The Month of Eating (April) Age 9
Week 1
Hazel's been going over a lot to Charlie's house now. Sasha's not there to boss her around, so she has a lot of free time. There were a few occasions when Ebony's tried to stop her, but he never really succeeded. That little girl's getting more daring. I wish I could say the same for her sister, but from Sharon's conversations she's getting even worse- paler, more timid, and "so last week."
I think she's watched the tape, though; the girls mentioned something about "Miss Gray Girl's bratty little sister" and how she sent her some sort of present that Violet won't let anyone see. She hasn't acted, but I hope she does. It'd be nice for Brynn to get another friend back.
Week 2
The guards are going to have a tournament next week, though now it's only for the older kids. Kanrik's not making us attend, so most of the group is going to use it for 'independent study.' In other words, pestering Jacques for more stories.
"Does your crew keep in touch with you?" Juliet asked.
He looked uncomfortable. "Erm, yes. If you remember, I sometimes go out of the classroom in the middle of the lesson to get some letters."
"Like when Kayley tried to kill me last year," Razor muttered.
"There was no harm done," he said defensively.
"Could you show them to us?" Julius piped up.
Jacques made a move for the shelf of books- the one that no one touches 'cause it's so boring- but then stopped. "No."
"Why not?" Juliet whined.
"Because some are private." He glanced at the highest shelf, which none of us can reach yet. Everybody's going to be dying to go grab it, and but for once I decided not to get caught up. I have enough mysteries to tangle with.
Week 3
Things are getting desperate. I mean, seriously desperate. Kanrik was almost killed….
Maybe I should start over. This week was supposed to be individual lessons with mentors (good thing too, since we're honestly not learning that much from Jacques any more). Of course I wasn't sure if mine was going to be there, he is the guild leader and all, but he showed. But I kind of wish he didn't.
"Uh, Kanrik, are you sure you want me to teach me today?" I asked nervously.
He looked exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot, and his clothes were all rumpled. He kept his hand pressed to his forehead, as if he had a migraine. "It's that bad, huh? It must be, for you to notice." He closed his eyes. "No, we need as many able-minded thieves as we can get, even if they are young."
"Especially if they're young," I corrected indignantly. "You guys couldn't do a thing without us. Me particularly."
He smiled slightly. "There's the Hanso I know. Don't worry, this won't require a lot of effort. We're simply going to watch a guard's tournament: it's like the one when you were seven, but for the older trainees."
"So Brynn's not competing?" I questioned, disappointed. I would have loved to watch her knock the socks of Harry again, now that I knew who he is.
"Not everything in the guard has to do with Brynn," he said. "We need to scout out these guards carefully. They're graduating a few years from now, and some could be a threat. We definitely don't need that with Masila around."
"Masila won't be around 'in a few years.' She'd have already been defeated," I said firmly.
He sighed. "By who, might I ask? She's gained a lot of support. There's barely any of the Master Thieves left, even the ones I considered loyal. And even if we can get her alone, she can match any of us in hand-to-hand combat. Anyway, it's nothing that you need to be worrying about," he added. "We're watching the tournament." I knew by his tone that it was final.
Then I had an idea. "Could I invite a few friends?"
He stared at me exasperatedly. "They're with their own mentors, and I don't want their lesson plans interrupted-"
"They're not thieves," I said.
"All guards are going to be there, including Brynn," he said.
"They're not guards, either. They're rich kids."
"Hanso!" He cried, frustrated.
"Kanrik!" I imitated him.
"You won't be able to keep all of these friendships," he warned. "Maybe someday they could be your targets in desperate times."
"That's my problem, remember?" I grinned cheekily. "Besides, it's really just a question of loyalty, right? And you know I'm really, really loyal."
"Of course you are," he grumbled. "Only loyal thieves would dare make such…flippant requests."
"Now you sound like that snotty Lenny teacher," I said. "Can I invite them or what?"
"Fine. But be quick about it. I'll meet you at the guard's gate." He strode off, and I ran to get a few friends.
Hazel and Charlie were talking animatedly when I reached them. "Hi, Hanso," said Hazel sweetly. "What are you doing here? Don't you have thief classes or something?"
"It's mentor week," I explained. "Kanrik's teaching me today. Anyway, we're kind of going to break into a guard tournament-"
She gasped. "You aren't going to do anything, right?"
"Of course not," I assured her. "We're just going to watch for the new people who could be a threat. Since it's a guard thing, and all of the age groups are going to be there, maybe Violet would be too. It'll give you a chance to talk to her again."
