Ug, I'm warning you, this has, yet again, fluff. I still can't figure out what's wrong with me. I seriously hope the next chappie isn't like this….
Starblossom: Cute name, here ya go, I updated!
Fluffy the teddy bear slayer: ..... (are you ever going to leave real reviews:)
Tisha: You reviewd, what an unusual occurance....
Eccie87: Hm, I dunno if you can go 'aw' in this chappie, we'll see tho.
Aer: lol, it's not to fluffy, the fluff is just there, pent up and it's trying to get out! ahh!
Cami of Queenscove: hehehe, you can't have Erikk, I made him up and I'm keeping him. hehehe
Peachblossomlover: heh heh, I'm so loved!
White Wolf: I can't belive you read it for two days, I would have said screw it, lol, glad ya like it so much!
Larissa: I knew I was goin back and forth from POV, I thought I'd fixed it all, I go check again tho.
Mae15: Glad you Like it!
Ladyknight: You're weird, I'm just a person, anywho! I Update, happy now yes?
Xirleb70: Ahhh! Flee the fluff bunnies!!!!!!! Ya, I re-did parts of chappie 1, hm, I still think it's horrid, :)
Nita, Lady of the Rouge: *In high movie star voice* You like me, you really like me!
Lady Wild Rose: Fine, I come out of corner, but it's still fluffy...*dodges flying bannana*
Superlicea: *sloly backs away from homecidal muderer* Okay! Okay! I update! No hurt me! *runns away screaming* and I;m not telling if the two of them get together, I've almost finished, as for her enimies the spidrens are tied into my plot, hehehehe
Emily of Duranan: I had to come out, people were threatening to hit me with bannanas :)
Wow, lots of reviewers! *smiles* Thank you, Thank you!
~Chapter 15: Spidrens~
Of all the presents she had gotten that year the necklace was her favorite. She never took it off. Normally she had it tucked underneath her shirts. She hadn't showed it to anyone, she hadn't thought about showing it around, it was too special. Something only she and Erikk knew about.
But one day she had been practicing dagger fighting behind Renne's building and it had slipped out. Both Renne and Kanti spotted it right away. They immediately stopped all motion and stared at Lia wide eyed. Their eyes bigger than apples. Finally Renne squeaked out a sentence.
"Lia, what is that?" Renne had shrieked.
"Where'd you get it?" Kanti asked squealing. "Oh, Lia. It's gorgeous." She said bouncing. David looked completely lost. Lia just smiled and shrugged.
"So Lia, where'd you get it?" Renne pressed. Lia knew if she didn't tell them they would sit on her. Sighing, she told them.
"Oh, um. Erikkgaveittome." She said very fast.
"What?" Kanti asked.
"He gave it to you? Just like that? For what?" Renne asked. She had convinced David to train her as a thief, so her ears had caught Lia's mumbled phrase.
"Who gave it to her?" Kanti asked still confused.
"Erikk did." Renne said matter-of-fact.
"Oh! He has to have the biggest crush on you." Kanti squealed. Lia sighed; they had been over this a million times.
"We're just friends." Lia whined. "Friends. Nothing else. Friends." She said glaring at her friends.
"But they way you two act around each other. All quiet and secretive. Like you know what the other is thinking. You love each other." Renne said spinning around in circles.
"It's obvious Lia really. Accept it. You two are perfect for each other." Kanti now had the same misty-eyed look as Renne.
"We're just friends! What's wrong with being friends? Erikk doesn't like me that way. And besides, he's older than me."
"Only by a year." Kanti said smirking.
"I bet he picks you as a squire." Renne said. "That would be interesting."
"When I'm ready to be a squire he'll be a fourth year squire." Lia said. Conveniently forgetting that he could take his Ordeal in his third year. The king had instigated that after the Scanran wars. They had to take a test before they could enter the Chamber. But if you were ready it was a good deal. Plenty of knights had done it.
"Erikk's good. He'll pass a year early, and you know it." Renne said smug. Lia just sighed. You always lost when you argued with insane people.
~~:~~
The midwinter festival was brilliant. Lia got to spend the week before scrubbing the floors and decorating. They had had flowers brought in and they used those to line the windows and doorways. They had large bouquets standing on the tables and in the corners of the ballroom. Every thing was sparkeling and clean, the chandeliers glimmered, vases sparkled, everything was magnificent.
