my next update in like a kagillion years.. I don't know what to think of this chapter except it shows a lot about Jzet's personality and she makes some new friends...it's kind of like a stepping stone chapter.. one of those chapters you have to put in because you can't go around it, but it leads to better things...
brunette- I'll try my hardest not to.. I cross my heart and hope to die...
On Top of Cloud 9- wow thanks that was the nicest thing I have ever heard...
Jen62387-your absolutely right... I'll try to be more descriptive I swear... and I took your advice and tried a different angle on the training thing... I would appreciate if you have any ideas how I should take a different angle... because my brain doesn't function very well...lol thanks for the advice
Sirladyknight- yeah prat is a really cool word... I guess I read Harry Potter way to much! yeah thanks for liking the nickname...
Nativewildmage- yeah I had a couple of british training guys with the super thick accent... but I never heard of stick the doughnut before lol
I don't own anything Tammy does... so I guess I'll just have to go and write my own story to own it.. so ha!
edited version...Jzet woke up before dawn and retreated from her warm sheets to do some Shang exercises, to relieve her stress from yesterday. After a half an hour of exercising she climbed into a hot bath set out by Cora, her maid. After bathing the bell rang signaling the start of the day. Jzet changed into her page's uniform. She opened her door to see Kearney standing right outside.
"Kearney," she breathed. "You scared me." A small smile reached Kearney's lips.
"I just was wondering if you want to spend the day with me and my cousin Eoin, he just came back from Part Cayann with his knight master." said Kearney. "I just couldn't leave you here alone in the palace." he added in an afterthought.
"Well ok." said Jzet. "But first I need breakfast."
She walked swiftly down to the mess with Kearney at her heels. She reached over to grab a bowl of oatmeal off the tray when she heard a voice say:
"Cousin it's nice of you to join us." She turned around pivoting on her foot to see her cousin, Cole, standing right behind her.
"Cole where were you yesterday!" Jzet asked surprised.
"The roads were bad so it took us a day longer to reach Corus than father expected." explained Cole hugging her.
"Yeah I missed you." said Jzet. "I was hoping you would have sponsored me, but I didn't see you there so I gave up hope."
"So who did end up sponsoring you?" Cole asked. Just then Kearney walked up beside Jzet and looked at Cole.
"Who's he?"
Jzet's Yamani mask held back her laughter. "Kearney this is my cousin Cole, a third year page, and Cole this is my sponsor Kearney of Mandash, a second year page."
Cole and Kearney shook hands warily. "It's a pleasure to meet you Kearney." said Cole his gaze firm upon the young boy.
"Well I'm going to eat breakfast and then Kearney and me are going to visit his cousin." said Jzet. "I'll see you later Cole." Cole waved good bye and then walked out of the mess hall and towards the pages wing.
Jzet finished her oatmeal quickly and then she and Kearney started to walk towards the squire's wing of the castle.
"So what's your cousin's name again?" Jzet asked brushing a piece of hair off her face.
"Eoin and don't forget it." Kearney said sternly.
"I'll try not to."
Kearney then stopped abruptly in front of a door.
"This is Eoin's room." he said merrily knocking on the door.
Two knocks later the door opened and a tall blonde haired boy stood at the door.
"Kearney!" exclaimed the boy that had to be Eoin. He hugged Kearney tightly.
"Cousin, it's good to see you. How was Port Cayann?" Kearney asked. Jzet watched as the two boys exchanged stories and gossip until Eoin asked.
"Who is this lovely young lady?" Jzet looked at him with cold eyes she hated flirts.
"This is Page Jzet of Queenscove, I am her sponsor." said Kearney admirably. Eoin's eyebrows rose.
"A little old to be a page isn't she?" Eoin asked. Jzet wanted to scream 'Hello I'm right here I can hear everything your saying.' Instead she tried to smile politely.
"No my father also started when he was fifteen too." said Jzet trying to keep the smile fixed on her face, but failed miserably.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you." he said taking her hand and kissing it. Jzet felt like she wanted to throw up at his antics. After a minute of silence Kearney said:
"Well shall we go to Corus?"
