Chapter 2: Arrival
"Sorrel. Sorrel! Wake up, we've arrived." I opened my eyes and looked around. It had been almost completely black earlier but I could now see a few rays of sunshine peeking through the curtains.
"Let me look at you." I don't know how, but in that dark carriage, Silk somehow managed to get me looking presentable again. My hair had gotten a bit messy, my curls springing out haphazardly, and my make up was a little smudged, but Silk sorted it all out with an almost scary efficiency and straightened my dress. I once more looked like a delicate thing. It was especially impressive considering my height. I was average for my people, but visiting merchants always commented on how tall we were.
As our carriage rolled down the streets I could not contain my curiousity; I had never left our village. I lifted the edge of a curtain and saw cobbled streets and large brick buildings. I had never seen such things before outside of books, and I gazed up, intimidated by the height of the buildings. It felt as if they were closing in on us, squeezing our small carriage between the unrelenting brick walls.
As I peered through the window, Silk pulled her long flowing hair back into a long braid before winding it up into a bun. She did it all in smooth, practiced movements, not even needing a mirror to check. As a warrior, to have hair so long was a sign of great success and victory on the battle field. Long hair could so easily be cut off or used to control you. It was a symbol of her great skill and prowess. I had no doubt the Prime would have long hair if she cared for it, but she did not, and maintained a shaved head. I myself had hair that fell a few inches past my shoulders. Fairly average for the girls in the Village.
As we went on, the buildings got smaller and more spread out, until we were driving past large houses with trees and grass in front. Eventually we rolled through large black gates onto a long driveway surrounded by a tame, frankly boring garden. It could not compete with the wild fields by the Village. Freesia and I would often go and spend hours there, lying among the tall grasses and wild flowers, neglecting our duties to stare at the clouds and discuss our dreams. Before I left Free had dragged me out to the fields for one last time, ditching last minute preparations. I am certain Silk knew, but she said nothing.
"Sorrel, do you think you'll ever come back?"
"Oh Free, I am sure of it. A queen can visit her subjects whenever she likes." I smiled and continued, "Soon you will be kissing my hand whenever we meet." She laughed and pushed me into the grass.
"Ha. I will kiss your hand before I send you tumbling to the ground."
"Are you sure it won't be the other way around?" I smirked as I kicked her legs out from under her and she crashed down into me. We dissolved into giggles, tumbling around the grass as we continued our play fighting. I was going to miss this. I had lived with Free since I was 16, and we had been friends since we first attended school at 5. Who would I talk to in Central? Who would I laugh with?
Freesia pushed herself up onto her elbows on her front, saying "Well, even if you never come back, I will visit and see how soft you will have become sitting around drinking tea all day and swanning around in dresses like a child."
"Ugh." I replied, flopping back into the grass on my back, "Don't remind me. How do they move in such cumbersome clothing? Even once I become a woman, I will still have to wear such things."
"Well once you become queen you can simply change it. But Sorrel?" I turned my head to look at Freesia, who was holding my gaze with a rarely seen intensity.
"Sorrel, do not let those dresses fool you. Do not underestimate your opponent. Ever."
Those words echoed in my head as we pulled up to a huge, sprawling house, with three floors and a large fountain in front, water pouring from the mouths of a series of stone fish.
"It's huge!" I exclaimed.
"Most buildings here are." Silk replied with a scoff. "Central is filled with the wealthy and for some reason, they all seem to think that bigger is better." The carriage door opened and the Prime appeared, wearing her usual black tunic and leggings.
"Now then, let us get settled. You two will go in and register. The men will take our bags up to the rooms we've been allocated. After that, you will change and go for a run. Then you will come back, eat, meditate, and then we will head to the tournament with the other competitors. Sorrel, if you see any of them, do not engage. Do not even make eye contact. Do not react to any taunts or provocations. You must not show even a hint of your abilities. You are to be overlooked."
"Yes Prime." I alighted the carriage after Silk and followed them into the foyer of the house. Sat at a desk off to the right was a woman. I say woman but she looked very strange. She had hairs on her forehead I believe people in Central called them a fringe, and trinkets on her wrists and neck. What really stood out though was her dress. The skirt was long and tight and there were sheer sock things on her legs. How could she stand being so restricted? No woman I knew would ever wear such things. How would you ever get anything done?
Silk approached the desk and addressed the woman. "We are from The Village Crocasant. This is our champion Sorrel." The contempt was clear in Silk's eyes. To strangers she might've appeared emotionless, but I had spent days solely in her company and I could knew she felt disdain for this woman. I got the feeling Silk felt that way towards all women in Central.
Nervous under Silk's unrelenting gaze, the woman answered, "Eh em. Well, here are the keys to your suite, and your welcome packet. Your rooms are up the stairs to the right." Whilst she said this it was quite plain that she felt the exact opposite of welcoming. Rather than viewing us as a mystery, she seemed to view us as a nuisance.
As we climbed the stairs to our rooms I marvelled at the thick blue carpet under our feet. We did not have carpet in the Village. We would often lay rugs in the colder months, but carpets were impractical and seen as an unneccessary indulgence. One could not gut their latest kill on a carpet. Or clean their weapons. We came to a set of double doors with the same number as were on the keys we had been given. 108. Silk unlocked the doors and they swung open. As we entered I was struck by the opulence of the room. The carpet here changed to darker blue, and there were sofas and chairs all over the room. There was a large window that faced the front of the house. It had cream curtains tied off at the side. There was a mirror above the fireplace on the far left wall. To the right was another pair of double doors. Entering after Silk, who sat in one of the chairs and started directing the men with our bags, I opened the doors to the right and was greeted with two large beds made of a dark wood covered in blue and cream blankets and pillows. There was another door to the left which I assumed led to the privy, I knew they had indoor ones in Central. There was a large wardrobe to the right, and a folded cot in the corner.
Silk came up behind me. "You and I shall share, and the Prime has another room. She gestured to a door I had not seen beside the fireplace. My husband will use the cots in the outer room." The men were of course, their husbands. They were both unassuming, and quiet, considered to be model husbands back home. I was surprised that Silk would not sleep with her husband as the Prime did. I would have taken the cot if she had told me to. But I was quite glad that I would be able to sleep in such a luxurious bed.
"Now, did you not hear the Prime? Go run." Silk handed me my bag and I quickly changed into my practise gear.
I walked down the stairs and out through a door I saw at the back and after some stretching I ran round the back lawn. The weather was slightly cooler than back at home, but it wasn't noticeable after my first 2 circuits. I was glad to be outside, as the carriage had been too small and dark. I loved the open air. I had always dreamed of being a hunter, and I yearned for the big open meadows and the expansive forest that was our hunting ground. My lungs heaved as I sucked in the cold air, and my heart pounded with my feet as I made my way around the lawn. I felt comfortable finally, out of that dress and those shoes. We went to all that trouble just for a first impression made on the lady at the desk. I did not really understand it, but Silk and the Prime knew what they were doing.
After 10 circuits, I slowed to a jog and noticed some curious eyes from the building. Some were peeking behind curtains whilst others were unabashedly staring. I myself was curious as to who my competitors were. Whilst it would be nice to talk to them and discover all the different lands they came from, even before the Prime had told me not to engage, Silk had told me that fraternising was a definite no-no.
"That conversation you had with that girl from Crimson Valley about whether they have green apples or red apples, will make it that much harder for you to kill her in the ring. So don't talk to any of them." Was what she had said.
It made sense and I needed to stay focused. I would be killing some of those girls up there. And they would try to kill me.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone