TT2_Shang

Four-year-old Eriani of Falcon's Rest nervously glanced around the room. She didn't really think that there would be any other girls there, but she was wrong. Just under half the children chosen for Shang training were girls. Surveying the faces there, Eriani saw differing amounts of nervousness and fright. She, herself, was nervous, but not scared. She had watched these Shang warriors before, and felt no need to fear them. She merely did what she always did at nervous times, and made herself as un noticeable as possible an look at her surroundings.

For this reason, people often incorrectly thought that she was a half- wit, or dullard to stupid to show fright, or someone great, too great for fear. In fact, It was none of the above. She got just as frightened or nervous as the next person, but she handled it better than some. It was merely an instinct to her, just as daydreamed bored moments away was.

Twins, a girl and a boy, hugged each other, looking curiously at Eriani. A four-year-old girl with red hair and light blue eyes looked at the ground, determined not to cry. An oversized boy who was about 3 or 4 but looked 10 was crying, and making no attempt to hide it. A
tiny boy sat on the ground, snoring slightly, although his eyes were open.

As Eriani glanced swiftly across the fire burning in the center of the room, her eyes met with those of the Shang Wildcat. The Wildcat broke her gaze and whispered something to The Shang Phoenix beside her. The Phoenix nodded and cleared his throat. "Silence," he called in a rumbling voice. "Follow the Wildcat and me. Single file!"

Eriani fell into line, just in front of one of the twins, who continued to stare at her. Even then, she wondered why they peered at her so much. Walking quickly, they led the children to a row of small, rectangular cabins. The Shang Wildcat began to read off assignments,
speaking clearly and loudly. Eriani listened carefully before walking over to her cabin, which the Wildcat had called "House Beige."

After all the children were assembled in House Beige, Eriani risked a look at the others. It turned out that the twins were in her house. They had light blonde hair that continually fell in their faces. Their dark blue eyes kept watching Eriani as they stood there. They both
stood about middle height, but that was the only average thing about them. They were wearing identical clothes made of bright orange and red material that looked to be quite expensive.

Another member was a dark girl who looked as though she had Bazhir ancestry. Eriani wondered as she looked at the girl. She remembered one of the last things her papa had said before he died. "Bazhir never let their women train, fight, or become Shang." This gave Eriani reason enough to daydream all kinds of reasons for the girl to be there.

Eriani loved to daydream.

A girl who looked awkward in her new surroundings and who scuffed the ground with her bare toe was one of the children Eriani was less interested in. The girl was chubby and somehow repelled anyone's notice. However, she looked up shyly at Eriani when she felt the gaze.

The girl seemed the kind of person who would rather be at home with her family, at least to Eriani's eyes. The girl was quite pretty, in a quiet way. She had short, dark hair that was tied in the back with a string. Although the girl was slumping against one of the cots, Eriani
caught a glimpse of eyes that seemed to sparkle from a light of their own until the girl noticed Eriani still looking at her. Then her eyes seemed to shade over and Eriani hastily looked away.

The last child was a boy who was not tall nor short, not dark nor pale, not fat nor thin. He had an humorous looking face though, as if he enjoyed life and all its laughs. His moderate brown hair had been cut down to a stubble. He was wearing a light blue tunic and black
trousers. While this combination may have looked strange on anyone else, on him it looked like it had come straight from the City of the Gods. Eriani wondered at his clothing, because she had tried clothes like his on for a festival and she had looked like a harlequin.

They stood in silence for a time before the Wildcat came in and barked out, "All right, kiddies, these are your room mates. If you're all modest and don't want anyone seeing you change, use your sheet to cover yourself. These people will be with you for the years you're here, so get used to ‘em. Go ahead and unpack anything you may have brought,
get to know your ‘mates, and go to bed. Tomorrow, your training begins and we see who'll stick it out."

The Wildcat strode out, leaving Eriani and the others slightly tongue-tied. At last, the boy twin shrugged, put on a grin, and said, "Hello, then. I'mYamal, and this is my twin sister Leah. We're a big word Mother taught us . . . oh yeah. I - den - ti - cal. That means
we look the same."

Walking over to Eriani,Yamal stuck out a hand and said, "And you are?"

Eriani suppressed a giggle, shook his hand, and proclaimed, "My name is Eriani of Falcon's Rest. You're like my brother. He's. . . . gone. He was always happy and talked a lot."

"Well! Pleased to meet you! That's what Mother says when she meets people, you know.", he cried, and going around to each, including his sister, Micah built an acquaintance between them all.

When all was said and done, Eriani learned that the dark girl was Markaphi of the Bloody Hawk, and was indeed Bazhir. The awkward girl was Lila and the other boy was named Ian. Each shook her hand, and she also received a cool, steady gaze from Ian, another curious stare from Leah, and a shaky smile from Lila. Eriani sighed inwardly and began to
unpack the few belongings she had with her. Although she had been living with commoners all the life she could remember, her foster parents insisted on her being Eriani of Falcon's Rest.

The name was all she had left of her nobility. Otherwise, her possessions were
purely those of a commoner.