The Girl With Silvered Water

Chapter 3

Welcome back to installment three of The Girl With Silvered Water! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. This chapter really begins to explore the political climate between Reisland and Effleheim. Enjoy!

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"Kalara! Why haven't you finished shelving the books?" The head librarian hissed angrily with accusing eyes. Kalara flinched from the attack. Her hand froze mid-air with the book she was putting on the shelf.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Velvort. I'll finish right away." Kalara said meekly as she cast her eyes downwards and bit the inside of her lip.

"Hmph! Don't even think of leaving until every last one of those books are shelved and you will not be receiving overtime for this!" Mrs. Velvort spat quietly as she stalked away.Heaving a melancholy sigh, Kalara roused herself and continued placing books on the shelf in a steady rhythm. Pick it up, scan the shelves, place it. Pick it up, scan the shelves, place it. This was one of the many techniques she had developed to deal with the bullying the townspeople aimed at her.

Gradually, the tension in her shoulders lessened and she listened to all the other junior librarians laugh and call out their goodbyes to each other as they left work.

"Looks like someone isn't just inept when it comes to element manipulation." One of the girls snickered to her friend as she past Kalara on her way to the door.

"Maybe she was hoping for extra pay, but Mrs. Velvort is too smart for that!" Her companion responded with an enthusiastic chuckle.

Pick it up, scan the shelves, place it. Kalara ignored them to the best of her abilities and kept shelving the books without a pause. The only external indication that she was bothered was that her face turned bright red.

Kalara felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked to the side to see Salina, the only librarian who was friendly toward Kalara, in a way. "You okay?" she asked with concern.

Quickly plastering a smile to her face, Kalara nodded and said quietly, "Yes, of course."

Relief filled Salina's features and she let out a breath, "Good! I'm so glad to know that you don't let those kind of things get to you. It's in bad taste when people pick on those weaker than themselves!"

Kalara winced at Salina's words and the few remaining library staff members snickered at her outburst. Sometimes Kalara wondered if Salina was just extremely daft or the most passive aggressive person in the village. With an effort, Kalara kept a smile on her face and bid Salina goodnight before turning to finish her work.

Soon all the books were delivered to their homes on the shelves. Quickly, Kalara grabbed her bag off the counter in the back and rushed out of the library almost as if she was afraid something would keep her there.

The chimneys' shadows danced across cobblestone roads as Kalara hurried up the lane, urged on by her alarm at how late it had gotten. If her father made it home before she did, she knew she'd be in for a harsh scolding for staying out too long and neglecting her household duties, especially after what had happened last week. It wasn't her fault she was running late. But Kalara should just be grateful to have a job at all, at least, that's what everyone at the library told her.

Kalara dulled the pain in her heart and quickened her pace. She just had to make it home before her father, the last thing she needed was to be scolded or have him impose an earlier curfew. These thoughts quickened her past restaurants with their appetizing dinner smells wafting through open doors before mingling with the evening rush of people. Most groups she passed were too preoccupied with each other to notice the lone girl slipping by amid a rustle of skirts. Kalara barely paid them much heed either; her only thought was to get home and start dinner before her father returned.