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Okay guys, I just want to say that, because in Tamora Pierce's books
(except Lioness Rampant) she never really says anything about Shang
warriors, never really describes their lifestyle so, forgive me Tam, but
I'm just going to use my imagination and make up any information that isn't
given in the Tortall books. So just be clear that most of the information
about Shang warriors, novices, dedicates etc. Is made up by me and is not
necessarily true. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and as usual,
Reviews are very much appreciated!!
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Chapter 5. When they walked into the corridor, Kai gave Kally a brief hug. "Well done! You must have made quite an impression on them, what with being thirteen years old and having the Gift and all." He exclaimed.
Kally frowned, "How do you know that I have the Gift?" she asked, "I haven't told you that yet!" Kai looked sheepish, "Um...I was outside the door and I could hear you. I didn't try to though I promise; I just overheard you telling the Unicorn. Don't worry though, I won't tell anyone, I promise." He hastily reassured her. Kally sighed, half exasperated, half amused at this boy who she had grown so close to in the last few hours. "What about Majesta?" she asked, remembering that they had left the mare fully tacked in the stable. "Don't worry," Kai said, "I untacked her, fed her, watered her down and settled her into a fresh stall while you were talking to the Unicorn" "Thanks," Kally said gratefully. "C'mon then, show me around this place." She said. The two started walking down the corridor again.
"Okay, so we have six floors in the building; on the bottom floor we have the grand hall where all ceremonies are held and where we all eat breakfast, dinner and lunch. The kitchens are next to the hall but none of the novices are allowed in there. The library, indoor training courts and armoury are all on the bottom floor, including the head Shang master's rooms and office and the sub-head Shang master's rooms and office, and of course the courtyard. The first floor is entirely dedicated to classrooms, the Shang masters insist that we keep up with our academic subjects as well as other subjects. The second, third and fourth floors are the rooms for Shang novices and dedicates. The fifth and sixth floors are the Shang masters' rooms."
Kally nodded to say that she understood. "Where is everybody? This is a school isn't it?" she asked curiously, seeing no one around. "Every day at half past one everybody has a half hour rest to let them digest their lunch. Lunch starts at one o' clock, continues for half an hour, then we have a half hour rest, and then another half hour free to do what we want. Most people have a wash and freshen up before we start work again. Kai explained.
"Um, where do we wash?" Kally asked. "Did you notice the huge forest when we around the back of the house?" Kai asked her. She nodded in response; it would have been hard to miss the huge forest as it was directly in front of you as you looked into the distance. "Well there's a river running through it, and at either edge of the forest there are two lakes that are made by the river. All the girls wash in one of the lakes and all the boys wash in the other. Except for the Unicorn and the Griffon of course, they have their own personal wash baths." Kally nodded again.
"Now, there isn't much else. I'll give you the grand tour later. So what do you want to do? Unless of course you want the grand tour now? I've got the rest of the day off so we can pretty much do whatever we want!" Kai said. Kally tried to stifle a yawn, her body was remembering that she had been awake since yesterday morning; she hadn't slept during the night 'cause that was when she had run away and now she felt really tired. In fact, it seemed like years since she had been lying on her bed trying to decide how to punish her father when really it was only last night.
Kai saw her yawn and smiled, "I take that as an, 'I want to go to bed' kind of look!" he said. "I don't have a problem with that, but first you have to have something to eat. You must be hungry" Kally didn't object to that, she was very hungry. Kai guided her to the grand hall.
It was quite a simple place; the only evident sign of wealth were the large marble columns in the four corners. Through the two large oak doors was a very big room with a raised platform at the top of it. A long wooden table with about twelve chairs stood on the platform. On the floor were lots of that could seat about six pushed together in straight rows to form four long rows. Two were at the left side and two were at the right side, leaving an aisle to walk down in the very centre of the room. The aisle led up to steps leading up to the platform. There was a smaller set of steps that was almost hidden at the back on the left and right sides of the platform which also led up to the top.
Kai walked up to the very back of the hall and swung a painting away from the wall on its hinges. A woman's face appeared at the other side of the large square shaped gap in the wall. "Um can we have some lunch please?" he asked, "There are two of us and we were in the city so we missed lunch, would you mind if we took it now?" he finished.
The woman spoke, "Sure, we've got some left over. There's two of you did you say?" Kai nodded. A hand passed a plate out through the hole; Kai handed it to Kally then turned back and reached for the second plate that was being held out to him. They both thanked the woman who Kai said was the head cook, Quasina.
They seated themselves at one of the long tables, not the head one because that was for teachers only and Kally examined her food.
