Daughter of Darkness

Chapter 4

Loud gongs of the bell rung through the palace, waking Sal from her deep slumber. She got out of bed and got dressed into the outfit her and Lanet had put out from last night. Lanet got out from the adjoining room, and rubbed her tired eyes. "Do you need any help My Lady?" She asked sleepily.

"I'm fine Lanet." Sal said. "Could you feed the birds some bread?" As soon as she said bread, the birds that had found little coves around the room perked up, and fluttered down near Lanet.

"Be careful today." Lanet said as she broke the bread into small pieces and placed it on the table for the birds. "Lord Pillit will not make training easy, and I do not think the boys will make it easy on you either."

"If I wanted easy I would have remained where I was." Sal tied her trousers, and then put on her boots. "I'll be back around 6."

"I will be working around the castle, but I'll be here when you are, just send one of the birds to find me if you need me, My Lady."

"Lanet." Sal said before she walked out the door. "Please call me Sal, or if you can not handle that, Salinda."

"I can manage Lady Salinda." Lanet said respectfully.

Sal knew that that was the best she was going to get so with a sigh she nodded. "Okay." Sal walked out her door to see only one other person in the hall already heading to the dinning hall for breakfast. From the looks of him, he was a fourth year page.

The dinning hall was empty expect for a few pages who arrived early. Sal grabbed her food, and sat down at the table she sat at last night. More pages filed in, refusing to sit with her, but she figured at much, and she was going to eat alone, someone took a seat across from her. She glanced up to be greeted with familiar blue eyes. He started eating like this was a normal thing between them.

Sal watched Jed confused, but if he noticed he didn't care. Finally, Sal couldn't take it, so she spoke. "What are you doing?"

He looked up with a boiled turnip in his mouth. "I'm eating." He said plainly like it was a dumb question.

"I can see that." She sighed exasperated by his sarcastic answer making her wonder if he was always like that. "Why are eating with me? Shouldn't you be eating with your friends?"

"I think they can deal without me for a few days." He said picking a sausage off his plate and giving it to Copperwind who was waiting patiently under the table. "Besides, a sponsor is suppose to sit with their new page."

"My sponsor is Nikcoli." Sal glared over at the blonde curly haired boy who sat a couple of tables way laughing at Faleren who had just tripped, but was saved just in time by his sponsor.

"Not anymore." Jed smiled at her. "I talked with Nikcoli, and he agreed to let me be your sponsor."

"Why would you agree to that? Won't you be a chastised for being seen with me?"

"I don't care what the others think." He said. "Now, if you're done, you want to go to the pitch?"

"Of course."

*****

"Watch your feet!" Huete, the sword master. He was speaking to Sal's partner, Tyleen, a short pudgy first year page. His posture was sloppy, and he looked like he was better with books than weapons.

Huete looked to Sal with scanning eyes. Salinda was almost nervous. Huete was a big guy, most of the time he was easy going, but when it came to sword practice he was serious and took no jokes. "You need more power behind your blows, but other than that, good work." He moved on, and Sal smiled, however, she got distracted and Tyleen smacked her shoulder making her clench her teeth in pain.