Because she was so much older
then the others of her year-group, Windance quickly became the older sister to
them all. She may have been at the same
level as the rest in her book classes, such as History or Orienteering, and she
knew very little about housekeeping chores that the Trainees were expected to
take care of, aside from cooking, but she was in good shape, and knew some
fighting skills that even Weapons-master Jeri knew very little about. It didn’t mean that she didn’t get her share
of bruises, but the fact that there was something that she knew that none else
did made her a much sought after companion.
She made some very good friends almost immediately, which surprised her
after the way her voorthayshen had treated her. The topic came up one time when there was a
group of her closer friends, Toryn and Fiera included, were mending clothes.
“Windance, why did you seem
so, well, startled when we offered to be your friends?” Toryn said in her blunt
way. She was mending a gray tunic next
to Windance.
Windance glanced at her
quickly, but sensing nothing other then curiosity from the younger girl she
replied softly, “Because my clan was always afraid of me, and too respectful
too get close enough to see past their fear.
Only Treesong bothered.”
“Oh. But why did they fear you?”
Do I tell her? Oh why not, it’s nothing that she and the
others shouldn’t know anyways.
“Because of who I was, well, am.
Because of my differences. And
they were respectful of my status. So
they stayed away.”
“What differences?” Toryn
asked innocently.
Umm… what do I say to that? “Gifts.
They were afraid of my Gifts,” She said softly.
“Oh. But we don’t care about that here! Lots of people have Gifts, here in the Collegia!” she said
brightly.
“That’s why I accepted
you. If you were like my kin, I
wouldn’t have.” Windance smiled to take
any possible edge her words may have portrayed.
“That’s good! Soo…
Who’s Treesong? You said she/he
was the only one who bothered to get close to you. Tell us!”
“She’s my sh’aen. Sister.
So, Toryn, how’s your, uh, relationship with Jerra coming along??”
Seeing her friend blush, and
hearing the teasing remarks made by the others, Windance laughed, thinking it
would be nice to see Treesong again.
And to feel the forest surrounding her.
To be among her trees again, with nothing but the trees and the birds to
keep her company…
Almost immediately she knew
that she needed to leave, before she became so much a part of the Collegium she
no longer wanted to return to her forest.
She resolved never to let that happen, and she would keep her pledges,
even ones to herself. So she made plans
to leave, sometime within the next few days, to return, even briefly, to her
forest.
:And what about me,
Chosen?: a hurt voice asked her in her head.
:Oh, Tarin, I wouldn’t
dream of leaving you behind…: she paused, thinking about something. :Unless you would prefer to stay here, alshoa’kreth.: She used the nickname she had formed from
her language, which was so almost identical to the common Tayledras that she
didn’t even want to think about it.
:You think that I would
leave you go off alone? Without me?:
his mind voice was so incredulous that Windance began to laugh. She could just picture him standing there,
even figuratively, scolding her loudly for daring to even thing that.
:So are you coming?:
she knew that he knew she would go anyways, no matter what he wished.
:Of course. Do I have any choice?: he mind-sighed,
showing his dislike of the idea clearly.
:Of course not, alshoa’kreth. If I wanted someone who wouldn’t agree,
I’d’ve told Jerra, or Toryn. We’ll
leave tomorrow. I can get away after
weapons-training, when I would be with you anyways.: