Boys Are Easier

By: Wishingonmystar/Katerinaki

Published: 7/2/2010, 3/10/2013

Beta'ed: Eidorian999

Notes: This chapter contains some female issues that might make boys (or some girls) uncomfortable! It is a minor issue, but it could help explain some of Kaye's actions earlier in the chapter. If you do not wish to read about this sort of thing, stop reading at the page break.

You've been warned!

-Katerinaki, Wish

Chapter 3:

Kaye woke up to Halt shaking her shoulder and calling her name. Well, actually he kept saying, "Girl, girl." Kaye couldn't remember him actually calling her by her name. He'd always said "you" or the more dreaded "we". "We", accompanied by any sort of work really meant in "Halt speech", "you". As in "we need to fetch more water" really meant "you need to fetch more water".

"What?" Kaye grumbled at him.

"Time to get up."

Kaye blinked a few times and turned her bleary eyes to the window. It was still dark out, though slowly lightening. "The sun is not even up," she replied before falling back onto her pillow.

"I am well aware. However, we are, so we minds well get to work." The dreaded "we" again. Kaye grumbled some more but slowly began to get up. Halt left her room as soon as she was on her feet. Kaye rubbed her eyes and peered outside again. She'd been right, it wasn't even sunrise yet. But Halt was already getting her up? Was he mad? Probably. Kaye stumbled with her jug out to the barrel and filled it. Of course the water was freezing, as was the air, but it only served to wake Kaye up fully. Nothing says alert like a splash of cold water to the face and neck. Kaye changed into one of her dresses and then stepped out into the main room. Halt was already brewing coffee. Apparently the Ranger drank it all the time at home. Kaye wondered why she couldn't remember him drinking it on the road from Meric.

Evidently it was also Kaye's job to cook breakfast. She fried up some of the leftover bread from the trip (they'd have to get another loaf soon) as well as some sausages. She accepted another mug of coffee, this time readily. She still had to dilute it with milk and honey, but at least it gave her a bit of an energy boost to get her through an awful morning. Kaye tended to hate mornings in general, and this one was already shaping up to be a bad one.

"I do believe the dishes will need washing, and the floor is looking a little dirty. There's a broom by the door."

And the work begins again. Kaye set about doing each task Halt assigned to her with little gusto. Instead, she plod along, doing each task Halt assigned her thoroughly, but with no added energy or enthusiasm. Or anger, for that matter. She didn't have another outburst like she had last night a single time through the course of the morning. Not even when Halt made her scour the pots and pans yet again because apparently she'd missed some the last time.

Finally the sun rose and Halt didn't give her another task. It wasn't because she had finished everything. Far from it. Rather, it was time to meet Lady Pauline in town to get Kaye some proper working clothes. Halt would also go to the market while there to restock the meat safe, the cold box, and his supply of coffee (which had apparently run low). They walked to the village, though Halt brought Abelard. He didn't ride the horse. Instead, Halt gave Kaye tips on her movement. Apparently, although she was generally quiet, she wasn't silent. And Rangers were silent. The entire walk to Redmont's village, Kaye practiced silent movement. If Halt heard her, he would call her out on it. That happened a lot in the beginning, but after a while Kaye began to get the hang of it. When they finally met Lade Pauline at the castle gates, Halt hadn't corrected her for a good six or seven minutes.

Lady Pauline was already waiting for them, standing just as regal and elegant at the early hour as she had the night before. With her was a girl, Kaye's age, who seemed to be mimicking Lady Pauline's countenance. She wore a simple gown as well.

"And here I thought Rangers liked to wake up early," Lady Pauline commented, smiling at Kaye.

"He does," Kaye replied. "I'd rather the extra hours of sleep."

"Wouldn't we all," Lady Pauline agreed. She gestured to the girl beside her. "This is one of my new apprentices, Bridgette."

"A pleasure to meet you," Bridgette added with a courteous nod to Halt and Kaye. The girl was taller than Kaye with soft blond hair that fell past her shoulders and light blue eyes.

Halt nodded back, offering not even a grunt of assent. Kaye was a bit more polite, returning the girl's greeting.

"Well, Halt, I think I can handle it from here. Meet us again in a few hours' time. That should be more than enough."

Halt shrugged and nodded, then disappeared into the crowd. Bridgette shivered slightly at the display of skills.

