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Quietly Mairead ate her meal in the huge hall. A few other, elder novices sat together at one table and talked while eating and the young girl only listened occassionally to their conversation. Halfheartedly she raked through the mashed potatoes and let out a small sigh. No one in this monastery was at her age and though every one was nice and friendly to her, she felt like she couldn't really confide in anyone.
She really liked the lessons she had. The most of them she had together with other novices in the library, but some one-to-one lessons were important. Especially since every of those novices were on another level. Mairead was the youngest and for some reason she felt like she would get a special treatment – though not necessarily in a positive way. In every lesson there was she got asked more than any other. The elder priests who were teaching the novices were challenging her, she felt it.
The girl even asked another young woman once if it would be normal that the youngest novices get challenged that way. But the woman answered that actually the priests would show consideration especially for the young ones, to give them enough time to get used to everything.

Mairead wrinkled her forehead at the thought as she stared at her mashed potatoes, even forgetting all her manners in this very moment. „They know something.“, she concluded. But was it so obvious? Was she really an open book to them?

„Mairead Corulas?“ a voice of a priestess echoed through the hall. The girl raised her head quickly at her name and as the priestress saw her, she approached with something in her hand. With a warm smile she handed Mairead a letter. „A letter for you, Mairead.“
„Oh!“, Maireads eyes grew wide and sparkled. „Thank you! Thank you!“ she bursted out and the priestress nodded to her and turned once more to leave the hall.
Quickly she tossed the fork onto the plate and stood up in a hurry and ... stopped. The other novices were looking at her, of course grinning, but Mairead smiled apologetically and called herself back to manners. Quietly and slowly now, she tucked the letter under one arm and reached for her plate and her glass.
She wanted to run. She wanted to run outside into the garden and tear the letter open to read it. But instead she walked calmly to the kitchen first to put away her plate and the glass. Those few minutes felt like an eternity of torture. Anticipation was gnawing at her. Finally she left into the huge corridors. Mairead looked left... then right. And as she was sure there was no one around she suddenly started running, though her novice robe clearly wasn't made for it. Her steps echoed loudly on the marmor floor, but she didn't care. She stumbled into the garden and her breath had left her already. Sitting under a willow tree, she finally teared the letter open.

„Taylor“, she whispered... „Taylor..“

A few days earlier, taylor had walked into the shop, only to find Eliza telling him he had a letter that came from the harbor. All he said was "Fine." and took the letter, walking out rather swiftly. Only two people could have sent the letter he thought, one was his mother, and the one that he wished for more, from Mairead. Taylor ignored every person on his way out of town and the Knights that were outside training. None of them were as important as this letter was to him. He opens the letter, and a smile creeps across his face, the only real smile he has had in months. The letter was from Mai. Taylor sits down against a tree, too excited to stand and read the letter, the smile grows line by line, untill he reaches the last few lines. Then the smile nearly explodes, he runs a thumb over Maireads name, thinking only of her, as he always does. He then takes out a parchment and writes a reply, the smile on his face. When he reaches the end of the parchment he says the last sentence as he writes it.

"I am, and always will be, yours."

He sits against the tree, reading over the parchments over and over, He could have been, possibly, the happiest boy on the isle.

The terrain of the monastery was huge. There was a wonderful garden, that looked like Oldra herself had blessed it (which wouldn't be surprising in this case), A few meters away from the monastery there were also two stable. Cows, pigs, goats, horses and chickens. The building itself had an enormous library, the corrdiors and the floors were made of marble. Mairead had a hard job to not get lost in the different sections the first few days. But she continuously came too late to the lessons.
Everything was calm and quiet in and around the monastery. No one ever ran, no one was ever loud. And if Mairead was honest, she actually grew tired of all this 'peace'. If peace would mean that you can't laugh out loudly when you feel like it, well then she prefered some trouble.
But Mairead was like a storm, bringing in a lot of laughter into the lessons and infected people with it. There was nothing she enjoyed more than making the other smile.

...

Mairead ran over the cobble stones, making sure not to stumble over her robe. She was heading to the stable with the horses, after she has been called there. Excitedly she opened the gate of the stable and entered, closering the gate quickly behind her again. She slowed down her step as she reached a certain stall and her pale green eyes looked intrigued over the wooden door, before she opened it slowly and entered.
A middle-aged woman was also standing there and observing a pregnant mare that lay on a lot of straw. Mairead kneeled quietly next to it... „I don't know if I can do that“, she said a little bit helplessly.
The woman casted her eyes now on the girl and said in a gentle tone. „There is nothing you have to do, Novice Mairead. Just stay here and watch. Nature is doing everything itself.“
She nodded and looked back to the horse...
... Mairead was getting nervous as the first leg became visible... then the second.
Minutes passed by and with every moment the young novice felt more uncomfortable. „It's taking too long...“, she said finally and looked up with a concerned look. „You are right...we should help her. This doesn't look too good.“
„What shall I do?...“, Mairead asked quickly and the priestess told her to carefully take the foals legs and help.
The girls heart was pounding, but she did as she has been told and with her help, the head of the foal became visible. After only a few more minutes the foal was finally born and Mairead laughed gently and wipes the sweat from her forehead with her elbow. Also he priestess smiles warmly at the view and finally she asked Mairead: „And what shall the name of the young one be?“
Mairead chuckled softly and pondered for a moment before she raised finally and said. „Chak..., yes I think Chak would be a good name.“
„Good. Then let us leave Chak and her mother alone for a while... they need some moments.“
The young novice nodded... she knew already what she would write into her next letter...

A few weeks ago...


"Malas, Malas", Mairead thought. The end of the month was close. She was now 15 years old. Her first birthday that she hasn't spend at home and though everyone congratulated her, she didn't feel happy at all about it. Mairead was missing her family, her friends, Taylor.
"But I'm grown", she thought. "Grown enough to celebrate my birthdays alone." But she sighed. Her homesickness wasn't as bad anymore as in the beginning, but still there somes.

Mairead looked through the library. She would have still one hour before the next lesson started and for a change she wanted to read something that was not related to what she was studying. Luckily she found a corner with dusted books about poems and tales.
Just in the moment as she wanted to reach for one, she heard someone calling for her.
"Novice Mairead Corulas?"
Mairead looked over her shoulder to the old priestess and smiled warmly...

"There is something we need to speak about..."

***

Mairead wrapped her arms around the sleeping boy on her lap. It was late and the sun was setting. Little Fiora was already sleeping and Mairead told Adrian a story til he fell asleep in her arms.
How she loved her siblings.

Mairead kissed Adrians cheek and held him gently while her gaze wandered out of the window. She hasn't seen her dad for some days. Where is he, she wondered, and why doesn't he come back. It is about time that I go back to the monastery... and yet I've rarely spent any time with him.

The girl sighed. It was always the same with her father. Everything else seemed more imporant, even now where he hadn't seen her for some months. "He might be in the mistake that he thinks I don't need him anymore now where I'm 'grown'. I can't remember I ever told him so."
Mairead stood up carefully, lifting Adrian as well and carried him to the bed. He was kinda big nowadays. Lovingly she tucked him into the bed and sat down on the floor next to it, to watch over his sleep.

"What do you think, Adrian, tomorrow Fiora, you and I will play the whole day together. And I will cook something really tasty for us again. Okay?", she whispered, though she knew the boy was sleep.
She smiled to herself.