Ch. 1

Pheonix Manor, any of the neighbors would testify, was an odd place. It remained steadfast in it's inability to change. Mrs. Cor, the current owner, was quite an odd woman herself, as all the proprietors had been thus far. She had four sons and one daughter. Her husband had been lost at sea not long after her daughter, Vayl, and the twin she despised, Adam, were born. Vayl therefore remembered nothing of her father. People thought it odd, too, that Mrs. Cor did not discourage her children from going to the sea. In fact she encouraged it, for how else would they bath? There was, of course, no plumbing at Phoenix Manor. Much too new-fashioned.
All those who stayed at Phoenix Manor had an appreciation for nature, but none quite so much as Vayl. She longed to fly in the air as she had seen the birds and planes do. The sea was always calling to her and the forest enchanting her.
"Nan, don't you think the earth is just too beautiful sometimes?" Vayl remarked rather whistfully to Nana Hana in her cottage, Nana Hana was the housekeeper of Phoenix Manor, she practically raised Vayl and her brothers, and Vayl loved her dearly. They were always welcome in her home.
"Oh, how I hope you've never a reason to change that outlook of the world, deary."
There were not many children surrounding Phoenix Manor, but Vayl was content with the company of Char, Nan's son, and her brothers.
James, her eldest brother, was a tad serious, but was also quite witty. Nicholas and Matthew were as inseparable as they were mischievous.

It was a particularly sunny morning and Vayl yearned to stretch her legs and run amongst the creatures in the manor's meadows. However, a very important gentlemen was coming to stay at Phoenix Manor that evening and her mother had her preparing his room. Vayl, being a 16 year old girl, had no interest in dong housework and could not keep her mind set on the task. At one point she found herself peering absentmindedly out the window. It wasn't until she heard a high pitched screech erupt from beside her that she awoke from her daze and realized she had trimmed the curtains, dusted the pillows, and was now watering her beloved and very large cat, Ginger. Minerva Cor, Vayl's mother, ran to her daughter and ripped the flower vase, that she evidently had been sprinkling on Ginger for quite some time, from her grasp. Apparently Mrs. Cor was the source of the screech and from the ravage look in her eyes and her scarlet face; she was not happy. Vayl was sent from the room at once and was put in a very sour mood herself. But no matter how ashamed she felt for giving her mother extra work, she could not help but feel her heart burst with glee at the thought of spending another fine summer's day in the meadow basking in the sun's warmth, ridding herself of such confinements as ceilings and walls.
Vayl unbuckled her shoes and was twirling down the once visible path, now overgrown with flowers, be it from lack of disciple or from the liking Nana Hana had taken to the flowers. Vayl assumed the latter. She was nearly to her beloved housekeeper's front gate when her two older brothers, Nick and Matt, side swept her and she was pummeled to the ground. She had become quite used to those little meetings and found herself rather fond of her free spirited brothers. It was the one who came rounding the corner, stumbling and swearing, that she couldn't bare the site of. Her twin brother, Adam, had leaped the last hill, tripped, and rolled to the feet of his siblings, now covered in mud.
"They're going to pay!" Adam muttered angrily to himself. "And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be helping mum prepare for what's his name, Crew?"
"Mr. Crew!" Vayl retorted then promptly stormed off, flicking her long black hair back.
She headed in the direction of the beach, catching site of Char in the distance.
"Hey, Char!" Vayl called out.
"Oh, hello, Vay, " Char grinned, " I hear you're having a very important guest coming to stay?"
"Oh, yes, a Mr. Andrew Crew. To be honest, I don't know quite who he is or why he's come. Nor do I much care. Probably just some old professor wanting to see a 'glimpse of the past'. I'll try to stay as far out of the way as possible.
"Charles!" Nan called," Charles, come here please!"
Char and Vayl both trudged up to the cottage.
"Vay! What are you doing here? Mr. Crew has come early!" Nan was in quite a tither.
Vayl quickly ran home, tripping in a puddle of mud on the way.
"Oh, what am I going to do with you all!" Mrs. Cor implored when Vayl got home, "You and Adam with mud all over, and Nick and Matt who knows where, getting into who knows what mischief! Well go wash up then come straight to the parlor."
But Vayl did not wash up, because what did she care if Mr. Crew saw a bit of mud? For her mother had exaggerated. Instead she headed for the parlor, and upon meeting Mr. Crew, regretted her decision a bit. Mr. crew was not the old professor she had imagined, but was a rather handsome young man.

Vayl’s cheeks burned and she fidgeted uncomfortably in front of him. They stood for a couple of moments; an air of awkwardness seemed to enclose them. Vayl was horribly embarrassed at the impression she must be making upon him and she knew Mr. Crew must have sensed it because his face, instead of being scarlet like hers, was displaying a slight but definite grin. Crew opened his mouth as if to say something but was interrupted my Mrs. Cor’s sudden presence followed by her three youngest sons.
Mrs. Cor bustled over to where her guest was standing and flourished him with greetings. Her short, squat stature was quite an oddity next to Crew’s tall, muscular build. Vayl could not help but stare, he was indeed very handsome. His curly, unkept hair was dark brown and suited his tan, olive complexion and brilliantly vibrant dark eyes very well.
Vayl broke from her thoughts and in very good time too, for her mother had just begun introducing the others.
“This is Nicholas and Matthew. Nicholas is in his last year, as I hear you are as well?” Crew nodded, “And Matthew is in his second to last.”
Mrs. Cor moved to Adam next, shook her head in distaste, for he was quite a site, still drenched in with tiny red scratches from his endeavors in the forest earlier that day.
“This one here is Adam; he’ll be a sophomore along with his twin, my youngest, Vayl.” She quickly moved to her daughter and was delighted to see that Vayl was not nearly as dirty as her brothers, relieving her of her prior embarrassments.
Mr. Crew studied Vayl for what seemed like forever, causing color to rise on her cheeks, and then spoke very casually as if no time of awkwardness had just elapsed.
“I’m assuming you all attend Green’s Peak, the prep school just around the corner, from what your mother told me.”
They all nodded including Vayl, having no idea why he would be so interested in their education. She pondered this for a moment but her question was quickly answered.
“I don’t know if your mother has told you but I’ll be going there this year to finish up school. My dad’s away on business and things didn’t go over to well at last school so he thought it’d be a nice change to start over new. And since your mother so graciously agreed to let me stay here for the summer and holidays, he thought Green’s Peak was the perfect opportunity. I personally am enjoying myself already,” Andrew finished with a subtle but very handsome grin at Vayl.
A slight look of shock had passed over Vayl’s face but was almost immediately replaced with an embarrassed grin at Crew. A moment later she broke their gaze and glanced sideways at the window, catching Char’s eye as he passed by turning into he house. Nana Hana and he bustled into the room. Vay greeted them both very warmly and was about to fall into conversation with Char when her mother interrupted.
“Vayl, would you mind showing Mr. Crew to his room, I’m sure he would like to get settled in.”
Wanting to spend time with Char, but not being able to refuse her mother’s request, Vayl agreed reluctantly. Char looked slightly crestfallen but did not say a word.
Vayl led Crew upstairs and through the halls. She felt incredibly awkward. Although she always felt a little awkward around people she wasn’t familiar with, after being brought up so remotely. The previous year was the first time she had even gone to school, since before that her mother and Nana Hana had taught her. Crew, though, appeared quite as at ease.
“I heard Phoenix Manor was big, but this is practically a castle!” Crew exclaimed.
“Oh, yes, there are nearly sixty rooms, Mr. Crew.”
He laughed, “You’re making me feel old! Please, call me Andy.”
“Alright… Andy. Here’s your room,” Vayl pointed to the room opposite of them, then turned quickly towards her own room.
“I almost wish our guest had been an old professor,” Vayl thought to herself the next morning while walking through the woods. She wasn’t sure if she liked how she felt when Andy’s dark-eyed glance pierced her own.
Vayl noticed a figure running towards her. As it got closer she recognized it as Ana, one of her neighbors. Ana’s eyes appeared vague and unfocused, her face was ghostly pale. She stopped, panting, in front of Vayl.
“Take them! Please take them away from me!” Ana cried, dropping two red-gold bird feathers into Vayl’s hands.
“What? Wait--!” But it was too late; Ana had already started running again.