The bird and the jewel maker (Dragonsong)

[Mephistel]

-Fine then...I wish you good night...-

He stood up and headed out, closing the light behind him as he headed toward his own room, which was actually not so far from Risa's. He entered his room and closed the door behind him, ready to fall for the night into his bed.

He didn't even change. He was exhausted but he was doing well hiding it.

[DragonSong]

"Good night, sir. Er, milord."

She made her way back to her own room- her room, it was so strange that she lived here now! She only made one wrong turn this time, and changed quickly into her nightdress when she did find her room.

With a sigh, she collapsed onto the bed and curled up, smiling as she drifted off.

[Mephistel]

The night at the castle was pretty quiet. There wasn't as much noises as in town. The bed was quite comfortable, the sheet soft and warm.

Morning came by eventually, the sun rising and showing his ray trough the windows.

[DragonSong]

Risa rose earlier due to a combination of anxiety and excitement. She changed into a simply working skirt and blouse, tying her hair back in a long braid.

At five o'clock sharp, she was standing just outside the door to the lab, hand raised to knock. She was suddenly unsure. Should she knock? She she just go in? Should she try to find Crow first?

Oh gods, I'm a mess!

[Mephistel]

Risa stood in front of the door, wondering if she should knock or get in. She would stand there long if she didn't chose. Eventually a maid passed by.

-Are you waiting for the young master young lady?-

She asked, stopping by.

[DragonSong]

Risa jumped a bit and flushed. "Um, yes, actually," she admitted, ducking her head.

[Mephistel]

-The young master is taking a bath at the moment...-

She said. At that moment, a butler passed.

-Oh, Ergerite...can you tell master Crow that Collin is out...it's monday so she'll be going to go to her doctor for treatment. Good day...-

The man moved on.

[DragonSong]

Risa bit her lip. The nervous habit seemed to be growing more and more common. "Then, um...what- where should I go?" she asked quietly. 

[Mephistel]

The maid raised an eyebrow.

-I'm effraid I don't know...why don't you wait for him in the lab then? He always come here...-

She said, and then moved on as she had other task to accomplish. It was monday...wasn't that the day she was suppose to have off?

[DragonSong]

It took Risa an hour of pacing the lab to remember that she didn't have to work that day. Once again thoroughly embarrassed, she ducked back through the hallways of the manor and made her way to the front gate.

[Mephistel]

At the front gate, the guards wisher her a good day and she was left on her own for her day off. Tough, tomorrow would be her first offical working day.

During that time, Crow was enjoying a bath and thinking up ways to release Risa's powers.

[DragonSong]

A day off from Crow didn't mean that Risa necessarily wouldn't be working. Her father set her up in the shop again, mostly showing Kenai the ropes so her little brother could help out when she'd be working at the manor.

[Mephistel]

For the whole day, Crow had been preparing some exercises for Risa and bought some book about earth magic so she could read them. The books barely explained the basics and were nowhere near what Crow could manage to make her do, but it was a start since she was pretty much just a beginner.

With that in mind, the day ended and he went back to sleep, eager to see his new assistant flourish.

[DragonSong]

Knowing she would have to work the next day, Risa bid her family goodbye and made her way back to the manor. Feeling more and more comfortable each time she did, she waved to the guards as she passed through the gate and made her way back to her room.

She didn't even make a wrong turn this time.

[Mephistel]

It was almost five in the morning and she could heard the door from the room next door open and close. Crow was making his way toward the lab, his hair even messier then usual and his clothes falling off his skinny shoulders.

He looked as if he hadn't much sleep. Perhaps it was the case, but he was still eager to work. He had new ideas that came to him during the nigth.

[DragonSong]

At five on the dot, Risa knocked at the door to the lab. "Excuse me? Milord?"

[Mephistel]

-Come in! Come in!-

Crow called from the other side of the door. As she would open the door, Crow was sitting in one of the couch, by the fireplace, reading up a book. His hair were a mess and his clothes were still falling off his shoulders, it was to wonder if he ever looked at himself in a glass.

-Your on time...good...take a look at that pile of books here..I want you to study them...that's the base of earth magic, which I believe is what you do...but I can't be sure just yet..you might as well be an elementalist for we know!-

He hadn't lift his eyes from his book, but his hand was pointing out the small pile of 3 old book next to him.

[DragonSong]

"Study them?" Risa looked from the books to her new employer. She had the sudden urge to fix his hair, like she might have with Kenai, but she resisted. "Yes, sir."

She bobbed into a quick curtsy and nodded, then settled herself into a free chair with the books stacked the on the arm. She curled her legs up and opened the first, bowing over the text as she read.

[Mephistel]

The books offered her the basics on earth magic, explaining how to actually call forth the essence of magic within one self and how to apply it to daily use in order to make it grow. The first one was talking about the history of earth magic and how it was used in different sphere to help the daily life.

The second one was talking about fighting with earth magic, it showed how to position one's body into various positions. It was a more agressive way of using this type of magic, but it required both training of the mind and body.

The third one was about how nature and earth were linked together. Talking about how a novice could accomplish very simple things without really knowing exactly what they did.

During that time, Crow was also browsing trough some books, taking notes and moving on to another.

[DragonSong]

Risa had never been a particularly quick reader, but she muddled through the books with a dogged determination she'd never quite shown before, a considering frown locked on her face.

Could she really do all this stuff? It seemed so unlikely.