"Shall we?" Lady Pauline suggested, gesturing away from the gate, towards the town proper.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Kaye asked as they began walking down the street. Kaye found herself moving quietly as Halt had made her do as she walked with the two diplomats.

"I spoke with a friend last night about your unique circumstances. She said she has a few ideas that should help. We're going to her dress shop. It's just down the street."

"What do you mean 'help'?" Kaye asked.

"Well despite you now being part of an organization that is comprised entirely of men, you aren't one. You need clothing you can work in, but we don't need to hide your sex behind baggy, ill-fitting, men's clothing."

"But—I don't understand."

"Trust me, you will. So how is Halt so far? Not too abrasive?"

Kaye hesitated. Lady Pauline was Halt's friend, if not at least his co-worker, from what she could tell. So why was she insulting him? Would she report back if Kaye said anything bad about him? Play it safe.

"I haven't known Halt for long enough, to be entirely honest," Kaye replied carefully.

Lady Pauline chuckled. "My, aren't you polite! You may yet be wasted in the Ranger Corps. I've known Halt very well for many years. His abrupt personality is no secret. He is not the easiest man to get along with."

Kaye shrugged slightly. "Well, we have had a few disputes," she admitted.

"That sounds about right. You're both stubborn from what I can see."

How could she know that already? Kaye wondered. She'd met Lady Pauline for all of five minutes and she'd said hardly anything more than where she was from and that she had dresses and skirts with her. Was the Lady truly that good at reading people? It would be a good skill in the Diplomatic Services, Kaye conceded.

"How long have you known Halt, if you don't mind my asking?" Kaye asked, changing the subject from herself. It seemed like a safe tactic with someone who could observe behaviour so effectively.

"Many years. Before Gilan was Halt's apprentice."

"Gilan was Halt's apprentice?" It made Araluen suddenly seem so small.

"Gilan is your fief's Ranger, of course. He was Halt's first apprentice."

"Did Halt have many apprentices before me?" Kaye found herself wishing he didn't, though she didn't understand why.

"You are his third. It is a fair number for a Ranger, but not for one of the Craftmasters like the Horsemaster or the Battlemaster."

Three? "Then Will Treaty was his last apprentice before me."

"He has certainly made a name for himself, that one," Lady Pauline commented. She looked up at the store they'd come to. "But enough chatter, we're here." She pulled open the door to the shop and gestured inside.

It was certainly a dress shop. Mannequins sat in the window with the latest styles from Castle Araluen. Others stood around the shop, modelling less expensive, more study styles. Kaye figured these were most likely more popular than the others. A woman with silvery hair tied back from her face and a measuring length around her neck walked in from a back room as they entered.

"Pauline, welcome," she said with a wide smile.

"Cynthia, thank you for helping us on such short notice," Pauline replied.

Cynthia shook her head. "Not at all. I enjoy a slight challenge every once in a while." She looked to Kaye. "Is this her?"

"Yes. Kaye this is Cynthia, a good friend of mine. Cynthia, this is Kaye Harrow, Ranger Halt's new apprentice."

"And it's about time they took women into that Corps," Cynthia added, "instead of just suspicious old men."

Gilan didn't seem suspicious, Kaye thought, confused at Cynthia's words. And he wasn't all that old either.

"Well, what do you have planned?" Lady Pauline asked.

"I figured I'd bring out a few options and we'd find out what she, pardon me, Kaye, likes the best. Was I right in assuming you'll want dreary greens and browns?"

"Yes, I think so," Lady Pauline replied. "It seems like that's what all the Rangers like."

"Matches those funny cloaks of theirs," Cynthia declared. "Alright then, we'll get started." After that it was a steady progression of clothing for Kaye to try on. All of the tunics seemed to be longer and more fitted. They fell to her thighs, her knees, her shins. They were like wearing a shortened dress with leggings and sometimes even breeches. Kaye soon realized that Cynthia was trying for something like a dress, as was proper, but allowed Kaye the freedom of motion she'd need when she was training and riding.

