Author's note: here is the next part of the ongoing saga. This is the main
story, We Think and Sophia are prequel's and it is probably best if you
have at least read Sophia. I hope everyone likes.
Disclaimer: the usual, I don't own the characters and setting that is from Tamora Pierce's imagination. But all original characters are mine.
"Name?"
"Kalia Smith," the young woman said putting on a slight northern accent. She was one of those who had enlisted that year, and painfully thin. She had long copper highlighted auburn hair with full curls that cascading down her back and framed her face.
Her eyes were a dark clear blue that shone with intelligence, yet gave none of their secrets away. Her skin was a porcelain colour and flawless. Her face was neither short nor long, with soft features apart from her high cheekbones that were slightly more pronounced. She was very pretty almost inhumanly.
"Age?" Looks like a noble, he thought looking at her hands. A bit too thin though.
"15." The man writing down her details looked up. The girl must be just fifteen if even that. He put his fingers in the small dish of eyebright.
"Birthday?"
"25th January 437" There was no glow, she was telling the truth.
"You can read and write?" The redhead smiled.
"I could read and write by the age of six."
"You'll need to prove it. You never came to this school, so we don't know you."
"Do you have the gift?"
"Yes."
"Show me, and light this candle if you can." This is easier than I thought. She held up her hand calling up a small indigo fireball, her gift. She looked at the candle, sending a small part of her gift towards it. The candle burst into flames. "Good. Take these," he handed over the forms he had been filling in about her, then pointed to the room opposite, "And go in there."
She smiled sweetly, "Thank-you." She took the papers and moved away from the desk.
Behind the door there was a small classroom. A young woman was sitting at the front of the room reading a book. I suppose she is the one I'm supposed to see, she thought.
"'Scuse me miss," the woman looked up. Kalia walked down the rows of desks to stand in front of her. "The man outside, he said to come in here." The woman smiled.
"Papers?" she asked holding out her hand. She glanced at them. "Kalia. So you want to join up? You have to take a reading and writing test, so we know for sure you can read and write. Sit here." She pointed at a desk before getting a few sheets of paper and something to write with.
The woman was looking over Kalia's papers again. "You seem to have done very well. Take these to the palace gates as soon as you can, before the March moon. That is when training starts. Most trainees have short hair. Your hair will be hard to tend." She passed Kalia a single piece of paper, saying she was a trainee for the Rider's, her name, age, if she can read or write and if she had the gift.
"It's already hard to tend. It's a good reason to cut it. I go to the gates and they take me to the barracks?" Kalia took a lock of her now long, curly, auburn hair.
That was the reason she was now standing at a gate to the palace, waiting for someone to show her to the Rider's barracks. She just hoped nobody recognised her. She now had a fringe, curly ear length hair, that was now auburn and a new name. She was now Kalia Smith, from a small village to the north east of Olorun. She wasn't a noble's daughter anymore, or a student at the Royal University or the Lioness's daughter. She just hoped that Buri would not see her for what she was, her friend's daughter, Sophia of Olau and Pirate's Swoop.
"Four new recruits turned up today."
Buri smiled, "We're filling up quick. What are their names?" Sarge sank down on the chair in the officers' mess.
"Two girls, Mairi and Kalia, can't remember last names. The other two are called Krispin and Toraron."
"Do any of them seem promising?" Even with Sarge sitting, she still had to crane her neck up to look at him.
"Some of them. We'll find out more when training starts." He smiled at her. "We always do. You know how some you can just tell? And then there are the ones that keep you guessing? One of the girls, Kalia I think, she looks like if you blow too hard at her she'll fall over."
"A delicate one?"
"Yes, she's the curly redhead. She looks like she's never been fed properly. She's the skinniest one out of the lot. There is something about her. I get the air that she has more smarts than she lets on." She yawned.
"Will you need to point her out to me tomorrow? If she stays in we can feed her up a bit. I will talk to you tomorrow; I am going to go to bed. Thanks Sarge." She moved lethargically from her seat.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
The noise in the mess hall was almost deafening. Three Rider Groups had ridden in over the past two days; the three groups were all catching up. There was also by now over 35 trainees with 2 days left before training was due to start.
Sophia or Kalia as she now claims to be was sitting down with a small group of trainees eating their breakfasts. They were interested with their new recruits. "So how old are you?" The speaker was about 18-19, tall, had dark hair and dancing green eyes and spoke with a strong northern accent. This may be a problem she thought. He may be able to see through her accent.
"How old do you think I am?"
"Well you have to be at least 15 to enter so 15 plus."
"When I was enlisting the man didn't believe I was as old as I said I was," she smiled.
He gave her his most dazzling smile, "And what did you say to him?"
"My birthday."
"And when is that?"
"Next year."
Someone groaned, and said to the rest of the table, "Does he ever stop?" The rest of the table continued their conversation about the young man. "No."
"What date?"
"25th."
"And?"
"January."
"Are you going to share the year?"
"437. Can you work it out now?"
"You're fifteen!" he shouted. People turned and looked at him. Sophia burst out laughing along with everybody else at their long table. "I just thought you looked young."
