Review and tell me what you think please!
Smiles and spirals! (oops, maybe I shouldn't have had that soft-drink...)
Eowyn
Disclaimer: I don't own places and people, no profit is being made and no insult intended.
Two days after her fifth birthday, Keladria, youngest daughter of Alanna, the Lioness & King's Champion, and George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop woke with a bad feeling. She'd had them since was born and had learned to trust them about things. When she had told her mother about them, Alanna concluded Keladria must have a touch of premonition as well as her small Gift of light & fire.
Wary, Keladria went about her morning routine, making sure to keep her eyes open. Intending to tell her mother, as her father was away, Keladria went in search of her. Finally spotting her mother and older sister, Alianne, in the open yard, Keladria rushed out of the house. Well, as fast as she could, wearing a dress.
"Mother..." Keladria began only to be cut off.
"Keladria! Today, you will begin you're training in the art of self defence. You shall need it when you become a page. Yes I know it's a bit early, but seeing Alianne's home at the moment, and the same with myself, we decided that now would be the best time."
"But Mother..."
"But nothing! Now and change out of that ridiculous dress. You know that you can wear breeches around here... Unless, of course, you don't want to learn?" Alanna added, seeing Keladria's hesitation. Wisely, Keladria kept her mouth shut. Else, she would have burst into tears.
Sadly, Keladria trudged back into her bedroom, and changed out of her beautiful dress, into old, boyish breeches and headed back towards the yard. Keladria stared with distaste at the array of weapons she had to learn to use. Bow and arrow, sword, lance, not to mention the hand-to-hand stuff.
"Now", said her mother, not noticing Keladria's look, "I'm only going to teach you the basics of each weapon, so you don't show everyone up at the palace. You will be tormented as it is, being a girl page, so don't show off!"
Sourly Keladria picked up the bow and arrows, and waited for instructions. Alanna certainly had plenty of instructions for her daughter. Plenty of criticism too. Keladria never seemed to do any thing well enough to please her mother, even if she was only learning the basics. She probably would have done better, if she actually tried. Alanna noticed Keladria was almost a natural, but she never practiced, only when her mother insisted. Even then, Keladria mucked about in her lessons and didn't seem to even like picking up a weapon. Also, when every other female in her family ran around in breeches and tunics, Keladria took great delight in dressing up in dresses and fiddling with her hair.
"I've decided." Keladria firmly said, during one family dinner, about a month before Keladria had to leave to be page. "I am not going to go to the palace to be a knight. I am going to the convent to learn to be a lady." Needless to say her family was shocked. Especially Alanna.
"Why?" She asked her daughter.
"Because I hate fighting. And dirt. And all that boyish stuff. And I hate you making me!" Both her parents tried to reason with her about her decision, but Keladria turned out to be as stubborn as her parents. And she had the temper of her mother.
Keladria climbed into the waiting carriage (she had refused to ride a horse), great satisfaction in her heart. She was finally going to a place where she could be a lady and wear dresses and face paint! Although, she wouldn't admit it, Keladria hated Pirate's Swoop. She had only a few good dresses in her wardrobe and her parent insisted she help with the work around the house. There was so much dirt! Happily she waved goodbye, a tiny smirk on her face, as the carriage left Pirate's Swoop.
The convent was a few days away, but Keladria hardly left the carriage. She didn't want to arrive dirty or sweaty, but perfect. The only time she did leave the carriage was when the driver sounded an alarm. Bandits!
Keladria scrambled to where her mother had stored her sword. Alanna had insisted that Keladria carried a weapon. At the time, Keladria had argued but it ended up in her luggage. Now she was grateful, but worried, she didn't want to have to fight! She would prefer to be a normal girl, and sit there and scream, while everyone fought for her. Luckily Keladria was not that stupid. She still did give a shill, terrified, girly scream as the bandits came, just for the sake of it.
Keladria must have had a guardian though. A few moments after her scream, crashes in the bush announced the arrival of people on horses, and who would it be but, Sir Keladry, Sir Cleon and Sir Neal themselves. Actually, it was not quite so unlikely. Alanna had asked for protection for her daughter from her former squire, Sir Neal, and he had enlisted a few friends.
Upon the arrival of three fully armed knights the bandits made a hasty retreat. One thing to attack a carriage, another to attack knights. Those knight then continued to escort the carriage, arriving at the Convent later that day.
At the Convent, Keladria was surprised when the Daughters assumed she would hate it there. "Why would I hate it here?" she asked in confusion, when first asked. "I finally can be a LADY!"
"And I'm changing my name. I'm now Adria. I mean, who would wanna be named after a girl knight? It' s bad enough being the daughter of one!" Good thing Sir Keladry had left by this time.