Chapter 18

**Merianna**

I groaned in the middle of a mound of fluffy pillows as a bright beam of light came streaking over my eyes. I rolled over onto my stomach and buried my face deeper into the pillows to escape from the lethal glare. My eyes felt like they were glued shut. My body felt tired and heavy. I didn't want to get up. I was too comfortable for that.

The sound of small shuffling footsteps across the bedroom's floor had my ears perking up though. Grumbling some more, I turned my head to the left to look to the door's side. Peeling my eyelids back reluctantly, I spied big inhumanly green eyes right in fornt of my face, staring disapprovingly back at me.

I found myself looking at the smaller humanoid face of Dorris. The resident Brownie that declared the Order her territory and home ever since Fog had erected the old place back in his much younger years. It was said that Brownies always either tended to a treasured home, or a family. If the treasured home burned down, they would stay to tend even the ashes of the house. If the treasured family moved, the Borwnie would follow them to the ends of the earth.

Her skin was a light shade of brown with only a few small wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, she had small pointed ears that stuck out from the sides of her face, and her flaming red hair fanned over her face in thick waves that slightly trailed behind her wherever she prattled to. Her dress today looked comfortable and resembled the colors of leaves in the fall. It suited her well.

Dorris didn't mind witches establishing the Order as their living space, and also didn't mind tending to everyone's rooms and post-party messes. In fact, when Nelia and I arrived at the Order and it was clear that Fog, Noch, Ara and the other members had taken us under their wings, Dorris had taken it upon herself to be our second mother in a sense.

She would dote on us when we got sick, patch up any minor scratches that we might have gotten while playing outside, kept track with our birth dates and left small gifts for us under our pillows.

But sometimes, like now, her button nose would be scrunched up in disapproval and her short Fae ears would almost be sticking out like horns on a demon whenever she was displeased with something we did. Right now, I could somewhat figure out what it was that she was displeased with.

I smiled hesitantly at her face that barely cleared the top of my mattress. "Good morning, Dorris." My throat scratched out.

"Young girl, it is far passed noon. More than long enough time for you to get out of bed." She glared at me with her big eyes.

"Sorry Dorris, yesterday was a long day." I grumbled as I sat up in bed. My white blonde hair felt like a bird had decided to scratch about up there and create a nest of what was available.

Dorris made a disgusted noise. "You went to bed early! The sun was still up! And now you are still in bed while the sun is up again! Shoe! Time to get up! Nelia should have dragged you out already when she woke up herself. You slept too much as is. It's not healthy. Now get! I'm behind time, I still need to clean the kitchens too!" Dorris jumped up onto the bed and pulled a wooden spoon out from who knows where and proceeded to whack my bottom with it.

"Ouch! I'm going, I'm going! Calm down Dorris!" I pleaded as she chased me off of my bed and into the bathroom.

"Go! Bath! Get clean! Get dressed! Get downstairs! Tell your sister I'll be smacking her too for letting you sleep so late!" She threatened as she kept attacking the back and sides of my shins all the way into the bathroom, making me dance to her whacking tune.

As soon as I was completely in the bathroom the door slammed closed behind me. I grumbled under my breath until I turned away from the door and looked to the stone and marble bathtub that sat on the side with steam rising from its depths. I smiled to myself.

Yes I did take a bath the night before but I couldn't turn down Dorris's offer in front of me. And besides, she had thrown in some lavender flowers into the water as well. The whole bathroom smelled of blooming lavenders in the sun, and I felt my muscles relaxing through the steam in the room.

Dorris was one of those characters that would not openly tell you she cared about you, or that she loved you, it might be because of her being Fae but, she would most definitely show how much she cared about you.

She would use soothing words when you're sick, make sure your bedroom is clean and fresh every day when you come back from training or bounties. Smack Noch as much upside the head that she can reach when she knows his words hurt, and so on.

I smiled to myself as I dipped my fingers into the warm water, I marvelled at the care she took in making sure the water was just the right temperature for when she finally got me out of bed.

I chuckled. "Love you too Dorris!" I yelled so she could hear me through the thick wooden door. I got a snort as a reply and just laughed.

After I got out of the bath and put on the fresh outfit that Dorris had laid out for me on my bed, I made my way down the stairs towards the kitchen. On the way there I noticed everyone behaving oddly.

I would catch glimpses of a few people whispering to each other as I walked passed. See some glares being shot my way from the other trainees, while some of the members would give me an approving nod with a smile or a pat on the back with a "good afternoon".

