Syl yanked the blanket off of a sleeping Nal, “Time to get ready!”

Nal groaned and crawled under a large pile of down pillows and barely noticed as Deko entered through the still open door holding Iysinfyr in her arms.

Syl grabbed Nal by the ankle before she could slip under them completely, “Your father contacted me this morning and ordered me to get you back to your lessons.”

Nal stopped struggling at the mention of her father.

Syl loosened her grip on Nal’s leg, “Duke Tallhill wants you to take Iysinfyr with you…”

Iysinfyr suddenly jumped from Deko’s arms, sending her staggering backwards, and with incredible speed climbed under the pillows with Nal. She then poked her head out and scowled at Syl and Deko.

Deko steadied herself, looked at Iysinfyr, then to Deko, “You should have listened to me. She is not ready.”

Syl smiled at Iysinfyr, “I think she will be fine. It will mostly be girls Nal’s age and a few teachers.”

Nal turned around under the pillows and stuck her head out. She looked at Iysinfyr, “Can you or Deko come with us?”

Syl shook her head, “The headmistress insists that you need to learn independence and personal maids can’t come. You know that.”

Nal scowled, “I do not see why I need to go. Everyone knows I am not good with the arts.”

Syl crossed her arms and sighed, “Nal, I know you don’t like the arts, but as an Amirr noblewoman it is your duty and now Iysinfyr too.”

Syl took a step back as she felt an intense pressure come from Iysinfyr. 

Deko walked next to the bed and pulled Iysinfyr from the pillows, “Syl is right. The Duke was kind enough to take you in and take care of you while you recovered. The least you can do is to return his kindness by doing what he asks.”

Iysinfyr averted her eyes from Deko for a moment, then turned back to her, “You’re right.” Iysinfyr jumped off the bed and turned to Nal, “Nal.”

Nal looked at Iysinfyr like she had betrayed her, then sighed, “All right! It might be more enjoyable now that Iysinfyr is coming with me.”

Syl smiled, “Great. We will leave after you dress and eat.”

Deko left the room with Iysinfyr while Syl prepared Nal’s clothing and a little over an hour later, Iysinfyr and Nal were standing in front of the gates to the school.

Nal barely looked at the statues and murals that adorned the short wall that surrounded the school. The gate in front of them was of a fine, polished wood and had intricate carvings from stories of Amirran history.

“Remember to watch your language like we discussed. No contractions, they are unseemly for one of your status.” Syl reminded Iysinfyr before she entered the carriage. 

Iysinfyr didn’t react and continued to study a nearby statue.

Deko looked at Iysinfyr, but instead of entering the carriage with Syl, walked down the street.

“Well, we might as well go in,” Nal straightened herself and pushed the gate open.

Iysinfyr nodded and followed Nal inside.

The school wasn’t big. The school building itself was only one storied, though judging by the girls on the roof they used that for teaching too. Like the wall, statues and murals decorated the building. 

The grounds were bigger than Nal’s family villa and several unfinished statues and blocks of stone dotted them along with several stone benches. There were also flowers planted all along the base of the wall and building.

“You are late!” A stern-looking woman with a round face, and long salt and peppered hair that she had tied up. She wore a simple, yet high quality robe that barely hid her lumpy body. She looked to be in her early fifties.

Nal flinched, “I apologize, headmistress.”

The headmistress looked at Nal for a moment, then turned to Iysinfyr, “You are Iysinfyr?”

Iysinfyr nodded.

“Your father could not say how skilled you are in the arts,” the headmistress studied Iysinfyr, “Do you have any experience?”

Iysinfyr appeared to consider something, “I’m… I am not very good.”

The headmistress narrowed her eyes at Iysinfyr’s mistake but seemed to let it go after she corrected herself, “Then I will put you in the same groups as Lady Nalulthyn.”

Nal grinned until the mistress shot her a look of warning.

The headmistress turned back to Nal, “I believe your first group is singing.” 

“Yes, headmistress,” Nal smiled slightly.

If Iysinfyr’s skin wasn’t so white it would have been obvious that the blood drained from her face. The look of fear was easy to see.

The headmistress noticed, “I take it you have heard Lady Nalulthyn sing.”

Iysinfyr looked embarrassed for a second before her face became neutral.

Nal puffed out her cheeks and pushed out her lower lip, “I am not that bad.”

The headmistress looked back to Nal, “We have talked long enough. I expect you to show Lady Iysinfyr to your classes.” 

The headmistress turned to the building, and the two girls followed her inside.

The layout of the building was simple with a waiting room in the middle and doors lining the walls. The floor was a fine marble. Like the rest of the school, statues and busts of varying quality decorated the waiting room.

The headmistress entered the closest room to the right, only glancing back to make sure the girls were going to their class, while Nal led Iysinfyr to a room in the far left corner with Iysinfyr hiding behind Nal the whole way as she shook under the stares of other students and teachers.

Once inside the room, they found a single middle-aged woman. She frowned when she saw Nal and put something in her ears before inspecting Iysinfyr.

The class went about as expected. Nal, though enthusiastic, couldn’t hold a tune and Iysinfyr refused to sing at all. It was only a few dozen minutes before the teacher pushed them out of the room, muttering something about having to teach the worst students.

Nal sighed, “Let us go to sculpture lessons.”

Nal led a once again shaking Iysinfyr outside a side door and to a spot in the yard where several small blocks of rock lay. Several girls and a teacher were already there, and after a glance all returned to whatever they were doing.

“Father asked them to have me use some of my singing time for sculpture lessons,” Nal shrugged, “It is for the best. Even I know how hopeless I am with singing. Even I notice how the teachers plugs her ears with wax… It is the thing I enjoy the most, though.”

Iysinfyr shuddered but then looked at the stone blocks then to Nal, “Are you good?”

Nal smiled bitterly, “I… no. No matter how much I practice, I never get better. I am Attish born so I do not think I will ever improve.”

Iysinfyr nodded in understanding at hearing Nal was Attish born.

“Even though I am Attish born father thinks women should stay out of law and justice,” Nal only looked slightly resentful. She looked to Iysinfyr, “Do Terrans have birth Deity too?”

Iysinfyr shook her head, “No.”

“Terrans are fortunate,” Nal picked up a hammer and chisel from a nearby bench, “they do not decide the things you are good at when you are born.”

Iysinfyr thought, then picked up a chisel, “I think it would be the same, birth Deity or not.”

Nal shook her head, "Maybe.”

Iysinfyr sat next to one rock and began chiseling away at it without a hammer, “I’m… ah… I am not good at art too.”

Nal sat next to a nearby rock and noticed how easily Iysinfyr used the chisel without a hammer, she then looked around and saw the teacher and some other students looking at Iysinfyr with jaws dropped, “Um… They are watching you.”

Iysinfyr looked around, blushed, then got a hammer before returning to her rock, “I am still not used to my strength.” She looked around again then back to Nal, “Do you not have any friends?”

Nal lowered her chisel and looked at her feet, “I… no.”

Nal became quiet and worked on her sculpture in silence until the other students got up and left.

Iysinfyr watched them leave and looked at the teacher, “She didn’t… did not come over here at all.”

Nal shrugged, “She is here to watch, sculpture comes from within.”

Iysinfyr furrowed her brow, “As long as no one bothers…” She sighed and shook her head, “That’s right, this time I’m… I am trying to be better with people.”

Nal smiled, “I hope you can make a lot of friends.” She frowned, “Maybe I should try with you.”

Iysinfyr gave Nal a wry smile, “This is going to suck.”

Nal’s eyes widened then she stood up, though the way she stood said she wanted to run, “I forgot Davanvia usually comes by around now.”

Iysinfyr looked around but didn’t see her.

A minute of silence later, Davanvia exited the building. 

Three girls followed her, all somewhat unattractive. One had silver bells in her hair showing she is the daughter of a count, and the other two had bronze showing them as daughters of barons. Silver’s nose was large, and she was on the chubby side. The first of the two bronze was tall and lacked outstanding feminine features. The second of the two bronze was average height and had eyes that were too small and was fatter than silver.

Iysinfyr grabbed Nal’s clothes and hid behind her, her head looking around to watch Davanvia.

“Nalulthyn, Iysinfyr, I am happy you came,” she said with a smile that reeked of contempt as she scanned the other girls as they arrived.

