Chapter 45

I Don't own Claymore

Roger drove through the afternoon traffic making their way to the ramen shop belonging to Lorna Yamada's family.

Freya loved the ramen they made and Roger made it a point to stop by when they were in the area.

Usually it was when Freya wanted to buy some new manga at Kinokuniya Books to read and share with her friends.

Entering the shop they walked past the little welcome robot as it bowed and said, "Welcome!" in Japanese.

Mrs. Yamada came bustling up, her round face all smiles, "Welcome back!"

She said as she guided them to a table against the wall.

Freya sat on the long bench and Roger grabbed a chair.

A small group of Japanese tourists looked up from their eating and collectively gaped at the sight of Freya looming over Mrs. Yamada while she took their order.

One of the tourists, a small woman shyly approached and hesitantly, asked if she could get a picture of herself standing next to Freya.

Freya gamely smiled and stood next to the girl who barely came up to her elbow.

Roger smiled and cheerfully declared, "If all of you pose together, I'll take the pictures!"

They gladly took him up on his offer and soon, he was amiably snapping away with their cameras as they clustered around Freya, smiling and flashing peace signs for their friends back home.

After all, it wasn't every day they saw a young woman who rivaled the legendary Hasshaku Sama in size.

After thanking her profusely, they bowed to Mrs. Yamada in thanks and left.

The ramen and the curry soon arrived and the two dug in, happily noshing on the delicious food and sipping their hot green tea.

Freya went out to wait in the SUV while Roger settled up with Mrs. Yamada.

After he paid the bill and threw in a generous tip.

He slipped Mrs. Yamada a small envelope and said, "Freya's turning thirteen next Friday and you all are invited."

Mrs. Yamada frowned and said regretfully, "I have to be here, but I'm certain Lorna would love to go!"

Roger grinned at her and said, "I'm sure you'll be there in spirit!"

Mrs. Yamada laughed and replied, "And I'm sure my Lorna will make up for my not being there with her liveliness!"

Roger smiled and said in agreement, "She is a lively one. Is she going to Japan again this summer?"

She smiled and replied, "Yes, she is. Her auntie Meiko will be very cross with me if she doesn't get to have her rambunctious niece for the summer!"

Roger laughed and remarked, "After school lets out, Freya and I will will be headed up to her folks for about a month or so. After we get back, we'll head down to Arizona and stay with some friends for a week or so."

Roger got in the SUV and while starting it up, Freya remarked out of curiosity, "Ye twa sure had a gab fest goin' thaur, whit's up?"

As they pulled away from the curb, he replied, "We were just comparing notes on what our summer plans were. I gave her an invitation and she sends her regrets that she won't be able to make it. She figures that Lorna will make up for her not being there."

Freya pouted briefly and asked, "Did she say anythin' aboot Lorna gang aff tae Japan?"

"Yeah, she told me that she'll be in deep doo doo if she doesn't send Lorna to visit her sister, Meiko."

"Did ye tell her we're gang oop north?"

"Yep, sure did. I don't know what we'll find in Induna's cottage, but you never know. I found you didn't I?" he replied with a grin.

Freya laughed and retorted, "Dornt ye really mean, Ah foond you?"

Roger just grinned in reply.

Once back home, Roger put away the ramen he'd brought home for Anita and handed over the small ramen order he'd gotten for Dena.

The tiny wood elf grinned and happily dug in with gusto.

Meanwhile, Freya curled up in the kitchen and studied for her last finals, she already had taken the finals for English and American Government, now she had American History, Biology and Algebra to complete.

Roger and Dena meanwhile, went outside and cleaned and prepared the barbecue for the coming party.

With finals completed and report cards sent out, the last week was mostly the seniors preparing to graduate and class parties for everyone else.

Freya and her friends goofed off, playing video games, reading manga or watching anime on

someone's laptop.

Some kids even ditched school, figuring it wouldn't matter if they skipped school the last week.

Freya had tried that once and gotten busted.

At her size, she couldn't very well disappear into a crowd and when she got home, Roger was furious and she was grounded for winter break.

To add to her misery, her parents completely agreed with Roger's decision, even if it meant he wasn't coming up to help with the hunt.

The school year ended that Friday, the next day Freya became a teenager.

Roger got up early, letting her and her friends sleep in a while longer.

Walking past her bedroom, he peeped in and marveled at how much area a young girl nearly seven foot eight inches tall, could occupy while sleeping.

He smiled at her angelic face and gently closed the door.

She and three of her best friends had stayed up quite late playing video games and snacking on sugar laden comestibles.

They were still sprawled on either the chair or on the floor of the bedroom with the mute evidence of their gluttony scattered about their slumbering forms.

Leaving the house quietly, Roger drove off to fetch some lighter fluid for the barbecue and pick up the cake he'd ordered.

Once back home, he stashed the cake out of reach of Sasha and placed the charcoal near the barbecue before going back inside to start making breakfast for the girls and get coffee going.

Before long, the cooking aromas worked their magic and one by one, the somnolent girls in the bedroom, rose from seemingly near death and tottered off to the bathroom.

Lorna Yamada, her friend from the fourth grade on, toddled sleepily into the kitchen and climbed onto a stool at the breakfast table.

Roger grinned at her and with deliberate exuberance said, "Good morning sunshine! As always, you're up first."

She smiled weakly and feebly waved while brushing her chestnut hair out of her pretty face with her fingers.

Roger smiled and said, "Anything you'd like or you can heat up some of your mom's food and coffee is making."

She yawned hugely and mumbled, "I'm good... Give me a couple of minutes...I'll think of something."

Roger grinned and poured a generous mug of coffee and set it before her while directing her attention to the cream and sugar, "Maybe this'll help, it always works on Freya. You'll have to dose it yourself, I make a terrible barista!"

