"You did WHAT?!"
Master Bastian's shouted question echoed across the training grounds before the castle, drawing the attention of every adept present. Sitting on the steps leading up to the castle, the Nightsabers looked around at his words, spotting the seasoned Cat Master pacing back and forth in a rage, Njall and Elinor before him. Bastian's face was contorted into a scowl of pure fury, his movements swift. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he lowered his head, shaking it from side to side as if to clear some clouding confusion from his mind.
"Two weeks..." He growled, spinning on his heel to raise a hand, finger pointing in accusation at Elinor. "I was only gone for TWO WEEKS! That's how long it takes for you to get bored?"
Elinor scowled in return, her lips clamped shut as her eyes flared with indignation. Even from a distance, the Nightsabers could see that it was taking all of her self-control to hold herself back from responding. The knuckles of her right hand shone white as her fingers curled into her palm, fist shaking as the rest of her remained stock-still. Her silence seemed to only enrage Bastian further. He turned away from her, wheeling to face Njall.
"And YOU..." He stammered for a long, uneasy moment, at a loss for words. "You- you were supposed to be my friend!"
"That's why I thought you'd be okay with it." The Skelliger's expression was just a little perplexed. "I mean, better that it was me than having a stranger fuck your woman..."
"Th-that doesn't make it okay!" Bastian sputtered, his tone exasperated. "Not even close! How could y- why?!"
"It was a cold night." The Skelliger shrugged.
Bastian opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out, his jaw working silently as something in his brain ceased functioning. A quiet, anger-infused grumble escaped from his throat.
With a weary, frustrated sigh, Elinor turned, striding away from the pair. Bastian's eyes widened.
"Where are you going?" He yelled after her.
"Somewhere away from here." Was the red-haired Witcher's curt reply, cast back over her shoulder. "Until you've stopped being so ridiculous."
"Ridi- you-" Bastian seethed. Finally, a loud yell tore free of his throat, loud enough for all present to hear. "Well, this time try and keep them together for more than two weeks!"
Elinor paused mid-step to glance backwards, spotting Bastian gesturing at his own legs to underline his point. Her lip curled in anger, and she quickened her pace, marching away from the other Witchers and across the training fields towards the woods.
Bastian paused, face twisting with a mixture of emotions. Anger was still there, fighting for control amidst betrayal, and a little sorrow. For a moment regret, possibly at his words, flashed across his expression, but that too faded. Finally, with a defeated, angry sigh, he threw his hands up in the air.
"I need a fucking beer!" He glanced to Njall, an accusatory finger jabbed in the Skelliger's direction. "YOU owe me a beer." His hand moved to jab a thumb over his shoulder at the departing Elinor. "SHE owes me a beer." Then, a wild look in his eyes, he waved an expansive hand at the growing crowd of onlookers. "ALL you fuckers owe me a beer, and I'm collecting that debt tonight!"
With that bold statement, the Cat Master turned and stomped off, passing by the Nightsabers with a surly glint in his eyes. As he recognised Njall's students, his pace hitched for just a moment, presumably another wild demand for alcoholic recompense on the tip of his tongue, but instead he continued on until he vanished inside the castle. Behind him, Njall remained where he stood, sighing loudly as he looked up to the sky, as if imploring the gods above for strength.
"Well, that was dramatic!"
The Nightsabers turned at the new voice to see Master Dirk, perched atop one of the stone lions poised by either side of the steps. The Wolf School Master bore a somewhat amused grin. Beside him, Master Ruta stood, thumbs tucked into her belt as she watched the proceedings with similar amusement.
"In Kaer Tiele, we do things quite differently. Is this kind of bickering among the Masters a common thing in Kaer Marter?" He shook his head, chuckling. "No matter. We have other matters to attend to." He pointed a finger at the group, snapping his fingers together in the same gesture. His next words soon grabbed Frederick's attention. "Nightsabers, yes? Tell me, are you ready to learn all about Signs?"