Chapter 6

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I had never gone through a cave before. Considering this, the virus panic had left me with a fear of caves that was both rational and totally impractical. As we approached Mist Cave, the grown-ups all seemed undaunted by the dark damp tunnel that lay before us; I was shaking.

As soon as we walked inside I felt a presence that threatened to be menacing, but I also sensed that it had a great capacity to be benevolent. As obvious as she already was, Tazé's own presence beside us grew suddenly overwhelming.

"It's okay," she informed us. "It's only Mist; she's a little uncomfortable, but she won't do us any harm."

"Where is it?" Daddy demanded, his eyes darting around for a very real and tangible dragon that his failing sight couldn't have seen anyway.

"You can't see her," Tazé informed calmly. "She will only manifest if I call on her."

"But there's something there!" Daddy insisted.

"Don't attempt to understand things you know nothing of," Tazé advised. "You have enough to worry about as it is; Mist would only be a monkey-wrench in your thoughts."

The path through the cave was very straightforward, and Tazé knew every twist and turn of it like she knew her own face. In fact, the passage was so small and straight that we could see the exit many hundred yards before us. Enough natural light poured in from both entrances that only the deepest corners and the very center of the cave were unlit. We didn't even need to cast a Fire spell to light the way.

"I used to play in this cave as a child," Tazé said dreamily. "I think that's why Mist became so comfortable with me. Everyone else feared her, but I never did; in time, she allowed me to summon her. Everyone thought that I was a wonder-girl, but I believe that it was just because I did what I thought was best. I've always thought that your heart will lead you to what is right, even if it doesn't look so great."

"I don't understand," Daddy stated flatly.

"Well, everyone was afraid to get too close to Mist, because they feared her power. And she was lonely. They all told me not to disturb her, but I was curious. So I began coming here frequently and we two became friends. Everyone in the town was scared to death that I would anger our patron eidolon and bring about our destruction, but our friendship has made her stronger than ever. If one person does the right thing, even if everyone else is doing something else, it makes a difference."

"Now that I understand," Daddy agreed.

At last we came to the other end of the cave, and it was time for Tazé to bid us farewell.

"I ought to return home, but I would have loved to accompany you to he city. I've only been once, myself," she lamented.

"You should come with us," Daddy suggested. "Sammy and I are only staying a day or two ourselves; they wouldn't miss you that much."

Tazé laughed. "As much as I'd love to, I really couldn't leave my baby for so long. Surely you understand?"

"Of course," Mama agreed. "You'll give our regards to your family, and to Liam, won't you?"

"Absolutely. Good luck in the city, Anna. I hope that you enjoy school."

I grinned a proud thank you, glad that she cared. It was a sad thing, but I never did see Tazé again.

Baron was the largest and most powerful kingdom in the world at that time. It included a strategic peninsula with a small desert in the center of it and an excellent spot in the ocean which it hadn't used in many years. It also included a mountain range that stretched into the desert from which we had just come; it almost touched Kaipo, which didn't really belong to anybody. The territory also came shy of touching Mist, which, as far as politics was concerned, didn't exist.

The expanse of the civilized part of the kingdom was visible from the hilly area near the mountain range the cave was built into. There were various small towns dotting the landscape with spidery roads connecting them. Eventually the roads all came to a crux and led in one direction up to the big city, which was built in a circle around the castle.

I had never seen a castle before either. The sight of the enormous white and grey stone building was enough to make me sit down for a second. I was glad that I would be staying in the city and not in the castle; I would have never found my way out again!

It took us a whole day to approach the city gate. And beyond it, in the dim light of late evening, the streets were emptying. Even so, there were still more people around than the entire population in Kaipo combined. Even the inns were bigger here, accomodating more people and making more money.

"This has to be the most amazing place I've ever seen," I stated that night as the three of us ate dinner in our room. "Everything is so big and shiny here. I don't think I could have memorized this entire city if I had lived here my whole life!"

"So you're enjoying yourself so far?" Mama noted.

"Yes! I can't wait to meet the head mistress tomorrow; I'm so excited!"

"It's great that you're so excited, but you don't have to stay here if you don't like it," Daddy informed. "If you don't feel comfortable, you can still come home with us."

"Don't worry about that, Daddy; I have a feeling I'm going to have a great time here."