Two days before the festival was to begin a group of pages arrived from Corus to work with them. They didn't even know how to walk properly, much less serve anything. That is how Lia ended up trying to teach them how to serve properly. In the end they ended up in the kitchens and a group of gypsy kids got to serve. Lia was worried something would go wrong. But surprisingly nothing went wrong. Her parents and a couple of their old friends showed up as well. Lia got to serve them and heard snippets of there times of 'the good old days'. Lia found that amusing. They weren't that old.
Lia sighed; she couldn't believe her parents had stayed away from their friends for so long because of her. Her mother had finally told her why she had never been to court. She had only been four or five years old. They had been in the city for some celebration or something. A priest had picked her up and yelled that the goddess had come back and that any who worshiped any god but her would die.
Mass chaos had broken out in the city. People were normally very loose on religion. It had never really mattered. But people had gone nuts. Taking things from one temple and putting them in another, and then bloody battles to take them back. Her parents had quickly taken her away to their fief. And the priest had been killed. The king had wanted them to come back, but her parents had refused. They didn't want anything like hat to happen again. Lia quickly shook her head; today was not the day for such thoughts.
The winter passed and it had become Lia's duty to watch over the male pages that had been stationed at Haven for the remainder of the year. Lia's personal thought was that ha Minchi was just using them to try and see if a woman's touch could cure these boys of their clumsiness. She also had a thought on that. It was impossible. Renne had just laughed when she had been told this.
"They probably just want your attention. I mean after all Lia, no matter how much you try to ignore it you are beautiful. Accept it and move on. Maybe you can use it to your advantage." Lia had looked at her like she was insane.
"What?"
"Use it to you-"
"No not that part the other part."
"Oh, they like you. " Lia gaped. Renne smiled. " Look at the midwinter presents they sent you. Chocolates, flowers, cupid figurines. C'mon if that isn't a hint I don't know what is." She said rolling her eyes and tossing her dagger high into the air.
"Why do little boy's always develop crushes on me? Why not someone else?" Lia sighed, some days she hated being so pretty.
~~:~~
Spring came early that year and the plowing began. Lia shuddered to remember the last time it had been time for plowing. She did not want that to happen again. Spidren burns hurt, and took forever to heal.
She had received a letter stating when she would return to the palace for trials and the month long training camp for pages. Lia had gotten out of going twice now and was hoping to be exempt from these years as well. At least it would be interesting, Port Caynn was enormous. One could accidentally get lost easily. Lia grinned. Port Caynn was also infamous for it's thieves. Maybe it wouldn't be completely awful after all.
A few weeks later Lia was headed back to Corus. She was going by herself. By now she would be able to make this trip in the dark. Lia took her time. Enjoying the beauty of the woods, and the peace that came with the breeze. She loved nature, it was calm. Trees swayed with the breeze, birds chirped, not worrying about what the future held, just enjoyed the moment.
Upon entering Corus she discovered she had entered the city on a market day. She toyed with the idea of going back and waiting the day out. Deciding not to Lia spent the day slowly weaving her way through the city. Carefully avoiding small children, cats, dogs, and fruit baskets. Having finally made her way she was able to give her horse to the stable boys and fall into her bed unnoticed.
The next morning Lia put on the appropriate uniform for the fourth year trials. She never wore it anymore; her uniform at Haven consisted of shirt and pants. Lia was surprised it even fit still. She shrugged and went to breakfast.
"Lia." Aaron said waving at her as she brought her breakfast over and sat down next to Jasson. "We were afraid you weren't going to make it. We were expecting you to show up days ago. Not the day of the trials." He said with a grin.
"Hey, I'm a girl. I show up perfectly on time according to my wishes." They didn't understand what she meant. That was really a difficult way of saying she was fashionably late.
Lia brought them up to date on what had happened this year, which hadn't been much considering it only took her a few minutes to explain. The boys all babbled about the stupid things they had done. Lia only caught the part about clogging the palace sewers.
The trials went easily and Lia was only bested in archery. Her friends claimed to be offended that they could still best her in archery. They claimed that three years was more than enough time to improve upon it. She enjoyed a long dinner arguing about it before going to her room.
