Ch 1: Lost in the Storm

"See ya, Ahiru!" Pique called from out behind the door.

Ahiru was hardly in a state to be going anywhere. Her hair stuck up in odd tufts here and there, she could barely keep her eyes open, and she was still wearing her pajamas. With a mouth full of toothpaste and a toothbrush in her hand, she had to wait until she could speak again to call back, "Class doesn't start until an hour later! Why are you guys going now?"

No answer. With a tired shrug, Ahiru suppressed a yawn and decided that she had better things to do than put on her ballet clothes at this hour and trek to class. Especially in the middle of the winter.

"Do you think we should tell her that a storm's supposed to hit?" Pique whispered, as she and Lillie strode down the corridor decked in their winter wear over their ballet clothes. "What if she gets caught in the middle of it?"

"Don't be silly, Pique dear," Lillie giggled. "Of course not. The storm's supposed to come in thirty minutes, but she'll get to class just like everyone else. You shouldn't even have told her we were going now!"

Pique looked down, feeling vaguely guilty. "I hope she doesn't get lost in the storm...you know, it's really a pity that we have classes this early..."

"Not a pity!" Lillie squealed. "An opportunity! Nothing like dance practice on a cold morning in the winter to get your blood flowing!"

"Lillie," Pique muttered, "this isn't a cold morning in the winter. This is a blizzard."

It was only once Ahiru had stepped outside that she realized she had made a terrible mistake. She stopped in her tracks, trying to orient herself now that her vision had shifted to shades of white and her senses to nothing but paralyzing cold. Snow was streaming from the sky in blindingly white flurries, and almost instantly her shoes had become soaked with frigid melted ice. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to rub warmth into her shoulders, and yet her thin jacket did almost nothing to absorb the wind howling around her, with snow flying in its wake.

She was thoroughly exposed to the elements, as she had worn a flimsy skirt and a light jacket, yet she still hesitantly took another step forward. Gusts of wind battered her even as she clenched her jaw and attempted to ignore the cold.

She should go back for her coat, she realized, but she couldn't be late for class! How could she keep warm?

Exercising can keep you warm! She brightened almost immediately. If I run to class, then I'll stay warm and get to class sooner!

Ahiru began to run, despite the fact that her ballet flats definitely weren't made for running. The swirling snow continued to obscure her sight. Unfortunately, within half a minute, her foot slid on the ice and she faceplanted in the snow. Ahiru lay there for a moment, stunned, before she quickly scrambled back up again and tried to figure out where she had been going. She shivered. Time to run again so I can stay warm!

A minute and another faceplant later, Ahiru decided that she should give up on the running. Besides, even though her arms had pumped and her heart raced, now she didn't feel energized in the slightest, only even more tired and cold.

She stopped, if only to catch her breath and stomp her feet. Wait...beneath her feet wasn't concrete, but dead grass. Did that mean she was no longer on the path?

Ahiru looked up in horror, momentarily forgetting to draw breath. All around her lay a smooth covering of snow that came to her knees, accumulating even as she watched. She couldn't see much more than ten meters away, and even that was difficult.

Ahiru sighed. Weren't schools supposed to shovel away the snow so their students could stay safe? Or in the very least cancel class? She had the feeling, however, that trying to shovel anything in this weather would be futile.

She could hardly feel her fingers or toes, and that brought her to an even more pressing matter: where was she supposed to go now that she could hardly see? Ahiru peered through the snow as best she could, and finally decided that the outline of that building in the distance looked like where she was supposed to go.

As her footsteps sunk through the snow, Ahiru realized that it didn't matter if that building was the place where class was or not - she had to get inside, and fast. Her foot slid once more on the ice, and she landed hard on her tailbone. As she clambered back up again, thoroughly exhausted, she took her steps more slowly.

The frigid wind was becoming almost unbearable, and Ahiru didn't think she could stand being outside like this, with nearly bare legs and an almost nonexistent jacket, much longer.

Ahiru stumbled through the chilling gusts and the snow, and managed to force the door of the building open. Once she was inside, she slammed the door behind her shut and slid to sit on the ground and savor the warmth. She wasted no time in brushing away at the snow that had fallen atop her head and her clothes, and rubbed her hands together once she was finished to restore the feeling in them.

Her eyes widened as she looked straight ahead into the open doorway and saw a wooden sword slicing through the air. The dark blond person holding it twisted as if to avoid an invisible blade and lunged once more with incredible speed, then blocked another imaginary attack. Ahiru watched, fascinated, as the person sparred against an invisible enemy. He fought with grace and power, looking almost as if he were dancing despite the ferocity of his movements. Indeed, Ahiru noticed that he was built almost like a dancer, possessing the same elegance and control.

Forgetting all else, Ahiru stood and walked through the doorway, and promptly sat down to watch.

His sharp gray eyes fastened on her for an instant, but it seemed that her presence didn't merit a comment as he simply continued, giving no indication of having seen her. The wooden weapon flew through the air in a stunning display, and Ahiru, almost spellbound, watched.

