Emmy: Wow, I didn't think anybody would like it that much.
Raven: Here's the next chapter. Em, you want me to get Tobe out of the closet? He's been in there for a year or so…
Emmy: Nah.
Chapter 3: Winter Comes
Kel pulled on her powder blue dress and gazed at herself in the mirror.
"You look pretty Lady," Tobe said as he entered the room.
"Oh Tobe! I didn't hear you come in," Kel said blushing.
"Don't worry, you are a girl and you have to act like one sometimes," Tobe answered.
"What do you mean 'act like one sometimes'?" Kel asked teasingly. Tobe blushed.
"Well, you do boy stuff a lot of the time and…"
"So you're saying sword fighting is only boy stuff?" Kel asked.
"No, I um, well-," Kel laughed.
"I'm only joking Tobe." Tobe glared at her, but Kel knew he was joking too.
"While I'm with Dom tonight you must practice your letters," Kel said firmly.
"When have I ever disobeyed you?" Tobe asked.
"I mean it," Kel said.
"Have a nice night Lady," he said as she left.
XXXXXXXXX
"Kel…" Dom seemed to be lost for words as he stared at her. It made Kel uncomfortable.
"What?" she asked.
"You love lovely," he finally said.
"So do you," Kel replied. Dom wore fancy, velvet, dark blue tunic with matching pants.
"We probably look like two bluebirds flying around," Kel joked. Dom laughed. He was acting more like his calm self every minute. If Kel could keep him laughing then he would probably loosen up. They made small talk for a while but soon were silent.
As the night went on Dom and Kel danced to five songs, then took a rest and got drinks. Kel had to admit that she was enjoying herself. When she danced with Dom she felt as if she were as light as a feather. It as like a dream that she never wanted to wake up from but she knew she had to. They danced to three more songs and finally the both decided to wait for the King to make his toast before they both left.
As Dom walked Kel back up to her room Kel noticed Razz sneak out and run off before Kel could talk to her.
"Good night Kel," Dom said, edging closer.
"Good night," she replied. Dom kissed her gently on the lips, bowed, ad walked down the hallway.
"Hello," Tobe yawned as Kel opened the door.
"What was Razz doing in here?" Kel asked.
"Helping me," Tobe answered. "She can read and write really well." Kel inspected Tobe's work. It was better. The Rs' and Gs' were decent and the other letters were perfectly legible.
"That's great improvement, you should ask her to help you more often," said Kel, yawning herself. "Now don't look, in fact cover your eyes, and face the wall, I'm going to change." Tobe did so. As soon as Kel was changed she fell onto her bed. "Time for bed," she said.
"No looking now," Tobe mimicked. "I'm changing." Kel laughed as she fell asleep.
Razz's P.O.V
Razziel looked out at the night sky. The moon was bright, beautifully bright. Razziel's master hadn't yet returned from the ball. Razziel wished she had been able to attend. She had loved balls at her old home. She loved to dress up and dance with the sweet boys that she knew. This time Razziel had been by herself. She had decided to help Tobies-Tobe with his writing. It hadn't been the perfect way to spend the evening but she did think Tobe was sweet, even if he was only ten.
"Am I truly going to spend the rest of my life like this?" she thought. "Never see any of my friends again? Even though her father had been horrible to her, she did miss him a bit. Not her father the way he was now. She missed the younger, stronger, happy father that had been around when she was small. Suddenly the door opened. "Hello m'lord." She said politely. Owen nodded towards her and handed her a few coins before shooing her into her closet. Her pay was not much. She would need to find a better job.
Razziel sat in darkness, no more moon. "No matter what I won't give up. I can do this! I'm not some snotty, fancy, weak, little girl who couldn't do anything but stitch and dance."
Kel awoke in the middle of the night. She had been dreaming that Dom and she had been swimming but when Kel had begun to swim towards him she had noticed she was naked. It had been a terribly embarrassing dream and was glade she was awake.
