Here is another one, I hope you like it! ( Review, please!
Smiles,
Flowergurl :D
Callidora Hennet stepped outside into the rising sun. She smiled as the first rays hit her face, even though she had no reason to smile.
A breeze blew through, gently rustling her patched green dress and tattered apron, sending her thick, coal black hair flying behind her. She sighed and closed her bright blue eyes, happy for this slight moment of peace. This was the only time of day she got it; when her dumpy, selfish mother was still asleep, before Callie had to go and work.
She sat down on a nearby rock and listened to the distant sound of waves hitting the shore on the other side of her home. The sea- her only hope. Her only hope to ever leave her life of hunger, oppression, and cruelty. Her only hope of going to another land, a land she wasn't sure existed. A land where all people had food, no slaves were kept, and commoners were accepted as human beings, not things that the gods created to serve the nobles. She had read of this land in the large books she had found, discarded by the wealthy.
Yes, it had been a struggle, Callie remembered with a slight smile; it had been a great struggle to actually be able to read the books. Commoners like her were not educated. No one she knew was educated, no one she knew could read, write, or even talk properly.
But Callie could.
And she was frowned upon because of it. Her vocabulary had grown since she was seven, and she could speak Common flawlessly, as well as the language native to her home, the Copper Isles. She had taught herself, forced herself, to read. Looking back on it, it was a mystery as to how she learned, but she could, and read every book she could get her hands on. She had gotten to the point where she couldn't stand to be around the people her age anymore because their grammar was so bad, and she had learned (the hard way) not to correct them.
But, she thought with a sigh, that was many years ago. She knew better now, and it was useless anyway. Everyone looked at her as if she had grown horns when she spoke.
It was quite unfortunate, Callie thought as she hugged her tattered cloak around her, that she could not go into the streets without a cover. And it had to be a big cover, too. Otherwise…Callie shuddered, hoping to block the unpleasant thoughts out.
Otherwise, a lust-hungry male would find her…and Callie was powerless to stop him.
She heard grunting from inside the small shack that was her home and jumped. Her mother must be rising, she thought with a sigh. Her mother was drunk quite often. But, the woman did have problems, Callie thought wryly; you had to hand it to her. Her husband, Callie's father, had left because (Callie thought) he had woken up one morning and got a good look at his wife. It was true; Arisha Hennet was not a pretty sight to see. Fat and sluggish, she did not share her daughter's beauty. Her brown hair was not cared for, and her brown eyes were bleak.
Why, Callie mused, she didn't even know her own father's name! All she knew about him was that he stayed long enough to name his daughter Callidora, which meant 'gift of beauty' and to give her a locket. Callie had gotten this out of her mother one night, when she was drunk, but had not managed to find the locket.
"What you doin', wretch?!" Suddenly, the irritated voice that belonged to Arisha cried.
Callie stood. "Nothing, Arisha," she said in an uninterested voice. She didn't call her mother 'mother' or 'mama', but by her first name.
"Gettin here an' make me my meal!"
Callie inhaled deeply, listening to the sound of the crashing waves, and for the thousandth time, told herself that she would leave the Copper Isles some day, and begin a life, a new life, in the faraway country called Tortall.
~*~*~*~*
Callie heard a 'clunk' and the sound of glass shattering. "Good," she said to herself, shutting the large, fascinating book and standing, her legs quivering with the thought of what she was going to do.
She peeked out through the fabric that separated her space from the one- room shack they lived in. She spotted with satisfaction what she had been hoping to see- her mother passed out on the floor from drinking too much ale, the glass of Mithros-knows-what shattered on the dirt floor next to her.
She opened the fabric and crept across the dirt floor to the other side, where a much better piece of fabric separated Arisha's space from the main room. She opened it and surveyed her mother's untidy room and un-made, small bed. She walked over to the broken chest and began rooting through it, finding only clothes.
Callie walked over to Arisha's bed and got down on her knees and looked under it. Her heart leapt-there was a small box. She inched under the bed and grabbed the box. She opened it with shaking hands.
There it was. Its chain was in a big knot and the gold was tarnished, but that was it. At least, Callie thought as she took it out nervously, she hoped it was.
Callie brushed the dust away and saw an inscription on it- Love.
It said love. Callie had never been told she was loved-never. Her heart swelled at the words-someone loved her. Her father loved her. She smiled and opened it. A small note fell out, tightly folded.
Callie put the note aside, shut the box, shoved it under Arisha's bed, and tiptoed to her room. She sat down eagerly and opened the note. It read:
Callidora-
You are a special child, more special than you will ever know. Follow your dreams, Callidora, they will lead you to the right place, where you will uncover your secrets. I am always with you, and have heart, my child, do not give up.
Love,
Father
Callie's heart swelled again. Her dreams- she would follow them. She untangled the knot and hooked the locket around her neck. Then she removed the fabric that posed as a door for her and placed all the food she could find in it.
She returned to her room, her sack not near as full as she would need to make the journey to Tortall, but she would take care of that in the morning.
She turned to her window, looking out at the stars that shone brightly against the ink-black color of the night sky. She closed her eyes and held her locket.
"I'm going to follow my dreams, Father, wherever you are, and I won't give up. I swear that I will not be here tomorrow night. Goodnight, Father."
