It was night, and Talia was finishing her supper. Actually, she was
only picking at the food. She was so nervous that she thought she could
feel butterflies flying around in her stomach, which of course was
impossible. She had to go see the Lioness and the great mage Numair
Salmalín as soon as she was finished with her food, but she wasn't eating
any. She was afraid if she did, she would only vomit it all up. Parvy and
Larkin were sitting across the table from her, watching her anxiously.
"Talia, calm down," Parvy said. "It'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen?"
Talia just stared at him helplessly.
"Come on," Larkin insisted, standing up. "If you aren't going to eat anything, let's go now before you make the table collapse with your shaking.
Mithros, she hadn't even noticed how much she was shivering. She stood and grabbed her plate, resisting the urge to fling it across the room. She set it in the sink with Larkin's and followed him from the kitchen. Parvy came out after her.
"Sorry I can't go with you, but the tailor wants me tonight," Parvy apologized. He gave Talia a smile. "You'll be fine."
Talia nodded meekly. She watched Parvy disappear down the corridor, then turned back to Larkin. He was watching her. "You must not have had much contact with nobles before."
"Yes. None, actually, until Lord Thom stopped me in the corridor." She clenched her hands in front of her.
"Well, you should get used to it, since you're a servant now." He turned and began to lead her through the corridors and down a flight of stairs.
"But, only for two weeks," she insisted, walking fast to keep up with his long strides.
"You never did tell me why you're here for such a short time," Larkin commented over his shoulder, his brown hair swaying over his eyes.
Talia went cold. She couldn't tell him she was a thief! He would hate her, and she couldn't stand that. She needed all the friends she could get, and on top of that, he was amazingly kind. "I just am," she muttered, keeping her eyes on his feet.
They stopped moving, and she stopped right before she crashed into him. "What was that?" he asked, turning to look at her. His eyes were soft, and Talia wanted so badly to tell him the truth right then, but she restrained herself.
"I just am," she repeated. "Are we almost to Master Salmalín office?"
He eyed her skeptically, and she turned away, knowing that he knew that she was hiding something. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when he only said, "Yes, we're almost there. Come on."
She turned back and continued to follow him. They passed many people, servants and nobles, but Talia ignored them all. She felt horrible about not telling Larkin. But then Larkin stopped, and she found herself facing a door with a doorplate that read "Numair Salmalín," and all thought of Larkin drifted away. She remembered what was about to happen. She remembered who she was going to be with in a tiny office.
Larkin knocked on the door and waited. Talia shifted from foot to foot, feeling sweat dampen her auburn hair. Then the door opened, and a head stuck out. It was Lady Alanna.
"I've brought Talia to you, Lady, just as you requested," Larkin said formally with a bow.
"Thank you," Alanna nodded, then motioned for Talia to come in. Her head disappeared.
Talia couldn't move. She was terrified. But then she felt a comforting hand on he shoulder, and realized it was Larkin. "You'll be fine," he assured her with a convincing smile. She could suddenly move again, and after giving her friend a small thank you, she went into the office and shut the door behind her.
She found herself facing a large desk. Behind it sat a large man, his dark eyes piercing through her. He had dark hair with a bit of gray tied back in a horsetail. His large hands were folded in front of him. Alanna stood leaning against the desk. "Talia," she said as she came over to stand beside the girl. "This is Numair Salmalín."
Talia wanted to die, but instead she only bowed deeply, to both the mage and the Lioness. "It is an honor to meet you," she said, her voice small.
"Have a seat," Numair told her, motioning with his hand. She sat in a chair near the desk, and Alanna went back to leaning against the desk. She took a quick peek at the mage's face, and saw that his eyes were kind. "Alanna tells me that she feels something magically strange about you, even though you don't have the gift," he said. "She wants me to figure out what it is."
"It's just so weird," Alanna suddenly said. "Like nothing I've ever felt. Actually, now that I think about it.. I think maybe I do know." Her eyes widened, and she clutched that necklace that she wore.
"I don't sense any magic," Numair said. "There's nothing magical about her."
"I know," Alanna said in a quiet voice. "It's not magic. It's the Goddess." Talia felt herself go cold.
"What?" Numair asked, eyeing Alanna. "What are you saying?"
"Just like me," she said almost to herself. "The Goddess has her hand on Talia, just like me. But it's not the same."
