Jadenite's Tailoring Adventures: Five Friends Until the End
By Jadenite
The sky was a crystal, clear blue, a few clouds forming their usual assortment of cosmetic shapes that resembled things in one's mind. The sun ducked behind a cloud, then jumped out only moments later to pour a refreshing ray of light on her. A cool, little breeze brushed against her cheeks, cooling her warm skin. Reaching down with a slightly tanned hand, she rubbed her stomach. It was almost time. Just a few more weeks. Fear and excitement both clutched at her heart. She was jerked from her thoughts when she felt a rough object rubbing against her bare left foot. Blinking, she looked over at the man who sat to her left, watching her with his gentle brown eyes. His name was Jon Michell. She was his wife, Jadenite Brithan Michell.
"What's the matter?," the sound he made was soothing, warming to the heart. He always spoke to her with the utmost care and love. His strong yet gentle hand came down, touching her cheek. She let a few of her fingers rest on his hand. His hair, a graying color from the dye he had administered to it earlier, sat on his head unruly. The blue surcoat over a white tunic he wore was pristine, as were his blue long pants. His skin, like her's, had a nice, light tan to it. Jon Michell was a paladin, the most honorable a fighter could be in the land of Britannia. He was also her husband, marrying her only mere days before. The marriage had almost been a catastrophe. He was late, only because he and a few of his friends had been slaughtered by the serpentine warriors known as Ophidians. Trying to get back to the place the wedding was to be held, they had come to the realization that the rune they were to use to travel back with had been taken by the Ophidians. They, then, had to run back through a portal in Papua to Moonglow, take a ship from the island to the main land of Britannia, and use horses to trek the rest of the way. It would have been a disaster, if Lord British hadn't been at the wedding and Jadenite so understanding.
She watched him with her solid green eyes, watching the contours of his young, yet mature face. His jaw was hard set, his neck a single tightened bulge. His arms were thick with muscles, as were his legs. Jadenite's heart fluttered when she thought of him. Every fiber in her being became one with his when they were together. She had never known it was possible to become so happy, but he showed her it was possible, and she never wanted otherwise. Her hand reached out and touched his leg. He flexed his calf muscle at the touch, not out of fear or defense, but rather trying to impress her. But she needed no impressing from him. His heart was the only thing she would ever love. Her fingers massaged his leg, a thin lipped smile touching her face. The breeze brushed against her again, more fiercely, causing a strand of her ice blue hair to fall across her face. She used her other hand to move it aside.
"Nothing. Just thinking," her answer was contained in the gentle breath of her slightly high-pitched voice. Jon grinned, rubbing his fingers in a circle on her cheek. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers and sucking in her sweet breath. Pulling away, he gazed into her eyes, laying down on an elbow. His head cradled in the heel of his hand, he grinned, watching her.
The edge of the white and red checkered blanket they lay on had a basket. The basket, woven from yew branches from the forest of the same name, held food of all kinds for their picnic. The two newlyweds had decided on having a picnic north of the town that they worked in, Delucia. Delucia was a small farming and animal raising town that attracted tailors from across the lands. Both Jon and Jadenite were tailors, owning their own shop near Trinsic, another town in Britannia. North of Delucia, where they were, was a small enclosure surrounded on three sides by mountains. A small, clean lake lay against one of the mountains, offering a place to have a refreshing drink or swim. On a hill, a little further north from where they lay, was a forest filled with deer, squirrels, rats, and other animal life from which they could make leather and other tailored items. The place they lay had a few small hills, so they could see around them. Jon had taken Jadenite up there for the picnic, helping her along the way because of her pregnancy.
"What are you thinking about?," Jon reached out with his other hand, pulling lightly on a strand of Jadenite's hair. He twirled it around a finger, watching her face. He gazed at the curvature of her nose, the fullness of her lips, her smooth skin. Jadenite had been the girl Jon had lusted over for quite a number of days. He put on the charm for her, protected her, did everything for her that he could. For awhile, he thought she was untouchable, until she let herself be open to him. Now he had her and never wanted to let go.
"About the baby." Jadenite looked over at Jon, then back to the sky. She self-consciously touched her stomach, rubbing it. The paladin's eyes wandered downward, over her chest, to the lump that was her stomach. It stretched her sky blue plain dress a little. She was almost due, they both knew that.
"Jade…"
"Hm?," the sound she made was pleasant.
"I just realized something…," Jon trailed off for a moment, looking at two birds fly overhead. They were tanned with red flares on their wings. Landing on a nearby tree, they started hunting for insects on the branches, sometimes pecking at each other.
"What's that dear?" Jadenite was looking back at Jon with her forest green eyes. He got caught up in them before he realized that he had started the conversation. Shaking his head a little, he smiled, blinking and grinning.
