A/N: Here is chapter two, which is longer than chapter one. Which is good. And yes, mll, forestalling any questions, I changed her name. And Jade Limill: Thanks. I will finish this. Especially because I have the last chapter all planned out....

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Chapter Two: Nearly Normal Not-Quite-Everyday Shang Student Life

A loud bell clanged somewhere, and Kieldra groaned. She had waken every morning at dawn for eleven years, from the time she was four, and she still didn't like it.

She rolled out of her cozy bed and into the cold stone floor of her chamber. It was small, with her bed jammed into one corner. The wooden door was at the foot of her bed, and on the wall across from the door hung her assortment of weapons. By the head of her bed was a window, which mercifully faced west, and across from the window was her wardrobe and a mirror with a small sink.

Jumping off the freezing floor -- northern Maren was cold, even at the beginning of summer -- she stepped over to her wardrobe, where she put on a warm pair of breeches and a long-sleeved shirt. Then she moved to her sink, where she splashed cold water on her face, as she did every morning. She glanced up and caught her reflection in the mirror.

Her face was almost permanently tan from long hours in the outdoors, training yard or the wilderness that surrounded the school. Half of the fighting lessons were done outside, to teach the students how to fight on rough terrain. Her light brown hair was longer than most female students', but Kieldra liked her hair so that it barely brushed her shoulders.

Her eyes were gray, with the smallest hint of blue, the light color standing out amongst her darker-eyed friends. Sighing -- she hated getting up early -- Kieldra grabbed a sword and her personal favorite weapon, a morning star, off the wall.

She moved into a routine with the morning star after buckling the sword around her waist. No weapon practice today, she realized, and removed the sword after she finished the morning star pattern.

Leaving the room, she went to see if Iseult was still in hers. After popping her head in, she determined that her best friend was at breakfast, and headed to the mess hall.

Iseult waved to her from a table by the back wall. Kieldra smiled and grabbed her food, then sat down next to her friend.

Where's Drys and the K'mir? she asked casually as Iseult began to eat.



Kieldra rolled her eyes, and waited. Dunno. Probably--

She was cut off by Drys and Sam's appearance in the hall.

There they are, Kieldra said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

The two girls ate as much as they could before their other friends sat down. How's it going?

No one answered Drys, for both Kieldra and Iseult had their mouths full. When Kieldra finished chewing, she sent a strange look to Drys. You see us every day. We live in the same place. If anything important had happened, you would have known about it already. Yet you persist in asking that question. Why?

He thought for a minute, then answered, It's fun to annoy you.



He paused again. You say odd things when you're annoyed.



Ask yourself that!



Will you stop saying







Drys sent Kieldra a death glare, then turned to his food. Kieldra smiled innocently at the passing Shang Owl, who returned it with a suspicious gaze.

Moving on, said Sam. Who do you want to be your new master, Drys?

This time, he answered without any hesitation. I want the Horse.

Isn't he really strict though? Iseult asked.

Yeah, but he's fair and he's nice, as well.

What about you, Kieldra? inquired Sam through a mouthful of oatmeal.

I was thinking... the Hawk would be nice. She's got a lot of experience and she can probably teach me stuff these guys-- Kieldra jabbed her thumb in the direction of the Owl -- can't.

Iseult began, but she's also really tough! Did you see her the last time she was here? She knocked out Davic Hennings for talking back to her! And most of the other masters stay out of her way--

That's what I mean. She's spent a lot more time as a Shang than most of the masters, so she's got to be really good--

Drys and Sam sent each other tired looks, and ignored the girls' discussion for the rest of breakfast.

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After breakfast was over -- and Iseult and Kieldra done with their as Sam had put it -- they headed to the training room for the morning. The usual indoors teacher, the Shang Cat, was absent.

Who's he? Sam muttered out of the corner of his mouth, meaning it for Drys -- but Iseult was the only one who heard his query about the substitute.

Kieldra and Drys were both chatting animatedly to their favorite master, the Rabbit. He hadn't been at the school for nearly eight years, though both remembered him, Iseult and Sam had never met him.

Hullo, there! You two are quite talkative today, aren't you? While I'd love to stop and talk, I do have to teach this morning's class, he chuckled, extricating himself from the two excited teens and moving to the center of the room.

The Rabbit explained what he was doing there, who he was, and the assorted other things the students were curious about. Then he paired them off, the more experienced ones working with each other, and the four soon-to-apprentices against one another.

As Kieldra and Drys moved through a complicated sequence, flipping over and practicing kicking upside down -- Kieldra wasn't good at that, though she could flip with ease -- several Shang masters filed in, unnoticed and in the shadows, to observe those who were going to be apprentices.

Drys continued to fight, landing several good blows while Kieldra attempted to dodge. She failed, but managed to get in several powerful kicks while she was at it.

And the masters observed it all, watching carefully, measuring each.

---

When the Rabbit called for his students to halt, everyone was breathing heavily, though they were just beginning to be tired. Four hours of practice was hard work, but they had been dealing with it for a long time. For a moment Kieldra envied the newer ones, who were still learning the patterns and had only been fighting in pairs for two hours,while memorizing routines and practicing them for the other half.

They were being complimented on their good jobs when a bell rang, calling them to lunch. Iseult, her Tyran-dark skin shining with sweat, came over to Kieldra. Rabbit's alright, eh? she asked, panting.

Yeah. He used to be round here all the time, fore your time, little newbie, Kieldra teased.

Hey, don' call me a newbie! I been here seven... years... she wheezed.

And still can't keep up!

I'm just out of breath! she yelled before chasing her friend down the corridor.

---

At six, after dinner, all four were resting in Iseult's room. Hers was the cleanest of the four, and thus the most common place for their evening gatherings.

Still want the Hawk, Kiel? Drys asked, attempting to rejuvenate their earlier conversation, only to be cut off by Kieldra diving at him.

After an interesting situation in which Iseult pried Kieldra's hands off Drys' neck while Sam laughed hysterically in the background, they had returned to a fairly normal state.

Her brown eyes solemn, Iseult intoned, And the moral of the story is... never call Kieldra Kiel, for she will attempt to kill you. And Kieldra is a Shang student.

The Kieldra in question nodded. And I still want the Hawk.

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They were all tired -- it had been a rather eventful day, and they were all used to the usual routine of Shang student life -- so they went back to their separate chambers at eight. On an average day, they stayed up until the bell (as Sam called it) rang, signifying that, well, they had too get back to their chambers now or else they would face the fury of whichever Shang master found them plus a few.

Kieldra sat on her bed and watched the sun set through her window. She sighed quietly. It had been a wearying day, but it had been a good one nonetheless. She had known she would be an apprentice, but hearing her name actually read from the list made it fantastically concrete.

Someone knocked on her door. Startled into awareness, Kieldra opened the door warily -- and was face-to-face with one person she never thought she'd see.

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A/N: Cliffie! Suffer!