"Phil! Rina! Gena!" Terrance shouted as he swerved around tables and chairs in haste. "Guess what?" Terrance ran up to where the group was sitting in the mess hall.
"What?"
"I just talked to Kadarth!" Terrance panted. "He said he will let me study dragons. And if I pass the class, he said he'll let me become a dragon trainer for one of the baby dragon eggs which were just laid!"
"That's great!" The party chorused. "Congratulations."
"Thanks! I've got to go now. Class'll start in a couple of minutes and I'll make a bad impression if I'm late." Terrance waved his goodbye and left in haste.
"Wow. I've never seen him this excited before." Rina remarked after Terrance had left.
"Neither have I." Phil replied. "And for class. He must really be excited about this whole dragon deal."
"Oh, that reminds me. Rina. Phil. You're suppose to have a class in a couple of minutes." Said Gena.
"Really. On what?" Rina asked.
"I honestly have no clue. I was just told to pass the message." Responded Gena.
"Ok, then. Let's put the trays away and head out to the . . ." Rina trailed off.
"Training field." Gena finished.
"Training field." Mused Phil. "That gives a lot away."
"I didn't want to jump to conclusions." Gena shrugged.
"Well anyway. Is the training field you're referring to the one across from where we saw the dragons the other day?" Rina asked.
"Yup."
"Lets go then." Rina stood up and picked up her tray.
"You two know the base well enough by now. I don't think I'll need to lead you." Said Gena. "I've got to go and help mother. I'll see you later and good luck with our lesson."
"Oh well, in that case, bye Gena." Rina said. She poked Phil with her elbow. "Come on!"
After handing their trays to the cooks, Rina and Phil left through the doors uniting the mess hall with the courtyard. As soon as they entered, a tall, muscular man waved them over.
"Sander!" Rina greeted, recognizing him from their earlier meeting.
"Rina. Phil. I'm delighted that you could make it." Sander said. "This is the training master, Hostein." Sander gestured to the equally brawny man standing beside him. Rina identified Hostein to be the harsh training master Gena had pointed out on the tour. "Phil, Hostein will be your teacher. Rina, you'll practice with me. Come with me."
Hostein escorted Phil to an unoccupied corner. Sander led Rina to a different spot across the courtyard. Weapons of all sorts had been out and laid neatly out of the way. When Rina had absorbed her new surroundings, Sander said, "This will be our provisional classroom. You will meet me here each and every day at the exact same time. Here we will study unarmed combat as well as an assortment of weapons and their uses. A guest or military leader might join us sometimes for special lessons including stealth, military strategy and tactics, and the art of the knife. Occasionally, we will study horsemanship, but most equestrian skills will be covered by your mystical creatures tutor.
"Well, if you have no questions, let's begin. Do you see that track?" Sander pointed at a cement road that circled the entire courtyard. Rina nodded. "Give me three."
"Three?" Rina asked perplexed.
"Laps." Replied Sander.
"You want me to run three laps!" Rina said, astonished. "But I'm not in shape."
"I know that." Answered Sander, undaunted. "That's why I'm making you run three laps; so you'll get in shape. It takes endurance to train weaponry."
Sander laughed at Rina's aghast face and gently steered her to the track. "Go. I'll be waiting."
"Aww." Rina whinned as she set off.
Fifteen minutes later, Sander called Rina to a stop. "That's enough warm up for today." He said.
"What am I learning next?"
"Swordsmanship," Sander responded as he tossed her a wooden sword.
"For wood, this thing is heavy!" Rina remarked.
"It's got weights infused in it so it'll feel like the real thing." Answered Sander.
"Clever."
"Thanks. I thought of it." Sander grinned. "Now for basic cuts and blocks. . ."
Half an hour later, Sander stopped the lesson. "Thank you. Finally!" Rina panted gratefully and she handed Sander her sword.
"Gosh Rina. We need to build up your upper body strength." Sander grinned.
"I'm seriously looking forward to weight training." Rina remarked.
"While you rest, I'll call in Jerrold." Said Sander.
"Jerrold! He's here?"
"I take it that you two have met."
Rina nodded.
"He just arrived a couple hours ago and I invited him to teach next lesson."
"On what?"
"Military strategies and tactics. I figured you'd need a break."
"Thanks."
Sander returned to find Rina and Jerrold poring over some maps and diagrams. "How's the lesson?" he asked.
Rina and Jerrold looked up. "Great. The lesson's great." Rina replied.
Jerrold looked at his watch. (I know the story's set in the middle ages, but how else are they suppose to tell time? With a sundial?) "It's time for me to go. I have some highly classified information to deal with. Besides, you need to get started on your next lesson. Unarmed combat, I believe?"