"They feed us well here," Kai said, "That's one thing that the masters insist upon." Kally nodded, looking at her plate of thick slices of ham, some cheese, cold smoked fish, a roll with goat-milk butter and fruit.
"Breakfast can be porridge or toasted bread with honey and sometimes the cooks make something new for a change. Lunch is always a cold meal and dinner is always a hot meal. But like I said, they feed us well."
Kally made a start on her meal which turned out to be absolutely delicious. Simple compared to the usual palace-style lunch but Kally was pleasantly surprised all the same. Kai had finished his meal almost before Kally had even started on hers so he was waiting for about ten minutes for Kally to finish everything on her plate!
Kai showed Kally out of the grand hall and back into the hall that you come into if you enter by the front doors. There was a large staircase leading to the first floor which Kai and Kally ran up. The first floor looked pretty much like the main floor but they didn't stop to look around but instead headed right up the second staircase and came out on the second floor. There were six main dormitories on the second, third and fourth floors. Three boy's dormitories and three girl's dormitories on each floor. They were put on each floor by rank, Kai explained. The second floor was all novices, the third was novices and dedicates and the fourth floor was dedicates only.
Kai led Kally to the girl's dormitory that was furthest away from the head of the stairs. "This is going to be your dorm." He said. "I'm supposed to be your sponsor, meaning I show you around and take care of you and everything. My dorm is the one directly opposite yours." He said, pointing to show her. "So, welcome to your living quarters for the next three years." He said smiling at Kally. She smiled gratefully back at him and pushed open the door to her dorm.
Inside were four plain lowbeds. These were new to Kally. They were Yamani style beds that were on the floor so you had to crouch down to get into bed. They were also raised at the bottom so you slept with your feet higher than your head! Next to each of the lowbeds was a little cupboard with a candle on. In the corner of the room was a single washbasin and that was pretty much all that was in the room. "As you can see, we live very simply here" Kai said, in an amused voice, expecting Kally - well Sadira - to be horrified at the simplicity of the room. Instead, she turned to him, smiled and said, "It's fine, and now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." Kai nodded, saying, "I'll wake you up in time for our evening meal, okay?" he turned and ran downstairs. Kally stared after him, smiling happily. She turned, and practically fell onto her bed, and was immediately asleep, oblivious to everything around her.
****************** Well? Please guys, review! The reviews are really most of what's keeping me going here! I know this chapter's short but I had to split it into two chapters 'cause it would be too long otherwise. I'll try to update soon.
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Chapter 5. When they walked into the corridor, Kai gave Kally a brief hug. "Well done! You must have made quite an impression on them, what with being thirteen years old and having the Gift and all." He exclaimed.
Kally frowned, "How do you know that I have the Gift?" she asked, "I haven't told you that yet!" Kai looked sheepish, "Um...I was outside the door and I could hear you. I didn't try to though I promise; I just overheard you telling the Unicorn. Don't worry though, I won't tell anyone, I promise." He hastily reassured her. Kally sighed, half exasperated, half amused at this boy who she had grown so close to in the last few hours. "What about Majesta?" she asked, remembering that they had left the mare fully tacked in the stable. "Don't worry," Kai said, "I untacked her, fed her, watered her down and settled her into a fresh stall while you were talking to the Unicorn" "Thanks," Kally said gratefully. "C'mon then, show me around this place." She said. The two started walking down the corridor again.
"Okay, so we have six floors in the building; on the bottom floor we have the grand hall where all ceremonies are held and where we all eat breakfast, dinner and lunch. The kitchens are next to the hall but none of the novices are allowed in there. The library, indoor training courts and armoury are all on the bottom floor, including the head Shang master's rooms and office and the sub-head Shang master's rooms and office, and of course the courtyard. The first floor is entirely dedicated to classrooms, the Shang masters insist that we keep up with our academic subjects as well as other subjects. The second, third and fourth floors are the rooms for Shang novices and dedicates. The fifth and sixth floors are the Shang masters' rooms."
Kally nodded to say that she understood. "Where is everybody? This is a school isn't it?" she asked curiously, seeing no one around. "Every day at half past one everybody has a half hour rest to let them digest their lunch. Lunch starts at one o' clock, continues for half an hour, then we have a half hour rest, and then another half hour free to do what we want. Most people have a wash and freshen up before we start work again. Kai explained.
