After that, the two became near inseparable during their weekly visits, and would go somewhere alone to talk and Thera would suggest things to do to increase her stamina, like running, climbing, lifting heavy things, etc.

She took the training game of the messenger-mailman-librarian quite well.

It was so well-taken, in fact, that other noble children who visited Laura began to play the game as a new fad. This game later sparked the beginnings of the travelling libraries, but that wasn’t to happen for years yet.

And so, for months after that, Laura carried a pack nearly bursting with books around with her almost everywhere, along with Sarhan in her basket, which now had a kind of wicker grate so that she could see outside, but not leap out of the basket.

When Thera wasn’t with Laura, she was busy adding new things to her training regimen. She made little targets out of dried grass and hid them all over the area, then practiced her aim by throwing pebbles which she picked up here and there at Laura’s estate, for mother Helen had done a thorough job in getting rid of all the ones in the play area.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thera woke up that day to Martha shaking her awake. “Wake up Thera~. Do you know what day it is?”

Without moving, Thera replied. “It’s Wednesday, the fifth of Matler, year 1376 since the kingdom’s founding.”

“And?” Martha prompted.

“ ‘And’ what?” Thera replied. Her eyes were still closed, and she turned so that her back faced Martha. “No earthly reason to wake me up before six o’clock, that’s what. Give me ten more minutes and I’ll consider getting up.” She replied grouchily.

“A shame.” Martha said, in a teasing voice. “And we had so much planned for you today~”

Thera sighed and sat up, finally opening her eyes. “What on earth could you possibly have planned so much for? It’s not Laura’s play day today. Is this something mother came up with?”

Martha raised an eyebrow, something which Thera knew to mean she was laughing inside. “Well, I declare! And here I thought that all children keep track. But for you to go and forget your own birthday…” She trailed off.

Thera looked blankly for a few moments, then she looked up. “Wait. It’s my birthday? But mine is on--” She paused. Oh. Right. She wasn’t Briar anymore, so Briar’s birthday didn’t count. She was Thera, and Thera had a different birthday.“—the fifth of Matler.” She ended, sheepishly.

Martha smiled. “So you do remember~! And, since I’m the first person you saw today, I get to give you my present first~!” She drew a brown paper package, tied up with a bit of ribbon, out of her apron pocket and presented it.

Thera carefully undid the ribbon, and unwrapped the package, trying not to tear the paper. Inside was a small leather-bound book. Thera touched the clasp, which shone blue for a moment. With that, Thera was now acknowledged as the book’s owner. She opened it. It was filled with blank pages numbered according to the month.

“I heard that all the fashionable ladies have a book they carry around with them to keep track of all the places they have to go during the week.” Martha said. “I couldn’t get you jewelry or fancy clothes, but I’ll bet none of those ladies has a proper book that can weather the worst of storms. The book has a spell on it so that once the clasp is shut, no water can get into the pages.”

Thera closed the book, and refastened the clasp. Then she looked up at Martha and smiled. “Thank you Martha! This is the best!” And Thera meant it, but not for the reasons Martha thought. There were many uses for a waterproof book.

With that, she got up out of bed and found a new dress waiting for her. That was Jean’s present.

Rebecca’s present was a leather waist-belt that already held a small pouch on it. Nessa’s present was a hair clip, sparkly with colored glass gems.

The cook, Ruth’s present was a small package of home-made sugar candies made into flower shapes, which went straight into Thera’s new belt pouch.

Then breakfast arrived. It was made up of Thera’s favorite things: scones and pancakes with clotted cream, strawberries, and honey; pastries, fresh fruit, and cold milk.

Then Margie-who was home, on holiday- gave her present: a magic carrier satchel called a Bottomless Bag. It wasn’t really ‘bottomless’, but it had a magic spell that increased the storage capacity so that it could hold as much as a house inside of it, without the bag itself getting any bigger. Margie had gotten it from a senior, in return for her help with him on his research.

Regardless, Thera immediately began carrying it with her, placing Martha’s present inside, so that her hands could be freer. She also noticed that Margie’s magic tome was already placed inside-another gift from Margie.

Then, came mother Helen’s gift. Thera didn’t know how mother had found the time for it, but the bamboo dome out in the garden had grown a second story—graduating from a dome-shape to a gourd shape.

It now had two large rooms. And there were flowers growing out of wall in the top room. There was a tunnel made in the bamboo wall, with stairs, leading up to the second story. On the whole it was quite impressive.

Margie was a bit jealous. But this only made her want to study more, so that she could make a structure of her very own, by herself, someday.

Just after Thera had finished inspecting the second floor, a carriage pulled up to the manor, and out came Mrs. Murlough and Laura. They also came bearing gifts.

Mrs. Murlough gave Thera a perfectly-crafted hat of the latest fashion, which Thera thought looked ridiculous, but she graciously accepted it, and began wearing it. Well, there was really no reason not to wear it, and she didn’t want to insult Mrs. Murlough.

Laura’s gift was held behind her back, as she watched, beaming with one of those ‘guess what my gift is’ looks. But then she revealed it.

It was a small basket, modeled off the one that Sarhan used whenever she came over. And inside was a kitten.

It had a white underbelly, white stockings, and a white mouth-with a white stripe running up its nose bridge, beginning from the tiny pink nose. The rest of it was grey with black stripes. It was the most beautiful kitten that Thera had ever seen.

“Sarhan’s mother had another litter.” She explained.

Thera cradled the basket in her arms, just looking at it. It was her very first pet. Even in her previous life she hadn’t had a pet due to her mother’s allergies. And after that, when she went travelling, she never really stayed in one place very long, and just never got around to it.

Thera looked up at Laura, Mrs. Murlough, Margie, and Mother Helen. Her voice couldn’t get past the lump in her throat.

“Thank you.” She finally said, in a shaky voice, as she hugged the basket, close.

They laughed at Thera’s reaction. Just then, Nessa came outside to call everyone in for tea. On the table was a triple-decker cake, covered in pink sugar roses and cream cheese frosting.

There was tea, but there was also a large glass pitcher of handmade fruit punch, and a covered wooden pail, with cold air leaking from it which made Thera almost certain that it held ice cream. A small baby bottle with warm milk inside was at Thera’s place setting, so she could feed the kitten.

From the knowing looks the two mothers gave each other, and the extra place settings for Mrs. Murlough and Laura, Thera knew that they had probably been planning this for weeks.

She stared at the spread. Then the little kitten began mewing for milk, so she sat down at her place and began feeding the kitten.

-------------------------------------------

Thera decided to name her kitten, Yukikage, which meant “snow shadows” in Japanese.

Later that day, after Mrs. Murlough and Laura had gone home, a package arrived by messenger.

It was from Sir Maverick. Inside was a pair of boots made from dragon leather, and a rather long letter for Thera. Cutting out the mushy parts, it detailed the magic spells that had been placed on those boots: near-indestructible, self-repairing, growth along with the wearer, added speed, and a one-time protection spell that transported the wearer out of danger a safe distance of seven miles away.

At the end of the letter, he mentioned that the leather had come from a dragon that he had killed, and that, after he made his report to the king, he was finally returning home after five years of fighting the beast.

Thera didn’t say much, she just handed the letter over to Mother, watching her for a reaction. She was not disappointed, either. For, as soon as she had read it, Helen’s eyes began to tear up, and she hugged Thera to herself as she began to cry in relief.

Thera decided the best present that day had been that one letter, even though she would never openly admit it.

--------------------------------------------------------------