Begun and Guided, chapter 4

Falon looked around. She and Aketa had been riding for about a few hours and she was getting anxious to walk on foot and stretch her legs, she could already see the forest and woodlands coming into view, so she guessed it would only be a few more minutes, hopefully. She glanced over her shoulder and looked at Aketa. She was clearly concentrating, Falon thought, her features were slightly squinting and her eyes were focused. Falon looked at the 'road' ahead of them. The woodlands and forests were darker than everything else around them, but they had a strangly warm feeling to them. The so called 'road' they were traveling on, was acctualy a beaten down path that had been used by over a thousand women and girls in training that had come to the woodlands and forest areas. From what Aketa had told Falon, this was the main base of operation for whatever it was Aketa had been going on about for the past few days. Falon wondered what would happen once they had gotten to the woodlands, Aketa deffinetely looked interested in them, but Falon guessed that she was simply glad to be home. Aketa tapped her shoulder now.
"We will be arriving at the clan lands soon, don't speak unless spoken too, do as I say and let me do the talking. By the way through the next few days you are going to be put through alot of formal-buisness rigamerol. Due to the fact that you are a new acceptance to the clans, the Kaylan clan rarely gets new trainees and so you will be an especially big acceptance. So, just be respectful, don't speak unless spoken to, be extreamly patient, don't be suprised to run into snobs and so on and so forth got it?" She said. Falon got big eyes and nodded slowley.
"Ya, I think so" She said half shakily. Aketa smiled and patted her shoulder.
"Don't worry you'll do fine" Said Aketa and then she returned to staring ahead on the road. Falon shrugged to herself. She hoped that Aketa was right, she had just left everything she knew and loved behind, said goodbye to her best friend in the space of two minutes, who was now probably half way across the coninent, dissapeared from the orphanage practicaly even though the staff knew about it. It had better go fine. She thought.

  
  After about fifteen more minutes, the two came up to the border of the forest. Aketa slowed Brit to a stop and looked at the tree line. She frowned and whistled softly, it sounded like a bird call. Falon turned her head slightly to the west as she saw a figure drop silently from a low tree to the ground, the figure was wearing a black cloak and she had a longbow and a quiver full of arrows at her disposal. She walked up to the two and make a gesture with her right hand. Aketa repeated the gesture and then spoke.
"I am here on buisness of the clan lands, I am Aketa, leader of the Aladia clan as of this moment, the password I recieved was 'my mother is Aladia' allow us passage" Said Aketa. The woman nodded and stepped back a few paces. Aketa nudged Brit forward and loped into the tree line. Falon was suprised to see a well-layed path in front of them that wound its way into the forest. It wound into several different directions later down the path. Aketa wheeled Brit expertly through the paths. Falon lost track after about the fith turn and just watched the scenery as they rode by. Most of the trees were oaks with huge trunks, and often she would spot one or more rope-and-plank bridges leading to and fro the tree trunks. They were all connected, she realized as she watched another five trees with similar bridges. Aketa made one last turn on the path and after about ten meeters the path opened up into a large clearing.
Big tree, were the first two things you saw when you enetered, a huge oak tree that was about fifty times the size of a normal one, was in the middle of the clearing and Falon could see hundres of people moving through it. There were hundres of window-like shapes carved into the trunk of the tree and Falon guess that was where the women stayed at night. She also could smell something she hadn't smelled in a while. Bacon. And lost of it, her most favorite food in the world, even though her food vocabulary and information amount was limited to whatever the orphanage had given the children for their meals. She looked to her right and she could see a firing range a little ways down with ten or more girls standing in front of line defined by small logs and sap that had been used as a paint like material and shooting at targets farther down the way. To her left she could see several buildings, one of which was a stable, a market square, and a couple shops made from the trunks of trees. The grass was greener than she had ever seen grass and through the branches of all the trees you could see a blue sky. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Falon thought. Aketa dismounted her horse and took one look at Falon and started laughing.
"Welcome to the Sister's Glade, Falon" she said, grinning. Falon smiled widely and hoped off of Brit. Aketa indicated the stables.
"That is where you will get a good horse, thats also why I wouldn't let you get one in the towns. The ones that the clans breed are much much better" She said. Falon nodded, and followed Aketa as she started walking. Aketa pointed to the huge tree at the north end of the clearing.
"Thats the main everything, we eat there, we sleep there, our leaders stay there, there is also a tap room, other than that you find everything you need outside, also whatever inside schooling you will need you will recieve in the schooling rooms inside" she said, then she pointed at the shops.