She stood up nervously. "Are you sure it's going to be safe? Your teacher is the guild leader, right?" I nodded. She looked like she was about to go up a tree again.
"He won't rob you," I promised.
She relaxed. "Okay. I think I can give it another try. Charlie?"
"Miss Firecracker's there?" Charlie asked. "Sorry, Hanso, but I'm really much too busy…"
"Please?" Hazel begged. "I'm still a little scared."
"You've proven quite well that you can manage without me. But all the same," he said, beaming at her, "It does feel nice to be needed."
"Alright, kids, come on," I said, grabbing both of their wrists and pulling them.
"We are not kids," Charlie said, sounding slightly annoyed. "I'm only three years younger than you!"
I rolled my eyes and yanked them along until we stood in front of the castle. Unlike last time, there weren't that much people going in. It was supposed to be private, I guess. Kanrik stood by an oak tree. He raised his eyebrows at the two. "So these are your charges?"
"Yeah," I replied.
He eyed Hazel carefully. "Haven't I seen you before?"
She trembled, probably not liking being the object of attention. "Um, maybe you know my sister," she mumbled. "Her name is Violet."
"The guard that captured you with Brynn," I put in.
"The one that foolishly charged at Zida?" He asked.
"My sister is not foolish," Hazel said, regaining courage. She stared at Kanrik defiantly. Luckily, he took the hint.
"My apologies, Miss Hazel," he said, bowing his head slightly. "It was merely a slip of the tongue, no doubt caused by the ample amount of time I've spent with this knave." I had no idea what he said. I didn't know he could speak fancy-talk! Hazel, though, giggled at his flowery language, and both she and Charlie laughed at something I didn't understand.
"Huh? What in Neopia is a knave?" I asked.
He shook his head. "One time you're going to have to learn how to blend in with any crowd. Including them," he said as he gestured to Hazel and Charlie. "Come on then, children." Instead of sneaking in, he bribed somebody to let us go inside. We still had the furthest seats, though. That was good, I guess, since I could see the whole crowd- including Brynn.
"Isn't that Miss Firecracker?" Charlie said, pointing near the entrance. "Oh, my. Her hair's tangled."
"You said it doesn't matter!" Hazel protested.
"Right," he said. "Just pointing it out. Look, she seems at lost at what to do." She was with Harry's gang, but without him forcing her to be there she was allowed to do go somewhere else. She scanned the audience, probably to find somebody to sit with. So it wasn't that much of a surprise when her eyes landed on us. Her jaw dropped.
Hazel waved at her timidly. Violet did the same. Seeing as she got her attention, Hazel took a deep breath and pointed to where Brynn was sitting. Violet frowned and shook her head.
"What in Neopia is Hazel doing?" Kanrik asked.
"Um, a little project. I'll explain later," I said, watching intently.
Hazel's face was pleading. She pointed to Brynn again. Violet closed her eyes in defeat and treaded to her slowly. Each step she took dragged on and on, as if she was delaying for what she thought was going to be a rejection from a friend. I was a bit scared, too. But I should've known Brynn was too nice for that.
Violet asked her a question, and she nodded happily, gesturing between herself and Sophia. Violet appeared amazed, and was gazing at Brynn gratefully. She peeked at her sister just for a second before turning to the tournament.
There wasn't that much excitement until the last round. That's when Sam and Harry stepped up. Looking at the spectators, it was obvious that they had chosen sides. Some were sneering at Sam, others were shaking their fists at Harry. "This ought to be interesting," Kanrik said, stating my thoughts exactly. But we didn't have the same reasons. "I know him."
"What? Which one?" I inquired immediately.
Kanrik pointed to Sam. "That one- Marie's boy. I baby-sat him from time to time, when his mother was particularly distressed after his father's death. I even trained him myself. However, he chose to follow his dad's path," he said. "Shame. He really did show a lot of talent."
Without warning, a surge of jealousy coursed through me. Suddenly I felt angry for asking for his help before. If he was so great, then why didn't he assist Brynn and all the other kids before I told him to? Get a grip, I told myself. He's a former thief. It's not like he's ever going to be needed again.
Harry swiped and slashed at Sam vigorously. My eyes widened. He'd definitely gotten better since the last time I saw him. Still, there was something wrong about his movements. I don't know what, but it seemed like he was stronger than natural.
I heard Juliet's voice in my head. This little sucker can make you slightly stronger- and a side-effect is that you tend to act on impulse more. Sweet Fyora, Harry ate some of that chocolate! I'm not sure whether that's cheating or not, but Harry was definitely going to use it to pound Sam into mush. Sure enough, he had him on the floor in a matter of minutes. The time-limit was still going on, so all the guy had to do was yell insults at him as Sam kept taking his blows.
