Chapter 6
*
At archery Liara gave a good accounting of herself, and pleased instructors sent her on to the riding class.
Here Deilan trotted up to the fence, and she greeted him affectionately, realizing with a start that she had missed him. She climbed onto his saddle without waiting for the appearance of the missing instructor. She stayed on as her went into a wild gallop, careening joyfully around the field. Her heart lifted as they galloped together. She didn't have to prove or justify herself to him. He wouldn't think she was exaggerating her prowess or boasting when she told him her abilities. Things were easier with him.
"Come in, Trainee!" bellowed a voice, and Liara's heart sank. The teacher had arrived. The peace she had filled herself with suddenly dispersed as she turned Deilan and trotted towards the instructor.
Without waiting for Deilan to stop completely, she kicked her feet free of the stirrups and slid onto the ground, facing the man.
He was whipcord lean and fairly small, no taller than Liara herself, but that would only be an advantage. His Companion would be able to move like lightning with so small a weight on his back.
"I am Herald Terrace." He announced. "I am the riding instructor here. Do you have any horse riding experience?"
Well, duh. Liara thought, irritation rising at his ignorance. I have just been charging around the field!
"No, sir." She answered politely. "There were very few horses in my home village, sir."
"It seems that we will need to begin at the beginning, then."
And so, to Liara's intense irritation, he began to teach he the basics. When in her irritation, she snapped that Deilan had taught her plenty of riding on their journey, he looked as skeptical as Bredan had, and asked her to take the obstacle course.
The obstacle course was normally used for the more senior trainees. It was a very difficult task that needed skilled rider and excellent reflexes. Liara assumed grimly that Terrace expected her to demur, but she immediately set off at a gallop, and executed the course perfectly.
As she rode back to the instructor, she was pleased to note that he looked rather startled.
"You must be a natural." He told her, still wild eyed. "I've never seen anything like that."
Liara wondered whether she should reveal the true reason for her riding experience, but decided that he wouldn't believe her if she told him that her family had befriended the horselike, deerlike Saigon, Earth elementals, and they had taught her how to ride.
"Well, since you obviously know a bit about riding," Terrace continued, "I will teach you how to do anything that you can do on the ground on horseback."
"I already can!" she burst out. Hadn't her display taught him anything?
"I don't believe you." Terrace answered bluntly.
Liara ground her teeth, but answered politely. "Name one."
"Ah . . . Weapons." He replied, startled by her brisk approach.
"I can use them just fine, on ground or horseback." When he still looked doubtful, she lost her temper, and snapped, "Didn't the Weaponsmaster tell you that underestimating me can be hazardous to your health?"
At this Terrace looked curious. "No . . . Why?" he asked.
"I managed to score a kill on him with relative ease." She replied. "Trust me. I can do just fine on Deilan, too."
The bell signaling the end of the morning's work finally tolled, and Liara turned with intense relief back to the Colegium.
*
At lunch, Liara ignored the curious stares of her fellow trainees, who had heard of her performance during weapons practice, and escaped as soon as she could to her room, where she gathered her textbooks and proceeded on to her first class.
Desperately she hoped that these classes would present something new. Entertaining though it had been to best all her tutors this morning, it was extremely irritating to be underestimated at every turn.
This first lesson was basic orientation. It was only for a month or so, but it should present some new information. Sure enough, the lesson was all about the creation of Valdemar and the Heralds, a subject that her parents had not known much about, and she found it interesting. It almost made up, in fact, for the next class, which was languages.
It was the fact that she already spoke Rethwellan, Hardornen and Valdemaran as well as her native Karsite that made her lose concentration and Herald Jilla lectured them on the importance of learning to fit in in other countries.
"Why, someday you might have to do some discreet surveillance!" she declared. "Where would you be if you didn't speak the language?"
Liara let herself drift out of awareness as Jilla began to teach the class Rethwellan. It was some time later that she was awoken from her trance.
"Well? Aren't you going to answer my question?" Herald Jilla asked sarcastically. "Or weren't you paying attention?"
The class giggled, gleeful at seeing the arrogant newcomer receive a dressing down, but Liara said nothing.
"Why weren't you paying attention?" demanded the herald impatiently. "Do you think it isn't important to learn?"
Liara decided in irritation that a good shock would do her good. She answered in perfect, unaccented Rethwellan. "I wasn't listening, because I already know more languages than you can teach." she replied heatedly, grimly pleased by Jilla's widened eyes. "I was bored half to tears by your stupid lectures, and I don't need this bloody class!" All the exasperation of a wasted morning was pushed into her angry words, but she had unwittingly invited more rage than she had felt, for Herald Jilla's face was perceptibly darkening.
"Go to the Dean," Jilla replied, voice shaking with suppressed wrath. "I will tell him soon why you have been sent."
Liara walked defiantly out the door, but she was inwardly already regretting her hasty words.