She was about ready to change for bed when a man dropped a note of for her. It requested that she be at the Dancing Dove at midnight. Lia looked at the moon, which gave her an hour. She sighed and changed into dark brown hose and a slightly ratty hunter green shirt. She threw a gray tunic over it all and placed knives in various places all over her body. She laughed, if only her mother could see all the clothes she'd given her now. Most were thread bare and had holes in them. Checking herself one more time in the mirror she ran down to the city.
"Wat'cha doin in dis place girli? Ain't no where for a wee lass like ye' t'be." A drunken bartender asked. Lia frowned.
"I'm here on business." She said looking the man in the eyes
" O den you mest be da one da majesti was wantin te see. Room number 6. He'll be in der." He waved his arm in the direction of a staircase before falling into a drunken sleep. Lia grimaced. She walked towards the stairs. A man tried to grab her purse. Lia grabbed his wrist and glared daggers at him. He grinned sheepishly and returned to his very late night dinner.
Walking up the stairs Lia noticed that it was a very well kept place. The stairs didn't squeak. She couldn't hear anything coming out of the rooms. Stopping in front of room number six she knocked twice. A man in his late teens opened the door.
"Ya made it." He noted and motioned for her to enter. He sat in a chair and motioned for her to sit opposite of him. She sat and looked at him expectantly.
"I guess you want to know why you're here." He said. Lia raised an eyebrow at him. "I need your help." He got another look from Lia. "I need you do deliver this letter to the house Voliner in Port Caynn." He slid a letter across the table.
"Why?" Lia asked churlish. He obviously hadn't expected that answer. He blinked and looked at her.
"What?" He asked.
"Why should I deliver it for you? I don't even know your name. Much less who you are." Lia glared at him.
"Oh, my name's Kyle. I buy and I sell. I need you to deliver this letter because I can't"
"You're a thief, and this letter's blackmail. I'm not stupid ya know."
"You are good. Will ya deliver it?" He asked grinning.
"As long as my names not mentioned."
"Deal. Now, this letter has to go directly into the master's hands, no one else's. Understand, not a servants, not his wife's. Only his, got it?"
"I understand." She didn't know why she was delivering this letter. In the rain. And in the dead of night. She had woken up and remembered the letter that she had tucked into her saddlebags and forgotten about. She had tried to go back to sleep and been unable to. So she was trudging down the street Looking for the correct address.
Finding it she sighed gratefully and knocked on the door. Lia noticed that some of the lights in the house were on. She smiled as a servant opened the door.
"Yes Milady?" The servant asked politely.
"I have a letter I'm to deliver to the master of this house." Lia said. She had worn a skirt to make a good impression.
"I can take it to him Lady."
"I was told to give it to him specifically."' Lia said smiling.
"Right this way then Lady." The servant said letting her into the house. Lia wiped her boots before following the servants up the spiral staircase. The house was larger than it had first appeared, paintings covered the walls and everything was trimmed in polished in mahogany wood. Lia loved it.
"Here we are Lady." The servant said gesturing at a large door before giving Lia a weird look and leaving. Lia realized she still had her hood up, deciding to leave it Lia knocked on the door.
"Come in." Lia entered. A man with brown hair streaked with gray sat behind a large mahogany desk strewn with papers. Large bookcases covered the walls from floor to ceiling.
"Please have a seat. Can I help you?" He asked. Lia sat on a plush chair. And pulled out the letter. It was rather thick and made out of a yellow paper. She held it in her hand and looked at him from beneath her hood.
"I was told to deliver this to you." She handed it to him. He opened it and pulled out a thick wad of folded papers. Scanning them quickly he looked at Lia in wonder.
"Where did you get these?"
"A thief named Kyle asked me to deliver them for him." Lia said. She had no qualms about giving his name. The man sighed.
"Do you know what this is about my dear?" He asked quietly.
"No sir, I asked nothing past his first name." Lia said just as quietly.
"I am sorry to inform you that Kyle was killed three days ago." Lia inhaled sharply. "You have just been involved in the search for the champions. I will not tell you any more than that. Now we need to talk about your protection." Lia had been surprised when he had mentioned the word 'champion'. She was busily scanning the papers he had lay down. The one on top was a sketch, a sketch of her. Lia gasped and looked at him. She pulled down her hood and looked at him.
"I think I'm already involved. What do those papers say about me?" Lia asked as her eyes scanned his face.
