Chapter 3
When I got to the dining hall I went over to Adara, Adrienne, Aurelia, Terri, Demetria, and Flynn.
"Hey! Why the long face my dear?" Terri asked, putting his arms around my shoulders.
"Nothing. I still need to write two more copies and then I'm done. But tonight, from after dinner, for two hours I have swords practice with Brahm and some second year guy. I'm going to be feeling every f*cking muscle in my entire body tomorrow." I said with a groan, not bothering to push off Terri's arm since it required too much energy. I walked around; setting up the tables and then I flopped-not sat- flopped into my usual chair. Unfortunately, my chair was taken. I jumped up in surprise and saw that the lovely Quinian was in my seat.
"What the hell are you doing? Get out of my damn seat THIS INSTANT!" I bellowed in a tired but agitated voice.
"Why?"
"Get off or I'll sit on you and I'm not joking. I'm in a hell of a bad mood. DON'T MESS WITH ME TODAY!"
"OK OK! God, you must have PMS or something cuz you're being a bitch and a half today!" Quinian muttered as he got up and went to a different table.
"I hate him." I said with a sigh as I sat down and surveyed the food. Roast beef, potatoes, gravy, rolls, and green beans. My favorite. I'll bet Adara is upset, I thought to myself. As if on cue Adara said, "Can't they ever serve anything without meat? I'd say something to the cook but I'm sore afraid that I'll be stoned. I guess I've just been in the Yaminis' too long. They don't eat a lot of meat there ya know." I sighed and picked at my food. I was too tired to eat and way too tired to go to the extra hours.
"I'm going to my room until it's time for me to go for my lovely two freaking hours of swords practice with someone who can probably beat the shit out of in one stroke. Night y'all." I said as I walked out of the dining hall and into the quiet corridor. It was so quiet that I found myself singing aloud to fill the silence. "I am going to Corus fields to see the lovely daisies. Won't you please come with me, to see the fair flowers? There'll be maidens a dancing and troupes a juggling. The food and the wine will flow nice and fine. Nobody has but a care." I kept singing until I reached my dormitory where I knew there would be hall monitors.
"Page, why aren't you supping? State your name, so I can see whether you belong here or not. New security measures with them girls here. Don't want anybody getting knocked around. Or worse!" the cheerful monitor called to me from the shadows.
"Lady Page Tierney of Queenscove sir. I'm taking a rest before I have to report to the practice courts for punishment. Might I proceed?"
"Yes, yes of course Lady Page." It was quite obvious he knew the name for all Queenscove's come of great breeding. But with the way some have acted, I don't quite know if I should be glad of my claim to fame. As I was entering the cool, dark dormitory, I heard a pitiful mewing coming from a shadowy corner. I quickly called up my gift, lighting the room with the golden glow it cast. A small black kitten cowered in the corner. I could see that she was bleeding quite freely from a tear in her soft skin. I knelt beside the kitten and she gave a pitiful cry of pain as I gathered her against my bosom. I knew that if I went directly there I wouldn't have time to change but if I didn't, the kitten might not survive. I hedged my bets and slipped into my room, grabbing my sword, padded armor and a set of clean practice clothes, throwing them into a leather bag. I put it on and hurried out of the building bidding good night to the monitor. I felt the poor creatures hearting growing weak. Once again I called up my gift, this time holding it to the kitten, using it as a life force. I ran as quickly as I could all while trying not to jostle the kitten or lose my concentration on my gift. I came to the mage's wing where I knew Daine, the wild mage would be. She and her husband, Numair an aging black robe ate together in solitude so they could keep watch over Daine's charges. I pulled open the door and hurried to Daine and Numair's door. Pounding on it I yelled, "Daine! You must open the door! I've a hurt kitten that's near death's door. Please open up!" The door suddenly swung open and Numair, his face cloudy opened the door.
"Come in, come in. Lay the kitten there, on the table. Daine! Daine my sweetling come here and tend to the kitten. She wasn't lying its bad off." He called to his younger wife. She skipped in holding a bottle of healing balm. I was still bent at the waist trying to catch my breath.
"May I change in the back room? I have to be at the practice courts in five minutes. Don't know how I'll manage that aseeing I can hardly breath." I said.
"I could magic you there. Go change, take your time." Numair said to me, pointing to the bedroom door. I went in and quickly stripped out of my now bloody clothes and into the plain Muslim breeches and tunic and stuffed the dirty ones into the bag. I stepped back out into the main room. Numair was calling up a portal.
"Please come back here when you are done to get the kitten. It's a magic bred cat so it will live with no one but you since you saved him. Name him later; the portals ready to take you. Go!" Daine said to me. I stepped through the green glowing portal and stepped out onto the practice courts.
"Mithros! How did you get here? No page has that kind of magic! Speak!" Brahm bellowed in a shocked sort of manner.
"Master Numair magicked me here sir." I said getting out my padded armor and slipping into it. I grabbed my practice sword and gave the blade a few whirls before starting my practice paces. Front, left, block, dodge, right, clip, dodge, block. I said to myself as I put myself through the moves with a much grace as my tired body allowed. A few moments later a tall boy walked in wearing padded armor with a sword in a sheath at his hip.
"Greetings Calvin nice of you to join us semi on time. Try and be more prompt next time will ya?" Brahm said to him, "Calvin of Greensboro this is Lady Page Tierney of Queenscove."
"Your Ladyship! Is your father the great healer, Sir Nealen?" Calvin asked excitedly, his eyes full of hope.
"Yes he is. We try not to call his "great" all the time lest it get to his head! Enchanted to meet you Calvin. Please just call me Tierney." I said with a flourished bow.
