Chapter 8 (Holly's Tale Part I)

okay so here we are. The split tales. Holly is first becasue i got hers done first. So it may take longer to post the first three because I have to finihs writing one story before i can move on to the rest. Liek I had to complte both parts I and II of Holly's before I could really move on to Klaus. So it may take a while. But after that we'll be looking at much faster posts (since they'll already be written)

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Chapter 8

The carriage rattled through the countryside, bouncing wildly as it careened though ditches and over rocks. Outside her window Holly could see the green blur of trees moving past speedily. She was glad the Judge hadn’t ordered her to stay in the city. To be so far away from trees would have been unbearable. She wondered what the Collins family would be like, and how long it would take to make her escape.

As the small carriage rattled on, it came around a corner and Holly’s eyes went wide with amazement. There was the largest “house” she had ever seen. It stood big and square in the middle of a lane that led up to it, surrounded by high walls and sturdy gates. It had to have had at least four or five chimney stalks striking up from the roof, which was black slate and doted with white marble statues of gods and goddesses. The building was surrounded on all sides by greens and gardens. Servants could be seen running to and fro across the lawn and inside the many windows facing the road.

As the carriage pulled up, many menservants stepped forward and lined up on either side of the path. Holly stepped out, suddenly very aware of the outdated robe she had. At the end of the two columns she could see two people come out of the door, which was opened for them by another servant.

Mr. Collins was a short, slightly fat man, with balding grey hair and thin arms and legs. He was dressed in black attire with a long brimmed hat on his head, and leaning on a cane. A nearby servant brought him a thick woolen over coat after he made a small motion with his hand.

Mrs. Collins was very tall, very thin, and had a large hooked nose and deep sad eyes. She was dressed in a white dress with a yellow flower pattern and a yellow sash wrapping around her ribcage, over which she wore a lilac petticoat. Her blond hair had been curled at the front, while the back had been pile dup on her head in several buns upon buns. On her head she had a lilac shawl with small pearls and on top of that a lace bonnet.

“You must be the Collinses.” Said Holly stepping forward and holding out the letter from the judge addressed to them.

For a few seconds no one said anything, Mr. Collins looking highly amused as if he was suppressing a naughty giggle, while Mrs. Collins only glared at Holly, then the letter, with contempt. Finally, she rolled her eyes and motioned with her head. A servant stepped forward, took the letter from Holly’s hand, then passed it to Mrs. Collins. She scanned it quickly, then looked up over the top with another glare at Holly, before finally speaking.

“Well then. I can see why the judge would send you to me. First things first, to get you out of that hideous dress. You look like you just stepped out of some dragon guarded castle or some such rubbish! Oh and welcome to Rosebough.” Mrs. Collins said disapprovingly.

She turned, taking Mr. Collins’ arm, and entering the large house with much pomp and circumstance. At first Holly just stood there. Should she follow, or was she suppose to wait for them to be a certain amount of steps ahead of her before she should start. Finally she just decided to walk, trying not to get too close or too far behind the two.


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She was escorted to her room by several servants. Once there, one kindly servant asked Holly to stand in the center of the room arms outstretched. The next moment there was a whirlwind of white capped maids, cloth, and ribbon around Holly. She turned and saw herself in a full-length mirror.

“Wow.” Was all she could say when she saw herself.

She was now dressed in a similar manner as Mrs. Collins, though her dress was light green, with a light yellow ribbon around her ribcage. She had light green and yellow ribbons going through her hair, which was now also curled in the front and piled in a bun on her head. A head maid entered and smiled approvingly.

“There now. Don’t you look decent and civilized now.”

“Rikea, what do you want us to do with the old robe she was wearing?” Asked a younger maid to the older one.

“Burn it! The hideous thing must never be seen again in this house hold. The Mistress’ specific instructions.” Said the maid before they all bowed and exited.

Holly sat down on the comfortable bed as she looked around. Her new room was wallpapered with many green little flowers, and above her bed was a large ornate green canopy that draped down from the roof n elaborate folds and curves. Other than that there was a wash basin and a small desk with paper and pens. That was it.

A knock on her door.

“Come in.” She called.

