two of you require before you make way?" Shawn looked back and forth between the two of them.
"No, thanks anyway Shawn." Heath smiled, his voice light yet powerful. "I think we should go ahead and get started."
"Very well then." He looked at Tani and smiled. "Good luck to ya Girl. I shall be seeing you again. Heath, make sure you show her to mine, or Liza's room."
Heath nodded and Shawn turned, his receding footfalls echoing in the stone hallway. Soon it was quiet and Heath turned to Natani.
"Well, welcome to Shang. Shall we get started?" He looked at her, brows raised. "By the way, do you have a name?"
"Natani Frost. But it's kinda a mouth full so just call me Tani, it's easier."
He laughed, "Alright, Tani. Where shall we head first? Would you like to see the grounds first? Or perhaps would you like to meet some people? Get your mount? Your supplies?"
It was Tani's turn to laugh now. "There's just so much to see here!" she replied to his questioning look. "How about we look around first and see where that takes us."
He smiled and tugged at his blonde locks. "Ok. If you'd follow me Madam?" He gave her his arm, which she gladly took. They walked down the hallway, stopping in front of a large wooden door, a crimson circle with a line down the center carved and painted on it. "This is the Servant's Quarters. Doors to rooms like the kitchen, laundry, and their rooms are there. Including Shawn and Liza's. I'll show you."
Tani only nodded as he opened the doors and led her down another stone corridor. As they walked, he would pause at each door and explain where they led. Tani learned that the kitchen, laundry, storage rooms, and stores were all down this hallway. After passing a rather large bath house, Heath led turned left, leading Tani down a slightly dimmer corridor, lit by candles, where as the main hallway was lit by WitchLight.
~.)-(.~Shang~.)-(.~
~.)1(.~
"Please Da! You Have to let me go," the small girl pleaded.
"Ye wouldn't last with all them boys. Ye wouldn't have a chance. Ye're a girl!" The tall man behind the desk sighed. "Ye're my only daughter and I won't send ye of to Mithros knows where."
The small girls amber eyes looked surprised. She frowned at her father, a little hurt that he didn't have faith in her. "Mithros knows where and what Shang is! You know I can out run all the hunters and the boys here. I don't come cryin' to you when I get a little bit of dirt on my face either," she spat out, small face turned upwards at her father. "Please Da?"
Her father looked down at his daughter. His only daughter. He didn't know why, but he was actually considering sending her to Shang. He knew she could out do all the boys and everyone else in their large fief of Goldenlake. "Ye're right. Ye are the best here. But that is only here. You do not know what you can do amongst others." he sighed tiredly and rubbed his temples. "Let me think, you will have my answer by tonight."
Natani Frost sighed and turned her small, ten-year-old frame out of the small brick house she shared with her older brother and father. Her eyes had to take just a moment to adjust to the bright light of outside. She breathed in deeply, in taking the smells of the large fiefdom. If she was to leave Goldenlake, Tortall even, she would want to remember the smells exactly.
As it was, the smaller of the villages in Goldenlake smelled heavily of smoke, sweat, harvesting, and spring blossoms. Trudging through muddy roads, she peered into the windows of market stores, watching a Baker place bread on shelves and decorate pastries, looking at the many gleaming swords and other weapons. She briskly walked on until she left the quiet noises of Goldenlake behind her.
Once out in the open meadow that surrounded the fief, she slowed her pace, taking in her surroundings. This wide, spacious clearing was her favorite place. True, it wasn't much of a hiding place, or a place to come and get away from everything, but it was peaceful and serene. Natani loved to watch the great thunderheads roll violently over one another from the meadow. Because it was early Spring, only a few bright red lights glimmered amongst the golden hue of the meadow. When these blossoms were in full bloom, the meadow was alive with bursts of red, gold, orange, and the occasional sapphire. The flowers were the reason the meadow was named, Meadow of Fire.
Now she ran, leaping over brush and twigs, until she found herself in the middle of the Meadow of Fire. Falling heavily, she began to think things over.
She would be taking on a new, harder way of life. Learning nothing but fighting all day, every day. She would leave behind friends and family, only to make new friends and some friends enough to consider them family. She didn't know what they were schooled in. Something boring I bet. Why waste time in the classroom when you should be out learning to fight and ride and hunt? Why spend time in a classroom learning things that couldn't possibly help you on a battlefield, when you could be getting dirty and sweaty and having fun? Tani thought these things over and over again until she heard the sentries call the watch. She got up stiffly, where had the day gone? Taking short moments to stretch out stiff and sleeping limbs, she raced back through the meadow, running into the small village and into her small house, where her father awaited her with his decision.