*
At archery Liara gave a good accounting of herself, and pleased instructors sent her on to the riding class.
Here Deilan trotted up to the fence, and she greeted him affectionately, realizing with a start that she had missed him. She climbed onto his saddle without waiting for the appearance of the missing instructor. She stayed on as her went into a wild gallop, careening joyfully around the field. Her heart lifted as they galloped together. She didn't have to prove or justify herself to him. He wouldn't think she was exaggerating her prowess or boasting when she told him her abilities. Things were easier with him.
"Come in, Trainee!" bellowed a voice, and Liara's heart sank. The teacher had arrived. The peace she had filled herself with suddenly dispersed as she turned Deilan and trotted towards the instructor.
Without waiting for Deilan to stop completely, she kicked her feet free of the stirrups and slid onto the ground, facing the man.
He was whipcord lean and fairly small, no taller than Liara herself, but that would only be an advantage. His Companion would be able to move like lightning with so small a weight on his back.
"I am Herald Terrace." He announced. "I am the riding instructor here. Do you have any horse riding experience?"
Well, duh. Liara thought, irritation rising at his ignorance. I have just been charging around the field!
"No, sir." She answered politely. "There were very few horses in my home village, sir."
"It seems that we will need to begin at the beginning, then."
And so, to Liara's intense irritation, he began to teach he the basics. When in her irritation, she snapped that Deilan had taught her plenty of riding on their journey, he looked as skeptical as Bredan had, and asked her to take the obstacle course.
The obstacle course was normally used for the more senior trainees. It was a very difficult task that needed skilled rider and excellent reflexes. Liara assumed grimly that Terrace expected her to demur, but she immediately set off at a gallop, and executed the course perfectly.
As she rode back to the instructor, she was pleased to note that he looked rather startled.
"You must be a natural." He told her, still wild eyed. "I've never seen anything like that."
Liara wondered whether she should reveal the true reason for her riding experience, but decided that he wouldn't believe her if she told him that her family had befriended the horselike, deerlike Saigon, Earth elementals, and they had taught her how to ride.
"Well, since you obviously know a bit about riding," Terrace continued, "I will teach you how to do anything that you can do on the ground on horseback."
"I already can!" she burst out. Hadn't her display taught him anything?
"I don't believe you." Terrace answered bluntly.
Liara ground her teeth, but answered politely. "Name one."
"Ah . . . Weapons." He replied, startled by her brisk approach.
"I can use them just fine, on ground or horseback." When he still looked doubtful, she lost her temper, and snapped, "Didn't the Weaponsmaster tell you that underestimating me can be hazardous to your health?"
At this Terrace looked curious. "No . . . Why?" he asked.
"I managed to score a kill on him with relative ease." She replied. "Trust me. I can do just fine on Deilan, too."
The bell signaling the end of the morning's work finally tolled, and Liara turned with intense relief back to the Colegium.
*
At lunch, Liara ignored the curious stares of her fellow trainees, who had heard of her performance during weapons practice, and escaped as soon as she could to her room, where she gathered her textbooks and proceeded on to her first class.
Desperately she hoped that these classes would present something new. Entertaining though it had been to best all her tutors this morning, it was extremely irritating to be underestimated at every turn.
This first lesson was basic orientation. It was only for a month or so, but it should present some new information. Sure enough, the lesson was all about the creation of Valdemar and the Heralds, a subject that her parents had not known much about, and she found it interesting. It almost made up, in fact, for the next class, which was languages.
It was the fact that she already spoke Rethwellan, Hardornen and Valdemaran as well as her native Karsite that made her lose concentration and Herald Jilla lectured them on the importance of learning to fit in in other countries.
"Why, someday you might have to do some discreet surveillance!" she declared. "Where would you be if you didn't speak the language?"
Liara let herself drift out of awareness as Jilla began to teach the class Rethwellan. It was some time later that she was awoken from her trance.
"Well? Aren't you going to answer my question?" Herald Jilla asked sarcastically. "Or weren't you paying attention?"
The class giggled, gleeful at seeing the arrogant newcomer receive a dressing down, but Liara said nothing.
"Why weren't you paying attention?" demanded the herald impatiently. "Do you think it isn't important to learn?"
Liara decided in irritation that a good shock would do her good. She answered in perfect, unaccented Rethwellan. "I wasn't listening, because I already know more languages than you can teach." she replied heatedly, grimly pleased by Jilla's widened eyes. "I was bored half to tears by your stupid lectures, and I don't need this bloody class!" All the exasperation of a wasted morning was pushed into her angry words, but she had unwittingly invited more rage than she had felt, for Herald Jilla's face was perceptibly darkening.
"Go to the Dean," Jilla replied, voice shaking with suppressed wrath. "I will tell him soon why you have been sent."
Liara walked defiantly out the door, but she was inwardly already regretting her hasty words.