"Don't be so sure," he cautioned. "Remember: these other girls aren't like you. Surely, they're all talented if they're at this school, but probably not as talented as you, I'd wager."

"That's sweet of you, Daddy, but I'm not too concerned about that. I'll make friends."

"It's not making friends that I'm worried about. There are going to be people who are jealous of you—plenty of them. If anyone gives you any trouble, I want you to write us about it, okay?"

"Tellah, are you trying to scare her? This is her first venture outside of Kaipo, and we want her to feel confident, not nervous," Mama scolded. "Don't listen to him. Anyone who doesn't adore you right away should drop dead."

"What if I do meet people who don't like me?"

"Ignore them. But if they do give you a lot of trouble, you need to tell someone—a teacher, a counselor, the head mistress—"

"Even us," Daddy interjected. "You can always come home if it gets too bad; no one would think any less of you for it."

"Daddy, I'm not going to drop out in the middle of a semester just because some bullies decided to pick on me. I'm a lot stronger than you think," I retorted.

It was plain to see that Daddy didn't like the idea of me being so far away. He really was trying to scare me into quitting and coming back home so that he could keep an eye on me. I wished that I knew what it was he was afraid of and that I could ask him about it without causing a fight.

All the same, I went to sleep that night still full and proud of myself, confident that I would get on just fine in the morning. Daddy wasn't going to rain on this parade.

The next day, we traveled to the heart of the city to visit the campus. The whole school—classrooms, libraries, cafeteria, dormitories and offices—took up an entire block. By far more manageable than the huge castle. At the main entrance, an aging woman with reddish-brown hair stood scanning the streets. She was wearing a red dress and a darker red cloak bearing the school's crest. She also wore a red hat with a white feather tied to the brim with a brown ribbon.

She's a red mage, I instantly thought.

When she saw us coming, she ran up to us, smiling merrily.

"Good morning," she greeted. "You must be the Faraxhae family," she guessed.

"Indeed," Daddy agreed, shaking her hand. "How did you know?"

"I noticed your daughter is carrying a trunk," she observed. "We have an appointment for a tour of the school today, yes? I am headmistress Mona Tiffany."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Tellah, and this is my wife, Samantha."

"And this must be Anna," the headmistress concluded, holding out her hand to me. "It is a pleasure to meet a new student, any day. Welcome to Sparrow's Wing Academy."

"Thanks," I answered shaking her hand. "It's an honor to be here, ma'am. I can't wait to get started."

"Neither can we. Shall we go inside?"

Headmistress Tiffany led us inside to the lobby. I felt a shiver of excitement run down my spine. This was my new school! I wished that I knew Metis' real name so that I could ask after her.

Tiffany led us first to a large dressing room with several closets. "I forgot to ask in the letter that I sent you," she said to Mama. "What class of magic does Anna study?"

"It's actually a bit of a gray area," Mama admitted. "Black, mostly, but she does know a lot of low-level white magic as well. So… I suppose that she is a red mage."

"Excellent," Tiffany said at last, striding over to one of the closets. "Even if she leans closer to the black end of the spectrum, we have a recent shortage in red mages such as myself. We can bring her up to speed quickly, if she is as gifted as you have told me."

"She's already begun studying the –Ja level spells," Daddy informed.

"Already? She'll be just fine here, then," she agreed and opened the closet. It was full of uniforms. There was one for all three classes—black, white and red—and they all consisted of the same basic pieces—a plaid skirt, a short-sleeved shirt with the school crest embroidered on the front, and a mage's robe—only in different colors.

"Anna, what size do you wear?" Tiffany asked, assessing the red mage uniforms.

"Oh, uh…. I'm really not sure," I answered.

She eyed me for a second, assessing size, and returned to the uniforms. At last she picked one out and handed it over to me. "I think this one will work. Go in that room over there and try it on," she directed.

Whatever conversation went on outside was lost with the thick and magic-proof walls of the dressing room. Trying on my uniform was a blast; I had never actually seen myself in red. After posing a few times in front of the mirror, I stepped back out.

