Chapter 1
The young mage sat dejectedly on the ground, and stroked the head of the mouse that had been keeping her company for the past half an hour. She stood up, feeling dizzy, and put the mouse back on the wall where she had found him.
"Go home," she told him firmly, and pushed him along the wall with her fingertip, "I'll be okay now."
"Goodbye." He squeaked to her, and ran back to the crack in the stones where he lived. The girl, Nharos, rubbed her aching temples, and started to wander back to the temple classrooms, not feeling better than she had before she came out. Those headaches, that kept coming and never disappeared until late at night, and came back in the morning when everyone started shouting again.
"Stupid noise." she muttered, her ears picking up the sound of someone giving a lecture to the class. A rabbit broke cover near her and she took off after it, knowing running would carry the pain in her head far away from her for a while. Soon she wasn't Nharos anymore, she wasn't anyone, she just existed. Suddenly the excitement of the chase overtook her and she wasn't just running. She was a fox chasing the rabbit, and wether or not she caught it mattered.
The rabbit seemed to sense the change in her too, and ran faster. It zigzagged in and out of bushes and flowers, and disappeared through a gap in a hedge.
Somehow the fact that the hole was too small registered in Nharos's tangled mind, and she backed out of it. Leaping the fence she charges after the rabbit, head down and determined. And then she crashed headlong into someone and want sprawling on the ground.
"Watch it!!"
"Sorry, I didn't see yo-ou." Nharos trailed off, staring at the boy she had run into. It was Briar Moss, one of the special mages that everyone talked about. Her eyes took in everything of his features, black hair, almond shaped eyes, tanned skin, before she realised she was staring. For a moment she was seeing herself through his eyes, a small skinny girl with dark messy hair covered in scratches and dust. The image was broken when the older mage exploded in a tide of colourful curses.
Her eyes lowered and she realised why he was so angry. An upturned basked lay on the ground, its contents scattered. Nharos only knew a little of plant lore, but she recognised some of the more expensive and magical herbs.
Suddenly angry, she shouted at him; "I said I was sorry, you."
He stopped and listened of a moment, before cutting her off, "What does that one mean?"
Realising which of the curses he meant, she blushed under her tan, "It's not pleasant, anyway." She said refusing to tell him.
"But I need to know what it means." He insisted, "How am I going to use it if I don't know what I'm saying."
"All the more reason for you not to use it." Nharos told him. She looked for a quick way to say goodbye and exit without further embarrassing herself.
"No swaying you is there?" he said, laughing at her uneasiness.
"BRIAR?!" someone yelled from the shed at the other end of the garden, "Where's those herbs?"
"Oh shit." Briar scrambled to pick up his spilled basket, "Best get out of here quick, little one, Rosethorn's in a temper fit to kill, and if she finds you here she'll hang you in the well by your ankles."
Nharos gasped a goodbye and scampered away, this time using the gate.
-=-
Orlana lazily stretched out one long leg, then the other, like a cat. She tossed her hair, sending braided strands of pearls swinging, and kicked her legs up in the air. She was doing what she loved, dancing. Nothing and no one could take the exhilaration she felt on the dance floor away from her.
She was also pretending not to notice the boy in the doorway. He had been standing there for at least ten minutes, and he was silently willing her to notice him, she could feel his eyes on her.
She skipped over to the song crystal and changed its settings to a faster, livelier song. Then, taking up as much floor space as possible, she flung herself out into a dance routine she had figured out the other day.
She could feel him watch her closer, and she turned to face him, still not looking directly at him, still not 'noticing' him. As the pace stepped up, her movement grew wilder. She kicked high and flung herself crazily to the music, forgetting who she was, who she was supposed to be.
"Lady Orlana!" someone gasped from the doorway. They crossed the room and snapped off the singing crystal. It was an air temple Dedicate, standing with his hands on his hips and glaring at Orlana.
She stood slowly from her split, and combed her hair back with her fingers.
"That music was so loud you didn't hear the supper bell?" he cried, "And you were dancing like that? With the door open? With someone watching?" his voice rose in pitch with every question.
"I'm sorry Dedicate." she wracked her brain for the man's name, ". Everlight. I didn't know I had an audience." She apologised profusely, crossing her fingers behind her back to take away the sincereness of the promises.
Someone snorted with the effort of concealing laughter. "Get back down to Discipline!" Everlight shouted. With more concealed laughter, the boy in the doorway disappeared. "I swear." Everlight rubbed his greying temples, "That cheeky young provost boy will be the death of me. And you aren't helping." He scowled at her, "Why can't you act sensibly, like the other young ladies?" he turned to leave, "And put something decent on before you go to the meal."
Orlana skipped up to her room, light-hearted as can be. I know who he is, she thought, her suspicions confirmed by the old Dedicate's words, he's Pasco, the dance mage. And he was watching me.
She pulled her dancing leotard and skirt off, splashed her sweat away with cold water from the washstand, and wriggled into a dark purple and black velvet and silk dress with a black lace trim. Brushing her hair hurriedly, she braided it into coils and put black pearl strings into it, letting them hang down with the loose bits.
Now 'decent' she fumbled with her leather soled silk slippers, and ran down the stairs to the eating hall.
"Do you know where she spent her afternoon." Hilary, one of the girls at the nobles' table asked the drooling boy sitting next to her.
"Dance room again?" he stage-whispered back, leaning over so that she could hear.
Or maybe he was just using the whisper as an excuse to lean over so that he could look down her top, Orlana thought, wondering if Hilary's neckline could get any lower before her dress would just be called a skirt. Ignoring the whispers around her, she took her tray to the kitchen bench, got her food, and sat away from the others to eat in peace.
Or not in peace, she scowled into her food, trying to ignore the insulting whispers that the other girls knew she could hear. She tuned out, staring across the room and stirring her stew with her knife. The kids on the commoners' table seemed to be having fun.
Except one, she noticed. One girl with a scratched, grubby face was sitting off from the rest, picking at her food with her fingers. She looked more than unhappy; she actually looked lonely and sad.
Before she knew what she was doing, Orlana was halfway across the room, her tray balanced in her hands.
"Mind if I sit here?" she asked the sad looking girl.
-=-
"Mind if I sit here?" the noble girl asked Nharos. Bewildered, she shook her head.
"I'm Orlana." The tall girl said.
Nharos stared at her, speechless. She was absolutely beautiful, with long, silky brown hair braided up, except for a few select sections falling down entwined with black pearls. Her dress was dark purple velvet and black silk with yards of black lace on the collar and puffed sleaves.
"Why aren't you over there with your friends?"
Nharos felt compelled to answer, "They're not my friends." She sulked, "And they hurt my head." She massaged her temples tiredly with the heels of her hands.
"Headaches." It was a statement, not a question, and in a tone that suggested the noble girl was sharing sympathy, "Tried taking anything for it?"
"What's the use, they just keep coming back." She muttered sullenly.
"Some of the stronger herbals can stop headaches from returning." Orlana said, "Anyway, doesn't my voice hurt your head too?"
"No." Nharos said shortly.
"Why not?"
"Because your voice is quiet, not like theirs'. Yours is like the animals' voices."
Orlana dropped her fork, a very unladylike movement. "Did you just say what I thought you said?"
Great, she thought, one of those stupid questions. What do you think I said?
"About being able to talk to animals?" the noble girl elaborated.
"Yes. I can talk to them." Nharos frowned and rubbed her temples again, "I thought everyone could."
"No way!" Orlana yelped, her voice rising, "I can no more talk to animals than I can tame the wind and rain!"
Nharos's mind flashed back to the encounter at Discipline, with Briar. There was supposed to be another girl there that could tame the weather. Trisana Chandler.
"This is amazing!" Orlana continued, "You should tell someone about this. It's not normal for a mage to be able to talk to animals! I've never even heard about it being a magical talent."
"Settle down" Nharos grumbled, "I don't want a big fuss kicked up about me. I don't want to be special. I just want to be plain old me."
"But it is special." Orlana cut in, "And hiding it wont make the talent go away. It'll just make it harder."
"It's not doing anything now, not anything weird." Nharos protested, "Not like hurting me or anything. I can just talk to animals."
"Air Temple students to their dorms!" a Dedicate shouted over the noise.
"That's me." Orlana stood up, "Promise me you will tell someone. I will."
