Oracle (Book I)

Day Off

A creaking then a loud bang flung Caprice out of deep sleep and launched her upright from the bed.

On her left,  the door of her wardrobe had burst open. Yards of skirts and a small hill's worth of slippers cascaded out. Yanking the damp, rumpled towel off her head, in the remnants of sleepy haze, she stared confusedly at the small avalanche in progress. She stared until the last shoe rolled out and clattered on the floor and she remembered where it all came from.

Having returned likely sometime after they both fell asleep, Bossa was still swinging in her hammock from starting awake. She glared around through barely open, red eyes then fixed her gaze on the open wardrobe.

"Caprice, what happened to your closet," she grumbled. "Where'd all that stuff come from? All that's from last night?"

"I did get a little carried away," Caprice said embarrassedly. Her heart slowly descended from it's frantic thumping. "And I didn't know what to do with it all after the pin gave it to me."

Wearing the grumpiest frown Caprice had ever seen, Nezzle tossed the sheets back and pushed herself out of her canopy bed's curtains. Padding over, she picked up the gowns nearest her and a random shoe.

"These are fine garments. No sense in crumbling them up."

"I was in a hurry," Caprice mumbled. "I didn't want to be late. And Bossa was—"

"Being Bossa, I know. I'll enlarge your wardrobe and you can get more hangers for them. I'm sure we can think of something to do with them."

"Hey. Don't blame Preece's newfound vanity on me." Closing her eyes again, Bossa turned over and hugged her pillow to her chest.

Fritter came out from under the hammock. Per smelled the edge of the mountain of garments. Obviously, deciding it was an acceptable bed, Fritter strutted to the peak of the pile, curled up, and promptly closed pers eyes.

"Now we'll never get em to move," Caprice sighed.

~

With all her homework done, an early luncheon down, and no energetic suggestions from the still sleeping Bossa, Caprice wondered what she was supposed to do on her first ever day off from lessons or literally slaving away at the Whitehare Estate. It wasn't like her to be idle and she sat on her bed, thumbing through her potions book a long few moment wondering what she wanted to do. Reclining in her canopy, Nezzle was, of course, reading from a volume in her lap. I'd do the same if I could.... As her thumb had stopped on a page, Caprice's gaze nervously danced away from the words and illustrations. The sense of adventure and studiousness she had felt in lessons while challenging herself to practice learning words wasn't here today.

Nezzle rubbed her slightly baggy eyes. Then she stretched and tossed her sheets back.

On a sudden streak of inspiration, Caprice grabbed her portable cauldron (smaller than the ones used in class) and placed inside a flask and a few choice vialed and pouched ingredients. She also collected her wand along with her Potions book and Basic Spells book.

"You going downstairs?" Nezzle asked. "I'll come, too. I need to stretch my legs."

"And read while walking?" Caprice teased.

Unsmiling, Nezzle replied, "What other way is there."

In the lounge, she spotted that mustard cape again. A streak of mischievousness came over her as she walked over to Po, who was standing behind the sofa talking to a girl in a purple cap sitting there.

Caprice cleared her throat and used the voice her mother used when her and her brothers acted up.

"Po Clove!"