Esta was back at Choosing school. She had arrived the previous night, and this was her first morning at the school. This year, the students would be tested to determine their particular abilities and where they could best fit. Some kids would have magic others might accel in physical combat. This was Choosing School, and she was looking forward to her first day.

She was a few days earlier than the other new students. Her parents had to make a trip to see her sick aunt a few tree cities away. So they had talked the school into taking her days early, the other students would arrive in three days.

Zanna watched Esta as she woke up and went to get food first thing before her class started. The dormitory food court was closed for three more days, so she had to eat at the military academy branch till then. It wasn't a far flight to get there, down a level and over to another branch. She was hungery and she arrived there to find older boys, who were almost men, getting morning food. The military school was never closed. There was always a need to train rangers and soldiers to protect the tree, and this was the cadet's food court.

She waited in line with the older kids while they all got trays of food and moved off to find seats with friends. She was looking for a table off to the side.

"What is this? Aren't you a little young to be here kid? " said an older Averraen elf. He was taller than her, and he stood there with his friends behind him as he leered down at Esta.

Esta looked up at him, "I'm just here to eat. The dormitory food court is not open on my branch yet. "

The other Averraen smiled, "Well, you are not welcome here. We do not sit with newbie unchosen here. Go find yourself some other place to eat. "

Zanna didn't like this boy. Esta needed to stick up for herself. "Tell him no, Este," she said loudly.

Esta paused for a second, then spoke. "No, I think I'll be eating here. That table there is empty. I'm sure it won't bother you over much. "

The older boy's smile turned into a sneer, "I don't think you heard me. Perhaps you want to wear that food. Find somewhere else to be. We don't want unchosen stinking up the place. This is for warriors in trainin-" He stopped then and looked behind Esta, addressing someone else. "Keep your big nose out of this Taeral. We don't want any unchosen here. "

Esta looked behind her now. A taller student had moved up behind her that she hadn't heard or seen. He was tall with blonde hair, thin and lanky. He had the steady green eyes of all their race and an easy smile.

Taeral smiled at Esta, then looked back up at the older boy. "Folmer, busy picking on young ladies now? Aren't you supposed to be training as a soldier? "

Folmer's face turned red, and his hands balled into fists. "Stay out of this Taeral. The rules clearly state that the unchosen do not come into the military food court or eat with us. She should not be here. "

Taeral smiled at Folmer, "I believe the young lady already explained herself. Would you like to schedule a practice dual this afternoon? Perhaps I can make you see some sense. "

"You know rangers and soldiers do not dual," said Folmer.

"Yes, I know, but I'm sure something can be arranged. I know master Methild would be happy to let us try," said Taeral.

Folmer's face was several shades of anger red, "I'm going to report you, Taeral," said Folmer then he turned and left for a building near the tree trunk with his friends following close behind.

Esta watched Folmer stalk off.

"Don't mind Folmer. He is a stickler for rules, and sometimes he gets a little overzealous. You can sit with me. What was your name again? I'm Taeral Oriyra, third-year Guardian School cadet. " said Taeral gesturing to a seat back towards the entrance.

Esta stammered a second. "oh…Thank you, oh, I'm Esta. Esta Taranath, unchosen. I'm here a few days early. "

Taeral walked to his table and sat, "Ahhh, so why are you here early? "

"My aunt is sick, and my parents decided they needed to leave right away. So they talked to the right instructor, and here I am," said Esta taking the other seat.

Taeral nodded, "What do they have you doing till your classes start? Other than going places you are technically not allowed to visit."

Esta gave him a small smile, "They gave me several books on magic and healing. I want to join the School of Healing, and with this magic learned, I can work at The Branch of Kind aid. I'm supposed to read through the books, so I'm not sitting here doing nothing for three days. " said Esta.

Taeral frowned, then took another bite of his eggs. "Well, doesn't that sound exciting? Books and reading all day."

