Chapter 2

"Girls, girls. Does everyone have their packs and weapons secured?" asked Brianna as she looked around the clearing.

Brianna stood with her pack already secured on her back and her twin swords at her waist while she surveyed the four girls, Gem, Haley, Beth, and Ariel. She wanted to make sure that they had everything for the three week long journey to the guild for their entrance exam and testing, and that they left nothing behind they would need.

As she looked over the girls Rayne and Cassie watched her inspect each girl in turn to make sure.

Rayne always liked to watch her mother work to see if there was still anything she hadn't picked up yet from her. And as she did she took in her attire. Brianna was only wearing a sleeveless shirt and loose leather pants.

Brianna still had her trademark braid, but after reaching 66 seasons a few months earlier, it was now primarily silver with almost no red left in it. At best it was just a hint if at all.

Brianna would never dye her hair no matter what her friends in the city said to her. She said that hair color didn't make the person only what was inside did. But since she only trimmed it was swinging well past her hips now.

Brianna hair length was really her only vanity. She knew that it was one of the things that Aric really liked. And the other was that she still painted her toenails red just for him too.

But the seasons had been very kind to her and she was still a striking and attractive woman. Even though the seasons had slowed her down a bit, she was very fit, exercised daily and was still able to handle her weapons with confidence. But she no longer quite carried the figure that she did in her youth, even though it was still an impressive figure.

She worked hard to instruct the girls in weapons usage. Gem who was primarily a mage also learned the correct way to use a Bo staff. Gem wouldn't be taking out any dedicated melee fighters anytime soon, but she was more proficient than the average mage, and against another mage would surely win a fight in melee combat.

Rayne also helped teach the girls as well as Cassie, who when she wasn't working with her husband in the field, could be found instructing the girls.

The twins, Galen, her father worked with the children that were mages to learn magic and all children learned the basics of reading, writing, and other subjects from Galen and Aric.

But over the years what Rayne found strangest by far was her father Aric.

At 63 he still gave the appearance of being at best only 30 seasons old to anyone that saw him. He still had a single silver forelock, in his curly brown hair, but that was the only thing that might remotely show his age. He was still heavily muscled and didn't show any signs that age slowed him down in the slightest.

Even though she looked far younger than her 38, one might confuse him as her brother to any who didn't know them, instead of as father and daughter.

And even though she was just three seasons older, her mother Brianna often joked that it did her image good to have it look like she had what it took to keep a younger man interested in her, and Aric just smiled and kissed her every time.

And Rayne knew that they both still enjoyed each others company inside the house as well as outside it. And that made her smile to know it.

She knew that while Gail and Jaden, and Cassie and David loved each other, there was an undercurrent of lust to each of their relationship. But her parents reminded her of Aaron and Gemma where there was another spark that seemed to be there that showed how much they really still loved each other. And she really hoped that she and Matt had it, and that it would grow like their parents did.

As Brianna finished inspecting the girls and feeling satisfied that everything was prepared she turned to Rayne and Cassie. She didn't have to inspect their equipment because they were seasoned fighters that she already had confidence in.

"Girls this will be an adventure for you of a life time. Enjoy yourselves, don't take everything too serious and above all have fun as you learn more about yourselves and the world around you," smiled Brianna as she looked around at the girls.

"Your mothers and I have worked hard to train you. And Gem your father worked just as hard with you. I have every confidence that you will be in the tops of your age groups and probably more, so if you work hard you should all ways be proud of yourselves," finished Brianna with a smile.

The girls all smiled back and were ready to head out.

As they started out Rayne remembered that Aric, Jaden, and Caelan took Michael and Ayden up to Starfall academy last month. They should be back in a couple days, if not probably around the middle of next week sometime at the latest.

Galen and Aric convinced Jaden and Caelan to let the boys go. Even though Michael was still young, because of who their grandfather was they let him test to see if he would be admitted. They were Impressed with his abilities.

Normally they started their entrances for new students at 13 seasons of age. While Ayden was of age, it was Michael would be starting a season early because he was already a year ahead of the other students who were 13 and 14.

The twins weren't sure they wanted all of their children away from home at the same time, but Darla and Gail pointed out that their sisters and cousins would be away as well and they didn't want the boys to grow resentfully thinking that they missed out on something in life because they were boys, so they took them up to the school for entrance.

Rayne was curious what the school was like, but was happy to also go back to her second home at the guild to see what had changed since she and Cassie were last there.