"Oh my, you're a champion." He said completely abashed. "Take these papers." He said handing her the papers she had just delivered and a few more. "Hide them, don't let anyone but the other champion see them. Now go." He tucked the papers in her coat pocket and pulled her hood up. He pushed her out the door. "Go fast, don't stop for anyone. When the progress starts go with them to the southernmost point of Carthak a man will meet you there."
"But the progress isn't for another year and a half." Lia protested. As she flew down the stairs with him tugging at her elbow.
"I know, wait for it." He said as he thrust her out into the street. "Don't let anyone know you're a champion. Gods all bless." He said before closing the door.
Lia spent the last two weeks in a state of paranoia. The man she had been sent to see had been murdered the same night she had been there. She had sewn the papers inside a corset that she wore all of the time. She couldn't wait to get home and read them.
Camp had been good, nerve-racking but good. They had studied the wars in the day and during the nights they helped the cities gang patrol. Twice they had had to fight spidrens. All they had done was torch duty though. Very boring for Lia.
She was overjoyed when they had ridden back to Corus. The trip had taken them a week. Lia could have done it in four days, though she kept her mouth shut. She slept horribly. The boys had to walk by her tent to make it to the latrine, so every time one of their heavy footprints passed by her tent Lia awoke. She slept with her dagger, she would need a new one soon. This one was just about dead.
The night before they were going to enter the city Lia felt, wrongness in the forest. She picked up her sword that lay next to her bedroll. Exiting the tent she felt it behind her turning she saw movement. Walking towards her feeling a Spidren dropped down in front of her. Yelling to wake the camp Lia went into battle mode. Swinging and hacking away at Spidrens. Her blade was whirling so that you could barely see it. She noticed that the Spidrens glowed green when she killed them, she didn't worry about it. Whoever had killed the scholar was out to kill her. It was part of her being a champion.
She didn't even notice the other pages had joined he fight until it was over. It had only lasted a few minutes, but it had felt like hours. Some of the Spidrens had swords, Lia hadn't noticed that either.
Turning around the pages and Minchi were looking at her like she was a demon. Lia rolled her eyes and said she was going to sleep. The next morning her friends were strangely silent as they rode into the city.
When they got there Lia signed out and left. It took Lia a shorter span of time to get home. Shanti didn't seem to tire, neither did Lia. So they kept going.
"Lia." Her mother said surprised. "I didn't expect you home today."
"I wanted to get home." She chatted with her mother all morning. Telling her mother about all the things she had done before her meeting with Veccini the scholar she'd gotten killed. She gracefully skipped over that part and ended with the Spidren fight.
"Some of them didn't bloody their swords. Fourth year pages!" Lia laughed and her mother laughed.
"Well hon, your father and Erikk aren't due back for another week. And I suggest you go see Falia in a day or two." Her mother said with a grin.
"Alright ma, I'm going to go take a bath now. Then I'm going to take a nap." Lia said smiling. Reaching over she kissed her on the head and ran off down the hall.
Quietly, in the sanctity of her own room Lia took off the corset, she slid it under a loose floorboard in her closet. Sighing she lay on her bed, it felt good to let her skin breath after being stuck under a corset for so long. She didn't see how people wore them all the time. Lia rang for the maid to fill her bathtub.
After taking a bath Lia felt better, safer, more in control of her life again. She grabbed a roll from the kitchens and went to see Falia. It seemed that the village was preparing for a wedding. Lia smiled and wondered who the lucky couple was. Seeing Falia standing under the archway used in weddings Lia walked towards her. Falia saw her.
"Lia!" She yelled running towards her. "Guess what?" She asked excitedly.
"What?" Lia asked laughing.
"I'm getting married!" At this sentence both Lia and Falia were screaming bouncing, and hugging.
"To who?"
"Kerrian, the blacksmiths son. Remember him?" She asked, Lia did remember him. He had been cute.
"Yes of course. I'm so exited for you" Lia said bouncing around. "When is the wedding?"
"Three days." Falia said smiling.
"Oh my, do you have a dress?" Lia asked suspiciously, a dress was the kind of large detail Falia would forget. From the look on her face she had too. "Come on, I have something we can mess with for you."
The two ran all the way to the castle laughing. Falia was giving her all of the details on this boy and the wedding.
"Here's the dress." Lia said pulling a silver dress out of the closet. She had never worn it. It was one of the dresses her mother had secretly put in her closet and Lia had ignored.
The dress it's self had gauzy silver under dress with a beaded white sleeveless overdress. Falia's mouth dropped.
