A/N: Yeah, these suck, but I promise, this is important. Sequ to SN (for those of you who were wondering) is 'shorthand-I-didn't-have-enough-space-in-the-summary' for Sequel to Something New, as in this is the third story in the series (?). Anyways, read and review!
Odette walked along a silent corridor, the August sun flooding the hall in light as she strolled along. She suddenly felt a light tugging on her pants. She looked down and smiled, and immediately picked up the child who was so desperately trying to get her attention. They grinned at each other when Odette swooped the child up into her arms.
"Mama," the little blonde haired, blue eyed girl said, "when are Daddy and Angel coming back?"
"Soon, Wren, soon," Odette replied patiently. Wren, her four year old daughter, had asked the same question over and over again since Derek and Angel left to take care of some business in Amalia, another Guardian city. Not even Cassandra, Odette's mother was in Elmswell, as she had decided to live in Rayne, a minor Guardian village, to look after things there. Derek and Angel were supposed to be gone for a week, but although there was one more day in that week's time, Odette could understand Wren's impatience. She missed Derek, as she was sure Fiera missed Angel.
The former then appeared in the hallway, throwing a delighted grin at Wren, who returned it as immediately as she received it. Wren and Fiera were close as could be. With Fiera like a beloved sister to Odette, it was only natural she and Wren would hit it off.
"Hey, Wren. How's my favorite princess?" Fiera asked, mussing the girl's blonde locks.
"I miss Daddy and Angel," Wren replied honestly.
"So do I," Fiera agreed, her smile fading for a fraction of a second. She then looked up at Odette, who was visibly happy that her best friend and daughter got along so well. "They are getting back soon, right?"
"You and Wren sound alike," Odette laughed. "Yes, they should be back tomorrow afternoon."
"Good… Are you ready for training?"
Odette nodded and put the hand that was not supporting Wren on her sword's hilt. "Ready," she answered.
"Good, because I wanted to try something new."
"Mama, can I go?" Wren asked.
"Hmm…" Odette stroked her chin, pretending to deliberate. "Did you finish your lessons?" Odette was referring to the lessons from the tutor Wren and a few other noble children received in the morning. Guardians held intelligence in higher respect than strength, meaning all children were very well educated, a very big difference from the human world, where only those who could afford an education received one.
"Yes," Wren replied, sugar coating her answer, as she often did when she wanted something.
"Fiera, what do you think?"
"I think you should stop teasing her," Fiera answered, fighting laughter.
"Yeah!" Wren agreed, giggling, knowing she was going to get her way.
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to beat her this afternoon," Fiera said slyly, alluding to the fact that she hadn't won a match in quite a while.
"No!" Wren protested, making a show of hugging Odette tightly around the neck and causing laughter all around.
"All right, you can come and cheer me on," Odette finally said. "But make sure you're careful and don't get hurt."
Fiera led the way to the armory, which was just next to the practice field. Fiera walked to the end of the room, where she had put her sword that morning before she retrieved Odette for training. Odette put Wren down, but held her hand to prevent her from running around or hurting herself on one of the many weapons.
Fiera picked up her adamant sword and something else, which Odette could not see, as Fiera's back was turned. She fastened the sword, sheathe and all, to her belt and began fidgeting with the other items in her hands. She faced Odette, showing her two cylindrical pieces of metal, which were narrow at one end, and wider at the other. Fiera opened them up, using the tiny, skillfully made hinges that were fixed to them, like a curved book.
"Gauntlets," she explained, snapping them onto her forearm. She held up her left arm for Odette to see. The fitted adamant wrapped her forearm perfectly up to about three inches below her elbow. They were just above her wrists, allowing her enough movement to perform the many sword moves she knew. "They're not heavy, and I can move in them. Let's see if I can use them right."
Odette led the way, with Wren in tow, to the practice field, where many other Guardians were sparring. Some of them, upon seeing Odette and Fiera, stopped, and began to watch the two begin their match. Wren sat against the wall, a safe distance from her training mother and friend, and watched, as she had done since her mother deemed her old enough.
For a while, Odette had thought it unwise to allow Wren so close to all the fighting on the practice field, but Fiera explained to her that watching was the best way to learn. More importantly, through watching, Wren would know how to handle a situation, though both of them hoped nothing would happen until she was older.
Fiera dropped her knees and drew her sword. Odette brandished hers and grinned.
"Blow me away," Fiera challenged.
"No problem," Odette grinned.
They collided with all the speed and noise of two lightning bolts. In the next instant, they split up and glared at each other. The next time they came together, they traded blows for a few minutes until their blades locked. They struggled for a moment or two, both trying to free their swords, but neither had any luck until Odette, gaining the upper hand, flicked her wrist, and Fiera's blade landed about twenty feet away, stuck in the ground.
Odette, smirking a little, raised her sword above her head for a mock death blow. However, just as she was bringing it down, Fiera blocked with her new gauntlet on her left arm. With her right arm, she was just about to come around with a hook ton Odette's chin, but Odette wisely jumped back.
Fiera's speed allowed her to hurdle toward Odette like a comet, unhindered by a blade or other heavy object in her hands. For a few minutes, Odette was on the defensive, trying to avoid Fiera's punches. However, she didn't realize she was being corralled.
