A small panting came from the young warrior, beads of sweat rolling down her face, eyes closed behind weightless lids. Her shoulders shook, causing the armor to clink and scrape against each other, her arms holding onto that blade with such strength one ought to think she could break it. But she brought herself back to reality at the sound of the other warriors with her; taking a deep breath she straightened her posture. Eyes cracking open to reveal inhuman silver eyes, her arm relaxed; the shaking was no longer visible, but she still trembled on the inside. It was just a pack of yoma, I didn't need to use that much yoki, less is better, she convinced herself quietly.

Dropping her right arm the large claymore swung with it in perfect motion, its tip stopped before it could even touch the soft earth, sending a weak gust of wind upon the sand. Opening her eyes fully she glanced over her shoulder towards the others, there were no more than three of them with herself included and they did pretty well. She lifted the blade again, and swung it back into place at her back with a gathered sound of heavy crunching. I'm getting better, but… its missing something.

"Miria, good job, you've gotten so fast."

"Oh, Hilda." Her voice had a faint chime, "Thank you, but I could do better."

Her smile, it was so hard to miss and yet it was enough to make the young warriors heart flutter. "That may be, but I'm sure you will master that skill of yours soon. I know you can."

"Thanks," Miria smiled in return, a faint spark of red arriving under her cheek. God, how is she so positive all the time? She asked herself, but she couldn't help but like how positive Hilda made everything, especially when it came to putting so much confidence into someone whether she knew it or not.

"We should spend some time catching up before we get assigned again tonight," Hilda recommended as she smiled softly still. "Is that alright with you?"

"Sure, I don't mind." She responded, and with a relieved sigh she briefly glanced to the third warrior who as expected kept to herself and left without mentioning anything to her comrades. But for the moment Miria ignored that particular comrade, because she couldn't care more about anyone else than her friend in front of her. It felt wrong to think that, but she wanted to catch up with Hilda at least a little bit, even if they hadn't been apart for very long.

As Hilda turned on her heel to lead to a nicer area the young woman followed with no hesitation, still watching as her friend wore that small smile over her lips so easily. She couldn't help but smile faintly to herself, raising her hand to the back of her neck, and following quietly as she searched her thoughts. Her mind was filled with strategies to fix her slowly developing skill, sighing faintly, and contemplating what she needed to better approach to better herself.

Hilda unsheathed her claymore, and struck it into the ground to the point it stood directly upright, looking to the clearly thought ridden friend of hers. "Why don't you sit down and relax first, hmm?"

Miria's gaze shot up suddenly, caught off guard, and silently responded by stabbing her own claymore into the ground near her friends. Sighing, she began to unclasp the armor pieces one by one, just to take a deep breath as she dropped them to the ground. "Sometimes, it feels so nice to get these things off."

"I'm sure it does," she commented. "Like a weight is lifted off your shoulders, right?"

Glancing over to Hilda when she said that, blinking lightly, always finding her friend mentioning such phrases as if she remembered them before all this. But she didn't know how to respond, even as she watched her friend it felt like she was trying to say something; however she suddenly changed the subject.

"How have you been holding up?" Like any concerned friend she would ask that, even as she shifted her weight to sit on the ground with a faint thud. She looked to Miria who nevertheless did the same, sitting side by side again.

"You know, it's a bit difficult and fast paced, but I'm catching up." The warrior confessed, and couldn't help but wear a small smile. "I suppose, things will continue to get harder every day, but I think I'm prepared for what's to come. No matter what happens." At that she heard a sigh escape from her friend, and her eyes creased, looking over with not so much a second take. "What?"

Bowing her head, one arm dangling over her right knee, a small smile appeared over her lips. But what was strange about the smile this time, was that it held a fearful and proud expression. "You still take things, even the inevitable, into consideration with such courage I don't know how you do it." A small chuckle left her, "I must really be the opposite of you, Miria, I don't think I could look ahead without believing fate will catch me sooner than I anticipate. It's like you aren't afraid of death."

"No, you have it wrong…" Miria's voice died off near the end of her sentence, and her head returned to the lowered position it was in earlier. "I only prepare, so that I won't lose sight that there may be a day I will be faced with death first hand, and I will need to escape it by never giving up until I achieve my goal."

Reaching over Miria's shoulder's she pulled her friend close, to comfort her but to cheer her up, "I'll be by your side through it all, I promise." Pulling on another sweet friendly smile she gently squeezed her friend's shoulders, pulling her close.

"It's a promise then," she repeated. "You'll have to survive with me, and we'll never face death alone."

"Promise." Hilda told her with a smile, and kissed her head, even as her young friend had a brief spark of red reach her cheeks in response. The smaller warrior kept close the rest of the night, leaning against her friend, the one she promised her life to.

A promise she would never forget.

---

Miria stood before the sword of her long lost friend, her hair held back in a spiky array of needles that fluttered in the wind like tree branches. She was wearing a full black uniform this time, and the cloak that adorned her lithe form whipped and cracked by the forceful mother nature's breath. But it wasn't enough to stop the actual tears streaming down the woman's cheeks, even through the forced smile she happened to wear through it all, her heart still ached.

Her friends were giving her space, for maybe once all these years together, and she was happy for it because who would want to see the proclaimed leader nearly break down. She sighed heavily, wondering if maybe, just maybe there would have been a way to keep the promise they made but it was too late for her to even make a difference for her fallen comrade. But she had the lives of six warriors that she knew she had to keep alive, because if she couldn't keep a promise to one then she was going to try and keep it for them.

I won't break this promise again, she mused with a soft sigh escaping her lips. I know you're still with me, and I promise to you these girls will not face the inevitable alone. She looked up towards the clouds that appeared to move just as fast as the wind that brushed against her, and inhaled deeply. I promise, by your soul, I will not leave them alone. Her voice cracked inside, and she could feel her throat tighten with grief as she lowered her sights back upon the claymore.

She knew that her team had to get moving again, even if it pained her to say goodbye for a second time, there was nothing she could do anymore. Raising a gloved hand she wiped away all signs of tears from her face, and sighed heavily once more. Hilda… she whispered to herself, I love you and I miss you more than you can imagine. Please, rest in peace, for me.