Keel sat up in bed, listening for what had awoken her. The Kel looked out her window. She saw nothing but a white haze but when she looked closer she saw the worst blizzard she had ever seen.
"It woke you up too?" a voice said. Kel turned around to see Tobe sitting up in his pallet.
"It's bad," Kel replied, gazing out the window. The hairs on the back of Kel's neck stood on end. Something was wrong.
"I hope the birds are alright," she mumbled. As she walked back to her bed she saw Tobe cover his mouth to muffle something.
"Was that a cough?" she asked.
"No," said Tobe, shaking his head innocently.
"If you are sick you need to see a healer. You might get a bad illness. Anyway, small colds can be tolerated sometimes, but if it interferes with your work I'll make you see Neal."
"I'm fine," Tobe said, pulling the covers over his head. "Just chilly."
"Five feet of snow!" Kel gasped.
"Yes, and growing. The blizzard is lightening up but not much," Neal said to her over breakfast.
"They're sending people to shovel the snow and make paths. They're also checking to see if the horses are ok," Merric of Hollyrose, another friend of Kel's said, biting into an egg.
"I hope Lalasa and her shop are ok," Kel said, biting her lip.
"Don't worry Kel," Prince Roald of Conte said as he sat down. Because he was the prince he was supposed to sit with almost everyone in the dinning hall but liked Kel and her friends best. "The people in the village survive every winter. We should be ok too; we should have plenty of food and water to last us." Kel smiled but still felt that something was wrong.
Razz's P.O.V
"I'm bored," Razziel said aloud.
Her master was at breakfast, she had already snuck down to the kitchens to get some food. Razziel kept a fire going in the room. She made her master's bed, her bed, and was about to go take a shower. Living on the other side wasn't hard, but it wasn't easy. Besides polishing armor, making beds, dusting, sweeping, tending the fire, and having a bath ready for Owen at the end of the day she had other duties. She learned that when a servant went for breakfast they were to ladle out cold porridge from a big pot. She also learned that if any noble or servant in the entire place wanted her to do a task or complete a chore she had to obey.
Razziel remembered life at her father's home. They had never treated the servants badly; they hadn't beaten them or anything. Her father was a very intimidating man. That was why people thought he was so scary. If a servant ever got hurt Razziel would use special creams to heal them. The servants had been her best friends. They had taught her how to defend herself using a dagger. They had taught her how to use a long bow. They had taught her special kicks, punches and tripping moves.
Her other two sisters hadn't cared enough to learn how to fight. All they cared about were their looks. They had both married rich young men. Her two brothers had both gone off to become knights and married rich noblewoman. Razziel had been a disappointment in her father's eyes. She had attracted many suitors but her sharp tongue and quick temper had scared them off. Razziel hadn't liked any of them anyway. None of the boys she knew were her true love.
"Razz," a voice called to her as she stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in her servant uniform. Razziel looked around and to her dismay she spotted Alcore. He was red headed boy who was two years older then her. "Razz, I need you to help me scrub this hallway," he said, snickering. Razziel scowled at him. Servants code said she had to because he was older then her and had worked at the palace longer.
"Alcore I have to go check on the fire in my master's room," she protested.
"You can check it when you're done," he replied, handing her a bucket and scrub brush. "Get to work."
By the time Razziel finished scrubbing the hall the fire in her room was out and she had to start all over again.
"Why did I bother to bathe at all?" she asked herself as she started her long walk to the storeroom where the firewood was kept.
Kel's P.O.V
Kel hated being stuck inside. There was nothing to do. The only thing Kel could think of to keep herself busy was to polish her armor, sword, and shield.
When Keel reached her room she found Tobe sitting at a small desk writing things down, but Tobe was not alone. About twenty sparrows were perched around her room. When she entered most of them flew to perch on her shoulders, or in her hair. Kel knew them all well. "I let them in a while ago," Tobe mumbled. Kel walked over to her polishing supplies, first polishing her shield. The fact that her birds were safe made Kel relax a bit.
"Can I stop practicing just letters now?" Tobe pleaded.
