As dawn broke over the hills and pierced through the windowpane of Midori's room. A white cat stretched luxuriously and purred as the sun warmed her back. Midori rolled onto her stomach and looked down at the cat with bleary, red-rimmed eyes.
"You were crying in your sleep, I heard you. Bad dream?" asked the cat.
"I suppose, Nicole. I dreamt of my shield, it felt so real…but then Kalen told me to move on, then I was being beaten by Jarvis. Jarvis told me that I betrayed his 'love'. And then I died after a blow to the head." Midori told her, taking her glaive and testing its familiar weight with a shaking hand and beginning a pattern dance.
"Really? What did it—the shield look like?" Nicole asked sounding surprised.
"It…well it had a pale ocean-blue background with the symbol of an olive leaf being consumed in green fire. "'The Healers' Branch" they called it"
"Hmm. Do you suppose it was a vision? You are watched by a Seer Goddess you know." The cat pointed out.
"I'm not sure if I just dreamt it or if it means anything…" Midori admitted.
Nicole sighed, changing into her woman form, and collected plain clothes and boots that magically appeared at her side. "Get dressed. We'll talk later, after I see these friend's of yours."
Midori nodded and did as she was told, quickly getting on clean breeches, shirt and tunic. Slipping on some boots, she asked. "What significance did the shield have? I know its image holds something…I just can't figure out"
"Don't trouble yourself, yet." Nicole chided softly quickly changing and going into the privy to splash water on her face. "Look, it's going to be a beautiful day out, and who knows what will happen?"
Midori hung her glaive back up on its hooks and sighed, feeling better as she looked out to the bright sunshine out the window. "Maybe it's just…isn't that…Oh great, just wonderful! Father and Aunt have to go back to New Hope!"
"They've got business there, Midori." Nicole told her as she saw a man ride out with a company of men and one woman.
"But they get to actually help thier country while I'm stuck here training. I could help da in the infirmary!" she cried. "I could save the wounded before they died…I could have…If I knew sooner…"
"You wish you could have saved Kalen and your uncle and Shale when you had the chance" finished Nicole with a sympathetic look.
Midori's face fell and she nodded sadly. "I only know the basics of healing but I want to know more. So I can heal to repay those I've killed"
"I'll teach you if you want?"
"You will?" Midori's mouth broke into a grin.
"I can" nodded Nicole.
"Thank you" Midori replied, in barely a whisper.
Nicole pulled Midori back from the doorframe, as she was about to exit. "Is that he, the boy who beat you? Jarvis?" she gestured to the tough-looking blonde boy walking down the hall.
"Yes, but it was only a dream…" Midori told her friend.
"You can never be too careful," muttered Nicole as she scowled and bared her teeth in a threatening way, hissing slightly at Jarvis' back.
"Your too cat-like for your own good." Commented the girl-squire.
"Instincts are sharper this way, Midori" Nicole replied, her features softening into a smile.
Rolling her eyes, Midori made her way to the mess hall, chuckling to herself. At the mess hall, it was unnaturally silent except for the clatter of cutlery and the busy cooks in the kitchen. Any conversation, if any, was spoken in whispers. Getting her food, she walked to her normal spot but froze in mid-step as Jarvis stood from a seat and blocked her way. "I told you I'd get you someday, Queenscove, and without Hawk-boy here to protect you…I suppose you're mine for the taking" the boy hissed.
Rage crackled and burned her throat as she replied icily. "I am no one's for the taking, you sick rat!"
Jarvis chuckled, "You've softened even more Queenscove. I would have thought a girl like you would've broke down at Hawkboy's death and committed suicide. But considering I paid those raiders to kill him, his death was meaningless…"
Midori looked shocked. "You didn't!" she cried.
"I did. Now with that news I bet you'll sleep soundly tonight in tears" Jarvis taunted.
Midori took her bowl of porridge in her hand and had the sudden urge to instead stab him with her fork but decided against it and dumped the porridge over Jarvis' head and ran.
With Jarvis' furious yelling and the laughter of the spectators ringing in her ears, Midori dashed through the halls, trying to escape if Jarvis ever decided to run after her. She suddenly felt herself on her back, a figure looming over her. The figure laughed and held out a hand, hazel eyes sparkling. "Who you running from, lass?" a warm voice asked.
