The next morning, I was awakened early by my door slamming open and De’Nara bouncing in with a enthusiastic, “Good morning! I found you!” At least to my swollen eyes and befuddled morning brain, it appeared to be De’Nara.

“Wha… Didn’t you catch the boat?” Groggily I asked while rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

De’Nara giggled lightly. “What type of bait would I use for that? I’ve done a lot of fishing in the past, but I’ve never heard of anyone catching a boat!”

Something was wrong. De’Nara was here yesterday, and she didn’t fish; she was always too busy training to fish. As I wiped the matter fully from my eyes, and the fog in my brain cleared a little better, I could tell that De’Nara wasn’t De’Nara. Well, I mean whoever this was, wasn’t De’Nara. But they were almost De’Nara!

The girl before me was naked, and had the same young frame and built that De’Nara had when I first saw her several years ago. De’Nara had grown and filled out and became a beautiful woman, but this girl was still a young girl waiting on the edge of womanhood. She looked so much like De’Nara that it made my eyes water seeing her, but she was definitely a new student.

“Who are you?” I was trying to put the pieces together, but somehow my muddled brain seemed to be missing something.

The young not-De’Nara laughed lightly and flopped down on the bed with me. “I’m Le’Nara. Are you going to break my blood so I can start learning magic with The Lady?”

“Break your blood?”

With a light laugh, she sprawled out, opened her legs wide, and wiggled her hips suggestively. “Yep! I can’t learn magic until it’s broke and sis said you might be the one to do it! I don’t mind,” she assured me. “I knew coming here that I was going to lose my purity. Magic and a woman’s cycles just don’t mix well. I’ve already had the herbs to take my moon days away, so I’m ready for breaking anytime!”

My brain was finally starting to function and put the pieces together. “Your sister,” I asked, “she wouldn’t happen to be De’Nara, would she?”

“Yep! That’s Sis. She was supposed to introduce us yesterday, but she got lost somewhere after the ceremony and I couldn’t find her.” Le’Nara was now scissoring her legs open and shut repeatedly, seeming completely at ease and completely shameless, in my bed.

“What the heck are you doing?” I had to ask.

“Limbering up,” she replied lightly. “I was told by some of the older girls on the boat ride here that exercises like this would make my first time less painful and I wouldn’t be as stiff after.” She continued to scissor her legs open and shut several more times. “So, are you going to be breaking me in soon, or what?”

I couldn’t help but shake my head and laugh lightly. This girl might look an awful lot like De’Nara, but she didn’t seem anything like her at all. Still, she had that same scent of roses and woman that I’d learned to associate with De’Nara, and that was nice. “I’m sorry,” I told her honestly, “I’m not old enough to do something like that yet. I haven’t gone through my growth to become a man yet; my equipment doesn’t work.”

“Oh.” She sounded a little pouty. “That’s OK then. I’m certain your father will get around to me soon. Sis had said it might still be a little early for you, but that you’d probably grow into it during my stay here. She made me promise to come join you every morning and night, and we’re supposed to have meals together as well. She said you’ll help take care of me while I was here also.”

Le’Nara stopped exercising and sat up so she could look me in the face. “You will do that, won’t you? Sis is gone, I’ve never actually been on my own before, and it’s a little scary this far from home. Dee said you were a special young man and someone I could trust and be friends with. I think I’d like that if that’s OK with you as well?”

Somehow, I couldn’t help but laugh and try not to cry. I’d worked to make De’Nara a blade and given it to her as a gift. I’d never been able to defeat her on the warrior’s field with all our times of training and sparring together, as she had a longer reach and larger frame than me still; but once again, she’s bested me. I give her a sword, and she sends me a friend.

It was an amazing gift from an amazing woman!

“I’d like that too,” I told Le’Nara sincerely. “Your sister was a very special person and she’ll always hold a sacred place in my heart. I truly hope that you and I can become just as close as she and I are. If you ever need me for anything, let me know and I’ll be there for you to help any way I can. You have my word on that.”

Giggling lightly, Le’Nara leaned over and hugged me tightly. “Thanks. And if you ever need me for anything, let me know as well. I might not be sis, but I hope we’ll become just as good friends here as you and her. She’s already told me so many things about you and the time you’ve spent together in her letters she sent home. I think we’ll get along just fine.”

Truly, it was an amazing gift – the gift of friendship!