Valerie finally decided on a simple gown of rich black silk with a lavender trim all the way down the front that flared outwards elegantly in the skirt portion of the dress. It really made her long curly hair and dark violet eyes look quite lovely. And it had no hole in its middle, which satisfied Valerie to no end. She finally whirled around, content to display her not so holey midrift at last, and spoke to Aideen.

"I will go downstairs at once and prepare us breakfast! I will make extra to bring to Rolgen a little later if he has not come down yet. What would care to eat dear? I can make you anything you like!"

Valerie did not know Aideen had already eaten.

"And you have the nerve to call yourself an assassin! I figured someone of your caliber would not only be able to withstand a wound such as the one you obtained, but would have the knowledge to mend it! I better not witness such shabby work coming from your end again! How can you expect to survive the training I wish to bestow on you when you cannot even sustain yourself with a simple flesh wound!"

Knight was towering over Arianna as he yanked her to her feet. She might have expected this jerking motion to inflict great pain to her side, and yet there was none. It was only slightly uncomfortable, and sure enough, there was no more blood and no more gash. However, the wound that had been there was now replaced by very prominent bruises Knight must have left when he patched her up, for they looked not unlike the shape of his spindly hands. Clearly his healing magic was not of the tender sort...

He continued lecturing her mercilessly, barely an inch from her face. For a man as handsome and youthful as he appeared, he had the temperment of an outright monster.

"You will be hopeless in the task of defeating Kara in your present state! Be thankful you lost as little blood as you did! Had you lost any more, you would have died in the middle of my hall! Or worse... I would have had to replace your blood with my own to sustain you..."

"And I don't think you want that now do you?" He hissed as he gnashed his teeth only a half inch from her neck.

Despite how nasty he was being, this was the first time he had revealed the name of Arianna's target.

Thalian ignored Hollow for now. He would put up with the inevitable beating later, but for now, he just had to get to Kara's as fast as the horse would carry him. There were whispers in the atmosphere that spoke of grave trouble... Those that were hunting Hollow, the faded presence of a powerful demon, and... and someone else. It was almost too much. He listened in hard on the rumors of the wind, trying to decipher the threads as they bored into his face. He was so distracted, he didn't notice they were nearing the end of the treeline that lead to the open fields beyond them... and the low-hanging branch that lied in wait to greet them before they got there.

Rowan was practically red with rage when she finally found Anthony and Kitara in the kitchen, and little Nelo was looking quite exhausted and teary-eyed from her adventure dragging behind her the whole way. But, Nelo spotted Kitara's hot chocolate, and looked from the mug, to Rowan, to Kitara, and back to the mug with an overwhelming urge to pounce on it coupled with the desperate need for restraint. Rowan busied herself with taking Anthony's head off for having Kitara alone in the kitchen and Nelo started talking and whining at the same time about the hot chocolate. It was quite noisy with everyone talking over each other.

Anthony was getting redder from anger and embarrassment, and was gradually starting to grow darker again. Rowan interpreted this as a threat and started bristling with a strange kind of static electricity that hadn't been seen yet. Nelo only continued to whine something about hot chocolate, but that quickly changed to yelps of pain as Rowan squeezed her wrist tighter and tighter in her rage, unaware she was still hanging on to Nelo.

Fang didnt look pleased with his answer "I dont think we have a motto either, but Hollow always says something along the lines of 'Your life may be short so ya haveta take from thoes that will live long' so I guess thats our motto."

Zeke started to shake his head. "You got that totaly wrong you make us sound like pirates." Zeke transfered his body to the other side of Sophirm so that the two boys were on each side of him looking up. "We are not pirates mister."

"Well its something along the lines of that." Said Fang




Hollow held onto the saddle with her life. If she fell she would most likely die. She thought about closing her eyes and waiting for it to be over, but she wanted to know where she was going. The scenery was changing so fast. She thought she might be sick again, but she wasnt sure what from.