"The leatherworkers and seamstresses are next to eachother over there, along with the stable and smithy. Theres a weapon's shop called the loose BowString, you will find what you need weapon wise there. And then there's the stable next to it, and you can select your own horse after I have announced you to the leaders. Theres also a Market square if you end up looking for anything else, other than that, we have everything you need here. Hope you like it, by the way, the Kaylan's clan leader is named Kiecah. remember that" She said. And Falon nodded. Aketa had taken her to the large, double door entrance to the huge tree. Falon guessed that she would be announced to the 'leaders' shortly. And Aketa had exactly those intentions in mind. The tree was even bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside, it had some fifty stairs cases that were steps carved out of the trunk with no railings or walls that Falon could see, and there was more than enough windows to let light in. Up one of the stair cases Falon could see dormitories, another, schooling rooms, and so on and so forth. But Aketa walked straight ahead to the largest one. Falon couldn't see what was up this staircase, but she guessed that it would lead to a chamber or central meeting room where the leaders were. When they got to the top of the staircase, Aketa motioned for Falon to stay as she was. Falon did as she was told and watched Aketa walk up to a guard and whisper something in her ear. When she had finished the guard got wide-eyed and nodded, then hurried away down a corridor. Aketa returned to Falon and took up a standing position next to her.
"What was that-"
"What happened to don't speak unless spoken to!" Aketa hissed. Falon shut her mouth and stood silently and obediantly, as was much to her dislike, she was more used to moving freely and doing as she wanted, as long as it was inside certian boundaries, this was downright boring.
After several minutes the guard returned, and Aketa walked over to her and had another not-loud-enough-to-hear conversation with her and then she strode back to Falon. "Come" she said simply, and Falon complied. She followed Aketa down five or six more corridors until they came to a hall lined with doors, some exits, some entrances, and one was a door to an outside balcony. Falon had a quick few seconds to glance around the hall, it was dark oak wood, polished and very beautiful, there were lamps hanging in sequence down the walls and the doors had gold handles on all of them. It was very beautiful, but at the same time very uniform. Aketa squized her hand and she brought herself into and easy step besides her. The came to the last door on the left and the guard stopped them. Then, she entered the room, Falon guessed that they were being announced.
"This is where it gets busy" Said Aketa.
"I will not be by your side through this, I must take my place amoung the leaders as I am a clan director, just answer honestly, but don't answer until you are asked. And after this you will be shown to you dormitory by a guard, I will come for you once I have finished buisness here and we will discous the events of the next couple days" Said Aketa, no sooner had she finished than the guard had come out of the room and beconed them in. Aketa nodded and gave Falon one last encouraging pat on the shoulder and then they entered the room.
Falon had to squint at first, the room was much brighter than the hall due to the fact that there were four large windows positioned along the wall. The walls themselves were ash oak, and there was a raised area of the room that towered slightly over the rest of the room. There were seats carved out of the oak in that position and Falon could see six figures sitting there. To the left there was a rather large, oak table that appeared to have grown itself into the room. The doors clicked shut behind them and Falon gathered herself to full height and pulled off her hood. Aketa smiled to herself. About four meters from the raised seats, the two stopped and Aketa bowed and made a gesture with her hands. Then, she walked away giving Falon one last glance over her shoulder. She walked up to the raised seats and climbed up into her own respected chair. Falon examined the others faces. They each had eager eyes with experiance behind them, some were young, other were a little older. Half of them had the same color hair, almost black-brown. They also looked like they had had their fair share of dealings with nonsense and other what have you in law. Falon stood perfectly still and calmy clasped her hands behind her. She drew her attention to the first woman as she spoke.
"Welcome to the Sisters Glade, Falon. I am Bella Donne, leader of Njari's clan. Now, according to Aketa, you are of Kaylans direct decenadnt line?" Bella Donne said. Falon thought about the question for a moment and than nodded.
"I am" she said simply. Bella Donne tilted her head slightly and looked at this new child. She was deffinentely of Kaylan's decendant line, she could tell by the muscular shoulders and the fact that she carried a bow even in a court room. But she was still curious as of to what decendant line she was from, daughter, niece, cousin perhaps?
"What decendant line are you?" She asked. Falon frowned slightly.
"If you are asking how I am related to Kaylan I am her daughter, not a daughters daughter, her direct child" Falon said. And she quickly realized the amount of attention that brought to the issue.