Finally she chose (well more Lady Pauline and Cynthia chose) a few that fell to her knees and two that went all the way down to mid-shin. Then Kaye also got a few leggings and one set of breeches. Everything was in greens, browns, and greys, though they seemed slightly lighter in shade than Halt's and Gilan's had been. Kaye wasn't sure if it was purposeful or just because those were the colours Cynthia had. They left after hours spent in the shop, Kaye wearing one of her new green, knee-length tunics and a pair of grey leggings and carrying the rest of her new clothes and her dress in a bag. By the time they had finished (Cynthia had had to make a few adjustments) it was due time to meet Halt at the gate again.

When they first returned, Kaye didn't immediately see Halt. But then she noticed a movement in the shadows of a nearby house and turned just in time to see Halt materialize, without his horse.

"Where's Abelard?" she asked.

"With a friend," Halt replied. He looked over her clothing mildly then turned to Lady Pauline. "I can assume you are satisfied now, my lady?"

"Quite," Lady Pauline answered. "Kaye should now be more than prepared."

"Good to know," Halt commented dryly. "If that is all then, come." He turned and began walking away. Kaye noticed a bag slung to his back which she assumed held the food they'd needed.

"Thank you, my lady," she thanked Lady Pauline quickly.

"It was my pleasure," the lady replied. "If you need anything else, womanly wise, don't hesitate to come to me."

"Yes, my lady. Thank you." She bowed (no point in curtseying in pants; it would look ridiculous) and hurried after Halt. Catching up to him, she heard him sigh heavily.

"What?" she asked.

"Did everything I taught you this morning flit in one ear and out the other?" he asked.

Then Kaye realized what the problem was. In her haste, she'd neglected to move quietly as Halt had shown her. She quickly focused on checking her footsteps.

"Better," Halt said gruffly. "You may be able to sneak up on a bugler." Kaye scowled. It was widely known that buglers were slightly hard of hearing after blowing their loud horns so many times. They could hear the horns, no problem, but anything softer than a semi-loud speaking voice they were deaf to. So to say she could surprise a bugler was no compliment at all.

"I'm trying," Kaye hissed through gritted teeth.

"Then try harder," Halt replied simply. After that, Kaye focused extra hard on being silent when she walked. She thought she wasn't doing a bad job, but Halt would periodically sigh heavily and Kaye knew he heard her loud and clear. But she never heard him until he sighed. Halt seemed to move so effortlessly silent.

It's harder than he makes it look, Kaye thought. She watched his movement, mimicking him. She found he seemed to always find the best place to set his feet without ever looking down. Halt never snapped a twig or accidentally kicked a pebble. Kaye knew she wasn't a loud person (walking-wise) but compared to Halt she was like a herd of horses, thundering down the road.

They finally returned to the cottage and Halt instructed her to put her bag in her room and come right back outside. Kaye did as she was told, meeting Halt on the veranda of the cottage.

"What are we doing now?" she asked.

Halt rolled his eyes to the sky, his "trademark" look, as Kaye thought of it.

"We're going to learn how to be silent, beginning now," Halt retorted.

"But—"

"Silent." He started off, around the side of the cabin towards the woods. Kaye was tempted with more questions, but decided it was better to simply wait and watch, as Halt had told her before. Look and listen, and you might just learn. Halt led her deep into the forest, down a path. But Kaye wasn't surprised when Halt abruptly turned off the path. He seemed like he would know the woods very well, living on their border and being a Ranger.

After a little while, Halt stopped and Kaye did the same just behind him. They were in the middle of the forest, seemingly in no particular spot.

"What—"but Kaye cut the question off with a sharp look from Halt.

"A Ranger is silent," Halt said. "In movement, as well as speech. I am going to walk east," he gestured to the left, "and you will attempt to follow me and tag me without my hearing you. If you succeed, you will not have to cook supper tonight." His tone suggested a private joke, though his serious expression never changed. "Understand?"

Kaye was about to speak, but nodded her head instead. A Ranger is silent, she reminded herself.

"Good," Halt replied. He turned and began walking, his own footsteps making absolutely no sound, despite the presence of twigs and old leaves that had been trapped under the snow since last fall.

Kaye looked down, nervous of all the possible things that could give her away. Every twig and leaf was a trap, and she had to avoid countless. This is impossible. She took a careful step, her eyes darting quickly up to Halt, who was still walking but didn't seem to have heard her. Kaye sighed.

"I can hear you," Halt snapped, not even turning to glare at her. "Control your breathing."

Kaye was tempted to grumble or snap a retort, but didn't. Halt would probably just scold her on that too. She took another step. Nothing. And another. Nope, Halt still seemed oblivious. Kaye took another and the leather of her soft boot eased slightly. Halt stopped and Kaye froze, one foot extended, arms wide, standing on both toes, and slightly hunched. She figured she probably looked like a common thief caught in the act, the way she was standing. But Kaye hardly dared to breathe, let alone shift position. Finally Halt continued on and Kaye relaxed, though she didn't sigh. Not this time. It would've given her away.

Kaye took another step and a twig cracked. She muttered a swear.

"I can hear you. Mind your footing, and your tongue. I have no qualms about tanning the skin off a girl's backside."

And so it went on. Halt would walk and Kaye would attempt to follow, only to make yet another mistake within a few steps of the last one. "I can hear you" became Kaye's new most hated phrase.

Halt eventually led her all the way back to the cabin by a long, circuitous route that took ten times longer because of the tortoise-like pace Kaye was forced to walk in order to remain silent. Needless to say, Kaye cooked supper that night, and every night after. They did the same drill every day, after Kaye had done all her housework. By the end of the week, Kaye felt like an ogre stomping through the forest. Before she had thought she was very quiet. But she quickly learned that it was one thing to be quiet in a place where you knew every squeak of the floorboards and quite another in a place you have never been before, where twigs seemed specially placed for you to step on. Quite different.

But despite the slow progress, Kaye did improve. It only took her five times the normal time rather than ten times. Halt still said "I can hear you" a lot, but it might be after seven steps instead of just three. And Kaye no longer made silly mistakes like cursing or apologizing when she made sound. Now she froze in place, her breathing light and shallow until the moment of uncertainty had passed and she could risk breathing more deeply. Halt rarely caught her when she froze like that. Kaye wasn't sure if it was because he really didn't hear anything, or because Kaye was doing something right. Halt told her, "If you accidentally draw attention, freeze. You could be standing in the middle of a sunny field and still be overlooked than if you tried to make a quick dash for cover. When in doubt, freeze." And Kaye froze, a lot.

Eventually Kaye was deemed "fair" by Halt and they moved on to "unseen movement". This, Kaye seemed just as bad at as silent movement. She was quiet now, but she was having trouble getting the hang of blending into the shadows, moving with the trees. Halt spotted her every time, even when she froze. Kaye was quickly beginning to believe that she wouldnever make a good Ranger.

"Practice," Halt told her. "Practice is the only way to improve." So Kaye practiced. She tried to be silent in everything, from her chores around the cottage to her trips into town when the cottage needed food or supplies.

Ranger training wasn't all about moving silently, though. There were other skills to learn, such as mapmaking and tracking. These Kaye excelled in. Kaye had an eye for details, which came in handy when you were copying the landscape or looking for the tiny signs of the passage of animals or people. Where most saw just a rabbit print, Kaye saw the extra indentations that told her there were at least two rabbits. She could remember each individual landmark along the way as well and copy them out on a map, detailing everything from length to elevation.

That was how Kaye passed her first three weeks as a Ranger's apprentice under Halt, excelling in tracking and mapmaking, but working hard in her movements. They ended up spending a lot of time in the forest behind Halt's home, to the point that Kaye was used to following Halt into the trees every morning.

It was one such time that Halt told her to follow him. This had become a common start to any fieldcraft done in the forest. Halt would take his cloak from the hook by the door and tell her to follow him. At which time, Kaye would drop whatever it was that she was doing without question and leave with him. Halt had never taken anything but his bow and quiver of twenty-four arrows with him in the past. This time was different; he carried a bundle now.

They walked into the woods, along the Ranger path. About a week ago Halt had pointed out specific details along the path that marked it; things like a rock overturned, a branch bent purposefully in one direction. The markers were little things that the common person wouldn't think out of place.

"A famer may not notice, but a Ranger does," Halt explained. They followed the path into the woods and turned northwest before coming to a clearing. There, Halt stopped and set his bundle on the ground. Kaye considered asking the obvious question, what were they doing there, but she kept her mouth shut, waiting. Halt would tell her.

Halt turned, surveying her patience for a moment before nodding. "There is more to being a Ranger that fieldcraft and mapmaking," he told her. "Although a Ranger's typical weapons are stealth and silence, a Ranger may find himself...or herself, needing to fight. For that, we have these." Halt bent down and unwrapped part of the bundle, revealing a quiver and bow. The quiver was plain with a set of twenty-four neatly fletched arrows. The bow was not a standard longbow, but rather shorter and the wood curved back on itself at the ends. It was different from any bow Kaye had ever seen. She bent down to pick it up, but paused, looking up at Halt to see if it was okay. He nodded once so Kaye picked up first the bow, then the quiver of arrows carefully. Looking closer at the bow itself, Kaye could see the individual strips of wood that were glued together and gave the bow the unique curves at the ends. All the other bows Kaye had seen had either been longbows like Halt's or smaller hunting bows.

"It is a recurve bow. I learned to make one from the Temujai, perhaps some of the finest archers I've ever seen. It's smaller and has a lower draw weight than the longbow, but the recurve compensates and gives it power," Halt explained.

Kaye fingered the taunt bowstring. "How do you shoot one?" She had seen a hunting bow shot, but she'd never shot one herself and didn't have a clue where to start.

"You'll need this," Halt said, stooping and producing a leather bracer from the bundle. He wore a similar one on his own arm. Halt slipped the bracer on her left forearm and tightened the straps snugly. The leather was hard and stiff and felt odd as Kaye rotated her arm and flexed her elbow and wrist.

"You'll get used to it," Halt assured her. "It protects your arm from the bowstring. Now turn sideways and place the bow in your left hand." Halt instructed her in the proper archer's stance, though he admitted a proper stance may not always be possible. Then Kaye practiced simply drawing the string with her first and second fingers. It was hard work. Halt told her to use her back and not her arms, but the movement felt awkward.

"Alright, let's try an arrow."

Kaye's eyes widened. "Are you sure? Don't you think I should practice just a bit more?"

"A bow's function is to shoot arrows. It can't do that if no arrow is nocked to the string."

"I guess not," Kaye shrugged. She picked an arrow from the quiver where it rested by her feet. Halt showed her how to nock the arrow, how it clipped to the string and how her fingers were placed above and below the notch.

"Sight down the arrow, don't forget to anchor the string to your mouth! Two eyes, not one! And just let the string slip from your fingers."

Kaye did, slightly too enthusiastically. The arrow veered away from the tree she'd been aiming for and landed with a dull "thwump" in a tree five feet to the left.

"Gently!" Halt hissed. "Try again. Elbow up, anchor to your mouth. Now release gently."

Kaye shot again. She was closer this time, but she still missed the tree.

"You'll need to practice later," Halt observed. "For now, set it down."

Kaye laid the bow by the quiver as Halt went back to the bundle, which was considerably smaller but still had something in it. Halt pulled out two knives in a scabbard one on top of the other. Kaye had seen knives like these on Halt's own belt, which were currently concealed under his Ranger cloak.

"Sometimes you may need to fight up close. For that, we carry these." He handed Kaye the scabbard and she looked it over curiously. The upper was shorter. Kaye glanced to Halt, again asking permission. He nodded and Kaye slipped the small knife from the scabbard. The handle of the knife was surprisingly heavy compared to the rest of the knife. It tapered at the end and had a brass crosspiece. The metal of the blade had a blue tint she'd never seen before.

"This one is a throwing knife. Notice it has extra weight in the hilt and there is extra width at the tip. It balances the knife." In a quick movement, Halt whipped his own short knife at the tree just behind Kaye. She gasped at the light wind that suddenly flitted past her cheek and then heard a "thwack" in the tree behind her. Kaye turned to see the knife embedded in the thick bark.

She turned back and scowled at Halt. "You had to pick that tree? What if I had flinched the wrong way?"

"Flinching isn't your style. And it would've been worth an earless apprentice to see the look on your face just now."

Kaye glared at him. "You wouldn't have gotten that look if I'd lost my ear!" She slipped the throwing knife back in the scabbard and then moved down to the longer of the two. Drawing it carefully, Kaye was fairly certain this wasn't just a small sword. She'd never heard of a sword that was heavy on one side and sharp on the other. It had the same leather hilt and brass crosspiece as the throwing knife, but was obviously larger.

"What kind of blade is this? It's not a sword."