Esta chuckled, "Yes, very, well, not really. I can't read all those books in three days. "

Taeral smiled again, "Well, if you are interested, there is a graduation show tomorrow before the next class of cadets arrives. It will be tomorrow on the ground near the parade area. It will be more interesting than those books if you want to come. "

Esta smiled. She turned a bit red, "I might do that. Thank you. "

"I'll tell them I'm expecting a visitor so you can get a seat," said Taeral smiling, then continued with his breakfast.

***

Esta made it back to her room in the empty dormitory.

She found a seat outside where the sun came down through the large leaves of the Primal Tree and sat to read one of her books. Then she stopped and closed her eyes, searching herself with her magic. She had now felt this voice two times.

Esta spoke out loud, "Who are you?"

Zanna was taken aback, she had thought the child did not know she was there. So she spoke to Esta, "I am Zanna."

Esta sat there waiting, hoping to hear back. She knew something wasn't right.

Zanna tried shouting, "I am Zanna!"

Esta turned her head to the side, listening, "Ganna? What is a Ganna?"

Zanna thought about this. She appeared to be able to communicate with the child if she shouted. Perhaps it wasn't the shouting that was allowing her to communicate? Zanna spoke now, using the same urgency in her voice as if she was going to shout but quieter. "Zanna."

"What is a Zanna? And why are you in my head?" asked Esta to herself, musing.

Zanna tried to feel what Esta felt while speaking, "I do not know. I believe I'm here to learn something. Or I'm cursed. "

Esta's voice became serious, "Oh, cursed? Why can't you just leave? I don't think I want someone in my thoughts. "

Zanna was starting to get the hang of how this communication worked, "Child, If I could leave, I would have long ago. "

"Well, you need to stop telling me to hit people. I do not like violence, any kind of violence. I won't do it again. Do you know how many chores my mother gave me for hitting Svak over this last year? " said Esta huffing her breath out.

Zanna thought about this. She didn't know, and she couldn't remember being in Esta's mind for a whole year. She knew elves were long-lived, and the children generally grew at half the rate of a human.

Zanna asked, "How old are you, Esta?"

Esta's eyebrows crinkled in puzzlement, "I'm 24 cycles old. I'm an acolyte this year. "

"You were gone from school a whole year? " asked Zanna.

"Yes, we always take one year off, then we come back and learn for one year. Only in the last year of our studies, do we stay for the full two years. All those young men in the food court have been here two years finishing their studies and training. " said Esta.

Zanna considered this. She could not remember anything past Esta introducing Svak to her parents. Then she found herself waking up here at the branch school, inhabiting Esta's thoughts today. Why was she here? She remembered the undead Naga and attacking it with demon fire, but then that was it. Was she dead? Was she destined to be attached to this child for eternity? What was going on?

Esta spoke, "I'm still deciding if I should tell people about you. If they start thinking I have voices in my head, they might start calling me crazy. "

Zanna stopped her introspection and paid more attention. She couldn't have her or, well, this child ostracized, it would be best if Esta kept Zanna's presence from becoming a problem for both of them.

"You are not crazy. I'm not exactly sure what is going on either," said Zanna. She wasn't happy with that statement, but she felt it might help keep Esta calm.

"Zanna, that doesn't sound like an Averraen name. Are you Averraen?" asked Esta.

"No, " said Zanna.

"Are you a ghost? " asked Esta.

"No, I do not think I am, " said Zanna.

"Are you a witch or undead wight here to eat my soul? " asked Esta.

"No, why do you think I'm here to hurt you? " asked Zanna?

"How about a demon or dark elf to entrap my soul? " asked Esta.

Zanna paused for a moment, "No. "

"No, you're not a demon, or no, you're not a dark elf from the pathways? " asked Esta.

Zanna paused. Why did Esta ask the same question? "No to both."

"Zanna, I can feel that answer was different from the other ones, " said Esta.

Zanna stopped responding after that. She needed to think.

