The next morning, Kriti woke far earlier than the bell. Getting dressed in
her new woolen clothes, she performed the morning exercises she had done
since she was a child. She went through all the forms, and all the one-
steps she had ever learnt. She was concentrating hard, making her punches
so hard that they could have broken glass. A screaming 'tseer' brought her
out of her thoughtless movements. Looking to the window, she opened the
blinds that shut out daylight from her room. Leaning halfway out, she
looked up. In the sky was a circling hawk. It's eyes never left one point
of the ground. Following the hawk-eyed gaze, Kriti saw a group of sparrows.
Then, quick as anything, the hawk dived, heading toward the sparrows.
Kriti jumped halfway out of her window. Holding onto the pane with one hand, and with one foot planted on the ground outside her room, she waved one hand in the air and called, "Hey! Stop that! Get back, shoo!" The hawk flared out its wings, bringing his dive to a screeching halt. It cocked its head towards Kriti, then flew to land on the branch of a sapling tree just outside her room. There it perched, seeming to be waiting for something. Right away, Kriti leaped back into her room, coming back in a moment with a small piece of dried beef she had left over from her journey to the palace. Holding it in her palm, she opened her hand to the hawk. The bird of prey grabbed the piece of meat and flapped off, giving out another 'tseer;' Kriti thought it sounded rather like 'thank you.'
Shaking her head, she turned back into her room, shutting and locking her shutters. Looking in a mirror, she tied her hair into a quick bun, then waited in a chair, knees tucked under her chin. Finally, the bell rang. With a grateful sigh, Kriti jumped out of the chair and opened her door. A man stood there, dressed in the Conte livery. The ten year old arched a delicate eyebrow. The man was grim looking.
"I'm Gower," he said gloomily. "I'm t' clean yer room."
Ah, Kriti thought. They told me a servant would be sent.
She smiled slightly at him, stepping aside to let him in. He stopped short as he looked at her room, though. Her bed was already made, her things packed away neatly. Gower turned to her, eyebrows raised.
"Seems yeh didn' leave much for me to do," he commented. Kriti smiled wryly.
"One of the first things I was ever taught was to keep a clean room," she told him. "If your bed wasn't made, and your room wasn't clean, you didn't get breakfast. I lived in the Shang school in Maren," she explained, seeing the servant's confused gaze. He nodded, then looked her over.
"Wake up early, did yeh?" she nodded. "Well then, might as well get out there. Nothin' more for you to do here."
"There's one thing, actually." Going to the table beside her bed, she lifted the silver dragon necklace. Putting it on, she tucked it under her shirt.
"Yer not s'posed to have jewelry on, miss." He told her, watching as she put it on. She turned and smiled at him.
"It was a gift I received long ago; it's for luck. Please?" Gower shook his head slightly.
"I'm not th' one to tell yeh what yeh should and shouldn't be wearin'. Go on with yeh." He waved her out of the room. Smiling happily, Kriti walked out into the hall, waiting. No one else was out yet, and she wasn't sure where to head first. She needn't wait long, though. Soon enough pages started filing into the hall, Jaron among them. Catching sight of her, the older page came to her side.
"Breakfast first," he said. They walked to the mess. On their way, Kriti turned and waved to Kel and Neal. Joren saw and frowned.
"You don't want go making friends with them," he told her quietly. "Not very high on the Stump's list."
"The Stump?" she asked.
"Lord Wyldon. It's what he's referred to as."
"And why shouldn't I be friends with Kel? She asked indignantly. "She seemed nice."
"Sure, right. She's an annoying prig." Kriti made no reply. Soon they reached the mess. This time, when she looked for a place to sit, Kel and Neal waved her over. With a glance at Joren's frowning face, she went to sit with her fellow girl page.
"Hi," she said. Neal smiled, and Kel grunted. Neal winked at Kriti.
"Don't mind her; she's not much of a morning person." Kel muttered something, including the words 'staff' and 'pain.' Kriti grinned. She asked what their first class was.
"Shang training." Neal told her. At once, Kriti's face brightened and fell.
"What's wrong?" Kel asked, frowning slightly.