"I just realized that… that I don't really know your past… you never told me about it. I mean, I've met almost all of your friends, except Tiffany, and I still don't know how you met them, who your parents are, and why you turned to tailoring." – Jadenite grinned – "And you have to explain to me exactly how you met those girls… because some of them… I don't know, it just doesn't seem you would be their friends. Like Ice Queen… how did you ever meet her? She's… she's… mean?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at her cheek bones. The tailor kept her eyes on him, letting them dance across his face. The silence was filled by the chirping of song birds nestled in the nearby maple tree. Sheep in the distance babbled amongst themselves, herded around by the shepherds on the field.
"You know… you're right," Jadenite rubbed her stomach, looking from his eyes, to the sky, and back again. Clouds were mutating, causing the sun to give off odd shafts of sunlight. Jon ran his hand through his graying hair, his eyes continuing to scrutinize her face. "I haven't told you everything about me."
"So… why don't you? And then, I'll tell you all about my past," Jon lay down on his side, watching her. She rolled her head to the side, looking into his earth brown eyes.
"Well… nineteen years ago, in Trinsic, my mother was in labor…"
*****
My mother was a seamstress who worked in the local shop in Trinsic and my father was a shepherd. We weren't ever rich but we were never poor either. My mother, Aviva Brithan, gave birth to me on Spring Harvest, 930. I was birthed right in the tailoring shop, in the back room. It had been a dark night when I was born, not a star in the sky. My father, Chester Brithan, gave me my name. He said 'Jade' stood for the beauty that I had, more beautiful than even the prettiest emerald he had ever laid his eyes on. He said because of me, he had become jaded towards anyone else's child. 'Nite' was because I was the brightest star when I was born and all stars left the night sky because of my overpowering beauty. I was the only child my mother birthed, even though they tried for another several other times.
My early childhood is like others. I never had set friends, always went with my parents to places, and had fun playing in the streets with various kids. I never had a friend until I started going to school. In Trinsic, at that time, everyone went to the same school with the same class room. I was in class among people my own age and ten years older. Like most kids, I wanted to be popular and strove to be so. Each year when I came back after summer vacation, I'd achieve being popular amongst the new group of children that came to the school and continue to hold my popularity amongst those that I knew. Boys, even at that young age, lusted after me and girls envied me. Even so, I never had any real friends. Until I was seven years of age.
I met Javana Aspien when I was seven. She was ten at the time. Javana had been born in Trinsic but moved to Yew when she had been younger. Her father was a lumberjack and mother, a Fletcher. They had moved because business in Yew was prosperous for anything archery related, which was their trade. Her parents, like mine, weren't rich but weren't poor either.
Javana was raised near the wilderness and learned to live with bow and arrow. She was most comfortable in or near a forest. She had always wanted to be a ranger and I knew she'd become one. She could disappear right in front of you, she knew animal, monster, and human tracks better than anyone and could follow someone for miles. And, like a ranger, she was quiet. Her gaze was hawk-like, always watchful, always alert. People among our class didn't know who she was and didn't even care. I was the only one to approach her when she first came.
I saw her silky midnight hair cascade down the midst of her back. It seemed to shimmer in the sun's glow. Her skin was oak brown and smooth, the most beautiful I had ever seen. She wore a pair of tan pants, a green shirt complimenting it. The new girl stood a full head taller than me and was a bit leaner as well. She had come to the school a day before and no one had even made an attempt to befriend her. No one even attempted to make her feel welcomed. Recess was a time to play and have fun and socialize. But the new girl had gone off on her own near some trees, feeding some of the squirrels. I was huddled in a group with a few of the girls that envied me. The talk was about the new girl.
"I heard she was raised by wolves," Susan Garbon's whiny voice sang. My eyes stopped watching the girl and flicked to watch Susan's plump, round face. Two amber eyes roamed the groups' faces, taking them each in. Susan crossed her stubby arms over her chest, a grin on her face.
"I don't think so… I heard that she runs with cattle at night," another voice said. It belonged to Abby Martin. She was a bright red head, elongated nose, perfect for putting in items that you didn't want found. Her skin was fair, almost pale, but just a tinge of crimson to liven it up. Two flaring hazel bulbs looked from Susan to me. "What do you think Jade?" Everyone's head turned to look.
Clearing my throat, I stole a quick glance at the girl. She was squatting down, closely inspecting the bark of a tree. Strange, yet exhilarating to find out what this girl was like.. She had been so quiet, we didn't even know what she sounded like. When asked for the answer to a question, she simply shook her head, wanting to pass. I looked back to the group.
"What I think is you shouldn't make assumptions about something you don't know about. If you want to know what she's like and what she does at night, you have to ask." Everyone just watched me. They all remained quiet. None of them were even going to try. "And considering none of you answered that you would, I suppose it rests on me again to find out what another new person is like, huh?"
"Jade, you can't be serious? I mean… she's from Yew," Susan toyed with her long black braid, eyeing me.
"I am. What's so bad about making new friends?," I crossed my arms over my chest. The girls all shrugged, still watching me. "Well then, I'm going to go and at least learn her name. I mean, we can do that much, can't we?" The group was quiet.