Hollow noticed the oncomming branch and ducked. She put her head next to the horses neck to avoid what would probably disfigure her face forever.

By the time Valerie had changed, Aideen's giggles had mostly passed, and she was able to admire the gown without laughing. This was probably for the best, as Valerie seemed to be a proud woman. It would not do to appear to laugh at her dress.

She stood, choking back another giggle, and tried to be serious. "I, ehm, have already eaten, Valerie. Your son did fix breakfast for us. In the servants’ dining area..." She blushed a little. "There is plenty left there. If it's to your liking..."

Arianna felt her side, even though it was bruised it felt a lot better. She looked at Knight in wonderment and awe. Could he teach her this sort of magic? But she didn’t want to get ahead of herself.

“So Kara is the name of my target, if I’m to train with her what sort of training are you giving me?” She had too many questions, but she wanted to stay on target. If this was her path then she would follow it.

Arianna stood to her full height and looked up into Knight’s dark eyes. I’m ready when you are Knight, teach me.”

Kitara gulped, looking up sharply as Rowan and Nelo came rushing into the kitchen. Before she could say anything Rowan was yelling and everyone was getting red-faced. It was just so loud in there and her poor ears flattened from the noisy abuse. Kitara whined and crept out of her chair, abandoning her mug of cocoa.

"Rowan?...Um, Anthony? Heheh....could you be a bit quieter....?" she muttered weakly, slipping back into a corner of the kitchen.


Sorphiem looked between the two boys that walked on either side of him. "That does sound a bit thieving and pirate-like," he admitted, brushing back strands of white hair from his pale face. "You two are obviously close with this Hollow person. Are you like her kids or something?" They certainly idolized Hollow and treated her like close family.

"Nah" Said Fang. "I dont think Hollow doesnt like us too much. We had to beg her to take us on. When we were newborns no one would help us, but Hollow gave us food and let us look around her shop." Fang looked up in the sky and took in the memory. "Of course Zeke was first to go on sipmply because she pitied him because he was so pathetic." Zeke scoffed. "Then she took me in because i..."

"He got on his knees and cried." Finished Zeke. "Fang is the pathetic one!"

Originally Posted by Ebony

With something resembling a fluid snap of her fingers the tree melted back into the ground, leaving everything as it was. With a smug smirk Sorida crossed her arms over her chest.

"Spoil sport." she said with a teasing lilt.

"Ah, yes. 'Ow goes that task?" she asked, supressing a chuckle. She remembered well that day of mischief, and also remembered that she herself had played her part in the mayhem. Oh, the fun.

"And what of Rowan and Nelo, 'ow are they?"

OoC: Sorida hun. x3 Not Sordina.

x

Sorphiem groaned. "Why don't I just clear this up, you are BOTH pathetic!!" he snapped, grumbling to himself for ever agreeing to travel with such pathetic people. "seriously? Did you really cry?!"

Zeke ignored the pathetic comment and smiled "You shoulda been there mister! He was on his knees for an hour crying to Hollow. She eventually told him to stop or she would kill him and sell his scales for armor!"

"I did not!" Yelled Fang "Your the one that cries all the time!" Fang all of a sudden stopped in his tracks "Do you feel that Zeke." Zeke stopped too He sensed it! It was Hollow.

"I do I do She's alive!!!" Zeke yelled.

Fang turned to Sorphiem "I think we found our master!" Zeke took out a map and a little crystal on a chain. He stopped and put the map on the ground "We cant get a specific location on her because he dont have a pure crystal, but we can get a general idea"

Zeke started to mumble a few words as he held the crystal over the map. He closed his eyes and put his wings out. He could feel the energy pulse through them. The crystal began to glow and eventually it fell out of his hands and onto the paper below.

Fang and Zeke looked at the map and then at eachother. "I dont think you did it right." Said Fang plainly. "Its hard to get wrong." growled Zeke. "Why would Hollow be in Valrae territory?" Fang was growling at him "Perhaps they caught her." Zeke was a little worried.