Sander nodded. "My personal favorite."
"Alright. That's all for today. You did a good job, Rina. Go enjoy yourself." Sander praised. He handed her a water bottle and led her to the nearest bench. As he was leaving, Rina spotted Phil. She waved him over. He looked exhausted and sweat was dripping from his hair and face.
"How was your lesson?" Rina inquired as she handed him her water bottle. Gratefully, he chugged down the water and poured some on his head.
Shaking out the water he responded, "Enlightening. Hostein's a great teacher, he really is. He's strict and expects a lot from you, but he's obviously very skilled and willing to pass down his knowledge if only someone is ready to receive it."
"Looks like he works you to death." Rina remarked.
"You have no idea." Phil said. "I think I'm going to go back to my room to rest and eat lunch later. How about you?"
"I'm going to eat now. I have to see Lora in her office in half an hour. I'll see you later."
"Bye."
After lunch, Rina entered the iron double doors of the beast compartment. After wandering down several hallways, she realize she did not know where Lora's office was. When she paused to think, Rina remembered that she had first met Lora in the room with the kyushus. It occurred to her that the messy desk she had seen in the same chamber could be Lora's. Turning the corner, Rina stumbled upon the kyushus's chamber. As she had predicted, Lora was seated at the desk engrossed in paperwork.
As she entered, Lora glanced up. "Rina," Lora greeted. "It's nice to see you."
"It's nice to see you too." Rina replied. "Did you want to see me?"
"Yes, actually. I've been assigned to tutor you."
"Really? In what?" Rina asked, pleased and flattered that she was to receive lessons from the head scientist.
"Mystical creatures care, handling, and use in war. And of course, lessons in training your striped herrk." Responded Lora. "Shall we start now?"
Rina nodded.
"Then come with me." Lora commanded. Lora placed the paperwork in a drawer and locked it with a key that had seemingly materialized. As soon as she locked it, the key seemed to become lost in her clothes and disappear.
Lora found a chair which she placed in front of an empty wall. As Rina sat down, Lora pinned up a large chart with a picture of a kyushus on it. Little boxes were printed beside certain body parts, no doubt explaining the function of the limb. Using a long metal pointer, Lora rapped on the paper.
"This, as you know is a kyushus," Lora lectured. "Originating in . . ."
An hour and a half later, Rina was released, only to be swept up away by yet another tutor, this time, by a thin, sour-faced women with hard, black eyes.
"Lady Arina." The women greeted with a curtsy, "I am Prudence, assigned to teach you proper etiquette."
"Arina?" Rina asked.
"Your full name, my lady."
"Oh, hello." Rina replied.
Prudence frowned. Rina shifted uneasily under her intimidating glare.
"Um. Did I do anything wrong."
"My lady, 'it is a pleasure to meet you, Prudence' is much more appropriate than a simple 'hello'."
"I'm sorry." Rina murmured as the lady's black eyes bore into hers. Prudence seemed to be waiting for something. "Um, it's a pleasure to meet you, Prudence."
Prudence went on as if nothing had happened. "First, before we start any lessons, we must go to the dressmakers. A lady must have several presentable dresses at all times. You certainly cannot wear that in public." Prudence spoke of Rina's dress with obvious disgust. "If you would follow me."
Prudence led Rina to the housing compartment and stopped in front of a small shop on the first floor with the words, DRESSMAKER, painted in big, bold, pink letters across the glass front. Brass bells hung on door alerted their entry. A lady in a simple homespun dress rushed up to them.
"Lady Prudence. Lady Rina." She curtseyed. "May I ask the reason for you visit."
"We are here to order some dresses for Lady Arina." Prudence replied.
"Please follow me." The dressmaker led Rina and Prudence deeper into the store where a couple of young girls, some no older than Rina, sat sewing. The dressmaker beckoned to one of them. "Lady Rina would like a couple of dresses, Mia. She will need to be measured." Mia nodded in understanding and led Rina to a raised wooden platform. As Mia measured Rina, Prudence ordered the dresses.
"I would like two corsets, a regular one and one with steel. Petticoats, lets see. How about three of satin, three of cotton, three of sheer, puffy fabric, as puffy as you can make it, and two of silk. I will also take three dresses, of which I will pick later."
Prudence turned to Rina. "Have you proper undergarments and nightgowns?"
"Of course!" Rina replied, color rising to her cheeks.
"Well in that case, we'll go pick the dresses. You may come along, Arina, if you are finished."
As Prudence followed the dressmaker to the back of the store, Rina hopped off the platform. "Step!" Prudence reprimanded without turning. "Ladies never hop like rabid rabbits. Try it again."
