Disclaimed
Author's Note: I'm so sorry it's taken forever to get this chapter up!!!! Before winter break started I had a lot of homework, and my mother was being evil. Then (ironically) on the last day o school, I tried to sign on to get my next chapter up, and I couldn't get on! Why, you ask? Because someone somehow got my aol password and screwed up my account!!! **growls** It's taken me until now to get everything fixed, begin so busy with my family (I was happy when my parents divorced--they were so awful to eachother--but it sucks at the holdiadyys running around between all four families, since both my parents are remarrying soon). That's enough babbling about my screwed up family.
Okay, I'm starting to get through this childhood thing. I did a more detailed outline and now I think that this or the next one ought to be the last chapter when Aravian is a kid—that way we can get into her as…nearly an adult. I think you'll like her! And we can get to the plot, and the romance of the story then…. Finally. Please review!! I live for the reviews!!
IceQueen: I know he's a Guardian, but Cassandra was a Guardin too, and she got used in Jaenelle's spell, remember? I think that's where my friend was going with that…Anyway, thank you for your review!
Demona SaDiablo: Yup, that was my theory. Actually **grins** there are lots of annoying males!! **insert evil chuckle** They all just get to be annoying in different ways **glares at Greg and mutters about some males being more annoying than others****realizes you don't know Greg and shuts up** Anyway, good for the frightening shanis!
Riadolores: You are my new favorite person! I love the long reviews!! **feels loved** Sorry it's taken so long to get my next chapter up…**glares at the conjoined Homework and Mother Demons****glares at the jerk who messed up her account** You've got Daemonar down right!! He's a mini Lucivar. Except not-so-mini. I don't know exactly how much I'll be able to have him later on, because I've decided that Aravian is best friends with his little brother (whom we meet in this chapter) and Daemonar and Luthar don't always get along. Which we also find out. Um… I'll stop spoiling now. I'm glad you like Saetan's little insert-of-thought. I thought I was just indulging myself, but since other people found it amusing, I have justification! Mwuhahaha. With the familiar thing, I was going with how Anne Bishop uses a lot of real terms,, and as we all know a familiar is a witch's helper/companion. But Anne Bishop will take something, then twist it a bit to make it more than it already was, which was what I was going for with that. I was worried people wouldn't get it if I didn't clarify it… It is a partnership, Familiar isn't supposed to mean the kindred is anything less than the human; that's why they each get a term for who they are in the partner-ship. I'm glad the paragraph I had in there helped. **gets panicky** erm,my friend is borrowing my copy of QotD at the moment, bu I'll check on whether or not Saetan abandoned the Hall… if it says he did, I'll write in a reason for him to not abandon it. **smiling** Wonderful!! I spent forever going over the freaking names…Before I even wrote the first chapter I planned out all the names, re-wrote them…I'll have a pronunciation guide with the next chapter; a friend of mine mentioned the same thing. For now, on Ms. Bishop's site it says the "ae" in a woman's name is soft like "hannah" and in a guy's name it's hard (no pun intended) like in "day". Umm… hehe, sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out **again glares at the Mother, Homework, and Jerk Demons** Yes, I have read Anne Bishop's other book, Pillars of the World. I own a copy. Ms. Bishop is writing the next book in that one's trilogy, according to her website.
Skie: I'm so happy that people like my story!! Yes, I think we all feel that way about Daemon…**drool**
Odango Atama: Thank you!! Thanks for the review; I live for them!
Alanna Roseguard: Yes, Nickolaes is hot. He looks exactly like Daemon and Saetan. Lol.
SDS: Okay then.
Annie Jessan: Well, here's the more! You ought to write a story for this category, it's far too lonely in here. Thanks for the review!
*~~ Chapter Five: Prettied Up ~~*
"Luthar! That's not fair!" Aravian raced after her best friend, Avaesel behind her. They were playing chase and catch, and Luthar had flown over the table to avoid her. "We agreed no flying!!"
Luthar just laughed at her.
She puffed her cheeks out in her vexation, then…
Luthar's dark eyebrows drew together. "Don't smile like that."
She took of after him.
"Uh-oh."
"STOP!"
Luthar came to an abrupt halt, and Aravian crashed into him. The two of them fell on top of poor Avaesel, who had skidded to a stop just below. The muffled, "Growmpf!!" was accompanied by a very offended, *GET OFF!!*
When the Eyrian and Arcerian children had sorted themselves out, they looked up to see Surreal and Marian standing in the doorway.
Both of them said in the same sheepish tone, "Hello, Mamma."
The two mothers looked at them critically. Surreal said to her daughter, "You need to go take a bath and get ready for the End of Summer Feast tonight. Come on!" Surreal gestured sharply down the hallway.
Marian said much the same to Luthar. The friends separated with forlorn looks at each other. Avaesel's tail hung limp as he followed his Intimate.
Surreal turned to leave at the door of Aravian's room, saying pointedly, "I'll be back in an hour to help you pick out your dress, all right?"
Aravian made a long face. "Yes, Mamma."
Surreal sighed and knelt so she was down to her daughter's height. She smoothed back the Aravian's soft hair, and said in a voice of loving exasperation, "I know you were playing with Luthar. I'm sorry I yelled and was so sharp with you back there, okay?"