Callie turned back and began reading her book again. It was a wonderful book all about Tortall. She had a sudden inspiration and ripped a map of the country out and put it in her sack. She then lay down on her cot and went to sleep, vowing that this would be her last time in this cot, this house, this village, this country. She slept with a smile on her face.
~*~*~*~*
Callie hid herself in the shadows of the large boat that was to take her to her new life. She heard voices and was pleased to notice that they were speaking in Common, the language native to the Eastern lands, and that she could understand.
"Are we almost done?" one man asked, looking around nervously.
"No, we've got to load these barrels, then we can go," his partner replied.
"Good. I can't wait to get back home, this place gives me the shakes," the first man said.
"Me too," the other man replied forcefully.
Once they were out of sight, Callie opened the barrel nearest to her and climbed in, thankful that it was empty and rather large. She felt herself being lifted. "What's in this one?" another man called, grunting as he carried the barrel that contained Callie. "It weighs a ton!"
Callie had to stop herself from making a noise of outrage.
"It should be empty," another man said as Callie felt him take the other side of the barrel, therefore rendering her sideways.
"Gods, your right," the man said. "I don't know, maybe it just was sorted into the wrong pile. Should we look?"
Callie's heart stopped. If they looked, she would be in tons of trouble.
"No, not now!" The first man said. "If I put it down, I won't be able to pick it back up!"
The other man grunted in agreement and Callie exhaled in relief. She felt herself being carried upwards and then down stairs, and finally being put to rest, thankfully right side up.
The men panted for a minute and left. Callie felt as though she was breathing again, and she peeked out.
There were a series of crates and barrels clustered around her, so she would be well hidden. She heard noises on the stairs and quickly replaced the top to her barrel, as more men brought more barrels and crates.
This was the pattern for a long time, and just as the heat was becoming unbearable, a door was shut and Callie heard it being locked. She popped open the top and inhaled deeply. The room was now filled to the brim with boxes and barrels and crates. She saw a series of circles in the walls and was astonished to see that the circle was loose. She pulled on it, hard, and felt a huge gust of wind meet her.
She was staring out into open sea, with the island on her left and the ocean to her right. She grinned widely and the boat lurched, and broke free of the harbor. She was free. Off of the horrible island, with her dreams straight ahead. She almost waved, but decided against it since she could risk being seen.
Callie set about making a bed and used straw in a secluded place that could only be reached by climbing on top of a lot of barrels.
~*~*~*~*
Callie was awakened five mornings later quite rudely by the thud of the ship hitting the dock. She shot up and raced through her well-made path through the barrels and forced the wooden plug off of the window. She felt her breath catch in her throat.
Tortall.
It was there, looking plain and simple to anyone except Callie. To Callie, it was a world where perhaps the greatest knight of the age was a woman, where no slaves were kept, where the king and queen actually ruled over their people and weren't just figureheads, the list went on. To Callie, it was where she would make her dreams come true.
She quickly scattered her bed, gathered her food, and got into her favorite barrel to wait. Soon, she heard the click of a lock and a door opening, and the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.
"All right, the stuff that's full goes to the first cart, and the stuff that's empty goes on the second cart, got it men?" an imperial-sounding voice commanded.
Callie shook with excitement inside her barrel, not noticing the cramped space or the musty smell of the wood. She felt herself being lifted, and had to restrain herself from squealing with happiness. She was carried outside and placed sideways into a cart. She didn't mind the cramped space or the feeling of being shoved around when other barrels were placed next to hers.
"Okay, the first cart is ta go ter Pirates Swoop and then on ter Corus! Take yeh 'bout a day ta get ter Pirate's Swoop, then 'bout five ta get ter Corus! Good luck, lads! Geddyup!" he commanded, and the cart began moving.
After about twenty minutes, when there was no sound except the pounding of the horses hooves and the occasional shouts between the four drivers, Callie tried to open the lid of her barrel, and found that she couldn't. The barrels and crates were so tightly shoved in; she couldn't open it more than an inch!
Callie cursed under her breath and found her fabric-wrapped bundle. It was good she had decided to re-stock on food, most of the barrels had contained things like salted pork and others native to the Copper Isles. She inspected it and found that she did have enough food for at least three days, and it took only one to get to Pirates Swoop. She forced a smile and tried to put her mind on other things, not the thought of spending a day (without relieving herself) in the barrel.
Pirates Swoop…that name rang a bell, but what it was, she couldn't think of. She knew Corus was the capitol…but Pirate's Swoop?
An idea struck her suddenly. Her map!
She fished it out of her bundle, banging her elbow on the side of the barrel once and almost shouting in pain. Instead, she bit her lip and studied the map. She calculated that in order to be one day away, she must have docked here, and was currently about here by now…
~*~*~*~*
One day later saw Callie's usually vibrant blue eyes a dull gray, and circles surrounding her eyes. She hadn't eaten much; for fear that she would have to use the bathroom, and was starving.
It was nightfall when she finally heard, "Halt!" And, peeking through her inch gap, she saw just barely that they were stopped in front of a big stone wall. "Who goes there?"
"Deliveries for the Baron of Pirates Swoop from the Copper Isles, sir," one of the two men driving Callie's cart answered.
"And what of the second cart?" the guard asked.
"Deliveries for their Majesties from the Copper Isles, sir," one of the drivers of the other cart answered.