Odette backed up about three feet past Fiera's sword. When she realized Fiera's plan, it was too late. Fiera, as she ran past, ripped the sword from the ground, sending dirt everywhere, and charged Odette. She swung the blade at Odette, who jumped out of the way just in time. Fiera, unable to control the momentum of the sword, ended up swinging it into the earth, once again getting it stuck there.
Fiera had swung the sword with such force that she fell when it was embedded in the ground again. She rolled once, and Odette saw her opening and doubled back, sword raised again. She struck, stopping just short of Fiera's skin on her heart
Fiera grinned up at Odette. Odette returned it and offered her hand to help Fiera up. Fiera took it, and they both burst into laughter. That was one of their harder fights. They were both soaked with sweat, something that didn't happen often.
Wren ran over to Odette, who again immediately picked her up. Wren gave the victor a kiss on the cheek and a wide smile. Odette hugged her daughter closer.
"Mama won again!" Wren announced proudly. The Guardians who had stopped their training to watch laughed.
"Congratulations Mama!" they called to Odette, who laughed and thanked them in return. She loved the people of Elmswell. With only a slight few exceptions, everyone was very kind to each other, especially to Odette.
"That was…" Fiera panted, wiping her brow on a handkerchief. She had no words to finish the sentence, or none that would express her amazement about the mock fight.
"Intense?" Odette offered.
"Yeah, that's a good word for it. These gauntlets worked pretty well when I got the chance to actually use them." She laughed. Odette hadn't allowed her any time to block blows.
"You didn't seemed too bothered when you were unarmed, Fiera," Odette noted. "Can you fight without a weapon?"
"Well, when the situation calls for it, yes. But I try not to. Bare hands versus sharpened blades isn't always the best match."
"I can imagine."
XxX
Odette and Fiera cleaned up quickly and met each other outside the dining hall for dinner. Wren, who had arrived with Odette, as usual, was very quiet, tired from the day. It seemed like the day they had passed was filled with excitement, starting in the morning with a letter from Derek and Angel, promising they would be home soon, and ending with Odette and Fiera's training match. Just watching it all take place around her made Wren tired.
Wren was an exact copy of Odette. Quiet, but energetic with the same beauty and kindness. It was Fiera's thought that the girl would grow up to break the hearts of many young men. Wren, however, was shy, despite being intelligent for her age, another thing she seemed to inherit from Odette. However, from Derek she received an athleticism that put some of the grown up Guardians, her parents included, to shame.
Wren was the apple of her parents' eyes, the object of the Guardians' affection, and all around well loved by anyone who met her. Fiera took a shine to her very early on, becoming like the girl's aunt.
"Don't make her call me that," she had said to Odette one afternoon, about a year before, who suggested Wren call her that out of respect.
"Why not?" Odette asked.
"As much as I'd love to be your sister, Wren doesn't need to call me by anything other than my name. Besides, it makes me feel like I should be a disciplinarian when she's in my care. You know how I am."
"You seem to have no problem with your cadets," Odette pointed out.
"Yeah, but I can say whatever I want without worrying about offending the queen."
Fiera, as usual, led the march into the dining room. The drummers were, as always, in perfect time with her footsteps, tapping out the familiar cadence. Then, it was Odette and Wren's turn. Odette marched, but with Wren on her hip, it wasn't as easy as it once was. She soon forgot the idea of keeping in step, too distracted by her daughter.
Wren, now that she was old enough to sit at the table, sat to Odette's right, where she would normally be in between her mother and Derek. Fiera was at Odette's left, just like the night she had shown Odette how everything was run in Elmswell. Odette sighed, in deep thought.
"Something wrong?" Fiera asked, concerned for her friend.
"Things are changing so quickly," Odette replied, still pondering the idea.
"How so?"
"Well, Wren's almost four, for starters, and since I've gotten here, nothing's stayed the same for long. You even changed races. You're a Paladin, not Guardian, not demon, not human. Derek has become a father and an excellent king. I'm queen of a race of people I didn't know of before I was attacked by demons. You and Angel were married…"
"I understand," Fiera said, cutting her off, smiling apologetically as she did so. Odette, of course, took it well and bid her go on with a hand gesture. "But change is a good thing. You can't have things stay the same for too long, right?"
"Right," Odette agreed.
The rest of dinner was rather uneventful, filled with the mindless chatter that had become prominent since Angel and Derek's departure. Most of the words spoken expressed their longing for their husbands to be home and their happiness that they would be before sun down the next day.
When they left the dining hall, Wren yawned quite loudly for someone her size.
"Someone's sleepy," Fiera noted, looking pointedly at Wren, who nodded.
"I'm going to put her to bed," Odette said, picking up the exhausted Wren, who immediately rested her head on Odette's shoulder, eyes closing. "Should I skip the story tonight?"
"No!" Wren protested, yawning again immediately afterward.
"Okay, I'll read to you until you fall asleep, alright?"
"Okay."
Fiera could hear them as they walked down the hall, their words echoing off the stone.
Fiera yawned sleepily.