"Earth Temple students to their dormitories!" another, green robed, Dedicate shouted.
Nharos stood up, "I have to go." And ran into the crowd of students heading up to their dorms.
"Wait!" Orlana shouted, starting after her, "I don't know your name! What is your name?"
Nharos pretended not to hear her.
-=-
Orlana stared after the mob of students heading to the Earth Temple dorms. Damn! She ran to catch up to the Air Temple students heading back to their dorms.
"Late, Lady Orlana?" a young Dedicate asked.
"A bit." She bit her lip, "I was thinking. And I sort of got left behind."
"Oh?"
"Yeah? Do you know much about special mage craft, like plant magic and things like that?"
She frowned, and played with her yellow Air Temple habit, "Not really. I think Dedicate Lark, at Discipline, knows more about that sort of stuff."
"Thanks!" she gave the Dedicate a grateful smile, "I'm going to be late. See you." She quickly committed the young woman's face to memory, in case she needed more information, and ran up to her room.
"Oh, you're back?" Orlana's roommate, Raquel, said. She was lying back on her bed and lazily painting her nails in a weird silver colour, "You're late." She added accusingly.
"Mm-hm." Orlana said noncommittally.
"Were you dancing again?" Raquel tapped the wall in a series that she always used to get her friends into the room, "Before supper, I mean?"
"Yes." Orlana shrugged, and began to gather up her bathing things. The door opened, and Hilary poked her head through. "Was she dancing again?" she asked unkindly.
"Yes. I don't know why she does it though." Raquel answered, "It's not like she gets any attention from the boys. They hate it. They think it's, you know, cheap."
Orlana sighed, and waved her hairbrush lazily around the room, "Are you two hard of hearing?" she asked icily, resuming her hair brushing, "Because I think you have, sort of, missed the part where I mentioned that I, you know, like dancing." She flicked her hair around to settle the static in it.
"I heard her say that!" one of the others' friends came in. It was a ditzy sandy haired girl who followed the other two around all the time, Lillouise. She was, as usual, talking as though Orlana didn't exist. "What a bitch!"
"Hmm, I am aren't I?" Orlana shot back in a lazy tone.
"Yes you are!" Lillouise said grumpily, "And you are cheap. A wannabe dancing girl."
"I am really starting to wonder if you three are deaf or stupid." Orlana snapped, her patience wearing thin, "I do not dance because I want boys to notice me. I dance because I like to dance! I want to dance! I actually enjoy dancing!" she slapped her hairbrush onto her bedside table, "Was that clear enough to get through your thick skulls or do I have to elaborate in words of one syllable?" she stalked from the room, but didn't slam the door. That was too childish.
As she left she heard Lillouise ask, "What is a skull?"
"You'll learn about it if you ever study anatomy." Hilary said importantly.
"I know what a skull is." Raquel said, "But what in Mila's Fields is a syllable?"
Orlana tried to cover laughter, and bolted for the bathing room, stopping only when she was there to scream with laughter. She sat down weakly after a long time, still giggling.
"What's so funny?"
Orlana whirled around to face a woman in a bathrobe. The woman had short curly hair, and a catlike face. "Dedicate Lark!" she squeaked.
"Hello Orlana." Lark smiled, "Did someone tell you a good joke?"
"No." Orlana said, "It was just the ignorance of my roommate and her friends."
"Oh. One should never laugh at ignorance." Lark scolded, "You should always enlighten them to their mistakes."
"I know." Orlana hung her head, feeling as though she had really done something wrong, "But it was really funny." She looked up to find Lark smiling broadly. There was a twinkle in the woman's eyes that hinted at much mischief. "You tease."
"Yes I do." Lark agreed, nodding so that her curls short bounced, "I hear you dance." She added on a more serious tone.
"Yes." Orlana didn't know whether to be angry or amused, "At least, I do try to dance."
"Pasco says you dance well." Lark admitted, "And he wants to try doing partner dances with you. Only, I didn't tell you that."
Orlana swelled inside, Pasco, dance with her? "I've seen him dance to. He's excellent."
"He's more than excellent." Lark said, "And you think so too. You have a glass face."
Orlana hadn't even realised her guard was down, but then, Lark was a friendly woman. Her eyes darkened slightly and narrowed, covering her emotions. "I was going to look for you later too, Lark."
