(Author note here: if it seems in this chapter like I'm trying to make Metallia a good guy,
I'm actually just trying to establish Daryl's character. We all know Metallia's bad, but for now, she's
only human, and so still has some feelings.)
"Supper's on!" Serenity yelled cheerfully. Though it was only six a.m., they had left the
moon at Earth's midnight, but the Moon's midday. The time since their arrival had been spent setting
up their tents in the small clearing. The other Scouts approached the pot that Serenity was stirring
with trepidation.
"Do you think it's safe, Gallie?" Morgana asked her sister anxiously. Galatea shrugged.
Saraka, trying to be polite, held out her bowl to Serenity and then grimaced at the greenish-brown
sludge she poured into the bowl.
"What is this stuff, Rena?" Persephone asked.
Serenity looked huffy. "It's mushroom bean soup," she said indignantly. The other Scouts
watched Saraka bring the spoon to her mouth and, with much trepidation, took a bit.
And promptly spit it right back onto the ground. "YECH!" she spat. "Rena, this is awful!"
"What do you expect?" Serenity steamed. "I'm a princess, not a cook!" For some reason,
either Rena's declaration or Sara's reaction, the Scouts started laughing uncontrollably. For many
minutes after, the sound of laughter rang through the woods like the chiming of bells driven from
heaven on a breeze.
The mushroom bean soup was dumped into a hole, and Helena commenced to make a good
dinner from some berries and bread with chestnuts that Persephone had collected. They had tried to
catch a rabbit for some meat but couldn't bear to kill one (Serenity nearly threw a fit at the thought). A
few hours later, stuffed full of bread and berries, the women lay on their backs by the extinguished fire
and fell asleep watching the sunlight filter through the leaves far above their heads.
****
At around six p.m., Rosemarelle was the first to waken. 'We really have to get used to local time,'
she thought. The moon, pale with its dawn, hung like a pearl in Earth's already darkening sky. A bright
star (one of the few visible) was easily identified as her planet, Mars. She thought of her red planet, and
of her parents. They had never been close, but tonight Rose could feel them within that star, praying
for her safety. 'Oh, Gods, I should wake the others,' she thought. She knelt beside Serenity, shaking
her shoulder.
WHACK!!!
Rosemarelle jumped back, her cheek stinging from Serenity's half-asleep slap. "RENA!!!!" she
roared.
Serenity jumped up. Looking at a Rosemarelle in full fury with a handmark on her cheek was
not a pleasant way to wake up, and a somewhat scary one. She could almost swear to seeing steam coming
out of Rose's ears. The Lunarian decided very quickly to get away from her Martian friend with her life
and dignity intact. Not that she had any anyway.
"Hee...um...sorry, Rose..."
BASH!!!
****
A long spear ran through the practice dummy, sharp end sticking out the back. "Still mad at
your brother-in-law, milord?" Tijern asked dryly.
"What would give you that idea?" Lord Daryl spun and tossed another spear, this time sending
it through the head. "Just because he ridiculed me, called me an old woman, and assigned me to
courier duty? Why should I be angry?"
"Oh, no reason," Tijern smirked.
"You know, Tijern," Daryl said angrily, "I never wanted to join this army. Metallia had to
beg to get me to come. I have half a mind to grab my sister and leave." Another spear. "Where does
he get off?! Metallia and I are the real nobility, he just married into it! And then he has the GALL to
treat her like a servant!" A fourth spear.
"Y'know, Daryl, you've made a fine pincushion out of this helpless dummy. Why don't you face
HIM?" Tijern suggested. Daryl tossed his weapons to the ground and walked wearily over to his friend.
"Because Metallia would have to deal wih our fight. My sister's no fragile rose, but I'd like to
spare her that." Daryl's shoulders slumped. "Anyway, I'll see you later, Tijern. Tomorrow I have a letter
to deliver to a metalsmith in town, and I think I'll have a good dinner and some sleep. It's no short
jaunt. Good night."
****
Serenity and Rosemarelle sat by the fire, nursing the bruises from their fight. Psyche and
Morgana were having a talk about the plans for tomorrow, with much gesturing and drawing in the dirt.
