Crack the Whip

The butler merely nodded. Two of the bedrooms? He would let Zada deal with that. He flicked his wand and transfigured a metal wastebasket into a very heavy metal pull up bar with heavy metal brackets and made sure it was strongly anchored to the wall at a proper height and distance. Then the butler left Alex alone.

Lorcan was just arriving as Zada's many boxes and packages from Italy appeared in the middle of the foyer. Lorcan nearly tripped on the packages that were forming just where he was about to step.

"Zada?" he called. She came out to find him arriving home.

"I expected you to be working," they exchanged a rather simple kiss.

"I came to get some of those bloodsucking buds from the leech ferns," he said.

"Poison Sand Vines?" she asked.

"Yes," he laughed. "The swimming holes and lakes are loaded with them this year. Now including the green itch business, the students are getting that miserable seeping pink rash along with it."

"Shall we make weedkiller?" she asked.

"No," he laughed. "They know where the sand vines are. They all just think they are immune to it. So, as long as they think they can dare the sand vines, the leech fern lotion is good for business."

"How much do you need?"

"Just a pouch full, for now," he said.

"I'l get them," she said. "Oh, and I have a new 'student.' Alex Star. He's settling in."

"Star...Star...Rings a bell but I can't place it," Lorcan said. She filled him in on the history, and he nodded. He decided to let Alex settle in. Zada headed out to the greenhouse to get the bloodsucking leech buds for Lorcan. He ordered a cup of tea from a house elf, and then flicked his wand to open Zada's boxes. He began looking at her purchases. He liked her sense of fashion, and he approved of what he was finding in the boxes, and wondering how they were going to look on her.

Alex had finished writing his letter to his mother, it was just to tell her he was fine. And that he was on a Assignment for his uncle, even if it was a lie. He didn't know what his mother would do, if he told her the truth about his actions, and now his training with Miss Zada. He might have expected her to attack him with a sword, or poison his food, god his family was really nice at times.

He turned to the pull up bar, and decided to work out, as he threw his shirt onto the bed. He jumped up and grabbed the metal bar as he started to do pull ups. " One, two, three, four.... " He repeated his numbers as he was doing this for about a hour, and dinner was still far away. His body upper body was covered in sweat, and his muscles tensed with every pull up now, as he was reaching his quota. " 197,...198......199....200 " He let go of the bar, and landed on the ground, as his muscles would feel sore from his work out.

He knew that it was almost time to head to dinner, and threw the rest of his clothes on the bed, as he went to take a ice cold shower. The water was very refreshing, as he needed it after working his body to hard. Reaching for a towel after he was done, cleaning himself and getting a new pair of clothe for himself. He dressed in a white shirt, and black pants this time, and exited his room to find the Dining hall for Dinner. After much searching he found a door, and peaked his head inside to look for Zada. " Zada? are you in here? "