"Really?" she began to set out her bath things, "What did you want."
"I wanted to know a bit about special magic." Orlana said, "Like plant magic and dance magic, only this is different. Rarer, I think."
"What sort of magic?" Lark asked.
"Animal magic." Orlana answered, "Where a mage finds talking to normal and easy. And they get headaches from normal talking."
"Ah." Lark frowned, "You're right. Not very common at all. Why do you want to know?"
Orlana thought for a minute, then spilled, "A girl I met at supper claims she can talk to animals. She looked very surprised when I said not everyone could do it."
"Who?" Lark asked.
"She didn't tell me her name, that's the problem." Orlana told her, "I think I could spot her in a crowd though. She's small and sort of tired looking. And she's in the Earth Temple."
"Well that narrows down the search a little." Lark laughed, "Small."
"But about my age." Orlana said, "She's got dark hair, and she's a commoner, too." She rubbed her eyes, "I bit nearly every commoner girl in the Earth Temple fit that description."
"Not everyone." Lark said, undressing and jumping in the big bathing pool, "Don't know about you, but I need a wash. Worry about this tomorrow."
"Okay."
-=-
The summer night heat prickled the hairs on Nharos's arms. She tossed in the rough linen sheets and tried desperately to think of something soothing. Nothing worked. The cool air outside beckoned to her, trying to draw her out of the stifling damp of the dormitory. No. I won't go. I need to sleep. She arranged her pillow for the millionth time in the past hour, and pulled her sticky nightdress away from her skin. I will sleep. I will.
Nharos cautiously opened the windows trying not to let the pane scratch or scrape and wake the others. She climbed gently out of the window, and padded, barefoot, along the path. The relative coolness caressed her sticky skin, and she bathed in it, gulping the clean night air.
It will be even cooler on the wall, she thought, and began to climb the stairs. Her skin tingled with the anticipation of the relishing coolness.
"Who's there?" the guard called
Nharos swore under her breath, she had forgotten about him, and crouched into the shadows. After a bit of muttering, the guard turned to look back out to sea.
Damn, she thought, I wanted to go out there.
"Out where?" an owl asked, swooping low. The guard turned his attention to the beautiful white bird. Seeing her chance, Nharos ran past, bare feet silent on the stones. The guard didn't even turn.
"Thankyou owl." Nharos whispered, and settled on a ledge.
She had been right; the air was cooler up on the wall. And the stone was cold too. Cold and comforting. The combination of the cooler air and her now relaxed mind began to send Nharos to sleep.
"Hey!"
The greeting was only whispered, but it startled her. She scooted forward, forgetting where she was. A hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her back securely onto the ledge.
"Where do you think you're going?" Briar whispered, dropping down beside her.
"You.I.You scared me." Nharos stammered, her pulse still thumping from the shock.
"Sorry." Briar said, "I didn't think you were going to fly off when I said something." He pulled off his shoes, and sat them beside him. "What are you doing up here?"
"Getting some air."
"Oh."
They sat silently for a long time, and Nharos became aware that Briar's hand was still on her shoulder. She shrugged uncomfortably, but, instead of retracting his hand, Briar moved it past her neck and around her shoulder, pulling her close.
Startled, she relaxed into him. It was getting cold now, and his body warmth was welcome. She relaxed some more, and sleep tugged her senses. She closed her eyes and let darkness and dreams overcome her.
Briar looked down at the girl, with her head rested against his shoulder. He had no idea what made him cuddle her like that, but it felt.nice. It felt good, and she looked happy. He held her closer and let sleep overcome him too.
The tower clock struck three, the bells finally waking the sleeping couple. Clouds had covered the moon and only stars shone through the few gaps.
Nharos was disorientated. She sat up with a start. "What the.?"
Briar caught her arm and pulled her down beside him again, "We're on the wall, remember."
"Oh," she squinted around. "I'd better go. Otherwise I'll fall asleep again."
"Sure," he clambered up onto the top of the wall, "The guard's asleep again, so we can get past him. And Lark will wonder where I am."
"See you tomorrow, I guess." Nharos said, but didn't turn to go.
Briar touched her cheek gently, and said, "Come on, before he wakes up."
