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When Alinya awoke, it was still dark. Leada, the healer stood just to the right of the bed holding a cloak. Alinya rolled over so she faced the older woman. "Surely you do not expect me to leave now." Alinya murmered wearily. Her normal rising hour was six,but the sun did not yet appear to be up. "What o'clock is it anyway?" She sat up and ran the back of her hand across her eyes despite her arguments. Leada shook her head. "Just get dressed." She instructed. A lump came suddenly to Alinya's throat. "Is father coming to see me off?" Alinya wanted to know. She had already guessed the answer but she needed to ask anyway. "No." Leada kissed her forehead. Alinya sliped from under the bedcover and began to fuss about the sheets. She wanted an excuse to look away from Leada.
When at length The mantle the healer held fell about the shoulders of the womans small charge the sun was begining to rise. "Don't expect me to stay with you." Leada told the little girl as she climbed onto an aged ponny. "You're coming back here? Leada, you and father never get along." she kneed the ponny and looked back over her. shoulder as she had done three years prior to this. "Caroline will write." Lead said crossly coming up beside her charge. "Only if they give her time and I know she will hate being traped at the convent for six years." Alinya rejoined. "You don't know she will hate it" Leada rubuked. "I know, Leada I spent three years there myself." Leada could not argue.
***
When the courtyard finaly came into view the forenoon was well advaned. The sun was hot and had Aliniya's arms been bare they would have turned red long ago. They came to the outer wall of the palace and Leada produced a pice of parchment from the folds of her own cloak and handed it to the gaurdsman nearest. He took it , read it over and nodded.
Now only did Alinya permit herself to look about. she caught faintly the image of children at practice, or play of some kind.Training for thier shields she concluded. The rest of the landscaping was to far spread to hold her attention. Leada nodded at her to dsmount and she did so. "Stay." She whispered stroking the animals muzzle, and fealing as though she wwas directing her speach to a dog.
"Why willl not you stay Leada?" Alinya asked as the palace grew nearer. She heard the older woman siggh. "This again." Leada muttered."Alinya, I'm not staying because my service is required at home. " Leada caught and held the little girl's gaze. "I will write." Leada promised. "Writing is not speaking, and I want to see you some time." Alinya said fighting to keep bitterness from her voice. "I should like to see you, and Caroline, but as long as your father employs me I will not stay here." Alinya looked at her silently pleading. "If that discus had never cut at Caroline's throat I would not be here." She said softly. Leada gave a grunt in agreement. Alinya brightened suddenly. "How will you know if I continue to run a clava down my arm, or read for the three hours I am required out loud? How will you know if I give up sewing?" Her father had for years labored under the illusion that children could be made imune to pain. The result was that the moment Alinya had descovered her hands a clava, or pole arm thrice the length of the one that wielded it with a faint curve to its' point had been thrust into Alinya's hands. She had been able to work the pole arm since she could walk and had pulled it down both arms and around her wrists through the muscle, drawing blood since age two. At six she had put a neadle to her ears. And as if to encourage vocal strain, Leada had always selected a passage from wahtever book was nearest and forced her to read it repetitively for the time span of three hours, doubling the time whenever Alinya's voice gave, wavered , stumbled or mis-pronounced a word. "Because yoou have never broken faith in your life, to answer the first three actions , and you are to fond of sewing to ever give it up." Alinya sighed, Leada really did know her far to well.
"Leada, do you know were you are going?" Alinya demanded as they turned left not for the first time in the course of on hour. Leada shrugged andtapped the shouleder of a passing maid. "Do you know were I am to find the mane healer?" The girl nodded. "Sure you're going to leave the little girl with her?" Leada inclined her head. "Then come. " They followed the maid up flight after flight of steps. Alinya gave up counting the turns and directions they took, it was all very well to do so in places as confined as her home but not here. They reached a door and Leada rapt on it. She turned to thank the maid but found the girl had vanished. A tall woman in a gray shawlcame to the door. Leada produced again the same not she had shown the gaurs from the inermost folds of her cloak. The woman took it and read it over. "This is Asrens' daughter then." Leada made no reply. "yes lady." Alinya said in a voice just barely audiable and curtsied as she had been taught. "No," the woman said quietly and shook her head."We are of the same rank child, are we not?" "I could not say." Alinya replied she saw Leada smile with aproval. "Surely you can answer such a question. " The older woman argued. "You are a noble mans' daughter, and I a noble woman, we are then equals are you not?" Alinya sighed and drew breath."If you regard the daughter of a noble man in the same light as a Lady of her class ,then yes, I am your equal." The woman smiled. "Modesty is a virtue children often lack. I see The Goddess had sense to bless you with such a gift." Alinya coloured faintly but said nothing. "I will go now Alinya." Leada kissed the girls' forehead for the second time that day, a rarety in itself and one Alinya refused to take for granted, then takimg Alinyas' chin in her cupped hands whispered"Be good." And walked away. "Goddess bless." Alinya called after her, blind by tears she refused to shed and all but choking on the words wondering how much she meant them.
Alinya shivered slightly. She did not like being left alone with a woman who she knew nothing about. It made her espessialy uneasy that this woman recognized her fathers' name."call me Ceara." The woman siad as she shut the door."I am Ceara to all the children here." Alinya nodded." knew a girl at the convent with a name very like that." She mused. Ceara looked at her."You have already attended a convent?" Alinya nodded. "My father sent me at seven when I began to wield my gift. I spent three years there. I was only just home when the crown wrote." Alinya clasped her hands behind her bback and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Alinya,' said Ceara gently holding out her hand,"would you lend me some bit of gift I am-" She could not finish the senyence. "Do you know,"Ceara began,"that you are soemthing like the griffen? I cannot lie before you.Do you have sight?" Alinya bent her head. Then, relaxaing the barrier of gift in her mind she called on the magic and twisted green emerald magic into a resemblece of the same erb she had used once to resore her sister to life."There, that is my gift. You see how I work it." She withdrew the emerald picture back into the center of her palm and baarely heard the older woman say;"Asrels' line, of course how ignorant of me to have forgotten that the line usualy has both gift and sight. But to wield her gift on top of that-"
Alinya let her gift go, havung found its' source. "Why do they want me?" Her tongue worked but the words made it feal leaden. The way Ceara looked at her seemed to suggest a use for her- not just the hopeless awe of the girls and teachers at the convent. "Why do you ask?" Cearas' voice was gentle but the inderect question alarmed Alinya. "I hate blood." She whispered."No, no that is not right. I don not hate it." She corrected ever aware of the alien eloquence that had entered her voice."I am affraid of it." Alinya said nothing more, only waited for the healers reply. "why?" Ceara wanted to know. Alinya shivered, always why, must she have an answer for everything?
Although the room was hot and heavily scented Alinya felt an icy chill run the length of her spine despinte the mantle. She gave no answer."Come." It was a comand and although Alinya did not have to obey it, for her will was still her own, she was glad to obey it. Ceara stood with the door open and Alinya steped back out into the hall.Still very much afraid.
This will have to sufice for now. But do give feedback should you chance upon this work.
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