"Right then. Ye've talked. Let's get started already! Cal and Tierney warm up and then I'd like you two to spar. The reason why I brought in Cal is because he has gone up against Quinian of Cagney many times in tournaments. Tierney here is going up on him tomorrow morning. I shall be refereeing them since as you know Cal, Quinian can be very nasty." Brahm said to us. When Brahm had finished Cal spit and said, "Quinian of Cagney deserves not to be a knight. He's a cheat and a liar. Good luck to you, Tierney. I'll be ready to spar in a few moments." He then turned away and walked to the far corner to warm up. I stayed where I was, going through my paces again until he called, "All ready! How bout you?"
"Check! Let's go." As we walked to the center of the court Brahm called instructions to us to make sure we knew what we were doing.
"Traditional. Cal, throw in a couple cowardly moves so she's prepared for Quinian. Go!" Cal started out immediately throwing offensive moves. I blocked the first few and then I spun out and knocked him off his course. When I saw he was unprepared I threw a hard blow to him and he fell forward onto his stomach. He instantly rolled over trying to grab his sword.
"Do you give?" I called joyfully as I kicked his sword away from him.
"Damn. You are great! That is the first I've ever gotten beaten by a girl. And that's my quickest time. Hey Brahm, she can probably teach you a few moves. That run she did, well it did me in. Yes Tierney I give."
"Do you think she can beat Quinian?" Brahm asked Cal.
"Yes I do. And I think she'll do better if she has some extra sleep. By the way, in case you were wondering, I've been in lots of tourneys so I can give you any advice you need. Hey Brahm, you think that next weekend I could take her to Corus to see a real tourney? I'm in and I think she could learn something. She's got class, man. She could win if she wanted to."
"OK, you two are dismissed. Oh Tierney, do Cal and I a favor."
"Yes Sir?"
"Shut him up. Hard." He said referring to Quinian. I smiled and nodded and left the practice courts. Cal came up beside me.
"I'll walk you back to your dorm. Never know what kind of riffraff could be lurking round every corner. Constant vigilance. That's my first tip for you. For tourneys and life. What's your dorm?"
"Memoriam Hall. But I'm not going directly there. I found a hurt kitten and took it to Daine. Apparently it's a magical cat so it'll take to no one but me. Since I saved him."
"I'll take you there then to your room. It's only your first day and already you've gotten five hours of practice work, had to go to the healers, found a magical pet and have a duel scheduled for the morning. You are one tough chick!" Cal said with a laugh, "Please think about going to Corus with me for the weekend. It'll be fun. You could enter in a tourney. Wouldn't that be great? Well here we are the Mage halls. After you m'lady." I walked into the brightly lit hall and looked at the beautiful paintings that covered the walls. When I got to Daine and Numair's room I knocked loudly and said, "It's me, Tierney of Queenscove." The door swung open and Numair waved me in.
"Hey Cal, how's Burnat doing?"
"Who's Burnat?" I asked, looking puzzled I'm sure.
"Burnat is my pet dragon. She's just a baby. You'll have to meet her some time. She is absolutely gorgeous. Silver, Blue and purple scales. I love her. Got her last year, from Daine. Her parents died and she wasn't able to track any other relatives. So I got her."
"Daine! Daine my sweetling come here. Tierney is here to get her kitten." Numair called to his wife, who was probably off cajoling some pet to eat. Diane flitted in carrying the little black kitten.
"What are you going to name him? He told me he doesn't have a name and he wants you, his new mother to name him."
"Ummm well he reminds me of a friend of mine whom we call Binks so that will be his name." I said. The kitten, Binks, purred.
"He likes it Tierney. Now he needs to have milk three times a day. I'll have someone bring it tomorrow and then after that you need to arrange it to be delivered or what naught. Any questions? Comments?" Daine asked me.
"Well next weekend I will going to Corus, can Binks come with me or what?" after I said that Cal grinned happily.
"Cal I know you're going then. Is she going to the tourney with you?" Daine asked him.
"Yes she is. I'm taking Burnat so there is no reason Binks shouldn't come. I can talk to the leather smith and he could make a pouch for him. How does that sound?"
"Perfect. And in a week Binks will be ready to eat a little meat with his milk. A little cheese I should think as well. Have a good rest of the week you two. Bring Burnat to see me soon. I miss her company." Daine said with a sigh.
"She misses you too. When I first got her Daine dragon-sat her for me. They both loved it. But now that she's older Burnat thinks she too old to be watched so she trashes my room instead." He said turning to me. I nodded, in understanding and as a farewell too. I was tired so I held Binks close to me and went out the door. Cal followed close by and stayed with me until I was safely inside my room. He waved goodbye and left. I set Binks on the window seat and went and got my oldest cloak. It was black soft wool one that was just about too small. I set it down nest to him and he curled up in it and was asleep within moments. I went to my private bath and drew a bath. The steam from the hot water wafted up to me. I sprinkled some bath salts into the water and looked at my naked body. So far I was covered in bruises. Big black ones that would be painful in the morning. With a sigh I slid into the hot water and soaked for a few precious moments until my eyes grew heavy with sleep. I got out and toweled off. As I pulled on my night garments I said a quick prayer to the Goddess for protection and healing. For Binks and myself. I wound up my music box. Lilting music drifted out as I slid into bed and fell asleep.
A/N: Well that turned out differently than I expected but I have to listen to my muses (Be quiet up there. I have other things to do besides write. GIVE ME A BREAK YOU SLAVE DRIVING MUSES!) LOL no I'm not insane. yet! Let me know what y'all think of this chapter!
~*AnnaBeth*~