I left, thinking about what I was going to say. Because the girl had come from Yew, people made up rumors about her. People who lived in Yew lived with loose animals, dirt roads, and forests, almost like an anceint tribe. To people who lived in the larger cities, where animals were stabled, streets were cobblestone, and most everything was clear around it, people from Yew were uncivilized and unruly. I never met anyone from Yew but I never took anything people told me completely until I found out for myself. My intention for meeting her was to find out for myself what someone from Yew was really like.
"Hi," I stood on a tree root, looking down at the top of the girl's head. Her lush hair fell across her face, obscuring it. Her fingers were touching a delicate vivacious green moss that hugged the tree's bark. Looking up, I saw her shimmering black eyes, her perfect lips, the smooth curvature of her face. She was absolutely beautiful. I thought I was, but this girl was stunningly perfect. The smile she wore was hauntingly delicate. My breath caught in my throat, my mind forgetting what it wanted to say. She blinked and hooked some hair behind both ears, still watching me, still smiling.
"Hi," the sound she made was very pleasant. It wrapped me up and comforted me like a mother's cradling arms. It touched every fiber of my being, making me realize I was human, yet making me feel like something else. It was, to say the least, angelic. It took me a moment to recover, blinking twice in rapid succession.
"Umm… yeah… hello," I stuttered, waving my hand a little. "You're new here aren't you?" She nodded, standing and dusting off her pants. She was tall, taller than I had thought. She stood a head and a half taller than me, looking down at my tan face.
"Sure am." Putting her hands on her hips, she smiled, relaxing a little against the tree. She was in her element and it was very obvious.
Sticking out my hand for an introduction shake, I said," I'm Jadenite Brithan. I'm the one who usually welcomes new students to the school." Her dark hand clasped mine. It was soft, but firm.
"Nice to meet you Jadenite. I'm Javana Aspien," her smile was easy, cool. We unclasped hands and she pushed off the tree, glancing down at the ground. A few fallen leaves were being ushered away by an army of leaf cutting insects. The path they followed was well organized. Javana knelt down, letting a knee touch the ground. Her fingers stroked the moss on the trees. Black eyes studying it, she was silent in her work. I watched with both wonder and genuine interest.
"What are you doing?," clasping my hands behind my back, my voice came soft.
"Studying this redwood moss. Come here, I'll show you what I mean." I knelt next to her, taking care not to disrupt the ants line. A dark finger reached out pointing to some moss. The interior of the patch was a lime green, the edges fading into a fiery red or stagnant orange. It was amazing to see nature with such color. I had never taken time to notice it before but now, when she pointed it out, I did. "This group of moss, which is called cedar moss, is in the family of redwood moss. Redwood moss grows on trees that have red bark underneath, because it gets nourishment from that red bark. Anyway, this species isn't supposed to be growing here. It was can only feed on the cedar trees that live north of here."
"So… what is it doing here?," I questioned, glancing out of the corner of my eye.
"That's the thing… I don't know." Her finger rose about two inches higher from the patch, pointing at another moss. It was all a greenish-yellow, sprinkled with graying brown. "This is a native redwood moss in this region. It's called suckle feet. What I was trying to figure out was how the suckle feet could survive with the cedar moss and what the cedar moss is doing this far south. Cedar moss is a parasite and usually kills off suckle feet quickly and easily. How the two could survive with each other is a mystery to me."
"Maybe the two decided to get along," I winced. This girl was so smart and I had just said something completely ignorant. But she didn't laugh. She looked at me with all seriousness.
"Good theory. It's called mutualism. Both species feed and help each other. Perhaps the suckle feet adapted to the cedar mosses toxins and they live in harmony because suckle feet provides cedar moss with continuing nutrients and cedar moss gives suckle feet toxins to feed off of and they live in harmony." She used such large words and spoke so intelligently, it blew me away. Ages seven and ten and we were having a discussion about mutualism and adaptation. For the rest of recess, I stayed there caught up in her whirlwind of knowledge. She knew so much about nature, she could have been her own encyclopedia in the Empath Abbey.
When it was time for us to go back inside, I walked with her and sat next to her in the class. After school, I walked home with her and we planned out the rest of the day. Everyday for the rest of the school year, we were together. She was welcomed into the group of friends I had cultivated, but, as her nature, she was alone quite often. For two years, she was the only close friend I had.
*****
Jadenite stopped, looking at the sky. An elongated silvery cloud shuffled before the sun, stripping the warming sunlight from the land. A pair of crows squabbled over a worm that had poked its head above ground. The breeze had stopped blowing, letting the grasses be still. Jon propped himself up on an elbow, gazing down at the tailor as she closed her eyes.
"So Javana was the first you met… who was next?," he was filled with wonder. Learning more about the woman he loved was always fulfilling.
"Ice Queen," Jadenite sneered. As much as she loved her friend, she resented her too. Jon retrieved a few grapes from the basket and fed one to Jadenite. She grinned, popping the giant fruit in her mouth. A trickle of juice ran down the side of her face, Jon wiping it away with his finger and sucking on it. Both grinned.
