This winter’s chill air made her breathing heavy. She had never experienced such a frightening cold. As her aunt ushered her through the crowds, she could not help but to long for her mother and her home of Australia. She missed the warmth of the sun and the kindness her mother had. The cold outside had sensed her pain and forced its way into her small eight-year-old body. After her mother’s recent death and having to move to Russia to live with her aunt Rochel, she could not fight back the cold. Slowly she felt herself growing tired and lethargic. A voice called out as her aunt lifted her up into the carriage, “Miss Scholnoski! Bring her in the carriage quickly before…” The young, now orphaned girl could not hear or see anything after that.
She awoke to a warm fire and the smell of fresh biscuits and warm sbiten. The aroma filled her nostrils the closer she walked to the kitchen. She had holidayed at her aunts not six months ago and had become very fond of her housekeeper and cook. As Alina stepped around the corner of the living room she froze. Another young girl similar to herself in looks, stood staring at her. The girl’s short and straight black hair had a brilliant contrast to her evergreen eyes. Alina blinked and shyly smiled at the strange girl hoping she would make the first move. Seeing this other child was shy, she stepped forward and asked her name. With a whisper the girl gave her name, “Santé”. Rochel called to both girls from the sun room. The sound of her aunt’s voice brought back the sense of hunger that had woken her. With a knowing glance the girls looked at each other and raced through the hall towards the sun room for breakfast. Alina sprinted through the doorway first and managed to slide to a stop just before crashing into her Aunt’s glass table. Alina was drawn to the layers of food presented on the table. There was enough to feed a banquet. Looking down the table she noticed that there were five places set. All that seemed to matter to her was that she got to sit next to Santé.
“You start schooling as of today Little Shadow,” Rochel announced. “You will take the carriage to the academy with Santé and I after breakfast.”
In Australia the school year had just finished and yet here it was just starting, although she was curious she just nodded and continued to fill her mouth with whatever she could get hands on.
“She is a hungry little monster isn’t she Rochel?” asked a voice from the adjacent hall.
“Ah, Kataline. I was wondering if you would ever make it.” Rochel retorted.
There was a subtle coldness to her words that made Alina quiver. She noticed Santé start waving to someone behind her Aunt’s guest, and so did the same. The person that waved back looked about one or two years older than them. He had dark auburn hair and ice blue eyes. He bore a striking resemblance to the woman, Kataline, whom he hid behind. Alina did note that they had obviously come to join them for breakfast. As the boy and his mother walked over, she asked Santé who he was.
“He is a boy from our brother school, he is 13 and his name is Alec. He is at the top of his class I think.” Santé’s accent was thick as she spoke English.
“I can speak Russian so you know,” Alina replied in the language. It was the most Santé had spoken to her since she arrived so she wanted to get to know her a bit. “Why didn’t I see you last autumn when I visited? You are Rochel’s daughter aren’t you?” Alina waited patiently for Santé to answer.
“Yes we are cousins, and my, I mean our, school only has two holidays. Christmas and Easter. They each last for 10 days and then we start school again.”
“What kind of school is that?”
“It is kind of like boarding school. I think you will love it.” Santé finished by filling her mouth with eggs.
Alec sat across from Alina and seemed to be staring at her.
“What?” she demanded.
Embarrassed that she noticed he turned away and started to fill his plate with food.
Shortly after breakfast a carriage arrived. It was a large carriage drawn by four bay horses. There were people loading the trunks and fluffing the interior. Alina thought about asking where they were going but she figured the answer would be school. One at a time the five of them entered the carriage and headed out of the drive. The warmth in the carriage was welcome compared to the freezing cold outside. It would take a while for Alina to get used to the climate change.
Along the way Rochel and Kataline chatted about this and that, and Santé seemed to be enjoying the conversation she was having with Alec, so Alina just sat and watched the scenery go by. There seemed to only be one or two houses along their road and the rest was forests. She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of school is built out in the middle of a forest. Hours seemed to pass before they reached a two massive mansions. They stopped next to the first drive way to let Alec and Kataline out at the boy’s manner before continuing on to the ladies’ college.
Rochel walked them up the path to the academy. Alina followed Santé down the main entrance. It was a long paved path covered by tall elm trees that crossed over to create a thick canopy of cover that seemed to breathe. Alina was so nervous her heart was skipping. After what seemed forever they made to the administration building, where there was a mass of girls in lines. Each line was for a section, there was registration, where Alina and Rochel stood waiting, as well as three other lines labelled A Class, B Class and C Class. She waved to Sante who was receiving her things in class A and moved forward to speak with the registrar.
“What age?”
“9 years, no prior training,” Rochel answered.
“She will be trialled in combat this evening to determine class. What name?” The registrar stared down at her paperwork whilst speaking.
“Alina Ladaria”
The registrar wrote down her name and told Alina to join the others. She saw Rochel leave the room but was urged into another before she could say good-bye.
After signing in they were requested in the main hall for the beginning of term orientation. The two girls sat somewhat separate from the others and giggled amongst themselves a short term round man stood in front of them. This year we welcome a new initiate to our 6th grade. I believe Drea has done some similar schooling and as such will begin in class C. Sante sighed and the other girls laughed. Alina sent Sante a questioning look.

“It’s the highest class. Most of the girls here are in B class you get a chance every term to move up. I am in A and I hope you will be too. Those girls laughing over there, they are also in A and probably want to challenge her because she is new. At the end of the term you duel with a girl from the class above to see if you are ready to move up.”