"Very well then, get on to Corus with you!" the guard snapped to him.
"Please, sir, mightn't we get something to eat?" the driver of the second cart begged.
Gods, I don't care, Callie moaned to herself. Just as long as I get out of this box!
"Very well, then," the guard said, and the creaking signaled the gate opening, and soon they were riding again, through the village of Pirates Swoop and then they were going up a hill, presumably to the manor.
"The Lioness is here, you lot, so be good," the guard who was escorting them said.
Callie's heart leapt. The Lioness! Lady Alanna, Callie's hero, was here!
Then a horrible sinking feeling began. What if the Lioness was not kind? What if she refused to have anything to do with Callie? What if-
"Oh, good, it's about time," a woman's voice sounded from up ahead. "I was wondering when I would get this delivery!"
There was a great scramble, and Callie was sure the men had sprung off their wagons to greet the lady. "Oh, please, do stop, I just want my melons," the lady said, clearly embarrassed.
Was that Alanna? The great King's Champion? She sounded so nice! But, then again, Callie reminded herself, this was Tortall. People were nice here.
"Yes, my Lady," the men said in unison, and all four began to earnestly unload Callie's cart. Callie felt her barrel being lifted, and suddenly, she wished she was back on the cart. She was going to be exiled, or worse, killed!
"Mm, good!" the Lioness (Callie was almost positive it was her) said, clapping her hands. "Now, his Majesty will pay you when you get to Corus, and thank you. The servants will see to your food."
"Thank you, my Lady." The men all said together, and scampered out.
Alanna clapped her hands together gleefully and squealed. Squealed? The Lioness squeals?
"Okay, where are you…" there was the sound of many barrels being opened, each nearer and nearer to Callie. Finally, the one next to her was opened. "Nope, no melons in here…"
Callie squeezed her eyes shut and rolled her self into as tight a ball as possible. The lid was opened, and the Lioness uttered a cry of surprise and the sound of a sword being drawn was heard.
"Get up slowly, and drop you weapons, otherwise I swear to the Goddess I'll poke you straight through." The Lioness said in a perfectly calm voice.
Callie rose from her position and fell again immediately. Twenty-four hours of not standing can make one's legs rather weak. She fell backwards and hit her head on a barrel behind her. "Ow!" she cried, fighting back tears.
Alanna, her sword still trained on Callie but her eyes wide with astonishment, called, "George! George, come here!"
The sounds of footsteps were heard and a man opened the door quickly. He had a kind face that looked surprised when he spotted Callie. "What have we here?" he asked.
"I don't know, she was in one of the barrels," Alanna said, putting her sword back in its sheath. "She doesn't have any weapons, I think she's harmless."
The man approached her. "Do you speak Common, lass?"
Callie nodded, to scared to speak. The man's face softened. "Oh, look here darlin', don't cry! Look, Alanna, you scared her!"
"George, she scared me!"
"What's your name?" George asked.
"C-Callidora," Callie said, but it came out a barely audible whisper.
"Sorry, lass, didn't catch that?"
Callie got to her feet shakily. This was not at all how she had pictured meeting Alanna the Lioness. She dreamed of saving her from something-not cowering on the floor! "I'm Callidora Hennet," Callie said, a bit more clearly.
"Where are you from?" Alanna asked curiously, approaching her and standing next to George.
"I'm from the Copper Isles, Lady," Callie said, curtsying unstably and wobbling.
"The Copper Islands?!" Alanna cried, staring at Callie. "You-but, how?"
"Whoa there, darlin'!" George chuckled, grasping her upper arm. "Alanna, lets get her to a chair or somethin', she can hardly stand."
Alanna nodded, still staring at her with wonderment, and walked out of the room a few paces in front of her husband who was supporting Callie. They were a very unlikely pair. Alanna had coppery red hair, was short and more stocky than muscular, while George was tall and lean, with tan skin and dark hair. They led her into a grand room that looked to fancy for words. The walls had paper on them; there was carpet on the floor…Callie had never even dreamed of such finery! Nor had she ever felt so unclean.
"Here, lass, sit down in this chair," George said, helping her over to a grandly cushioned chair.
"Oh-no, I couldn't!" Callie cried.
"Why not?" Alanna asked worriedly, inspecting the chair.
"No, it's not the chair, my Lady, it's me! I'll get it dirty for sure!" Callie said, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment as she looked down at her green dress and white apron.
"It doesn't matter!" George said kindly but firmly, practically forcing Callie into the grand chair. It felt wonderful to her aching bones; she had never sat in anything so soft.
"So you're from the Copper Isles, then?" Alanna prompted, drawing a chair for herself.
"Yes, my Lady," Callie responded.
"No, please, none of that, 'my Lady' rubbish. I'm Alanna." Alanna said firmly.
Callie looked up at her in surprise. "Yes, my Lad-Alanna," she said, blushing.
"Yes, and I'm George. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Callidora," George said, smiling kindly at her. "Now, if you will, explain."
Callie took a deep breath and told them of everything-her life in the Copper Isles, how she sneaked on the boat, how she had been in the barrel for a day.
"A whole day?" Alanna gasped, horrified.
George chuckled. "No wonder you couldn't stand. That's quite a story, lass. Now, what to do with you…"
Callie looked up, her eyes shining with tears. "I'll be good, I promise! I'll work for my keep, you don't have to pay me, just please don't send me back!"
"Oh, we aren't sending you back," the Lioness said sympathetically, her eyes dark. "Don't worry. That's absolutely horrible…" she shuddered. "No, what you need now is a bath and a decent night's sleep!"
"Oh, thank you!" Callie said, the tears threatening to spill over, unable to express her gratitude.
"Yes, and we can discuss your future in the mornin'," George agreed firmly.
"Elsina," Alanna called to a maid, "please, prepare a room for Miss Callidora."
"Yes, Lady Alanna," the maid bowed and left.
"Now, just one more question," Alanna said as she turned to Callie. "You posses a Gift. What type?"
"I've only been able to light fire." Callie said, her cheeks burning. Alanna was a very powerful healer.
Alanna frowned. "Really? It certainly looks as though you have much more than that."
"I-I don't know, Alanna," Callie said, still quite embarrassed.
"Well then, off to bed with you," George said, looking at his wife quickly before standing.
"Yes, come now, Callidora," Alanna said, standing as well, her brows knit in thought.
"Please, Alanna, I prefer-" Callie clapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. Oh, no! I contradicted a lady! she thought, very scared. Now they would definitely through her out.
"I'm not going to hit, you, Callidora!" Alanna said in surprise.
Callie opened one eye slightly, hardly daring to believe it.
"No, she isn't," George said with reassurance.
Callie dropped her hand and her jaw fell open. "But-but I contradicted you! You're a noble!"
George and Alanna exchange worried looks. "It's perfectly all right, I wouldn't dream of hitting you!" Alanna exclaimed, taking the seventeen-year- olds' hand.
Callie looked down at the redhead nervously. "Your-touching me! Nobles don't touch commoners, I'll get you dirty!"
Alanna's mouth fell open in exasperation. "It doesn't matter! I promise! Any noble in this land will treat you exactly as I am!"
Callie shut her eyes, her cheeks flaming. Tortall is different, Tortall is different, she said to herself over and over again. "I'm sorry," she managed meekly.
"That's all right. Now what is it you were saying?" Alanna encouraged, walking her out of the room with George on her other side.
"I was just going to say that, if you want to that is, you may call me Callie," Callie said, trying very hard to be brave.
"I certainly will, Callie," Alanna smiled. They turned a corner and she opened a door. A maid was there, unrolling a bed. Another was lighting a fire.
"My Lady, I fetched an old bed dress of yours, and-" the maid cut short when she saw Callie, who was nearly four inches taller than Alanna. "Well, I suppose I should fetch another," the woman said cheerfully.
Alanna laughed. "Thank you, Maude. This is Callidora, or Callie, as she prefers. Callie, this is my children's nurse-maid, Maude."
"Very good to meet you, Lady Callie." Maude said, dropping a small curtsy.
Callie gasped. "Oh, no, no, I am no lady!"
"Callie hid herself in a barrel and sneaked onto the ship from the Copper Isles, the trade one that Jon only did because they needed it and he felt bad for killing Princess Joseline. I for one thought he was mad to do it, but the boat and it's men made it back safely." Alanna confided to Maude.
"Well then, Miss Callie. Will that do?" Maude joked, holding Alanna's nightdress up to Callie. "Here, you may squeeze into this for the night, and I'll make you more clothes in the morrow."
"You mean I'm staying in this room?" Callie asked in awe, staring around at the huge room.
Alanna nodded.
"But-but I don't deserve it! I haven't paid you or anything!" Callie exclaimed with disbelief.
Alanna sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Callie, things are different here then your home. We do things for the sheer pleasure of helping people, not out of greed. You will not work for your keep. All George and I need is the satisfaction that comes with helping people in need, that is your pay to us. All right?"
"Oh, if gratitude were money, you would be very rich!" Callie exclaimed, resisting the urge to hug the Lioness.
"Good, that's all we need," George said firmly. "You get a bath and new clothes, we'll hold supper for you."
"Yes," Callie said obediently. "Thank you so much," she said sincerely.
Alanna smiled and hooked her arm through George's. "See you in a bit," she said, and swept out of the room with her husband.
Callie stared out after Alanna, her eyes wide. She shook her head and turned back to the maid. Maude smiled. "Come now, dear, lets get you cleaned up!"
Callie was led into a large dressing room attached to her room. There was a tub in the middle, filled with hot water. Maude stripped her, nearly fainting at how thin Callie was, and shooing her into the tub. Callie sank into the hot water, a little sigh escaping her lips. She closed her eyes and stretched out, not believing that she was actually in the same house as the great Lioness. And that the Lioness was so down to earth.
Maude scrubbed her thoroughly while maids came back and forth, scooping out the dirty water in buckets and replacing it with clean, hot water. Finally, Maude pronounced her clean, and Callie was wrapped securely in a large white towel.
A seamstress was waiting for her, pins and needles in her mouth, carrying a bundle of fabrics. Her hands were blurs as she measured, pinned, and cut the fabrics. Soon they began to look recognizable, and slowly molded into the finest dress Callie had ever seen.
She slipped the silk on when it was done…it fit perfectly. As she looked into the mirror while a maid did her hair, she wondered what she had done to deserve this, and if she would ever find the secrets of her past. She certainly hoped she would.