“Well now, let’s just have a look at you.” Said Mrs. Collins as she viewed Holly with the same squinting eyes. “Hmph. Just because one had the outward appearance of a lady does not mean one has the actual airs of one. Walk here child.”

Holly walked over awkwardly. Mrs. Collins seemed to stair at her in disgust before she said, “No, no, no! That simply will not do! If you’re going to walk like a man put on some pants! Ladies do not strut! We glide! Now, glide!”

Holly tried again. She smiled but below her smile she was seething. She could walk any way she wanted to! And if she wanted to strut like a man then she would very gladly put on some pants before she was forced to wear any more ridiculous clothing. But she followed Mrs. Collins’ example and bent her knees and slid her feet so that she did appear for all the world to be gliding along the floor.

“Good, good. No! Don’t look at your feet so! Shoulders back, chin up, eyes ahead of you but not settling on any one place for too long!”

Holly tried to do all that at once, but as soon as she got her head up and her shoulders back, she would start strutting again, and once she started gliding, her shoulders would slouch again. Mrs. Collins held her head as she shook it reproachfully.

“Well, that’s enough. I can see you are obviously tired from your journey. Supper will be served at eight o’clock sharp. Please do not be late! A lady must always be punctual.” She said specifically.

And with that she glided perfectly out of the room, head held high, shoulders back, chin up, as if to show Holly how it was suppose to be done. Holly grabbed a pillow off the bed and buried her face in it as she had a good scream. How could any person go to so much trouble just to walk!

After getting her frustration out, and another volley of servant changing, she sat on her bed, this time in a simple white gown, with a white shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She was thinking, wondering what Klaus and Ivan were doing at that moment. Walking over to the window, she looked out over the darkened countryside. Everything was so quite. The walls were very high and very thick, no way for her to climb over. The gate seemed to be closed and locked all day. There had to be a way out, she thought to herself.

“If you please marm.” Came the voice from behind, “Supper’s about to be served.”

Holly thanked the servant than walked down the elaborate staircase and into the dining room. Everything was quite and no one was there yet. She sat and waited. The large grandfather clock in the parlor could be heard ticking throughout the house. Then she spotted him. Peaking out from behind one of the doorways, a mop of unkept curly dirty blond hair on his head.

“Hi there.” Holly said smiling and beckoning to him.

The little boy of about 6 stepped out from behind the doorway shyly, coming slightly closer, but seeming ready to dart away like a rabbit in a field. Holly didn’t know the Collinses had a child. Maybe he would be able to show her a way out. Children usually knew more than they should about secret passage ways and escape routes.

“What’s your name?” She asked as she stood up to approach him.

“His name is Tirskin.” Said a second boy, coming from behind her. “But everyone calls him Tirs.”

“Hello. My name’s Holly.” She said trying hard not to act startled.

“Yes, the girl from Stoken.” Said the other boy, who was older than his borther, wth much fairer hair and deep sad eyes. “My name is Bronkin. You may call me Bron if you like.”

They shook hands just as Mr. and Mrs. Collins walked in. Bronkin and Tirskin both abruptly ran and stood behind their allotted places as if on queue, both standing rigid and at attention. Mr. and Mrs. Collins walked in slowly, Mr. Collins taking his seat at one end, and Mrs. Collins taking hers at the other. Holly stood behind her chair as well, then looked at Bronkin, who seemed to be watching her with fascination.

“Miss Holly, if you would be kindly seated some time this year, we cannot all wait upon you forever.” Came Mrs. Collins’ reprimand.

Holly mumbled some apologies and tried to sit down, but as she did, she found herself sliding off the chair because of the dress. Tirs suppressed a giggle, but Bron only stared at her with his large lamenting eyes, shaking his head. After a few attempts, Holly finally figured out a way to sit on the chair, though it involved propping herself up against the table leg. Her face was turning red with embarrassment, but luckily no one could see her awkward position thanks to the table cloth.

After she was seated, the two boys finally sat down as well. Mrs. Collins rang a small bell and a servant woman came to the table. She gave the servant some whispered instructions, then sent her off. Then the family sat down to eat. The air was silent as the soup was served. Holly waited to watch Mrs. Collins before she started eating. Making doubly sure she had the right spoon she finally attempted a bite.