"I can't wear that!"
"Why? It will need to be altered; I'm bigger than you. But otherwise it will be fine." Lia said looking at her friend. "I have another one if you don't like this one."
"It's not that. Lia, that's a Lady's dress." She said.
"And?"
"I'm not a Lady." Lia laughed.
"Falia, no one cares. It's your wedding day, enjoy it." Falia paused, still unconvinced. "Look, I missed your last couple birthdays. So this is my present to make up for them." Falia sighed.
"Alright, fine." She said grinning. "It is pretty." She said fingering the fine fabric.
"Put it on." Lia said pushing Falia into her dressing room. Lia walked around her room while Falia changed. Sitting on her bed Lia thought about love and marriage. She didn't really know what love felt like.
"Good, here's your dress." She said sticking her arm out of the door. "Your mother helped me pick it out. Put it on." Lia grinned and grabbed the hanger that the dress was on from Falia's hand. She put it on and examined herself in the mirror. She sat down on the bed to wait for Falia to come out.
What was love anyway? Truly, she thought bitterly. All the books she had read described love as a burning passion for another person. But that wasn't love. That was lust. And that was different. Love had to be something different, something indescribable. A deeper connection of some sort. Lia shook her head. She was over analyzing.
Falia stepped out of the dressing room. Lia smiled, Falia was the traditional blonde hair blue-eyed millers daughter.
"So, what do you think?" Falia asked.
"Absolutely beautiful. It fits you perfectly too." Lia said with a smile. "You'll be gorgeous."
"Thanks Li, thank you for everything."
"It wasn't a problem."
"Alright, I'll see you at the wedding then?"
"Of course." Lia said Falia went and changed back into her clothes and left. Lia took of her bridesmaids dress and went to sleep. She slept late into the morning and pampered herself until late afternoon when she got dresses.
It was a windy day and Lia was standing on her balcony letting the wind finish drying her hair for her. Earlier in the day there had been some commotion in the west but it had died down. People had been coming in and out of the village all day. But now Lia noticed two horses coming up fast. As they drew nearer Lia recognized one of the riders. It was her father. Lia wondered where Erikk was until she realized that the bundle he was carrying was Erikk. Lia gasped and ran for the entry hall.
Cursing big houses the entire way to the grand entryway. Arriving there Lia stopped and leaned against the archway. Her fathers face was ashen and there were bags under his eyes. Lia saw that his gift was tapped out. Erikk had a few scratched over his arms that Lia could see but the big thing was the huge Spidren burn on his left arm. The skin was angry red and looked like it had begun to boil before the blood was wiped off. His breathing was harsh and erratic. Lia exchanged a look with her father.
"Lia will you, " Her father began to say.
"Get him to his room, I'll meet you there." Lia said before taking off back to her room. Running through the halls the only thought running through her head was 'faster, faster, faster'. She was running full out, a mean feat in her dress. She flung open the door to her room and rummaged through her medicinal cabinet. She picked up her basket and began throwing vials and pots in. Bags of herbs in as well. She grabbed things she might not even need but she took them with her. She flew down the two hallways it took for her to get to Erikk's room. She arrived just as her father laid Erikk in his bed. Lia took one look at her father and growled.
"Bed, now." He looked like he was going to protest her mother came up behind her. "Get him in bed. I don't care how, but do it." She told her mother before moving to the water pitcher. She poured some water into a basin and mixed herbs and ointments into it. She saw her parents leave and she sighed gratefully.
Moving next to he bed Lia carefully removed his shirt. She hissed in sympathy when she saw how far gone the wound had gotten. She was glad he was unconscious otherwise this process would be extremely painful for him. Carefully washing it off Lia picked out Spidren hairs and wood chips. Then she struck bone. Lia growled. She wanted to find the stupid immortal that had done this and, ohh she didn't know but she would figure it out when she found it. And then it would pay. She would pound the moisture out of it. Lia slowly calmed herself down and applied a massive amount of cleansing herbs to his arm. She waited for them to set.
In that time she got to examine his room. It was neat, very organized. He had a bookshelf full of books on battle tactics and history. A map of Haven. And in the corner of his desk was a sketch of her. Lia was shocked beyond belief. It was very well drawn. When she picked it up underneath was another one, this one was far more detailed than the other one. Lia looked up at Erikks motionless body. She smiled; maybe when he got better she could torture him. Smiling she moved back to wash the herbs off.