~.)-(.~
A short time after dawn the next morning, Natani stood in the Meadow, staring at Goldenlake, a gloomy look on her face. She watched as a small group of travelers set out from the East Gate. Sighing, she said a last goodbye and turned to rejoin the group that headed for Maren and Shang.
~.)-(.~
Almost two weeks of non-stop traveling brought them to Berat, the city in Maren that housed the Shang headquarters. They had followed the Great Road East for a week through the Tusiane Mountains and then through Tusiane itself, before turning south and travelling through Northern Maren into Berat. When they at last arrived in Berat, a few hours after sundown, the weary travelers and the Shang Master that had lead them there, the Shang Bear, were quickly seen too and brought to rooms to sleep the rest of the night through.
As tired as she was, Tani was wide awake a short while after dawn. She found her bags and opened them, remembering that this may not be the room she would live in for eight years. She dug out clean breeches, a pale blue shirt and a soft, white tunic. Pulling on her normal boots, she looked herself over in the mirror as she pulled a comb through snarled, black hair.
Smiling, she was just going to rinse her face when a tap on the door changed her direction. Opening it wide, she saw a short, plump man I his middle thirties looking across at her. His chestnut hair as streaked with early gray and his lips and eyes were smiling.
"Good morning. I am Shawn Grey. I am to show you to the Shang Rabbit." He offered her his hand.
"Thank you Mr. Grey, I am Natani Frost, or just Tani." She took the offered hand and shook it, returning his tight grip.
"Ahhh. Please, just Shawn of you would like." He turned, leading her down the hallway. As they walked, Tani began to notice her surroundings. The hallway, like the rest of the building, was gray stone. If not for the burning torches in notches along the wall, they would be unable to see. As it was, brightly colored tapestries depicting mythical creatures and normal creatures alike, were hung along the walls, adding a lot of color and very little light.
As they walked on, they passed door after door after door. Sighing Tani asked, "Are these the students' rooms? And exactly how big is this place?"
The plump man smiled slyly. "These are indeed the rooms the students are given." Chuckling lightly, he added, "Ahhh. 'Tis not that big." At seeing the shock that widened her eyes, he went on. "Well, at first it may seem that way, but in a week or two, you will know your way around."
Still not believing what he said about finding her way about, Natani followed the short man, eyes wide as she took in her surroundings. After they walked out of the long and winding hallways, Tani stopped in shock. She had been too tired to noticed the great hall the night before. The room was large and seemed to explode with color. The walls were a light sage green, the floors covered in red carpet. Tani was a little disturbed to find the red of the carpet was the color of blood. Paintings lined the walls, accompanied by statues of bronze and marble. The Shang Globe was wrought in silver and edged in bronze. It was mounted on the far wall, big and overpowering. On either side of the Globe, a dragon seemed to break from his marble encapturedment.
Staring wide eyed, Tani watched as the many Shang masters walked or lounged in the room. She was led into the center of the room then she turned right, following the short man. Sighing, Tani figured she would be led down yet another long and boring hallway. Her eyes widened as she was abruptly stopped in front of a rather large door. It was a deep mahogany, intricately carved with features and outlaid in gold. Shawn opened the door and led Tani inside.
Natani was surprised to see that the room was actually fairly small. Beautifully detailed furniture was spotless and amazingly clean. A warm sense crept into Tani, the room was cozy. Stone figures, paper weights at what Tani guessed, were placed in various places around the room. All of them were animals, mythical and normal. The largest of these was a rabbit, looking fierce with black opal eyes. She looked at the man who sat in a leather chair at the largest of the desks. He was slender, and middle- aged, with a very stern face and cold, green eyes. He looked down at her from a long, and crooked nose.
Tani stood before the desk, not noticing Shawn had left, and watched as the man flipped through papers. He looked at her from underneath bushy brows. He looked back down at the papers Tani sighed as he did so.
"Natani Frost." His voice was stern and caused her to jump.
"Sir?"
He stood, pushing his chair back. "I am Lyondell Basic, the Rabbit of Shang." He stopped, as if waiting for her to laugh or snicker. Jocelyn bit the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from doing so. "If you find that funny, I shall make sure you will not by the end of the month."
Walking over to the rabbit figure he went on, "I will start at the beginning. If you wish to learn Shang, you must keep Shang hours. Every day, starting tomorrow, you will be up at dawn. The bells will wake you up and if I'm correct, I think they are right above your room. You should be able to hear them quite nicely. You will dress and go to the Banquet Hall for breakfast. From there you will acquire your things from your room for morning classes.