As soon as she picked up her spoon, Mrs. Collins cleared her throat and shook her head. Holly looked at her puzzled for a few seconds, not understanding what she was doing wrong this time. It wasn’t even a full day yet and already this place was beginning to wear her nerves down. But she had endured much harder things than this before. And she was going to persevere. She gritted her teethed, and forced a smile as she politely inquired.

“Mrs. Collins. Is something bothering you?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, yes. Do you intend to massacre your soup? You are holding the spoon as if it were a sword. Forefinger and thumb, gently supported by the middle finger. That’s how it’s done.”

Holly tried, but clumsily sent her spoon flying across the table and onto the floor instead. Now what? She thought to herself. If she got up, she would not be able to get back in the chair, but she wouldn’t dare use a different spoon. Mrs. Collins would bite her head off.

“R-rikea.” Said little Tirs. “Could y-you please get Miss Holly a n-new spoon?”

Holly smiled thankfully at the young boy, who shyly looked down at his food. His mother however seemed very irritated that she had been deprived of an opportunity to disgrace Holly. And so the night went on. They had made it half way into the main course, and Holly congratulated herself on a job well done, when a commotion was heard from the parlor.

A servant ran in, gave a hurried bow and announced.

“Master Orgile and Master Rabcox, ma’am.”

Two young gentlemen entered the dining room, one in a light tan riding coat the other in a charcoal one. They both handed their black top hats and canes to the manservant, then each sat down at a predetermined position. Then they noticed Holly.

“Well, what have we here? A guest and no body informed us! This is an outrage!” The younger, around 16, with black curly hair and dark tanned skin said.

“Rabb, calm yourself, there’s no need to make a spectacle in front of the guest.” He said, yet someone his tone and way of saying guest carried more contempt with it than all of Mrs. Collins’ frowns and corrections put together.

“Rabb, Orgile, good to see you two could join us for dinner boys.” Mr. Collins said as he drank a sip from his tea cup. “This is Miss Holly of Stoken. She is the newest addition to our family, as per the judge’s orders.”

“What!” The one called Rabb cried out. “Father you can’t be serious!”

“Your father is absolutely serious Master Rabcox. And as long as you are in my house I would mind you to keep a civil tongue about you.”

The silence returned. Holly felt herself sink deeper in her chair. This family had so many issue going on she didn’t even want to know. All she knew she was glad to attention was off of her for the moment. The younger man stood up and gave a stiff, indignant bow, then stormed out of the room. Mrs. Collins seemed to adjust her shawl then continued on the meal.

Afterwards, Holly followed the family, trying her hardest to glide, to the parlor. There, Mrs. Collins sat silent as the grave doing needlepoint, while Mr. Collins read a book, and the two young boys played at cards. The other young man, with equally black and curly hair, though maybe a bit neater, walked over and offered Holly his arm. She smiled, stood up, and clumsily wrapped her arm around his as they took a turn around the large parlor.

“I must apologize for my younger brother’s outburst tonight. It was completely uncalled for.”

“Oh its fine. I think it was better for him to just be truthful than pretend he liked the idea. In all honesty, I can’t say I’m too fond of being here either.”

“My, you give your opinion quite easily for one so young, and a woman as well.”

Holly felt the heat rising in her face again, but she smiled as she asked, “And what would being a woman have anything to do with my opinions?”

“Well, I meant no offense, but usually woman don’t bother with opinions. They follow the words of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. That’s the way things are and have always been.”

“Ah, here maybe but not everywhere. Where I come from, women are viewed as the source of all life, and therefore, the source of all wisdom. Every great man, was carried by a woman for none months and taught to walk, talk, and crawl by a woman.” Holly didn’t notice but her voice was getting louder and more passionate by the second. “Every great man owed his life, his very basic survival to a woman. If there were no strong woman to carry baby boys, there would be no baby boys! Where I come from, a woman has first say in a matter! Where I come from woman don’t need a man’s arm to walk in a circle around the room!”

“And where exactly is that?” he asked quickly interrupting and with a proud and disdainful look.