"Someone who is very angry and probably wants to wring my neck for dumping porriage on his head" she murmured, feeling guilty and taking the hand, hoisting herself up.
"You've come to the right person" the man remarked.
Midori realized who it was. "George!" she grinned. She knew the baron from her father's trips to Pirates Swoop; often he would bring her along to play with Thom's son and daughter, not twins, as many expected.
"Aye lass it's me. As for your hiding spot, I know just the place," George told her. "The Dove." He gave her a wink and walked off.
She nodded and told him to meet her outside in a few minutes. She watched the baron walk back along the hall and turn a corner.
"Nicole?" Midori whispered. "Nicole!" she called, looking for her white cat.
"Here!" Nicole replied, trotting up in cat form. "Are you going somewhere? Because you'll need a chaperone if you're going to the city"
"George Cooper's coming with us." Midori explained.
"The Rogue's King?" Nicole cocked her head to one side.
"No, you silly, the baron of Pirates Swoop, he's no longer the King of Thieves." Midori laughed.
Nicole nodded and hopped onto Midori's shoulder, "I like being high up here, makes me seem important." Midori only laughed harder as her friend stuck her with a claw behind the ear making her yelp in pain. "More important things to worry about then my comments, like your safety if Jarvis catches up with you."
"Yes" Midori broke into a run and hurried to the stables, not bothering to tack her mare as she mounted.
"Riding bareback are we?" George inquired. "Like warriors of old. And riding with a supernatural cat upon her shoulder, she acts more and more like my lass and Keladry everyday. Neal's quirkiness has snagged a bit of her manner, I told the boy he'd regret having passed his attitude onto his children, but he didn't listen…" George chuckled, "she is like her parents in some way…" he mused, leading his own mare to the entrance of the temple district.
Slowing Yukiko to a walk, Midori gazed around the city and smiled at the many sights. She had only passed the city a few times but had forgotten the sense of freedom Corus gave her.
Tying their horses outside the Dove, George took Midori, with Nicole on her shoulder, inside.
Midori's mouth curled into a wide grin at the smiling faces around her. "Surprise!" her friends and family cried.
She gazed at George who had sat next to Alanna. "You knew all along!" she accused.
George shrugged, "And spoil the surprise your friends had so carefully planned? I tghink not!"
"So I was supposed to get Jarvis angry?" Midori asked.
"Well, not that part, but you did happen upon me in your escape, so it worked out" George laughed as Midori frowned.
Her friend's crowded around her and laughed when she told them about beating Jarvis, she also told them about Nicola, the she-cat shifted to her human form and was introduced.
"Faithful's Blessing?" Alanna inquired, as Nicole told them about the reason she could shift into the form of a cat.
"Yes." Nicola nodded. And she told them about her reasons about being sent to Midori. Alanna's serious look diminished as she remembered her squire hood friend. Alanna gripped her ember stone. "Yes. There are traces of his magic in your core. Purple, like his eyes."
"And yours, Alanna" Nicole smiled.
Alanna nodded, chuckling, "Yes. And mine."
Amyl passed Midori a glass of lemonade and raised her glass, as did the others. The scene reminded Alanna of her squire years, after Francis of Nond, Raoul's 'blonde shadow' had died of the Sweating Sickness. Except for Alexander of Tirrigan, the friends had all gotten quite close. Much was the same for this group. It had taken squire Kalen's death to bring them all closer, but Alanna wished for the sake of these friends, no traitor lay in their midst as well.
"A toast." Amyl continued, as everyone raised his or her glass, "To Midori's sixteenth birthday, to knighthood and to friendship. So mote it be." She murmured.
"To Midori's sixteenth, knighthood and to friendship!" the four repeated, jovially. The four brought their glasses together in a solid clink as others raised their glass in agreement.
Birthdays came and went. Knighthood passed over time. But friendship lasted your whole life.
And Midori realized with a sharp pang of bitterness, that Kalen would no longer be with her, would not celebrate another ball or birthday. All in all, never be with her again.
She could not help but think it was her fault.
In a way it had been.
Now that Kalen was out of the way.
Another man could claim her heart and soul.
A man she had no desire to, and ever would love…
The beautiful—but dark.
Jarvis of Stone Mountain.