Leiryh sat against the rough bark of a large tree. Its branches spread high
above, blocking the blazing sun that faulted the otherwise perfectly idle
day. Fluffy white clouds passed through the blue sky as a gentle but warm
breeze ruffled the long grass. A stream bubbled nearby, music for the
forest's melancholy peace.
The girl's knees were pulled up tight against her chest. A rather dismally colored skirt was spread over her pale skin, and her arms wrapped in a link around her shins. She watched the rabbit shaped cloud drift off in the distance; she had been watching it since it meander over her head a while ago. One of the more gusty of winds played with the short curls atop her head and blew up pollen from the nearby flower meadow into her eyes. She blinked, tears already welling within her eyelids, and when she looked again her rabbit was gone.
Sighing contently, she stretched out from the balled up position she had been in; her legs spread out in front of her and her arms reaching out from her sides. She rolled her neck once; it had cramped while watching the clouds. A common pastime of most young children, the clouds provided free entertainment and she was often told to expand her imagination. Just not too far...
Sudden loud splashes awoke her from her reverie and she looked towards the nearby river for the source. Two figures wrestled in the shallow waters. A cascade of water droplets was unintentionally sent her direction and she quickly decided she had chosen a rather precarious place to rest in. Shifting around the tree and further up the bank, she watched the two with a smile.
One was her friend Otamo. The son of a lesser lord, Otamo had befriended Leiryh at the young age of five. Leiryh remembered her first meeting with the boisterous boy. She had managed to get stuck in a tree in the public orchards and he had relentlessly teased her from neighboring branches. Of course he had eventually helped the rather indignant Leiryh down, but first impressions at such a young age meant very little in the long run.
Otamo's opponent was Leiryh's other friend, the boyish lady Erih. Erih was the daughter of the king's favorite vassal, but at first impression no one would've known. Her hair was long, golden and well kept at the insistence of her parents, but whenever the girl had the chance, she would pin it up atop her head in a large ball. Erih had met Leiryh only momentarily at a cotillion for the greater vassals of the king, and they hadn't exactly been on the best of terms. But when Erih met Otamo, they became immediate friends, and through Otamo the two girls had become sisters.
Leiryh watched the battle, laughing softly and only calling out to supply Erih with encouragement and suggestions. When Otamo finally managed to momentarily subdue Erih, he glared reproachfully up the bank to Leiryh.
"Hey! Haven't you known me longer?" He asked with obvious humorous intentions.
Leiryh shrugged and watched as Erih managed to escape from the distracted Otamo. "Sure, but I like Erih better." She grinned and leaned back, supported on her arms, to watch the finale of the battle.
"How could-"Otamo was unable to finish his angry retaliation as Erih submerged him in the water and hopped over him, clambering up onto the bank. Otamo surfaced, spluttering madly and glaring at the two girls laughing mirthlessly at him from the bank. Once under control, the defeated figure sulked onto the bank.
Leiryh clutched her stomach in laughter. Erih stood behind her friend, grinning victoriously. Otamo looked once at the two before turning as if stalking away. Leiryh bound to her feet, unwilling to hurt the pride of anyone purposefully or otherwise. She raced to her friend, planting herself in front of him to keep him from simply passing by. She had to bend her head back in order to look up into her already tall friend's face. His features were curved to that of a frown, but his brown eyes danced with suppressed emotions; Leiryh was unable to read expressions very well, but she had always been rather good with vocal tones.
"You shouldn't challenge her when you know she's going to beat you every time Tam." She reprimanded him softly. Erih had walked over and grinned spiritedly as she watched the two from the side.
Otamo's expressions changed quite quickly. He was no longer feigning any emotion; his pride was truly hurt. "I don't challenge her! She challenges me and I," he changed tone and stuck out his chin, "the valiant knight that I will one day be, had no choice but to oblige a lady!" He glared over at Erih at the topic of her lady authorities.
"You're not a knight." Erih pointed out. She was now leaning arrogantly against a nearby tree trunk.
"And she's not a lady." Leiryh tried to accompany Erih's good point with one of her own. Erih stood up off the tree and looked at Leiryh with astonishment. "I mean, she's not a lady yet. A proper – er – recognized, I mean an acknowledged lady yet. Her cotillion presence isn't until next year."
"Thanks Leiryh." Erih grumbled as she turned and walked back to the bank. A small round stone skipped across the now calm shallows. Otamo looked rather entertained and smiled reassuringly at his old friend.
"Don't worry, she didn't take it personally." Leiryh blushed furiously and sunk to the ground, holding her head in her hands. Otamo laughed and pat Leiryh's head softly before joining Erih on the bank. Leiryh peeked out at the two and eavesdropped upon their conversation; they meant for her to hear it anyway.
"Your cotillion is next year isn't it?" Otamo asked Erih.
"Yes. Seven months. Mother's already planning everything and she's been trying to include me in it all. Although she ignores most my suggestions." Erih sighed and tossed another smooth rock across the water surface. It sank after the second skip into the middle of the river.
"But wasn't your twelfth birthday just last week?" Leiryh piped up, spreading out form her ball position once more and looking curiously up at her friend.
"Yes, but Father wants to present me to court as soon as possible. It's technically okay to be a little early, but not always considered proper."