Holly was silent. She could not answer. She knew that if she let her anger get the better of her she would make a stupid mistake. No, she had trained too many years, endured too many ordeals and trails to give it all up now because someone was too narrow minded or short viewed to see past his own nose.

“As I thought. Well then, here we are. Thank you for your time.”

And with that he stepped out. Holly sat down, her cheeks visibly flushed. She tried to remember the breathing exercises she had been taught for remaining calm. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she was excused and went upstairs to her bed. There she was again assaulted by maids and redressed, had ice cold water thrown over her hair, and her skin rubbed with rough soapstone, to freshen it.


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That night she slept like she had marched fifty miles, and she would know, she had marched fifty miles before, but at least than, she felt like she had accomplished something. Right now she just felt like she had wasted a whole lot of time. She peered out her window as the candle was put out by a servant. The stars shone brightly outside. Her eyes began to droop closed as peace finally settled over the busy household. Somewhere off in the distance an owl’s call resounded under the cool moonlight.

That night Holly dreamed of the smell of the sap of the tall pine trees. The dark, warm forest teaming with life everywhere surrounded her, and there in the shade of the forest, she danced beneath the tall trees. She heard the song of the forest as the trees themselves sang along to the tunes of the musicians in their strange animal masks. Then she was woken by the great grandfather clock in the parlor striking eight.


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The next day was very dull. She was dressed probably four of five times throughout the course of the day. In the morning she had a pianoforte lesson, followed by a needlework lesson. Then there was breakfast, not as eventful as the night before. After that she and Mrs. Collins walked through the gardens as Mrs. Collins explained the fine art of flower arrangement to her uninterested pupil. Then there was luncheon, followed by a singing lesson, which Holly unfortunately failed at miserably. She had never in her life been able to carry a tune.

After the lesson Mrs. Collins had to run errands in town, so Holly had a short respite in the afternoon, away from the ever watching eyes of Mrs. Collins. She spent the afternoon under the large trees that grew in the well manicured gardens behind the large house. She was joined by Tirskin, though he seemed to take a while to warm up to her before he was willing to play ball with her.

Bron sat to the side, reading a book, his large black, sad eyes scanning page after page as he absorbed information. Holly was struck how different he was from Ivan. Sure they both read a lot, but Ivan found joy and excitement from every single sentence, while Bron seemed almost to be saddened that the book did not meet his expectations.

It wasn’t an all together bad afternoon, but Holly was frustrated that she was making so little success in finding a way out. She had scanned all the walls for possible places she could scale them or gaps she could slip through but there appeared to be none. She tried to pry a way out of Tirs but he barely talked to her as it was so she decided not to press the matter right then.


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Mrs. Collins came home, making a wild uproar as she brought out cloth and ribbon and all manner of buttons and bows, calling to the maids to take care with her precious supplies. Soon Holly would be out of Mrs. Collins old dresses and in some of her own. Later the older boys also returned form shooting, Orgile barely recognizing Holly’s presence, while Rabcox smiled what he probably considered a dashing smile and gave her a wink as he passed. All Holly could do was smile, and turn away to stop her self from putting him in his place.

Dinner time came around and luckily by this time Holly had been instructed on how to fold her ankles beneath her chair in order to counteract her slippery dress. Dinner was quiet, everyone seeming to be watching her. Each mistake she made was strongly censured by Mrs. Collins, and she could see the proud grin on Orgile’s face as he watched her use her fish knife for the umpteenth time instead of her chicken knife.

After dinner, she excused herself from the main parlor’s entertainment that evening and went directly to her bedchamber. She was scrubbed down by the maids again and dressed in a white gown after which she went to bed. She did not dream that evening, instead she lay awake almost all night long trying to figure out a way out of her terrible situation.


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The next morning things went the same again as it did before, with her numerous lesson. She just wasn’t getting it. Later as she was passing through the garden she heard Orgile remaking to Rabb that she wasn’t really that pretty of a girl, very plain and ordinary. Holly had never cared that much about her appearance before, but suddenly hearing him put it that way, it hurt for some reason. She was angry. Angry for Orgile to have said it. Angry that it had hurt her so much. But what really made her angry was the fact that she suddenly seemed to care.