"I don't believe you had a stick behind you that whole time," Rosemarelle grumbled.
"I don't believe you started a fight over something I did when I was asleep," Serenity said in
the same tones.
"You know, we really have enough problems without fighing amonst ourselves," Cassiopeia
admonished. The soup she was making bubbled up then, nearly burning her. "I think it's done," she
said wryly.
"Okay, we have a plan," Morgana said, reaching for the bowl passed to her.
"Yeah," Psyche said around a spoonful of soup. "We decided that there's just way too
much to do if we go together. We'll have to split up."
"Helen and Sara, you guys have the hills that way," Morgana ordered, "Check for any kind of
reinforcements or fortifications..."
"Huh?"
"Forts, Sara. Look for forts."
"Well use smaller words next time." Helena sweatdropped.
"Oh-Kay," Morgana muttered. "Anyway, we want Rose out to the south. Maybe Persephone
could go with you."
"You guys have an easy job, 'cause the south is all just flat plains far as we know," Psyche
clarified. "It's just that maybe there's some kinda weird thing we don't know about. Actually, it was
Morgan's idea to go that way. I don't really know why you'd want to." Morgana glared at her
co-field leader.
"It's in case of geographical anomalies that might create an optical illusion!" Morgana said
vehemently.
"Whatever," Psyche shrugged. "Anyway, Cassie and Rena should go into town, see what
the people there know. Cassie should probably try to get in touch with her parents, see what their military
is doing. The rest of us should explore this dumb forest."
"It'll probably take all of you, too," Cassiopeia put in. "From what I remember of the maps
I've seen, this 'dumb forest' is pretty big. Maybe I should help you out. I don't want you getting
lost."
"We can do it ourselves!" Psyche said indignantly.
"If you're sure," Cassiopeia shrugged.
"What abou sleep?" Galatea asked. "We're still not adjusted to Earth time."
"Well, we can't work at night the whole time we're here, Gallie. Better start getting adjusted
sooner rather than later," Helena said reasonably.
"Yeah, but I'd wager big money that Rena falls asleep in the street," Rosemarelle cracked.
"Oooh! You take that back!"
"No!"
Sweatdrop city.
I'm actually just trying to establish Daryl's character. We all know Metallia's bad, but for now, she's
only human, and so still has some feelings.)
"Supper's on!" Serenity yelled cheerfully. Though it was only six a.m., they had left the
moon at Earth's midnight, but the Moon's midday. The time since their arrival had been spent setting
up their tents in the small clearing. The other Scouts approached the pot that Serenity was stirring
with trepidation.
"Do you think it's safe, Gallie?" Morgana asked her sister anxiously. Galatea shrugged.
Saraka, trying to be polite, held out her bowl to Serenity and then grimaced at the greenish-brown
sludge she poured into the bowl.
"What is this stuff, Rena?" Persephone asked.
Serenity looked huffy. "It's mushroom bean soup," she said indignantly. The other Scouts
watched Saraka bring the spoon to her mouth and, with much trepidation, took a bit.
And promptly spit it right back onto the ground. "YECH!" she spat. "Rena, this is awful!"
"What do you expect?" Serenity steamed. "I'm a princess, not a cook!" For some reason,
either Rena's declaration or Sara's reaction, the Scouts started laughing uncontrollably. For many
minutes after, the sound of laughter rang through the woods like the chiming of bells driven from
heaven on a breeze.
The mushroom bean soup was dumped into a hole, and Helena commenced to make a good
dinner from some berries and bread with chestnuts that Persephone had collected. They had tried to
catch a rabbit for some meat but couldn't bear to kill one (Serenity nearly threw a fit at the thought). A
few hours later, stuffed full of bread and berries, the women lay on their backs by the extinguished fire
and fell asleep watching the sunlight filter through the leaves far above their heads.
****
At around six p.m., Rosemarelle was the first to waken. 'We really have to get used to local time,'
she thought. The moon, pale with its dawn, hung like a pearl in Earth's already darkening sky. A bright
star (one of the few visible) was easily identified as her planet, Mars. She thought of her red planet, and
of her parents. They had never been close, but tonight Rose could feel them within that star, praying
for her safety. 'Oh, Gods, I should wake the others,' she thought. She knelt beside Serenity, shaking
her shoulder.