"Yes of course cousin let's go." said Eoin his grey eyes still fixed on Jzet.
The day in Corus went fairly smooth except Eoin's constant flirtations. Jzet then left the two cousins in Corus before dusk to eat dinner in the mess hall with Cole.
After dinner Jzet decided to go to the practice courts to clear her mind and meditate on the days events. She sat in the dirt for an hour before a loud crisp voice broke her meditation.
"Ah you must be the page that is a Shang." Jzet opened her eyes to see a tall, dark skinned, muscular man leaning against the fence. He had black hair and brown eyes that matched the dirt. He was in his mid thirties to Jzet's guess and looked mysterious.
"Yes Sir I am." said Jzet getting up. She felt the pains and aches in her legs for sitting for so long. He hopped over the fence and walked steadily over towards her.
He bowed to her and she bowed back.
"I am the Shang Fox." said the man. "I teach the pages here hand-to-hand combat."
"Oh I beg your pardon." Jzet then bowed Shang style slapping the ground with her hands.
"There's no need for formality Shang-" the Shang Fox began.
"Wolf. I am the Shang Wolf from the Yamani Islands." said Jzet.
"It's an honor to meet you." he said. "Do you care to practice with me? I can teach you some moves from the eastern lands and you can teach the Yamani ones."
"I would be delighted to." Jzet said trying to hide her glee behind her Yamani mask. She didn't think there was any other Shang's inside the palace beside herself.
The Shang Fox began showing her simple eastern land techniques that she picked up quickly and then moved onto the harder ones before the bell rang signaling it was nine o'clock.
"So would you like to meet here every day you have off from page training than." said the Shang Fox wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"Yes sir that would be fine." said Jzet. "I need to go though before I get in trouble with my lord haMinich." Jzet bowed Shang style and then ran all the way up to the Pages wing. She was about to open the door when she heard a cold familiar voice.
"Where have you've been Yamani wench?" Jzet saw Luke of Grotten leaning against the stone wall casually.
"None of your business Luke." she shot back.
"You look like you were beaten up pretty well." he said a slight hint of glee was in his voice.
"I was training for your information so go away and leave me be." she said turning the key into the lock.
"You won't last long slut, so I would give up right now if you want to get out of this academy unbruised." said Luke sneering.
"Your meaningless words don't frighten me Luke," Jzet said her face as smooth as stone. "Now goodnight to you." Jzet then slammed the door in his face. She heard a small cry, something about his nose and then spontaneous cursing. After that a loud bang was heard which sounded like a door slamming.
Serves him right snooping around in other people's business. Jzet thought while soaking in her bath.
The next morning Jzet rose early as usual to practice some of her Shang combat drills that she learned from the Shang Fox yesterday. Afterwards she retired to a cool bath and then went down to breakfast. After a quick breakfast of oatmeal Jzet attended classes with her fellow pages.
"So what's the first class Kearney?" Jzet asked following her sponsor down the dimly lighted hallway.
"History and law," Cole said before Kearney could answer. Jzet looked over at Kearney who had a frown on his face.
"I'm her sponsor, not you." said Kearney angrily. "I'll show her around."
"Just trying to be a good cousin Mandash." said Cole not triggered from Kearney's sudden anger. He then slipped back to join his friend Nolan of Darroch.
"He thinks he's all that." mumbled Kearney.
After a minute of silence Jzet asked.
"So are there any other girl pages besides that Audrey girl and I?"
"Yeah there was a fourth year page last year named Addie of Naxen, but she's a squire now." said Kearney. He then stopped abruptly in front of an adjured door causing Jzet to bang into him. "Well here we are Sir Myles class."
"Can you give me a warning next time before you stop so abruptly?" Jzet asked feeling cross. Kearney just shrugged and led her inside.
She found a seat next to Kearney and Audrey in the front row. The teacher, Sir Myles was an old man (an extremely old man), but that didn't stop him from being a good teacher.
"Can anyone tell me about the Scanran war?" he asked his voice very hoarse. A couple of hands went in the air.
"Yes Dylan of Tirrsmont."
