Disclaimer: What I said in Chapter 1.
A/N: I just realized that I never put the chapter numbers, so I¡¦m going to start now. Also, here¡¦s my thanks to the ppl who reviewed as of July 13, 2001:
Ginelle
Grace
Katie
Lauren Carel
Angel Fish
Lioness Grrl
Tropicalfrost86
Thank you all, reviewers! I totally appreciate your effort. As for the rest of you ppl, what is with you? All you gotta put in that blue-white box is comments/suggestions/flames! Although you don¡¦t have to do to that last one! ;-) On with the story! Also, I just found out, Ariella, Arielle, Liona, Lona, Kefira, Leonie, and Tiaret mean ¡§lioness¡¨ too. Coincidence?
Jade was touring me through the Shang building, and I was cranky, impatient, and bored.
¡§Goddess, you¡¦re snappish today,¡¨ Jade commented. ¡§Not that you aren¡¦t every morning.¡¨
¡§Shush up,¡¨ I growled crossly.
We eventually ended up in the middle of a training room. Jade was watching the warriors practice with fascination, while I was trying to catch up on the hours of sleep I¡¦d missed. Every time I almost managed to doze off, she would compliment on something I wouldn¡¦t have missed in life.
Finally, I took off the pack I¡¦d slung on my back, and pulled out a bag of raisins. I chewed them slowly and it gave me something to do other than fall asleep.
¡§Look at that man¡¦s grip. It should be on that woman¡¦s forearm, not elbow. Look how easily she dislodged him. It¡¦s not ¡V ¡¨
¡§Do me a favor, Jade,¡¨ I murmured. ¡§And close your mouth.¡¨
She sneered at me and turned her attention back to the fighting.
We spent about an hour in there. Finally, Jade tired of sitting there, and led me outside, onto the practice courts. ¡§Ready for some fighting, to-be-knight?¡¨ she smirked.
I edged away. ¡§I¡¦m still tired. I don¡¦t think I¡¦ll go right now.¡¨
She grabbed my arm. ¡§No, you¡¦re just saying that. Come on. You want to be a knight, you practice.¡¨
I struggled valiantly, but to no avail. Jade held fast. ¡§All right, all right,¡¨ I muttered. ¡§But this is only because I need to get in shape.¡¨
¡§Doesn¡¦t everyone?¡¨ Jade asked airily, before swinging her first blow. To tell the truth, I had had almost no training in this kind of thing, being a noble lady and all. I swung my hand blindly, my other arm covering my head. Her foot shot out, and tripped me as I stumbled, looking for where she was. I fell, and rolled, getting to my feet. She circled me as I watched her arms. Then her foot shot out again, striking my shin. I staggered, and she took that opportunity to punch my arm muscle so I couldn¡¦t lift it. With my other hand, I thumped her side pathetically. Jade was obviously holding back.
I finally knelt and declared, ¡§I yield.¡¨ I felt battered, bruised, and broken, but Jade was even breathing hard.
¡§At least you made an effort,¡¨ came a voice from the sidewall. I turned. There stood the Shang Unicorn, obviously amused with my poor fighting skills. Crimson with humiliation, I turned back away. Looking carefully at Jade¡¦s feet, I asked, avoiding her eyes, ¡§Where¡¦d you learn that style of fighting?¡¨
Kylaia answered for her. ¡§Jade is training to become a Shang warrior.¡¨
¡§Jade?¡¨ I breathed, recovering from my redness. ¡§You¡¦re studying Shang?¡¨
¡§Yeah,¡¨ she muttered. ¡§That day I met you, I just had to get away, you know?¡¨
¡§You¡¦re already Shang,¡¨ Kylaia remarked with amusement. ¡§We never can stay in one place for long.¡¨
I gaped. ¡§Your parents must be very¡K¡¨
¡§Supportive,¡¨ she supplied quickly. ¡§They know, you can be sure they know, they let be come here, and learn from Kylaia, and they were very supportive, really very ¡V ¡¨ She might¡¦ve kept babbling, if not for Kylaia saying gently, ¡§Let¡¦s go inside.¡¨
We passed a boy our age, and he whispered in my ear, ¡§Nice try.¡¨ I spun around, surprised. He smiled reassuringly. I ducked my head, embarrassed. If anyone else had seen that¡K Goddess. I would be a laughingstock.