"How come she's so far away?" Asked Fang. He looked up at Sorphiem "Mister are you afraid of heights cause I know the fastest way here and it aint by horse." Zeke shot a glance at Fang. He knew exactly what he was thinking about

"I would've killed you long before you had a chance to grovel for that long!" Sorphiem muttered before Zeke pulled out the map and crystal. Sorphiem watched them with interest and when the crystal landed, he leaned over the map to get a look. He then turned to look at Fang and spread his large black wings that were only a cry from dragon wings. "I have never had a problem with heights," he smirked.

"heh heh... right." Fang felt stupid for asking. He got up off the ground and handed Zeke his pack along with his trench coat that he was wearing. Fang closed his eyes and before he knew it he was a dragon again. He had black shining scales and spikes all down his back except for in a small place next to his neck. His claws and horns were as white as his glistening teeth.

"I can get us there fast." fangs voice had a different tint to it. It was deeper for one, but it echoed something monstorus. "I'll take us to the edge of the forest, but then we have to go by foot from then on. I dont think the Valrae would like it if a dragon flew into their lands." Fang streched his enourmus wings. They were 20 yards in diameter; twice as big as his body.

Zeke approached Fang and threw their backpacks on the wide back and got on. "He goes really fast mister." Said Zeke. "If you want to ride like this you better find a spike to hold on to really tight!" Zeke apparently loved riding Dragon Fang, but would never admit that to him because it was just stupid. Fang wasnt one you just complimented.

Sorphiem managed to keep his face straight as Fang transformed, just barely though. As much as he HATED to rely on someone else and did not look forward to flying somewhere not by his own power, he wanted to meet this Hollow. She and oddly enough, these two boys, were starting to intrigue him. Sorphiem flew lightly up onto Fang's back and folded his wings tight against his back as he grabbed a spike.

"Then let us hurry up and get there." he said simply.

Fang smiled showing all of his teeth and there were alot. "Here we go!" Fang beat his gigantic wings and lifted his body off of the ground and in an instant they were soaring in the air a thousand feet above the ground. Fang used the wind to make him go faster and faster. They were eventually going faster than any bird would ever dream of.

It was silent as the talker of the group concentrated on flying and keeping the passengers on his back at the same time. Zeke didnt say much. It was Sorphim's time to ask the questions if he choose to or he could just cling to the spike on Fangs back and enjoy the ride.

Sorphiem, a silent type by nature, was actually enjoying the fact that Fang had finally shut up. What an annoying bunch of twerp! but at least they were flying and the speed of it was quite enjoyable for a demon like him with wings. But finally, he bothered to ask a question. "So exactly how long will it take us to get to the edge of the forest?"

"Half and Hour." answered Zeke. "Possibly less." He shifted sot that he could feel more comfortble on the dragons back. "I think that our master couldnt sell her merchandise so she had to go farther and farther to other towns that might buy her stuff. She probably didnt know where she was going considering she doesnt really leave the house too often except to get food and stuff. We usually have people comming to us. Hollow is very sick and doing anything to much could send her to her knees."

Zeke thought about the curse that Hollow had received while messing with magic. He shivered at it. She was lucky to be alive right now.

HOLLOW and SORIDA

Luckily for Thalian, the forest respected his urgency enough to raise the bough just high enough for his absent-minded head to pass underneath it unscathed, except for one tiny twig which slapped him on the forehead just to bring his mind back to the forefront of matters at hand. These included the terrified Hollow who was clinging the the saddlehorn desperately and the horse that was quickly running out of breath as it exited the treeline and raced into the field. Hollow's horse was right on their heels.

Thalian rubbed his head indignantly and turned to stick his tongue out at the trees behind them. This defeated the purpose of the trees courtesy however, because as soon as Thalian turned around, he was only sixty feet from where Kara and her friend Sorida stood.

"Oh HELL!" he shouted.

