Sunlight woke Allena as she had expected, making her blink her dark eyes.
She yawned and stretched. Climbing out of bed, she splashed cold water on her face and dressed. She found a handful of homemade toffees in her belt pouch and she ate a few to get herself awake enough to do something productive. She had no weapon, nor enough focus to do something like mathematics, so she practiced flute. She was playing "Down Among the Rushes" when the wakeup bell rang. She ignored it, but opened the door early enough to be enveloped in a stream of pages and carried to the dining hall before the next bell rang.
She felt a tap on her shoulder jut as she got in line. Neal was there, smiling wryly at her. He gestured to the pages still arriving in the hall. "At least you won't get lost that way."
Allena smiled back. "Want some toffee?" she asked, pulling the remaining pieces out of her pouch. Neal eyed it warily and said "Not really, thanks. I assume you can navigate the line by yourself?"
Shortly afterward, the girl joined her sponsor at the table she had seen him at the day before. A very freckled boy and an older, darker one were already sitting there.
"Stuart, this is Esmond and this is Faleron. Esmond, Faleron, meet Stuart of Tirragen," Neal announced.
Esmond, the freckled boy, gave a mock bow from his seat, making a face at Neal. Allena caught Faleron's wink just as the other boy began to talk.
"Hi," he said. "Where's Tirragen? Is it a nice place? It's got a big lake, right? I'm from Nicoline. It's all right. A bit dull though. So this is your first year, huh? Gods, that seems like a long time ago for me, even though it was only last ye—( Esmond was interrupted by the arrival of another boy, Prosper's redheaded sponsor. "Hi Merric," said Esmond brightly, barely pausing to breathe. Faleron looked at Neal to see if he was going to introduce 'Stuart'. Neal, however, was apparently not a morning person and seemed to feel he had done his duty with the first introduction. He just continued to stare glumly into his porridge.
"Merric, this is Stuart," said Faleron, indicating Allena. Merric held out a hand and she shook it. All of a sudden, while Allena still held Merric's right hand, he slapped his forehead with his left.
"Oh no!' he cried, and, releasing Allena's hand, he dashed away.
"What was that about?" she asked. At first she got no answer. Neal was still sadly surveying his breakfast and the other two boys were laughing.
"What's so funny?" she persisted.
Esmond continued to giggle while Faleron explained. "Merric is supposed to sponsor Prosper of Tameran. He told him he'd find him and take him to breakfast."
Esmond stopped laughing long enough to finish "and he's forgotten!"
Poor Prosper, Allena thought, as Prince Roald and Keladry walked up. The Prince was rubbing his shoulder. "Ouch," he said. "What was Merric in such a hurry for?"
Allena didn't listen to Faleron repeating his explanation. She was too thrilled over the people who had just joined them. Prince Roald, the heir to the throne, and Keladry of Midelan, who was practically her hero!
The Girl seated herself between Esmond and Neal, who looked up at her for a moment to say "Morning, Kel"
"Good morning," she replied.
"I didn't say it was good," Neal answered her. She laughed, and they began a friendly argument about it. "By the way," Faleron was saying to Roald, "Where's the boy you're sponsoring? Owen, right?"
"He's having breakfast with his uncle who's in town. It's allowed, since we haven't really started yet." Allena wasn't surprised by the Prince's answer. He didn't seem the type to abandon a new page.
"Where's Seaver?" someone asked as Allena spooned up the last of her porridge.
"He went to Neal's dad, he felt queasy," replied Esmond, who seemed to keep up a constant stream of chatter.
"I hope he's all right." Allena leaned out to peer around Faleron and saw that the speaker was Merric, who had returned with Prosper in tow. Allena waved good morning to her fellow first year and he waved back.
As she began to look around the room, Neal got her attention. "Are you finished?" he asked. "If you are, I could show you around a bit, and there's lots f stuff you've got to get before tomorrow." "Sure," she said, getting up. Neal excused himself to Kel, and Allena followed him out.
Some time later, as a servant piled formal tunics and hose onto Allena's outstretched arms, she asked: "Neal, Esmond said that Seaver" Whoever he is, she added silently "went to you father. Who's he?"
She caught her sponsor's slight grimace. "Duke Baird," he said. "The palace's chief healer. One of the best. He wants me to go to the university." Allena tactfully decided to keep silent about the university, so she waited silently while what seemed like several hundred more clothes were stacked onto her arms.