"Now this should be interesting," he popped one in his mouth and chewed. Jadenite pushed the skin in her mouth out of the way with her tongue, chewing a little to get it down.
"Very. Actually, Javana and I met Ice doing what she does best… stealing…"
*****
It was a weekend day, during summer vacation, when we met Ice Queen. Unlike Javana and I, Ice Queen wasn't as well off. Her family wasn't a group of bandits or robbers, but they made just enough money to get by. Her father, Scott Misthran, was a baker in Trinsic's local bakery. Her mother had died when she was younger. Ice Queen, born as Amber Misthran, grew up in Britain for most of her life and moved to Trinsic when she was eleven years old. Being a year older than me, she always considered she would be leader of our little group. She never was.
Javana and I were on our way to one of the local waterholes because the heat was almost unbearable. Most of our school group was already there, so we had to rush down. The way was just passed the weaponsmith, just a little south of the Paladin and town guard headquarters. Both of us had towels we had brought from home and were wearing bathing suits. We were prepared to have lots of fun.
Javana stopped me, looking in the distance. I didn't see anything and looked at her confused. The streets looked to be empty. Only a few townspeople strolled up the street, but other than that, it was relatively empty. But, then again, Javana had a keen sense of hearing and precognition. My green eyes watched her dark face while she scanned the street. Nothing.
"What is it?," I patted her hand. She hooked some of her hair behind an ear and turned to stare at me with those hawk eyes. Even in the city, she could use her skills to stay in her element. Javana had been training and honing over the years and whenever we went hunting or tracking, I would lose her. She was one with the forest.
"There's trouble. Up the street." She pointed. My heart leapt. That could mean anything. Trouble could be murderers trying to do a number on the guards or even an attack from orcs or ogres in the area. Either way, kids like us, ten and thirteen, would not last long in the middle of it.
"What kind of trouble?," I blinked twice, trying to hold back tears. I was so scared, I felt like I might have wet myself. But Javana gave me courage, so I stood my ground.
"A robber kind of trouble." I let out a shaking breath. Nothing major. Robbers always tried to get away with something and never succeeded. Guards in Trinsic were very good at what they did, bringing people to justice. Touching my chest in relief, I started to move forward, Javana putting out her arm again, stopping me. I looked up to her with questioning eyes.
"What?," my voice came soft. I heard a jar shatter in the distance and looked to see what had happened. Some girl, my height, was tumbling forward on the ground, little splitters of sparkling glass flying into the air. I heard wild cries of rage behind her, as she sprang to her feet, looked down the road, then headed right for us. Her red skirt was flying, her legs kicking up dust on the street. Something in her hand kept glinting sunlight off of it, blinding me every time she pumped her arms running. Fair face set with determination, a pair of cold, blue eyes watched the two of us. Without concern for her safety or ours, she pushed passed, knocking both of us out of the way. I fell with a solid thud, groaning and clutching my bottom. Javana regained her footing, looking down the street the way the girl had gone. Noises came from the other way.
"There she is! Get her!," a gruff voice sounded over all the noise. A mass of people came storming down the street after the little girl, flying right passed us. When they had gone, I got up, rubbing my sore bottom. Javana watched the street. She was tracking. I knew the look in her eyes, glazed and watchful.
"We have to help her," Javana looked up to me, her voice like melting butter. It sizzled. I blinked twice in rapid succession. Javana was talking crazy. A mob of people were after that girl and she wanted to help her.
"And why's that? She obviously stole something or she wouldn't be running like that," I pointed down the street the way the mob had gone. People were standing outside shop doors, looking at all the ruckus. "Why help her? She's a thief. That's not just." Javana's dark finger pointed to the street. She could see the tracks, but I couldn't.
"These tracks don't tell of someone who stole something because they wanted it. It tells of someone who stole because they needed it," Javana stood, brushing off her knees. She bent down and picked up her towel and slung it over her shoulder, watching me. I admired her. She was everything I wanted to be, beautiful, intelligent, skilled. "Jade, she didn't steal because she saw something in a shop window. She knew what she had to steal. Jade, I think she's a poor girl. We have to help her or that mob'll slaughter her." I clenched my fists together, looking at her. I glared but her pleasant little stare got to me.
Stammering, I looked down the street, "Fine." Javana held a satisfactory grin, then pointed behind her, to an alley way between a pair of buildings.
"She's going north. They'll lose her in the streets up there. I know where she's going. Behind the mage shop. If we cut through here, we can reach them before either one of them get there." I nodded. Javana wheeled around, dashing through the alley way. I followed right behind, covering my nose from the rank stench that the garbage and rats emanated. We wove through the alleyways, emerging, at last, on the street that led to the northern section of town. Javana stopped in the middle of the cobblestone street, midnight eyes searching. I caught my breath, looking at the bugs skitter about on the ground.