Lorna's almond shaped eyes opened wider briefly and a smile crept across her face as she dosed her coffee to her taste and took a sip.

A gulp or two later and she raised a 'thumb's up', all was now good in her world.

Tamara Johnson, a friend on the school basketball team, wandered in next and she perched on a stool, her unrestrained dark braids giving her a gorgonesque aspect as they jutted outwards in all directions.

When Roger held up a steaming coffee mug, her ebony hued face bloomed as she smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

He set the mug down and soon, she had doctored it to her liking and was self administering caffeine into her system.

The last girl, Deirdre Shannon came in, she was as fair as Tamara was dark, and her curly, fiery red hair resembled an angry medusa's bundle of snakes.

Her pale blue eyes were barely open as she climbed onto a stool and blinked at the steaming mug of coffee placed before her.

Not bothering with any frou frou cream or sugar, Deirdre took a sip and nodded her approval.

Roger returned to the stove and the sizzling skillets thereon, one had sizzling meats and the other was covered with nice round fluffy pancakes while a third was doing duty making scrambled eggs.

Freya appeared in the doorway, she yawned and stretched hugely, reaching for the twelve foot high ceiling.

"Somethin' sure smells guid in haur!" She said as she stepped behind Roger and wrapped her long arms around him in a great big hug, his head briefly nestling between her swelling breasts.

She squeezed him briefly and planted a kiss on top of his head.

Without missing a beat, Roger said cheerfully, "Morning birthday girl! I made you all chocolate chip pancakes!"

Freya grinned and after pouring her own mug of coffee she sat on her own stool at the high table next to her much shorter friends.

A short time later Roger laid two platters and a bowl on the table, they had sausages and bacon, pancakes and the bowl held a dozen scrambled eggs, all nice and fluffy.

While the girls all dug in and piled their plates high with food, Roger ate his own breakfast alongside them.

Before long the food was all gone and the girls were now awake and discussing their next move when a commercial came on the small TV in the kitchen, it was for the Canterbury Renaissance Faire being held down near Silverton, Oregon in two weeks.

The video showed the faire to good effect with the costumes and the players and the people all enjoying the shows and events.

Freya idly remarked, "Ah've ne'er seen sooch a thin' as thes afore."

Deirdre laughed, placed one hand over her heart, the other to her brow, closed her eyes and remarked dramatically, "You poor, deprived child! 'Tis a wonder the faire has not heard of you with your frost giant heritage. Alas, you are always away when the faire takes place, leaving us poor, benighted souls to go in your stead."

Lorna rolled her eyes and said drily, "Laying it on a bit thick, aren't cha?"

Deirdre grinned and replied, "Nah! Not a bit, my folks are down there right now building booths and stages. They'd be thrilled to see Freya all decked out in her traditional clothing."

Tamara grinned and said, "I think I could borrow some of my mom's traditional clothing from Nigeria and wear them."

Lorna pouted when she realized that she would be in Japan in a few more days and she commented , "Sorry guys, I'm gonna be in Japan with my auntie Meiko trying to make me into a "proper Japanese girl"."

Deirdre grinned and retorted gleefully, "And we'll make sure you forget everything you learned once you get back!"

Lorna smiled and replied, "Actually, my auntie is pretty cool and she does take me to a lot of really neat places in Japan. I don't mind her trying to "polish me up a bit" as she puts it, she means well and my cousins get to learn some things from me too."

"Like what?" Asked Tamara.

Lorna grinned evilly and quipped, "Like how to kick ass in basketball!"

Tamara smiled and remarked, "That's the Lorna I know!"

The girls were talking about heading down to the rec center and playing a little basketball when Anita, Anna and Sheila came into the now crowded kitchen.

Tamara and Deirdre found themselves looking up at Sheila's tall, athletic form and quietly wondering just how strong she was.

Anita smiled at everyone and said pleasantly, "Good morning everyone and happy birthday Freya!"

Anita smiled and said, "Guys, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine and Freya's."

She gestured at the two and said, "This is Anna Karlsen, and this is Sheila Ericcson. They're staying with us while the library is getting finished up."

Anita gestured towards the girls and said to Anna and Sheila, "These are my classmates from school, this is Deirdre Shannon, this is Tamara Johnson. Deirdre and Tamara play basketball for the school's team and Lorna, you're already met!"

Deirdre looked thoughtful until she muttered, "Anna Karlsen, that name seems familiar."

She squinted at Anna's vaguely elvish face, prompting Lorna to comment drily, "Still won't admit you need glasses, eh?"

Deirdre made a face at Lorna rather than replying to her jibe, then she said, "You wouldn't be 'that' Anna Karlsen would you? The one that writes all those books?"

Anna smiled at her and said modestly, "I've written a few books, yes."

Deirdre laughed and remarked as she extended her hand, "Okay, we'll go with that...Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you Anna."

They clasped hands in a brief handshake.

It was Tamara who asked Sheila, "I can't help noticing how fit you are, what kind of sports are you into?"

Sheila smiled and replied amiably, "Live steel sword fighting."

Her reply caught the girls by surprise and Tamara after a few moments, asked, "Live steel? As in sharp?"

Sheila chuckled and replied cheerfully, "No, not sharp, we'd likely kill each other if the blades were sharp. Though sometimes we'll use a sharp blade in a demonstration, but never in a competition. The competition blades are always safety checked before any bout takes place."

Deirdre asked, "Do you ever get hurt? Live steel sounds pretty bad ass to me."

With a slight shrug, Sheila replied, "We do get hurt, even with armor and padding, bruises and an occasional broken bone does happen."

She grinned and said, "When I first got here, I showed Anita's mom a bruise I was still recovering from, much to Anita's dismay I might add!"