“Afraid so,” she said. “Are you going to hold it against me?”
Senton shook his head, the shock apparently still keeping him from speech.
Taking advantage of the sudden silence, Jahrra introduced her two new friends to each other. “Torrell, this is Senton, Senton, this is Torrell.”
The two shook hands and after that they all fell into a friendly and relaxed chatter. Jahrra learned that Torrell and her family lived in the city and that Torrell’s uncle taught the style of fighting she had used against Jahrra. She even promised to tolerate Senton if he truly wished to learn. Before long the sun was setting over the bay and Jahrra had to say farewell.
“I’ll see you in Wilderness class in two days. Should we set up a schedule for practice after classes then?” Jahrra called from Phrym’s back.
Torrell, climbing atop her own black and white mare, said she would bring some more weapons to practice with and Senton told her he would figure out when his father would need his help in his shop.
Waving one last time, Jahrra clicked Phrym forward, pressing him into a quick pace as she headed northwest towards the stone house on the hill. As she traversed the busy streets of Lidien, she thought of how her day had gone. Of all the things that happened that day, she never dreamed she would have come out of it with two new friends, both of them seeming so dear to her in such a short amount of time.
-Chapter Nine-
The Odd Behavior of Elves
For the next couple of weeks, Jahrra gradually settled into the routine of attending her classes during the day and meeting with Senton and Torrell in the afternoons. Torrell was far better than she had first noticed and the two of them had to pause every now and again in the midst of some battle, for they often forgot that Senton was still learning.
As they spent more and more time together, Jahrra began to learn a great deal about her two new friends. Senton was of Nesnan and Resai descent and he and his family lived on the west end of the city. His father managed a shop near the water front and he and his brothers and sister lived above it.
“It isn’t in the worst section of the port but it isn’t in the best either,” he’d said on their way out of history class one morning. “But the view is spectacular and you can get the best fried fish just around the corner.”
He smiled and Jahrra couldn’t help being cheered a bit. He did have a rather charming smile.
Torrell, on the other hand, was quite the opposite of Senton. Her parents were Resai and her family had lived in Lidien for several generations. Her uncle taught defense and swordplay and her mother owned a restaurant. Torrell never had any fear of speaking her mind, often bringing forth questions and opinions Jahrra was sure were shared by others. It was just that Torrell wasn’t afraid to be the one to voice them. Jahrra could see how people would be easily intimidated or offended but luckily her new friend had revealed her true nature that first day of school. She was as blunt as a battle axe but her honesty was never offered out of meanness. Jahrra had made other acquaintances as well, all fellow classmates ranging in age from a year or two younger than her to several years older. Everyone in Lidien seemed to be quite friendly once they became comfortable with each other.
Jahrra enjoyed her new life in the City of Light and she especially enjoyed her lessons at the University. The wildlife course and the Ethoen mythology classes were easily her favorite. She couldn’t say why, but she got the feeling it was because they reminded her of home, of Hroombra.
Despite Jahrra’s hope for keeping her identity secret, it didn’t take long for her fellow classmates to devise who she was. By the end of the first week of school she started to notice people giving her a wider berth as she passed by; often talking quietly to a friend as they did so. At first she feared that her hair had fallen out or that she had sat in a pool of paint or something along those lines. It was only until Torrell sniffed and tugged her along one afternoon on their way to the practice fields that she was informed of the truth.
“Just getting a good look at the human,” her friend had said in her usual dry, no-nonsense way.
So, the people of Lidien were finally taking full note of her. Jahrra gritted her teeth. Maybe she could dye her hair or wear a disguise. As unobtrusive as it was, she hated this attention, but there was nothing for it. She would just have to bear it and be grateful she had found Torrell and Senton. At least they didn’t treat her any differently because of what she was.
Luckily, Jahrra had school to occupy her thoughts most of the time. Her numerous classes also meant seemingly endless studying, and oftentimes she would meet up with classmates in the University library.
The first time she visited the library Jahrra was nearly struck dumb. The building was located centrally on the campus and boasted great, towering walls with columns and a beautiful granite hall. The ceiling, at least fifty feet high, was decorated in ornate carvings and beautiful paintings depicting dreamlike landscapes. Several pale, stained glass windows, perched just above the tops of the bookshelves, let in a good deal of light and a giant glass oculus in the center of the roof pulled the sunlight from the sky and poured it into the massive room.
At first Jahrra could only be impressed with the beauty of this huge space, for the walls were lined with bookshelves running from ceiling to floor all the way around the room, and she was soon under the impression that a copy of every book existing in Ethoes could be found in this very library. It wasn’t until later, when someone told her about the several rooms beneath their feet, that she felt even more overwhelmed. How many books does this place hold? she wondered in awe. The library soon became her favorite place to study with her classmates and in a very short amount of time she developed a habit of spending at least two nights a week there reading or going over notes.
Besides settling into her classes, getting to know new people and discovering an endless supply of information in the library, Jahrra had her home life to occupy her as well. Her guardian’s residence was by far the nicest place she had ever lived. As she began to learn her way around Lidien she realized that the house was ideally set centrally, though among the tallest hills on the easternmost side of the city. She absolutely loved her room, with the great bed and familiar tapestries, and especially the terrace on the other side of the hallway.
One particularly warm weekend she decided to take her schoolwork out onto the balcony to work in the welcoming sunlight. Neira showed her which window opened out onto the stone deck without causing the rusty hinges to squeak, so Jahrra had gathered her scrolls, inkwell and quill and clambered out. The rooftop terrace looked out over the circular drive below and gave a wonderful view of the forest to the east and a sliver of the bay to the northwest. Jahrra sighed in delight and made her way over to a stone bench and table located on the more northern end of the patio. She turned her head and surveyed her surroundings, her eyes stopping when they reached the outdoor fireplace on the opposite end of the terrace. Maybe Jaax would let her invite her friends over one night and they could have a fire and roast sausages for dinner.
Jahrra took a breath and sat down. She meant to get right to work but she couldn’t help admire the stone garden boxes taking up the last space between her bench and the balustrade across from her. There were two large stone beds, one full of barren, dark soil waiting for someone to plant seeds. She made a mental note to ask Jaax or Neira about where she might get some flower and vegetable seeds, especially since spring was nearly over.