Sunlight broke out over her face, and she hugged her mother. Only her parents ever made her feel that bad when they were really cross.
She hurried into her room, saying *Avaesel, come on! You need to be prettied up too!* The cat's thoughts about being 'prettied up' were obvious from the way he slunk through the door.
Surreal stifled a laugh and once again turned to go. But she heard her daughter's voice come on a Sapphire thread asking, *Mamma, do I really have to wear a dress?*
*~~*~~*
"No." Aravian plunked down on the bed with an air of finality.
Surreal gritted her teeth. Weren't little girls supposed to love dressing up? Oh, that's right--this was her little girl, and a young Eyrian warrior to boot.
"Yes. You must wear a dress."
"Why?"
Surreal sighed and massaged her head. "Because Saetan likes it when girls wear dresses."
"So? You and Aunt Jaenelle and the coven usually just wear nice pants. You don't wear dresses."
Surreal threw her hands in the air and gave up. "Hell's Fire! Fine!" She tossed the two dresses she'd been holding up for inspection onto the bed. "Wear whatever you want!" Aravian looked delighted. "No! I take that back." She narrowed her green gold eyes at the suspiciously innocent looking girl. "Nice clothes. Very nice clothes. You will wear anything that is nice. And you are old enough to know what I mean by nice! I suppose it's time you were picking out your own outfits for events anyway." Surreal stalked off, the demon-dead Gray's Fang bouncing along behind her.
And a devious plan was beginning to form in Aravian's mind.
*~~Mwuahaha~*~Mwuahaha~~*
Luthar was sulking in his room. Daemonar's rooms were right next to his own, and his older brother had been in to berate the boy for his performance at practice that morning.
"By Hell's Fire, how many times do Father and I have to jam this into your thick skull?! How do you expect to ever be a proper warrior and live up to the family name if you won't be serious about it, you little idiot?"
Okay, so maybe that wasn't exactly the way it was said, but that was how Luthar remembered it.
His dispirited thoughts were interrupted by a hasty knock at his door, accompanied by an excited *Luthar, I have a favor to ask!* Aravian didn't wait for him to open the door but burst in as soon as her words were out.
Luthar raised an eyebrow in inquiry (Aravian decided it must be a family trait) before asking warily, "What kind of a favor?"
Aravian grinned, a beauteous and yet cunning grin. It made Luthar very nervous; he knew his friend and her schemes.
She looked down demurely, making him even more nervous. Aravian+demure=trouble, as he'd found out long ago.
"Well, Luthar, I'll need to borrow some clothes…"
*~~Mwuahaha~~*
As Aravian altered one of his best outfits, Luthar asked in a beaten tone, "Why am I letting you do this again?"
She didn't even look up from the hem she was using Craft to alter. "Because you're my best friend in all the realms and you want me to be comfortable at the feast?"
He glared, something males, even twelve year old ones (a/n: Luthar is a year older than her), seemed to do a lot around her. "No, I'm letting you do this because if I didn't you'd harass me about until we're older than my Father and Uncle Daemon. And if we end up demon-dead, you'll harass until we're older than Grandpapa!"
"That too."
"Arrg! You can be such an annoying creature at times! Witches… arg!"
She looked up and smiled. "Oh, you'd be bored witless if I wasn't around, and you know it."
"Would not."
"Would to."
"We are not getting into another one of those arguments!"
"Are to."
"Are n- ARG!!!"
She giggled and went back to altering his clothes (although they were really hers now; they would never fit him when she was through). Avaesel made an amused sound from behind Luthar, where he was pretending to be asleep.
Luthar turned around. "Shut up, cat."
Avaesel lifted one lip to show sharp, if not fully developed, teeth in reply.
"Luthar, I've finished it!" He turned back to Aravian, who looked delighted with the bundle of pale silk and soft deerskin in her lap. "I'm going to go in your bathroom and change into it, and you can change into your own clothes for tonight while I'm in there."
"Yes, Ma'am," he said to the closing bathroom door.
When Aravian came back out, she looked very proud of herself. And, he had to admit, he would never believe that what she was wearing used to be one of his old outfits. She had revised his cream deerskin pants so that they fitted her smaller (and more feminine, thankfully) body, and she'd completely changed the identically colored silk shirt so that it tied behind her neck and lower back, covering all her front but leaving her arms completely bare. The colors were a mere shade darker than her skin, a shade paler than her wings, and for an eleven-year-old she looked magnificent. Luthar was old enough to realize that if she kept wearing clothes like that, when she was older he might have to be very protective of her.
"So, what do you think?"
"I think you're mother won't be able to complain that you're not dressed nice enough." Avaesel let out a yowl of agreement.
She clapped her hands in delight, then belatedly said, "I like you're outfit too."
He snorted. It was the exact same thing he'd worn to all formal events all year; what she was wearing was his formal outfit from last year.
She smiled. "Now you can help me pretty up Avaesel!"
She looked around. The cat was suddenly nowhere to be seen.
"Avaesel?"
*~~~~~~~*
Expect to see the next chapter soon! I'm on a roll here…And please, review! Leave an e-mail address and I'll send an e-mail when I update! (provided you like the story… if you tell me it's craptacular I'll assume you don't want an update.)