"How is it not the same?" Numair asked. He stood and came around the desk to stand next to Alanna. He towered over her.
"I'm not sure. I don't think the Goddess is guiding her, as she did me. I think she is just watching over her because she knows Talia is going to do something big," she replied. Her violet eyes bore into Talia.
"You mean the Goddess has chosen her?" Numair asked.
"I think so," Alanna said. "That's what it seems like."
The room became so quiet that Talia could hear her heart beating. She felt so cold. What were these nobles talking about? The Goddess has chosen her?! That was.. impossible! She was a rogue!
"What can we do about it?" Numair said quietly.
"Nothing. There's nothing we can do," Alanna replied with a sigh. "We just have to keep an eye on her." Her eyes had a faraway look in them.
"I don't understand." Talia had finally found her voice.
"We think that the Goddess has chosen you, as she chose Alanna. It means that you are going to do something great that will change many things," Numair explained calmly. "What are you doing at the palace?"
Talia took a deep breath. She knew she was going to have to tell these nobles the truth. "I'm serving as a servant here for two weeks.. as punishment for being caught stealing from a merchant." She held her breath, expecting the worst.
But Alanna just nodded. "We will have to watch you. Maybe even once you go back to your home we should watch you."
Talia had been expecting them to be upset or mad, or something, because she had been stealing, but they acted like it was the most common thing in the world. Well, Alanna did know she was a rogue, because of her father. And stealing was pretty common. So their reaction kind of made sense.
"Thank you Talia. You may go now," Numair said, giving her a small smile.
Talia rose and bowed again, then quickly left the room. Her heart was pounding like mad, but she was relived to be out of there. So many thoughts swirled through her head that she didn't even notice Larkin standing at the door, still waiting for her.
"Larkin! I thought you would've left," she said, surprised.
"I was going to, but then I remembered you didn't know the way back from here. So I stayed." He smiled, and she couldn't help but smile back. "What did they say? You look flustered. Is everything alright?" His smile had turned into a frown of concern.
Talia suddenly laughed. "You won't believe it."
"Come on, tell me," he urged, looking relived when she laughed.
Talia looked around. "Not here in the corridor." She lowered her voice. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell anyone."
"You can tell me. Let's go to the kitchen. It will be fairly empty now."
Talia nodded, and let Larkin lead her away from Numair's office.
~~~~
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"Talia, calm down," Parvy said. "It'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen?"
Talia just stared at him helplessly.
"Come on," Larkin insisted, standing up. "If you aren't going to eat anything, let's go now before you make the table collapse with your shaking.
Mithros, she hadn't even noticed how much she was shivering. She stood and grabbed her plate, resisting the urge to fling it across the room. She set it in the sink with Larkin's and followed him from the kitchen. Parvy came out after her.
"Sorry I can't go with you, but the tailor wants me tonight," Parvy apologized. He gave Talia a smile. "You'll be fine."
Talia nodded meekly. She watched Parvy disappear down the corridor, then turned back to Larkin. He was watching her. "You must not have had much contact with nobles before."
"Yes. None, actually, until Lord Thom stopped me in the corridor." She clenched her hands in front of her.
"Well, you should get used to it, since you're a servant now." He turned and began to lead her through the corridors and down a flight of stairs.
"But, only for two weeks," she insisted, walking fast to keep up with his long strides.
"You never did tell me why you're here for such a short time," Larkin commented over his shoulder, his brown hair swaying over his eyes.
Talia went cold. She couldn't tell him she was a thief! He would hate her, and she couldn't stand that. She needed all the friends she could get, and on top of that, he was amazingly kind. "I just am," she muttered, keeping her eyes on his feet.
They stopped moving, and she stopped right before she crashed into him. "What was that?" he asked, turning to look at her. His eyes were soft, and Talia wanted so badly to tell him the truth right then, but she restrained herself.
"I just am," she repeated. "Are we almost to Master Salmalín office?"
He eyed her skeptically, and she turned away, knowing that he knew that she was hiding something. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when he only said, "Yes, we're almost there. Come on."
She turned back and continued to follow him. They passed many people, servants and nobles, but Talia ignored them all. She felt horrible about not telling Larkin. But then Larkin stopped, and she found herself facing a door with a doorplate that read "Numair Salmalín," and all thought of Larkin drifted away. She remembered what was about to happen. She remembered who she was going to be with in a tiny office.