He slowed the horse down as best he could, but the sudden jerk irritated the animal and it didn't stop as gracefully as Thalian and Hollow might have appreciated. Thalian flew off the back of the beast and landed square on his back right between Sorida and Kara. Hollow flew off as well, and landed right on top of Thalian, who despite his not-so-graceful landing, caught her as gently as he could in the short time he had to process the whollop he received from her bony butt as she crashed into him.

"OW!" He yelled. "You stupid horse! I oughtta...!" He froze midsentence as he looked up at the stunned Kara and Sorida.

"Uhhhh..." he wavered. "Hi Kara! Sorida! I'm so glad I found you! We have much to discuss!" He managed to speak around Hollow's thick hair that had fallen all over his face. He had to puff more than a few strands out of his mouth just to keep breathing.

Kara looked down at Thalian with her best sarcastic smile, wondering what on earth Sorida could be thinking of the silly boy.

"Why welcome, Thalian! Son of Rolgen! Thank you for gracing us with your landing!" She snickered in her classic smug tone of fake formality.

Of all people to come to their senses, Nelo finally got fed up. She saw little Kitara curled up in the corner and decided enough was enough. She began to grow a blinding bright white, which burned Rowan enough for her to shut up very abruptly and jerk her hand away. She dashed over to the sink pump, knocking Anthony over which silence him, and stuffed her hand in the tub of water, which even steamed a little as she relaxed from the pain. Despite how it angered her, she knew she had been acting out of hand and looked at Nelo reproachfully, and said nothing. Anthony too, felt foolish. Reaching up to grap the counter of the island firmly, he hauled himself to his feet and looked at Kitara shamefully and embarrassed before existing the kitchen in a hurry. Rowan too, looked at Kitara with a very sorry look on her face and apologized before following her brother from the kitchen. She supposed she would have to apologize to him too...

And so Kitara was left with Nelo by herself once again. After Nelo's little outburst, she seemed much calmer. She grabbed the huge mug of Kitara's hot chocolate and brought it to her in the corner while rewarming it with her burning hands. She only spilled a little on her own dress when she handed it to Kitara with a big smile.

"There! That should do it! You can take that with you while I take you to my mother Kitara. I think you will feel much safer and calmer around Mother until Kara gets back to the castle."

Arianna's response to Knight seemed to calm him down enough. He seemed satisfied anyway.

"Very well. We will begin right away. Your training will be brutal, and I expect to have it completed in full in only three days." He said with almost no emotion as if this didn't sound like an impossible task to him as he led Arianna down another dark corridor.

Both walls on either side were lined with all sorts of various weapon arrangements, and all of them looked extremely formidable. Bright baubles hung from the high ceiling illuminating the hall. They were so high up though, even their rays could only provide the corridor with a mediocre illumination. The corridor seemed to get colder as well, and Arianna could see they were actually walking downward in a gradual slope. An enormous spiked cast iron double door awaited them at the bottom.

"THALIAN made you breakfast?! That boy wouldn't know a ham from a handbag! Oh dear! I hope you were satisfied at least?" Valerie worded the question nervously, almost as if she were execting Aideen to pour out a laundry list of complaints. She would not have been surprised to hear Aideen spout that Thalian had fed her frogs.

"Are you sure you are not still hungry dear? I would be happy to make you anything you like if you are! And you have sampled Marie's cooking, so you KNOW how well she works in the kitchen. Perhaps I can..." As they walked back to the kitchen, Valerie wound off on a long tangent that began with various subjects about breakfast dishes and ended with a trailing topic on politics and how they were affecting the city's bi-annual gardening parties.

She finally stopped when she got to the kitchen, and called for Marie. She looked a little surprised when she got no response, and alarmed when she was nowhere to be found period.

"Marie! Marie?! Where IS that girl? She would sooner feed her new infant brandy than miss a morning in the kitchen! She lives for it! MARIE!"