"Ah, but that's just you isn't it Erih? Always one to break with the proper beliefs?" Otamo was thrown into the waters and Erih calmly walked back to sit next to Leiryh.
"So, eleven in three months right?"
The girl's knees were pulled up tight against her chest. A rather dismally colored skirt was spread over her pale skin, and her arms wrapped in a link around her shins. She watched the rabbit shaped cloud drift off in the distance; she had been watching it since it meander over her head a while ago. One of the more gusty of winds played with the short curls atop her head and blew up pollen from the nearby flower meadow into her eyes. She blinked, tears already welling within her eyelids, and when she looked again her rabbit was gone.
Sighing contently, she stretched out from the balled up position she had been in; her legs spread out in front of her and her arms reaching out from her sides. She rolled her neck once; it had cramped while watching the clouds. A common pastime of most young children, the clouds provided free entertainment and she was often told to expand her imagination. Just not too far...
Sudden loud splashes awoke her from her reverie and she looked towards the nearby river for the source. Two figures wrestled in the shallow waters. A cascade of water droplets was unintentionally sent her direction and she quickly decided she had chosen a rather precarious place to rest in. Shifting around the tree and further up the bank, she watched the two with a smile.
One was her friend Otamo. The son of a lesser lord, Otamo had befriended Leiryh at the young age of five. Leiryh remembered her first meeting with the boisterous boy. She had managed to get stuck in a tree in the public orchards and he had relentlessly teased her from neighboring branches. Of course he had eventually helped the rather indignant Leiryh down, but first impressions at such a young age meant very little in the long run.
Otamo's opponent was Leiryh's other friend, the boyish lady Erih. Erih was the daughter of the king's favorite vassal, but at first impression no one would've known. Her hair was long, golden and well kept at the insistence of her parents, but whenever the girl had the chance, she would pin it up atop her head in a large ball. Erih had met Leiryh only momentarily at a cotillion for the greater vassals of the king, and they hadn't exactly been on the best of terms. But when Erih met Otamo, they became immediate friends, and through Otamo the two girls had become sisters.
Leiryh watched the battle, laughing softly and only calling out to supply Erih with encouragement and suggestions. When Otamo finally managed to momentarily subdue Erih, he glared reproachfully up the bank to Leiryh.
"Hey! Haven't you known me longer?" He asked with obvious humorous intentions.
Leiryh shrugged and watched as Erih managed to escape from the distracted Otamo. "Sure, but I like Erih better." She grinned and leaned back, supported on her arms, to watch the finale of the battle.
"How could-"Otamo was unable to finish his angry retaliation as Erih submerged him in the water and hopped over him, clambering up onto the bank. Otamo surfaced, spluttering madly and glaring at the two girls laughing mirthlessly at him from the bank. Once under control, the defeated figure sulked onto the bank.
Leiryh clutched her stomach in laughter. Erih stood behind her friend, grinning victoriously. Otamo looked once at the two before turning as if stalking away. Leiryh bound to her feet, unwilling to hurt the pride of anyone purposefully or otherwise. She raced to her friend, planting herself in front of him to keep him from simply passing by. She had to bend her head back in order to look up into her already tall friend's face. His features were curved to that of a frown, but his brown eyes danced with suppressed emotions; Leiryh was unable to read expressions very well, but she had always been rather good with vocal tones.
"You shouldn't challenge her when you know she's going to beat you every time Tam." She reprimanded him softly. Erih had walked over and grinned spiritedly as she watched the two from the side.
Otamo's expressions changed quite quickly. He was no longer feigning any emotion; his pride was truly hurt. "I don't challenge her! She challenges me and I," he changed tone and stuck out his chin, "the valiant knight that I will one day be, had no choice but to oblige a lady!" He glared over at Erih at the topic of her lady authorities.
"You're not a knight." Erih pointed out. She was now leaning arrogantly against a nearby tree trunk.
"And she's not a lady." Leiryh tried to accompany Erih's good point with one of her own. Erih stood up off the tree and looked at Leiryh with astonishment. "I mean, she's not a lady yet. A proper – er – recognized, I mean an acknowledged lady yet. Her cotillion presence isn't until next year."
"Thanks Leiryh." Erih grumbled as she turned and walked back to the bank. A small round stone skipped across the now calm shallows. Otamo looked rather entertained and smiled reassuringly at his old friend.
"Don't worry, she didn't take it personally." Leiryh blushed furiously and sunk to the ground, holding her head in her hands. Otamo laughed and pat Leiryh's head softly before joining Erih on the bank. Leiryh peeked out at the two and eavesdropped upon their conversation; they meant for her to hear it anyway.
"Your cotillion is next year isn't it?" Otamo asked Erih.
"Yes. Seven months. Mother's already planning everything and she's been trying to include me in it all. Although she ignores most my suggestions." Erih sighed and tossed another smooth rock across the water surface. It sank after the second skip into the middle of the river.
"But wasn't your twelfth birthday just last week?" Leiryh piped up, spreading out form her ball position once more and looking curiously up at her friend.
"Yes, but Father wants to present me to court as soon as possible. It's technically okay to be a little early, but not always considered proper."
"Ah, but that's just you isn't it Erih? Always one to break with the proper beliefs?" Otamo was thrown into the waters and Erih calmly walked back to sit next to Leiryh.
"So, eleven in three months right?"