I glanced at Brynn. She was clutching Violet's arm; I knew that she was appealing her to do something. Violet bit her lip, and Brynn begged harder. I saw that Hazel was staring at her, too. She was indecisive and scared, that much I could tell. Then she glimpsed at her little sister, and she straightened up. "Harry!" She yelled audibly.
The audience quieted. A few grown-ups made a move to stop her, but I head one say to another that 'cheers' from the stands really is allowed- it was the guard's choice whether to acknowledge it within the ring or not. Harry looked up impulsively. "What?"
"Please, Harry!" Violet called.
Distracted, he let his foot slacken. That was enough for Sam. He whacked the sword away and stood up, fighting back even harder than before. He tripped Harry, forcing him into his former position. "I win." A gong sounded, signaling the battle was over. There was a roaring applause from the audience. I looked at Hazel, smiling, but she was gone. "Where'd she-?"
"Heading towards her sister, I expect," answered Charlie. "I believe Miss Firecracker has her sparks back."
I grinned. "Hey, Kanrik-" I turned to him, but he was stiffened. I frowned. "What's the matter?" Without a word, he pointed to somebody near the front row. She was a sharp beauty, with a purple hood fastened around her head. Her gaze was glued on to her nephew, eyeing him almost greedily. She clapped, steady and slow, with an evil smile on her face.
"Hanso?" Charlie asked. "Who is that lady? She looks like she's going towards Violet and her friends."
Oh, no, no. "We have to get out of here!" I said. I grabbed both his and Kanrik's wrist, and then pulled them towards the exit.
"We can't leave without Hazel!" Charlie said, veering us in the opposite direction. He was a lot stronger than I thought.
"Hey!" Before I could do anything, though, we were nearing Brynn's group.
Harry, apparently, did not like being beaten. He was venting it all out on Violet. "You idiot! You cost me this fight, stupid girl!"
He was about to smack her, when Sam blocked his fist. "Lost your little pet, Harry?"
"I'm not a pet!" Violet snapped.
"No, you're not," Sam agreed. He winked at her. "Do you want to join our Rebellion?"
"Don't you dare," Harry warned.
Violet seemed terrified again, but I saw her turn towards a slightly bulging tapestry for a second. I realized that Hazel was probably hiding under there. Her eyes turned to slits, and she said, "You don't know what I would and wouldn't do. And I'm joining."
Brynn and Sophia squealed. Harry made a move to her, but Sam pushed him back. "She's made her choice. Stay away from her…unless you want a rematch of the tournament?" Harry gritted his teeth, but shoved off.
"Come on, Violet, you have to meet our members," Brynn said, arm in arm with her.
"Go ahead," she said with a smile. "I have to take care of something first." As soon as they were all out of sight, she opened the tapestry and squeezed Hazel.
"You did it!" Hazel cried, hugging her back.
"You did it," said Violet. "You stood up for yourself from Dad, Ebony, Sasha, Mum…and even me. That was absolutely brilliant."
"Exactly what I was saying," Charlie said, stepping near them.
Violet glanced at his way, and then stopped with disbelief. She started glowering at him. "If you try anything-"
"Please," Charlie said, rolling his eyes. "Can we please at least act civil in front of Hazel?"
"You little-"
"Guys!" I interrupted. "We have to go now."
"Yes," Violet agreed. "Or else I'll have to call back-up." She embraced Hazel one last time and then ran off to catch up with Brynn.
Hazel sighed contently. "That was fun."
"Yeah," I said. "But we have to go! There's this-"
"But what's the rush, Hanso?" A silky voice said. I flinched, turning to look back at Masila in all her glory. "Once I finish your little guild leader off, you can stay here as long as you like. In jail."
"What makes you think he's here?" I challenged.
"Because you're here," she answered smoothly. "But the rest of your pathetic class isn't. Where is he?" Her voice was powerful, trying to force a reply out of us. I resisted, not saying anything, but Hazel and Charlie looked like they were in a trance. "Wouldn't you like that? No more problems from this troublesome thief?" She said encouragingly.
"Masila," a voice rasped. I winced again: This was nearly even worse. Kanrik was there with his knife drawn out, trying to protect us. Ugh.
"You don't look so well, dear. Have I been causing you too many problems?" Masila smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to end your pain soon enough. Anyway, you coming out of hiding made the whole business so much easier." She took out her dagger.
"I won't let you win," he growled.
She laughed. "But I already have." With that, she lunged. I wasn't fast enough to defend him this time, and I think we all knew that he didn't have a chance. I closed my eyes.
