Bladed Wings Page 6

  “Oh wait I forgot to tell you,” Michael whispered at my retreating back, “you must call me Fred whilst I am here, to be safe.”

  “Fred, now where did you think that one up?” He smiled and continued around the corner.

  Everyone was asleep when I opened the door to my room, but I could see by the faint glow of moonlight that there was a note on my bed. I got changed first, not bothering with my hair ribbons, than turned my attention to the letter. It was hastily scrawled on a torn off piece of tissue paper but I could recognise the handwriting.

  Lill,

  We need to talk,

  meet me in the small courtyard

  tomorrow at

  lunch.

  Linda

  Chapter 7

  At 12pm the next day I waited in the courtyard. A few minutes later Linda glided around the corner. She had become, in a week, a mini Lady Cassandra. I half expected her to curtsey when she stood in front of me.

  “Lilly, I feel that it is my duty to inform you that although I have not told anyone about your flight through the grounds last night I will not hesitate to do so next time.”

  My mouth dropped. I was speechless; she must have been the person that I had seen in the window as I ran after Michael. Obviously she hadn’t seen him or she definitely would have told.

  “I feel I need to warn you, that such behaviour will lead to your expulsion from this school and dishonour on our family. Now I know that you may have fallen in with a bad crowd but it is not an excuse to break the rules.” She turned and walked back around the courtyard. When she reached the door she stopped and turned back.

  “Oh, and I received a letter from Grandma.” She said in a softer voice, “they still haven’t found out what us wrong with mum..” She stood for a moment looking at her shoes than turned and went inside.

  I stood motionless, just staring at her back as she disappeared around the corner.

  I stopped a servant that was passing and borrowed a pen from the service kit that they all wore around their waists. I tore a piece of paper from the floral note book that I kept in my own bag. Unlike the servants ones that held, dried food, a pen and paper, needle and twine to make repairs on their uniforms, and if they were often outside a small hunting knife, mine contained my music sheets and silk threads for the embroidery lessons that Madam Rosmera had taken to giving me along with a folding fan and a handkerchief.

  I decided that I needed a few of my own questions answered from grandmother. I tried to make the letter as formal as I could, knowing that I wouldn’t get any reply if I was rude, But I forgot my own rule by the end. Finishing by demanding that she ‘wasn’t doing anything and never liked mother (which wasn’t exactly true) and that if she loved me (emotional black mail) she would try scrying again or if she couldn’t to get Jacki to do it (an attack on her pride). I hoped Jacki didn’t mind my giving her away as a mage, but I was desperate for a reply, any reply. I gave the letter to the same servant to post who was walking through the courtyard for the fifth time since I started the letter.

  I was still thinking about Linda’s behaviour an hour later as we walked the grounds in class.

  “Lill, what’s wrong, you haven’t said a word all class.” Monica asked.

  We were a few paces behind everyone so there was no need to whisper.

  “I’m fine!” I said through gritted teeth.

  “Alright, no need to bite my head off.”

  “Ladies please come and consider this rose.” Miss Fisher motioned to us to hurry up. We all moved up to see the yellow roses as she told us about their heritage.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just my sister is a little …up tight lately,” I whispered.

  “I wouldn’t take it to heart, they all fall in the end. All evil does,” she made ‘spooky’ hand movements at me. I laughed forgetting teachers views on the matter.

  “Young ladies, I trust you can tell me what I just said,” Miss Fisher said with a grin, obviously thinking that she had caught us out.

  “You said that these are the Balacin Princess Roses, and that they were planted in 1905 Miss.”

  The smile quickly dropped from her face before she turned and continued down the line of roses. I had picked up the talent of being able to listen to teachers’ meaningless babble as well as talking to my friends in primary school. It had always earned me a glare from the teachers but they knew that they couldn’t do anything about it as long as I could answer them. I swear that they used to plot about ways to catch me out in the staff room at lunch.

  “So what’s she being up tight about?” Monika continued when we started walking again.

  “Just family stuff. Talking about sisters, how’s yours goin’?”

  “Yeh yeh, no need to rub it in.” Monica’s sister graduated top of the class a few years earlier and now she had the constant pressure of trying to live up to her. I knew how she felt, but it never stopped me from provoking her when I got the chance.

  Lunchtime was the same as usual, excited, babbling girls all discussing ‘the Hunk’. “Oh come on, no one can be that good looking! I mean has anyone actually talked to him yet? he could be a total loser.” I pointed out.

  “You wouldn’t say that if you had seen him, and yes I have heard him speak,” said Trina a sickening smile spreading across her face “He said ‘Hi’ to me yesterday in the corridor.”

  “OH MY GOSH! When are you guys announcing your engagement” I ducked to avoid a flying dinner roll. When I came back up there seemed to be an increase in the level of noise in the hall.

  “What’s goin on?” Trina stood up to see over everyone’s heads to the door where to commotion was coming from.

  “Ooooo, its him, its him”. She squealed, quickly dove under the table, knocking a glass of water off after her.