The young mage sat dejectedly on the ground, and stroked the head of the mouse that had been keeping her company for the past half an hour. She stood up, feeling dizzy, and put the mouse back on the wall where she had found him.
"Go home," she told him firmly, and pushed him along the wall with her fingertip, "I'll be okay now."
"Goodbye." He squeaked to her, and ran back to the crack in the stones where he lived. The girl, Nharos, rubbed her aching temples, and started to wander back to the temple classrooms, not feeling better than she had before she came out. Those headaches, that kept coming and never disappeared until late at night, and came back in the morning when everyone started shouting again.
"Stupid noise." she muttered, her ears picking up the sound of someone giving a lecture to the class. A rabbit broke cover near her and she took off after it, knowing running would carry the pain in her head far away from her for a while. Soon she wasn't Nharos anymore, she wasn't anyone, she just existed. Suddenly the excitement of the chase overtook her and she wasn't just running. She was a fox chasing the rabbit, and wether or not she caught it mattered.
The rabbit seemed to sense the change in her too, and ran faster. It zigzagged in and out of bushes and flowers, and disappeared through a gap in a hedge.
Somehow the fact that the hole was too small registered in Nharos's tangled mind, and she backed out of it. Leaping the fence she charges after the rabbit, head down and determined. And then she crashed headlong into someone and want sprawling on the ground.
"Watch it!!"
"Sorry, I didn't see yo-ou." Nharos trailed off, staring at the boy she had run into. It was Briar Moss, one of the special mages that everyone talked about. Her eyes took in everything of his features, black hair, almond shaped eyes, tanned skin, before she realised she was staring. For a moment she was seeing herself through his eyes, a small skinny girl with dark messy hair covered in scratches and dust. The image was broken when the older mage exploded in a tide of colourful curses.
Her eyes lowered and she realised why he was so angry. An upturned basked lay on the ground, its contents scattered. Nharos only knew a little of plant lore, but she recognised some of the more expensive and magical herbs.
Suddenly angry, she shouted at him; "I said I was sorry, you."
He stopped and listened of a moment, before cutting her off, "What does that one mean?"
Realising which of the curses he meant, she blushed under her tan, "It's not pleasant, anyway." She said refusing to tell him.
"But I need to know what it means." He insisted, "How am I going to use it if I don't know what I'm saying."
"All the more reason for you not to use it." Nharos told him. She looked for a quick way to say goodbye and exit without further embarrassing herself.
"No swaying you is there?" he said, laughing at her uneasiness.
"BRIAR?!" someone yelled from the shed at the other end of the garden, "Where's those herbs?"
"Oh shit." Briar scrambled to pick up his spilled basket, "Best get out of here quick, little one, Rosethorn's in a temper fit to kill, and if she finds you here she'll hang you in the well by your ankles."
Nharos gasped a goodbye and scampered away, this time using the gate.
-=-
Orlana lazily stretched out one long leg, then the other, like a cat. She tossed her hair, sending braided strands of pearls swinging, and kicked her legs up in the air. She was doing what she loved, dancing. Nothing and no one could take the exhilaration she felt on the dance floor away from her.
She was also pretending not to notice the boy in the doorway. He had been standing there for at least ten minutes, and he was silently willing her to notice him, she could feel his eyes on her.
She skipped over to the song crystal and changed its settings to a faster, livelier song. Then, taking up as much floor space as possible, she flung herself out into a dance routine she had figured out the other day.
She could feel him watch her closer, and she turned to face him, still not looking directly at him, still not 'noticing' him. As the pace stepped up, her movement grew wilder. She kicked high and flung herself crazily to the music, forgetting who she was, who she was supposed to be.
"Lady Orlana!" someone gasped from the doorway. They crossed the room and snapped off the singing crystal. It was an air temple Dedicate, standing with his hands on his hips and glaring at Orlana.
She stood slowly from her split, and combed her hair back with her fingers.
"That music was so loud you didn't hear the supper bell?" he cried, "And you were dancing like that? With the door open? With someone watching?" his voice rose in pitch with every question.
"I'm sorry Dedicate." she wracked her brain for the man's name, ". Everlight. I didn't know I had an audience." She apologised profusely, crossing her fingers behind her back to take away the sincereness of the promises.
Someone snorted with the effort of concealing laughter. "Get back down to Discipline!" Everlight shouted. With more concealed laughter, the boy in the doorway disappeared. "I swear." Everlight rubbed his greying temples, "That cheeky young provost boy will be the death of me. And you aren't helping." He scowled at her, "Why can't you act sensibly, like the other young ladies?" he turned to leave, "And put something decent on before you go to the meal."
Orlana skipped up to her room, light-hearted as can be. I know who he is, she thought, her suspicions confirmed by the old Dedicate's words, he's Pasco, the dance mage. And he was watching me.
She pulled her dancing leotard and skirt off, splashed her sweat away with cold water from the washstand, and wriggled into a dark purple and black velvet and silk dress with a black lace trim. Brushing her hair hurriedly, she braided it into coils and put black pearl strings into it, letting them hang down with the loose bits.
Now 'decent' she fumbled with her leather soled silk slippers, and ran down the stairs to the eating hall.
"Do you know where she spent her afternoon." Hilary, one of the girls at the nobles' table asked the drooling boy sitting next to her.
"Dance room again?" he stage-whispered back, leaning over so that she could hear.
Or maybe he was just using the whisper as an excuse to lean over so that he could look down her top, Orlana thought, wondering if Hilary's neckline could get any lower before her dress would just be called a skirt. Ignoring the whispers around her, she took her tray to the kitchen bench, got her food, and sat away from the others to eat in peace.
Or not in peace, she scowled into her food, trying to ignore the insulting whispers that the other girls knew she could hear. She tuned out, staring across the room and stirring her stew with her knife. The kids on the commoners' table seemed to be having fun.
Except one, she noticed. One girl with a scratched, grubby face was sitting off from the rest, picking at her food with her fingers. She looked more than unhappy; she actually looked lonely and sad.
Before she knew what she was doing, Orlana was halfway across the room, her tray balanced in her hands.
"Mind if I sit here?" she asked the sad looking girl.
-=-
"Mind if I sit here?" the noble girl asked Nharos. Bewildered, she shook her head.
"I'm Orlana." The tall girl said.
Nharos stared at her, speechless. She was absolutely beautiful, with long, silky brown hair braided up, except for a few select sections falling down entwined with black pearls. Her dress was dark purple velvet and black silk with yards of black lace on the collar and puffed sleaves.
"Why aren't you over there with your friends?"
Nharos felt compelled to answer, "They're not my friends." She sulked, "And they hurt my head." She massaged her temples tiredly with the heels of her hands.
"Headaches." It was a statement, not a question, and in a tone that suggested the noble girl was sharing sympathy, "Tried taking anything for it?"
"What's the use, they just keep coming back." She muttered sullenly.
"Some of the stronger herbals can stop headaches from returning." Orlana said, "Anyway, doesn't my voice hurt your head too?"
"No." Nharos said shortly.
"Why not?"
"Because your voice is quiet, not like theirs'. Yours is like the animals' voices."
Orlana dropped her fork, a very unladylike movement. "Did you just say what I thought you said?"
Great, she thought, one of those stupid questions. What do you think I said?
"About being able to talk to animals?" the noble girl elaborated.
"Yes. I can talk to them." Nharos frowned and rubbed her temples again, "I thought everyone could."
"No way!" Orlana yelped, her voice rising, "I can no more talk to animals than I can tame the wind and rain!"
Nharos's mind flashed back to the encounter at Discipline, with Briar. There was supposed to be another girl there that could tame the weather. Trisana Chandler.
"This is amazing!" Orlana continued, "You should tell someone about this. It's not normal for a mage to be able to talk to animals! I've never even heard about it being a magical talent."
"Settle down" Nharos grumbled, "I don't want a big fuss kicked up about me. I don't want to be special. I just want to be plain old me."
"But it is special." Orlana cut in, "And hiding it wont make the talent go away. It'll just make it harder."
"It's not doing anything now, not anything weird." Nharos protested, "Not like hurting me or anything. I can just talk to animals."
"Air Temple students to their dorms!" a Dedicate shouted over the noise.
"That's me." Orlana stood up, "Promise me you will tell someone. I will."
