Heart of Golde
A/N: Thank you soooo much to everyone who has stuck with me so far. It's about to get more interesting, I promise! And particular thanks to those who wrote reviews. Your kind words mean so much to me. Hopefully now that I've gotten the technical issues I was having with my computer somewhat squared away, the next chapter will not be quite so long in coming.
Disclaimer: This is Mercedes Lackey's sandbox- Valdemar, Heralds, Companions, and all that jazz belong to her. I'm exceedingly happy to have permission to play with them.
Chapter 4 - Khaffi and Cream
"This is a preliminary schedule of classes based on what we've discussed," Dirk was saying when they heard a knock at the door, "Come in!" He called.
The door opened and Adara could see out of the corner of her eye that the person standing on the other side was quite exotic but she did not turn to look as she had been trained.
"Darkwind," Dirk finally said, "Would I be correct in guessing this is not a dinner invitation?"
Adara finally let her curiosity get the better of her and turned to see the newcomer, who shook his head causing the feathers that were braided into it to dance in intriguing ways, "No my friend, unfortunately this is business rather than pleasure. A council meeting."
"Nita has returned then." There was no question in Dirk's voice, only something that might have been called resolve.
Again Darkwind nodded, shifting his weight a little in impatience.
Dirk stood and Adara took this as a cue to rise herself. Involuntarily, she met the stranger's eyes and something she could not named seemed to pass between them in the moment before Dirk handed her the paper he'd written her schedule on.
From the hall beyond the door came a small cough and Darkwind moved aside to reveal a young boy in the livery of the Queen's pages.
"The Queen summons you..." he started but trailed off when Dirk held up a hand to stop him.
"To an emergency Council meeting. Yes, Adept Darkwind was just telling me." The page bowed and was about to turn and hurry off again when Dirk continued, "But if you would be so kind as to show Trainee Adara down to the salle to meet Herald Jeri, I would appreciate it."
Adara took that as a dismissal and followed the page out of the room, taking pains to not look at Darkwind again.
************
The page led her down the hall and outside into the afternoon sunshine. In front of them was a large open green space separated from the rest of the palace grounds by a fence. In the distance, the river wended its way through what she surmised was Companions' Field. Off to the left was a long low building with a fenced yard in front of it. In the yard a group of people were gathered, mostly in the shade of a large tree. It was in this direction the page led her.
As they got closer, she realized that the group was watching a pair of odd-dressed people.... dance? Fight? Some combination of the two. The combatants were a man with curly red hair, wearing only a pair of russet draw-string pants, and a dark-skinned young woman wearing similar grey pants and a tight sleeveless half-shirt that bared her midriff. The two of them were moving to the beat of a drum, a sort of acrobatic series of kicks mostly. They didn't seem to actually be attempting to hurt each other but as she watched the beat sped up somewhat and the pair shifted into a more earnest sort of combat. There were still a lot of kicks but the occasional punch was thrown as well and there was much fluid dodging that seemed to have as its priorities equal parts grace and avoidance. They flowed together like khaffi, the Ruvani hot beverage that was all the rage in the Valdemaran court right now, and cream. Finally, the young woman managed to grab hold of the man's ankle and throw him to the ground. He sat there for a moment in what seemed to be a daze then rose and shook hands with his partner. The drummer ended with a flourish and both combatants took a bow.
:Herald Jeri is the one playing the drum. You should go over and introduce yourself. She's expecting you,: Silverfire prompted after a moment.
The crowd was starting to disperse by the time she found the gate and let herself into the enclosure. Suddenly, the dark-skinned girl caught sight of her and she found herself the center of attention again. They waved her over and when she reached the shade of the tree where the remnants of the group remained, Jeri had stood up from her drum and was waiting for her.
She wasn't quite sure what the protocol was in this particular situation or who she should introduce herself to first but Jeri saved her from having to figure it out by offering her hand, "I'm Herald Jeri. I take it that Dirk sent you out when he got the summons?"
She shook Jeri's hand, noting the firm but not over-powering grip, and nodded, "Yes. I'm...."
She paused, not quite sure how she should introduce herself. She was no longer part of the House but neither did she feel fully a part of this world yet.
:Adara, Chosen of Silverfire,: came the prompt and she repeated the words aloud, only missing a beat or two.