"Well the Scanrans began war after the warlord King Maggur united all of the Scanrans mostly by kidnapping nobles. He then invaded Tortall with small raiding parties doing some damage to the towns and fief's on the border. Eventually Tortall found out that the Scanrans had a new weapon which we called Killing Devices. They were big metal monsters that functioned on children's souls." Jzet shuddered. "Lady knight Keladry of Mindelan than destroyed their creator, a mage named Blayce of Galla. This stopped all the Killing Devices and helped Tortall win the war despite heavy losses."
"Very good Dylan does anyone have anything to add to that?" Sir Myles asked. Jzet crouched low in her seat praying to the goddess not to be called on since all she knew was Yamani history and just a little of Tortall's.
"Yes Luke,"
"When Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan destroyed the Killing Device she disobeyed direct orders from Sir Wyldon of Cavall making her a traitor even though she was let off." said Luke eyeing Cole. Cole growled.
"Take that back about my mom you thieving little-" Jzet shot her cousin a sharp look meaning to say 'drop it before you get in trouble'.
"Now Luke her actions helped us win the war. Without her destroying the Killing Devices Tortall and its neighboring countries might not be here today." said Sir Myles. This shut Luke up immediately and made him scowl in his seat.
The discussion went on about post war events and multiple battles.
The next class after that was etiquette to Jzet's discomfort. Jzet hated parties or anything with social interaction what so ever. Yamani's were people of solitude and independence and had little time to learn how to dance or go to balls. Master Oakbridge, the teacher of the class began teaching them some of the Court bows and curtseys. Jzet was cross at the end of the class failing to do a proper curtsey.
"Please tell me the next class is good." Jzet said her emerald green eyes pleading.
"Not unless you love mathematics it isn't." said Kearney. Jzet groaned even louder. She hated mathematics.
Mathematics was taught by a Mithran priest in an orange robe. Thankfully the Shangs and her father taught her enough for her to know the basic mathematical problems.
"Does this morning get any more boring?"
Jzet's words went against her. The next class was reading and writing and Jzet knew both. Time went slowly during this class until finally the bell rang signaling it was time for the last class before lunch.
"Do you have the gift?" Kearney asked. Jzet's eye twitched she hated her gift and hoped this question wouldn't come up.
"Yes," she mumbled keeping her eyes on the floor.
"Why are you so ashamed of your gift? It's a piece of you." said Kearney whistling a tune.
"Shang's aren't supposed to have the gift and I'm a Shang." hissed Jzet. "If the Shang's ever found out I possessed the gift I would be thrown into exile."
"That doesn't sound so bad." said Kearney. Jzet felt like whacking the naïve eleven year old. He didn't understand how painful that would be to her if she was thrown out of the Shang. She would disappoint her masters and her friends on the Yamani Islands. It would be like ripping out a piece of her soul.
"You wouldn't understand Kearney how bad it would be to me." said Jzet finally after trying to register Kearney's previous words in her mind.
"Well since you have the gift you'll be reporting to Master Numair Salamin that's his classroom there." said Kearney pointing to the door at the far end of the hallway. "I report to another teacher to help me understand magic since I am gift less myself."
Jzet waved good bye to her sponsor and then started walking towards class.
"Hey can I walk with you?" Jzet looked down to see her fellow year mate Audrey of King's Reach standing next to her.
"Yeah sure," said Jzet. "Where's your sponsor?" Audrey pointed to her brother, who was joking around with two of his year mates, Benson of Fenrigh also known as Ben and Dewitt of Disart a short blonde haired boy that Jzet once met at a party before coming to the castle to train
"Oh I see." said Jzet. "Michael's not very responsible is he?"
"No it's not that, I just feel uncomfortable with hanging around his friends." explained Audrey. "They really scare me."
Jzet chuckled. "Boys aren't that bad Audrey they're just kind of crazy sometimes." Audrey smiled.
"I know, but I prefer girl's better." she said as she pushed open the door.
"Well you'll have me to help you through this mad house they call a training academy." said Jzet a small smile seeping through her Yamani mask.
Master Numair then told them to take their seats. Jzet sat next to Audrey and Nolan of Darroch.
