"Oh, Hadvar, you are just [i]too kind[/i]!" Hovering a few feet above the ground, Sera kissed the innkeeper on the cheek. Blushing just a bit behind his massive red beard, he said "That's alright. I make it a point not to charge my [i]friends[/i] to stay at the inn. And besides, with all of the singing you've been doing, you've more than paid for a few nights of rest..." The big man seemed suddenly wistful, as he poured himself another pint of mead. "You know, Sera, as a child my mother would tell me stories about Faeries. She had known one, you see, in her youth. Heh, according to her, it's so cold up here your people avoid it like the plague! Would you believe that you're the first to stay at the inn since I took over from my Da?"

Mock-shivering a little, Sera laughed, a high, clear sound like the tinkling of bells. "I would! I don't know how you humans stand it. My wings have frozen over twice since I got to Preicana. If I hadn't stumbled into your inn and had all of that mead, I probably would have frozen to death!" The young Faerie was not dressed for this country's weather, wearing only a thin, knee-length dress, but really, the cold didn't bother her all that much. The true reason there weren't many Fae in Preicana was likely just distance. Most of them tended to stay in their own cities, and the nearest Faerie forest Sera knew of was her own, a very long way to the South. A few minutes later, the two were standing near the heavy oak door, and Sera was holding her very small bag of belongings. "It has been a great pleasure, Hadvar," she said, bowing formally and making the sign of her faith (three fingers over her heart). The innkeeper made the responding sign she had taught him (three fingers on the forehead), and smiled after her as she floated out into the cool morning air.

"The city isn't far from here, Sera!", he called out. "You'll come and visit the inn sometime, won't you?" Laughing, she waved back at him, saying "I will, Hadvar, don't worry! And maybe you'll have found a woman by then, eh?" Chuckling a little, the big man watched her go, then closed the door and busied himself with his early-rising customers. As for Sera. this was the last leg of her very long Northward journey, and she was excited. Finally, the day had come, and she was going to begin her education. Well, her "real" education. Her family, and the other monks had taught her some things, a bit of healing magic and some fairly powerful Alteration spells, but it was haphazard, and she knew that attending this College was the only way she could really become a master Altrist.

It was probably because she was zipping along on her wings, well-rested after the stay in Hadvar's inn, but in what seemed like no time at all Sera had come to the gates of Maldoryn. It was massive! She had been through several cities during the journey, but none of them even came close to the size of Preicana's capital. And, there, rising above the rooftops on a huge, raised plateau was her destination: The College. It was even more grand than she imagined, though she still hadn't quite begun to appreciate human architecture. Sera thought, hovering there above the cobbled street, that she would always prefer the trees of her homeland. Now that she knew where it was, though, there was no time to waste! Singing merrily to herself, the Faerie quickly flew through the various districts, taking alleys and sidestreets whenever the fancy struck her, dodging and weaving through carts and market stalls like a dancer, until finally, after getting sidetracked and distracted several times, she made it to the massive bridge that led up to the College.

It looked even bigger up close, and Sera flipped onto her back so that she could see all the way up to the highest tower. All she could do was whistle. This Faerie was officially impressed. With a bit of trouble, she managed to pull open the massive wooden doors just a crack, and squeezed inside, very happy to get out of the cold, despite her earlier thoughts about it not bothering her much. Everything about the College seemed to be grand, and the massive entranceway was no exception, so Sera was looking around at the design. and didn't even notice the receptionist until a slightly annoyed "Ahem" reached her ears from across the room. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss, I didn't see you over there!" Smiling, she quickly made her way to the desk, and performed the same sign she had that morning, with Hadvar. "I am Tenanye Seraphe, and I'm ready to, um, learn? I was told to come to the College on this day..."

Though she didn't know the response to Sera's greeting, the receptionist bowed good-naturedly, and said "Yes, you were told correctly, Ms. Tenanye. Some of your fellow Novices have already arrived, but I'm afraid all there is to do is wait. We are expecting several more today, and eventually, even if they don't show up, Evern will take you to your dorms, give you the tour, and answer all of your questions. Please, have a seat anywhere you wish." Glancing over at the two who had already arrived, the elf dropped her voice to a whisper. "I wouldn't try to engage those two in conversation, though. The girl is scared out of her wits, and the boy hasn't said a word since he got here... -sigh- We [i]do[/i] get some strange ones, I guess."

Now, that was odd, Sera thought. Why would the little Moon Elf girl be so scared? Ignoring the receptionist's warning, she settled herself lightly onto the seat just beside Mizzie, folded her wings carefully, and smiled at her. When she spoke, it was soft, and hopefully soothing. "Good morning, little one. My name is Sera. Why are you so scared? No one here is going to hurt you, you know. These are good people, very wise, and you're here to learn from them, aren't you?