None of the others seemed phased and Jeri did not seem inclined to make an issue of the matter, choosing instead to continue the introductions, "Herald-Trainee Ka-Ti," she said as she motioned to the dark-skinned girl. On close inspection, Adara noticed that the girl's hair was done in many small braids, each terminating in blue and grey beads that clicked together when she nodded at the introduction. The young man was introduced as "Apprentice Bard Jemiah Dirksson" and gave a courtly bow at the introduction then reached for Adara's hand and gave it the mannerly kiss that was the expected response in courtly circles that season.
Adara inclined her head in acknowledgement, "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Apprentice Jemiah."
"The pleasure is mutual, my lady, and I hope you will forgive my current... unclean state," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.
She returned the smile and was about to continue the banter when Jeri broke in, "I think, unless I miss my guess, that Dirk probably didn't have time to show you around at all or take you to pick up your uniforms."
She nodded, "He barely had time to write my schedule before he was summoned."
Jeri sighed, "I wish... No, that's uncharitable. Never mind. We'll go see the housekeeper and then hope there is still some hot water left by the time we get up to the bathing room. That will give these louts some time to get presentable before dinner and then after we eat we can get you settled and give you the rest of the tour."
*****
The housekeeper's office was as tidy as Dirk's had not been and the housekeeper herself was a plain woman with a motherly air who matched her surroundings in neatness. She wore a pair of spectacles that seemed to constantly balance precariously at the end of her nose and it was through these that she examined the newest Trainee.
"Hmm hmm hmm. A ten I think. Now let me see your shoes."
Adara lifted her skirts to display the pale grey-green riding boots she was wearing.
"A little off-color to go with your uniform. I take it they fit well?"
"Yes'm. They weren't made for me but they don't pinch or rub. I'm content enough with them but..."
"But they are suede and will show dirt very easily. Especially as pale as they are," the housekeeper finished for her. "But they will do until we can have a pair of uniform boots made for you." She finished assembling a stack of uniform pieces- if Adara hadn't lost count there were four pairs of pants and as many tunics in that pile, as well as a linen vest of a slightly heavier material. All were in the same shade of grey that she'd seen on other Trainees, including the girl from earlier.
Adara nodded and the housekeeper handed her the stack of uniforms, which threatened to topple for a moment until she found way of holding them that seemed to achieve equilibrium.
"Do you have nightclothes? Underthings?"
The question startled her a little and she nearly lost her precarious control over the stack of uniforms in her arms but she managed to regain balance and nod, "Yes... In my bags."
"Good. I'm glad you got time to pack. Sometimes the Companions are... over-eager and don't given their Chosen that option. Now, do you know anything about cooking? Or mending? All the Trainees are required to do chores to help keep the Collegium running smoothly- it helps teach responsibility, and skills you will need in the field."
Adara sighed a little, her life for several years after coming to the House in Ruvan had been little but chores, up until she was deemed old enough to starting schooling but if that was she had to do...
:Don't worry. You won't have to do any heavy cleaning. Cooking and mending are the main things the Trainees do. No mopping, I promise.:
She couldn't help but smile at the reassurance, "I don't know much about cooking but I do know mending. And plain-sewing. And embroidery for that matter. My hands are quite clever with a needle. Anything I don't know, I can probably pick up fairly quickly."
The housekeeper nodded, satisfied with her answer, then marked something in the large book in front of her, "Did the Dean write you a schedule yet?" Adara handed her the piece of paper and she perused it for a moment, hmm-ing to herself, and then made another mark in the book, "I'll expect you tomorrow after lunch for mending then."
Finally the housekeeper was done with her and Jeri ushered her outside, "It's almost time for dinner. You'll always have a free period right before dinner to bathe. You're required to be clean for meals and to wear a clean uniform at all times- unless you're actively engaged in combat or equitation practice or some other understandably messy or sweaty activity." She was leading Adara through what seemed to be an interminable series of corridors of classrooms and then finally they came up to a stairway that twisted itself up to the second floor.
******
"And that's the reason we keep the mages around," Jeri joked from her own tub as Adara adjusted the water pouring into her tub to be hot but not scalding and then lowered herself into it, "we never run out of hot water around here anymore."