"After classes, you will come back to your room, change and shower if you wish, go to lunch, and head to the Practice Courts for training. There you will learn to become a Shang. It will be hard, very hard, and you may injure yourself and you may quit. There are Healers here incase you do hurt yourself.
"There are punishments and rewards as usual. We take days of Worship off, including the week of Midwinter. Are there any questions?" He looked at her as he walked back to his desk, picking up those papers again.
"Actually sir, there is one." She looked him in the eye.
"Yes? Well, go on girl."
"Well sir, should I have supplied my equipment?" She had no idea that she had to supply her own weapons, books, writing utensils, or anything else.
She was startled to hear him laugh, something, she guessed, he did not do often, for it was choppy and harsh, much like a bark. "Everything will be supplied to you. Schooling things will be returned after your studies of Shang are completed in eight years. You will use the weapons given to you in practice, soon, you will need to buy your own weapons. A pair horses and their tack will also be supplied, along with the boarding. You may purchase the animals at the end of the eight years, if you wish. You may also wish to buy your own horse from the Markets too.
"The remainder of the day you will be shown around and you will acquire clothes and your mounts. Someone will be your Sponsor. Now, if there is nothing else, you will be on your way."
Nodding silently, Tani watched as the Shang Rabbit motioned with his hand for Shawn to come forward.
"She needs a Sponsor and see to it her bags are unpacked."
"Sir."
Shawn turned and led her away from the room. Natani walked a step behind, thinking over what she had just heard. She didn't know if she liked the Rabbit, he was very stern and cold. The rules and such wouldn't be so bad. She was used to falling and hurting herself on a daily basis.
"He's always like that." the plump man's voice startled Tani put of her thoughts.
"Excuse me?" She didn't know she had asked anything.
"The Rabbit. Lyondell Basic. He is always stern and seems overpowering." He looked back over his shoulder and saw her surprised look. "Everyone always asked and I knew you were thinking it."
"Oh. Where will I find a Sponsor?"
"You will be assigned one of the fourth years. We were hoping to pair you with another female, but not many choose Shang. Most of the ones that are here are eighth years. Your Sponsor is... er... old, for a fourth year." He paused. "Here we are."
Natani hadn't even noticed that she had been led all the way back to her door.
"If you will wait here for a moment, I will get your Sponsor."
She nodded and watched Shawn retreat a few doors down around the corner. Tani heard a faint exchange of words and then saw Shawn come around the corner, leading a tall boy.
He looked to be fifteen, tall with an athletic build., the years he had spent at Shang showing. His frosted blonde hair was cropped short, but still long enough that he was brushing it out of his eyes. Sapphire eyes, set underneath level, dark brows were bright and smiling. When he saw her, a smile tugged at his sensitive mouth. Tani looked down, hiding her blush behind her raven clad hair. His smile made her insides turn over.
"This is Heath Hart. He is to be your Sponsor. Now if there is anything the two of you require before you make way?" Shawn looked back and forth between the two of them.
"No, thanks anyway Shawn." Heath smiled, his voice light yet powerful. "I think we should go ahead and get started."
"Very well then." He looked at Tani and smiled. "Good luck to ya Girl. I shall be seeing you again. Heath, make sure you show her to mine, or Liza's room."
Heath nodded and Shawn turned, his receding footfalls echoing in the stone hallway. Soon it was quiet and Heath turned to Natani.
"Well, welcome to Shang. Shall we get started?" He looked at her, brows raised. "By the way, do you have a name?"
"Natani Frost. But it's kinda a mouth full so just call me Tani, it's easier."
He laughed, "Alright, Tani. Where shall we head first? Would you like to see the grounds first? Or perhaps would you like to meet some people? Get your mount? Your supplies?"
It was Tani's turn to laugh now. "There's just so much to see here!" she replied to his questioning look. "How about we look around first and see where that takes us."
He smiled and tugged at his blonde locks. "Ok. If you'd follow me Madam?" He gave her his arm, which she gladly took. They walked down the hallway, stopping in front of a large wooden door, a crimson circle with a line down the center carved and painted on it. "This is the Servant's Quarters. Doors to rooms like the kitchen, laundry, and their rooms are there. Including Shawn and Liza's. I'll show you."
Tani only nodded as he opened the doors and led her down another stone corridor. As they walked, he would pause at each door and explain where they led. Tani learned that the kitchen, laundry, storage rooms, and stores were all down this hallway. After passing a rather large bath house, Heath led turned left, leading Tani down a slightly dimmer corridor, lit by candles, where as the main hallway was lit by WitchLight.