"And then my stomach growled twice really loudly, and then I got really embarrassed so I scrambled up, bowed to him, and scurried out," Ahiru recounted at lunch. She was met with a disbelieving stare from Pique, whose meal sat untouched as a testament to her rapt attention to Ahiru's tale. Lillie, thankfully, was gone at the moment.

"So you're telling me you saw this happen? So that's where you were all morning?"

"Yes," Ahiru admitted, twiddling her thumbs. "I know everyone's going to be terribly mad at me!"

Pique reached out and gave Ahiru a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. Just don't do it again, okay?"

"But he was so good at it," Ahiru sighed. "I'd really want to watch him practice again. It was like ballet, but with weapons!"

"Now you're being odd," Pique shook her head firmly. "I don't think I've ever heard of this mystery guy before. You know, I'm kind of curious myself. Should I tell Lillie so we can all go together?"

"NO!" Ahiru protested. "She's just going to start all these stupid rumors and it's going to be terrible! You know how Lillie is!"

"Yes, I do," Pique nodded, smiling faintly. "Most likely she'd start something about how this guy and you have a secret, tragic relationship that you're bound to keep hidden forever, until one of you dies and then-"

"Shut up," Ahiru returned crossly. "Now you're beginning to sound like her!"

"Sorry," Pique chuckled. "Anyway, what do you say if I come along tomorrow, just to see who he is?"

"I suppose. It's just that he might get annoyed, and you really don't want to make someone like him mad."

"I'm just curious!" Pique wheedled. "Please?"

Ahiru relented. "Fine, then. Just don't tell anyone else, okay?"

"I promise," Pique said, smiling widely. Ahiru couldn't help but feel nervous already.

"Miss Ahiru!" Her teacher scolded that afternoon. "Where were you yesterday?"

Ahiru had known this was coming, and yet she found herself strangely helpless as she looked down. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, fervently hoping for escape. Pique watched sympathetically, and Lillie, not-so-sympathetically.

"Poor Ahiru," Pique whispered as the girl in question fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Oh, she's so cute when she's flustered!" Lillie laughed. "Look at her!"

"You didn't answer my question," the teacher demanded. "Where were you, Miss Ahiru?"

"Ah...um..." Ahiru looked around wildly. "I was...lost...in the blizzard?"

"For the entire morning?"

Giggles rose among the dancers, and Ahiru blushed furiously. Of course she would have made her way out into a blizzard with only a short skirt and light jacket. Of course it had to be her. And, on top of that, be forced to stand up in front of her classmates and be the joke of the day - or week - hopefully not month?

"Poor thing!" Lillie squealed. "I knew this would happen, Pique!"

As embarrassing as that was, Ahiru found it much worse to stand in front of Fakir and admit that she'd gotten lost on her own campus. In partnering class that day, while practicing pirouettes, somehow he got the information out of her without even trying.

"That was a huge snowstorm today," Fakir commented dryly. "Try to spot your face in the mirror, by the way. Didn't I tell you that already?" Ahiru, trying to stay on balance, wobbled on her pointe shoe despite the fact that he was holding her securely in place.

"Careful, moron," Fakir grumbled, oblivious to Ahiru's racing thoughts. Did Fakir know that she'd missed class and gotten lost, all in the most embarrassing manner possible?

She couldn't help but blurt, "I got lost this morning in the snowstorm!"

Fakir seemed taken aback, almost forgetting to give a sarcastic response. "So you're the girl that made up a flimsy excuse for skipping class the other day? I've heard the rumors, but I didn't know it was you. Don't bend your leg, that looks odd. Quit looking at the floor."

"They think it's an excuse?"

"Well, that's what I heard. All sorts of rumors are flying around, most of them about you cutting class for fun and lying about it."

"I didn't!" Ahiru stammered. "That's what it looks like, but I swear that didn't happen!" She pushed off the floor and whirled into a pirouette with extra conviction.

Fakir shook his head. "I told you, spot yourself in the mirror! What happened, anyway?"

"Ah...um, well...it was just...really cold, and...I kind...of..."

"If anyone could get lost on their own campus, while walking the same path they always walk, it would be you," Fakir muttered. "And I have no idea how you're forgetting to point your foot. That leg on your passé is turned in, too. Did you at least bring a coat?"

"I wasn't wearing a coat," Ahiru admitted. "I didn't even know there was a snowstorm."

"Just be careful next time, idiot," Fakir said, but the insult was muted somewhat by his slight smile. "Don't go and get yourself sick out in that cold. I don't think we've seen the last of these storms. Bend your legs more into that plié so you can push off with extra force."

Ahiru nodded, wondering what Fakir would say if he knew about that strange man she'd seen dueling an invisible opponent with a wooden sword. And yet, some instinct told her to keep quiet - perhaps because she intended to go back and watch him practice again the next day, snowstorm or not.