"Here she comes." I looked up. She was running at top speed towards us again. The mob was no more than twenty paces behind her. "We have to stop her." I looked to Javana. She nodded. I frowned and readied myself. I wasn't going to be caught off guard again. The girl ran right into me but Javana steadied my back. I wrapped my arms around the fighting girl, holding onto her.
"Let me go!," her voice was shrill and winded from the run she had made. Shouting came in front of us as the mob ran to a halt about ten paces ahead of us. The girl kept kicking and screaming, hitting my sides and back. Javana grabbed her forearms and held her steady.
"You better hold still or I'm going to break your arms," fire erupted from the ranger's mouth. I blinked. Every time she talked to me, her voice was like an angel's. But she carried power with it as well. Deadly power. The girl stopped moving, looking up at Javana with her crystal blues. I could see that her face had a thin layer of dirt on it. She smelled as if she hadn't had a decent bath in days. "Now, tell me exactly why these men are chasing you."
I glanced at the group. There were four men and a young child. The child, curly brown hair mussed atop his head, grinned with anticipation. This was all a game for him. The men, however, weren't so jovial. Each face was hard set, grim. The front man appeared to be the leader, still wearing his store apron. I recognized him as Peterson, the provisioner. Sweat ran down his bald head in rivets. Perspiration stained the underarms of his shirt.
"Hi Mr. Peterson," I waved my hand, standing in front of him. His frown turned to me, lifting slightly in a thin lipped smile. His nose was crushed against his face, causing the wrinkles on his head. Two brown eyes looked to me, flicking up for a moment to look back at Javana and the girl.
"Hello Jadenite. Tell your parents I said hello." I nodded. He always sounded like he was angry, even when he was happy.
"I don't know why they're after me! I paid proper money for my comb and they started chasin' me. If this is the way all Trinsicians treat Britanians, then I'm going to move back!," the girl's voice was shrill, almost nasally. She jerked against Javana's hold but my friend didn't let go. She was far too big and powerful for this girl. She was more frail than I, and I was very frail.
"Ye lie!," Peterson pointed a thick finger at her. I could smell his sweat even from where I stood. It wasn't too pleasant. "She stole from me and she knows it. Walk right into mi'store a takes the first thing she sees. Good thing twasn't more than a comb."
Javana let go of the girl but she didn't run. She stood her ground, looking at me, then Javana, then Peterson. I felt out of place. Really out of place. This wasn't supposed to be happening. I was supposed to be at a waterhole with Javana, splashing around. Not in the middle of a street, smelling like trash, fighting for some girl's rights because she was poor.
"How much does the comb cost?"
"15 gold. No more, no less. Now she either pays up or…"
"Here, take 20 gold." Javana put twenty coins in the man's hand. He stopped, eyeing it, then eyeing her. A grin touched his face.
"That's all I ask. A fair price for an item. Good day madam," Peterson gave a bow then turned to his friends. The group all walked back down the street.
"Now, why did you steal the comb?," Javana's voice was heated again. I swallowed. Twice today she had startled me with that voice. It just wasn't like her. The girl turned a critical eye on my friend, watching her.
"None of yer business. Get outta my face. I don't need your help," she pushed passed Javana. Javana caught her forearm, still laying that hawk eyed gaze on her.
"What's your name?"
The girl looked Javana up and down, finally yanking her arm away from my friend's grasp. She rolled her eyes, storming off down the street, comb still in hand. We didn't even get a thank you. For the rest of the day, we stayed at the waterhole with a group of our friends, having loads of fun and games. In fact, we had so much fun, I had forgotten all about what had happened earlier in the day until the next day.
The field across the west bank of Trinsic was sometimes a great hang out spot for kids for two reasons, we could beg for money and we had wide open space to do whatever we wanted. The day after the first incident with the girl, we went to hang out in that field, having a picnic. There were about fifteen of us there having the picnic and everyone brought at least one thing.
Huddled on a blanket together, Javana and some boy who had taken a liking to her kissed. It was the first time I had ever seen her kissed. She enjoyed it. My boyfriend pulled me close and tried to kiss me. I pushed away a little. I was happy for Javana and wanted to know everything she was thinking about, but it wasn't the proper time to ask questions. Eventually I submitted to my boyfriend and kissed him. He was two years older than me and, personally, I don't think I was ready for everything back then, but it doesn't matter now.
There was a shrill scream and everyone stopped what they were doing to look in the direction of the sound. Hugging a beige stone wall north of where we sat was the same girl we had saved the day before. Three older teenagers surrounded her, hands balled into fists. A trickle of blood ran from the side of her forehead down to her neck. The teenagers were beating on her.
"Get 'er Jim. She stole yer money. Beat 'er up." I caught Javana's quick glance and serious face. I knew exactly what she was going to do. Help the girl again.