I was frowning furiously by the time I reached the kitchen and dining hall. I snuck behind one of the walls and peeked around the edge to the inside of the kitchen. I hoped to glean some information this way, something was most definitelly amiss. Everyone went about gathering lunch and chatting normally however as I kept my eyes peeled on them.

What was it with everyone today? They were all either too friendly or too hostile. I wasn't used to receiving any form of "hi" or "good afternoon" from most of the people in the Order. Sure, the members greeted Nelia and I regularly because they knew us well. Most of them basically helped to raise us, and troublemaker that I am when Noch was in the vicinity, they all knew me.

But this, was much more than the usual. People tended to let me go about and do my own thing. They didn't go out of their way to greet me unless they were Ara, Noch, Fog, Dorris, Raska or Jasnine, neither do they go out of their way to glare at me as if I had placed black widow spiders in-between their bedding. (I only did that to Noch once. Even then he just cackled and brushed the incident off, and the spiders onto me...).

Something was up, and I was determined to find out what that something was.

I was so intent on trying to figure everyone out from my hiding spot, that I didn't notice the soft shuffle of slipper encased feet behind me.

Something suddenly ran down my spine, and an undignified yelp leapt from my lips as I jumped around. I expected to find water dripping from the ceiling, maybe even a bug that might fly away with the movement. But no...

I let out an ear piercing shriek when I got a clear look at the hidden face of a maniacal crone peering at me with a leering grin from underneath a black cowl.

Suddenly the crone laughed. But it was a manly laugh.

A familiar laugh.

Noch's laugh...

My heart was practically beating right out of my chest and Noch was laughing so hard that the glamour he'd wrapped around his face melted away in a puff of shadows. His legs gave way and he started rolling on the floor while gripping his middle. I saw that the cowl on his head was nothing more than a square shaped black piece of material that he had wrapped around his head.

My fright quickly gave way to anger as I looked at his annoying cackling face.

"Noch! You bastard! I'm going to kill you so badly that you won't even be able to reincarnate again!" I fumed as I suddenly took one of the axes that decorated the hallway's walls.

Noch's eyes feigned fright as he suddenly jumped up with a girly giggle and started running, leaving a trail of chortles in his wake. The idiot was indeed wearing slippers on his feet. I would not be surprised if I find him in a skirt in the near future.

I sprinted after him with the axe in hand, and curses being flung out of my mouth.

People around us just sighed, chuckled or gave way, and watched us in amusement as I chased after Noch once again. This wasn't the first time, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last time that this was happening.

My feet hit the stone floors in quick succession as I sprinted after his idiotic face. I used the air to take me quickly around corners while Noch jumped in and out of the shadows to keep ahead of me.

I hurdled a few more choice insults at him in Hernalin and Kerman that Ara taught me. Not by choice, but by my being in her immediate vicinity whenever something blew up in her face.

"For shame! A lady shouldn't be using such language!" He yelled back at me as he ducked a well aimed swing.

"I'll use whatever words I see fit to describe you!" I yelled back with a grin. I was actually starting to enjoy these skirmishes between Noch and me. When I was younger he barely spared me a "hi", but these days he seemed to have a death wish.

I was just about to pull my arm back to let the axe fly towards his stupid head when I was suddenly pulled up short by the scruff of my dress, which made my feet fly out from under me. I heard Noch trip with a curse down the hallway.

I looked up behind me to see Fog's amused face.

"Awww, why Fog?" I whined with a pout.

"Because I would actually like to try and keep this hallway from being destroyed too. Your Nana does enough damage on her own and I know you two far too well to leave you unsupervised. If you two are hell bent on murdering each other with glee, then please take it outside where the only things that can get hurt are the trees." He said as he put me back onto my feet again.

Noch came sauntering back towards us with a spring in his step. "Want to go for another round?" He asked me.

"The bubble of glee has been burst." I stated flatly as I plased the axe in his hands. I turned to wander back to the kitchen to continue my snooping, but before I could get far Fog grabbed a hold of my shoulder and spun me back around.

"Where are you going?" He asked curiously.

I lifted an eyebrow at him. "To continue snooping." I said simply.

He and Noch both frowned down at me. "Snoop for what?" Noch asked with a raised eyebrow of his own.

I huffed and put my fists onto my hips. "Everyone is acting weird. They are either overly friendly or overly hostile, more than usual, and I want to know why."