The girls following Davanvia stood back and said nothing as they watched the other girls arriving.

“Hello, Davanvia,” Nal looked like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was.

Davanvia looked at the rocks Nal and Iysinfyr were working on, “I see your skill is as… special as always.” She turned to Iysinfyr, “Is this your first time working with stone?”

Iysinfyr looked at their rocks. Nal‘s looked like a rock that someone had chipped at with no plan, and Iysinfyr’s appeared to be taking the crude shape of a four legged animal with a leg that had broken off.

Iysinfyr thought, “Just with magic.”

Davanvia smile, “Oh, so you have training with magic? Can you show us?”

Iysinfyr looked at Nal for a second, then glanced at Davanvia and the other girls before shaking her head.

A hint of disappointment flashed on Davanvia’s face, “Perhaps when you have more training. I hear sculpting things with earth magic is rather difficult, even for a Melche born.” 

She turned to one of the many nearby sculptures. This sculpture was a bust of a man Nal recognized, even if she had only seen him from a distance.

“I finished this bust of my father just last week. He will be so proud of me when he sees how I skillfully carved his likeness,” Davanvia caressed the bust lovingly.

Iysinfyr studied the bust and seemed at least somewhat impressed, but said nothing. 

Nal finally noticed several girls coming from other areas of the school, each avoiding Nal and Davanvia’s group, though most stared at Iysinfyr whenever Davanvia wasn’t looking their way.

Davanvia was about to speak again when she noticed a small, petite girl come from the direction of the front gate. The girl’s shoulder length black hair had a single iron bell showing she was the daughter of a wealthy foreign merchant. 

Davanvia raised her chin at the sight of the girl, “I will talk to you again later, Iysinfyr. I do not want to be late for my singing lessons.”

Nal and Iysinfyr watched Davanvia until she disappeared around the corner of the school building.

Nal turned to Iysinfyr, “I am sorry. She comes by every day.”

Iysinfyr scowled, then sighed.

Nal sat down next to her rock and began chipping away at it, “I feel the same.”

It wasn’t long before all the girls began carving under the watchful eye of the teacher.

Iysinfyr seemed to lose interest in her sculpture and watched the other girls while Nal cracked the stone she was working on and had to get a new one.

Most of the girls were younger than Nal and appeared to be not much better at carving than she. Several even cracked their stones and dropped them in a pile near the petite girl. 

Nal rarely paid attention to the girls around her as she could never get the courage to approach them, but now that Iysinfyr was watching them she did too.

Nal hadn’t noticed before, but the petite foreign girl didn’t have a rock at the beginning and only started once one of the other girls dropped one of their failures next to her. She also noticed that the teacher completely ignored her, having her back always towards her. The teacher never ignored Nal, even if she rarely talked to her.

Iysinfyr seemed to notice this too and for some reason began using light magic. After a few minutes of doing this, Iysinfyr stood up and walked over to the pile of rocks next to the girl, Nal following. She then picked up a rock.

The girl lowered her head when she saw Iysinfyr and put her chisel down.

Iysinfyr smiled at her and gave her the rock she had picked up, although she did her best not to let the other girl touch her.

Nal looked at the rock and saw that not only had Iysinfyr fixed the cracks in it but also reshaped it into a crude rectangle. The petite girl looked at Iysinfyr in confusion but took the rock.

As Iysinfyr did the same thing to the rest of the rocks Nal noticed most of the other girls and the teacher were watching with interest. Judging by the whispers, they too had realized Iysinfyr was repairing the rocks with earth magic.

Once Iysinfyr finished repairing the rocks, she turned to the petite girl. Nal noticed she was shaking, but she clenched her fist and, for the first time since Nal had met her, spoke to a stranger without being talked to first, “M… m… my name is Iysinfyr. Wh… what is your name?”

The petite girl looked shocked and seemed to not know how to respond.

The girl tugged on her hair and had trouble looking at Iysinfyr for more than a second at a time but in a voice not much louder than Iysinfyr, “Um… Uh… Lady Iysinfyr. It… is an honor to speak to you. Uh… My name is Eldraearna.”

Both Eldraearna and Iysinfyr stood in an awkward silence as both glanced at each other nervously.