"Um, where do we wash?" Kally asked. "Did you notice the huge forest when we around the back of the house?" Kai asked her. She nodded in response; it would have been hard to miss the huge forest as it was directly in front of you as you looked into the distance. "Well there's a river running through it, and at either edge of the forest there are two lakes that are made by the river. All the girls wash in one of the lakes and all the boys wash in the other. Except for the Unicorn and the Griffon of course, they have their own personal wash baths." Kally nodded again.
"Now, there isn't much else. I'll give you the grand tour later. So what do you want to do? Unless of course you want the grand tour now? I've got the rest of the day off so we can pretty much do whatever we want!" Kai said. Kally tried to stifle a yawn, her body was remembering that she had been awake since yesterday morning; she hadn't slept during the night 'cause that was when she had run away and now she felt really tired. In fact, it seemed like years since she had been lying on her bed trying to decide how to punish her father when really it was only last night.
Kai saw her yawn and smiled, "I take that as an, 'I want to go to bed' kind of look!" he said. "I don't have a problem with that, but first you have to have something to eat. You must be hungry" Kally didn't object to that, she was very hungry. Kai guided her to the grand hall.
It was quite a simple place; the only evident sign of wealth were the large marble columns in the four corners. Through the two large oak doors was a very big room with a raised platform at the top of it. A long wooden table with about twelve chairs stood on the platform. On the floor were lots of that could seat about six pushed together in straight rows to form four long rows. Two were at the left side and two were at the right side, leaving an aisle to walk down in the very centre of the room. The aisle led up to steps leading up to the platform. There was a smaller set of steps that was almost hidden at the back on the left and right sides of the platform which also led up to the top.
Kai walked up to the very back of the hall and swung a painting away from the wall on its hinges. A woman's face appeared at the other side of the large square shaped gap in the wall. "Um can we have some lunch please?" he asked, "There are two of us and we were in the city so we missed lunch, would you mind if we took it now?" he finished.
The woman spoke, "Sure, we've got some left over. There's two of you did you say?" Kai nodded. A hand passed a plate out through the hole; Kai handed it to Kally then turned back and reached for the second plate that was being held out to him. They both thanked the woman who Kai said was the head cook, Quasina.
They seated themselves at one of the long tables, not the head one because that was for teachers only and Kally examined her food.
"They feed us well here," Kai said, "That's one thing that the masters insist upon." Kally nodded, looking at her plate of thick slices of ham, some cheese, cold smoked fish, a roll with goat-milk butter and fruit.
"Breakfast can be porridge or toasted bread with honey and sometimes the cooks make something new for a change. Lunch is always a cold meal and dinner is always a hot meal. But like I said, they feed us well."
Kally made a start on her meal which turned out to be absolutely delicious. Simple compared to the usual palace-style lunch but Kally was pleasantly surprised all the same. Kai had finished his meal almost before Kally had even started on hers so he was waiting for about ten minutes for Kally to finish everything on her plate!
Kai showed Kally out of the grand hall and back into the hall that you come into if you enter by the front doors. There was a large staircase leading to the first floor which Kai and Kally ran up. The first floor looked pretty much like the main floor but they didn't stop to look around but instead headed right up the second staircase and came out on the second floor. There were six main dormitories on the second, third and fourth floors. Three boy's dormitories and three girl's dormitories on each floor. They were put on each floor by rank, Kai explained. The second floor was all novices, the third was novices and dedicates and the fourth floor was dedicates only.
Kai led Kally to the girl's dormitory that was furthest away from the head of the stairs. "This is going to be your dorm." He said. "I'm supposed to be your sponsor, meaning I show you around and take care of you and everything. My dorm is the one directly opposite yours." He said, pointing to show her. "So, welcome to your living quarters for the next three years." He said smiling at Kally. She smiled gratefully back at him and pushed open the door to her dorm.
Inside were four plain lowbeds. These were new to Kally. They were Yamani style beds that were on the floor so you had to crouch down to get into bed. They were also raised at the bottom so you slept with your feet higher than your head! Next to each of the lowbeds was a little cupboard with a candle on. In the corner of the room was a single washbasin and that was pretty much all that was in the room. "As you can see, we live very simply here" Kai said, in an amused voice, expecting Kally - well Sadira - to be horrified at the simplicity of the room. Instead, she turned to him, smiled and said, "It's fine, and now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." Kai nodded, saying, "I'll wake you up in time for our evening meal, okay?" he turned and ran downstairs. Kally stared after him, smiling happily. She turned, and practically fell onto her bed, and was immediately asleep, oblivious to everything around her.
****************** Well? Please guys, review! The reviews are really most of what's keeping me going here! I know this chapter's short but I had to split it into two chapters 'cause it would be too long otherwise. I'll try to update soon.
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