I'm a Survivor Chapter 2

Hey guys, thanks for the comments. I'm so sorry, I know it needs a lot more editing and any mistakes pointed out are appreciated.

I'm 14 so editing not really my forte yet :) enjoy and comment!!

I start packing again that afternoon. I leave most of the dresses uncle had brought me and simply keep a few plain long ones, with no hoops. I re-pack all of my leggings, breaches, tunics and shirts into a larger case and pack all of my other belongings, including my supply of money. I sleep restlessly that night and dream of my parents in happier days, laughing and loving and traveling together. I mourned for them in my sleep but refused to let my mind think of them, or anyone else from Bermington, in death. That part of my mind was completely closed off and it was a pleasant dream. The next morning I wake early and dress in black leggings and a simple black tunic for traveling. Uncle greets me on the second story with a hug.
"I will miss you, and I will write to you in length. I have paid for your board for the rest of this year and meals are provided so you don't need to worry about that. Here." He pushes a small oilskin purse into my hands, I sneak a look inside. Several pieces of gold, silver and a few bronze filled the small purse almost to the brim. This was a small fortune! Not enough to buy a house or anything and probably a small portion of a Duke's wage but still a lot!
"Uncle! I can't take this!" I exclaim.
"Sure you can, it's for the whole year! And if you run out send a messenger and I shall supply you with more. It can come from your parent's fortunes anyway, that will be yours one day." I nod numbly.
"Dedicate Sito is a nice man, be kind to him."
"Of course Uncle."
"I shall pray for you and your parents every night." He hugs me again, religious. Then he leads me out to where Sito was loading a small cart with two horses on the front. The Duke's servants had already loaded my bags onto it. Sito pats the seat next to him upfront and with a slight smile I climb up. I wave goodbye to Uncle and when we were out of the Square I slide down in my seat, loosing my good posture immediately.
"How do you fare, Lady Audra?" Dedicate Sito asks pleasantly as the cart rumbles along.
"Please call me Audra, no one at the temple needs know I am a noblewoman, they do not pull rank there anyway I presume?"
"No they don't. How do you fare then, Audra?"
"I am well thank you, how are you?" I lie casually.

I presumed this lie would become a constant part of my life. Just like I presumed that the pain would increase once the numb of shock wore off. Imagine, never getting to se their faces again. The images of pale skin and blood the last memory you will have of your parents. It was a horror I could not yet comprehend.

"Good." The rest of the ride was quiet and just after Midday we stopped at a market somewhere. We ate our Midday on the cart and I looked around with interest when we pulled up.
"Do you mind if I stop here for a while? You can have a look around if you want. Just stay in sight." I nod and clamber down off the cart. I look around the stalls at the large market and following Sito's advice stay close as not to get lost. I buy myself a water flask at a bargain price and buy a pile of large handkerchiefs cheap. A while later I hear Sito call out.
"Audra? Are you ready to go?"
"Coming!" I call, quickly paying for the two apples at the stall next to our cart I hurry to scramble up next to him. As he pulls the horses reins to get them moving I offer him an apple. He raises his eye brows.
"What? It's just an apple." He smiles and takes the apple.
"Thank you." He says politely, I bite into mine.

I hadn't realized the temple was so close for we reached it at dusk that night. Sito lead me away from the main buildings down a thin path to a small cottage near the boundary wall of the temple.

"Go inside and choose a room while I take the horses to the stables, mine is the one next to the sewing room, the rest are free." He leads the horses away and I wander over ot the cottage and pull the door open. The front door led me into a small kitchen, a dining table was after the kitchen, big enough to sit six people at it. A small lounge room was behind the stair case and a sewing room and Sito's bedroom behind that. I climb the stairs and stick my head into each room. There were five bedrooms and a lounge room. I choose the biggest and nicest bedroom, the last one on the left, opposite the lounge room and head back downstairs. Sito was just coming back. I untie the rope off the cart and throw it over before grabbing my case down, Sito helps and I take it upstairs to my room before coming back down to help him unload his stuff. He looks surprised but does not refuse my help.

He would soon learn that not all ladies were posh and liked to wear dresses with frilly bonnets. Not me.

I did not unpack before it was time for dinner. I eat it quickly and quietly.
"I'm going to go unpack." I tell Dedicate Sito as I rise from the table.
"I am going out to a service tonight, I will stay in the main building and be back here tomorrow before Midday. There is food in the cupboard so make yourself at home." I nod and climb to my room.

