vneef_healer | First Day at the House Of Bells.

First Day at the House Of Bells.

V'Neef Lelani Alia is nervous, although she is doing her very best not to show it. She's never been so far away from home before, and she knows that her performance here will be judged by many critical eyes.

But, her bags are unpacked now and she has no excuse to dawdle any further in her room. Someone is supposed to meet her soon, a guide, if the sand in the hourglass is any indication...

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"Would you, really?" She asks in a mix of awe and disbelief.

Who knows? The Fire-aspect might have a few tricks to teach.

Alia nods. "Really," she says with a broad smile.

Fajah is about to add something, when the hour bells start to ring, reminding them of what the Amah said... jumping to her feet, the southerner girl sheds her traveling robes, revealing a set of comfortable and fashionable tunic and trousers, with boots.

Time to rush out to meet the 'boss'.

Alia is dressed similarly, albeit in a tunic and trousers that complement her unusual skin and hair colors.

She follows her roommate through the door, closing the door to their dorm behind her. It would be bad form to be late at the very start of her stay here!

Fajah moves with quick and silent steps... not overly graceful, not in the way a properly educated Dynast would, but with feline, almost predatory grace.

Along the way, they meet with the other girls from this year's class, and finally arrive at the front where Amah Iris is waiting, along with two other chaperons. She gives the girls a curt nod, and the trio organizes them into lines and rows, before starting a tour of the facilities.

The House Of Bells main compound is a vast walled area, the southernmost hexagon serving as residence for teachers and other administrative personnel, the central one being a large park, and the other five housing the classes divided by year.

Each Year-Compound is a school into itself, containing the dorms for male and female students, exercise yards, classrooms, refectories, Immaculate Shrines and so on, including a guardhouse where a Scale of Imperial Legion Foot lives to watch over the students.

Beyond the walls, leagues of open land are available for field exercises later on.

Alia is careful to comport herself as a proper Dynast while she commits the layout to memory, her mind automatically assessing the best routes between places and what would be the best places for an ambush.

She's also keeping a subtle and reassuring eye on Fajah, just in case.

So far, Fajah managed to disappear in the background, watching and listening, until they are back to the dorms. Amah Iris lets them know dinner will be served at sunset, and they are without obligations until then.

Disappearing into the background is a useful skill to have. Once they're no longer in the public eye, Alia allows the proper Dynast facade to drop a little.

She smiles at Fajah. "Thus far, I don't think any of the other girls in our year will give us too much trouble. No telling with the boys, of course," she adds with a sniff.

Alia checks the small pots of flowers and herbs arranged on the bookshelves in her half of the room, testing the dryness of the soil with a finger. Good, they don't need water right now.

A brief summons of one of the house servants results in a pot of tea and two cups. "We should have time to relax and plan a bit before dinner."

A bit awkward, she will accept the tea: her side of the room is decorated in draping silks, and a small fine ebony statue of a horde in mid-gallop was set on a shelf near the bed. "Plan?"

Alia sips her tea for a moment, then answers. "We were discussing helping each other, earlier. It will be impossible to set a schedule until we know what the House will require of us, but..."

There's no reason they can't brainstorm, right?

"Hm. I know how to use a spear... bow and arrow... ride a horse..." Well, those are interesting talents for the House of Bells. "I'm not much good with... book stuff."

She takes a sip of tea, and sighs.

"Luckily, I'm good at book stuff," Alia replies. She ponders a polite way to bring up Fajah's accented high realm.

"I hate to be impolite, but I've gotten the...impression that High Realm is not your favored language?"

Fajah blushes, and clears her throat. "I was born and raised in the South..." Ah right, a perfect explanation.

Alia nods in acceptance of that explanation. She doesn't really CARE about the why, so that's as good an explanation as any.

"Then I think the first issue we ought to tackle would be your accent. Regrettably, there are those who look down on any not born and raised on the Isle."

Alia frowns, "As if the Dragons would choose someone who wasn't suitable." Clearly, Alia does not approve of that closed mindset.

"The monks at the temple said things like that: the blood of Dragons chooses us, and it's up to us to show our worth." She nods. "Still..."

"We've time yet to show our worth," Alia says with a soft smile, resting one hand gently on Fajah's for a moment.

"It is good that you are skilled with sword and bow and horse, as I am....lacking in those areas," Alia admits with a blush. "I have the skill to heal those who fall in battle, but for me to do so I MUST be able to reach them and strike down or drive off the enemy that threatens them."

"I prefer the spear, actually... more reach." Fajah smiles a bit. "Even better from horseback. If you think I can... I could try to help you?" A bit hesitant, but, relaxing some as well.

"Please," Alia replies with a faint blush. (It might look a little odd with her greenish skin tone, but what can you do?)

"The spear might be better for me, actually," she ponders. Reach is a good thing when your enemies are all likely to be stronger than you!

"We can practice, then. After classes." Fajah is still a little bit unsure, but willing to take the risk.

Alia nods in agreement. "That sounds like a good place to start, at least until we have our schedule."

It will be sunset soon, which means dinner. Afterward, maybe they can work on 'book' things until it's time to sleep?

Oh, yes.

Alia will find out Fajah's education is not as lacking as she makes it sound, but indeed... she'll have to put extra effort to pick up.

But this is a good start.

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First Day at the House Of Bells.

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