Before I could even think about getting up, Javana was dashing across the lawn with lethal intent. She was faster than anyone I had ever known. The first boy she hit, she knocked flat on his face. All I heard was a solid thud and she was back up on her feet. The girl hugging against the wall watched in wide eye wonder and horror. Javana decked the guy who was in front of the girl twice and he hit the ground, groaning. The last guy stood frozen in place, mouth hanging open, eyes wide. Javana turned to him and growled. He turned and bolted as fast as his pudgy legs could carry him. Our entire group just watched. Javana had beat up three guys, without even breaking a sweat.
"What's your name?," her eyes were calm, her voice even. She pushed a strand of her midnight hair out of her eyes. The girl blinked twice, a little smile on her face.
"Amber. Amber Misthran. You're?," she held out a hand.
"Javana Aspien," Javana shook it. I came to stand right next to Javana while Amber pushed off the wall. Her eyes met mine. They were an intense, cold blue, her hair oddly a very blonde color, almost white. It was spooky but I didn't say anything about it. "This is Jadenite Brithan." Javana pointed without even looking.
"Hey Jadenite. I'm Amber," she grinned. All of her teeth were perfect. Her face was clean from the day before and her hair combed down, unlike the frazzle it had been in. Amber looked passed my shoulder at all of our friends and the picnic we were having. "That a picnic y'all got over there?"
"Yes…," my voice was hollow sounding. Her eyes flicked from me to Javana and back again.
"Mind if I join ya?"
"Not at all," Javana was calm as she said it. She held out a hand in invitation and Amber joined us. For the rest of the day, she tagged along, befriending us and thanking Javana for saving her. I applied a salve to the cut at her forehead and put a bandage on. After that day, we never went anywhere without Amber. She had become one of our closest friends. She didn't earn the name Ice Queen until much later, but we never gave her that name. The boys at the school ended up giving her that name because of the way she treated them. She was like ice, cold.
*****
Jon chuckled, running his hands through his hair. He closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath of air. Jadenite lay on the ground still, her hand on her forehead, shielding her eyes from the sun. It had peeked out of the clouds and decided to show its full strength. Now it was overbearing. A tailor from the city pranced around in front of the couple with his new plate armor on. Neither were impressed.
"So Javana saved Ice Queen huh? Kind of funny, don't you think?," he turned his brown eyed gaze to her. She blinked, looking at him. A smile touched her tan face, pushing some of the crimson in her lips back.
"Mmmhmm. And she never said thank you until the second time either. Never paid Javana back the money she had given Peterson." Jon laughed. He was amused.
"So who's next? Tiffany or WindSong?" He leaned on one hand, watching her.
"WindSong. And the story about meeting her is short and sweet really. Unlike Ice Queen, we didn't have to get dirty to meet WindSong. We just had to be sneaky…"
*****
At our school, they would host talent performances for musically gifted children. WindSong was one of those children. She came to our school about a week after the new term started. I was twelve when we met WindSong, Javana being fifteen, and Amber being thirteen. WindSong was only nine. She was the youngest to enter our close knit circle of friends. Her birth name was Ruby McClarine but her stage name since she had been five was WindSong. Her father gave her the name because she had taken up music at a young age and was very proficient at it. She was born in Trinsic, like all of us, but moved to Britain for a short time, then came back. Her father was a provisioner but provided for his daughter everything that he could. Her mother left shortly after she was born. Neither of the two knew why.
It was a weekday and we had decided to go to one of the nearby pubs, not for a drink mind you, but that's where the school's talent performances were to be held. All three of us went, along with a few of our other friends, just because we had heard that some great people were going to be there. There had been a rumor that Lord British would attend but it didn't happen.
Pushing through the aisles, we found two benches without anyone sitting on them. That's where we occupied ourselves. It was close to the front, so we could see the people playing and hear them well too. Sitting down on the bench, I crossed my legs, sitting in the middle of Amber and Javana. Javana was much, much taller now, towering over me. She was strong too and had greater skill than she did before. Amber had taken up the art of pickpocketing and practiced it on us. She never took anything from us to keep but only practiced and played tricks on us. It was harder to do on Javana than me because Javana possessed most of the same skills. Me, I had started to work for my mother part-time, helping clean up the tailoring shop, and learning skills in return. I really wanted to be a seamstress and follow in my mother's footsteps, so I was there on time everyday that they needed me. I even earned a little money on the side.
The first few people to play weren't excellent like the bards who played in the fairs that came to Trinsic every year, but they played much better than I ever could. A few of the boys were even handsome too. One smiled at me and winked when I stood and applauded him, more for his looks than his talent. By the sixteenth performance, I was tuckered out, so we were going to leave on the seventeenth one. When the seventeenth act came out, I watched her. She was young, not shy at all. Her skin was very pale, more so than Amber's. Her braids were long and black, not the shiny black like Javana's hair, but more dull. It was still beautiful. She held a lute in her hand, walking to the middle of the stage confident.
"We're going to leave after this, all right?," Amber whispered into my ear. I nodded to her, still watching the girl. She was young, very young. Everyone else who had come to the stage had been fifteen or older. This girl was younger than me and I knew it.