Smiles,
Flowergurl :D
Callidora Hennet stepped outside into the rising sun. She smiled as the first rays hit her face, even though she had no reason to smile.
A breeze blew through, gently rustling her patched green dress and tattered apron, sending her thick, coal black hair flying behind her. She sighed and closed her bright blue eyes, happy for this slight moment of peace. This was the only time of day she got it; when her dumpy, selfish mother was still asleep, before Callie had to go and work.
She sat down on a nearby rock and listened to the distant sound of waves hitting the shore on the other side of her home. The sea- her only hope. Her only hope to ever leave her life of hunger, oppression, and cruelty. Her only hope of going to another land, a land she wasn't sure existed. A land where all people had food, no slaves were kept, and commoners were accepted as human beings, not things that the gods created to serve the nobles. She had read of this land in the large books she had found, discarded by the wealthy.
Yes, it had been a struggle, Callie remembered with a slight smile; it had been a great struggle to actually be able to read the books. Commoners like her were not educated. No one she knew was educated, no one she knew could read, write, or even talk properly.
But Callie could.
And she was frowned upon because of it. Her vocabulary had grown since she was seven, and she could speak Common flawlessly, as well as the language native to her home, the Copper Isles. She had taught herself, forced herself, to read. Looking back on it, it was a mystery as to how she learned, but she could, and read every book she could get her hands on. She had gotten to the point where she couldn't stand to be around the people her age anymore because their grammar was so bad, and she had learned (the hard way) not to correct them.
But, she thought with a sigh, that was many years ago. She knew better now, and it was useless anyway. Everyone looked at her as if she had grown horns when she spoke.
It was quite unfortunate, Callie thought as she hugged her tattered cloak around her, that she could not go into the streets without a cover. And it had to be a big cover, too. Otherwise…Callie shuddered, hoping to block the unpleasant thoughts out.
Otherwise, a lust-hungry male would find her…and Callie was powerless to stop him.
She heard grunting from inside the small shack that was her home and jumped. Her mother must be rising, she thought with a sigh. Her mother was drunk quite often. But, the woman did have problems, Callie thought wryly; you had to hand it to her. Her husband, Callie's father, had left because (Callie thought) he had woken up one morning and got a good look at his wife. It was true; Arisha Hennet was not a pretty sight to see. Fat and sluggish, she did not share her daughter's beauty. Her brown hair was not cared for, and her brown eyes were bleak.
Why, Callie mused, she didn't even know her own father's name! All she knew about him was that he stayed long enough to name his daughter Callidora, which meant 'gift of beauty' and to give her a locket. Callie had gotten this out of her mother one night, when she was drunk, but had not managed to find the locket.
"What you doin', wretch?!" Suddenly, the irritated voice that belonged to Arisha cried.
Callie stood. "Nothing, Arisha," she said in an uninterested voice. She didn't call her mother 'mother' or 'mama', but by her first name.
"Gettin here an' make me my meal!"
Callie inhaled deeply, listening to the sound of the crashing waves, and for the thousandth time, told herself that she would leave the Copper Isles some day, and begin a life, a new life, in the faraway country called Tortall.
~*~*~*~*
Callie heard a 'clunk' and the sound of glass shattering. "Good," she said to herself, shutting the large, fascinating book and standing, her legs quivering with the thought of what she was going to do.
She peeked out through the fabric that separated her space from the one- room shack they lived in. She spotted with satisfaction what she had been hoping to see- her mother passed out on the floor from drinking too much ale, the glass of Mithros-knows-what shattered on the dirt floor next to her.
She opened the fabric and crept across the dirt floor to the other side, where a much better piece of fabric separated Arisha's space from the main room. She opened it and surveyed her mother's untidy room and un-made, small bed. She walked over to the broken chest and began rooting through it, finding only clothes.
Callie walked over to Arisha's bed and got down on her knees and looked under it. Her heart leapt-there was a small box. She inched under the bed and grabbed the box. She opened it with shaking hands.
There it was. Its chain was in a big knot and the gold was tarnished, but that was it. At least, Callie thought as she took it out nervously, she hoped it was.
Callie brushed the dust away and saw an inscription on it- Love.
It said love. Callie had never been told she was loved-never. Her heart swelled at the words-someone loved her. Her father loved her. She smiled and opened it. A small note fell out, tightly folded.
Callie put the note aside, shut the box, shoved it under Arisha's bed, and tiptoed to her room. She sat down eagerly and opened the note. It read:
Callidora-
You are a special child, more special than you will ever know. Follow your dreams, Callidora, they will lead you to the right place, where you will uncover your secrets. I am always with you, and have heart, my child, do not give up.
Love,
Father
Callie's heart swelled again. Her dreams- she would follow them. She untangled the knot and hooked the locket around her neck. Then she removed the fabric that posed as a door for her and placed all the food she could find in it.
She returned to her room, her sack not near as full as she would need to make the journey to Tortall, but she would take care of that in the morning.
She turned to her window, looking out at the stars that shone brightly against the ink-black color of the night sky. She closed her eyes and held her locket.
"I'm going to follow my dreams, Father, wherever you are, and I won't give up. I swear that I will not be here tomorrow night. Goodnight, Father."
