"Yes, I'm ready. Bring her in."
The voice that spoke was confident and firm, but not harsh. However, Kestrel still seemed very unsure about why she was being ushered into this room, and she particularly didn't want to know who the voice was coming from. It was the voice of authority, undoubtedly; the sound was already chilling the child to the bone.
Upon opening the door, Kestrel was greeted by a straight-faced woman wearing a Stormguard uniform. She recognized the white and red outfit, the people that tested her at school wore something similar. However, something was off. Yes, the color scheme was the same but..
It didn't take Kestrel very long to recognize the difference was a beret sitting delicately on the mystery woman's head. A war beret, to be exact. Kestrel immediately felt sick to her stomach. She knew she was standing in the presence of an army officer. I'm only seven, what could I have done to anger the Stormguard? Am I in trouble? Are they going to send me back home? A thousand thoughts raced through her mind all at once, but she took a breath and tried to calm herself.
"Hello." The brown haired adult finally spoke, in Lilliaise. "I can speak other languages you know.." the young girl quietly commented, although her accent was prominent. "Oh yes, I'm very aware of that fact. I just thought it'd be more relaxing and calming for you to hear." Kestrel quickly noted that the woman also had an accent. "I know you're a quiet child, so let me do all the talking and let's get straight to the point, shall we?" The Stormguard officer pushed a small bowl of candy to the edge of her desk toward the child, inviting her to take some while she listened. It was the same candy from the testing.
"I'm Catherine, the captain of the Stormguard. A year ago you were brought to Monte Lille to continue your education, and we've been monitoring you. Simply put, you're a prodigy. You're a child but are easily doing work that students three years ahead of you are doing. I've specifically asked that you be brought to me personally for but one reason; I want you to start training to be in the Stormguard."
Kestrel slowly took in what was just said. She sat there quietly, eating a piece of candy while she thought on all the information. They had been watching her.. And taking notes on her academic performance. They really think I'll be useful?
As if to reassure the blonde from her silence, Catherine continued, "You excel in analytics and high process thinking, and your ability to quickly assess situations and react accordingly is what we need. If you start training now, you'll be one of the finest we've ever had."