WHACK!!!
Rosemarelle jumped back, her cheek stinging from Serenity's half-asleep slap. "RENA!!!!" she
roared.
Serenity jumped up. Looking at a Rosemarelle in full fury with a handmark on her cheek was
not a pleasant way to wake up, and a somewhat scary one. She could almost swear to seeing steam coming
out of Rose's ears. The Lunarian decided very quickly to get away from her Martian friend with her life
and dignity intact. Not that she had any anyway.
"Hee...um...sorry, Rose..."
BASH!!!
****
A long spear ran through the practice dummy, sharp end sticking out the back. "Still mad at
your brother-in-law, milord?" Tijern asked dryly.
"What would give you that idea?" Lord Daryl spun and tossed another spear, this time sending
it through the head. "Just because he ridiculed me, called me an old woman, and assigned me to
courier duty? Why should I be angry?"
"Oh, no reason," Tijern smirked.
"You know, Tijern," Daryl said angrily, "I never wanted to join this army. Metallia had to
beg to get me to come. I have half a mind to grab my sister and leave." Another spear. "Where does
he get off?! Metallia and I are the real nobility, he just married into it! And then he has the GALL to
treat her like a servant!" A fourth spear.
"Y'know, Daryl, you've made a fine pincushion out of this helpless dummy. Why don't you face
HIM?" Tijern suggested. Daryl tossed his weapons to the ground and walked wearily over to his friend.
"Because Metallia would have to deal wih our fight. My sister's no fragile rose, but I'd like to
spare her that." Daryl's shoulders slumped. "Anyway, I'll see you later, Tijern. Tomorrow I have a letter
to deliver to a metalsmith in town, and I think I'll have a good dinner and some sleep. It's no short
jaunt. Good night."
****
Serenity and Rosemarelle sat by the fire, nursing the bruises from their fight. Psyche and
Morgana were having a talk about the plans for tomorrow, with much gesturing and drawing in the dirt.
"I don't believe you had a stick behind you that whole time," Rosemarelle grumbled.
"I don't believe you started a fight over something I did when I was asleep," Serenity said in
the same tones.
"You know, we really have enough problems without fighing amonst ourselves," Cassiopeia
admonished. The soup she was making bubbled up then, nearly burning her. "I think it's done," she
said wryly.
"Okay, we have a plan," Morgana said, reaching for the bowl passed to her.
"Yeah," Psyche said around a spoonful of soup. "We decided that there's just way too
much to do if we go together. We'll have to split up."
"Helen and Sara, you guys have the hills that way," Morgana ordered, "Check for any kind of
reinforcements or fortifications..."
"Huh?"
"Forts, Sara. Look for forts."
"Well use smaller words next time." Helena sweatdropped.
"Oh-Kay," Morgana muttered. "Anyway, we want Rose out to the south. Maybe Persephone
could go with you."
"You guys have an easy job, 'cause the south is all just flat plains far as we know," Psyche
clarified. "It's just that maybe there's some kinda weird thing we don't know about. Actually, it was
Morgan's idea to go that way. I don't really know why you'd want to." Morgana glared at her
co-field leader.
"It's in case of geographical anomalies that might create an optical illusion!" Morgana said
vehemently.
"Whatever," Psyche shrugged. "Anyway, Cassie and Rena should go into town, see what
the people there know. Cassie should probably try to get in touch with her parents, see what their military
is doing. The rest of us should explore this dumb forest."
"It'll probably take all of you, too," Cassiopeia put in. "From what I remember of the maps
I've seen, this 'dumb forest' is pretty big. Maybe I should help you out. I don't want you getting
lost."
"We can do it ourselves!" Psyche said indignantly.
"If you're sure," Cassiopeia shrugged.
"What abou sleep?" Galatea asked. "We're still not adjusted to Earth time."
"Well, we can't work at night the whole time we're here, Gallie. Better start getting adjusted
sooner rather than later," Helena said reasonably.
"Yeah, but I'd wager big money that Rena falls asleep in the street," Rosemarelle cracked.
"Oooh! You take that back!"
"No!"
Sweatdrop city.