Master Numair started lecturing to them about what they would be doing in this class and the spells they would be learning. The lecture bored Jzet so much she found Audrey prodding her in the side to stay awake.
"Now class let's begin with a simple spell. One that makes water." said Master Numair his black gift flickering on his finger tips. Jzet and the other pages did the same. Jzet watched the emerald green light dance on her finger tips. She looked over at Audrey whose gift was yellow. She smiled back at Jzet and began twirling her fingers making the yellow light move.
"Ok class repeat after me." said Master Numair. He then began to chant. "Rushing water, flow-into the bowl fill it higher. Make the water flow, - fill the bowl with water in Mithros' name." The bowl Jzet was holding remained. She looked around to see that her fellow pages were unsuccessful except for Michael.
"King's Reach very good." complimented Master Numair waving his bowl around almost splashing Dylan of Tirrsmont. A blush of embarrassment was shown on Michael's face. Jzet could tell he didn't like the spot light. After experimenting with the water spell for another hour it was time for lunch.
After lunch was over it was time for Jzet's favorite thing, combat. They first went out to the stables to ride horses and learn how to use a lance.
This subject fascinated Jzet because she had little experience in riding horses when she was in the Yamani Islands and was eager to learn. She saddled up her horse, Tonisha, which in Yamani meant 'quiet one' and then trotted out to the practice ring.
Lord Padarig ordered the Page's to line up in a straight line across the ring. He then told them to trot. Jzet urged Tonisha to go, but she wouldn't budge.
"What's wrong Yamani wench can't ride a little old horsey?" hissed Craig of Marti's Hill. He then turned towards Faris and Danrizh and they burst out laughing.
Jzet groaned in frustration and started nudging Tania harder until the horse whined and broke out in a trot.
The next class was hand-to-hand combat taught by the Shang Fox. He winked at Jzet when she came in and she gave him a small wave.
"Jzet do you know that guy or something?" Cole asked looking suspiciously at her. Cole already knew she was a Shang so she told him in a whisper:
"Yeah I practice with him now." said Jzet. "You know the Shang stuff." Cole's eyes widen.
"You practice with him!" Cole exclaimed. "The Shang Fox is the toughest teacher we have next to the Rattler."
"Well I don't think he's so tough." said Jzet defensively. Cole just shook his head.
"Ok whatever," he said walking away to join his year mates in hand-to-hand combat.
"Ok first year pages today I will be teaching you how to fall." said the Shang Fox. "Any volunteers?" Two boys raised their hands.
"Ah Aidan of Hollyrose please come forward." said the Shang Fox a mischievous grin on his face.
"But I didn't raise my hand." he cried. Jzet could see the sweat forming on his forehead and bite her tongue so she wouldn't burst out laughing.
The Shang Fox grabbed Aidan by the arm and hoisted him over his hip. Aidan fell to the ground in a sloppy style getting a cut on his left elbow.
"That hurt," he whined holding his elbow. The Shang Fox patted the boy on the back.
"You're a page lad everything will hurt." he said. A few boys snickered.
"Yes sir," said Aidan his head hung low.
"Fine, what about Jzet of Queenscove? Would you like a go?" asked the Shang Fox his tone more serious. Jzet nodded and held her arm out. He threw her over his hip, but she fell properly slapping the ground.
"Very good Jzet, now who else wants to try?" said the Shang Fox. Jzet looked over at Brandon and Aidan who were frowning deeply at her.
After hand-to-hand combat they moved to working with staffs. This class was taught by Sergeant Torin a small, but assertive man.
"Ok first we're going to do some basic blocks, now pair up with your year mates and get going." said the Sergeant. Jzet then paired up with Audrey and they began the drill.
Audrey wasn't too good with a staff and Jzet ended up blocking everything with ease.
"Wow you're really good." said Audrey sucking on her bloodied up fingers.
"You want me to heal that?" Jzet asked her finger tips turning green.
"Queenscove!" barked the Sergeant. "Put that magic away! It's for sissies!" Jzet grumbled as the emerald green light disappeared.