"So, what do you think?" I asked everyone, turning a circle for them to see. It was a great uniform, and it looked great on me: a red shirt with a flattering but not low-cut neckline and short slightly off-the shoulder sleeves, a plaid pleated skirt that fell just above my knees—the shortest skirt I had ever worn—and a red, sleeved cloak that fastened across my shoulders. All that I needed now was a red feathered hat like Tiffany wore and I would be the perfect student.

Mama and Tiffany were very impressed. The sizes suited me: rare, on the first try, which must have been a good sign.

"I never realized quite how tall you were until now," Mama mused. "The skirt becomes your height."

"Red is an excellent color for her," Tiffany added. "She's simply gorgeous!"

I was really proud of my new uniform and how everyone seemed to like it. I felt like the best dressed girl in the world.

But Daddy didn't like it at all.

"That skirt is way too short," he protested. "Someone ought to take the hem out or something."

"All our girls were skirts like this," Tiffany informed him calmly. "Actually, the red mages have longer skirts than the others."

"Is that true?" Daddy asked skeptically.

"Since red mages are more active than the others, it's only practical. Our red mages train with short and long swords, bows, spears, javelins and lances, nunchucks and fighting staffs," Tiffany explained. "Of course, she'll also be alloted several sets of clothes for training: pants and a shirt in her colors."

"The pants, I can stand; I don't like it, but at least they cover her legs. Surely you don't mean to say that you make your students walk around showing off that much skin like whores?" Daddy demanded.

If his last remarks had wounded my pride a little, this one was like a dagger plunged into my heart. He didn't just think that I was unattractive, he though I looked like a whore. I thought that I was going to cry. Luckily, Tiffany wasn't going to stand for such talk about her students.

"I can't speak for every single child living on this campus, but I will firmly warn you that none of the students that I know are whores," she growled, deeply offended as I was. Mama looked ready to say soemthing too, but we were interupted by two girls walking into the room.

"Mistress Tiffany, they told us you would be here," stated the first, who carried a clipboard.

"Oh, hello dears," Tiffany greeted. "I'm really in the middle of something right now… But maybe you can help me with something?"

"Sure," the other girl agreed.

Tiffany beckoned them forward. "These two unpstanding young women are my TA's, Goza Luciano and Monique Champlain."

The two nodded their heads politely, happy to be there despite Daddy's menacing glare. Goza wore the white mage's uniform, all white with bright red accents, but, as Tiffany had explained, her skirt was usbstantially shorter than mine. Still, her fingertips, relaxed at her side, didn't reach past the hemline. She was so pretty, her dark blonde hair pulled back neatly in a pony-tail and her pale blue eyes lined lightly with black eyeliner, painted modestly with a glittery shade of gold that made her eyes seem brighter.

Monique was also pretty—nay, beasutiful. Her skin was dark, the color of coffee with a little cream, and her glossy hair was a brown so dark that it was almost black. She wore the black mage's uniform, royal blue—despite the black magic that it stood for—trimmed with yellow. Instead of the simple flats that Goza was wearing, Monique wore tall black boots that almost reached her short hemline. Her brown eyes required no fancy colored paints, but they were ringed with a thin line of black. Her eyes looked like jewels.

"These two have been incredicble assistants," Tiffany explained. "They want to teach here after they graduate; they'll be grand educators, to be sure.

"So, Mr. Faraxhae, what were you saying about my students?"

"That their manner of dress is more becoming of street-girls than upstanding magic students. It gives magic a bad name, the way they tolerate such a dress policy. They ought to be emabarassed!" Daddy answered, totally unabashed.

I started edging away back to the little room I had changed in, my hurt changed to utter humiliation. Perhaps Goza and Monique were too focused on my father and hadn't noticed me yet. As it was, they seemed a little surprised but not too worried about him.

Mama punched him hard in the shoulder. "Mini-skirts don't make a girl evil, Tellah," she scolded. "You never minded when I wore them."

"We were stupid teenagers, like these young people, and you were my girlfriend," Daddy countered. "My stupid girlfriend is one thing, but my daughter is another thing entirely. The parents of these two girls should be appalled."

Daddy was going a little too far, calling Goza and Monique stupid; he obviously wasn't including me in the collection of stupid young people he mentioned, for his daughter was far too superior to be called stupid.

Still, they didn't seemed incredibly fazed.

"I've never thought the skirts were too bad," Monique insisted, sticking it to Daddy by addressing everyone but him.