Callie turned back and began reading her book again. It was a wonderful book all about Tortall. She had a sudden inspiration and ripped a map of the country out and put it in her sack. She then lay down on her cot and went to sleep, vowing that this would be her last time in this cot, this house, this village, this country. She slept with a smile on her face.
~*~*~*~*
Callie hid herself in the shadows of the large boat that was to take her to her new life. She heard voices and was pleased to notice that they were speaking in Common, the language native to the Eastern lands, and that she could understand.
"Are we almost done?" one man asked, looking around nervously.
"No, we've got to load these barrels, then we can go," his partner replied.
"Good. I can't wait to get back home, this place gives me the shakes," the first man said.
"Me too," the other man replied forcefully.
Once they were out of sight, Callie opened the barrel nearest to her and climbed in, thankful that it was empty and rather large. She felt herself being lifted. "What's in this one?" another man called, grunting as he carried the barrel that contained Callie. "It weighs a ton!"
Callie had to stop herself from making a noise of outrage.
"It should be empty," another man said as Callie felt him take the other side of the barrel, therefore rendering her sideways.
"Gods, your right," the man said. "I don't know, maybe it just was sorted into the wrong pile. Should we look?"
Callie's heart stopped. If they looked, she would be in tons of trouble.
"No, not now!" The first man said. "If I put it down, I won't be able to pick it back up!"
The other man grunted in agreement and Callie exhaled in relief. She felt herself being carried upwards and then down stairs, and finally being put to rest, thankfully right side up.
The men panted for a minute and left. Callie felt as though she was breathing again, and she peeked out.
There were a series of crates and barrels clustered around her, so she would be well hidden. She heard noises on the stairs and quickly replaced the top to her barrel, as more men brought more barrels and crates.
This was the pattern for a long time, and just as the heat was becoming unbearable, a door was shut and Callie heard it being locked. She popped open the top and inhaled deeply. The room was now filled to the brim with boxes and barrels and crates. She saw a series of circles in the walls and was astonished to see that the circle was loose. She pulled on it, hard, and felt a huge gust of wind meet her.
She was staring out into open sea, with the island on her left and the ocean to her right. She grinned widely and the boat lurched, and broke free of the harbor. She was free. Off of the horrible island, with her dreams straight ahead. She almost waved, but decided against it since she could risk being seen.
Callie set about making a bed and used straw in a secluded place that could only be reached by climbing on top of a lot of barrels.
~*~*~*~*
Callie was awakened five mornings later quite rudely by the thud of the ship hitting the dock. She shot up and raced through her well-made path through the barrels and forced the wooden plug off of the window. She felt her breath catch in her throat.
Tortall.
It was there, looking plain and simple to anyone except Callie. To Callie, it was a world where perhaps the greatest knight of the age was a woman, where no slaves were kept, where the king and queen actually ruled over their people and weren't just figureheads, the list went on. To Callie, it was where she would make her dreams come true.
She quickly scattered her bed, gathered her food, and got into her favorite barrel to wait. Soon, she heard the click of a lock and a door opening, and the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.
"All right, the stuff that's full goes to the first cart, and the stuff that's empty goes on the second cart, got it men?" an imperial-sounding voice commanded.
Callie shook with excitement inside her barrel, not noticing the cramped space or the musty smell of the wood. She felt herself being lifted, and had to restrain herself from squealing with happiness. She was carried outside and placed sideways into a cart. She didn't mind the cramped space or the feeling of being shoved around when other barrels were placed next to hers.
"Okay, the first cart is ta go ter Pirates Swoop and then on ter Corus! Take yeh 'bout a day ta get ter Pirate's Swoop, then 'bout five ta get ter Corus! Good luck, lads! Geddyup!" he commanded, and the cart began moving.
After about twenty minutes, when there was no sound except the pounding of the horses hooves and the occasional shouts between the four drivers, Callie tried to open the lid of her barrel, and found that she couldn't. The barrels and crates were so tightly shoved in; she couldn't open it more than an inch!
Callie cursed under her breath and found her fabric-wrapped bundle. It was good she had decided to re-stock on food, most of the barrels had contained things like salted pork and others native to the Copper Isles. She inspected it and found that she did have enough food for at least three days, and it took only one to get to Pirates Swoop. She forced a smile and tried to put her mind on other things, not the thought of spending a day (without relieving herself) in the barrel.
Pirates Swoop…that name rang a bell, but what it was, she couldn't think of. She knew Corus was the capitol…but Pirate's Swoop?
An idea struck her suddenly. Her map!
She fished it out of her bundle, banging her elbow on the side of the barrel once and almost shouting in pain. Instead, she bit her lip and studied the map. She calculated that in order to be one day away, she must have docked here, and was currently about here by now…
~*~*~*~*
One day later saw Callie's usually vibrant blue eyes a dull gray, and circles surrounding her eyes. She hadn't eaten much; for fear that she would have to use the bathroom, and was starving.
It was nightfall when she finally heard, "Halt!" And, peeking through her inch gap, she saw just barely that they were stopped in front of a big stone wall. "Who goes there?"
"Deliveries for the Baron of Pirates Swoop from the Copper Isles, sir," one of the two men driving Callie's cart answered.
"And what of the second cart?" the guard asked.
"Deliveries for their Majesties from the Copper Isles, sir," one of the drivers of the other cart answered.
