The next morning Jaz awoke to the sound of bells. She looked out her window and saw that by the position of the sun it was about three hours after sun rise. She sat up in bed and wondered why there was the sound of bells jangling coming from Jade's room. Then the bells stopped and Jaz heard Jade talking, then there was laughter. She got up and wrapped her wrap around her. Walking to Jade's door, she knocked, then entered at Jade's "Come in".
Jaz looked around the room and saw Aaron and Krystal sitting on chairs facing a dummy with bells handing from one of the crossbeams of the roof.
"Good morning kids." Jaz said "How long have you three been up?" Jaz asked.
"Since sunrise." Aaron replied for all of them. "We're still on our travel routine. You weren't awake and so we thought that we would play a game that father's friend taught us." he explained.
"Oh. Ok that's fine I was just wondering. I'm sorry I wasn't awake with the sun but today and tomorrow are my days off. I also give the pages and squires the day off." Jaz said. "Are you guy's hungry?" Jaz asked them.
"'Cause if you are, we can go down to breakfast with the students." Jaz told them but her eyes clearly gave away that she wanted to see her students.
"Yeah we're hungry. We'll just wait for you to get ready and then we can go down." Krystal confirmed.
Jaz quickly rushed off to get dressed. When she came down two minutes later Aaron exclaimed "Jeesh! You sure were quick I thought only Da was that quick when getting changed."
Laughing Jaz said, "We are siblings after all…Come on let's go we're going to be late if we don't hurry." She rushed them out the door. "Now you can either sit with me on the dais or sit with the students. Which would you prefer?"
"We'll sit with the students" Krystal said, and all the others agreed.
When they entered the room they went to line up for food. While in the line the boys couldn't help but notice Jade and Krystal. Fredrik came up and introduced himself to Jade and Krystal. Jaz noticed this and laughed as she kindly explained to Fred that Jade and Krystal could hurt him very badly if they wanted to and that they where her nieces.
Aaron decided that he should do the whole big protecting brother thing and went and introduced him self to Fred and then told the rest of the boys in a very loud voice that if they even looked at his sisters the wrong way that he would kill them.
Jade and Krystal looked at Aaron and then they both punched him playfully in the stomach and told him to stay out of their business and that they could court whomever they pleased.
Jaz went and had breakfast with Liam laughing and joking with him. Jade and Krystal had a long list of boys already asking them if they wanted to go and see the city that afternoon and the next day. Jade and Krystal diplomatically declined on the pretence of the fact that they wanted to get to know 'Aunty Jaz' better before lessons on Monday.
After breakfast Jaz asked the girls and Aaron what they wanted to do that day.
"We can go into the city and meet some of my lower class friends or I can show you around the castle." Jaz told them.
After a short and to the point debate the girls and Aaron decided that they wanted to go to the city because as they put it "Sometimes the lower class people are more noble that the people that are born into nobility."
Jaz decided to take them to the "Dancing Sparrow". "This used to be called the "Dancing Dove" Jaz told the children as they walked to the inn. "But it burned down a few years because of a mage that got drunk. That's why you should never touch anything stronger than mead." Jaz said laughing.
When they arrived at the Dancing Sparrow Jaz was treated like an old comrade while the girls and Aaron where eyed suspiciously by the local tavern crawlers and thieves.
Jaz then introduced the girls and Aaron to her friends.
"Which one of them is the 'King of thieves'?" Aaron asked Jaz.
Jaz skillfully avoided the question by introducing him to the local horse merchant. "If you ever need a good horse in a hurry you just need to ask Tomalas" Jaz told Aaron.
Jaz was standing facing the group of thieves explaining to them that Aaron, Kristal and Jade where her brothers children and could be trusted when an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her into a bear hug that almost bordered on an attack.
"And how are you my dear lady and leader?" a strong male voice asked Jaz. "Do you have a hit list for us yet or do you still insist that we control ourselves and only rob from the evil. I also have that stack of reports on 'Lady Mara' for you oh great and wonderful leader of ours" he drawled, arm still around her waist
"What the hell …?" Aaron exclaimed. The others laughed.