"Up next is Ruby McClarine from Trinsic. Her stage name is WindSong and she's been playing music since she was five years of age. Now, at nine years, she is one of the most sought after musicians in all of Britannia," the announcing lady started applauding and everyone else followed suite. When all the applauding stopped, Ruby played her song.
It was absolutely haunting. I had never sat so perfectly still in all my life. Ruby's fingers strummed the strings of her lute with such grace and power, it made everything melt away. There was only her and the sound. That was all. I couldn't tell how long I had been sitting amazed, all I knew is when it ended, I shot up, like all the people around me, applauding and whistling. Ruby was the best musician I had heard in my life and I had listened to all the bards who came with the festivals. They were usually the best part. But never had I heard anything so graceful, delicate, haunting as what Ruby had played. I knew I wanted to meet her and knew that I would, no matter what.
"Jade, we're sneaking to the back rooms. Come on." Both Javana and Amber were up moving passed people. I was scared. I wasn't as good as them at sneaking around. Both could hide in the dark and never be found. They were excellent, I wasn't. But they helped me. We snuck into the back dressing rooms where the musicians were. We found a wooden door with Ruby's stage name on it 'WindSong.' Javana slipped inside, followed by Amber, and then me.
"WindSong?," Javana's voice came out in a little whisper. The black haired girl turned around and nearly fell out of her chair with fright.
"What are you doing in here?," a playful sound came from her throat. The voice was almost as gentle as the music. "If you don't get out, I'm going to call the guards."
"WindSong. Sorry. We were in the audience and we heard you play your song. It was simply stunning. I know I was reeling from it," I spoke up, stepping into the dim candlelight of the room. WindSong sat on a wooden stool at a cedar table tuning her lute. The girl smiled at the mention of her song.
"Oh yes, I remember you. You stood up and clapped and whistled. I remember seeing you. I'm Ruby McClarine. WindSong's my stage name." Ruby hopped off the stool, strolling across the room to us. She was half a head shorter than. Her smile was bright, her demeanor charming.
"I'm Jadenite Brithan. This is Javana Aspien and this is Amber Misthran." The others gave a little wave of their hands at the mention of their names. Ruby welcomed us into her dressing room and we sat on the couch, talking. For two hours, we enjoyed decent conversation with the nine year old. We found out she was going to be going to our school in the next week, which made us all happy. We had added yet another person to our group. Four in total with another one on the way.
*****
Jadenite sipped water from a cup Jon handed her. The breeze had returned, ushering in a new set of clouds to cover the sun. A group of sheep ran by on their way to the waterhole. Two little child played tag across the field, running around their parents who tried to keep them and the sheep together. Chirping overhead, a flock of pigeons flew over the mountain to their east, headed for Delucia.
"What about WindSong's father? You told me he died. When did he?," the question lingered in Jon's eyes. Jadenite sipped more water from her cup, trying to quench her thirst before she went on. Setting the cup aside, she sat cross-legged, her knees touching Jon's.
"When WindSong was fourteen, her father was killed by a group of bandits on his way back from getting her birthday present in Britain. It was a beautiful harp. We all eventually hunted the bandits down and Ice and Javana put a hurting on each of them that I would not have wanted to endure even for eternal life itself. But, in mourning, WindSong did the opposite of what everyone thought she'd do. She became happier than anyone I saw. At first, we mistook it for not paying respect, but then she broke down and cried and told us why she did it. And since that day, we just let her be happy all the time, no matter what happens. It's the only thing that's keeping her together on the inside," Jadenite wiped a tear from her cheek. WindSong was as close as a sister, as they all were, and anything that hurt her, hurt them all, and vice versa.
"I'm sorry," he touched her cheek, leaning in and kissing her. Jadenite sighed against the kiss, enjoying its feel.
"You don't need to be. We all dealt with it and we all moved on." She situated herself, preparing to end her tale. "The last person, as you can guess, we met was Tiffany. It was only a year ago that we met her actually, and it was just me who met her. She's gotten to know everyone else, of course, but I met her when I went to Trinsic to visit some old friends and relatives…"
*****
Leaning up against the counter in the tailor shop, I talked to Simon, the new apprentice who worked there. He was about my age and I remembered him from school. He was much more handsome from the last time I saw him, but I wasn't trying to have a relationship with him. I had just moved to Delucia after Javana had told me about it and I was going to be making a living there. Simon was just an old friend I wanted to catch up on old times with. I told him everything that had been going on, where I was living at the time and all kinds of little things.
I heard the door open and close. Looking over my shoulder, I watched the lady who had come in. Her pink eyes flicked around, looking at all of the clothes, her face grim. It was obvious she wasn't used to coming to shop for her own things, the way she walked. It was also obvious she hadn't been raised to be very lady-like. She walked like a man, stood like a man, even looked around like one. But she was very pretty and Simon made that remark.