***

The following morning Esta again went to the food court and got her food. She was Folmer staring at her as she walked over to the table where Taeral was sitting, eating, and reading a book. She stood there until he looked up, a bit surprised to see her again. Then he moved his book to the side, allowing her space to sit across from him.

Esta smiled as she sat, "What are you reading? "

Taeral looked up again at her, "It's a book on aerial warfare tactics and old battles. The guardian cadets are doing a mock battle with the soldier cadets for our final later today. There are all these rules of engagement I'm supposed to know. I'm just refreshing my memory, so I don't forget them. "

"What is a mock battle? " asked Esta trying to show interest.

Taeral stopped reading, holding his place in the book with his finger, "It's a battle where we don't' hurt each other. It is one of the things we do to practice. Today is going to be replaying a famous battle from a hundred years ago against a band of human mercenaries. They attacked a village near our tree, and we defeated them."

Esta watched as a group of bluebirds flew through the nearby branches. "What part do you have? " she asked.

"I'm one of the guardians that lead the attack from the trees. My squad swoops over while raining arrows down upon the humans. The soldier cadets are playing the mercenaries. We don't actually shoot arrows, we are going to be throwing these weighted ribbons. But there is a parley where I'll have to go forward and accept their surrender in the end. That's the part I'm reading about now. " replied Taeral.

"That sounds exciting, when is this going to be done today? I think I'd like to watch it," said Esta.

Taeral stood up, hurriedly gathering his books and tray, "It will be two hours before the midday meal. I'll watch for you. I need to get going now. We are going to rehearse it once before our relatives show up to watch. The elders are coming to see us graduate. I'll see you after perhaps. " He nodded and smiled as he left.

***

Esta flew down the parade grounds. There were small groups of people walking into a fenced area that had some viewing stands set up around the open side. In the middle were several small rough looking buildings and some trees.

She told the two cadets at the landing platform she was there to visit Taeral, and she was allowed in. She went and found a seat in the viewing stands.

There was a brief speech by an older man in robes telling the audience about the years of training and how most of these young men would go on to become officers in their home forces or in the kingdom's guardian units. Then he gave the signal for the show to begin.

Zanna watched all this, still thinking. Then the mock battle began. The Averraen soldier cadets came marching into the area wearing metal helmets, with long stick spears, and bulky-looking leather armor. She supposed that was to simulate the human armors. She watched as the human group of one hundred cadets set long streamers of red cloth against the buildings to flutter the slight breeze here below the tree.

Esta watched intently as the fake fire streamers blew around, she heard the soldier cadets shouting in mock joy. Then flying in over the top of the buildings came the guardians. They had leather armor on and were armed with bows. They flew over the crowd and soldiers, then up behind the crowd. They circled and flew back towards the soldier cadets who had spread out in a formation and were waving their spears around at the sky.

The guardians made a pass over, dropping weighted ribbons on the humans. The soldier cadets fell when hit, and the guardians split into three groups, now going in different directions over the buildings. Coming back over and over, dropping more ribbons and more soldiers lay down.

Esta smiled while watching their flight formations but movement at the edge of the viewing stand caught her attention. An older man dressed as a guardian flew in, handed the officials a note, and then flew off. The men below were discussing the message's contents as the soldier cadets put a white flag into the air on the end of one of their spears.

Esta watched as Taeral flew down with two others and took the white flag and the surrender of the humans. She could barely make out their words from her seat. The show was over when the two groups marched off the edge of the field.

The man in robes who spoke earlier stepped back out in front of the crowd as the clapping stopped. " Averraens, I'm afraid I must cut the festivities short. These cadets are members of our military, and I've just received word that all current military must report to the capital. There is an incursion from the dark pathways, and a city has already fallen to the south. All militia members must also report to your muster locations. Thank you, and may the tree gods bless you. " He turned back to the older men near him, giving orders for them to gather the men at the parade grounds in full gear and supplies they were to leave in an hour.

Zanna watched through Esta's eyes, wondering what was going on.

***