"I can't thank you enough, Sister! Truly I can't! When I hadn't been able to track them down yesterday I thought they were hawk-food for sure."

"Think nothing of it my dear! As I said, it was actually Sister Irena who'd brought the poor thing home."

"Who knew that woman would have such a soft spot..." Jasper mumbled over his cup of coffee, while he and Tulla sat in his small kitchen.

"Oh, hush now, Mr. Campell. Why, Sister Irena is as kind a soul as any one of us who serve the Lord."

"Yeah sure, tell that to the scars I still have on my wrists from her old ruler," he rolled his eyes.

Sister Tulla playfully slapped his wrist, "If I recall correctly young Mr. Campell, you wouldn't have those scars if not for giving her such a hard time throughout your school years."

Tulla finished the last sip of her tea and made her way to the dish sink.

"Oh! No way, Sister! You're my guest, and what's more, you've returned one of my fluffy lovelies back to me safely! How could I even think of letting you cleaning up after yourself?"

She turned back to Jasper beaming, "And see now, look what a fine young man you turned out to be, rulers and all."

Jasper sighed, "I guess so... rulers and all."

"You and your brother just need to work on all that foul language now," she tut-tutted.

"Yeah, us and the rest of the town," he retorted.

"Yes well, baby steps my dear, baby steps," Sister Tulla replied pleasantly making her way to the door.

"I'll pray for your other lost little hen as well, that she makes her way home back to you."

"Don't forget to include me in those prayers Sister," he said, opening the door for her, "'Cuz if she doesn't, you can bet Lewis'll have my head."

Tulla nodded and chuckled on her way out the door.

It was early Wednesday morning, and Telluride Marcco, or 'Telly,' and her brother Maxwell, who also preferred simply 'Max,' were already busy at their craft, tossing spiraling pizza dough high into the hair, plumes of flour bursting from all directions. The children on their way to school at the mission always huddled around the warm window for the show.

Sisters Tulla and Irena were responsible for their humble classroom at the mission, which included Bradley Price, now only a year away from graduating, and his twin sisters, both eleven now, and with an attitude to boot, clearly beginning to take after their eldest brother. The bright-eyed Riley Nubar had recently been their star student, making it painfully obvious that he had no interest in following either of his parent's chosen career paths. There was also Rosette Wren, a sensible young-lady for only being twelve, and the youngest of the Wren family, Azzie, who couldn't be more of a humming bird if she had herself sprouted wings and began to flit away. Not to mention, the dear Rhoda Campell, was expecting, so new additions were always on their way in and out.  

Little did any of them know of the important role they were each to play in the year to come. 

Tulla took in the sight, arms crossed, of all six of her students leaning on the window, entranced.

"I think that's just about enough dilly-dallying for the morning, don't you?" All the children jumped in surprise, clearly not noticing that Sister Tulla had already been standing behind them for quite some time.

They all looked down in shame.

"Come now children, you're not late yet, let's hurry up to class before Sister Irena notices," and with that, they all took off like a shot uphill toward the mission, and Tulla had a good chuckle.

She knew that, in fact, they had plenty of time, but when she had left Jasper's, realizing it was a Wednesday, she thought it'd be better to walk the extra block or two, to sweep her students along their way.

"So sorry to steal away your adoring fans Ms. Marcco," Tulla popped her head in.

"Oh, they'll be back next week, dreams of delicious pizza dancing though their little heads," Max said while cleaning the enormous clay wood-burning stove that took up at least half the space of the restaurant.

"Come on in! Have you eaten yet today?" Telly said as she washed off sticky dough from her hands and arms in the sink.

"Oh, no, sadly I must graciously decline your hospitality. I need to get back up to the school house myself. I did want to mention though, there's quite a lovely new lass in town, dark skin, curly red hair, ya' can't miss her. It looks like she's found a place to stay, and I've thought I might set to work on tracking down a job for her."

"Ahhh, I see," said Max, "Well, I can tell ya this much, we won't be needing any help till tourist season rolls around, n' I'm afraid it'll be at least a few months away."

"Yes, I pretty much assumed that for most work around here. Still," Tulla smiled cheerily, "Just planting the seed, you know? In any case, off I go!"

"Have a blessed day dear Sister!" Telly hung out the door to call back to her.

Wednesday morning Sabre jumped awake, scaring the hell out of an innocent chicken that had been sleeping soundly at the foot of her bed. She rubbed her head and groaned. No headache though, nor a hangover... In fact, she felt quite well. She glanced around her room. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

She tried to zero-in on foggy memories of the conversation she'd had with Al last night. Although there was a haze surrounding the details, she had enough faith in her senses to know the difference between dreams and reality.

No. That was no dream, she was sure of it.

Her blood began to boil, and she threw off her blankets, intent on confronting that vile man right this instant. 

How DARE he think he could get away with this?! Sabre had been unsure of herself since she'd arrived in this country, but NO MORE. 

Just WHO does he think he's dealing with?! She was no lost little rabbit or timid lamb. 

She was a FOX. She was a BLADE, an instrument of WAR, both battle-scarred and sharpened to a deadly point. It may be true that none of these people knew who she was, but she shouldn't have let that make her forget that she knew herself and who she was. 

Long lost confidence exploded inside of her. Her mother may not be here anymore to guide her, and she may have lost her path in life. In fact, she might never even find it again, but LIKE HELL was she going to allow herself to be walked all over.