Valerie turned to Aideen.

"Come to think of it, nobody even stirred when we were attacked last night, did they?" She asked Aideen rhetorically. "Have you seen anybody this night? It's not like the house to be so quiet!"

Hollow had no idea what was going on. She had her face in the horses neck right until she flew off of it. She obviously landed on Thalian because she heard him complain about it.

Hollow held her head to try and keep it from spinning. She heard other voices and looked up to see what looked like 30 more people. She started cussing to herself. Hollow got off of Thalian and tried to walk only to fall down on her knees and cuss some more, but this time more loudly and directed at Thalian. So much for first impressions.

Good, he could survive half an hour, Sorphiem thought. “What sort of merchandise would she go out to sell?” he asked boredly, closing his eyes and relaxing on Fang’s back. The wind blew back his long white hair and with his eyes closed, he could almost trick himself into thinking it was him flying back in his previous life when he actually flew for just the joy of it. It had been a while since that time and he almost forgot that he enjoyed the feeling.


Kitara breathed a sigh of relief as they finally all came to their senses and she didn’t even protest when Rowan and Anthony exited. She just smiled at Nelo and took the mug as she abandoned the corner. “Thank you Nelo, they were really yelling at each other there…” She giggled and pointed out the spots of cocoa Nelo had gotten on her dress. “You’re so messy! And alright, your mother you say?”

Arianna could feel the cold seeping into the very marrow of her bones, but she dare not complain. Three days for Knight’s training would be exhausting, no doubt. In the back of her mind Arianna wished she’d gotten more sleep. Nothing left to do but what tasks were set in front of her.

The darkness surrounded them and Arianna’s eyes slowly adjusted to see. Not that it mattered since the walls and floor were all black and bare. When they finally stopped at a large door Arianna knew that this was the beginning. She would learn, grow stronger and become tougher than what she was at the present time. When these doors opened she would have no rest until Knight was satisfied.

Aideen assured Valerie that she'd been perfectly satisfied by the makeshift breakfast -- it had been filling, which was the main thing -- and then followed her hostess to the kitchen. She remained mostly silent, only offering an agreeable noise every so often, because Valerie clearly liked to talk. Getting a real word in edgewise would have been impossible.

But finally, Valerie prompted conversation. Aideen twitched her wings uncomfortably. "I have seen nobody but you, Rolgen, Thalian and..." She realized that neither host had been awake to meet Hollow. Yet she was somebody, and worth mentioning. "...and Hollow. A... She called herself a 'shadow child.' She and Thalian have left for the castle." Leaving her behind. She tried not to dwell on that by being relieved, instead. In some moments, it even worked.

She then distracted herself by organizing the leftovers as best she could, and wondering if she couldn't find the ingredients for porridge.

Sorida blinked in hesitant confusion.

"Well now, Thalian, is there a reason these matters should be discussed whilst you are on your back?" she asked, hiding a smirk somewhat similar to Kara's. As Hollow stumbled though her expression changed to one of sympathy. Gently she took the girls arm and helped her to stand and balance.

"Careful now, love." she said, smiling at her insistent cursing. She shot a smile to Kara, understanding too well that this was not a very happy woman; a fact that seemed to be caused by the one currently on his backside.

"Horses." Replied Zeke. "I feel so stupid for letting her go alone. She told us that she would only take a few weeks and she would be back in no time." Zeke felt a knot gather in his throat. "We knew better than to let her go. Her curse..." Zeke stopped in mid sentence. He thought it would be better if he didnt mention the weaknesses of his master.

Most of the time Hollow was able to make her deals by deceiving customers into believing that she was a very powerful shadow child and some of them still beleived it. Zeke and Fang were her muscle now. They were like her human attack dogs. They bit anyone that Hollow pointed her finger at.

Nelo looked down at her dress and giggled. "Yes, my mother. Her name is Leaowynne if you've forgotten. But that's alright!" Nelo winked at Kitara. Not a normal wink either. No sooner than she winked than the room morphed and stretched around them, flinging them into a new part of the castle much higher than Kitara had been in before.

They reappeared in some sort of drawing room, filled wall-to-wall with enormous elegant tapestries. In the middle of the room sat the same tall elegant white lady who had whisked Nelo away upon their first introduction. She was perched on a stool behind an impressive loom, spinning strange threads out of what seemed like... her hair? Yes, it was her hair. She was feeding the strands into the wheel and twisting them into thread on the other side. What was more strange was that the thread was all sorts of different colors. But Leowynn'es hair was white. How peculiar!

Valerie started to say something and then held herself back. She had been overwhelming and coddling the newborn a bit much lately and she felt sligtly embarrassed for treating the grown woman like a child. If this woman wanted to make breakfast, not only was Valerie approving, but quite happy.

"Aideen! The recipe for porrige is in that little collection of leaflets hanging on the nail by the brick oven. Everything you'll need will be found in the pantry and these cabinets over here by the pump. If you wouldn't mind, I think I will sit here and eat a bit of Thalian's leftovers while you prepare the real breakfast." Valerie wanted to give Aideen a complete sense of freedom and responsibility, and was able to humble herself enough to do so. Rolgen was always telling her she could be too overbearing at times. She continued.

"I think it is wonderful you know how to cook dear, and quite practical as well!" She said with an approving nod. "I am impressed. As soon as we've finished here, we will catch up with the other two at the castle. Rolgen will need to stay behind and mend himself a bit I think. Shall we leave a little porrige on the table for him so he won't go hungry? Hahahaha!" Valerie erupted into trills of laughter.

"Men..."

The double doors swung silently open without Knight laying one finger on them. As he led Arianna into the arena, a circle of oily fire ignited around the upper wall, lighting the entire room brilliantly with the red hot glow of a furnace. The arena was enormous! Easily the size of a gladiator's ring, and then some. It had the same sort of seating for spectators. The only difference was a large platform that extended from the upper wall jutting over the arena where it loomed out from its natural dark cliff face in the mountain. This ring had to have taken up half the underside of the mountain for that matter!

"Your first phase of training will encompass the physical aspect of combat. Your body must be hard and your will must be strong. You cannot allow yourself to feel pain or accept blows from your enemy. And, if you do, you must learn to overlook the painful injury as if it had never been inflicted. Do you understand?" Knight said this behind a look that shot eye daggers in Arianna's direction. Clearly he was still aggrivated by her inability to cope with her previous wound. Which also meant he would be equally intolerant of many mistakes on the training ground...

Knight disappeared and reappeared on the high platform overlooking the ring, a good seventy-five feet from the ground. Here, he would conduct the battles and shout commands at Arianna.

"You will not sleep. You will not eat. You will not rest. And you will not stop! Do any of these things and I will kill you myself!" His voice rang out as his eyes flashed red for a moment before returning to normal.

"I will conjur up opponents the likes of which you have never seen! You must learn to bring them all down without a moment's hesitation and no mercy! Do you understand?!" This was his final commanding question before he began the training.

Kara returned Sorida's knowing glance and decided it would be best to get them all to the castle as quickly as possible. She also looked at Hollow with compassion despite her cursing. She really was no different from herself when she was angry... but Kara would not say that out loud. Not yet anyway.

"Sorida, you know your way back to the castle. I know you're busy, but since your presence has been equally graced by this involuntary acrobats, I think we all should hear what they have to say. Just please... try not to spark an electric storm over the castle this time. I do value my towers, and I would hate to have to rebuild them." She gave Sorida a sly smile.

"Off you go then! I'll meet you in a moment after I get these two situated. Just wait for me in the entrance hall. You may make yourself comfortable on one of the sofas. Although I think one has dirty boot stains from Michael and I know another has been tipped over by Nelo and our new guest, Kitara. Come to think of it, I need to check on all them too. Yeesh! It looks like it's going to be another full day for us all!"