During luncheon, which Mrs. Collins thankfully could not attend, she noticed Orgile whisper as Mrs. Collins had, to the servant. Holly had seen them doing this before each meal and she was getting very curious. She ate quickly and without any manners, to everyone presents horror and amusement, then quickly went to catch the servant girl to ask her what all the whispering was about. The girl was carrying a silver tray with various food and some medicine on it.

“Mrs. Collins instructs me to take food to the young Master Tinneas, when he’s fit to eat. He’s been bed ridden since he was a wee child. So now he takes his meals upstairs. As well as his medicine.”

Holly went with her to take the food, curious at the family member she had not been introduced yet. She didn’t know why. It seemed like there was already enough Collinses there to make her life miserable. Still, she felt drawn to the mysterious Tinneas. As she entered the room she was shocked at what she found. There lying on the bed, pale and sickly was Bronkin. At least it looked like Bronkin. But instead of the bottomless pools of mourning, he had the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen.

“Hello there.” Came the soft spoken words.

“Hi.” Holly couldn’t think of anything to say.

He chuckled then said, “You must be our new sister the servants keep telling me about. I must say you’ve caused quite the stir around here.”

Holly decided then and there that she liked the boy with the curly bond hair. His body seemed frail but he had a strong smile, and a glowing spirit. They talked for a while, and it seemed like the first real conversation Holly had with anyone in forever, even though it had only been a few days. He also didn’t seem to mind the fact that she was a girl.

Later she left, and went to her classes but her mind kept dwelling on her new friend and this did not help her at all with her singing. At around dinner time, she asked Mrs. Collins if it would be at all possible for her to take her dinner with Tinneas. Mrs. Collins seemed surprised by the request but granted it, on the condition that her manners not fall behind because of this.

And so Holly found a friend in the most unlikely of places. She told him her story of how she and her two friends had dared to go against a witch and rescue Bella. Then she told of them meeting Liam and being split up. He seemed fascinated by the tale of the land of Alexandria. When Holly was done, he told her his story. At least part of it.

His father, Mr. William Collins had been married to another woman, with whom he had two sons, Orgile and Rabcox. Then when the boys were still young, their mother died of the smallpox, and Mr. Collins remarried. Neither had a great love for their new stepmother, Mrs. Collins, and Holly could see it in their actions so far. Mrs. Collins had had a son, who was stillborn, then she had the twins, Bronkin and Tinneas. Bronkin was said to have the melancholy from birth, while Tinneas had been born a cripple, one leg shorter than the other. Then came Tirskin, the one protected so fiercely by his mother.

“So you see. While my mother may seem very judgmental, really deep down, she blames herself for me and Bronkin’s problems. And she’s deathly afraid of something happening to Tirs. That’s why she obsesses over every little thing being perfect. And that’s why she wants you to be so perfect. She doesn’t want you to have to go through the same things some day.”

“But to live like that, bound by fear, it only makes a person miserable.” Holly said thoughtfully as the two of them ate of the chicken, potatoes, and grapes.

“It’s true. But, at least now you know, she does what she does out of a good heart.” Tinneas continues as he popped a grape in his mouth. “But I can tell that won’t be enough for you. Your planning to escape aren’t you?”

Holly looked guiltily at her plate. It was true, she knew, she had been up here, not just to make friends but to see if she could get any information from him. He laughed good naturedly then said,

“Don’t worry Holly. I understand. Here, if you’ll help me up.” She helped him get up and limp over to the window. He pointed to the far back corner of the wall, where two walls met. “See right there in the corner. I know from good account of the steward’s son that there should be a section of wall that is actually damaged and has a hole in it. It has ivy covering it so it looks whole, but if you go through there you’ll come to the woods, and from there you should be able to follow the path to the road that leads to town.”

“Thank you. I don’t deserve such kindness. I haven’t done anything for you to be so nice to me.” Holly said helping him back to bed.

“Are you kidding! You’re the first person to sit through a meal with me without making it awkward because of my leg, and the first person to help me up. It’s been ages since I looked out that window and saw the green grass and the woods, so thank you.”

The two hugged before Holly left the room. Unknown to them, an identical head of curly blond had over heard the entire conversation. He made his way down to the steward’s shed. It was late but they were still up. He knocked and the steward and his son both bowed as he entered.

