Autumn changed to winter. Snow fell, and the pages' training was moved indoors. Most of the pages didn't mind getting away from the cool autumn air, but Celi didn't like fighting indoors. It felt odd when she was used to being outdoors all the time. She often went out and shot a few rounds of arrows in the snow, just to get herself some fresh air.

Stripe, who turned out to be so named for a stripe of white from under his nose to the base of his tail that had been covered in ink when Celi met him, would be waiting for her when she returned to her room every day, purring and rolling on the hearth of the fireplace.

Celi smiled. "You're going to stick that tail of yours in the fire, if you're not careful." She said on one particularly cold day, a few weeks before Midwinter. The kitten was getting bigger now. He no longer fit in the palm of her hand, but, being barely four months old now, he was still a very young kitten. Celi knew he thought of her as his mother. That made her smile. She had always wanted pets when she was little. Her father had had a few hunting dogs, as well as her two older brothers, but she had only ever had Lightning. And she couldn't cuddle with her at night.

Stripe mewed and leapt onto her bed. Celi wasn't sure if he was trying to prove he was smarter than that, or if he knew she was right. He head butted her anyway.

Study group that night was in Celi's room. The boys enjoyed working there, and did it often. Ella was always there to give them advice on their fighting (though she would never teach them anything new, just correct problems) and Stripe was always there to give them a playful head butt or to roll on their parchment and distract them from their work.

"Have you lot got your presents for Midwinter?" Vasin asked. "I'm lousy at it. I never know what to get anyone. Any one want to tell me what they want?"

Celi smiled. "I couldn't say. I didn't even think about it until this very moment." She sighed. "I suppose I should do something about that, shouldn't I?"

James grinned. "Don't worry, Celi, I won't be heartbroken if you don't give me a gift."

Celi grinned in return. "Alright, I won't get you one."

"I won't be heartbroken, but I will hate you."

"It's a price to pay."

James opened his mouth, but closed it again. The boys laughed. Celi had won - again.

She was careful to not get a detention that week. She would need Sunday afternoon to go down to the city to buy her gifts. She had asked Ella to do it for her, but the maid refused. "How would you feel if you received a gift bought by your best friend's maid?" She had said. She had insisted it wouldn't take more than an afternoon.

James came down with her. Celi didn't know how it was possible, with his smart mouth, but he had managed to go a week without getting a detention either. Vasin, always a troublemaker, had four bells. Kasi, Seamus, and Gregory had two, Rhyan had a third from cursing when his fingers were hit in practice. Leroy had one. Angus reluctantly turned down the invitation to join them.

"Too much bloody homework," he moaned. "I don't have a detention, but I will if I don't get it all done!"

James clapped his friend on the back. "If it makes you feel better, we'll have plenty of detentions next week with all the homework we don't finish today."

"So why are you coming?" Celi asked.

He shrugged. "The city's not a safe place. Merchants, thieves, beggars, all sorts." He looked guilty. "Besides, I sort of haven't got all my gifts either." He stood up straighter. "Well, my lady, shall we?" He held out his arm. Celi smiled and picked up her skirts – she had decided she wanted people to see she was a girl – and took his arm.

They had been so busy with training and lessons that this was the first time Celi had been down to the city since the first day she had come. She held tightly to James' arm, knowing that if she let go, she never find her way back. She was so engrossed in everything around her that she paid attention to little.

James glared at a young man walking behind them. He merely smiled and turned towards a stall. "Thieves." James muttered with a sigh. "they're not all that bad. Alanna's husband was the King of the Rogues. The best thief in Corus. They do what they have to."

Celi nodded. "Like animals."

James laughed. "Just don't tell them that."

They went to the candy shops, looked at jewelry and dresses just to entertain themselves, and then, when Celi knew she had seen enough to pay attention to her purse, they split up to buy each others presents. They made it back barely in time for dinner.

"Thank you for coming with me," Celi said.

James smiled. "Any time. I had fun. And to think, we still have a week to wrap them all!"

Celi rolled her eyes. "I'll see you at dinner." She said, receding into her room to put away her gifts.

The first night of Midwinter found Celi in front of her mirror, adjusting and readjusting her gold tunic.

There was a knock on her door. She sighed. Can't I have any privacy in this place? There is always someone knocking or talking or mewing… Stripe howled, as if he knew what she was thinking. She shot him a glance as Ella answered the door.

"Page Celiene, you have a charge," Ella said, concealing a smile.

Celi looked up as James rolled his eyes. "Gods, Ella, I've been here a million times; I'm not a charge!" He looked at Celi. "I'm falling into stereotypes, Celi, darling," he said with a smirk. "You're a girl, help me."

Celi sighed. "Stand up straight," she said. She tugged at the waist of his tunic, straightening its hem. She stood on her tiptoes and flattened a sprig of hair on the top of his head. "You're too tall, James." She said.

He grinned. "No I'm not, you're too short."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you want my help?"

He bowed deeply – and suddenly, almost knocking Celi over. "My humblest apologies, fair lady, I meant no harm."

"Yes, we're very proud of you, now stop hogging her!" Rhyan, Seamus, and Kasi stood at her door. "We need your help too!"

She frowned. "I'm not very good at this, you know."

Seamus shrugged. "You're better than us."

Celi sighed again, and began to look over the rest of the boys. "Don't you dare touch that cat," Celi said, not even looking behind her. "I hear him purring, and I better not see any cat hair stuck on your tunic." She said.

Stripe howled as James yanked back his arm. Spoilsport, he seemed to say.

Celi felt sorry for her second year friends. She didn't fancy being out in the open where everyone could see her if she made a mistake. She was content standing in the stairwell, passing plates.

She didn't know quite how it happened, but when one of the third years came to get a bowl of soup from Gregory, it somehow landed on the page. The etiquette master growled. "I don't believe you all! Denaia, please tend to Sutton's table."

"Me, sir?" Celi squeaked, a flush rising in her cheeks. She had practiced serving for emergencies, but he actually wanted her to do it?

"Yes, you," the master said quickly. "Do it quickly, please. And don't look so frightened, you're a way's away from the action. I suspected something like this might happen with Sutton." He glared at the third year, who blushed profusely. He was long and gangly, and anyone could see he was clumsy. Celi felt almost as sorry for him as she did for herself.

Slowly, and with as steady a hand as possible, Celi carried two bowls of soup across the room. Of course it had to be the liquid course, she thought. Why couldn't this have happened after the soup?

Leroy smiled at her as she passed him on her second trip. "You're doing fine," he muttered.

Celi couldn't help but notice the beautiful dresses on the girls she was waiting on. It almost made her jealous, seeing their perfect, tight curls, their poufy pink dresses, their fancy jewels. Her hand automatically touched her hair when she had free hands, feeling one of her large red curls, as if to check they were still there. One of the girls at the table, she was sixteen, maybe, smiled at Celi.

"I didn't know there were any female pages in training now." She said.

Celi bowed. "I am only the third, my lady. My name is Celiene of Denaia."

The girl nodded. "Yes, of course." She turned to the child beside her. "Lise, look who it is." The little girl turned. Her eyes widened. "You're a girl!" She exclaimed.

Celi smiled. "I am."

"You're a page!"

"I am."

The girl squealed. "Oh, Dalley, wait until I tell father that there's a girl!"

The older girl smiled. "This is my cousin, Lise of Queenscove. Her father is Sir Nealan of Queenscove, the healer."

Celi nodded. "Of course. I met him my first day."

The oldergirl smiled. "We will leave you to your work. Sorry to bother you. I am Dalliane of Queenscove, by the way. It was nice to meet you."

Celi bowed. "It was, my lady." She said, before turning away. She could hear Lise whining as she walked away.

"He already knows?"

Celi smiled.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Alenor: well, I am following what TP did of always having an animal sidekick. And just because he is an animal doesn't mean he will have the same character as Jump. Following Kel around doesn't make him Jump, and being a cat doesn't make him whoever the hell that cat was in the Alanna books. And he's only black because I like black cats. They're my favourite. Anyway, on to more important things: I do realize that some of it does sound like stuff from the Kel books. But I'm not trying to copy them, I'm just setting out my story. She's not going to have the same life as Kel, I can promise you that much. And thank you for having faith in me!

Imogenhm: thanks!

Caremel: See what I said to Alenor, will you? And though there is not much in this chapter, it will happen soon. I am still deciding what exactly I am going to do.

Maliaphire: the peeps? They are coo, yo.

Atlanta Enchanted: Glad you liked it! Oh. Two years? I guess that makes a little more sense…

Pussin Boots: cool.

unolimbo