"You passed all your finals with flying colors; therefore the school is offering you a trip north with professor Silvertongue and a few other students to work with her in her experiments and other such things."
"Oh thank you so much!" Mari jumped up and shook the Madames hand. "I won't let this school down, I promise you!"
"I know you won't Ms. Drake. You leave at the end of this week, so gather what you need, talk to professor Silvertongue about what is required, and be prepared to go north. Be prepared for anything while you are there though,"
Mari nodded eagerly. "I will be prepared for anything!"
"Very good Ms. Drake. Now you best go and get prepared. You may even leave before I was told."
"Thank you so much!" Mari stood and raced back to her room with Klitus close on her heels. "Do you think this is a coincidence?" She asked him.
"I don't think so. I think professor Silvertongue wants to reward us for helping her."
"She shouldn't! We weren't able to help all that much!" Mari quickly began packing some of her belongings. "I suppose we should go and speak with her about what and what not to bring..."
"Yes, let's go."
On their way to Lyra's office, they were stopped several times and congratulated. One time they were stopped was quite odd...
"Ms. Drake? May I speak with you?"
Mari stopped and turned to see one of her classmates, Andrew, waiting for an answer. One of the boys buildings had burned down in an accident, so they had to come to the girls school for the time being. "Andrew! Nice to see you! Sure, I have a moment, but please, call me Mari. What's up?"
"Well I was wondering... maybe... if you wanted to go out this Saturday?" His wolf daemon sat beside him and her fur stood on end.
She smiled and nodded, but stopped. "I really want to Andrew, but I can't."
"May I ask why not?"
"I'm leaving. Maybe when I get back?"
"When will you be back?"
"I-" She cut herself off. "I don't know... I may know after I speak with professor Silvertongue though, if you would like to come."
He shook his head. "Um, no. That's all right. Maybe I'll see you when you get back,"
She nodded. "I'll try and find you once we get back."
Andrew smiled. "I'd like that. I'll see you then I guess,"
Mari smiled one last time at him and nodded. "Yes, I'm really sorry."
"It's all right. I understand. You have your research to work on, I can wait."
Her breath caught in her throat. 'He wants to wait? For me?' She thought to herself. Mari glanced at Klitus and smiled. "I'll try and hurry back, I'll send you letters if you'd like."
He quickly scribbled an address onto a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Hope to hear from you soon,"
"Don't worry you will," She turned and made her way to the professor's office. She quickly made a list of things to bring and send off to leave with her parents. On her way back to her room, she had one more strange encounter.
"So Mari,"
She stopped in her tracks. Anybody who was anybody knew that voice; it was Paul. The most popular boy in the school. "Paul!"
Klitus' fur stood on end. He didn't like this boy, and he always made sure Mari knew that.
"I hear you're going north as well,"
"Y-yes,"
"Maybe we could hang out sometime."
"If we have time," She said nervously.
His golden eagle daemon fluttered her wings as if to show off.
'Why are there so many bird daemon's around here?' She wondered to herself.
"Sounds good," He smiled.
She nodded nervously. "I'll... um, see you around..."
"Yes, most definitely,"
Mari continued on her way, but Klitus' fur still stood on end. "I still don't trust him at all. Him or his daemon,"
"Oh, you're just paranoid." Mari chuckled. "I'm sure he's good-"
"For someone who's like him. Mari, we aren't like him or his daemon. We're smart, like Andrew. Between the two I like Andrew a lot better."
Mari sighed. "Yes,"
"We have time before you have to choose."
"Not really, Paul will be in the north with us, while Andrew will be around here." She sighed once more. "Well I can talk to professor Silvertongue. She'll help me out."
"Most definitely she will. Just don't choose between the two quickly. That always turns out the worst."
Mari quietly agreed. "Let's finish packing. Then tomorrow we can go out in Oxford and buy the supplies needed."
The next day Klitus woke Mari up. "We best go get those supplies,"
She nodded, yawned and quickly got ready to go. "I still can't believe we're leaving."
Klitus nodded and looked around nervously. "Me either,"
"What's wrong Kli? You're acting strange,"
"I'm fine. I just feel like something's wrong. I don't know what it is though, I haven't heard anything at all this morning. It's just a feeling,"
Mari's skin crawled. "Yes, I can sense it as well. What do you think happened?"
Klitus shrugged. "Maybe it's nothing. I don't know. Let's just not worry about it, and focus on what's happening now. I have a feeling professor Silvertongue will want to leave sooner than the master thought. Maybe that's what's going on, I don't know. Let's just get going,"
"Your paws are just itching to travel, aren't they?"
"Yes!"
Mari laughed. "Well, I'm ready to leave as well. I'm tired of being stuck here, I'm ready to see the world."
Klitus lead the way out into the city, and Mari walked around finding the books and clothes she needed. She stopped for lunch, and had an unexpected guest.
"Andrew!"
"Hi Mari, may I sit down?"
"Of course!"
He smiled, and sat down, with his daemon laying down, talking with Klitus. "How are you?"
Mari shrugged. "All right I guess. I'm kind of stressed out, making sure I have all the proper supplies for the trip."
Andrew nodded. "I've never been on a trip like the one your going on, but I can kind of understand." He looked at all the bags surrounding her. "Can you carry all of that?"
"Yes, I can, amazingly, but I still have more to buy. I was going to head back and put this stuff away and then head back out to the city and buy the last of it."
"Well, if you would like, I could come with you and help you carry this stuff. Mandara can help with some as well,"
"Mandara?"
"Oh! I forgot introductions! This is Mandara, my daemon."
Mari smiled at the wolf. "Nice to meet you Mandara,"
"And nice to meet you as well,"
"This is my daemon, Klitus,"
"Nice to meet you Klitus,"
"And you Andrew,"
Mari suddenly laughed. "We've known each other for how many years now? And we haven't introduced our daemons. Usually I'm a lot more polite, I'm terribly sorry."
Andrew joined in the laughter. "I am usually more polite as well. Guess I'm too nervous,"
Mari blushed. "Yes, I feel the same. Well, should we get going?"
"Yes, let's,"
She quickly gathered her things, which Andrew would allow her to take, and lead the way out. "It shouldn't take all that long,"
"It doesn't matter, I have all day. I leave tomorrow morning though,"
"Leave?" Mari asked tentatively.
"For home, I just stay here for school and then I head home. I have to look for a house though, and a job. I'm finished with school and now I have to start work and start my life."
Mari held out her hand the best she could, and he shook it. "I wish you the best of luck. I'm sure you won't have any problems finding a job or a home."
"I hope you're right,"
"She is most of the time," Klitus laughed. "It's a bit frightening how she's right most of the time."
"Andrew is the same way," Mandara laughed.
Mari was happy to see Klitus happy, and everyone else happy as well. Even herself, but she felt bad because she was leaving for the north and wasn't sure when she'd be back. It could be a year for all she knew, and now she didn't want to leave.
They spent the day together, talking and laughing, the daemons even had a good time talking about their human counterparts. Eventually Mari had checked the list one final time and was positive she had anything that was required. She slowly led the way back to the college, and Andrew dropped off the supplies he was carrying.
"Thank you so much for your help Andrew. I don't know if I could've carried all of that stuff around,"
He laughed. "It was no problem Mari, it was my pleasure."
She held out her hand and instead of shaking it, he kissed it.
"I hope to hear from you soon Ms. Drake,"
Mari blushed and nodded, unable to speak.
He smiled one last time at her and left, leaving Mari staring after him dumbfounded.