"Earth Temple students to their dormitories!" another, green robed, Dedicate shouted.
Nharos stood up, "I have to go." And ran into the crowd of students heading up to their dorms.
"Wait!" Orlana shouted, starting after her, "I don't know your name! What is your name?"
Nharos pretended not to hear her.
-=-
Orlana stared after the mob of students heading to the Earth Temple dorms. Damn! She ran to catch up to the Air Temple students heading back to their dorms.
"Late, Lady Orlana?" a young Dedicate asked.
"A bit." She bit her lip, "I was thinking. And I sort of got left behind."
"Oh?"
"Yeah? Do you know much about special mage craft, like plant magic and things like that?"
She frowned, and played with her yellow Air Temple habit, "Not really. I think Dedicate Lark, at Discipline, knows more about that sort of stuff."
"Thanks!" she gave the Dedicate a grateful smile, "I'm going to be late. See you." She quickly committed the young woman's face to memory, in case she needed more information, and ran up to her room.
"Oh, you're back?" Orlana's roommate, Raquel, said. She was lying back on her bed and lazily painting her nails in a weird silver colour, "You're late." She added accusingly.
"Mm-hm." Orlana said noncommittally.
"Were you dancing again?" Raquel tapped the wall in a series that she always used to get her friends into the room, "Before supper, I mean?"
"Yes." Orlana shrugged, and began to gather up her bathing things. The door opened, and Hilary poked her head through. "Was she dancing again?" she asked unkindly.
"Yes. I don't know why she does it though." Raquel answered, "It's not like she gets any attention from the boys. They hate it. They think it's, you know, cheap."
Orlana sighed, and waved her hairbrush lazily around the room, "Are you two hard of hearing?" she asked icily, resuming her hair brushing, "Because I think you have, sort of, missed the part where I mentioned that I, you know, like dancing." She flicked her hair around to settle the static in it.
"I heard her say that!" one of the others' friends came in. It was a ditzy sandy haired girl who followed the other two around all the time, Lillouise. She was, as usual, talking as though Orlana didn't exist. "What a bitch!"
"Hmm, I am aren't I?" Orlana shot back in a lazy tone.
"Yes you are!" Lillouise said grumpily, "And you are cheap. A wannabe dancing girl."
"I am really starting to wonder if you three are deaf or stupid." Orlana snapped, her patience wearing thin, "I do not dance because I want boys to notice me. I dance because I like to dance! I want to dance! I actually enjoy dancing!" she slapped her hairbrush onto her bedside table, "Was that clear enough to get through your thick skulls or do I have to elaborate in words of one syllable?" she stalked from the room, but didn't slam the door. That was too childish.
As she left she heard Lillouise ask, "What is a skull?"
"You'll learn about it if you ever study anatomy." Hilary said importantly.
"I know what a skull is." Raquel said, "But what in Mila's Fields is a syllable?"
Orlana tried to cover laughter, and bolted for the bathing room, stopping only when she was there to scream with laughter. She sat down weakly after a long time, still giggling.
"What's so funny?"
Orlana whirled around to face a woman in a bathrobe. The woman had short curly hair, and a catlike face. "Dedicate Lark!" she squeaked.
"Hello Orlana." Lark smiled, "Did someone tell you a good joke?"
"No." Orlana said, "It was just the ignorance of my roommate and her friends."
"Oh. One should never laugh at ignorance." Lark scolded, "You should always enlighten them to their mistakes."
"I know." Orlana hung her head, feeling as though she had really done something wrong, "But it was really funny." She looked up to find Lark smiling broadly. There was a twinkle in the woman's eyes that hinted at much mischief. "You tease."
"Yes I do." Lark agreed, nodding so that her curls short bounced, "I hear you dance." She added on a more serious tone.
"Yes." Orlana didn't know whether to be angry or amused, "At least, I do try to dance."
"Pasco says you dance well." Lark admitted, "And he wants to try doing partner dances with you. Only, I didn't tell you that."
Orlana swelled inside, Pasco, dance with her? "I've seen him dance to. He's excellent."
"He's more than excellent." Lark said, "And you think so too. You have a glass face."
Orlana hadn't even realised her guard was down, but then, Lark was a friendly woman. Her eyes darkened slightly and narrowed, covering her emotions. "I was going to look for you later too, Lark."
