Arri- August 16, 2004

August 16, 2004
Dear Keish,

I went to the symphony with Taty, Beagan, Corey, and their friends Master Jarrett and Miss Leonid. It was lovely. I think attending artistic performances is one of the best things about living in a big city. We had so much fun. Master Jarrett invited us all to dine with him in two weeks.

August 20th
My class schedule came in the post today. I didn’t get all my first choices, but I did get Beginning Biology, which I suppose was the most important. These are the classes:
Beginning Biology: everyday, one hour, 7am
Introduction to Literature: three times a week, one hour, 8am (This one sounds fun.)
Introduction to Carpentry??? (I don’t remember choosing this): twice a week, three hours, 1pm
College Algebra, course 1: everyday, one hour, 10am

Looking at the list, I’m feel like I’m starting several degrees at once.  I also need to make time to study healing with Master Ujifil.
Master Ujifil lives at the castle. After getting my schedule, I rode over on Sprigs to discuss when he would like to teach me. He and his wife live in a beautiful set of suites facing south with large windows. He has a private laboratory and consultation room. I will be meeting him there once a week and then going on visits twice a week. He didn’t want to set a regular schedule, so I’ll have to watch for messages letting me know the place and time to meet. You can’t learn healing at the university. It can only be learned through apprenticeship and practice.
I won’t be able to visit Father every day anymore, just a couple times a week.

August 22nd
I went to visit the Prens today and to work out the details of coming to live with them. I can use Jace’s furniture. There’s a bookshelf for my books. Taty is having the room repainted pale blue. The tall window on the east looks out into their long narrow garden. The stables are at the back. I’m on the second floor, so I can see over the fences on either side into other people’s yards. The Pren’s is the nicest with mature trees and a large vegetable garden. Lady Pren says I can bring Kestrel with me, but I must keep her out of the parlor where the finches live. Coulter will stay behind with Uncle Winthrop and Liop. He was wonderful for walking with, but he is too old to keep up with a horse, so I won’t be able to take him with me wherever I go anymore anyway.
It still feels unreal. School starts on September 13th. I start working with Master Ujifil on September 1st, so that I will already have a good start before coursework begins to distract me. Master Ujifil has never had an apprentice who was also a college student before. He considers my classes a rather unnecessary distraction and if I didn’t have the Queen’s support, I don’t think he would take me as an apprentice. Not that he has anything against me, he just feels that subjects should be studied one at a time.
“We will try this experiment for a year,” he said, “and then I will consider the future.”
I hope I don’t have to go on any more quests in the near future. I don’t think either the university or Master Ujifil would look kindly on me if I disappeared suddenly for a few weeks.

August 25th
I have your letter.
Imato and Gretel finally came back from their honeymoon yesterday. Gretel was riding the most beautiful Oldenburg gelding. His name is Reynard and he has a deep red coat with four white stockings. Gretel looked very fine riding him, very dramatic. I rode with them to the townhouse they are renting on Oak Street near where Aunt Filomena lives. It’s a beautiful little house with a wrought iron fence and a “horse and cow” stable out back, although Imato and Gretel won’t have a cow. I guess it’s called that because most people keep a horse in one stall and a cow in the other. Their lease is for one year and then they can decide what they want to do next.
Imato followed tradition and cut a small bough from the tree in the front yard to carve their initials into and set over the fireplace. The tree in the front yard is a young maple. Imato spent nearly an hour studying it, trying to decide what branch he could cut without doing serious damage.
Gretel and Taty both sighed with longing when I told them that you had been to a Nèahm concert. We were all having dinner together with Uncle W., Nysa, and Liop at the apartment. We are all relieved to hear that it will probably be some time before the fairy queen makes another attempt at revenge.
I am glad that Jace doesn’t mind me taking over his room. Really, it doesn’t need any changes, but Taty is determined. I am excited to be able to spend more time with her, when I’m not studying anyway, which is what it seems like I’ll be doing most of the time. I’m not too worried about the math, but I have no idea what I’ll be like at carpentry. Imato was very amused when I told him. He said that if he had known in advance, he would have given me a toolkit for my birthday.
You are right. Although officially, the Duke and Duchess of Lake Lowell will maintain a large townhouse in Rousha and I’m sure you and Jace will be welcome to stay in it. Duke Tulson will have to come to court yearly to report on his jurisdiction.
We had a very lengthy discussion about horses over dinner and came to this conclusions: Liop (despite his many protests) is still too young for a horse. If nothing else, it would make him more mobile and he gets in enough trouble as it is. I’m not sure I’m ready for a new horse anyway and it seems sad to board Sprigs somewhere. Uncle W. prefers to rent horses when he needs to travel. So I will keep Sprigs for now. I like Sprigs. He is a good, dependable horse.
What fun to spend a week in Castlegard! You really do deserve a vacation and Castlegard is a beautiful place. My family stayed there once when I was six and Father had been given a month of leave after the “Sand” Battle of 1993 with Greste. It was May and we had a beautiful time.
Thank you so much for the beautiful wool. It will make a perfect dress for attending classes this fall. In some ways I’m excited to be in school again. It will give me something to do with my time, more than embroidery and housekeeping. I do miss being able to wander around in the forest, though. Imato just informed me that I can take Introduction to Forestry in the spring. That’s a class that I don’t think I’ll mind taking at all.