"That's because I am young!"
"Ignore Lachlan. Ianthe," she held out her hand to shake.
"Kalia."
Ianthe started to introduce everyone, "Adrian, Lavinia, Keal, Tenness, Kience, Kathryn, Mairi, Krispin and Toraron."
"Hi." She smiled shyly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Have you had a chance to look around yet?" Ianthe quizzed. She seemed to be the one in charge of their group. She looked like the typical blond, blue eyed pretty girl. The other girls were more ordinary.
"Not yet."
"Well we have until training starts to do what we want. But if you're not very good at riding you should probably practise."
"I can ride. I'll have a look around and try not to get lost or go down to the city. I grew up in a very boring village."
"We'll show you around." Lachlan piped in.
"Oh, so you've recovered from the little shock," Ianthe remarked. He reddened slightly.
Sophia smiled, "Thanks."
"So is that why you enlisted? For some action?" Adrian asked. He was the oldest at the table. A southerner by the looks of his skin and his accent, brown haired and brown eyed.
"Partly, I wanted to get away from where I was living. I left as soon as I could." She fingered lightly the side of her face, a haunted look occupying her eyes. It did not go completely unnoticed by the others.
"Your parents?"
"I wasn't living with my parents. I'm adopted and we don't get on, my mother is an evil bitch. I live mainly with my grandparents. I'm meant to be at my parents' home at the moment but I came here instead."
"You're a runaway?" Someone, she wasn't sure who asked.
"No, I wouldn't call it that. You would need to understand the family, it's very complicated."
"Sorry."
"It's ok. So why is everybody else here?"
"Are you a noble?" Ianthe asked. Kalia laughed.
"I don't think I have a drop of noble blood in me. My stepfather was born in the lower city here and I was found in a clearing in the Royal Forest. So why is everyone else here?" she asked, the subject closed.
"Buri," her bleary eyes looked up from her breakfast to be greeted by Sarge. She was not a morning person. "The girl I was telling you about. She's sitting at the far table with the other newbies. Sitting furthest away on the right." Sarge sat down beside her while she glanced at the girl.
"I see what you mean. Her clothes look very baggy, her own clothes look well enough." Sarge understood what she was saying, she should be well enough fed if they're her own clothes or perhaps not if she stole them. "She looks like a doll. But looks can always be deceiving," she told him.
"Is this Buri the Wise rearing her ugly head again?"
"Indeed it is." She laughed. "Makes a change." She looked at the girl, Kalia again. "She reminds me of someone. I just can't think who."
"You'll remember eventually."
Please review, comments are greatly appreciated and thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: the usual, I don't own the characters and setting that is from Tamora Pierce's imagination. But all original characters are mine.
"Name?"
"Kalia Smith," the young woman said putting on a slight northern accent. She was one of those who had enlisted that year, and painfully thin. She had long copper highlighted auburn hair with full curls that cascading down her back and framed her face.
Her eyes were a dark clear blue that shone with intelligence, yet gave none of their secrets away. Her skin was a porcelain colour and flawless. Her face was neither short nor long, with soft features apart from her high cheekbones that were slightly more pronounced. She was very pretty almost inhumanly.
"Age?" Looks like a noble, he thought looking at her hands. A bit too thin though.
"15." The man writing down her details looked up. The girl must be just fifteen if even that. He put his fingers in the small dish of eyebright.
"Birthday?"
"25th January 437" There was no glow, she was telling the truth.
"You can read and write?" The redhead smiled.
"I could read and write by the age of six."
"You'll need to prove it. You never came to this school, so we don't know you."
"Do you have the gift?"
"Yes."
"Show me, and light this candle if you can." This is easier than I thought. She held up her hand calling up a small indigo fireball, her gift. She looked at the candle, sending a small part of her gift towards it. The candle burst into flames. "Good. Take these," he handed over the forms he had been filling in about her, then pointed to the room opposite, "And go in there."
She smiled sweetly, "Thank-you." She took the papers and moved away from the desk.
Behind the door there was a small classroom. A young woman was sitting at the front of the room reading a book. I suppose she is the one I'm supposed to see, she thought.
"'Scuse me miss," the woman looked up. Kalia walked down the rows of desks to stand in front of her. "The man outside, he said to come in here." The woman smiled.
"Papers?" she asked holding out her hand. She glanced at them. "Kalia. So you want to join up? You have to take a reading and writing test, so we know for sure you can read and write. Sit here." She pointed at a desk before getting a few sheets of paper and something to write with.
The woman was looking over Kalia's papers again. "You seem to have done very well. Take these to the palace gates as soon as you can, before the March moon. That is when training starts. Most trainees have short hair. Your hair will be hard to tend." She passed Kalia a single piece of paper, saying she was a trainee for the Rider's, her name, age, if she can read or write and if she had the gift.
"It's already hard to tend. It's a good reason to cut it. I go to the gates and they take me to the barracks?" Kalia took a lock of her now long, curly, auburn hair.
