Chapter Four, Meeting the Pages-
At the long table where the pages sit Panil and Sean took a seat on the bench closest to the serving window. They eagerly went into the breakfast, for they both knew that they would need all the energy they could get. They still had a few minutes until the bell rang, and that's when all the other boys were up and about. They spent those few minutes in a pleasant silence, chewing the food that was set before them. When boys started filing in the room Panil started to strike a conversation. "What are the first classes of the day Sean?"
"Ummmm," chewed Sean, "First we have Phonics, Then we Have Mathematics and after that is Etiquette. Then we have history and the training yards." Food was splattered all over his tunic and he brushed it away. Just as he did that another boy walked into the room, the boy came and sat next to Sean. "Hey Alan, How's it going?"
"Fine, just tired is all. Who's your friend?" Alan replied.
"This is Panil of Rosepeak, Don't you pay attention at the sponsors ceremony?"
"No, too tired." He chuckled, "Pleasure meeting you Page Panil." He bowed to Panil and sat down.
"You know Alan, you don't have to bow to me, I am your equal." Panil giggled slightly and looked at Alan. His tunic was also baggy, for he was small built and Panil got that light feeling in her stomach. Passing it off as excitement she began talking to Alan and Sean and the Breakfast period was soon over.
Panil reluctantly went into the Phonics room, and sat next to Sean and Alan. The Mithran Priest, clad in a bright orange robe, was standing in the front of the classroom. He began his lecture, Panil scribbling notes furiously. She wasn't about to get kicked out over schoolwork. She paused on her notes for a moment and looked beside her, Sean was practically drooling and Alan was alert and paying attention, to an extent. "Pop Quiz, to see if you were paying attention the last five minutes." The Priest shrieked. This aroused Sean who muttered hmmm what. He looked at Panil and pleadingly asked to see her notes. She obliged and Sean frantically tried to memorize them.
"Geeze, my first day and I already have a quiz." Panil sighed and looked at Alan. He had taken out his parchment and quill and was ready to take the test. She was feeling that lightness in her stomach and this time passed it off as nervousness for the test although she was ready for it, unlike her new friend Sean.
"At least you're ready for this Alan, unlike someone we know." Panil teased. Alan smirked and ripped the parchment of Panil's notes from Sean. Sean growled and Alan merely laughed.
"My friend, if you are going to fail, fail with honor." Alan teased.
"I wasn't cheating, I was simply, ummm well, Cheating." Sean laughed.
"QUIET STUDENTS!" The Priest squawked, and the three spoke no more. They all took the quiz, and they passed. Even Sean, the slacker.
Panil, being rather good at math, found that the class went by quickly. She barely needed to take any notes, for the scholar back at Rosepeak taught her all the material already. She chose not to tell the teacher, Master Miser, that she knew all the stuff so hopefully he didn't make her do extra work. The plan, however, didn't work, for when he corrected her problems she got them all right while the other boys got only two or three correct. "Panil, do you have a tutor back at Rosepeak?"
"Yes Master Miser," Panil replied softly.
"You are going to have more advanced problems because it seems you have already mastered these ones. Turn to page 300 in your text book and do the first five problems. Are we clear?"
"Yes Master Miser," Panil said with a forlorn look on her face. She was not looking forward to these "advanced problems". They sounded more like a death sentence. The bell rang and Sean walked over to her.
"Awww, poor Panil-y willy has extra problems to do-y woo-y." He taunted.
"I'm not the one who only got one problem right on your work." Panil retorted icily.
"Ouch, it bites!" Sean said pulling away slightly as to further the joke. Alan, who came up beside them, laughed.
"Guys, I won't be in Etiquette, My mother is here to see me." Alan said.
"Who's you Mother Alan?" Panil asked shyly. She had never heard his fief.
"You mean you haven't guessed yet?" Alan said, surprised.
"I am supposed to guess?" Panil asked, surpassed herself.
"My fief is Pirate's Swoop, as in Lady Alanna of Pirate's Swoop? " Alan said.
"Wow! That's really cool, i mean, How pleasant." Panil cursed herself on the inside for her slipping tongue. She was amazed that Alan was the son of the Lioness! They reached there next class and all the other classes past quickly.