“I understand that there is a hole in our wall.”


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The next day was like all the others before it, except Holly had two new reasons to be joyful. First she had hope, something she hadn’t had since they had been on the Caeling Express. And now she had a new friend, even though she would be leaving that evening.

Holly and Tinn, as he preferred to be called, had breakfast and luncheon and tea together. They laughed and talked and Holly honestly had not had so much plain fun in a long time. It reminded her of being back at St. Ian’s in the Mountains. But even that had been tainted by her mission. This was simply loving life.

When evening came, she again requested to have dinner with Tinn. Mr. Collins stopped her on her way up, in the hallway and had a private word with her.

“Miss Holly, I know we have not been very forthcoming with welcoming you to Rosebough, but I have to thank you. My son, he has always had a frail and sickly constitution. He usually doesn’t eat more than a few bites, and yet now that you have come his appetite and dare I say it his entire countenance seems greatly improved. I see life in him like I have never seen before. Thank you, very sincerely, I thank you.”

Holly bowed and headed upstairs, guilt beginning to gnaw at her as he came to his door. Had her friendship really brought that much life to Tinn? And was she really ready to throw it all away tonight and leave him? She reminded herself she did have a mission to fulfill. She couldn’t not always be here in this happy place with Tinneas as much as she wanted to. If she did not fulfill her objective, Tinneas and everyone else would suffer far greater. No, she resolved, she had to go, tonight.

She and Tinn spoke of everything except the inevitable. They both knew, but none dared to say anything. She did see that he barely touched his food, and his face looked very pale, his forehead beaded with sweat. He told her it was nothing, but she could see through his guise. When she left him, she had to will herself not to cry, leaving him like that, with him just smiling as she left, completely supporting her decision to go, even though he knew he would probably never see her again.

Holly walked in the darkness across the lawn. She was dressed in a stable hand’s old clothes she had found. When she finally came to the spot, she let her fingers trail across the darkened surface. At first she felt only solid, ancient stone, but then her hands caught on the curly hair-like veins of the ivy. She reached deeper looking for the emptiness that should have been there. But it wasn’t. She felt as the stone changed from centuries old masonry to newly laid brick. She slammed her hand against the wall in disgust, her face again getting warm as she felt the rage deep inside her for being betrayed.

When she came back inside, she was changing into her evening gown when she heard a clamor upstairs. She rushed out when she heard that it was Tinn. Coming to his room she found Mr. Collins and several servants kneeling around the bed. They all had grave looks on their faces. Mrs. Collins had fainted with hysterics a few minuets before and was being carried back to her room.

“What happened?” Holly asked.

“The disease attacked him again. More fiercely than I have ever seen it before.”

“But I thought, he said, he was only crippled from birth.” Holly said confused her mind spinning.

“No, he was crippled by a terrible disease that lives within his body. He was born with it. He had always been able to fight it, but tonight for some reason he seems to have simply given up.”

Holly ran forward, sitting on the bed, holding the young boy’s head in her lap, she softly stroked his hair as they tried administering medicine, but nothing helped. Soon, the servants were dismissed and even Mr. Collins left, saying there was nothing left to be done but hope. When all had gone, Holly waited a while to make sure everyone was asleep.

Then she slowly reached down, stroking his soft pale cheek with her own pale hand, and leaned forward. Placing her forehead on his, she closed her eyes, and instantly she began to shutter. She spoke in a foreign tongue under her breath. He seemed to shake slightly, and a tear rolled down the corner of his still eye. Holly stayed that way and spoke softly,

“Whatever illness has befallen this child,
Pass to me, the weariness, pain, and grief,
Let only hope and peace remain,
Sooth his spirit, his soul with sweet relief.”

Tinneas opened his eyes. He lay on a carpet of moss in a forest surrounded by giant trees. Birdsong filled the air, and from the woods a maiden with long pointed ears and auburn red hair walked up to him, her light green robes flowing in the slight breeze. She stroked his cheek and told him not to despair. Then she sang a beautiful song in a tongue that he didn’t know. The dream faded, the woods became bedposts and the maiden slowly faded into Holly’s image.

“Hello there.” He whispered and smiled through crackled lips.