With Neal's help. She carried all her new things back to her room. "Meet you the bell before lunch for a tour?" he asked, throwing practice breeches down onto her bed. She agreed readily and her sponsor strolled breezily off down the hall.
As she was putting her new clothes in the now very full wardrobe, Allena's eye fell on a thin piece of parchment lying on her desk. It read:
Greetings Stuart of Tirragen from Danielle Stone.
I will be in charge of your room while you are here in the
pages' wing. I sweep and bring hot water in the morning and so
on. I can tell you exactly what I do and don't do when I see you
tomorrow morning. I'm not a very good write. Sorry if this
doesn't make sense.
Dany
She replaced the note and went into the dressing room, where she found what must have been hot water earlier that morning waiting for her, but was now merely warm. It was warm enough for Stuart though, she decided, and she filled her tub and hopped in. She scrubbed herself and hopped out again quickly, wrapping a towel around herself and dressing. She was just getting her flute out to practice "Down Among the Rushes" again when the bell rang and Neal pounded on her door.
He gave her a magnificent tour. He seemed to know something about every tapestry and every unmarked door and every person who walked by.
After the tour, they returned to the dining hall for lunch. She was politely introduced to Teron, who she had already met; Cleon of Kennan, his sponsor; and Seaver of Tasride, the queasy boy. He had dark eyes and hair and a quiet voice. Allena liked the second-year on sight.
She sat between Esmond and Neal, with Kel on Neal's other side. They talked most of the time, about every imaginable subject, from Lord Wyldon- who Neal called The Stump-to their summers, and from weighted harnesses to Yamani culture. Allena eavesdropped on them for awhile, thinking how lucky she was to have Keladry of Midelan's best friend as her sponsor. Maybe she'll talk to me, she thought. Maybe... She wished she could start a conversation, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She gave up in disgust and turned to listen to the conversations on her other side. Prosper was defending his sponsor from Esmond and Seaver, who were playfully needling him about forgetting the first-year that morning.
After lunch she collected the rest of her things with Neal's help and went on a few exploratory tours of her own. The last one ended up lasting for a full two bells when she took a few wrong turns. When she finally went to sleep that night her dreams were filled with all the new places, things, and people she had seen.
She yawned and stretched. Climbing out of bed, she splashed cold water on her face and dressed. She found a handful of homemade toffees in her belt pouch and she ate a few to get herself awake enough to do something productive. She had no weapon, nor enough focus to do something like mathematics, so she practiced flute. She was playing "Down Among the Rushes" when the wakeup bell rang. She ignored it, but opened the door early enough to be enveloped in a stream of pages and carried to the dining hall before the next bell rang.
She felt a tap on her shoulder jut as she got in line. Neal was there, smiling wryly at her. He gestured to the pages still arriving in the hall. "At least you won't get lost that way."
Allena smiled back. "Want some toffee?" she asked, pulling the remaining pieces out of her pouch. Neal eyed it warily and said "Not really, thanks. I assume you can navigate the line by yourself?"
Shortly afterward, the girl joined her sponsor at the table she had seen him at the day before. A very freckled boy and an older, darker one were already sitting there.
"Stuart, this is Esmond and this is Faleron. Esmond, Faleron, meet Stuart of Tirragen," Neal announced.
Esmond, the freckled boy, gave a mock bow from his seat, making a face at Neal. Allena caught Faleron's wink just as the other boy began to talk.
"Hi," he said. "Where's Tirragen? Is it a nice place? It's got a big lake, right? I'm from Nicoline. It's all right. A bit dull though. So this is your first year, huh? Gods, that seems like a long time ago for me, even though it was only last ye—( Esmond was interrupted by the arrival of another boy, Prosper's redheaded sponsor. "Hi Merric," said Esmond brightly, barely pausing to breathe. Faleron looked at Neal to see if he was going to introduce 'Stuart'. Neal, however, was apparently not a morning person and seemed to feel he had done his duty with the first introduction. He just continued to stare glumly into his porridge.
"Merric, this is Stuart," said Faleron, indicating Allena. Merric held out a hand and she shook it. All of a sudden, while Allena still held Merric's right hand, he slapped his forehead with his left.
"Oh no!' he cried, and, releasing Allena's hand, he dashed away.
"What was that about?" she asked. At first she got no answer. Neal was still sadly surveying his breakfast and the other two boys were laughing.
