Danni goes to bed. The others get a tour.

Belinda and Amber helped Danni to her room and laid her down on the bed. The girl pulled a rough blanket over herself and curled up shivering. Sister Mary sent Cassie for some water and knelt beside the bed, stroking Danni's forehead. When Cassie returned the nun dampened a cloth in water and wiped the girl's face and neck, murmuring encouragement to her. After a few moments Danni stopped shivering and gave a weak smile.

"I'm feeling a little better. I think it was just the shock. I was pretty scared."

"I'm not surprised. Those shelves were heavy. You could have been badly hurt. Or worse." Sister Mary stroked Danni's forehead again and smiled gently at her. "You rest now. I'll have some food brought to you. Come on girls, I can show you around the convent while Danni rests."

The girls murmured encouragement to their friend before following the nun out the door. She showed them the various rooms of the convent, the bathhouse, the kitchen, the dining hall and the library. It was in the latter, she told them that their studies would take place.

"We have no other students at present, so you should have no difficulty finding any books that you need. You are free to read anything here, but you cannot take it from the library. It must be read here."

The dining hall, she told them, was a place where conversation during meals was not strictly forbidden, but greatly discouraged. Meals were simple but nourishing, and not to be lingered over with idle conversation.

She showed them outside, pointing out the orchard and vegetable gardens, and pens where some goats were kept. Belinda excitedly asked if there were horses, and pouted a bit when told there were none. The girls exclaimed over some rabbits kept in hutches and insisted on holding them, cuddling them against their faces and making cooing sounds.

After Sister Mary finally convinced them to put the rabbits back she showed them a chicken run, and told them that one of their tasks would be to gather eggs, feed the animals and do other chores in the garden.

"What's that?" Wanda asked, pointing to a shed that seemed to be under construction.

"We're going to make a cider press. Liam, the man who helped bring your luggage in is doing most of the work. He lives in town and works here while it's being built."

By the time Sister Mary had finished her tour it was nearly time for the evening meal, and she sent them to wash. The bathhouse held several pumps, and they filled basins with cold, crisp water to bathe their hands and faces. They grumbled about the lack of hot water and looked doubtfully at the tubs, fearing the idea of immersing their young bodies in such icy water.

When they were done, they made their way to the dining hall and took their places at the foot of the table where Sister Mary directed. As promised, the meal was consumed without conversation, and they ate the bread and cheese and fruit, glancing at each other and rolling their eyes at the stoic silence of the nuns.

When the meal was done they were directed to help clean up, and under the direction of another nun, Sister Beatrice, they washed and dried the dishes, some of them muttering about the lack of a dishwasher.

That done, they were directed to the chapel, where other nuns knelt in prayer. Sister Beatrice told them that they could pray or not as they chose, but they would spend the hour before bed in contemplation and reflection. The girls greeted this news with more rolls of eyes, but they obeyed, smothering their giggles and whispering quietly to each other until the hour was up.

Somewhat to their surprise, they found themselves feeling weary, and it was with some eagerness that they went to their chambers and climbed into bed, stripping their shifts off and folding them at the foot of their cots.

Within minutes, all of them were asleep.

And so was Sister Mary.