“Welcome back.” Holly smiled and allowed a tear of gladness to slip past her eye. “I couldn’t just leave you here now could I?”

“But you did try.” He said smiling ruefully, “Lucky for me you changed your mind.”

“Yes, you are very lucky.” She decided not to mention the wall until later.


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Holly had stayed for six days now, becoming great friends with both Tinn and Tirs. After a little questioning she had found out about Bron’s betrayal. Holly decided that it would be unwise to confront him about it. What was done was done and now they were focusing on a new way for her to escape though they all three knew it would likely not come for some time.

In the meantime, Holly’s lessons continued, however her progress was very slow, because most of the lessons assumed she already knew many, many basic and simply rules already, and so was trying to build off those. True she had somewhat figured out how to glide, and how to eat, to a certain extent, but as Mrs. Collins had put it, she would never be able to pass for an actual well bred and well mannered young woman.

This, and the frustration of her foiled plan to escape had been festering inside of her for several days now, and she had reached a point were her fuse was very short. Her luncheon with Tinn was canceled because he was being visited by a doctor from town. So Holly took her lunch outside. She was wearing another one of the lilac dresses Mrs. Collins had let her borrow until some could be finish for her frame. So the baggy dress hung from her slender frame as Rabb came around the corner.

“Well, and how is my sister doing today?” He said, “Having tea like a regular lady. How very proper.”

Something deep down in Holly snapped. She had been taking this male superiority pill for long enough and now she was fed up with it. She threw her cup down, smashing it to pieces on the paved patio.

“Rabcox, I’ve had enough of your stupidity! If you really think your man enough then how about a duel!”

“Please, I wouldn’t want you to break a nail.”

“If I were you I’d be more worried about broken bones.”

“Alright you’ve had enough fun, dear sister. If you keep talking like that I will be forced to defend my honor.”

“Try me!” She said her tone dangerously serious.

Both went and grabbed the long poles that were used for fencing practice. Tirs could barely look, afraid for both parties, while Bron looked on half amused and half bored by the whole show. At the beginning of the fight, Rabb stepped forward to shake her hand, but in the next instant, he felt the hard wooden pole smacking the backs of his legs, sending him careening forward into the grass.

“I’ll go easy on you, considering you’re only a poor little boy.”

Rabb was red with embarrassment and rage. He ran at her, she brought the pole down on the back of his legs again but he swung around to counter it this time, thinking himself smart. He didn’t see the other end of the stick come up until it was too late and he fell backward, holding his nose as a small trickle of blood escaped from it.

Yelling to the wind he ran forward, Holly sidestepped bringing the heavy wood down on his head. He fell holding his head. But he wasn’t done. He threw dirt at Holly’s eyes, who quickly blocked it with her arm. As she did, he swung hard upwards, sending her stick flying. He walked up, grinning to himself because of his cleverness. Holly stood completely straight, bringing her hands out to her sides, as if surrendering, then quickly swung them in two circle so that they met above her head, and came down together hard on the wood.

Rabb stared in shock. Tirs couldn’t believe his eyes, and even Bron seemed interested enough to raise an eyebrow. Rob dropped his large pole, which had been broken down the shaft lengthwise in two by Holly’s bare hands. He fell to his knees, and bowed his head in surrender.

“I-I am sorry.” Was all he could say.

“That’s alright. In all fairness I have had years more experience and training than you, so it wasn’t a fair fight. However maybe now you see that not all girls are as helpless as you may first make them out to be.”

“Yes. Indeed I now see the error of my ways.” He said still feeling sorry for himself.

“Alright, get up. If you want, I can teach you some of my techniques.”

“I would like that very much. And we, we can all teach you the rules of etiquette. There are some pretty basic things, that once you learn them, it’ll make everything much easier.”

“Sounds like a fair trade to me.” Holly said smiling.

The two shook hands and were joined by Tirs. Later they went upstairs to tell Tinn about the plan. They were overjoyed to find out that the doctors said that he was well enough to leave his bed on crutches.

Bron looked at the splintered wood, then at the group that had disappeared into the house. A thought entered his mind, but he pushed it aside and went back to reading his book. There was no way they would ever want anything to do with him.