Still in the best of her travel-worn clothes, Karna crept through the walkspaces, fingers trailing along the wooden shelves. The library was massive beyond her imaginings. There were probably more words written here than she would speak in her lifetime; and probably more than she could read, as well!

On impulse, she pulled one of the volumes, and flipped it open. Seeing page after page of monite curses, she closed and shelved it again. She wasn't ready for level two spells. Maybe in a year or ten.

She continued her wandering, trying to get a feel for where things went, until she spotted a fiery-haired girl, a year or more her elder, also browsing. Not that the library was deserted, but approaching some of the older folk around was daunting.

"Hello." She greeted Ali with a short bow. "Would you know where the cafeteria is? I'm rather new, and rather lost." Her mouth quirked upward suddenly, "and the books keep distracting me."

Ali had been wandering the fiction section, hands racing over the covers of old friends and new, brand new (how wonderful!) book the school had gotten. She had skipped lunch in order to more fully see the beauty of the school's new orders, having saved, as usual, her favorite for last. Picking up a sequel to an old obsession, Ali was startled when a younger girl had approached her. She wasn't in uniform, something that Ali considered very strange indeed.

"Yes, if you go down the main corridor, there's two halls off the left, follow the second one and it leads to the main hall. From there the cafeteria's just a short walk south." Peering at the girl, she wondered what year she was, exactly. Hmm. Her interest piqued, she smiled rather coolly at the girl.

"I skipped lunch today, and actually you're a little late. The food is served at 15oc, usually. Are you new?" Her expression was a mix of contrived boredom and true interest, and she curled one shoulder-length strand of corkscrew hair about her index finger.

Horace had been browsing the Library for about fifteen minutes looking for Static Grimoires but gradually made his way to the fiction section. He always loved reading fiction when he could; it was like escaping into another world.

When Horace turned the corner he saw two student females conversing. Alisoina did not look that interested in what the younger student was saying. Maybe i could strike up a conversation with them. I have to make friends.

Horace walked up to the obviously younger student and noticed she did not have on a uniform. He wanted to be quick to make friends with new students; he felt they knew what he was going though. They also knew what it was like to not have friends. He said, "Hi, so are you new?"

Athrym browsed through the fiction works, eyes looking for anything even remotely related to the War Of The Book. There seemed to be a few romance novels around it, and even though she did pick them up, she wasn't sure how helpful they would actually be. Slowing moving along the shelves, she found her ears perking to a familiar voice.



Following the voice, she arrived at almost the same time as Horace. Pausing for a moment, she wondered if it would be wrong to interrupt Alisoina's little conversation.



Her eyes narrowed. The boy had just thrown himself into their conversation without so much as a hello to Alisoina. It was clocking rude! Like he'd ignored her. Field simmering indignantly, she sailed towards the younger girl and stepped up beside Ali.

"Alisoina, we missed you at lunch!" She said with a smile, interrupting the conversation as broadly as she could.

Horace had not realized how rude he had been. He had not used his social skills in years. What am I doing, I should have at least acknowledged that other girl. Horace felt bad about what he had done, but did not know what to do. When he turned around to apologize he felt a very angry field and when he looked up a little bit more he saw a frigid face. The girl had platinum blonde and piercing pale blue eyes, he was instantly afraid.

"I am e-e-extremely sorry, I should not have walked right into your conversation." Horace said still staring at Athrym's face, which to him looked like the face of death.

Karana nodded, trying to fix the directions in her head. "Well...,"



Karana shifted to include the new boy, and opened her mouth to begin again, when another girl appeared greeting Alisoina and prompting an apology from the boy. Her chin hinged shut with a snap.

She was tumbled about enough to forget entirely that she'd already told Ali that she was new, and began again. This would be so much easier at home. Everyone would know the formulae. "Hello. Yes, I was tested this morning. I think we were edging toward introductions? I'm Karana Lutker, a new student here. "

The cold blonde could feel the slight pulling back of the boys field, and eased off slightly. It wouldn't be benifical to her schooling if he felt threatened enough to find a teacher. Still, the slight edge of annoyance hummed around her and the icy blue of her eyes didn't soften.

"Your right, you shouldn't have. But we can't all be perfect. Just..try to remember next time."



Athrym looked the girl over for a moment, pondering her age. She didn't quite seem to be as young as Ellie...why did she say she'd been tested this morning. The platinum haired galdor nodded.

"Welcome to Brunnhold...I'm Athrym Bruthgrave and this is Alisoina Denore, heiress to the Denore Dynasty." She said, giving the respect she felt Alisoina deserved after the interupption.

"Consider us the welcoming committee." She smirked a little, her blue eyes letting up a little. The girl didn't come across as threatening or rude, so the blonde was content to be somewhat nice.

"So Karana, Gioran right? I met another woman from Gior at the Ball, not very good with manners that one. You should stay out of the sun." She gestured to the angry sunburn on the girls skin. The girls long hair again reminded her of her mother...and suspicions began to surface. Athrym began to wonder if she should write her mother and just ask. It was sort of interesting.

Horace had been a rather lonesome person and had forgotten how to talk to people, especially girls. When Horace found out he was right about his assumption, he felt a tingling of his ego showing up but decided to hide it.