"The only thing I don't like about them is that the newer ones shrink when you wash them," Goza added. "That's a pain."

I was grateful from the bottom of my heart that they weren't bothered too badly. It was comical: with their mini-skirts, make-up and outspokenness, Daddy had every reason to think that these two were bad news. In his mind, a good girl was simple, modest and quiet. Quiet, above all.

But I was getting very tired of him trying to keep the coversation floating over my head, where he thought it belonged. I had opinions of my own—some of which I couldn't say out loud, no matter how badly I wanted to—and I was going to make them known, darn it.

"I like the skirts," I stated firmly. Everyone suddenly turned and looked at me as if they had just noticed me for the first time. "And I don't think it's fair of you to call them stupid just because you don't agree with what they're wearing, Daddy."

Daddy was taken aback; it wans't like me to jump into conversations witout an invitation—the way he had taught me all my life. It took him a moment to find a counter for my statements.

"So you're saying that you want to dress like a street-walker?" he demanded.

I could have strangled him. Once again he was calling me names and totally missing the point!

"If I wanted to dress like a whore, I would cut about six inches off of the skirt, wear a lot of cheap, tacky jewelry, big ugly boots and really bad make-up, like the popular girls back home," I informed. "Besides, these skirts are way more comfortable than the long dresses you make me wear in the desert in the summer."

Before he could critisize my judgememtn again, Mama punched his shoulder again.

"She has a point, you know. So you don't get your way—grow up and act like you have some sense," she scolded. "It's not like a mini-skirt automatically paints a target on her back and screams 'I'm a whore! Rape me!'"

"Sammy—!"

"That's enough, Tellah. Now apologize to these two patient young ladies who put up with your insults so gracefully."

There was absolutely nothing that he could do, now that Mama had commanded him. He mumbled an incincere apology to Monique and Goza, who readily accepted it anyway.

"And apologize to the headmistress for throwing a tantrum in front of her and wasting her time."

Again, an incincere apology from Daddy, who believed he hadn't done anything wrong.

"And apologize to Anna for making fun of her and making her look like a freak in front of her peers and headmistress."

"I've done no such thing!" Daddy insisted.

"You said that she looked like a whore twice!" Mama pointeed out, as flabbergasted with him as I was. "Your behavoir hurt her feelings and made her look like that girl with the crazy over-protective father that no one wants to touch."

"How do you know that?"

"I've been paying attention to something other than her clothes, like her face and the way she keeps trying to slink away from you."

"It's true," I agreed. "At one point, I was about to cry."

"And there you have it," Mama concluded. "Now you look deep inside your selfish heart and think about the fact that your daughter almost cried because of you."

Something seemed to strike a vein at last. Daddy truly looked sorry for the first time. For a moment he studied my face: hurt and humiliation had vanished, replaced with exasperation and quiet rage.

"I'm sorry."

I think he meant it; he sounded sorry enough, but it was difficult to tell with him.

That short unhappy chater of our lives over, the headmistress led us out of the dressing room and into the hallway to continue our tour. As she walked, Goza and Monique followed closely behind her.

"Ma'am, if we may?" Monique asked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear. What was it that you wanted?" Tiffany asked.

"Some forms just arrived; something to do with transfer students, I think," Monique explained, and Goza produced a small stack of papers from her clipboard.

"There's a note that says 'Urgent' attached to the stack," Goza added.

"I'll get to it as soon as I can," Tiffany assured them, taking the papers and regarding the top form for a breif moment. "Now, there is something I need you two to do for me."

"Sure," Monique agreed.

"What is it?" Goza asked cheerily.

"Well, this young lady is Anna Faraxhae; she's a new student this semester," Tiffany explained, motioning for me to come forward. "She could use a few friends to show her around the school and the rest of the city. I'd like the two of you to look after her."

The two girls looked excited at the prospect of a new friend. I was excited as well; it would be nice to have more than just one friend on my list. I had a feeling that the three of us would get along just fine.

No matter what Daddy thought of them.

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Author's Notes…

I've taken a long time to finish this chapter, and I'm sorry. I've been very busy writing other thigns for my AP English class. It's a college-level class, so it is very difficult to keep up. Finally, I've gotten a wee bit of a break.