Post by Mandalah on Apr 2, 2005 6:38:44 GMT
Mandalah hadn't arrived at the school until fairly late in the evening, and by the time she had dropped picked a dorm and dropped her luggage off in the Gryff CR, it was already past dark. Blithely unaware of any school curfews - although in all honesty, she likely would have ignored said curfew even had she known about it - she had taken Kira's cage in hand and hurried down to the Owlery.
Unaccustomed to all the twists and turns of the school, it had taken her a good half hour, along with some helpful instructions from another midnight wanderer or the occassional ghost that passed her way, to find her way up to the school's Owlery.
It was an impressive room, fair-sized, decorated on all sides by windows and birdcages. Moonlight spilled in through the many glass panes, catching in argent glints on the bars of the many wire cages that dotted the Owlery's interior.
"Well, this is it, Kira," the girl remarked, addressing her brown owl. In response, the bird ruffled her wings inquisitively, peering out with keen amber eyes at the room that would be serving as her home while Mandy was attending school. "I guess while I'm here, I should write a letter to Mom and Dad," she continued, talking to herself as much as her avian companion, as she often did. It was her way of working the snares out of her thoughts. "Tell them I'm here." Her usually steady voice took on a slight quiver towards the end of that sentance as the girl found herself assaulted by an unexpected wave of homesickness.
Blinking away the sudden, hot tears that stung her eyelids, Mandy set Kira's cage down and approached one of the windowsills, seating herself by it and using the flat surface as a tabletop. She pulled a quill and an ink jar out of the small handbag that almost never left her person, and as an afterthought, her wand out of the front pocket of her shirt. "Lumos," the girl whispered, and the tip of the wand burst into brilliant light. Mandy blinked a few times, and after the spots had disappeared from the backs of her eyelids, she dipped her quill in the ink and set it to paper.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I just wanted to write and let you know that I got to the school safe and on time. The school is huge, it's really amazing. England is amazing.
I've only just got here, so I haven't really had time to make any friends, but I'm sure I will. The people here seem really nice. Anyway, it's late, so I had better go. I'll write back when I have a little more to tell you.
Missing you already,
Your Mandy.
Capping her jar of ink, she tucked it and the quill back into her bag, rolled up her letter, and approached Kira's cage once more. "Hey, Kira," she greeted the owl as if she hadn't just seen the bird five minutes ago, "I've got a letter for you to deliver, if you want... if you don't want to take off so soon after getting here though, I'll give it to one of the school owls." Kira ruffled her wings eagerly, hooting her willingness to deliver the letter. Mandy smiled. "Alright, then. Take this one home for me, will you?" Opening the wire door, she held out her arm. Kira obligingly perched on the outstretched limb, holding still while Mandalah fastened the letter to one leg.
This done, Mandy headed over to the nearest window and pushed it open, casting Kira out into the night. "Don't forget to hurry back," she called out after the owl's fast-disappearing form. "And don't get lost!"
Mandy watched until not even the faintest outline of Kira's form was visible against the star-studded backdrop of the night with dry eyes, even though she had to swallow back the lump in her throat. Leaning against the window, pressing her cheek to the cool glass, Mandy closed her eyes and tried not to think about the fact that her only friend here at the school had just disappeared for days, possibly a good week or two, delivering a letter to the home that Mandy was already beginning to miss.
Unaccustomed to all the twists and turns of the school, it had taken her a good half hour, along with some helpful instructions from another midnight wanderer or the occassional ghost that passed her way, to find her way up to the school's Owlery.
It was an impressive room, fair-sized, decorated on all sides by windows and birdcages. Moonlight spilled in through the many glass panes, catching in argent glints on the bars of the many wire cages that dotted the Owlery's interior.
"Well, this is it, Kira," the girl remarked, addressing her brown owl. In response, the bird ruffled her wings inquisitively, peering out with keen amber eyes at the room that would be serving as her home while Mandy was attending school. "I guess while I'm here, I should write a letter to Mom and Dad," she continued, talking to herself as much as her avian companion, as she often did. It was her way of working the snares out of her thoughts. "Tell them I'm here." Her usually steady voice took on a slight quiver towards the end of that sentance as the girl found herself assaulted by an unexpected wave of homesickness.
Blinking away the sudden, hot tears that stung her eyelids, Mandy set Kira's cage down and approached one of the windowsills, seating herself by it and using the flat surface as a tabletop. She pulled a quill and an ink jar out of the small handbag that almost never left her person, and as an afterthought, her wand out of the front pocket of her shirt. "Lumos," the girl whispered, and the tip of the wand burst into brilliant light. Mandy blinked a few times, and after the spots had disappeared from the backs of her eyelids, she dipped her quill in the ink and set it to paper.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I just wanted to write and let you know that I got to the school safe and on time. The school is huge, it's really amazing. England is amazing.
I've only just got here, so I haven't really had time to make any friends, but I'm sure I will. The people here seem really nice. Anyway, it's late, so I had better go. I'll write back when I have a little more to tell you.
Missing you already,
Your Mandy.
Capping her jar of ink, she tucked it and the quill back into her bag, rolled up her letter, and approached Kira's cage once more. "Hey, Kira," she greeted the owl as if she hadn't just seen the bird five minutes ago, "I've got a letter for you to deliver, if you want... if you don't want to take off so soon after getting here though, I'll give it to one of the school owls." Kira ruffled her wings eagerly, hooting her willingness to deliver the letter. Mandy smiled. "Alright, then. Take this one home for me, will you?" Opening the wire door, she held out her arm. Kira obligingly perched on the outstretched limb, holding still while Mandalah fastened the letter to one leg.
This done, Mandy headed over to the nearest window and pushed it open, casting Kira out into the night. "Don't forget to hurry back," she called out after the owl's fast-disappearing form. "And don't get lost!"
Mandy watched until not even the faintest outline of Kira's form was visible against the star-studded backdrop of the night with dry eyes, even though she had to swallow back the lump in her throat. Leaning against the window, pressing her cheek to the cool glass, Mandy closed her eyes and tried not to think about the fact that her only friend here at the school had just disappeared for days, possibly a good week or two, delivering a letter to the home that Mandy was already beginning to miss.