"Really?" she began to set out her bath things, "What did you want."
"I wanted to know a bit about special magic." Orlana said, "Like plant magic and dance magic, only this is different. Rarer, I think."
"What sort of magic?" Lark asked.
"Animal magic." Orlana answered, "Where a mage finds talking to normal and easy. And they get headaches from normal talking."
"Ah." Lark frowned, "You're right. Not very common at all. Why do you want to know?"
Orlana thought for a minute, then spilled, "A girl I met at supper claims she can talk to animals. She looked very surprised when I said not everyone could do it."
"Who?" Lark asked.
"She didn't tell me her name, that's the problem." Orlana told her, "I think I could spot her in a crowd though. She's small and sort of tired looking. And she's in the Earth Temple."
"Well that narrows down the search a little." Lark laughed, "Small."
"But about my age." Orlana said, "She's got dark hair, and she's a commoner, too." She rubbed her eyes, "I bit nearly every commoner girl in the Earth Temple fit that description."
"Not everyone." Lark said, undressing and jumping in the big bathing pool, "Don't know about you, but I need a wash. Worry about this tomorrow."
"Okay."
-=-
The summer night heat prickled the hairs on Nharos's arms. She tossed in the rough linen sheets and tried desperately to think of something soothing. Nothing worked. The cool air outside beckoned to her, trying to draw her out of the stifling damp of the dormitory. No. I won't go. I need to sleep. She arranged her pillow for the millionth time in the past hour, and pulled her sticky nightdress away from her skin. I will sleep. I will.
Nharos cautiously opened the windows trying not to let the pane scratch or scrape and wake the others. She climbed gently out of the window, and padded, barefoot, along the path. The relative coolness caressed her sticky skin, and she bathed in it, gulping the clean night air.
It will be even cooler on the wall, she thought, and began to climb the stairs. Her skin tingled with the anticipation of the relishing coolness.
"Who's there?" the guard called
Nharos swore under her breath, she had forgotten about him, and crouched into the shadows. After a bit of muttering, the guard turned to look back out to sea.
Damn, she thought, I wanted to go out there.
"Out where?" an owl asked, swooping low. The guard turned his attention to the beautiful white bird. Seeing her chance, Nharos ran past, bare feet silent on the stones. The guard didn't even turn.
"Thankyou owl." Nharos whispered, and settled on a ledge.
She had been right; the air was cooler up on the wall. And the stone was cold too. Cold and comforting. The combination of the cooler air and her now relaxed mind began to send Nharos to sleep.
"Hey!"
The greeting was only whispered, but it startled her. She scooted forward, forgetting where she was. A hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her back securely onto the ledge.
"Where do you think you're going?" Briar whispered, dropping down beside her.
"You.I.You scared me." Nharos stammered, her pulse still thumping from the shock.
"Sorry." Briar said, "I didn't think you were going to fly off when I said something." He pulled off his shoes, and sat them beside him. "What are you doing up here?"
"Getting some air."
"Oh."
They sat silently for a long time, and Nharos became aware that Briar's hand was still on her shoulder. She shrugged uncomfortably, but, instead of retracting his hand, Briar moved it past her neck and around her shoulder, pulling her close.
Startled, she relaxed into him. It was getting cold now, and his body warmth was welcome. She relaxed some more, and sleep tugged her senses. She closed her eyes and let darkness and dreams overcome her.
Briar looked down at the girl, with her head rested against his shoulder. He had no idea what made him cuddle her like that, but it felt.nice. It felt good, and she looked happy. He held her closer and let sleep overcome him too.
The tower clock struck three, the bells finally waking the sleeping couple. Clouds had covered the moon and only stars shone through the few gaps.
Nharos was disorientated. She sat up with a start. "What the.?"
Briar caught her arm and pulled her down beside him again, "We're on the wall, remember."
"Oh," she squinted around. "I'd better go. Otherwise I'll fall asleep again."
"Sure," he clambered up onto the top of the wall, "The guard's asleep again, so we can get past him. And Lark will wonder where I am."
"See you tomorrow, I guess." Nharos said, but didn't turn to go.
Briar touched her cheek gently, and said, "Come on, before he wakes up."