Lia applied a burn salve to his arm and some more herbs and was binding his arm up when he stirred.
He looked up at her from blurry eyes and thought he saw an angel. Beautiful dark hair cascaded from her shoulders and bright green eyes. It took him a minute to realize it was Lia.
He was trying to talk to her. She could tell. She told him to shush as she finished binding his arm. She got him some water and helped him sit up to drink it. She had packed her stuff up and was ready to leave when he grabbed her hand.
"Stay?" He managed to croak out. Lia nodded, put her basket on the floor before climbing in bed and curling up next to him. They fell asleep like that. They didn't notice in the morning when Yuki and Neal came to check on them.
"They're in love." Yuki observed standing in the doorway with her husband. "The question is how long does it take for them to notice."
"The longer the better." Neal said grumpy that his daughter was in the same bed with a boy.
"Your just grumpy." Yuki said pulling him out of the room to eat breakfast.
Lia spent the day tending to Erikk and after a ten minute argument decided that the next day he could get up and walk. But not far. And he had to rest every ten minutes. Lia knew he wouldn't stick to the agreement but it felt better knowing she could yell at him if he showed up at the wedding. He was friends with Kerrian. So it would make sense if he did come. But Lia wished he wouldn't. Lia finally gave up and went to her room to sleep.
The next morning at around ten Lia took her dress and went down to the Mill. Gertrude Falia's mother and Grandma Miller immediately attacked her. Everyone in the village just called her grandmother. They had her put her dress on and then did her hair. Lia had insisted that she could do it. But they insisted upon doing it. They then sent her to help Falia who looked like she was scream any minute. All of the wives in the village were trying to 'help' her. Lia immediately sent them out and helped Falia into her dress and do her make up.
"I don't think I can do this." Falia said while Lia was curling her hair.
"Yes you can."
"I'm so nervous." Lia responded by handing her a piece of chocolate. "Ohh, chocolate." she squealed.
Before long Lia was heading down through the village to the wedding ring behind a row of flower bearers and bridesmaids. Lia saw Erikk sitting with her parents and received a glare from Lia. He winked at her of all things. As Lia stepped aside she saw the look on Kerrian's face as he Falia for the first time in all her wedding day beauty.
Lia sighed, she had decided that, yes, she wanted to fall in love. She wanted to get married. She wanted someone to hold her when she was sad. Someone to stay with her forever.
A few days later Lia finally worked up the courage to look at the papers she had been given. She pried up the floorboard and pulled out the papers. She quickly looked through them. There were a few sketches of a girl, a girl who looked remarkably like her. A lot of references were made to an 'emerald enemy'. And an 'emerald forest'. Lia didn't understand. She had never heard of any references to emerald anything. Not in history of the worlds, universe, or of gods.
The wedding went beautifully. And soon the Bride and groom where off to the cottage that would be the sight of the rest of there lives. Their children would be born there and they would probably die there. And then after everyone had left Lia walked slowly up to her house. Some how she was depressed. Lia sighed; she needed to go back to Haven so she would be too busy to be depressed.
Her birthday came the day before she was to leave for Haven again. Lia received clothes and books again. And she had a mysterious package that held an emerald hilted Achete sword pair along with an emerald hilted boot dagger. Lia was pleasantly surprised with that. But she wished she knew who had given them to her. She was practicing with them when Erikk knocked on her door. Lia let him in and then screamed at him to sit.
"Calm down Lia. I only walked from my room to yours." He said looking at her like she was insane. Lia fumed for a minute.
"Okay fine. What did you need?" She said asking him as nicely as possible.
"Just to give you your birthday present. But since your being so mean to me." He said and made like he was going to leave. Lia shrieked and pulled him down to the bed. He laughed and handed her a white box. Lia opened it quickly and gasped. Inside was a pair of earbobs to match her necklace. Lia squealed and hugged Erikk wildly.
"Thank you!"
"So you like them?" He asked sarcastically.
"I love them. Thank you."
"Your welcome. Now get some sleep. You have quite a ride tomorrow." He said clapping Lia on the back before exiting. Lia put the earbobs into her pack before going to bed.
Lia woke up extra early the next morning. She wanted to leave before anyone else was awake. That way she didn't have to suffer through anymore embarrassing and tearful goodbyes. She knew it would hurt her friends and family, but it was easier for her this way.
