"What??" was the first word to exit Jilsea's mouth, as she found the needed break from the food preparation. Ithamar only replied, "we have a pressing engagement that will not be kept waiting, Jill." She shook her head, as she set Torque down by Ithamar's feet. The cat immediately responded to his master as though seeing him for the first time that day. Ithamar can be so difficult sometimes. Is he afraid of Ceavar hearing us?? She couldn't say for sure, so to be on the safe side, she didn't respond other than to nod. She knew that leaving would probably infuriate her father, but she also knew that the soldier did not like to be kept waiting, as Ithamar had pronounced only a moment before, and she hurried, trying unsuccessfully to kept up with him, who was at least eight inches taller than she. It wasn't easy, however, he had to stop after a few minutes to pick up his cat, so as not to lose Torque in the rush to their instructor's cottage.

When they arrived at the little house, Jilsea stopped short. "What??" Ithamar asked, puzzled. "Is he okay?? He almost always greets us outside." Ithamar smiled. "When he doesn't meet me outside sometimes, I simply go in. We can do that, you know." Jilsea shrugged, agreeing, as she pushed opened the door and stopped again for the second time in three minutes. "Ithamar, what... what's this??" she asked, astonishment coloring her voice, as well as her face. The soldier stepped up, smiling at his young friend. "Happy sixteenth birthing day, Jilsea. You're a lovely young woman with a good heart, and you deserve it. Now," he said, becoming a gentleman, offering Jilsea his arm, "won't you join me for some dinner??" Jilsea looked at Ithamar. "I... we can't. Mom and Dad-"Ithamar shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll think of something. They can make it through dinner without us. You only turn sisteen turns old once, Jill. Enjoy it, alright, senorita??" Jilsea gazed up at her older brother, gratitude filling her eyes, and whispered, "thank you." Taking the arm the soldier had offered her, she allowed herself to be led to a table spread full, if not richly, of the foods she loved. Torquee followed, planting himself by Ithamar's chair.

v v v v v

"Shhh," Jilsea whispered as they neared the house. They'd stayed quite a bit later than they normally did at the soldier's house. The evening had been wonderful, so much more that Jilsea could have ever hoped for. Dinner had been wonderful, followed by presents that had astonded Jilsea. The soldier had gotten her a knife for her belt, a good one with a solid hematite handle. But it had been Ithamar's gifts that had surprised her the most: two firelizard eggs that had decided that her birthing day would be the perfect day to hatch. Out had popped a lovely little gold and a sweet brown. After satiating them, she had gazed on them adoringly. "I think the brown, I shall call Enol, and Latice is the gold." The soldier had been quite pleased with the names, and had spoken so. By the time the two had left, it was well into the night, and they knew that if they were caught, they would get it for sure.

Just when they thought that the coast was clear, Ithamar tripped over a chair not pushed into the eating table, and knew they were sunk. Jilsea tried to smooth things over, but her father wouldn't hear of it. She was confined to the house, and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before her father tried to find her a suitable husband to get her out of his hair. Ithamar was not allowed anywhere near his sister, and he knew that, because of his confinement to house and fishing boats, he would no longer be able to train with the soldier. Part of him was crushed... the other part knew that he and Jilsea would leave here, and he would be the one to make sure they did.

Continue...

Enol and Latice were adopted from Ryslen Weyr