"But that is impossible my dear girl, you are mearly fourteen and Kaylan live over one hundred years ago, you simply can't be her direct decendant" Said Bella Donne, but even before she had finished Falon was shaking her head.
"I am her direct daughter, Larrah, saved me from a burning house some one hundred years ago. When she showed me to Kaylan she adopted me as her daughter, my birthmother was killed in the fires" said Falon. She looked up into Bella Donne's face when she laughed.
"You poor thing! unfortunentely adoption does not make you from her direct blood line, and only those of the direct blood line are allowed in this place. Now, if you can prove that you were of her direct blood line then you are welcome here" said Bella Donne. Falon could feel her face growing warmer by the second, if Bella Donne kept this up, it would be extreamly hard to not put an arrow in her chair.
"My ladies, I cannot prove that I am of Kaylan's direct blood line. But I don't care either, frankley, without Kaylan I would have died as a baby and that makes her my mother to me, now, if you want to put the death of an innocent child and compare it to letting me be a part of this.... Whatever it is you are doing I think you will agree that Kaylan's blood line, direct or not, includes me in her family. I am her rightful daughter, and I don't care if I wasn't her biological daughter. So, the question is are you going to be petentious snobs and sit behind your desks looking down at me or are you going to be sensible and accept that I am a special girl, I am Kaylan's daughter" Falon said. A look of triumph spread over her face as she watched the Ladies talk amoungst themselves. Another one of the women spoke this time.
"I personaly, Falon, have no objection to as if you are of her decendant line, my question is how a mere child survived over one hundred years to show herself in this court with a claim to be the direct daughter of Kaylan. That does not make sense" She said. And Falon nodded.
"I agree" she said simply. "I cannot expect you to openly believe me, but it is true. If you have questions as of to that, look in your star seers prophocey books. I, personaly think that its a bunch of haluballo, but I have been wrong before. If you are questioning my skills, I will prove them to you in a trail of arms, and If you are questioning my loyalties, well, lets put it this way. I just gave up everything I knew, watched my best friend put herself in danger to alert the government that there is a war going on, said goodbye to half a dozen other people I loved, lost my favorite dagger from when I was young, and lost the only present my mother ever gave to me. I think that, if I had other wishes that I would not have gone to all that trouble just to get here and I am not about to be sent home after I went through all of that" Said Falon. And she could tell that it had tiped the scales, most of the women sitting had smiles on their faces, warm, welcoming smiles. Aketa was grinning and nodded her satisfaction with Falon, and Bella Donne, after one last examination of Falon said.
"Very well then. Falon, as director of the Njari clan, with the powers put forth to my name by our mothers mothers, I pronounce you, Kaylan's daughter and now, member of Kaylan's clan" Said Bella Donne.


Lyra was working wiht Japser again, he had grown acoustom to her presence and she had been able to give him a thourogh everything without disruption or disagreement. She was getting him some excersize before she started to put the saddle on him. Jasper had been saddled before, but she guessed that it was under forced circumstances. She had been using the lead rope to run him in large circles, to run off some of his early morning energey. Sean had gone to the leatherworker's to pick up the saddle and bridle for him and would be back any minute, Lyra had been running Japer and rubbing his back, and doing all sorts of excersizes she had read about to make him acoustom to feeling her wieght on his back. She stopped running him now and walked up to him and started rubbing his back, testing her wieght on him, jumping up and down close to him, and other things.
Before long Sean came out with the tack. They were a dark leather which would suit riding at night well if one was trying not to be seen, and the bridle looked comfurtable, so, Lyra took Jaspers leading rop tightly in hand and walked over to the tack. Sean was grinning.
"Whats so funny?" she asked when she stooped down to grab the bridle. Sean laughed.