¡§Who¡¦s that?¡¨ I asked Jade. She turned back. Blushing, she replied, ¡§Oh, that¡¦s ¡V that¡¦s Jeremy. He¡¦s really nice.¡¨ Noticing her red face, I realized, she likes him. My eyes lingering on his disheveled blonde hair and encouraging blue eyes, I smiled. Raven hair with blonde, constantly changing eyes with plain blue; they should be quite a match. Jeremy turned to look back at me, and grinned warmly. He had a nice smile.
Mentally, I slapped myself. Jade already has her eyes on him, I told myself sternly. It wouldn¡¦t do to have two friends quarreling over a boy. But Jade had been different once we¡¦d arrived here. I couldn¡¦t help but remember her sneer in the training rooms and the smirk when she¡¦d challenged me.
Thinking of Jade¡¦s hair reminded me of my own. I¡¦d have to cut it if I was to become a knight. I¡¦d do it tonight. But my hair¡K I hadn¡¦t cut it since I was five years old. It was a comfort to me, to be able to swing it while walking, stroke it while listening, and shove it out from under me when I had to sit. Maybe ¡V just maybe, I could wait one more night¡K No. I had to do it today, or I¡¦d never have the courage.
* * *
I emerged from the room and glanced around self-consciously. I still felt different with my new haircut. It was now to my earlobes. The curls had disappeared. As I strode down the hall, I kept having to raise my shoulders to feel my hair. It didn¡¦t feel right.
Entering the mess, I got a tray and my supper ¡V a crusty roll, chicken, a thin soup, and cake. I located where Jade was sitting and went to her table, noticing her stare. I eased myself down uncomfortably.
Finally, she whispered, ¡§What happened?¡¨
¡§I told you a knight can¡¦t have long hair,¡¨ I reminded her as I bit into my roll.
¡§Yes, but, it¡¦s so¡K different!¡¨
¡§I noticed,¡¨ I muttered irritably.
¡§Can I sit here?¡¨
I looked up and saw Jeremy standing next to me.
Jade answered. ¡§It¡¦s ¡¥may,¡¦ not ¡¥can.¡¦¡¨
¡§Sorry. May I sit here?¡¨
¡§Sure,¡¨ I told him.
As he slid down next to me, I saw Jade watching enviously. I felt bad, but she¡¦d been acting different all day. Maybe this would show her.
¡§Hey, Jeremy, did you know that Ariel wants to be a knight?¡¨
He smiled at me. ¡§So your name¡¦s Ariel. Pleased to meet you. I love your hair! It¡¦s different, but it¡¦s great!¡¨
Jade was watching me again. She took this opportunity to say, ¡§You know, with your fighting skills, I wonder, how will you ever get them to accept you?¡¨
I blushed, embarrassed, but at the same time, I felt a white-hot rage grow inside me. How dare she do that?
Jeremy was staring at Jade. ¡§Jade! That wasn¡¦t ¡V wasn¡¦t¡K¡¨
¡§It¡¦s okay,¡¨ I muttered. ¡§She¡¦s telling the truth.¡¨
¡§Everyone can improve! Just ask Kylaia for training or even for simple exercises.¡¨
Jade sneered. ¡§So, lady knight, whatcha gonna do now?¡¨
I glared. ¡§I want to be the first lady page, other than Alanna the Lioness.¡¨
¡§Like that¡¦s ever going to happen,¡¨ Jade snorted.
¡§It will,¡¨ I insisted stubbornly, while I waited for the anger that passed through me to subside. It didn¡¦t.
We glowered at each other as Jeremy quietly ate his supper. Finally I looked away and started on my chicken. What was Jade trying to do, show off in front of Jeremy? It wasn¡¦t exactly working. He¡¦d acted like she was being rude, and she was. I finished and excused myself. Jeremy immediately stood up too.
¡§I¡¦ll walk you back to your room,¡¨ he offered.
¡§Thanks,¡¨ I accepted quietly.
Jade was staring at me with distaste.
I started down the hallway, Jeremy at my side. ¡§Jade was being awfully rude,¡¨ he commented.
¡§I think so too.¡¨
We engaged in polite conversation the rest of the way, and I finally reached the room. ¡§Thanks,¡¨ I told him again.
After a while, Jade came in the room. As she passed me, she whispered, ¡§You big flirt.¡¨ That hurt more than anything else she¡¦d done today. Already on my bed, I buried my face in my pillow, trying to keep back my tears.
Sad and very messed up, I know. Umm¡K no flames for why Jade is acting this way, ¡¥cause I don¡¦t know quite yet. Just felt like doing something like that. Any ideas? Review, as always, and you¡¦ll get your name in my fic! Hyeh hyeh hyeh.