"May I help you ma'am?," he came from around the counter, bowing quickly from the waist. The woman watched him for a moment, standing proud. I saw an emblem woven into her shirt. It was the emblem of Trinsic's Apprentice Paladin's, a group that trained under The Paladin's Guild of Trinsic and the Trinsic City Council.
"Umm… yes… I'm looking for a dress…," her eyes flicked around, finally landing on me. She looked from my legs to my head and back again. "Like that." Her rosy finger came up pointing. She pushed some of her hot, cherry red hair back behind her ears, face still set in the grim expression.
Simon turned, looking at me, his eyes a little wide. He was only an apprentice. The dress I wore was hand-made by me and he knew it. All my clothes were ever since I had struck out on my own as a journeyman. Simon whispered for help and I nodded.
"Ma'am, if you'd like to step into the back room, I can help you," I gestured towards the door. My mother looked up from her place at the spinning wheel, smiling. I winked at her. The woman went to the door, opened it, and went inside.
"Jade, thank you so much," Simon gave me a brief hug. I grinned, hugging him back a little.
"Think nothing of it. I love this part of the job." I went to the door. As I walked passed my mother, she squeezed my hand and I squeezed her's back a little. She was proud of me. I went inside, closing the door behind me.
"Well, the first thing we're going to do is measure you. I'm going to have to ask you to take your clothes off." The lady blinked, a little frightened. "Don't worry, this'll only take a moment. Then you can wait here while I make the dress for you." She nodded and stripped down to her basic necessities. I took her measurements and was rather impressed. Not only was she lean and fit, but she had the measurements many women would die for, including myself. But as a fighter, she had to stay in shape, which I knew because of Javana.
"What's your name?," she pulled her pants up to her waist, fastening them.
"Jadenite Brithan. My mother owns this store. She was the one sitting at the spinning wheel," I smiled a little. My mother had bought the store from the previous owner about three years before and had become a guild seamstress. I was more proud of her than I had ever been.
"Jadenite… I'm Tiffany Zorbak," she stretched her hand out. I shook it. It was a firm handshake, but her hand was very soft. It was obvious, she was hardened to be a defender but still maintained many of her feminine characteristics, even if she tried to suppress them.
"Well, Mrs. Zorbak, I'll be back with your dress in a few hours." She nodded.
Tiffany Zorbak was actually born in Minoc, unlike the rest of us, and moved to Trinsic when she was fourteen. She was only fifteen when I first met her. Her father, Marshal Zorbak, had urged her to be in the army but she didn't want to just be a normal solider. She wanted to be something greater. Her mother was a magician in Minoc's City Council and was always talking about honor. Eventually Tiffany decided she wanted to be a paladin. She went to Jhelom and Serpent Hold for training in the martial skills of self defense, then went to Trinsic, to the Paladin Academy there. She had been there a year when I had met her. She was hardened, like most of the people at the academy, but she took it to a new level. Where others might relax on the off hours of training, she didn't. In fact, she wouldn't have been my friend if I hadn't helped her and taken so long. My mother needed to replace some of the spinning threads on the wheel and had to go to Britain to get them. It took her five hours but in that time I got to know Tiffany and everything about her. I even got her to laugh when I told her the story about Amber.
When my mother did come back, I finished the dress and then Tiffany and I went into the back room so she could try it on. She slipped it on easily, as easily as she appeared to be able to slip on a suit of armor or wield a sword. In fact, she looked natural in it.
"How do I look?," her eyes were questioning when she looked up at me. I grinned.
"Absolutely beautiful." I admired her shape in the dress. Any woman would have killed for it. "What's it for anyway?"
Tiffany blushed. "Well, don't tell anyone, all right, because no one is supposed to know this…" – I nodded, my eyes looking straight at her's – "There's this boy in the academy I think is really cute… and, well… I want to 'catch' his eye." She seemed almost embarrassed to admit it. I grinned, clapping my hands together like a young child.
"Oh Tiffany! That's great! So you're going to wear the dress and hopefully he'll notice you?" She nodded and I ran over and hugged her. Even though I had only known her for a few short hours, I felt even closer to her, like she had been a friend all my life, like Javana, Amber, and Ruby. Tiffany was the most recent to join our little circle of friends but, hopefully, not the last.
*****
Juice rushed across Jon's face as he bit into the watermelon. He grinned, displaying his prize between his teeth to Jadenite. She only shook her head. She sipped some more of her water, looking out at the field to their north. The shepherds were taking a break under a maple tree, their children running around the sheep, teasing them.
"Your life's been interesting."
"Not really, just like a normal life. Just interesting people," Jadenite grinned, winking at him. "But now, it's time for you to tell me about your life. I mean, you know Bram and Max and Rendarius and Kiera Allroy… you know interesting people, I'm not the only one." The paladin winked, displaying a row of teeth.
"I might know interesting people but none of them I love as much as I love you." He leaned in for a kiss.
"I love you too." She leaned in and then pressed her lips to his together.