Dragon Mind

5

Water rushed over my head. Ethan had dunked me. I came up laughing, but he was gone. The water I had been swimming in had changed. Blood, I was being bathed in blood.

I shot out of bed. My dirty clothes were gone though the weapons were placed against the foot of my bed. I needed a bath. Not one of those baths I was so used to, but a heated one with... lavender. I got out of bed and set off to the bathing room. The night servants turned red as I past, not everyday you caught a young master without clothes. That was unless you lived here. Between Father, sometimes though rare Brother, and myself we nearly caused Mom to toss us all on the streets like the pests we are. It happened so often that most of the older ones did not so much as blink when they saw our bare arses though mother finding out always set the place in up roar.

Screaming matches could be heard on the outside street when they began. To the Wolves Bane family members no time was ever really quiet or sleep time. I often went to the fights that happened between mother and father. Before pulling up a chair I would bring a fruit of some kind or another. Apples were my favorite but often brought attention to me, so grapes became a wonderful treat. My younger years it was a fight to ever get the snacks. Elvin had years of battle training and cooks saw him as a boy. Snacks were common for boys. Girls needed to watch their wight. It took only months to learn but soon food started to disappear from the kitchens, only to become my snack at the matches. As brother got older and started his own 'unseemly games' mother yelled at him a bit too. But as it became clear that they would be sticking around, brother became yet another sparingly partner for mother.

I became a target much earlier. A lady goes to her lessons, a lady does not practice sword play, sit stright, quit frowning, what on earth!? Mother had simply thought it was a rebellious time in my life, she soon found it was not. What had taken Elvin fourteen years and seven months had taken me only nine years.

Mother doesn't care as much anymore, since Danielle was born. That girl would be snatched right up on her sixteenth birthday. She was five now, and kept well away from the 'males of the family.' She had black hair like mother. Her eyes were brown walnuts, mouth small and rosey, and a small narrow nose. Once, she had been allowed to visit the practice field once. She never came back after a group of us had 'slipped' and sent practice sword into her side. They then hustled her out, all the while she was balling.

The bath was ready and waiting, one of the servants must have done it, bless them who ever it was. I poured the scented lavender oil into the water before sinking inside. So nice to get this muck of. My pool was lined with with Nightingale flowers and arrows which were added after I joined the battle ranks. Mother's pool had painted lillys on it and was deeper. Danielle had the smallest tub because she loved the pained roses. There were nine tubs total in the room. Two are servant tubs but to hear Father speak of their building, all the tubs were for members of house, grandfather had nine girls and three living boys. Some say he had sired more than five boys though.

Off to one side the healers had placed a bit of bandages and alcohol. I rubbed my skin down with the sponge. Clean, it was a pleasure to get all the dirt, sand, and blood off me. I pulled myself from the tub and sat beside the box. With the wounds on my leg and side I would have to take it easy during practice, and make sure Father never saw them. He would lock my in the sick ward until they healed. I hated the sick ward, it almost smelt too clean, and yet the smell of the sick lingered. After I was done I drained my tub and began the walk back to my room.

The walk back to my room was quiet, quick, and yet long. My bedroom was plain. One bed, made of straw in the farthest corner, a small wardrobe, holding just five outfits and my favorite green dress mother had brought me, seven different loincloth sets for my breasts and arse, and some hair pins. A new outfit sat at the edge of my bed, but my gaze went to the sabor. At the halt were the words 'ano sim carn' or for my king. I knew it also has another meaning, lions claw. Ethan had been a lions claw, one who had died so the wolf could live, and died at the claw of the tiger. I was no lion and yet I had finished the live of one. "On the ragged edge of the world I'll Rome, and the home of the wolf shall be my home." It was a saying that my family knew well, it was our saying. I now lived on the edge, I need to find a way home.

There were a set of twin blades, they the ones I took in with me, these ones were thinner, their halts were white and after pulling one out I knew they were made of dragon glass. Someone had also gave me a bow and arrow. The quiver was black the arrows were iron wood. The bow was as black as my new blades, the string was thick and blonde, horse hair. On the clothes was a dagger and a note.

  Dear Diana,
      These are yours. You will always be my little goddess. You will shine brightest in the sun in these clothes. I know the look in your eyes my dear, I don't know what you did or saw but do not let it kill the light in your eyes. You will belong to the night you always have but let everyone know that you don't fear the light.
          Edward White Stag

Dad had left these meaning he had them made. I went over to my wardrobe with a smile. I fell back onto my bed in my night clothes.