“You think I would throw you in with the sharks on your very first day?” Jaax had asked incredulously.
“Yes,” Jahrra answered with feeling as they made their way back to the estate on the hill, a small donkey-drawn cart carrying Jahrra’s purchases behind them. “That’s what you did before taking me to meet Yaraa and Viornen.”
Jaax winced and braved a glance at his ward. She was fingering the scale on the silver chain she usually kept out of sight. Jaax couldn’t decide if she had reached for it on purpose or if it was done completely out of habit.
“Ah, well, that was different,” he said eventually. “You needed a little rough handling in your life then.”
Jahrra looked at him but didn’t argue. He was right after all, but she wasn’t about to tell him so. Instead she released a sigh as she led Phrym up the drive. She smiled and gave him a pat on the neck, pleased to know he was to be kept nearby. He seemed happy enough living with the other semequins and horses in the fine city stable. And the best part about it was its location. Like Jaax had said, it was situated just at the base of their hill and could be accessed from a trail that started behind the house.
“The walk is no more than fifteen minutes,” Jaax had assured her that morning, “but I don’t want you taking it at night. If you find yourself coming in after dark, take a carriage from the stable up the main drive. Lidien is a very safe city but there are still those out there who might entertain their own ideas on how to welcome you.”
Jahrra shivered a little. She didn’t need to ask Jaax to elaborate.
As the weeks passed Jahrra found herself settling into her new life in Lidien. A good amount of that time had consisted of Jaax leading her around like a puppy, showing her the University and getting her familiar with the route to and from their house. He took her to fine mansions perched upon the hills surrounding the city, or to fancy inns where he would introduce her to other members of the Coalition or high ranking dignitaries. Jahrra would bow politely as one titled lord or lady was introduced after the other. She felt rather odd when they returned the gesture but she managed to keep a polite smile on her face without collapsing into a heap on the ground.
When she was at home she insisted on helping Neira with tending the garden and even preparing the meals. At first the housemaid refused, declaring it was not Jahrra’s place, but in her usual fashion Jahrra was able to coerce her into allowing her to help.
“Please, Neira. I enjoy working in the garden,” she would say. “And I’d like to learn to cook, too.”
On the days Neira didn’t need any help at home, and when Jaax was off on some important task or another, she would ride Phrym through the city just for the sake of riding and getting to know her way around a little better. Since her guardian hadn’t yet formally introduced her to every single member of the Coalition, she could still remain somewhat anonymous among the people of Lidien. She wondered when she would be invited to attend one of the several Coalition meetings that kept Jaax away most of the day and sometimes well into the night, but he had only sighed and told her soon.
Her guardian went to at least three meetings a week and sometimes she wouldn’t see him for two days straight. Jahrra wondered what they discussed to make them last so long and although she longed to find out, she dreaded it as well. She knew she would be a major topic of discussion when she finally showed her face and that thought alone frightened her.
To help rid her mind of troublesome thoughts, Jahrra decided to focus most of her attention on her new home. Things were different in Lidien. No one seemed to mind Jaax’s presence and on many occasions she spotted other dragons like the ones she had seen when they first arrived in the city. There were other races besides dragons here: centaurs and cenikets and many other creatures and beings she didn’t recognize, some tall with the features of both elves and animals, some short, looking more like dwarves.
The city itself had a very urgent pulse to it though on many of her outings with Phrym she had discovered nooks and corners where the people had slowed down to take a break, where the pleasant clamor of the streets didn’t quite reach. Small outdoor shops selling tea and cakes, bookstores and tiny gardens tucked away every now and again gave Lidien just a hint of small town charm.
Jahrra often smiled as she and Phrym (and sometimes Jaax or Neira) enjoyed their long walks. This city loved its gardens. It seemed that every business, house or building had at least a tiny patch of earth or a window box to grow flowers and vegetables. By the end of the first week in her new home, Jahrra felt as if she’d been in Lidien her entire life.
The week before the next session at the University was to start, Jahrra and Jaax settled down in the great common room in front of a fire and poured over several pamphlets advertising the many courses the school had to offer. Jaax thought it would be most useful for Jahrra to take a variety of classes and to her great surprise, he allowed her to pick most of her own lessons with very few protests.
Jahrra chose a general class on the history of Ethoes, a mathematics course (that she agreed only to take because Jaax allowed her to pick the rest), a class that compared and discussed the myths and legends of the world and finally, the most appealing, a course that focused on the wildlife of Felldreim, both plant and animal alike.
“There is also a practice field nearby that you can utilize to keep up on the lessons you were taking with Yaraa and Viornen,” Jaax added.
Jahrra grimaced. It had been nearly three months since she’d last practiced with the elves and she knew she was falling out of shape.
“I’m sure you’ll meet a few people in your classes who would be interested in sparring with you.”
Jahrra gave Jaax an inquisitive look, not sure if that last comment was supposed to be a compliment or a jibe. Nevertheless, Jahrra hoped he was right. She could move through the exercises on her own but it wasn’t the same as having another person to practice with.
In the evenings when her guardian was home, Jahrra reviewed her basic lessons from Hroombra and the schoolhouse in Aldehren with Jaax. The night before she was to start her first day she was so nervous she couldn’t imagine ever falling asleep. Eventually, however, Jaax insisted she get to bed so that she could have a fresh start. Sighing, she reluctantly obeyed. She had no idea what to expect from the University. Would it be anything like her school in Aldehren? Surely not, for she wasn’t a naïve little girl anymore, was she?
Screwing her face up in determination, she climbed the stairs, entered her room and set her mind on slumber. She would face the morning with a renewed sense of strength. You have been through more than what most people have been through and you’ve survived, she told herself. You will not be afraid of a classroom full of strangers.
Despite Jahrra’s resolve, it took her ages to fall asleep, her nerves still a shambles when she finally did.
-Chapter Eight-
Friendly Strangers and Stranger Friends
The building seemed to go on forever, its massive columns looking like the bleached white skeletons of some ancient forest. People of various ages and descriptions pushed past her, adding to the buzz of busy chatter. Jahrra swallowed hard, her right hand clutching the strap of her bag, the other hand busy holding her schedule and campus map while trying not to shake. There were only fifteen more steps or so until she met the entrance of Emehriel Hall, the massive University building towering before her.