I stayed up most of that night thinking. I couldn't forget. I couldn't. At about one in the morning, I got out of bed and went over to my bag. "This doesn't mean I like you, Gramma. You left me and Mama when we needed you. You thought it was our fault Dad died. It wasn't," I muttered. I pulled out the locket from Gramma. It was silver-heart shaped, with ivy etched around the edges. I put it on and looked at it.


* "I'm sorry, ma'am, but your husband is dead. He was--" the man said.

"NO! Dad's isn't dead! There's a mistake! He wouldn't die! My tournament's tomorrow! He wouldn't miss that! HE'S NOT DEAD!" a ten-year-old me shouted and ran upstairs.

"No, Dad," I whispered. "No. You can't leave me here. You can't. You can't!" I collasped sobbing against the pillow.*


I shook my head to clear it of the memories. The necklace brought them back. They were the worst memories I had, but they were memories. That was all that mattered.

______________________________________________________________________________

Sunday went by quickly. Numair explained to me what I was going to learn. That night, I fell asleep, worried about the next day.

______________________________________________________________________________

When I woke up, I stretched out very quickly, took a bath, and went down to Kel's room jsut as the bell rang. Yesterday Lord Wyldon had told me that I should eat with the squires during meals unless Numair needed me for something.

"Ready to go?" I asked Kel when I got there.

She smiled, and we went to the mess hall. Most of the squires were already there when we got there. We talked while we ate, and then it was time for practice.

I left first, since I had to get the practice courts early. Anyways I met the Shangs and they explained that I should teach the squires and fourth year pages some new kicks. "Oh, good," I said when they told me. "I do getta torture Owen!"

So, I think you can guess that I was happy.

When the squires and fourth-years got here, the Shangs told them to line up by me.

"All right," I said. "First of all, my name's Laurie Makensri. Some of you probably know me. I'm from another world where you guys are figments of the Almighty Tamora Pierce's immagination. Get it? Good. Any questions?"

Vinson raised his hand. "How come YOU'RE our teacher?"

I looked at him. He was about six feet even, ten inches taller than me. *I can pull this,* I thought. "You really want to know, Vinson?" I asked.

He smirked and nodded.

"All right. Come up here. Now, are you positive you want to know?"

He nodded and smirked again.

"Ooookaaay. Now launch a round-house."

He did. I grabbed his leg and flipped him onto his back, and pinned his shoulders. "Cuz I can do that and you can't," I told him loudly. All the squires were laughing. "Now then," I said cheerfully. "Do you guys know jump-spin-hook kick? It's easier than it sounds." They shook their heads. "Do you know spin hook kick?" They nodded. "Great. Now, for jump spin hook kick, all you do is add a jump." I showed them. "Got it? Good."

I noticed they were doing it wrong. "No no no no no! Not like that! Okay, everyone into fighting stance. Done? Now what we're gonna do is twist our head and shoulders around, and then jump 360 degrees, and land just where we started. Then do it the other direction. On my count! Hona! Dul! Sett! Nett! Dahs! Yahs! Yogul! Yodul! Aha! Youl! Again! Hona! Dul! Sett! Nett! Das! Yas! Yogul! Yodul! Aha! Youl!"

I kept them going like this for about ten minutes. Then I noticed Owen was starting to look green. "Okay, people! Take a break!" A minute later I said, "Okay, NOW try the kick!" Once they had mastered that, I said, "Okay! Just enough time to learn tornado kick!" They all groaned. Then the bell rang.

"Okay, tomorrow we'll learn Audobaun and flying side kick, so get a good night's sleep! Bye!" The Shangs and Numair, who had been watching, I guess, were laughing their heads off.

"Well, Laurie," he said. "Congratulations. You've managed to become the most hated teacher here on your first day."

"And I is just so proud of it!" I said perkily.

He laughed. "Come on, I want to show you your horse."

"MY horse? As in, MY horse?" I asked.

He smiled. "As my apprentice, you're going to do a lot of traveling. You'll need a horse."

"DUDE!" I said.

So he showed me my horse. She was gorgeous, a red color with a mark on her right side that looked like a little person with wings. "Oo! I know what I'll name her! Fairy!"

"FAIRY?"

"Yes, Fairy!"

We had a long debate over her name. I said that since she was my horse, I should get to name her, he said that it was a stupid name, ect., ect.

I won.

Just as the pages and squires came in for riding, Numair was trying to convince me to canter her.

"No," I said.

"Yes," he argued.

"No."

"Yes."

"Listen, the last time I cantered, I fell off and got a broken wrist!"

"All right. You can just go at a trot. Got it?"

"Sure," I said as I got on.

He slapped the horse, making Fairy canter.

"NUUUUUUMAAAAAAIIIIIR!!!!!!!!"

I fell off halfway around the ring. I stomped back over to him, covered in dirt.

"You SOB!! You bastard! You--"

"You aren't scared of cantering anymore, though, are you?"

I glared at him. "I hate it when other people are right," I muttered.

"You had better go take a bath before lunch," he said.

"That's it! You are goin' down!"


Author's Note: Hmmm. Am I spoiling you? I dunno, one chapter a day.... oh well. There's the torturing. And thanks for all the advice in the reviews. Maybe I will try tripping her next time..... Hope you like!