That was the reason she was now standing at a gate to the palace, waiting for someone to show her to the Rider's barracks. She just hoped nobody recognised her. She now had a fringe, curly ear length hair, that was now auburn and a new name. She was now Kalia Smith, from a small village to the north east of Olorun. She wasn't a noble's daughter anymore, or a student at the Royal University or the Lioness's daughter. She just hoped that Buri would not see her for what she was, her friend's daughter, Sophia of Olau and Pirate's Swoop.
"Four new recruits turned up today."
Buri smiled, "We're filling up quick. What are their names?" Sarge sank down on the chair in the officers' mess.
"Two girls, Mairi and Kalia, can't remember last names. The other two are called Krispin and Toraron."
"Do any of them seem promising?" Even with Sarge sitting, she still had to crane her neck up to look at him.
"Some of them. We'll find out more when training starts." He smiled at her. "We always do. You know how some you can just tell? And then there are the ones that keep you guessing? One of the girls, Kalia I think, she looks like if you blow too hard at her she'll fall over."
"A delicate one?"
"Yes, she's the curly redhead. She looks like she's never been fed properly. She's the skinniest one out of the lot. There is something about her. I get the air that she has more smarts than she lets on." She yawned.
"Will you need to point her out to me tomorrow? If she stays in we can feed her up a bit. I will talk to you tomorrow; I am going to go to bed. Thanks Sarge." She moved lethargically from her seat.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
The noise in the mess hall was almost deafening. Three Rider Groups had ridden in over the past two days; the three groups were all catching up. There was also by now over 35 trainees with 2 days left before training was due to start.
Sophia or Kalia as she now claims to be was sitting down with a small group of trainees eating their breakfasts. They were interested with their new recruits. "So how old are you?" The speaker was about 18-19, tall, had dark hair and dancing green eyes and spoke with a strong northern accent. This may be a problem she thought. He may be able to see through her accent.
"How old do you think I am?"
"Well you have to be at least 15 to enter so 15 plus."
"When I was enlisting the man didn't believe I was as old as I said I was," she smiled.
He gave her his most dazzling smile, "And what did you say to him?"
"My birthday."
"And when is that?"
"Next year."
Someone groaned, and said to the rest of the table, "Does he ever stop?" The rest of the table continued their conversation about the young man. "No."
"What date?"
"25th."
"And?"
"January."
"Are you going to share the year?"
"437. Can you work it out now?"
"You're fifteen!" he shouted. People turned and looked at him. Sophia burst out laughing along with everybody else at their long table. "I just thought you looked young."
"That's because I am young!"
"Ignore Lachlan. Ianthe," she held out her hand to shake.
"Kalia."
Ianthe started to introduce everyone, "Adrian, Lavinia, Keal, Tenness, Kience, Kathryn, Mairi, Krispin and Toraron."
"Hi." She smiled shyly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Have you had a chance to look around yet?" Ianthe quizzed. She seemed to be the one in charge of their group. She looked like the typical blond, blue eyed pretty girl. The other girls were more ordinary.
"Not yet."
"Well we have until training starts to do what we want. But if you're not very good at riding you should probably practise."
"I can ride. I'll have a look around and try not to get lost or go down to the city. I grew up in a very boring village."
"We'll show you around." Lachlan piped in.
"Oh, so you've recovered from the little shock," Ianthe remarked. He reddened slightly.
Sophia smiled, "Thanks."
"So is that why you enlisted? For some action?" Adrian asked. He was the oldest at the table. A southerner by the looks of his skin and his accent, brown haired and brown eyed.
"Partly, I wanted to get away from where I was living. I left as soon as I could." She fingered lightly the side of her face, a haunted look occupying her eyes. It did not go completely unnoticed by the others.
"Your parents?"
"I wasn't living with my parents. I'm adopted and we don't get on, my mother is an evil bitch. I live mainly with my grandparents. I'm meant to be at my parents' home at the moment but I came here instead."
"You're a runaway?" Someone, she wasn't sure who asked.
"No, I wouldn't call it that. You would need to understand the family, it's very complicated."
"Sorry."
"It's ok. So why is everybody else here?"
"Are you a noble?" Ianthe asked. Kalia laughed.
"I don't think I have a drop of noble blood in me. My stepfather was born in the lower city here and I was found in a clearing in the Royal Forest. So why is everyone else here?" she asked, the subject closed.
"Buri," her bleary eyes looked up from her breakfast to be greeted by Sarge. She was not a morning person. "The girl I was telling you about. She's sitting at the far table with the other newbies. Sitting furthest away on the right." Sarge sat down beside her while she glanced at the girl.
"I see what you mean. Her clothes look very baggy, her own clothes look well enough." Sarge understood what she was saying, she should be well enough fed if they're her own clothes or perhaps not if she stole them. "She looks like a doll. But looks can always be deceiving," she told him.
"Is this Buri the Wise rearing her ugly head again?"
"Indeed it is." She laughed. "Makes a change." She looked at the girl, Kalia again. "She reminds me of someone. I just can't think who."
"You'll remember eventually."
Please review, comments are greatly appreciated and thanks for reading.