Larkin knocked on the door and waited. Talia shifted from foot to foot, feeling sweat dampen her auburn hair. Then the door opened, and a head stuck out. It was Lady Alanna.
"I've brought Talia to you, Lady, just as you requested," Larkin said formally with a bow.
"Thank you," Alanna nodded, then motioned for Talia to come in. Her head disappeared.
Talia couldn't move. She was terrified. But then she felt a comforting hand on he shoulder, and realized it was Larkin. "You'll be fine," he assured her with a convincing smile. She could suddenly move again, and after giving her friend a small thank you, she went into the office and shut the door behind her.
She found herself facing a large desk. Behind it sat a large man, his dark eyes piercing through her. He had dark hair with a bit of gray tied back in a horsetail. His large hands were folded in front of him. Alanna stood leaning against the desk. "Talia," she said as she came over to stand beside the girl. "This is Numair Salmalín."
Talia wanted to die, but instead she only bowed deeply, to both the mage and the Lioness. "It is an honor to meet you," she said, her voice small.
"Have a seat," Numair told her, motioning with his hand. She sat in a chair near the desk, and Alanna went back to leaning against the desk. She took a quick peek at the mage's face, and saw that his eyes were kind. "Alanna tells me that she feels something magically strange about you, even though you don't have the gift," he said. "She wants me to figure out what it is."
"It's just so weird," Alanna suddenly said. "Like nothing I've ever felt. Actually, now that I think about it.. I think maybe I do know." Her eyes widened, and she clutched that necklace that she wore.
"I don't sense any magic," Numair said. "There's nothing magical about her."
"I know," Alanna said in a quiet voice. "It's not magic. It's the Goddess." Talia felt herself go cold.
"What?" Numair asked, eyeing Alanna. "What are you saying?"
"Just like me," she said almost to herself. "The Goddess has her hand on Talia, just like me. But it's not the same."
"How is it not the same?" Numair asked. He stood and came around the desk to stand next to Alanna. He towered over her.
"I'm not sure. I don't think the Goddess is guiding her, as she did me. I think she is just watching over her because she knows Talia is going to do something big," she replied. Her violet eyes bore into Talia.
"You mean the Goddess has chosen her?" Numair asked.
"I think so," Alanna said. "That's what it seems like."
The room became so quiet that Talia could hear her heart beating. She felt so cold. What were these nobles talking about? The Goddess has chosen her?! That was.. impossible! She was a rogue!
"What can we do about it?" Numair said quietly.
"Nothing. There's nothing we can do," Alanna replied with a sigh. "We just have to keep an eye on her." Her eyes had a faraway look in them.
"I don't understand." Talia had finally found her voice.
"We think that the Goddess has chosen you, as she chose Alanna. It means that you are going to do something great that will change many things," Numair explained calmly. "What are you doing at the palace?"
Talia took a deep breath. She knew she was going to have to tell these nobles the truth. "I'm serving as a servant here for two weeks.. as punishment for being caught stealing from a merchant." She held her breath, expecting the worst.
But Alanna just nodded. "We will have to watch you. Maybe even once you go back to your home we should watch you."
Talia had been expecting them to be upset or mad, or something, because she had been stealing, but they acted like it was the most common thing in the world. Well, Alanna did know she was a rogue, because of her father. And stealing was pretty common. So their reaction kind of made sense.
"Thank you Talia. You may go now," Numair said, giving her a small smile.
Talia rose and bowed again, then quickly left the room. Her heart was pounding like mad, but she was relived to be out of there. So many thoughts swirled through her head that she didn't even notice Larkin standing at the door, still waiting for her.
"Larkin! I thought you would've left," she said, surprised.
"I was going to, but then I remembered you didn't know the way back from here. So I stayed." He smiled, and she couldn't help but smile back. "What did they say? You look flustered. Is everything alright?" His smile had turned into a frown of concern.
Talia suddenly laughed. "You won't believe it."
"Come on, tell me," he urged, looking relived when she laughed.
Talia looked around. "Not here in the corridor." She lowered her voice. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell anyone."
"You can tell me. Let's go to the kitchen. It will be fairly empty now."
Talia nodded, and let Larkin lead her away from Numair's office.
~~~~
pppplllllzzzzzzz review!!! come on, its really simple. you can do it!