Lia carefully slipped out of her room with her saddlebags on her shoulders and down to the stable. Quickly saddling Shanti Lia mounted and was on the rode to Haven in ten minutes. She looked behind her at her home one last time before galloping away.
Lia arrived in Haven just as the sun was setting. She observed the view for a few minutes before finally entering the city. Many people greeted her and after entering the final set of city gates was led to Kel's study.
"Lia, I'm glad you've returned to us once again." Kel said standing o greet her at the door.
"Ah, you know how it is. I can't stay away for too long." Lia said with a laugh.
"I have that same problem." Kel said smiling. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about a few things." Lia nodded for her to continue. "First of all how is Erikk? Your father said they got in a mighty fine tangle with some Spidrens." Kel said seriously.
"He'll be fine. He's still recovering but it won't affect him permanently." Lia said.
"Oh good. Did you know he's going to take his Ordeal a year early?"
"No I didn't. He didn't mention anything about his Ordeal."
"Your father seems to think he's ready so Dom and I gave him the okay. Anyway. This is your last year with us. So we are supposed to give you some funny mathematical training. So you'll be meeting with the clerks Sunday afternoons and Wednesday after dinner. Alright?"
"Thats fine."
'All right, the rest of your schedule stays the same. Now get some sleep." Lia did as she was told before waking up at dawn to practice her sword techniques. Someone opened her door and Lia lost hold of one of her blades. It flew and landed in the doorframe right next to Renne's head.
"Renne! You shouldn't do that! You could get hurt." Lia said.
"I love you to Lia. Lady Maria said there's an epidemic in the lower city. She wants you to come help her."
"Oh, will you make my excuses to Kel?"
"Of course. Now go." Renne said. Pushing her out of the room and closing the door behind her. "I'm off have fun!" She said before running off to find Kel. Lia ran the other way to the city.
She ran into Maria's house. There was a line out the door and people were slowly making their way towards her home.
"What's the sich?" Lia asked standing next to Maria.
"Bad water. The instructions for the capsules are on the back table. I need you to make more. We're going to run out. "
"Okay. No problem." Lia said and moved off to the back room. She read the instructions. It was only boiling a few herbs that had to be ground. Then you strained the water out and put them in paper packets. Lia spent most of the day doing that. Around suppertime Maria came in.
"You can stop. I have enough for the rest of these people. Come help me administer the rest of these and you can go home.
"Okay." Lia said tiredly. She helped Maria finish and then clean up before heading back to her room. She put on her nightgown before falling straight into bed.
Waking up the next morning was a groan. Her back hurt from standing all day. Her hands hurt from grinding the herbs all day. Some how she woke up and made it through the day.
Lia didn't get a day off until a week before midwinter. She had been teaching the city kids. Wagging war against the Spidren colony that was attacking the city. She had also helped decorate the grand hall for midwinter. Lia wasn't going to stop but she had been commanded by Kel to take the next few days off. Surprisingly when she made it back to her rooms and opened her door Renne and Kanti were sitting there.
"So the workaholic returns." Kanti said smirking.
"You know you couldn't pay me to work as hard as she does." Renne said.
"We certainly don't work that hard." Kanti observed.
"You don't work at all!" Renne said laughing.
"Neither do you!"
"Yes I do. Just not where people can see me." She said skillfully. Lia laughed as Kanti tried to figure out where Renne worked. She was a thief. She had been for two and a half years now.
"Alright you two enough. I need to go shopping." Lia said. The girls behaved when they heard the word shopping.
"What are we shopping for?" Renne asked as they made their way out the door.
"I need a few dresses for midwinter. And to pick up a few last minute gifts." Lia said. Her friends went into evil plotting mode when Lia had said dresses. She was taken to every dressmaker in the city. Personally she suspected that there had been a citywide announcement proclaiming it national put Lia into every dress you own day. It was horrible. By the end of the day Lia had more than three or four dresses. She had eight or nine. So when she got back to her room she hung her dresses in her closet and curled up into bed.
Hello, as you may have noticed I changed the title, it was never meant to be titled 'Yazlia of Queenscove' for as long as it was. And the summary changed as well,it probably confuses you all terribly, but you'll figure it out soon enough. Review! Tell me what you think. And the formatting's not working, AGAIN, so please excuse the screwed up indentation…~Ana~