"What's so funny?" she persisted.
Esmond continued to giggle while Faleron explained. "Merric is supposed to sponsor Prosper of Tameran. He told him he'd find him and take him to breakfast."
Esmond stopped laughing long enough to finish "and he's forgotten!"
Poor Prosper, Allena thought, as Prince Roald and Keladry walked up. The Prince was rubbing his shoulder. "Ouch," he said. "What was Merric in such a hurry for?"
Allena didn't listen to Faleron repeating his explanation. She was too thrilled over the people who had just joined them. Prince Roald, the heir to the throne, and Keladry of Midelan, who was practically her hero!
The Girl seated herself between Esmond and Neal, who looked up at her for a moment to say "Morning, Kel"
"Good morning," she replied.
"I didn't say it was good," Neal answered her. She laughed, and they began a friendly argument about it. "By the way," Faleron was saying to Roald, "Where's the boy you're sponsoring? Owen, right?"
"He's having breakfast with his uncle who's in town. It's allowed, since we haven't really started yet." Allena wasn't surprised by the Prince's answer. He didn't seem the type to abandon a new page.
"Where's Seaver?" someone asked as Allena spooned up the last of her porridge.
"He went to Neal's dad, he felt queasy," replied Esmond, who seemed to keep up a constant stream of chatter.
"I hope he's all right." Allena leaned out to peer around Faleron and saw that the speaker was Merric, who had returned with Prosper in tow. Allena waved good morning to her fellow first year and he waved back.
As she began to look around the room, Neal got her attention. "Are you finished?" he asked. "If you are, I could show you around a bit, and there's lots f stuff you've got to get before tomorrow." "Sure," she said, getting up. Neal excused himself to Kel, and Allena followed him out.
Some time later, as a servant piled formal tunics and hose onto Allena's outstretched arms, she asked: "Neal, Esmond said that Seaver" Whoever he is, she added silently "went to you father. Who's he?"
She caught her sponsor's slight grimace. "Duke Baird," he said. "The palace's chief healer. One of the best. He wants me to go to the university." Allena tactfully decided to keep silent about the university, so she waited silently while what seemed like several hundred more clothes were stacked onto her arms.
With Neal's help. She carried all her new things back to her room. "Meet you the bell before lunch for a tour?" he asked, throwing practice breeches down onto her bed. She agreed readily and her sponsor strolled breezily off down the hall.
As she was putting her new clothes in the now very full wardrobe, Allena's eye fell on a thin piece of parchment lying on her desk. It read:
Greetings Stuart of Tirragen from Danielle Stone.
I will be in charge of your room while you are here in the
pages' wing. I sweep and bring hot water in the morning and so
on. I can tell you exactly what I do and don't do when I see you
tomorrow morning. I'm not a very good write. Sorry if this
doesn't make sense.
Dany
She replaced the note and went into the dressing room, where she found what must have been hot water earlier that morning waiting for her, but was now merely warm. It was warm enough for Stuart though, she decided, and she filled her tub and hopped in. She scrubbed herself and hopped out again quickly, wrapping a towel around herself and dressing. She was just getting her flute out to practice "Down Among the Rushes" again when the bell rang and Neal pounded on her door.
He gave her a magnificent tour. He seemed to know something about every tapestry and every unmarked door and every person who walked by.
After the tour, they returned to the dining hall for lunch. She was politely introduced to Teron, who she had already met; Cleon of Kennan, his sponsor; and Seaver of Tasride, the queasy boy. He had dark eyes and hair and a quiet voice. Allena liked the second-year on sight.
She sat between Esmond and Neal, with Kel on Neal's other side. They talked most of the time, about every imaginable subject, from Lord Wyldon- who Neal called The Stump-to their summers, and from weighted harnesses to Yamani culture. Allena eavesdropped on them for awhile, thinking how lucky she was to have Keladry of Midelan's best friend as her sponsor. Maybe she'll talk to me, she thought. Maybe... She wished she could start a conversation, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She gave up in disgust and turned to listen to the conversations on her other side. Prosper was defending his sponsor from Esmond and Seaver, who were playfully needling him about forgetting the first-year that morning.
After lunch she collected the rest of her things with Neal's help and went on a few exploratory tours of her own. The last one ended up lasting for a full two bells when she took a few wrong turns. When she finally went to sleep that night her dreams were filled with all the new places, things, and people she had seen.