The girl gave him a last wave before she turned the corner, heading back towards the crowd.  She didn’t return quite the way she came, instead following a street parallel to the market until she was even with the fabric and jewelry stalls.  She paused, looking reluctant, but with a heavy sigh Amuné squared her shoulders and cut across to head into the market area, in search of the others from her boarding school.  The crowd hit her like a runaway cart.  So many people, such noisy minds!  She clenched her jaw, expression tightening in pain.  And there was no way she’d be able to escape the harsh words of Ms. Primm, not with her split lip in addition to the ruins of her skirt.

“There you are!  Hurry, lass, or the fusspot’ll catch you missing.”  A young man in the purple and silver livery of a school guard hastened to her side, though he didn’t touch her to get her attention.  “I noticed, but nobody else has yet -- what happened to your face?!”  He bent down to take a closer look, but shook his head.  “You can tell me later, I suppose.  Follow my lead, yeah?”  When Amuné nodded her agreement, he got to his feet again and lead her off to the group.

“Amuné Ris, where did you go off to?  I turn around and you’re missing!”  The pinch-faced chaperon descended on the girl, and saw at once the state of her dress and her face.  “What in heaven’s name have you been doing, young lady?  There will be consequences for your behavior when we get back, Miss Ris.”

“Pardon me, ma’am, but it wasn’t her fault.”  The guard interjected before the child could venture a word in her own defense.  “This great lout, he slammed into her and knocked her down.  I didn’t get too good a look, and he blended with the crowd pretty fast, or I’d’ve insisted he apologize for his rudeness.”  The chaperon’s disapproving frown deepened, and she shifted her gaze off him to regard Amuné once more.  The young man tipped the child a wink.  “You should have been paying better attention, Miss Ris, so you might have avoided him, but I suppose you are not at fault.  Do try to avoid daydreaming in the future, and perhaps you can likewise avoid such a mess.  Be sure to give your clothing to your maid when we return, so she can see if your outfit can be salvaged.  Girls, come along.”  And with that the unpleasant woman gathered her charges and they continued onward.

Amuné hung back, letting out a breath she’d not realized she was holding, and when the chaperon’s back was turned she looked at the guard.   “You’re a lifesaver, Fitz,” she murmured with a grateful smile, just loud enough for him to hear.

“It was nothing, lass.  Looks like you got in a fight.”  The girl ducked her head at the young man’s words, embarrassed.  “I hope the other guy looks worse than you do, then.”
“No....”
“What, did you forget everything we’ve taught you?”
“I was way outnumbered!”
“Well, we’ll have to work on uneven odds, then.  C’mon, we’re falling behind”  Unperturbed, the guard increased his pace, and Amuné did the same.

~~~

Perhaps two hours later those who’d gone on the field trip piled back into the coaches had brought them.  Pleading a pounding headache, Amuné asked if she might not ride in the second one, away from the other girls and, conveniently, Ms. Primm.  The woman didn’t have much sympathy, but she was in a good mood after the morning outing, and besides the girl crowding into a seat with the others might get dirt on their skirts as well.  She ended up in the second one, with their purchases and the young guard.  To him she admitted her deception: while she did have a headache, it wasn’t as bad as she’d made it out to be.  The pair spend the trip in quiet conversation.

The Liddell School and Boarding Academy was situated several miles beyond the edge of town, set between a wide and often flowery field and a portion of forest, with a small stream cutting through both.  There were several buildings, all behind a high fence that in sections was metal bars and in others was more a stone wall.  The children and their minders all disembarked before the largest of the buildings, a sprawling two-story structure.  Most headed inside, but Amuné split off, heading for one of the four buildings with two wings at a wide angle, forming a small flock of broad Vs.  She let Millie, the maid that looked after her, exclaim over her face and help her change.  The young woman was sweet, and genuinely fond of the girl. 

After she had on a fresh frock, the girl went to an older-looking building, though it was clearly well looked after.  The library was one of her favorite places, and she didn’t think anyone would bother her there for a while.  Certainly there were no classes that day, and it was still several hours until dinner.  Before long she and her current book were nestled in a chair in one of the deeper corners, and her mind was far away.