August 27th
Banquo had been on my mind for quite some time. Until I saw Trena’s memories the concept of proving oneself had been rather vague in my mind. However, proving himself was what Alder was doing when he left Trena shortly after reaching adulthood. And Trena’s interference in that proving (saving his life, granted) was a serious offence. Alder did prove himself though, despite everything, and he and Trena were married. Banquo had come with me on my quest in an effort to prove himself. Did he have a lioness waiting patiently, or less patiently, for him to come home? How had his homecoming been? Had he proven himself?
I had decided to talk to Trena about him, to ask if it would be appropriate to call him when all I really want to do is talk and see how things are going for him. It turned out that I didn’t have to however.
This morning when I arrived at the boarding stable to get Sprigs I was greeted by a very nervous stable boy.
“Don’t go in there, my lady,” he informed me anxiously.
“Why?” I asked.
He looked around nervously. Then in a half whisper informed me: “There is an incredibly large dog in the stable, I think…” he trailed off uncertainly.
“Is anyone coming to help?” I asked.
He put one hand to the back of his neck and looked uncomfortable.
“I have not told anyone,” he admitted, “I was hoping it would just go away before anyone came to get their horse this morning.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Well, it is a dog, at least that’s the only thing it could be, in the middle of the city…” he looked back toward the bolted front door of the stable, “I’m not crazy, please. I have not been dreaming on the job…”
His manner made me nervous. It sounded like some large animal was trapped in the stable with the horses. I couldn’t hear any unusual sounds, but what if it hurt the horses.
“I think we should get help,” I said.
“I’m not dreaming on the job,” he repeated, “but you see, Lady Arri, if I am wrong, it will seem as if I had been.”
I considered that.
“Maybe I could get a look at it?” I asked, “Then you’d have a second witness. If there’s nothing, then I can go in and get Sprigs and no one needs to know anything.”
He smiled gratefully.
“We can look through the window,” he said.
The stable door contained a small, shuttered window. We had to find a box to stand on to look through it, neither of us being overly tall. Carefully, I pulled the shutter open a crack and peered through. All I could see were dusty streams of light. I opened the window a little wider and then wider still. I squinted toward the back of the stalls.
Sitting near the back of the stable with his tail neatly curled around his feet was a golden lion with a jet black mane. Alder, I thought, but only for a moment. Then the lion’s eyes met mine—not green, gold. It was Banquo.
“Good morning,” I said, forgetting for a moment that he couldn’t talk to me outside the cave or the land of the fairies. He nodded his head without speaking and then I remembered.
Quickly I closed the window and stepped down from the box.
“You aren’t crazy,” I told the stable boy as he slid the box away, “There’s a winged lion in the stable. His name is Banquo and he’s perfectly safe. Don’t worry.”
The stable boy looked at me like I was crazy, but he didn’t stop me from swinging open the stable door. Banquo had retreated into Sprigs stall and so was not visible. I walked back to him and then stood awkwardly, not sure what to do or say. Banquo motioned for me to get on his back.
I climbed on, he gave a little jump, and in an instant we were in the cave.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, sliding off his back.
“Oh, yes,” he said slowly, “I just wanted to visit you. I didn’t mean to frighten the stable boy. I hid in there because I thought it would be less conspicuous than waiting on your doorstep.”
“Oh, I see,” I said, “It was, kind of, if you hadn’t been seen.”
“I’ll have to think of something better,” he said.
I told him that I’d be moving in with the Prens soon and that hiding in their stable or garden would probably be less of a problem. Banquo was very interested in hearing about my plans for college.
“I’d just learn it all if I were you,” he said, “Learning is never a waste of time.”
I nodded and we were silent for a minute.
“I’m sorry you didn’t prove yourself,” I said at last, “We did save Liop, though. Thank you for helping me.”
“I’m glad he’s safe,” said Banquo, awkwardly.
“Seems like that should count for something,” I said, thinking about all my questions and trying to decide if there were any I dared ask.
“Trena showed me some of her memories,” I began finally, “about her and Alder.” Banquo cocked his head to one side, interested. “I was wondering, do you have a lioness too? Waiting for you to prove yourself?”
Banquo’s head dropped immediately in embarrassment. “No lioness, not exactly,” he admitted.
“Oh,” I was disappointed, “But why worry about proving yourself without a lioness?”
Banquo looked up. “Well, maybe if I prove myself, then a lioness will want me.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. It didn’t sound quite right.
“Oh,” I said.
“Arri,” said Banquo, sighing, “there is a lioness, only one that really matters, but she doesn’t look at me, and even if I prove myself, I’m not sure I could have her.” He stopped and looked embarrassed. I was curious.
“Tell me about her,” I said.
“Her name is Nuicui, and she is the most beautiful lioness I have ever seen,” he looked up again, eyes bright, “Her fur is creamy and her wings are white. I’ve watched her tending the other lionesses’ cubs and she has such patience. I could describe her to you for hours and you’d never quite have the idea without meeting her.”
“Why couldn’t you have her?” I asked.
“She’s so very shy,” said Banquo, “She hides her head when the other lions look at her. Lionesses must prove themselves too, but she never leaves the canyon where we were born. Her health is delicate. I don’t see how she will ever be able to prove herself.”
“Must she prove herself?” I asked, but I already knew the answer: she must. I saw enough of Trena’s memories to know that.
Banquo asked me about the memories that Trena had shared and I told him all of them. Nothing in the stories was new to him, but he listened with interest anyway. Eventually we ran out of things to say and it was time for me to leave. It’s good knowing that he is well, but I wish I knew of a way that he can prove himself. And a way to help Nuicui too.

Classes start in less than a week for both of us. It’s been so nice to be less busy this month. September will be very busy again. I hope the start of classes goes well for you.

Love,
Arri

Go to NEXT Letter