She turned back to Hollow and Thalian once Sorida had vanished.

"Now, is there anything I need to know before I take you into my home..." This was more of a demand than a question. She looked at Hollow with compassion and worry, but she gave Thalian a terribly hard look that asked more than one sort of question. Such as "is there anyone following you two or after you..." and "is this girl in any sort of trouble or part of the trouble..." and last but not least "What on earth have you been doing to this poor girl!?" Kara knew Thalian could read her thoughts, and she waited for a response.

Thalian looked indignant for a moment, but then wilted under her gaze. Kara was not someone you argued with... and this was no time for games. He wouldn't look at Hollow when he said,

"We've come to ask a few questions in regards to my people, and your allies, the Valrae. And... and..." He finally looked at Hollow with very deep eyes. "And, she needs help Kara!" He finally burst out. "She's dying and I know she's dying! Even if she won't admit it because she's a stubborn ass! Please! Is there anything you can do Kara? I don't want her to die!" His outburst seemed strange and out of place. Hollow seemed to be trying her best to behave as normally as possible, and didn't seem particularly weak or ill. Thalian even called her an ass... But appearances were not everything, and Kara knew this better than most. She looked at Hollow carefully, waiting for the girl to answer for herself above Thalian's irrational rambling.

Aideen blushed slightly. What woman in her village hadn't started learning to cook almost since she could walk? Oh, they weren't masters of the kitchen, because who had time for that, but everyone knew the staples. What kind of place was this that one needed a recipe for porridge? Not that she could have read it, anyway. The village preacher had owned the only book she'd ever seen, and only a select few boys in the community had been instructed in the art of letters.

Still, she nodded her assent. Ignoring the recipe leaflets, she went about assembling the dry ingredients into a pot, and learning how to operate the simple stove next to the oven. It was a wood-burning appliance, and responded quickly to her touch. The only trick was controlling the ventilation.

Her only hesitation was at the pump. Porridge required water. Aideen hadn't thought of that. She shivered as she hung a small clean bucket over the faucet, and gently worked the lever. It responded with a slow trickle of water that slowly filled the container that did not splash. The splashes came when it was time to add the water to the pot. When a few cool droplets hit her skin, they stung, hissing with steam and leaving dark black splotches on her face and arms.

Soon enough, there was a serving bowl of porridge, sweetened with raisins and a touch of brown sugar, on the table. Aideen dished out servings for herself and Valerie, who’d been quietly eating in the meantime. The concoction was perhaps a little dry, but it would have to do. Still stinging from the water, she left any tea-making to Valerie.

"I've left traveling clothes in your chamber," she finally said, after finishing her small portion. "Would you kindly allow me time to put them on before we leave?"

Valerie was highly impressed with Aideen's skills in the kitchen! She watched the young woman with unabashed approval as she put the simple meal together, and flinching a bit when the water stung Aideen a little. She seemed well enough though, and soon she was gazing down into what seemed like a perfectly good bowl of delicious porridge.

"My!" Valerie nodded with a smile. "It is wonderful to see a young lady born with some common sense and useful skills! Most newborns wouldn't know sand from sugar! I am most impressed Aideen! Very well done. Be mindful to teach my son a thing or two about the kitchen. Despite how it might seem, the men of the mansion are trained in the kitchen just as often as the women. The only difference is they're not so... well, you know." Valerie did not feel she needed to finish that idea.

"And of course you may go change! Please dear, there is no need to address me so formally. There's little time for too many formalities around here when there's work to be done. You're part of the family now, so you may do as you like and come and go as you please. Now go get dressed and we'll be on our way." Valerie cleared her empty bowl in the pump and offered to clear Aideen's so she wouldn't burn herself again.

"I will pack a little bread, cheese, and some bottles of tea for our trip, so take your time getting ready dear. I'll be waiting for you in the stables just outside there." She pointed through the window above the kitchen sink.