"Oh nothing" he said. "I'm just going to enjoy myself a little"
Lyra glared at him and then turned back to Jasper. He looked calm, he was eyeing the bridle with a certian amount of interest, but other than that he was standing calmy, waiting for Lyra's next command. She walked over to him slowley and let him see the bridle, then she proceeded to drape the reins over his head and set them on his neck. Jasper didn't show any sings of getting spooked, so she moved on. She showed him the bit and pulled the ear loops over his ears and pulled his forelock out so he wouldn't itch or get unwanted dirt built up while she was riding. The horse perked his ears up a little, but otherwise he was fine. Lyra showed him the bit again and then slowley slipped it towards his mouth. Jasper brought his head up slightly, and Lyra hummed to him softly to calm him. She took two of her fingers and poked his tounge which made him open his mouth, she slid the bit inside his mouth gently and then let it sit. Jasper licked the bit several time and shook his head once or twice, but otherwise he just stood there calmley. Lyra grinned. She reached up to the knot in the leading rope where it had been looped around his head to make a make-shift halter. She undid the knot and took hold of the reins as she slipped the halter off of Jasper's head. The horse shook his head again as Lyra scratched the places where the halter had been and Jasper relaxed. And so did Lyra. She looked over at sean who had his eye brows raised and his eyes were big. Lyra laughed softley and walked Jasper around the padock with his bridle. She lead him all the way around the fence and then she returned to where Sean was standing by the saddle.
"There goes the easy part" she said. Sean grinned and gestured towards the saddle.
"Get on with it then horse woman" he said. Lyra shot him a glare and then brought Jasper over to the saddle. She picked it up, it was lighter than she had expected, but she knew it was probably because Sean had asked for the leatherworker to make it that way, the horse would go faster with it made like that. She turned and showed it to Jasper, who brought his head up quickly, Lyra walked over calmley and rubbed his neck and back and Jasper relaxed a little. She picked up the saddle and brought it next to the horse, then she mimicked the way one would throw the saddle onto a horse with her hands and upper body, she would throw and imaginary saddle on his back and then rest her arms on his withers and upper back. After a few repeats of the action Jasper had gotten used to feeling the weight and Lyra nodded, satisfied. She picked up the saddle with both hands and showed it to Jasper, who eyed it suspiciously, but stood obediantley. Lyra slid the reins up her arm so she could throw the saddle on Jasper and then softly and calmly threw the saddle up and onto Jaspers back. Jasper jump and danced a few paces to the left, but it was better than Lyra thought it would have gone. She held fast to the reins and, after a few minutes Jasper calmed down and Lyra walked up to stroke him. She scratched where his Halter had been and under his chin, she patter his forehead gently and scratched his belly. After she was satisfied that jasper was completely calmed down, she walked him around the padock twice with the saddle on his back. When she returned to where Sean was, she took the leading rope and fasted it to one of the sinch buckles, then she walked to the other side of the horse and rubbed his belley again. Then, after taking one last look at Jasper she reached under his stomach and caught the leading rope at the other side. Jasper, feeling the rope onhis stomach danced away again, but Lyra held the reins and waited patiently for him to calm down. When he had, she walked back up to him and repeated the movement. He didn't dance away but he tensed obviously at the rope on his stomach. Lyra let the leading rope slack but still held it in her hand and rubbed his belly, then she brought the rope back up to his belly. She repeated this several times until Jasper was completely calm with the motion, then she walked back over to the other side and untied the leading rope from the sinch buckle. Sean came forward and produced the leather one that he had made for the saddle. Lyra nodded her thanks and then fastened the sinch onto the buckles and walked back to the other side. She repeated the motions she had made with the leading rope a few times to adjust the horse to the new feeling. The she brought the sinch all the way up to the buckles on the other side. Jasper flinched a little, but remained still. Lyra tightened the sinch somewhat and stopped when Jasper started to move. After he had calmed down she tightened it a little more, and then when he moved, she stopped and moved with him. She repeated this until she had the sinch tightened to where it should be and then she walked back over to the other side and grinned. Jasper looked a little uneasy, but he was staying still and doing as she asked. She walked him around the padock several times with the sinch tightened and retightened it as she needed to. After she finished and returned to where Sean was, she turned to where the saddle was. She put her foot i the sturrup and hopped up and down several times to mimick a rider mounting, at first Jasper moved a little, but after a few moments he calmed down and let Lyra do as she pleased. Lyra repeated this on the oposite side until Jasper was calm and then returned to the left side and proceeded to hop up and stand in the sturrup. Jasper moved a little, and then stopped. When he was completely calm again Lyra swung her leg gently up onto his back and waited until he was calm again. And then she gently sat down in the saddle. Jasper immediately walked and danced a couple paces, but Lyra kept her seat and waited for him to stop moving. After he did, she patted his neck gently and nudges him, as gently as possible, with her heel and he started to walk forward. After she had walked him a while she returned to Sean and slowley dismounted.
"I think he's done fairly well for today. Better get him all groomed off now" She said grinned. And a wide-eyed and white face Sean nodded and walked into the stable. Lyra grinned, today was a great day.