"So then I shouted at Eva to kill the Dark Mage. And she did as I told her, quite well I might add," Wersa was telling Rebekkah. Eva and the girl who had been running from the Dark Mage were sitting quietly in the corner of Rebekkah's tent while Wersa told her leader what had taken place only minutes before. Eva really wanted to listen to their conversation, but she felt obligated to talk to the poor girl that she had saved. After all, she'd find out soon enough whether her actions had impressed Rebekkah.
"What is your name?" Eva asked the girl politely. The girl didn't look up from the ground, and Eva wondered why she wouldn't meet her eyes.
"I am Dieke of Omilder." Dieke whispered almost fearfully. Eva noticed what appeared to be dark bruises running up the girl's arms. Eva shook her head angrily; she always hated to see young girls that were victims of abuse.
"I am Eva of Gather's Bridge, I think we used to live close to each other," Eva stated meekly, trying to make conversation.
"I have not been to Omilder in some time now…" Dieke trailed off quietly.
"Why were-" Eva started to ask.
"Eva of Gather's Bridge, please rise." Rebekkah commanded from across the tent. Eva jumped to her feet eagerly, this was it! She would discover her true calling right here, in a few moments! Eva fought to keep herself from trembling with nerves as her leader walked up to her.
"You have done well, Eva. After such a short time with The Falcon Blades you have already participated as a mage in a battle and you have killed a Dark Mage. I am offering you a position as Wersa's fledgling in The Falcon Blades. Do you accept?" Rebekkah asked officially.
"Yes, Rebekkah." Eva answered fervently. She had spent many a restless night asking herself time and time again if this was what she really wanted to do. Wersa had been right. The only person that could answer whether she made the right decision to be a Falcon Blade was herself. Only time could tell if her choice would be proven correct.
"Excellent, now if you would follow me outside?" Rebekkah gestured to the boulder the she used to stand on when she called out to her Falcon Blades. Eva nodded, and without a second thought followed her leader outside.
Rebekkah jumped onto the great rock, and helped Eva onto it as well. From atop the boulder, Eva could see that most of the camp seemed to be chatting in small groups. It figured, Eva thought. It's not everyday that a fledgling comes back from the pond soaked in blood.
"Falcon Blades, please gather!" Rebekkah called. Eva admired the majestic stance of her leader, and the way that Rebekkah's sharp brown eyes gleamed with confidence. It struck Eva that she wanted to be just like Rebekkah, and that she almost wished that Rebekkah was her mentor rather than Wersa. She quickly banished the thought from her head; there was nothing she could do about it anyway.
"Today, Eva of Gather's Bridge saved a young girl from a Dark Mage chasing her through the forest. She used the skills that Wersa taught her to kill her opponent, and therefore proved her worth as a Falcon Blade. Do you agree?" Rebekkah asked the cluster of warriors before her. Every girl in the camp went mad cheering, and Eva chuckled as she saw Allison and Zelaine going nuts in the corner by Myra's tent.
"Eva," Rebekkah turned to face her, and her face clearly showed how proud she was. "You are officially the newest member of The Falcon Blades."
At this point all was silent, and Eva somehow knew that now was the time for her to bow deeply to her leader. She felt Rebekkah's hand on her back, and now everyone started applauding joyfully. It was one of the best moments of Eva's life.
"Congratulations, you made it," Rebekkah whispered as Eva stood up. Eva dipped her head respectfully and slid off the boulder to meet her friends.
"This is wonderful, Eva! You should be really proud of yourself!" Allison squeaked giddily. Zelaine said nothing; she merely smiled at her friend happily. Eva felt someone tug at her arm, and looked up to see Wersa pulling her away.
"Wersa-" Eva protested.
"Not a word, Eva. You need to have that cut on your shoulder taken care of." Wersa said, firmly leading her to Tillie's tent. Normally Eva would have argued further, but at the moment she was just appreciative that Wersa was there to take care of her. It also helped that her shoulder did hurt!
"Ah, if it isn't the new member of The Falcon Blades!" Tillie squeaked. Elena rushed forward to congratulate her new comrade.
"Tillie if you could mend Eva's shoulder please?" Wersa asked the Healer politely. The tiny brunette nodded and briskly began to gather some herbs with her fledgling trailing behind her like a gangly shadow.
"Wersa the girl, Dieke, she's been abused! I saw the welts…" Eva mumbled, blinking away tears as Elena dabbed a poultice on her shoulder.
"She was probably born into the Dark Mages, and doesn't have the Gift, so she was treated like dirt." Wersa presumed, bitterly kicking the ground. "We have to stop them, Eva. That's why we're here. Not for fame or glory, but to protect Tortall from monsters like the Dark Mages." Wersa looked up, meeting Eva's dark brown eyes with her own hazel ones. "I trust you, Eva. Don't let me down again. This is bigger than you and me. If you make a mistake, it affects not only you, but countless others who are counting on you. There's great potential in you, don't take it for granted." Wersa warned. And with that, Wersa exited the Healer's tent. Eva just stared after her mentor. That's when things became real for Eva. It was then that Eva realized that the important thing that occurred today was not that she became a member of The Falcon Blades, but that she had saved a poor girl from a terrible fate.
A sudden screech pierced the air, causing Eva to jump startled. Emron swooped gracefully into the Healer's tent, and landed on the edge of a bed next to where Eva was sitting. Eva hesitated, and then stroked the large bird's beak as she had seen Rebekkah do.
"I don't know, Emron. Sometimes things just seem too big for a ragtag group of mavericks like us to handle." Eva confided, gently ruffling Emron's feathers.
"Don't worry, together anything can be accomplished. So long as you believe it can be done." Emron reassured. Eva nodded, and then gasped. She leapt up from her seat, stared at the falcon who had just spoken to her, and passed out.