With burning cheeks, Rina climbed back onto the podium and lightly stepped off. When Prudence did not remark, Rina hurried after her retreating back.
The dressmaker was setting out large trays of fabric when Rina caught up with Prudence. "What colors would you like, my lady?" the dressmaker asked Rina.
Before she could answer, Prudence said, "black. One must be black. Every women must have a black dress. the design should be simple but elegant. The focus must be on the bodice of the dress and away from the sleeves and hem."
The dressmaker handed Prudence a tray of black sample fabrics to choose from. When she made her choice, she laid the piece of satin fabric on the table. "With black embroidery, too. And we'll need a sleeveless overrobe of this fabric." Prudence laid a sheer black piece of fabric on top of the black one. The colors were nearly identical. She continued, "The overrobe should be large, covering all but the sleeves and hem of the satin one. Make it as tight fitting and discreet as possible with designs on the bodice to give the impression that the overrobe is a complete dress, not an extension of the black one. This way, we'll save money on a new dress."
Prudence plucked a pastel pink piece from another tray. Laying it down besides the black ones, she directed, "This will make a nice dress, one for walks outside with nobility. This too should be simple but elegant. Make it light for sunny days, but still keep it formal. Silver and white embroidery will do, and some roses cannot hurt."
Finally, Prudence turned to Rina. "The final dress shall be a ball gown. You may pick that one, Lady Arina."
Rina grinned and dug through the trays. A piece of shiny gold caught her eye. She jerked it from the pile. "I like this one."
"A fine chose, milady." The dressmaker praised. Prudence nodded and placed a soft, sheer gold beside it.
"This can be used for trim." Prudence instructed. "Silver and gold embroidery. This one can be elegant and fancy. Actually, make sure it is elegant and fancy. It shall likely be worn when you first receive the throne, when there will not be time to sew another.
"Now for hats." Prudence ordered, turning away from the trays of fabric. The dressmaker hurried to lead Prudence to the hats section, while franticly gesturing for someone to file the notes she had taken and the chosen fabrics before they became disturbed.
Upon arriving, Prudence immediately picked up a black hat with a narrow rim and a wide black ribbon. "We'll take this one." She said, handing the dressmaker the hat. Prudence wandered the section. "This one will do." She held up a white wire hat with a pale pink ribbon and a cluster of pink and white roses. "Just make sure they fit Lady Arina and we'll be going. How long will it take to finish the clothes? "
"With the amount you ordered, two and a half weeks." The dressmaker answered.
"If possible, finish the black dress and the petticoats first. The others may be sewn later."
"Yes, my lady."
"If that is all, we will see ourselves out." Prudence left the store, with Rina at her heels. "Next, we will visit the shoemaker's. We shall need new dancing shoes."
Prudence led Rina up a flight of stairs to a row of shops on the second floor. She wandered the ten foot wide walkway that extended from the cliff face like a ledge and formed a sort of sidewalk in front of the shops. Prudence stopped by a shop labeled "Shoemaker".
When she entered, a rather pudgy man rushed up to shake her hand. He had tousled sandy hair with sleeves rolled up past his elbows and a brown leather apron. "Lady Prudence." He crooned. "What brings you to my humble shop?"
"Shoes, Igor. Shoes." Prudence replied stiffly. "You do make them still?"
"Of course I do, lady. Anything for you." Igor said, continuing to shake her hand.
Prudence withdrew her hand from his chubby ones. "I need shoes for Lady Arina."
"Well come right in, then." Igor waved his hand in a cordial gesture. "What kind of shoes might the lady want?"
"Dancing shoes." Said Prudence decisively. "One pair. White. And a pair of black leather ones."
"That I can do." Igor answered. "Step right up, lady."
Fifteen minutes later, the measurements finished. "There you are, lady. Free to go." Igor said to Rina as he rolled up his measuring tape.
"Come." Prudence said as she led the way to the door. She paused at the door, "I bid you good day." She said to Igor who had followed them.
"You are welcome back anytime, madam." Igor called after her as she walked away. Prudence nodded in acknowledgement.
At the bottom of the stairs Prudence turned to Rina. "Our time is up. You are free to partake in whatever activity you choose. Lessons will begin tomorrow."
A/N: I know this chapter's kind of short, but I went back and revised all off my previous chapters. I even changed the plot in some them so rereading them might be worth your effort. For those of you who don't, if you are confused about future events, you have only yourselves to blame. I'll be nice and give you a brief (very brief) summary:
Enter Rina
Rina is sold
She is caught at border
She enters Magical Forest
She goes through the Dunes of Disaster
She meets Jerrold
Attack at Midsummer Festival
She goes to secret base