"Well welcome to Brunnhold, Karana. I am sure you will love it here. The Library is one of the best places to spend your time, well in my opinion at least." Horace said pointing to the other students looking at books. "So you're from Gior right. I have heard it is a very beautiful kingdom." Horace said, oddly enough noticing a book that was titled 'The Book of Gioran Romances' in bright red italic letters. "Wow what a coincidence, maybe I should get this book to answer my question." Horace said, pulling the book out of the shelf.

Glowing from Athrym's estimation of her, Ali held her chin even higher than before. Oh besties were... the best! Tossing shortened hair over one shoulder, she allowed Athrym to lead the conversation. The girl did look Gioran, in fact, and Ali smiled at the memory of Theo. She had been very interesting, and she still didn't regret dancing with her. Naul would have been a butt anyway.

Glancing at the strange young man, she saw as he pulled a romance off the shelves of her beloved fictions. What on earth was it doing there? Her eyebrow raised, and she quickly stifled a snicker.

"Someone was obviously not paying attention to the sections when they put that book away, it belongs in the romances. And I never really knew boys were... interested... in such books." Her lime eyes weren't cruel... yet. But she had learned from both Athrym and Nauleth; there was a spiteful edge to the girl that hadn't been there before. Turning back to Karana, Ali grinned.

"In fact, I recently discussed Gior with said woman at the ball, and I found her fascinating. Tell me, did you like the rain while you were there?

Karana observed the dressing down without interfering further. He had been slightly rude, after all.



Karana nodded at Athrym's observation, indirectly responding to what felt like an accusation, though her voice was still friendly as she spoke. "Mother instructed me on the manners of Anaxas before coming here, but I'm sure there's a great deal I get wrong myself. "

She smiled, briefly, at the reference to her sunburn. "I know it. But my travel arrangements were... forcibly disrupted. I ended up doing a great deal of walking to reach civilization."


She smiled again, agreeing, "I found it so. I did not see much of our more famous sights, but there was plenty of beauty in our home and the city."



"When it didn't cancel our plans for the day, it was lovely. I think the sky looks better with the clouds draping her. Naked, her glare hurts the eyes." She paused, with the mild joke's end, and gestured ruefully at her reddened skin. "And burns the skin."

Something in Karana's self-deprecating remarks warmed Ali just a bit. Nothing like a new student who knew her place, and in such a witty way as well! "Fascinating! I'll definitely have to convince my parents to let me visit sometime. I keep finding reasons to." Looking about, she smiled at Athrym, lime eyes bright as though saying I like this one, can we keep her for awhile? Nothing so long term as the lunch table, of course, but the girl definitely deserved some second glances.

Karana nodded. "You should, though it may be difficult to convince to time it right. There are pirates in the skies, I can assure you of that." Her tone shifted to match her meaning, Not sarcastic, nor ironic, but somewhat flavored with their bitter tang of mockery, fortunately aimed at her own travails.

It passed, though, as quickly as the words that summoned it sped from her mouth, replaced by slower consideration, "I don't know the precise risk of an attack, but one only need be caught out once. It isn't strange, that humans would jealously seek to pull galdori from the sky, but I had rather they were less successful. Don't you think so?" She paused, looking at Ali inquisitively.

Athrym caught Alisoina's look with a little grin. She knew that look. She agreed with it.



The blonde scowled, blue eyes narrowing dangerously, voice like a winter blizzard.

"Humans, nothing but parasites. They should be exterminated. Every clocking last one."

Athrym's sudden vehemence startled Karana, but she bit her tongue on her first response. She glanced at Horace, almost forgotten with his book of romances, to see whether he had another surprising reaction. Her mild, "The ones I encountered were, but I'd rather many remain. I suspect I'd dislike farming," was partially sober, and partially humorous. She couldn't see the beings who produced most of the food, and wealth, as parasites, no matter how infrequent she'd seen them. Better to stick to the practical, though, as it left fewer bruises on the ego, particularly on touchy subjects.

Better yet to change the topic entirely. "Speaking of food, though, Ms. Denore kindly pointed out that we're a little late for lunch, but do you suppose they are still open? Much as I love books, I wasn't in the library intentionally."

"Well I can agree with you on that, Madam. Those animals are nothing but trouble they should be killed."Horace said, face still in the book. Horace didn't care people knew that he hated the other races but he was never this vocal about it. Horace was so immersed in the book, not because he cared what was in the book, but because he was embarrassed about his rudeness. "It is a shame what those beast would do to a little kid." Horace said, hinting at his 8 year old mugging.

Athrym nodded, smiling again.

"I would say they might have something in the kitchens, if you want to try there? Otherwise, your dorm matron might have something for you."



The blonde faltered a crimson blush rising to her face. She looked at Alisoina...surely it was a coincidence. It wasn't like any of them had said anything..right. Vaguely, her temple throbbed. Stammering slightly, she stepped back.

"I..I have to go." She said hurriedly, turning and rushing from the library without so much as a goodbye to the group. She had to get out of there, she had to breathe..relax..calm...calm...

Slowing, she stopped in the middle of the courtyard and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and clutching the strap of her bag tightly.

Complete coincidence.

Karana's jaw loosened, as the apologetic boy revealed attitudes as genocidal as the elder girl. Were they truly like this in Anaxas? The wisdom of keeping them apart, as in Gior, might be better founded than she'd thought.

"I think. I think I'd better go see the dorm matron." She manages, slipping a foot backwards. Were they all crazy? He'd seemed so nice...