"Very well then, get on to Corus with you!" the guard snapped to him.
"Please, sir, mightn't we get something to eat?" the driver of the second cart begged.
Gods, I don't care, Callie moaned to herself. Just as long as I get out of this box!
"Very well, then," the guard said, and the creaking signaled the gate opening, and soon they were riding again, through the village of Pirates Swoop and then they were going up a hill, presumably to the manor.
"The Lioness is here, you lot, so be good," the guard who was escorting them said.
Callie's heart leapt. The Lioness! Lady Alanna, Callie's hero, was here!
Then a horrible sinking feeling began. What if the Lioness was not kind? What if she refused to have anything to do with Callie? What if-
"Oh, good, it's about time," a woman's voice sounded from up ahead. "I was wondering when I would get this delivery!"
There was a great scramble, and Callie was sure the men had sprung off their wagons to greet the lady. "Oh, please, do stop, I just want my melons," the lady said, clearly embarrassed.
Was that Alanna? The great King's Champion? She sounded so nice! But, then again, Callie reminded herself, this was Tortall. People were nice here.
"Yes, my Lady," the men said in unison, and all four began to earnestly unload Callie's cart. Callie felt her barrel being lifted, and suddenly, she wished she was back on the cart. She was going to be exiled, or worse, killed!
"Mm, good!" the Lioness (Callie was almost positive it was her) said, clapping her hands. "Now, his Majesty will pay you when you get to Corus, and thank you. The servants will see to your food."
"Thank you, my Lady." The men all said together, and scampered out.
Alanna clapped her hands together gleefully and squealed. Squealed? The Lioness squeals?
"Okay, where are you…" there was the sound of many barrels being opened, each nearer and nearer to Callie. Finally, the one next to her was opened. "Nope, no melons in here…"
Callie squeezed her eyes shut and rolled her self into as tight a ball as possible. The lid was opened, and the Lioness uttered a cry of surprise and the sound of a sword being drawn was heard.
"Get up slowly, and drop you weapons, otherwise I swear to the Goddess I'll poke you straight through." The Lioness said in a perfectly calm voice.
Callie rose from her position and fell again immediately. Twenty-four hours of not standing can make one's legs rather weak. She fell backwards and hit her head on a barrel behind her. "Ow!" she cried, fighting back tears.
Alanna, her sword still trained on Callie but her eyes wide with astonishment, called, "George! George, come here!"
The sounds of footsteps were heard and a man opened the door quickly. He had a kind face that looked surprised when he spotted Callie. "What have we here?" he asked.
"I don't know, she was in one of the barrels," Alanna said, putting her sword back in its sheath. "She doesn't have any weapons, I think she's harmless."
The man approached her. "Do you speak Common, lass?"
Callie nodded, to scared to speak. The man's face softened. "Oh, look here darlin', don't cry! Look, Alanna, you scared her!"
"George, she scared me!"
"What's your name?" George asked.
"C-Callidora," Callie said, but it came out a barely audible whisper.
"Sorry, lass, didn't catch that?"
Callie got to her feet shakily. This was not at all how she had pictured meeting Alanna the Lioness. She dreamed of saving her from something-not cowering on the floor! "I'm Callidora Hennet," Callie said, a bit more clearly.
"Where are you from?" Alanna asked curiously, approaching her and standing next to George.
"I'm from the Copper Isles, Lady," Callie said, curtsying unstably and wobbling.
"The Copper Islands?!" Alanna cried, staring at Callie. "You-but, how?"
"Whoa there, darlin'!" George chuckled, grasping her upper arm. "Alanna, lets get her to a chair or somethin', she can hardly stand."
Alanna nodded, still staring at her with wonderment, and walked out of the room a few paces in front of her husband who was supporting Callie. They were a very unlikely pair. Alanna had coppery red hair, was short and more stocky than muscular, while George was tall and lean, with tan skin and dark hair. They led her into a grand room that looked to fancy for words. The walls had paper on them; there was carpet on the floor…Callie had never even dreamed of such finery! Nor had she ever felt so unclean.
"Here, lass, sit down in this chair," George said, helping her over to a grandly cushioned chair.
"Oh-no, I couldn't!" Callie cried.
"Why not?" Alanna asked worriedly, inspecting the chair.
"No, it's not the chair, my Lady, it's me! I'll get it dirty for sure!" Callie said, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment as she looked down at her green dress and white apron.
"It doesn't matter!" George said kindly but firmly, practically forcing Callie into the grand chair. It felt wonderful to her aching bones; she had never sat in anything so soft.
"So you're from the Copper Isles, then?" Alanna prompted, drawing a chair for herself.
"Yes, my Lady," Callie responded.
"No, please, none of that, 'my Lady' rubbish. I'm Alanna." Alanna said firmly.
Callie looked up at her in surprise. "Yes, my Lad-Alanna," she said, blushing.
"Yes, and I'm George. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Callidora," George said, smiling kindly at her. "Now, if you will, explain."
Callie took a deep breath and told them of everything-her life in the Copper Isles, how she sneaked on the boat, how she had been in the barrel for a day.
"A whole day?" Alanna gasped, horrified.
George chuckled. "No wonder you couldn't stand. That's quite a story, lass. Now, what to do with you…"
Callie looked up, her eyes shining with tears. "I'll be good, I promise! I'll work for my keep, you don't have to pay me, just please don't send me back!"
