Chapter 04:                              It could be worse?

When Sam left Bery's room she stumbled over two small girls. Both had black hair and blue eyes. And both wore exactly the same clothes. 'Must be twins,' Sam thought. "Might it be possible that you two were eavesdropping?" Sam looked suspicious at the two girls who seemed much too innocent.

"We? Eavesdropping? Never!" Both chorused.

"You did."

Now the girls were grinning.

'Life here will be difficult. A crying woman behind me, two rollicking goblins in front of me. The day becomes better every minute.' Sam sighed. Not the first and surely not the last time. "Ok. Who is Who? No tricks."

The girls looked at each other. Still grinning. The left girl started to speak: "I'm Aidan. That's Ariadne. Of Crystal Lake, if you want to know. And who are you, blonde?"

"Samira. Of Pinehollow, if you are interested. Well, I guess both of you came here to become pages."

"How clever she is. Yes, lady Samira of Pinehollow, we are here to become pages. What about you?" Ariadne asked excessively polite.

'Not a good start. Not at all.' "It's Sam. Do you have any nicknames?"

"Danny."

"Ria."

"Ok. I think we have to go now. Oh! There's Cori." Sam was surprised to see her cousin running furiously in their direction. "What's the matter?"

"Somebody put some glibber in my bed. Ugly green glibber." Staring at the giggling twins she said, "Is it possible that you two put that glibber in my bed?"

"We? Glibber? Never!"

Sam groaned.

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It was time for supper. The pages gathered around Lord Padraig. The first- years were quite nervous, especially the girls. It was time to get a sponsor.

'Well. Here we are.' Sam was watching the other pages.' Quite a few first- years. It will be interesting who will sponsor the girls. It will be difficult to find an acceptable sponsor for each of us. Five girls. Cori, Bery, me, the twins ... wait a minute.' Sam looked surprised at Aidan and Ariadne. 'Do I have a problem with my eyes? One, two ... Three?' Sam pushed Cori softly to get her attention. "Do you see what I see."

"Depends on what you are seeing." Cori looked the direction Sam was pointing. "Oh gods. Triplets."

The three siblings grinned wickedly in Sam's direction.

"Now it's time for the first- year pages to get a sponsor." Lord Padraig looked around. Then he pointed to a red haired boy in the first line. "Tell your name and the holding of your family."

"Rabanus of Blue Mountain." The boy was taken immediately by a page called Kyle of Nenan.

Then Lord Padraig pointed to one of the triplets. "Aaron of Crystal Lake."

"Now I understand why they were separated at the girls' wing. One of them is a boy," Cori whispered.

After Aaron got his sponsor, it was Aidan's turn. Everybody was suddenly silent when Aidan said her name.

'I knew it would be difficult.' Sam looked around. 'Come on. We only need five of you.' Then she saw the boys discussing. Some of them seemed to feel uncomfortable.

Finally one of them said. "I will sponsor her."

Lord Padraig was looking at him. "Colin of Agate Coast sponsors Aidan of Crystal Lake. Well, who will sponsor Ariadne of Crystal Lake?"

"I will sponsor her."

The training master seemed surprised at the fast answer. "Quentin of Agate Coast sponsors Ariadne of Crystal Lake."

Next it was Berenice. Her sponsor was called Milan of Ivy Towers.

After her it was Corvina who had to find an sponsor.

"I will sponsor her."

"Lachran of Mindelan sponsors Corvina of Kourell."

Cori seemed quite pleased with her sponsor.

At last it was Sam's turn, last of the girls. When she said her name, she saw that some boys where pushing another. Finally this boy said that he wanted to sponsor her. 'They have already decided whose of them will have to sponsor the girls,' Sam recognised.

Then she heard Lord Padraig say: "Nathan of Malven sponsors Samira of Pinehollow"