Chapter Three
When Kalwen awoke, Irene was in the room. She handed Kalwen a glass of water.
"Do you feel better now?" Irene asked gently.
Kalwen shook her head. Her face was streaked with tears.
"Kalwen, I'm Irene, the Shang Wolf. I knew your mother. She was Kiladane the Shang Fox. You're in the Shang Academy in Whitefang Mountains. Since your mother has departed this world, you'll be living with us."
Kalwen listened, a few stray tears trickling down her face. Her brown hair was in a knotted mess, and her eyes were dull.
"You'll train as a Shang, and then, Kalwen, you'll be able to travel all over. You'd like that won't you?" Irene asked.
Kalwen nodded.
"Good," Irene smiled. "Come with me, we'll get you cleaned up and dressed proper."
Kalwen left the bed and clutched Irene's calloused hand. They went to a large room in the side of the building with a sign 'Bathhouse'.
A group of young women took Kalwen and undressed her. They washed her, and after about half an hour, Kalwen came out of the baths looking refreshed and pink. She was dressed in a ivory dress Irene had brought. Her long brown hair was dried and plaited.
Irene was waiting for the young girl with a bag in hand. She showed Kalwen to a dormitory. It had a total of four beds. Irene set the bag down by the one closest to the door.
"This is the girl's dormitory for first-year cadets. You'll be staying in here, Kalwen. Miss Mariah is your dormitory's supervisor. Since you're already dressed, I'll take you to the dining hall."
Kalwen followed Irene to a large hall, set with long rows of tables. Overhead hung banners with the crests of the Shang Dragon, Phoenix, and Griffin. The Shang Immortals. Irene led her to a table where three other girls around her age were seated. Then she herself went up and sat next to a graying old man on the dais.
Kalwen smiled shyly at the other girls, but didn't say anything. They glared pointedly back at her and resumed their own conversation.
"Silence!" The old man next to Irene stood, and clapped his hands loudly together. Every head in the hall turned towards him.
"We give thanks to our Gods and Goddesses, different they may be, for the plentiful food and love they give us. Please help our children overcome their sorrow and despair and become strong." He sat down. Kalwen perceived in the back of her mind that he was talking about her, but didn't fully comprehend.
Dinner was a boring affair. Kalwen ate potato soup with bread, and drank ice cold water. Health was as important for the Shangs as combat. The three other girls, whom she had learned were named Pamela, Shauna, and Alisha, ignored her and occasionally made malicious remarks about her. Kalwen didn't know why. Later, she figured out that this was because she was a commoner, and they were nobles.
Kalwen met the silent Kaeldros again, right after dinner. He gave her a smile, but said nothing. She shyly smiled back. He was again with Paul, who seemed to be his supervisor.
"G'night Kalwen," said Paul, and gave her a fatherly hug. Kalwen hugged him back. She was herded back to her room by a tall, thin lady, Miss Mariah.
"G'night everyone," she murmured softly, settling in her bed cot.