Fianara

Chapter 2

Six Years Later

As I forced the old window open, a blast of cold air hit me. I grinned and stuck my head out, feeling the coldness of another northern winter. Turning, I grabbed a handful of fresh snow that was piled on top of the roof, eating it. I love the taste of fresh snow.

"FIA!" screamed the lovely, commanding voice of Dian, the inn keeper and my mistress.

"WHAT?" I yelled back.

"GET DRESSED AND DOWN 'ERE!"

Groaning, I pushed the window back down and pulled on a warm faded grey shirt with long sleeves that I rolled up to my forearms. I had on black trousers tucked into my knee-high brown boots. Finally, I finger-combed my brown hair. I had cut it just above my shoulders, except for two thin braids on either side of my face. They were an inch longer than the rest of my hair.

I stretched out my arms, and looked at my left arm. Ice blue tendrils twined together like vines on my skin, from each fingertip to the middle of my forearm. The markings disappeared under the sleeves of my shirt, meaning it grew another half an inch last night. I swore softly and made myself look away from the blue markings on my skin.

I hurried down the stairs to find Dian glaring at me, hands on my hips.

"I didn't do it!" I protested immediately.

"Are you sure?" she asked dangerously slow, wooden spoon in her hand.

I flinched away from the spoon and said, "Not anymore."

"You forgot to mention that little insignificant detail of four extra guests that came in late last night," she growled. "We only have so much food, Fia!"

I winced. "Oh, no, I'm so sorry. I'll go out and get it myself-"

"No need," Dian said. "One of the server boys left a minute ago. But I do know what you can do later today."

My eyes widened. "No, please Dian!"

"I think you need to spend more time in the inn rather than out daydreaming on the ice." Dian confirmed, patting my cheek with the spoon. "Start washing."

Lips tight, I got a bucket of soapy water and an old cloth. I was down on my knees, scrubbing a stain on the floor that I think was day-old puke. The harder I scrubbed, the more obstinate the stain became. I was reduced to slowly picking it off when the door opened.

"The inn is closed," I said without looking up. As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt the sharp tap of a wooden spoon on my head.

"The Heart Warmer is never closed to weary travelers," Dian said sweetly. Scowling, I sat back on my heels, rubbing the top of my head. Standing there was a tall, tall man with brown hair. He had dark eyes and wore a long cloak, a clean white shirt, dark green tunic and black trousers with worn boots. Though his clothes were old, he stood elegantly. Dian never misses any money, and this man looked as if he could give much.

"Thank you and I'm sorry if I'm disturbing," the man replied.

"No! Not at all!" Dian glared at me, and I got up, put the bucket and cloth on the table, and went to the welcome desk to open up the log book.

"Name, please?" I asked and poised to write down his information.

"Niklan Brightmind," he said.

My head shot up. "The Niklan Brightmind?"

"Just write his name down," Dian said with a forced smile, then turned to the mage with a large smile. "Well, we're just so grateful that the famed great mage is staying at our humble inn."

He smiled back as I wrote his name down. "Thank you."

"How long will you be staying?" I asked briskly.

"The rest of today and tonight, I think," he replied.

"That'll be one gold-" Dian's hard hand was pressed over my mouth. I gagged for a second and glared at her.

"That will be two gold pieces," Dian said sweetly. I lifted my left hand to pry her hand off my mouth. The mage's eyes zeroed in on my hand and I dropped it quickly. Dian saw it, and pushed me away from the counter. "Go clean," she ordered. I obeyed and went back to the floor.

"Thank you," the man said again. I could feel his eyes on my back even as Dian showed him to his room.

~~~

I sighed and finally put the cloth down. The stain was gone. And I thought the floor never looked cleaner.

I got up and grabbed the bucket only to bump into...Moris.

Moris is this, big, ugly, mean boy a few years older than me who's been staying at this inn for quite some time. In short, I hated him.

"Watch it, wench," he sneered. I bit my tongue to refrain from sticking it out at him.

"That's what I thought," he laughed meanly. I just turned and walked away in annoyance. Ice Lords, I hated him.

"Move it, Ice Lass," Cook said as I went to dump out the water in the back of the kitchen.

"Yes ma'am," I replied and opened the door and spilt the dirty water on the piles of snow. I watched the water fall and turn to slushy ice quickly. I enjoyed the cold, but, apparently the kitchen maids didn't.

"Shut the door!" one yelled. I quickly pulled it shut before Cook noticed.

"Out, out, out!" Cook appearred out of nowhere and grabbed my shoulder, shoving me out to the common area, where there were people who needed someone to take their orders for breakfast.

I scratched my head and moved to my first table.