After a few more minutes of hitting the staff back and forth the Sergeant came over to inspect them. He changed Jzet's positioning and Audrey's stance. He then spotted Audrey's bloody fingers.
"King's Reach what happened to your fingers?" demanded the Sergeant.
"They were hit by Jzet's staff." explained Audrey.
"Queenscove go be partners with Tarside." ordered the Sergeant. "And Hollyrose you can be with Audrey, maybe you'll have a chance at actually whacking her." A few boys sniggered at Aidan and Audrey as they became partners.
"Get back to work!" shouted the Sergeant making Brandon of Tarside jump.
Brandon was a good partner blocking her strikes at the right time and he was good at offensive attacks too. Jzet liked a challenge and Brandon was one. Soon the bell rang signaling it was time for archery.
"So how did you like Sergeant Torin?" Kearney asked sneaking up behind her.
"He's kind of loud." said Jzet truthfully. "I don't think my ears ever hurt so much in my life." Kearney chuckled.
"Well you better get used to it." he said. "The man is like that every day. I'm surprised he never gets a sore throat."
Archery was taught by Lord haMinich himself. Jzet luckily was instructed by the Shangs in archery so she hoped Tortallan archery was similar to the Yamani's. Unfortunalley she was mistaken. Jzet found out that Tortallans used longer bows and shorter arrows each time Jzet pulled back to release the arrow it would fall down to the ground.
"You call that archery Queenscove?" bellowed Lord haMinich over the sound of shooting arrows. Jzet bit her lip and tried again. After a few more attempts Jzet was finally able to shoot the arrow, but not really on target. Finally the bell rang ending Jzet's first day.
Dinner was soon over and it was time for her to do her homework. Jzet ended up going to the library with Audrey, Brandon, Dylan, and Aidan to do their homework.
"Ah Queenscove could you please fetch me my ink and quill I seemed to have left it in my rooms." Jzet looked up from her work to see Michael and his friends entering the library. Jzet knew about this 'hazing' as her father called it. She was told it was the only way to get respect from older pages. Jzet got up from her seat and fetched Michael his things.
"Thank you so very much." he said and then sat down with his friend's at the far table. Jzet grumbled as she sat down to finish her work.
"Michael can be so lazy sometimes." Audrey said looking at her brother.
"It's ok Audrey. I'm only earning my spot amongst the other pages." Jzet said chewing on her quill.
"Well I don't like it." she mumbled and then got back to work.
The days went on like this for about two weeks. Jzet found that she had no free time to practice with the Shang Fox or write her father. Luke of Grotten and his cronies were quiet for the next month not pestering her or Kearney much except for the occasional sneer.
Jzet was on her way to dinner when she bumped into Luke.
"Watch it Yamani slut." said Luke shoving her. Jzet kept herself calm, but her anger took control of her. As Luke turned away Jzet swung her leg across Luke's feet bringing him down to the ground. He let out a yelp and then retorted:
"So how many men have you slept with since you got here Jzet, twenty?" Jzet was about to jump on him when she saw a hand grip tightly on Luke's throat.
Jzet looked to see Prince Jonathan step out from around the corner. The prince let go of Luke and tossed him to the ground.
"You Luke shall never speak to Jzet that way again. Do you understand me?" Jzet was surprised at the Prince's sudden outburst. She had never even talked to him before.
"Yes Prince Jonathan," said Luke massaging his neck and then scurried away.
"I don't know how to thank you-" Jzet began, but the Prince cut her off.
"Please don't thank me." he said sternly, but it was meant to be kindly. "Luke has been bothering me for a long time with his poor attitude and his bad treatment towards Kearney and you. It was the least I could do."
"Your highness is to kind." she said. Prince Jonathan smiled.
"Believe me I don't do good deeds that often." said the Prince.
"Well I have to go, my friends are waiting for me." Jzet said. She was about to bow when the Prince asked:
"May I join you?" Jzet smiled.
"Of course," she said and then led her knew companion to the mess hall.
well this chapter reveals that Jzet hates flirting and doesn't like romance... being a stiff shang... but she is a very easy person to make friends with blah blah...
so review and please I need suggestions for this story!