"No. The Skandians have something similar to it they call a 'saxe'. A sea axe; both a weapon and a tool. It will block a sword strike, but is also balanced for throwing. A versatile weapon, if you keep it sharp." Like the throwing knife, this one had a blue tint to the metal blade.

"Our weapons are a bit nicer than the standard knight's sword. So you'll need to keep it clean and sharp and take good care of it. Understand?"

Kaye hefted the saxe knife, feeling the weight. It was odd like the leather bracer and bow. Just one more new thing Kaye would have to learn. She replaced it in the scabbard. "I guess I have more practicing to do."

Halt nodded. "That much is right."

They stayed in the clearing and Kaye practiced shooting. Since she began to consistently hit the tree target, Halt began to make her vary her shots between different trees.

"If you practice shooting at only one spot over and over again, soon you begin to use your first shot as a judgement of distance and wind. That's dangerous for a Ranger. We need to be able to shoot on instinct. One shot, one kill."

Halt never "watered-down" the reality of the weapons Kaye learned. They were designed to kill. Although Kaye learned ways to throw her knife to stun and non-lethal areas of the body to shoot, it was ever expected. If she drew her bow, she'd best be prepared to kill. If that is what it took to defend the King's law and his kingdom, then that is what she would do.

But of course Kaye didn't think of it as killing. She thought of it as another skill to practice and she was often out in the early morning after breakfast, shooting multiple targets of varying ranges or practicing the knife blocks and slashes Halt had shown her on her shadow. In the beginning Halt would be out with her, correcting her.

"No, circle all the way around so you can generate force from your hip," or "For goodness sake, draw with your back before you injure yourself!" Kaye would argue sometimes, often when she didn't understand or he kept nagging her about the same thing that she was trying to remedy. One particular day, near the end of her first month as Halt's apprentice, they were out in the clearing again and Halt stood by, once more correcting her archery.

"Keep both eyes open!" he snapped. "What good is having two eyes if you only use one?"

"So I can go cross-eyed," Kaye muttered as she nocked another arrow and took aim.

"Elbow up, arm straight, sight with both eyes, and release." She fired and missed for the fifth time in a row.

"You are not trying!" Halt growled. "Focus, girl!"

That made Kaye even angrier than she already was. Halt had taken to calling her "Kaye" after a while, but every so often he'd use "girl" again and Kaye knew he was annoyed and frustrated with her, even if his voice never changed from his usual growl.

Kaye drew again, taking a deep breath. Her head was aching and she'd begun to not feel so well with all the arguing and snapping remarks. Right now all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball in her bed and sleep, or simply lie there in silence. She did not want to be out here getting hollered at, that was for certain.

Kaye shot and this time she hit the edge of the tree. The arrow clattered off the bark and flew somewhere into the bush where it seemed all her arrows were landing today.

Halt sighed. "I give up. You'll be a mediocre archer at best. My grandmother could shoot better."

Kaye snapped. "They why don't you head back to Hibernia and train her?" she shouted. The headache was throbbing now and Halt's dismissal was just enough to throw her over the edge. She stomped out to the brush and picked through it until she had all twenty-four arrows back in her quiver. She paid no attention to how much noise she made. Kaye was frustrated, not feeling well, and done for today. And no amount of orders, snide comments, or threats from Halt was going to make her continue.

"Where are you going?" Halt demanded as she began to leave the clearing.

"Home. I'm done practicing for today," she declared.

"You're not the master and you'll not say when practice is over! Get back here and don't be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?" Kaye snapped. "Who's standing there declaring a most likely hundred-year old woman could shoot better than a Ranger apprentice? You may not be finished, but I am." Kaye turned on her heel and marched (a loud, proper march, not a Ranger march) out of the clearing and back down the trail to Halt's cottage. She didn't hear Halt calling her or following her, but that didn't mean anything. Halt never made any sound anyways, and he didn't seem to be one to call desperately after anyone. He was in likelihood following her, just as annoyed as she was, but not about to admit defeat.

Well he is not going to win, Kaye declared. Lady Pauline thinks we're both stubborn, but she hasn't seen anything yet.

Kaye made it back through the woods without mishap and stormed into the cottage, slamming her door and wedging a chair under it to "lock" it. There was no lock on her door, so Kaye had to make do with what she had. The door probably wouldn't open without a tremendous amount of force, force Kaye doubted Halt had the muscle mass enough to generate. He was strong, but he wasn't big. Halt's forte was lithe, quick strength, not pure, raw power.