"Oh, we aren't sending you back," the Lioness said sympathetically, her eyes dark. "Don't worry. That's absolutely horrible…" she shuddered. "No, what you need now is a bath and a decent night's sleep!"
"Oh, thank you!" Callie said, the tears threatening to spill over, unable to express her gratitude.
"Yes, and we can discuss your future in the mornin'," George agreed firmly.
"Elsina," Alanna called to a maid, "please, prepare a room for Miss Callidora."
"Yes, Lady Alanna," the maid bowed and left.
"Now, just one more question," Alanna said as she turned to Callie. "You posses a Gift. What type?"
"I've only been able to light fire." Callie said, her cheeks burning. Alanna was a very powerful healer.
Alanna frowned. "Really? It certainly looks as though you have much more than that."
"I-I don't know, Alanna," Callie said, still quite embarrassed.
"Well then, off to bed with you," George said, looking at his wife quickly before standing.
"Yes, come now, Callidora," Alanna said, standing as well, her brows knit in thought.
"Please, Alanna, I prefer-" Callie clapped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. Oh, no! I contradicted a lady! she thought, very scared. Now they would definitely through her out.
"I'm not going to hit, you, Callidora!" Alanna said in surprise.
Callie opened one eye slightly, hardly daring to believe it.
"No, she isn't," George said with reassurance.
Callie dropped her hand and her jaw fell open. "But-but I contradicted you! You're a noble!"
George and Alanna exchange worried looks. "It's perfectly all right, I wouldn't dream of hitting you!" Alanna exclaimed, taking the seventeen-year- olds' hand.
Callie looked down at the redhead nervously. "Your-touching me! Nobles don't touch commoners, I'll get you dirty!"
Alanna's mouth fell open in exasperation. "It doesn't matter! I promise! Any noble in this land will treat you exactly as I am!"
Callie shut her eyes, her cheeks flaming. Tortall is different, Tortall is different, she said to herself over and over again. "I'm sorry," she managed meekly.
"That's all right. Now what is it you were saying?" Alanna encouraged, walking her out of the room with George on her other side.
"I was just going to say that, if you want to that is, you may call me Callie," Callie said, trying very hard to be brave.
"I certainly will, Callie," Alanna smiled. They turned a corner and she opened a door. A maid was there, unrolling a bed. Another was lighting a fire.
"My Lady, I fetched an old bed dress of yours, and-" the maid cut short when she saw Callie, who was nearly four inches taller than Alanna. "Well, I suppose I should fetch another," the woman said cheerfully.
Alanna laughed. "Thank you, Maude. This is Callidora, or Callie, as she prefers. Callie, this is my children's nurse-maid, Maude."
"Very good to meet you, Lady Callie." Maude said, dropping a small curtsy.
Callie gasped. "Oh, no, no, I am no lady!"
"Callie hid herself in a barrel and sneaked onto the ship from the Copper Isles, the trade one that Jon only did because they needed it and he felt bad for killing Princess Joseline. I for one thought he was mad to do it, but the boat and it's men made it back safely." Alanna confided to Maude.
"Well then, Miss Callie. Will that do?" Maude joked, holding Alanna's nightdress up to Callie. "Here, you may squeeze into this for the night, and I'll make you more clothes in the morrow."
"You mean I'm staying in this room?" Callie asked in awe, staring around at the huge room.
Alanna nodded.
"But-but I don't deserve it! I haven't paid you or anything!" Callie exclaimed with disbelief.
Alanna sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Callie, things are different here then your home. We do things for the sheer pleasure of helping people, not out of greed. You will not work for your keep. All George and I need is the satisfaction that comes with helping people in need, that is your pay to us. All right?"
"Oh, if gratitude were money, you would be very rich!" Callie exclaimed, resisting the urge to hug the Lioness.
"Good, that's all we need," George said firmly. "You get a bath and new clothes, we'll hold supper for you."
"Yes," Callie said obediently. "Thank you so much," she said sincerely.
Alanna smiled and hooked her arm through George's. "See you in a bit," she said, and swept out of the room with her husband.
Callie stared out after Alanna, her eyes wide. She shook her head and turned back to the maid. Maude smiled. "Come now, dear, lets get you cleaned up!"
Callie was led into a large dressing room attached to her room. There was a tub in the middle, filled with hot water. Maude stripped her, nearly fainting at how thin Callie was, and shooing her into the tub. Callie sank into the hot water, a little sigh escaping her lips. She closed her eyes and stretched out, not believing that she was actually in the same house as the great Lioness. And that the Lioness was so down to earth.
Maude scrubbed her thoroughly while maids came back and forth, scooping out the dirty water in buckets and replacing it with clean, hot water. Finally, Maude pronounced her clean, and Callie was wrapped securely in a large white towel.
A seamstress was waiting for her, pins and needles in her mouth, carrying a bundle of fabrics. Her hands were blurs as she measured, pinned, and cut the fabrics. Soon they began to look recognizable, and slowly molded into the finest dress Callie had ever seen.
She slipped the silk on when it was done…it fit perfectly. As she looked into the mirror while a maid did her hair, she wondered what she had done to deserve this, and if she would ever find the secrets of her past. She certainly hoped she would.