"I think so," Kel replied, getting up. She knew he could write the letters and name them all too. She took a piece of paper and scribbled a few word on it. Her list of words consisted of:
Tobeis
Horse
Boy
Danger
Friend
"Do you recognize any of these words?" Kel asked. Tobe nodded.
"The first one is my name, but I don't know any of the others." Kel named them all.
"Practice writing these words, then try sounding them out. Read them." As Kel turned to go back to her polishing she noticed Tobe was pale and seemed to be swallowing a lot.
"I knew it! He's sick. Most children try to hide their coughs by swallowing them," thought Kel. Kel decide to go see what her friends were up too rather then polish.
Neal was busy reading a book, Owen was practicing with his sword, and Merric was playing chess with Seaver of Tasride, another boy Kel knew from page days. Her last resort was to see Dom. She found him in his room, sitting next to a fire.
"I've just come back from shoveling snow out there," he said, pointing at thee window.
"You were bored too?" she teased. Dom laughed. As Kel sat down next to him three birds perched on his shoulders.
The two talked for a while. Dom told stories of different battles he had fought in Lord Raoul's Squad. Lord Raoul of Goldenlake was the captain of the King's Own. Kel had liked spending her squirdom with him and his men.
Kel was about to ask if he wanted to go to dinner-they had been talking for a while, when she heard a scream in the hallway. Both of then raced out the door to see what was happening. To Kel's surprise Razz was fighting with another boy Kel knew only as a servant. The boy was on his hands and knees, Razz towering over him with a triumphant grin on her face. The boy had a bloody nose, and bruises growing on his check and under his neck. It looked like Razz had just punched him in the stomach. Razz was developing a black eye and some red marks around her right arm but other then that was unharmed.
The boy began to stand up, grabbing both of Razz's arms but she lifted her foot up to his chest and knocked him on his back. Kel wasn't sure but she thought she saw a bit of ocean blue light around Razz.
"Enough," Kel said loudly. Razz looked up at her, but kept an eye on the boy.
"What are you doing?" Dom asked, walking over to the red headed boy.
"I don't care how much I get punished," Razz said, she stood up straight, and looked at Kel with determined eyes. "He had it coming to him." Dom helped the boy up and the both saw that he was at least a head taller then Razz.
"That she-devil attacked me!" the boy said, pointing at Razz. "She's thinks she's better then the rules!"
"Dom, could you take this boy to the infirmary? It looks like his nose is broken," Kel said calmly.
"Sure," Dom replied. The boy muttered "Evil slut." as he walked away.
"Hit me," Razz said.
"Excuse me?"
"Hit me. Do whatever you do for a punishment. I don't care. He grabbed me because I wouldn't do his work." When Razz finished Kel said,
"I'm not going to hit you, or punish you. Just try not to start fights anymore. What I want to know is how you learned to fight like that and why you didn't tell me you had the Gift."
"I was trained by a friend," Razz said. "As for the Gift I've had it forever, I guess I forgot to tell you. Where I used to live I wasn't allowed to use it, although I do know a couple small things like small healings and making light. My master never allowed me to use magic though." Kel looked at her for a moment.
"Are you hurt?" she asked.
"Not seriously, I have some marks from where he grabbed me but that's about it," Razz replied. Kel smiled. "You're a good fighter," she commented. "Maybe in the spring I can teach you some other tricks." Razziel smiled and blushed.
"Thank you m' lady."
After dinner Kel went up stairs to her room. She found Tobe asleep on his desk. She changed before shaking him slightly. He was usually a light sleeper but he didn't awake. She ended up carrying him to his pallet. Then Kel fell into her bed and retreated to sleep.
Razz's P.O.V
Razz sighed as she lay down. She had almost given herself away. She had learned healing from one of the servants who had the gift but didn't tell anyone. Once her father caught her practicing and told her never to do it again. She had forgotten about her gift after not using it for so long. How had Lady Kel known Razziel had the gift? Razziel thought this over as she drifted to sleep.