  “Oh, really brave Trina, is this how you talk to guys where you’re from?” I looked up at the door, to my surprise Michael was making his way around the edge of the hall towards me. The girls where all pointing and whispering behind their hands. Now I understood, Michael must have been ‘the Hunk’ that was why I had not seen him yet because he had been avoiding me all week. I was about to wave but saw him slowly shake his head.

  As he slipped past, I felt him slide a peace of paper into my hand. He continued without a word and left through the other door. Everyone was suddenly finished their lunch and very interested in getting on with their homework, with a sudden rush for the door.

  Giving a hurried excuse to Trina I went out into the courtyard.

  Checking that I was alone I looked at what Michael had given me.

  The note told me to meet him in the library at 11pm tonight after lights out. This worried me as the halls where patrolled by the teachers after lights out. It would be risky and I couldn’t afford to be seen by Linda again.

  By dinnertime however I had a plan. I didn’t tell Trina. I knew she would keep it a secret but I wanted to find more about all of this before I told her.

  At 10:45pm I put my dressing gown on and crept out of bed. I had made sure before I went to bed that the door was open a crack so that I could squeeze through without waking anyone up. Because I was trying not to make any noise, everything seemed two times louder. My bed creaked as I inched out of it, my robe rustling loud enough to wake the entire dorm. I crept around the edges of the room were the floor boards where less likely to creak but they still made too much noise for my liking.

  I stopped and listened at each corner in case there was a teacher coming before moving on. It would take me longer than just heading straight down but I didn’t fancy being caught out of bed.

  I made it to the library twenty minutes later without meeting a single teacher.

  The room was dark but I found my way over to the window and opened the curtain to let the moon light in. Sitting down on the cushions I propped some underneath me to support my sore hip. Michael came around the shelves a moment later looking pleased with himself.

  I went to stand but the sudden movement se
nt a hot wave of pain up my side.

  “What’s up with your leg?” He asked frowning.

  “You fell on it.” I replied.

  “Oh sorry,” He came and lay next to me on the cushions, propping himself up on one elbow so that his face was in the light.

  “I brought a torch but I would rather not use it if that’s alright,” he placed it to one side.

  “Yeh, So what’s up?”

  “I sent a message last night when I got back.”

  “Oh, to whom?” I said casually watching his face.

  A cheeky smile spread across his face and I knew that i hadnt fooled him.

  “I received a reply this morning, they don’t know who the bird belonged to but they do know that the people that are trying to get to you may know where you are. They are positive that they still do not know who you are but you still need to be careful. Are you still following me?” He asked.

  “Yeh, believing you is another thing. How do I know that you aren’t just pulling my leg with all this stuff?”

  “You will just have to trust me, and besides didn’t that bird kind of confirm things last night?” He played with a hole in his shirt as he spoke.

  I re-adjusted myself on the cushions, plumping one up under my side whilst I thought about this. Michael seemed to feel that he had said enough on the topic and spun around to sit on the window ledge, forcing me to look up to talk to him.

  “On other matters,” He continued, “I’m sorry if I scared your friend today in the hall. One second she was there next she had swan dived under the table. What happened? I’m not that scary am I?”

  “HA! She will die if she knew that you saw her. You do know that all the girls have crushes on you right.”

  I could tell that he was blushing even though there wasn’t much light. He picked at the hole in his shirt making it bigger. Finally it got the better of me, although I hadn’t brought my bag that contained my thread and needles for my embroidery I had to do with Madam Rosmerta, I knew that the leather pouch that Michael had to wear would contain what I needed.

  “The cooks don’t let me forget it. Speaking of which, you haven’t escaped the kitchen boys’ attention either.”

  I ignored him and reached over, pulling the pouch attached to his side open. I rummaged through it under his watchful eye until I found some thread and a needle, which I had to straighten before I could use it.

  “But on a more serious matter,” he continued, “I feel we need a way to keep in touch so that you don’t have to keep missing your beauty sleep. People will get suspicious if I keep handing you notes.”

  He flinched as I poked him with the needle as he shifted in his seat.

  “Well take it off than so that I can mend it properly.” He sighed and pulled the shirt off over his head, dropping it into my lap. I tried not to look at his bare chest as I worked knowing that I would not be able to hide my flushed cheeks if I did. The fabric was still warm form his body, I ignored the fluttering warmth that spread through my chest, hoping he wouldn’t notice as I tried to control my breath.

  “I know, how about I leave you notes in a book. Let me see,” he jumped up and went over to the shelves.

  “Ok, how about this one, ‘Mathematics for the food lover.’ Both of my favourite subjects, I will leave you notes about where to meet me in page…390. Alright that’s that, next order of business.” He replaced the book and came back to the window.

  “I asked my friends if I could teach you to defend yourself in case I’m not there.”