Nal took a deep breath, if Iysinfyr could talk to her she could too, “My name is Nalulthyn Whitereed.”

Eldraearna looked at Nal and gave her a small smile, “Hello Lady Whitereed.”

Iysinfyr scowled for a second then looked at Nal and Eldraearna, “Why are Amirran names so long?”

Nal nodded in agreement and looked at Eldraearna, “You can call me Nal.”

Eldraearna looked at Nal’s gold bells and shook her head, “I can’t. Not to the daughter of a duke.”

Nal wasn’t sure how to respond and looked at Iysinfyr.

Iysinfyr sighed at Nal’s look, “How about calling her that as a friend?”

Eldraearna took a step back and shook her head even more vigorously, “I can’t. I will only make things worse for you.”

Iysinfyr looked at the other girls around them.

Nal looked around too and became nervous as she realized everyone was still looking at them.

Eldraearna began shaking when she noticed, “Please. I’m fine like this.”

Iysinfyr scowled at the other girls, and they all turned away. She then turned back to Eldraearna, “You are fine with the way they treat you?”

Eldraearna lowered her head, “No.”

“I…” Iysinfyr took a deep breath and clenched her fist to stop the shaking that was starting again, “I want you to be my friend. Not as the daughter of a duke, but as Iysinfyr.”

Eldraearna looked up at Iysinfyr and nodded, “Ok.”

Nal smiled, “Me too.”

Eldraearna looked at her and smiled, then turned back to Iysinfyr, “Call me El.”

Nal pointed to herself, “Nal.”

El hesitated, “Nal…”

Nal nodded and smiled.

El turned to Iysinfyr.

Iysinfyr thought for a few seconds, “Iysinfyr is fine. I… like it the way it is.”

Nal smiled wryly at Iysinfyr, “I thought you did not like long Amirran names.”

Iysinfyr scratched her cheek and blushed, “It’s the name my father gave me.”

El looked a little confused.

Iysinfyr noticed, “Can you come to Nal’s place after they stop torturing us?”

El let out a small laugh, “Torture?” She then became nervous again, “The villa of a duke…”

Nal nodded excitedly, “Iysinfyr is staying there with me. Can you walk home with us after?”

El shook her head, “I’m going home after sculpture. It’s the only lessons my papa can afford. I need to ask him first too.”

Nal nodded, “Oh, right. That makes sense. Do you know how to find my villa? It is not far from here.”

El looked to the palace that was barely visible over the wall, “I think it’s close to the palace?”

Nal nodded again and describe the area and the villa.

“Excuse me,” the teacher approached them and had an irritated look, “You are bothering the other girls.”

Nal looked at the other girls, who were stealing glances at them and blushed, “Forgive me.”

El quickly sat back next to the rock Iysinfyr had prepared for her and began working on it, though not before glancing back to Nal and Iysinfyr and giving them a shy smile.

Nal and Iysinfyr returned to their spots.

Iysinfyr turned her back to the other girls and fell to her knees. Only Nal saw how much she was shaking and the tears beginning to form in her eyes.

No one heard Iysinfyr whisper, “I did it Ferra. I tried to make a friend and did it.”

 

***

Syl made it to her usual spot just in time for Nal and Iysinfyr to start their sculpture practice and pulled out her spyglass.

It had taken her two years to save up for the spyglass, but it had been worth it. She still marveled at the piece of technology that a Terran had developed in Flaern not too long ago and she was probably one of the few outside of the military that had gotten their hands on one.

She looked through the spyglass and watched the two girls come out, Davanvia come and go, and Iysinfyr talk to that small black-haired girl. She couldn’t tell what they were talking about, but it was nice to see Nal talking to someone else instead of spending all her time alone.

Syl cursed when the teacher broke up the three girls but was happy to see that not much later Iysinfyr moved her rock and tools to sit next to the girl with Nal following.

“Good job!” Syl said a little too loud.

Syl began hoping Nal and Iysinfyr had made friends with the girl. If they had, she might visit the villa. If she visited…

Syl began laughing to herself and began imagining how much fun it would be around three small girls.

Syl never noticed Deko behind her or the disgusted sigh she gave as she watched her.