I spend the evening unpacking my things into a small chest of draws in the corner. I slide my bag under the small bed and that was when I noticed the odd floor board. Not odd as in different but odd as cut in an odd place, at the far corner of my bed. Sliding my bag back out I crawl under the small bed and keep prying at it until it came out. It lifted slowly and inside there was a perfectly carved square.
'It must be from the last student that was in this room' I think to myself. That’s when I notice a gleam inside it from the glow of my lamp. Laying my fingers inside it carefully I pull out a small gold medallion. It had a funny symbol in the middle that I could not see in such a dim glow. Laying it aside I empty my money into the larger purse, keeping seven silver pieces in the small one and lay it in the box before laying the board back overtop.

Pulling the medallion into the light of my lamp I squint at the engravings in the gold. It was a pentagon, a five pointed star. And at each point of the star was an element. Fire, water, wind, earth and metal. That was interesting but when I turn it over it had 'Lady Audra of Bermington' engraved on the back. I gasp and drop the medallion on the floor. It was on a string, to wear around a neck I presume, strung through a hole in the top. I pick it up gently, placing it in a draw under my garments and crawl into bed, falling asleep almost instantly. I could not deal with surprises for a while.

I wake up with a start the next morning, having no idea what I dreamed of I get dressed and head downstairs. It was late already, almost ten. Eating a quick morning meal I then wash the dishes, dry them and put them away.

There was small plants in pots on the window ledge above the sink. I stare at them, remembering the way mum used to spend days out in the garden trimming her roses and plants, singing to herself.
"Who are you?" I jump and spin around. A boy maybe a year older than me was standing at the doorway. I put my hand on my chest, inwardly cursing at myself for jumping.
"Audra, who are you?" I ask, growing suspicious.
"Leonardo, call me Leo." Leo was nearly five foot eight or nine inches tall, taller than me by an inch or two. He had black oily hair cut an inch long. He had bronze skin, broad shoulders and blue eyes that were set above a thin blade of a nose, a sensitive mouth and a firm chin.
"And what are you dong here Leo?" I ask pointedly.
"Moving in, they didn't tell me there were girls here." He grumbles.
"Girl, just me. Last bedroom on the left is mine, the rest are empty." I say flatly, pointing up the stairs and walking past him Sito was in the garden.
"We have a new resident." Sito says lightly.
"I noticed. I thought students slept in the main building, or is he a boarder too?" Sito hesitates.
"He is a student, of metal work. But he was having...some difficulty getting along with his room mates. They are eight to a room over there."
"He was fighting with them?" I ask flatly. He nods without smiling.
"There might be some other students joining us as well, the cottage is big enough. Or does that not suit you Lady Audra?" I glare at him.
"Audra. And I don't care."

Two more boys joined us that afternoon actually. The first was named Oliver, he used to be a merchant. Oliver had dark brown hair that reached to his chin and was in bad need of a trim. He had hard, brown eyes and a slightly flat face. His features were sharp and unkind looking. The second was named Joseph and he used to be a Trader. Joseph's hair was a blonde-brown, cut an inch long like Leo's. Oliver had very light blue eyes and still boyishly round features and figure. The atmosphere was tense between people that didn't normally mix, although I found out through the snippets of conversation I eavesdropped on that they were all here because they didn't get along with the other boys they had been with. I stay out of sight for most of the day, only coming back just on dinner. I had walked around the Temple (that really looked more like a school) I found a huge gardening area, a metal smith, and lots of buildings. I didn't dare go into them and once I found the garden area I simply sat in that for a while so there was more places that I didn't see.

I hurry in right as the sixth bell was chiming and cross to the dining table where dinner was being served.
"Sorry I'm late." I apologies so Sito who just nods a reply. Oliver and Joseph look at me in shock before Oliver jumps out of his chair into a defensive position. Everyone just looks at him.
"Do I look like I would be able to hurt you?" I ask holding my arms out of my petite frame. Leo snickers and Oliver slowly sinks back into his seat.
"Didn't realize we had to stay with girls." He mumbles as I take the seat on the end of the table, opposite Sito.
"Girl." I repeat like I had to Leo. They had already begun to serve themselves before we arrived. So I take spoon and start serving myself.

Sito was gone again that night and I go to bed early and read rather than bother to sit with the boys who were still nervous around each other. Traders and merchants never got along. After several sleep ins I wake early the next, not long after sunrise. Looking out my window, I saw Sito making his way down the path and over some of the tree's I could see many people hurrying around, looking busy. I quickly get dressed in black leggings and a black tunic that went halfway to my knee's.
"What's with all the black?" Oliver asks in a rude voice as I walk by him and Leo in the kitchen. I duck my head, not replying and keep walking. I see Leo punch him in the arm and whisper something in his ear. I greet Sito at the door.
:"Good morning Audra." He says pleasantly, stepping through the door I held open for him.
"Morning." I was about to follow him inside when I gasp, the bushes and path to the temple disappear from my view and it was replaced by storm clouds and lightning hitting a tree just on the other side of the temple gate.
"Audra?" Sito laid a hand on my shoulder and I gasp again as the path comes back into view.
"Are you ok?" He asks. I nod.
"Sure, let's go inside." 'I'm being stupid.' I told myself. 'day-dreaming again'. He follows me, frowning.

After the morning meal I wash the dishes generously and then follow everyone upstairs where I found them in the lounge room. They were all sitting on the floor so I go and sit in one of the arm chairs, swinging my legs over the edge and sitting in it on an angle. Sito was talking about them relaxation, calming the mind. Meditating, clearing your thoughts and controlling your powers. I grab a book from the table next to me and flick to the first page and start to read.
"Audra?" Sito says, I look up from the book.
"Please join us." It wasn't a questions, he motions to the space between him and Joseph.
"I'm not one of your students I don't need to control my mind." I object, his eyes go hard and he again motions the space next to him. Sighing I lay the book down and go to sit next to him, cross legged.
"Close your eyes. Breathe in, hold, and breathe out. Breathe in, hold, and breathe out." He continues, I follow his instructions and his voice slowly fades until we were all breathing slowly on our own.
"Think of the best thing you can think of. Think of the base of your power. Focus on that." I open my eyes, frowning. I didn't have a power, what was I meant to think of? Feeling Sito's gaze on me I turn to him and then close my eyes again, facing forwards. I think of my family for a moment but then grief fills me and my breathes grown shallow. Finally I stele on a picture of the stars and moon back home. I allow my breathing to fall into pattern with the others until Sito stops us all. My eyes jump open.

The boys file out to their rooms, all with dreamy expressions on their face and I stand up, feeling...off and off balance.
"Audra, you will attend meditation classes with us every morning after breakfast."
"Why?" I ask.
"Because I said so." He says before walking out. I roll my eyes 'oh that explains it'.

I was lazing in the lounge that afternoon, reading that same book. It was about herbs and their different properties. Sito walks in with Leo.
"Audra, can you do us a favour?" He asks, he had one arm around Leo's shoulder and Leo looked sulky.
"Can you go and tell Snowpolish that Leonardo will not be able to attend to him today? He is the master metal worker, he should be the only on there." I nod and put down my book, leaving the two in peace.

Heading back to the metal smith was fairly easy. The clouds were grey and filled with rain as they started to rumble above us. Then the clouds disappeared and I was in a room, at night...it was a metal smith! An elderly man walked straight backed and proud, unlike most elderly man, he was full of energy. Snowpolish. He walked over to one of the machines he had been working on earlier. He had forgotten to reconnect the air vents that let the heat out, it over boiled and exploded, recking half the workshop. Somehow he walked out of it easily but his stuff was ruined. The clouds appeared back in front of my eyes and I blinks several times before I keep walking.

When I reached the workshop Snowpolish was working on the very machine I had just seen blow up, I shiver and enter, my footsteps echoing slightly.
"You're late boy. Quick pass me the box head hammer." He says from under the machine, I couldn't see his face and he couldn't see mine but I head over to the bench that he had waved absently at and examine the hammers. There were three and I pick the squarest one and bend down to offer it to him. He takes it without looking up and doesn’t complain so I presume it was the right one. I stay crouching down to watch him work, I could see something hanging down, whatever it was It was the thing that connected the air vents. I wasn't good with machinery. And sure enough it stays hanging there, forgotten when Snowpolish shuffles out a few minutes later.
"You're not Leo." He informs me. I smile, shaking my head.
"Oh. Well hi, I'm Snowpolish."
"Audra." I say, shaking his hand firmly.
"Have you seen young Leonardo?"
"Yes, actually that's why I'm here. He can't make it today, he is with Dedicate Sito."
"Ahh." He nods knowingly.
"What do you specialise in then?" He asks, pulling off an apron.
"I don't, I'm just boarding here. I don't do any magic or anything." He frowns and I suddenly feel very uncomfortable.
"You didn't connect your air vents." I say clearly, pointing to the machine. He turns to it, distracted and I turn on my heel and leave.

One of the dedicates name Viola came to sit with us for dinner, she sat next to me and talked all night. She was really nice. It wasn't until after dinner when Sito announced that at this time every night we would go to the bathhouses to wash that I understood why she was here. The males and females bathed separately so of course he needed someone to watch over me, for a while at least. Show me around.

Sito assigns chores after baths, making a roster that continued changing so we didn't get stuck with the same ones. And we were told to tidy our rooms before we came out for breakfast every morning. After that it was really late so we all head to bed. I couldn't get to sleep for a long time after the bells of the midnight service chimed and when I finally did get to sleep, I had the nightmare.

Let me know about any errors, and please comment, I really appreciate. Thanks for reading, X.