The Purple Haired Craze

In Which Valkyrie Wakes Up Early

I know, I know, terribly out of season... Just, deal with it... It's annoying me too...

Skulduggery and Valkyrie were awoken the next morning by an overexcited Joy, who leapt on them, laughing.

"Come on, come on!" the small girl giggled as the pair of them sat up sleepily.

"She does this every year," Skulduggery mumbled to Val, who simply flopped back onto her pillow, her head not quite aware that she was awake yet.

"Come on, Vallie! Everyone needs to get up now!"

"What time is it?" the dark haired elemental grumbled as Skul helped her sit up again.

"Seven o'clock on the dot," Joy shrieked as she ran out of the room, presumably to wake everyone else up.

Skulduggery slipped out of the bed, moving to pull on a clean shirt make himself presentable. "Mother and father gave her a rule; she is only allowed to wake everyone up at seven in the morning, no earlier. She's probably been up since six watching the clock downstairs."

She hauled herself out of bed, the white nightgown no protection against the cold of the room. Skulduggery grabbed a robe from the side, wrapping it around her before he moved to the small fireplace in the corner of his room to quickly light a fire.

"You probably want to put some warmer clothes on," he told Valkyrie as she huddled herself in the warm robe, her toes peeking out. "It's always cold in the mornings, and I don't think any of the fires have been lit yet." He was already fully dressed in a comfortable, but smart outfit. "We'll probably head up to Ghastly's place after breakfast, so wear your nice dress."

She only managed a sleepy nod, waiting for Skulduggery to leave so she could change in private. It took her way too long to pull off the nightgown and get into one of the few warm dresses hanging in the wardrobe that Aura let her borrow. By the time she made her way downstairs, everyone was already sitting and eating breakfast, Joy bouncing around the table, telling them all to hurry up.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Livena said, smiling brightly at Valkyrie, who shifted into her seat, wrapping the shawl around her.

"Vallie!" Joy jumped onto her lap, smiling broadly. "You are taking way too long. Mama said Ana and Savage are expecting us at nine o'clock, and it is now nearly eight o'clock." She looked very pleased with herself at being able to tell the time.

Valkyrie rubbed the sleep from her eyes, gratefully accepting the porridge Aura offered, shifting Joy in her lap so that she could reach around the small girl to eat. "Give me a moment to feel like I'm not about to fall back to sleep, okay?"

"How can you want to go back to sleep?" Joy asked, puzzled. "It's Mid-Winter and it's going to be so much fun!"

It was only when they all had finally got out of the house into the brisk, cold Winter's day that Valkyrie finally managed to feel much more awake, cheerfully skipping down the road of the hamlet with Liv and Joy.

"Joy, tell us who we're going to see today, will you?" Livena asked the child as she and Val made the girl swing and fly in the air.

"We gonna see Ana and Savage, Ghastly's mummy and daddy, Ghastly, Dex and Saracen and maybe Erskine and his mummy and daddy later."

"There is going to be someone else too," Valkyrie put in. "There is a new boy and his name is Hopeless."

"Ooh! What discipline does he have?"

"He is a shapeshifter," Val explained, lifting Joy up as she was clearly already a bit tired.

"Do you think he'll like me?"

"I'm sure he'll think you are adorable."

Ghastly's mother was just like Valkyrie had imagined; she was rather burly, with strong arms and toughened skin on her hands, but Ghastly had clearly inherited her kind eyes and smile. She immediately moved to hug everyone, inviting them all in. When she spotted Valkyrie and Liv, she gave them a broad smile.

"You must be Miss Cain and Miss Estrange," she said, shaking their hands. "My name is Anastasia Ragnhailt, but please just call me Ana."

They introduced themselves as they shuffled into the warmth of the house, Valkyrie instantly noticing that Savage kept his tailor's equipment everywhere, spotting fabric scissors in the corner and rolls of silk propped up in the corner. She also noted that there was a punching bag set up in one of the rooms, probably for Ana and Ghastly to practice with.

The living room was very similar to the one in the O'Connell's household. It had several comfortable chairs and sofas, a large grandfather clock stood in the corner and there was a fireplace in the center of the back wall.

Ghastly, Dexter, Saracen and Hopeless had been lounging on the seats when they all moved into the living.

"Hello all!" Dexter said, smiling as Joy leapt across the room towards the four boys.

"Dexy!" she yelled, leaping at the tall, blond boy, who pulled the two year old into a hug.

"Hello lovely! How are you?"

"Happy! I go hug Ghastly and Saracen now." She wriggled out of his arms, quickly hugging each boy until she arrived at Hopeless. "Are you Hopeless?" she asked, giving him an intrigued look.

"Yes, and you are Joy, Skulduggery's sister, right?"

"Yes, I can make fire, but Vallie says you can shapeshift. Can you show me?"

"Joy!" Aura told the child, diverting from her conversation with Ana. "Ask nicely."

"Alright, mama. May you show me, please?"

"Later, okay? Or don't you want presents?"

"Oh! Presents!"