Chair in place, Kaye slung her bow and her belt with the double scabbard over her bedpost and slumped on the bed. Her head really hurt now and she was beginning to feel nauseous. Her stomach was knotted and twisted and ached something fierce. Kaye curled up in a ball and fell asleep.


Kaye awoke again in the dark; the moon's light shining faintly though the window and lighting her room softly. She could see the door had not been taken off its hinges, nor was the chair out of place. Kaye couldn't recall hearing any attempts to get in, so either Halt hadn't followed her home or he was giving her space. Kaye hoped it was the last one. She felt safer knowing Halt was just on the other side of the door, even if that door was barred because she was angry with him.

Glancing outside, Kaye guessed it was the middle of the night; the moon was high in the sky. She still felt horrible. Her head still ached and the pain in her stomach was worse, making her want to curl up in a ball and cry. Shakily, Kaye got to her feet and unbarred the door in case she had to make a quick dash to the privy out back. She splashed some cool water on her face from her jug with weak hands. She'd never felt this bad. The pain could not be normal. It was so intense she felt like she was going to throw up.

"Okay, Kaye," she whispered to herself. "Just take deep breaths. Get changed, it will probably sort itself out by morning." She still wore her day clothes; she had neglected to change upon returning that afternoon. She pulled out her nightgown and began taking off her work clothes when something on her pants made her pause. There was a suspicious dark stain down the underside of the leg. Kaye hadn't sat in anything that she could remember, so she had little clue as to what it could be. She lit the candle she kept on her window sill and brought it closer. The stain looked suspiciously like dried blood. But she hadn't injured herself, as far as she could tell. Kaye checked quickly and to her horror, found more blood, this time fresher, still red and wet.

Kaye panicked. What was she going to do? This definitely wasn't normal. "H—Halt!" she called. Who else was there to help?

Halt was there in a moment, bursting through the door. He quickly took in her appearance, though, and redirected his gaze. "What's wrong?"

"I—I think I'm bleeding."

Halt's eyes shot back to her face. "Where?"

"From..." she looked down, nodding to her pants in her hands. He looked down at the pants and his eyes widened.

"A—Alright," he said. "I'm going to go get help. Stay here. Use a rag for the bleeding." Halt seemed...shaken. Not scared shaken, as Kaye was, but embarrassed shaken. He left her room quickly and Kaye heard the thump squeak of the front door (Halt left rust on the hinges on purpose) and the soft thump signalling Halt had left. In the middle of the night, Halt left to "get help". Kaye had never seen Halt shaken by anything. But he looked downright mortified. Was it really that bad?

Kaye did as he told her, using a rag to staunch the bleeding. It wasn't as fast as she thought it was originally, but it still bled. After a while Kaye heard horse's hooves canter up to the cottage and two voices. One was Halt's and the other was Lady Pauline's. That was Halt's "help"? Kaye thought that maybe Halt had gone to get a healer or something.

Lady Pauline entered and smiled warmly at Kaye. She even looked regal in a hastily thrown on dressing gown and her hair braided back in a simple braid. Halt stayed out in the main room. Lady Pauline closed the door behind her. She carried a small satchel on her shoulder.

"It is okay, Kaye," she reassured the girl. "This is natural. It means you're a woman now."

"What?" How could bleeding be natural?

Lady Pauline went on to explain the monthly process to Kaye, and then how to handle it when it does happen. By the time Lady Pauline left she still wasn't so sure about the entire thing, but she now knew what it was, and why Halt had been so uncomfortable! Her stomach still ached, but Lady Pauline had given her some herbs to deal with that. Halt only inched back to the door when everything had been squared away.

"Are you alright?" he asked, tentatively. Kaye was surprised at seeing Halt like this. He always seemed confident and knowledgeable. But I guess he's out of his depth in this area, Kaye reasoned. Way out of his depth.

"Yes, I will be," she assured him. Halt nodded once and turned to go. "Halt?"

He looked back. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry for embarrassing you, and for yelling at you this afternoon."

Halt shook his head. "It's fine. I'm glad you are alright. Get some sleep. It's another early morning tomorrow."

Kaye couldn't help but grin. "As per usual." Halt nodded and left, pulling her door shut behind him.