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"The Practice Courts," read Alanna.
The next morning Kel heard the chatter of birds. She crept over to her open window and peered outside. It was nearly dawn, with the barest touch of light coloring the sky. Before her was a small courtyard with a single bedraggled tree growing at its center. On it perched house sparrows, drab in their russet brown and tan feathers, the males with stern black collars. Several birds pecked at the circle of earth around the tree. Kel watched them as the pearly air brightened. Poor things, she thought, they're hungry.
Neal quickly sniped, "Not for long, oh dear Mother!"
Kel elbowed Neal in reaction to his use of the Own's nickname for her! She was supposedly notorious for her inability to stop mothering her friends and apparently her animals too.
In her clothespress she had stowed the last of the fruitbread Mindelan's cook had given her for the journey south. Kel retrieved it and broke it up into crumbs, then dumped it on the courtyard stones. She was watching the sparrows devour it when the first bell rang and someone rapped on her door. She opened it and said a cheerful good morning to the servant who stood there with a pitcher of hot water.
"Good is as good does, Page Keladry," he said, his long face glum. He placed his burden on her desk, "I'm Gower. I'm to look after you."
Kel smiled fondly in memory of her dear servant! She hadn't heard from Gower in a while, actually, so spoke up: "Oh, Lalasa, I haven't heard from your Uncle in months! We must arrange a time for me to visit him, perhaps he could come to lunch at your dress shop once we finish off these scrolls?"
Lalasa smiled immediately at Kel's characteristic compassion for all people, especially those who had been a great part of her life. Gower had helped Kel deal with the mundane in the harder months when had just started out as a page. She knew Gower would be thrilled to see Kel, and told Kel just this.
He began to sweep out the hearth as Kel took the water into her dressing room.
A new fire was laid when she returned to the main room, her face washed and her teeth clean. "If you've anything special you require, soap or cloths or such, tell me," Gower said sorrowfully. "Within reason, of course."
Kel blinked at him. She'd never met anyone this gloomy. "Thank you, Gower," she replied, intimidated. "I don't need anything just yet."
"Very good, miss," he said, then shook his head. "I mean, Page Keladry."
She sighed with relief when he left, and hurried to dress.
Undiscouraged by Gower, she wished Neal a good morning
Alanna broke off reading at this point to let out a hearty roar of laughter.
"Unfortunately, young Kel, as you will soon find out in this scroll, Neal is not exactly a morning person! And he will certainly discourage you more than poor Gower."
Dom took tho opportune moment to insert his own comment about his dear cousin; "Ha! Neal, a morning person! This one time, when I was visiting Queenscove in the break between University classes and my preliminary training with the Own. Neal must have been about 13, I would have been 16, I thought it would be funny to wake Neal up just after the mid-night bell, and convince him it was morning time."
"Okay Dom, okay, I think that's enough from you," Neal quickly interrupted.
Alanna and Kel, as well as most of the others in the room were not to be so easily discouraged; "Oh no, do carry on Dom," insisted Neal's year mates and even his father.
Overly-enthusiastically, Dom began to recount how poor young Neal had been woken to Dom ringing a fake bell just outside Neal's window nine times, so that Neal would think he had slept through the dawn bell, through breakfast, and was about to miss his sword practice for the day! Neal, the ever passionate student, hurriedly bathed. It seemed Dom had somehow convinced a rather beautiful maid servant to stay up and draw Neal a bath, and serve him breakfast - however would he have done that, Kel wondered sarcastically, knowing Dom was quite the ladies man - Neal proceeded to get changed and hurried down the corridor to the armoury to suit up. Here, Dom explained, Neal was curious as to the seemingly empty corridors, hall and armoury, so rushed off to his parents' suite to inquire whether some change to schedule had been made. Of course, Neal being Neal had made quite the racket, waking up his younger sister, Jessamine who was 8 at the time. Baird and Wilina were very annoyed at Neal for disturbing the peace. Neal was more confused as to how he had been deceived into believing it was morning.
"And that is the story of how Neal started wearing ear plugs to bed," concluded Dom.
Everyone enjoyed this story of Dom's, appreciating that this mildly tame prank was a predecessor to the greatly more wild pranks that the Own were notorious for.
when she found him in the mess hall. He looked at her through bleary eyes and mumbled, "There's nothing good about it." Kel shook her head and ate breakfast in silence.
