Role

Chapter 2

Ten years passed in the small village of South Dairein, and Gjeryxa grew
quickly, sprouting almost a foot between her ninth and tenth birthdays.Her
arms and legs were gangly, giving her the look of a knobby marionette, until
the rest of her body caught up and she gained a few pounds of muscle. Still,
she was taller at six feet than most other girls, and while she enjoyed
exploring the "forbidden" places during her forays into the nearby forests,
boys did not have much interest in tall, free-thinking girls. Socially, she
was stunted. The woods, the caverns, the secret trails became her best
friends.

Schooled by the Lady in the arts of cooking, cleaning, music, articulation,
formal graces, and singing, Gjeryxa had many advantages, as the Lady was wise
and clever, and her teachings allowed Gjeryxa to engage her mind and
flourish. Despite the Lady's kindness and what Gjeryxa believed to be love,
she never called the Lady "Mother" but once. Not because she did not want to,
but because the Lady refused to accept the term. A few years earlier, when
Gjeryxa could first form sentences, she had called the Lady "Mummy," and the
Lady had gently, but firmly, rebuked her.

"Incorrect, little Miss. You did not come from my womb, but rather from our
doorstep, and although I love you as my own, we will not use that word in
this house."

The Man drank and indulged in debaucheries which did not seem to bother the
Lady, and therefore did not bother Gjeryxa. For the Lady had always taught
her that free will was of the utmost import, as long as it did not affect the
happiness of others. As the Lady certainly did not seem to mind these
choices, and the Man never physically or verbally harmed her, they did not
adversely affect Gjeryxa or the other children.

Gjeryxa had four sisters and seven brothers, and the house was quite filled
with varying amounts of glee, tantrums, horseplay, and work at any given
time. A wizened man would come to the house once a year, on the first day,
and give the Man a bag bulging with coin.