  A wave of fear gripped my stomach, what exactly were we up against here if i needed lessons on self defence.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you,” he reassured me leaning down so that his eyes where level with mine, “But I cannot be with you every minute. They said no sadly, as they felt that someone might see us together on the grounds training, and before you interrupt, yes I suggested the forest but they said that we couldn’t risk it. Never the less I thought that you should have this.” He pulled out a long silver dagger. I took it from him and found that it was heavier than it looked. I pulled it out of its holster and held it up reflecting the moonlight. The hilt was gold with a white vine twisted around the handle. The blade was thin but strong and the weight felt right and the grip fit perfectly in my grasp. The leather carry pouch that it was in was imprinted with a large bird twisted from the end to the opening. I used it to cut the thread off and almost dropped it when it cut clean through the second it touched the blade. I stood up to strap the holster around my waist, but thinking better of it, pulled up my nightdress and tied it around the top of my thigh. Michael graciously turned his head away when I did this.

  “Now I do not want you to use it unless it is a matter of life and death and no one is to know. Got it, no one can see it, or know about it. Not even my friends know that I gave it to you.”

  “It’s beautiful. Where did you get it?” I asked.

  “I made it, I like to make my own weapons, that way I know I can rely on them.” I was silent for a moment just appreciating how someone could make something so deadly, into something so beautiful.

  “Can I have my shirt back now?” He asked.

  “Oh yeh,” I said distractedly throwing it back to him.

  “This is good work,” he said inspecting my stitching, “But did you have to add the flowers?” I smiled to myself as I practiced some slow sweeps with the dagger. He watched for a moment from his perch by the window, giving me pointers as I haphazardly swung the blade around.

  “You look tired,” He said after a moment, I could feel his eyes on my face as I tried to say that I wasn’t but knew he wasn’t fooled. “Check the book every day, twice if you can. I will take care of the teachers for you just get back to your room as fast as you can alright.” He got up and walked me to the door before disappearing back behind the shelves.

  He was as good as his word. I made it back to my room without so much as a whiff of a teacher. Trina stirred when I opened the door but just rolled over and went back to sleep.

  I crawled into bed carefully putting the dagger and its leather holster under my pillow. The ghostly form of a bird flew past the window coming to perch on the ledge as I drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 8

  I had another meeting with Madam Rosmerta before lunch the next day. It seemed that every time I had to go and see her it was raining.

  Thankfully the heat had backed off a bit over the last couple of days so I was slightly more comfortable during the lesson. I was going quite well if I do say so myself.

  I was doing great with my speech and I could sit and walk like a lady now. I was however still having trouble with eating and polite conversation. I could do each very well, but it was when I had to do the two together that I hit a snag.

  The problem was that if your guest asked you a question you had to reply within ten seconds or seem to be rude. Madam kept asking me things just as I put my fork or cup to my mouth so I would try and answer, but ended out spraying bits of cheesecake and tea everywhere.

  I missed lunch because Madam wanted me to finish my embroidery before I left, claiming that I needed the practice. I was over sewing by the end, but when I got back to my room to change into a fresh dress for lunch I found a small pile of clothing on my bed with a note pinned to top.

  The other servants liked your work on my shirt,

  they ask if you could please fix

  theirs for them

  if your not to busy.

  I could almost see him smirking as I read the note. I considered throwing it all back in their faces but than I saw that one had tried to repair his leggings himself with some brown twine and took pity on them.

  Thankfully our class in the grounds had been cancelled because of the rain so I spent the afternoon in my room mending the various items for their owners. Trina came to find me after about halfway through the pile and just laughed when I handed her the note to read. But despite her taunting that every boy in t
he school was after me, she sat beside me on the bed and threaded her own needle challenging me in a race to finish the rest of the pile.

  I left Trina to finish the last shirt and wandered the long corridors peering into rooms as I stretched out my legs after sitting for the better part of two hours with the mending. I was climbing the stairs to the Hall when I heard a terse voice ahead. Recognising it as Lady Cassandra’s and not wanting to disturb her with a guest, I quickly ducked into an alcove with a statue of an old head mistress in it. I tried not to listen but they were whispering, and my curiosity got the better of me. I edged around the other side of the statue so that I could hear better.

  “No, you are not under any circumstances to involve her. Let me handle her, you will find that I can be very charming when I try.” She gave a tinkling laugh and I heard them move back down the corridor. I came out and headed in the opposite direction, back the way I had come.

  A little confused I made my way down the smaller back staircase in case they turned back. I found Monica sitting on a bench under the shade of a large fern.

  “I thought that she had eaten you. Where have you been you said you would come and get that music for tomorrows class,” she said.

  “What? Oh I’m sorry,” I said slumping down next to her on the concrete bench. “I got held up with…never mind. But I almost got a double detention just now, I almost ran into Cassandra with a guest by the stairs.” Monica pulled a strange face when I mentioned this.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I just saw her a minute ago with a guest in the hallway behind us.” I spun around and peered through the window. She definitely wasn’t there anymore.

  “That’s impossible she went the long way round, she would have had to run to get down here before me,” we both giggled at the idea.

  “Besides this is the run down part of the house. Why would she bring guests this way?” I asked. She shrugged and waved it off saying if she did run she would have looked very funny with all her skirts bouncing up around her. We had a good laugh before getting up and going to dinner.