The day flew by. It began underground, where the palace stores were kept. A tailor took Kel's measurements. Then his assistant dumped a load of garments into her arms. She got three sets of practice clothes, sturdy tan cotton and wool garments to be worn during the morning. She also received three changes of the pages' formal uniform-red shirt and hose, gold tunic - to be worn in the afternoon and at royal gatherings. Shoes to match her formal gear were added; her family had supplied boots for riding and combat practice. Neal took the cloaks and coats she was given for cold weather.
Once she had stowed her things, Neal took her for another tour. They spent the morning inside, visiting the classrooms, libraries, indoor practice courts, and supply rooms like the pages' armory on the first level underground. After lunch, Neal took her to the outdoor practice courts and stables; the gardens, where she might wait on guests; and last of all, the royal menagerie. That night she dreamed of the hooting calls of the howler monkeys from the Copper Isles and the cluttering of brightly colored finches.
The next day she woke not to the gaudy finches' calls or the songs of Yamani birds, but to the friendly gossip of the courtyard sparrows. In hopes of seeing them again, she'd swiped a couple of rolls from the mess hall. Now she tore the rolls up and put the scraps outside the window for the birds.
It was at this moment that Daine noticed the sparrow's had been silent these past minutes of reading. She looked to the sill where they had been sitting, and noticed from the corner of her eye one Lady Knight tossing chunks of bread under her chair, where she had amassed a menagerie of hungry animals. Daine could only presume that Kel had, once again, swiped some rolls from the mess hall. With a smile on her face, Daine's attention returned to Alanna's voice.
As she finished, the bell rang. Gower rapped on her door as he'd done the day before, bringing hot water. Once he had cleaned the hearth and gone, Kel got dressed and ran to the mess hall. Her first day as a page had begun.
After breakfast, the pages flocked to one of the practice yards. Kel would take her first steps on the path to knighthood in these wood-fenced bare-earth rectangles and their adjoining equipment sheds. I'll work hard, she promised herself. I'll show everyone what girls can do.
"Wow Kel, you had such a jolly attitude on your first day! All I could think of was the embarrassment, which was not jolly, and the bruises I received, which was definitely not jolly," said, you guessed it, Owen, with admiration.
Wyldon also couldn't help but feel ashamed again, that Kel really did have such a positive attitude on her first day, and he had done everything in his power to destroy that.
Two Shang warriors, masters of unarmed combat, awaited the pages in the first yard. One of them sat on the fence, looking them over with pale, intelligent eyes. Her short-cropped tight gray curls framed a face that was dainty but weathered. She was clothed in undyed breeches and a draped, baggy jacket.
Everyone in the room sensed a change in Alanna's tone, marked harshly by huge intake of air; but only Jon, Raoul, Gary, Buri, George and Thayet recognised the sombre mood which engulfed Alanna.
Alanna was, of course, thinking about Liam; the only man - not in this room - that she had ever loved. Eda had trained Liam; Eda had been the one to deliver his devastating farewell letter to Alanna. Eda, although you couldn't tell it from her appearance, was soft at heart. Eda had been the one to comfort Alanna through the harsh reality of death; a reality which had become far too real during that dark period.
Jon, too, couldn't help but think about the day of his coronation, when Liam had taken at least a dozen arrows for him, securing him and ensuring that he reigned for more than mere minutes. He knew how much Liam had meant to Alanna in those months on the trail to the Dominion Jewel, and how he had comforted her where Jon had failed.
George squeezed his wife's thigh, giving her the courage she needed to keep reading.
The other Shang warrior stood at the center of the yard, his big hands braced on his hips. He was a tall Yamani, golden-skinned, with plump lips and a small nose. His black eyes were lively, particularly for a Yamani. His black hair was cropped short on the sides and longer on top. His shoulders were heavy under his undyed jacket. Both he and the woman wore soft, flexible cloth shoes.
"For those who are new," he said, no trace of accent in his clear, mellow voice, "I am Hakuin Seastone, the Shang Horse. My colleague, who joined me this summer, is Eda Bell, the Shang Wildcat."
"Don't go thinking you can bounce me all over the ground just because I look like somebody's grandmother," the woman said dryly. "Some grandchildren need more raising than others, and I supply it." She grinned, showing very white teeth.
Kel saw the redheaded Merric swallow. She agreed: the Wildcat looked tough.
"You older lads, pair up and go through the first drill," ordered Hakuin. "Grandmother here will keep an eye on you. As for you new ones... " He beckoned them over to a corner of the yard. Once they stood before him, the man continued, "Your first and most important lesson is, learn how to fall. Slap the ground as you hit, and roll. Like this." He fell forward, using his arms to break his fall. The boys jumped; the sound and the puff of dust he raised made the fall appear more serious than it was.
The Horse got to his feet and held a hand out to blond Quinden. When the boy took it, he found himself soaring gently over Hakuin's hip. Only after he landed did the boy remember to slap the ground.
"You have to do that earlier, as you hit," said Hakuin gently, helping Quinden up. "Now." He beckoned to Kel and offered a hand.
Kel didn't really want to relive the embarrassment of this time. For although she had proven herself, she had exposed herself to abuse from her peers.
She took it, meaning to let him throw her as he had Quinden, but the moment she felt his tug, six years of Yamani training took over. She turned, letting her back slide into the curve of his pulling arm as she gripped him with both hands and drew him over her right hip.
Ilane and Piers looked at their daughter glowing with pride. They knew that in the next week as they read these scrolls, they wouldn't stop feeling proud of their extraordinary daughter.
He faltered, then steadied, and swept Kel's feet from under her. She released his arm, then tucked and rolled forward as she hit the ground. She surged back up again and turned to face him, setting herself for the next attack.
Alanna's striking purple eyes darted to Kel's training master. Wyldon felt her judgement pierce him. Wyldon sighed heavily. The worst was yet to come he though; preparing himself for the inevitable onslaught.
He stood where she had left him, smiling wryly. Horrified, Kel laid her hands flat on her thighs and bowed. She expected a swat on the head or a bellow in her ear - Nariko, the emperor's training master, had had no patience with people who didn't complete a throw or counter a sweeping foot.
When no one swatted or bellowed, she looked up through her bangs. Everyone was staring at her.
Kel looked down again, wishing she could disappear.
"See what happens when you get too comfortable, Hakuin?" drawled the Wildcat. "Someone hands you a surprise. If you'd been a hair slower, she'd've tossed you."
"Isn't it bad enough I am humbled, without you adding your copper to the sum, Eda?" the Horse inquired. "Look at me, youngster," he ordered. When Kel obeyed, she saw Hakuin's black eyes were dancing.
Yuki and Shinko's eyes were also dancing, their faces creased with semi-concealed emotion. They too had studied under Nariko - as all ladies of the Yamani Isles received basic defence training; and they too had experienced Nariko's wrath. They had also experienced the so-called shame of displaying foreign and unusual tendencies in Tortall. They couldn't help but be entertained by Kel's predicament, for Hakuin was a kind hearted soul.
"Someone has studied in the Yamani Islands."
"Yes, sir," she whispered.
"Your teacher was old Nariko, the emperor's training master, am I right? She always did like that throw. She drilled me in it so many times I wanted to toss her into a tree and leave her there."
Kel nodded, hiding a smile.
Hakuin looked at the older pages. "I believe you were practicing the first drill for the Wildcat?" he asked mildly. Instantly there was a flurry of activity, patterns of kicks, throws, and punches. Hakuin turned back to Kel. "Come show the other new ones how to fall. While they practice, we can see what else you know."
"Just what they taught the court ladies," Kel said. "Mostly counters to being grabbed or struck."
"You were with the embassy?" he asked.
Kel nodded.
"That explains everything." To the other new pages he said, "Watch how Keladry falls."
They all stared at her with a combination of confusion and dislike. It occurred to her that she had done the very thing her brother had warned her against. The other pages thought she was showing off. She couldn't help that now. The damage was done. She would just have to make sure that she didn't repeat her mistake.
"Don't worry Kel," interjected Merric, "we soon forgave you for your oddities!"
Her year mates nodded in agreement fondly.
With a sigh, she toppled forward, as she had so often in the islands, and smacked the ground.
Hey guys, thanks for staying updated on my story! I thought I'd stop here, these chapters get mighty long. Check back in a few days for the rest of this chapter, some fun with Wyldon, and the re-appearance of the gods!
Please send me any feedback you may have, reviews are so appreciated, Emily.