Clang!
I opened one, scared. Somebody had stepped in. But who would do that? Opening both, I saw a red Kyrii wearing a guard's uniform. Sam was back. "Assulting a pedestrian- especially in castle grounds- is prohibited," he said sternly.
"Sam!" Masila exclaimed. She beamed at him with something that almost seemed like...pride. "I don't know if you remember me; you were so small when I left, but…"
"I know exactly who you are, auntie," he said in a cold voice.
She paused at his harsh prose. Her eyes narrowed. "Do you know who's at your back? I assure you, he's no ordinary villager."
"Of course," he answered. "But he's a friend of Mum's so I'm rather inclined to let him go just this once." He glanced sideways at Kanrik. "Now." The guild leader instantly vanished with a wave of his cloak.
For a minute, Masila's mask slipped. Her face was contorted with anger and madness, and she cried out in alarm. But she quickly rearranged her expression in to a calm smile. "Alright, nephew," she said vehemently. "You can take your own time to come around. It's only a matter of when." She disappeared, too.
"Never," he whispered, grasping his hilt. There was a sad light in his face. Whether I liked it or not, I was sure he needed a bit of help.
"Yeah," I said, startling him. "You're not like her. And you probably never will be."
He raised his eyebrows. "Mr. Honesty again? I should've known." He smiled. Briskly, he walked away from the scene, stopping only near me to say, "You were never here."
"What just happened?" Hazel wondered out loud. I explained the situation.
"Wow," Charlie said. "You thieves have dangerous lives."
"That's just the way we like it," I answered with a grin. "But now I better go. I think that Kanrik's going back to headquarters."
"That's alright," Charlie said. "We can go back home by ourselves, I think."
Hazel tugged at my arm. "Hanso, that lady, the Thieves' Guild, not to mention your friend…those are awfully big problems, aren't they?" I shrugged. "But you still helped me. I think the least we could do is to help you with this one."
"Brilliant idea, Hazel," Charlie ejaculated.
I gave them a half-smile. "Sorry, guys, but I'm not sure you could."
"Did you try talking to Hannah?" Hazel piped up. "I heard that she was friends with Kanrik."
"I tried to contact her, but she won't reply to a letter. And even if she does read it, she'll probably think it's a bunch of baloney. In fact, the only way I could probably get her to help is if I ask her….in person…" An idea popped into my mind. I smiled. "I take it back. You helped me already!" I said a quick good-bye and raced towards the guild hideout, leaving the both of them confused but happy.
Week 4
Just before the bell rang, I broke the class's little habitarium of petpetpets. They flew all around the room, buzzing annoyingly. Everybody kept trying to swat them away. Juliet was especially scared, leaping onto her brother when one particularly huge one came close. "This is being independent?" Julius asked irritably.
"Hanso," Jacques groaned.
I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry?"
He rolled his eyes. "Alright. I'll just go ask the cleaners to-"
"No! I'll do it!" I interrupted. "I mean, I did make the mess, so shouldn't I clean it up? As a punishment?"
Jacques looked at me as though I were crazy. "I was never big on punishments."
"Well….it'll be a good time to learn."
"Fine. Stay," he said. "Clean the whole thing up, but I'm not going to miss my lunch break- er, I mean, time for grading papers just to watch you work."
"That's okay," I said. "I can be by myself."
"Why do I have a feeling this isn't going end well?" He asked to no one in particular. "Go straight to lunch once you're done."
"Yes, sir," I saluted. When they all got out, I quickly climbed on a desk to get to the book shelf: the one that contained Jacques's letters. I grabbed a random one from a stack labeled 'Garin' and put it in my coat. I hurriedly put the other notes back.
"What are you doing?" Somebody asked. I whirled around. Kayley was standing near the door way, her arms crossed. "The bugs are on the floor."
"I, um, I'm pretending to be on a stage," I blurted out.
"A stage," she repeated.
"Yeah," I said. "I always wanted to be a performer. Maybe a rock star, like the ones that show on the stadium in Tyrannia."
"Lying again," she sighed. "I'm keeping an eye out for you. Remember that."
"I will," I said. I meant it. But I had a plan…and I couldn't afford anyone to stop me.
Questions from last time:
Delta- I really doubt that I'm going catch up to Brynn's Diary while it's still in progress. If I do, then…well, I'll think about it if I do. ;)
Amethyst- How could there be typos in a notebook? Hm. Good question. I suggest you go and ask Puddles. Or Sandy ('Cause anything's possible with loooooove!). Really, though, it won't happen again. :D