"You won't find anything overly interesting." Noch said with an amused leer.

I glared at him and looked over to Fog for an explanation since I knew that Noch could make the road to an answer drag on to infinity. Fog just sighed. "I take it Nelia wasn't able to tell you anything yet, was she?" He asked in a weary tone as if he was expecting something bad.

"Tell me what?" I asked him curiously.

Noch jumped at the chance. "We have decided to make the two of you full members of the Order!" He declared excitedly.

Fog looked like he was ready to cringe at any moment as he studied me at a safe distance.

I stood there and just blinked for a second. Then stood some more. And still just stood there. I swear that I couldn't even breathe.

"Huh?" I brilliantly uttered when I could finally move a muscle again.

Fog's posture relaxed a bit. "We are making you and Nelia a part of the Order." Fog explained a little more slowly.

"B-but, what about the trial?" I asked as my head felt like it was spinning around on the floor without me.

"Well the last trail is there to test a person's skills in combat as well their capabilities under pressure of imminent death and use of resources. And you basically showed us how capable you were already during that battle yesterday." Fog said nonchalantly.

Noch just stood there with his arms crossed and nodding like he was in on the ruling.

"And, who has all had a hand in this important decision?" I hedged.

"The elder's council. Which consists of Fog, Arasule, Jasnine, Raska and me of course." Noch said with a grin.

Oh yes, that's right. As wrong as it sounded and looked, they are the oldest witches in this place and usually shared the final say in all things concerning the Order as long Fog also agreed.

I couldn't wrap my head around what he had just said. "I'm a member now?" I asked uncertainly.

"Yes!" Noch confirmed with a huge grin. I disbbelieved every single word that came out of his mouth, so I turned back to Fog for secure confirmation.

Fog smiled at me and patted the top of my head. "Welcome officially to the Order Merianna."

My eyes bulged as the enormity of the situation finally crashed down on me like a potted plant that Strider mercilessly murdered via high ledge and stone floor. Only, I felt like the floor.

I had wanted to be a member of the Order since Nelia and I had been brought here and taken in. This place was home for us, and now, it really is.

"I don't have to do the last trial?" I asked again, just to make sure that I had heard right.

"Not at all, you showed yourself more than capable enough to become a member yesterday. You still have to work on your control though, so starting tomorrow I'll be expecting you at my office so we can start your more intense training. You don't have to continue the other classes with the other new-bloods anymore." Noch said with an evil grin on his face that I didn't trust in the slightest.

I didn't trust his smile, but I couldn't help the feeling that came over me. My face stretched into an excited grin. I gave a squeal of delight and launched myself at Fog and Noch, grabbing both of them into a tight jiggling hug as I jumped with happiness.

Suddenly I let them go. "I can't believe this." I breathed while running my fingers through my hair. "I can't believe I'm finally a full member. Nelia is also a member right?" I asked Fog.

"Yes she is, the Ga's vouched for her when we were discussing it. We've already informed her about it this morning when we stumbled into her." He said with a grimace. Oh, now I knew why Fog looked like he might run and hide before they told me. Knowing Nelia she probably practically deafened Fog with her excited exclamation and just about crushed his bones with her constrictor hug after hearing the news.

I smiled at Fog with sympathy and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry Fog. At least I won't try and kill you out of excitement."

"Thank the heavens for that." Fog muttered wearily as he started walking away towards the kitchens.

As he was walking away Noch turned to me with a grin. I gave him a raised eyebrow in reply.

"Ready to do some training?" He said brightly, or at least I thought it was supposed to be brightly. He was grinning like an idiot and his eyes were sparkling, but somewhere in between all that I felt trepidation building up in my gut.

"Why do I have the feeling that this is going to be more than I bargained for?" I asked with a defeated sigh.

His grin widened until he almost looked like Strider whenever he tried to attempt the human equivalent of a smile. Evil and conniving...

"Because it probably will be. Follow me demon child, we have a few hours of training to get done before the celebration will start." He said as he turned on his heel and started sauntering towards the Training grounds. He obviously expected me to follow on his heels like an obedient little pup. I was not a pup. I didn't even remember agreeing to be his pupil. Did I agree? Why did I? Did I really? Wait, did I voice my opinoin on it? Did I say no? I should have said no. What the hell went through my head?

As I was berating myself in my mind I trudged after him sullenly with crossed arms and dragging feet.

I just knew I was going to regret this.