"Nothing," she said quickly. "It's just…well, we're learning Shang. I lived among them in Maren. My guardian was the Tiger; I sort of miss him, and I won't be seeing him for a real long time." Neal nodded sympathetically. Soon the meal was over, and Kriti joined Joren again. He said nothing, merely lead her to the first practice courts. Kriti ignored it; for all that he was handsome, he didn't seem to judge character well.
Kriti jumped halfway out of her window. Holding onto the pane with one hand, and with one foot planted on the ground outside her room, she waved one hand in the air and called, "Hey! Stop that! Get back, shoo!" The hawk flared out its wings, bringing his dive to a screeching halt. It cocked its head towards Kriti, then flew to land on the branch of a sapling tree just outside her room. There it perched, seeming to be waiting for something. Right away, Kriti leaped back into her room, coming back in a moment with a small piece of dried beef she had left over from her journey to the palace. Holding it in her palm, she opened her hand to the hawk. The bird of prey grabbed the piece of meat and flapped off, giving out another 'tseer;' Kriti thought it sounded rather like 'thank you.'
Shaking her head, she turned back into her room, shutting and locking her shutters. Looking in a mirror, she tied her hair into a quick bun, then waited in a chair, knees tucked under her chin. Finally, the bell rang. With a grateful sigh, Kriti jumped out of the chair and opened her door. A man stood there, dressed in the Conte livery. The ten year old arched a delicate eyebrow. The man was grim looking.
"I'm Gower," he said gloomily. "I'm t' clean yer room."
Ah, Kriti thought. They told me a servant would be sent.
She smiled slightly at him, stepping aside to let him in. He stopped short as he looked at her room, though. Her bed was already made, her things packed away neatly. Gower turned to her, eyebrows raised.
"Seems yeh didn' leave much for me to do," he commented. Kriti smiled wryly.
"One of the first things I was ever taught was to keep a clean room," she told him. "If your bed wasn't made, and your room wasn't clean, you didn't get breakfast. I lived in the Shang school in Maren," she explained, seeing the servant's confused gaze. He nodded, then looked her over.
"Wake up early, did yeh?" she nodded. "Well then, might as well get out there. Nothin' more for you to do here."
"There's one thing, actually." Going to the table beside her bed, she lifted the silver dragon necklace. Putting it on, she tucked it under her shirt.
"Yer not s'posed to have jewelry on, miss." He told her, watching as she put it on. She turned and smiled at him.
"It was a gift I received long ago; it's for luck. Please?" Gower shook his head slightly.
"I'm not th' one to tell yeh what yeh should and shouldn't be wearin'. Go on with yeh." He waved her out of the room. Smiling happily, Kriti walked out into the hall, waiting. No one else was out yet, and she wasn't sure where to head first. She needn't wait long, though. Soon enough pages started filing into the hall, Jaron among them. Catching sight of her, the older page came to her side.
"Breakfast first," he said. They walked to the mess. On their way, Kriti turned and waved to Kel and Neal. Joren saw and frowned.
"You don't want go making friends with them," he told her quietly. "Not very high on the Stump's list."
"The Stump?" she asked.
"Lord Wyldon. It's what he's referred to as."
"And why shouldn't I be friends with Kel? She asked indignantly. "She seemed nice."
"Sure, right. She's an annoying prig." Kriti made no reply. Soon they reached the mess. This time, when she looked for a place to sit, Kel and Neal waved her over. With a glance at Joren's frowning face, she went to sit with her fellow girl page.
"Hi," she said. Neal smiled, and Kel grunted. Neal winked at Kriti.
"Don't mind her; she's not much of a morning person." Kel muttered something, including the words 'staff' and 'pain.' Kriti grinned. She asked what their first class was.
"Shang training." Neal told her. At once, Kriti's face brightened and fell.
"What's wrong?" Kel asked, frowning slightly.
"Nothing," she said quickly. "It's just…well, we're learning Shang. I lived among them in Maren. My guardian was the Tiger; I sort of miss him, and I won't be seeing him for a real long time." Neal nodded sympathetically. Soon the meal was over, and Kriti joined Joren again. He said nothing, merely lead her to the first practice courts. Kriti ignored it; for all that he was handsome, he didn't seem to judge character well.