Sitting in a corner of the room where all the trainees gathered for meals and so forth, Lyna massaged her ankle. Since she had been riding yesterday, she thought she might have sprained it. Making sure no one was looking, Lyna let a bit of the metallic-blue of her gift surround the injured ankle.
"You're not supposed to use your gift without permission," a cocky voice stated. Looking up, Lyna saw Eric, one of the boys in her group.
"Well, nah...until I'm told I can't, I will," Lyna shrugged, but the color of her gift slowly faded from sight.
"Okay," there was a lull in the conversation until Eric brought up archery.
Then Lyna was animated. She talked and talked about her brother had often taken her hunting when he had the chance to hunt himself. Lyna talked and talked about Port Legann, her home and the home of her mother's family, in the fief known as Harvest Valley.
"Where did you get the bow? It was pretty impressive," Eric remarked and whistled. Again Lyna shrugged.
"It was in its half state. It's great when it has its blades. When I finally mastered my weapon, lets just say none of the local ruffians wanted to be near me while I had it hand," she smirked, remembering some of the better memories of the past months.
"Well, I have to go Lyna, but I want you to know this: stay away from the squires. Many of them go through pretty girls like we go through arrows. Be careful. You're too nice to be hurt," he told the girl he had been sitting with.
She shrugged yet again, replying "I can handle myself." Lyna nodded to Eric and watched him leave.
Lyna was so wrapped up in her thoughts about the conversation that she had with Eric, she didn't notice a short girl with cropped black hair standing right in front of her."Um, hi," the girl said in a mousy voice. "Is anyone sitting here?"
Lyna looked up quickly, "Oh no, sit down if you want."
"Thank you. My name is Jaelyn," the girl's voice was so quiet, Lyna had to strain to hear it.
"Lyna. I'm from Port Legann...you?" Lyna cocked her head to the side.
"Corus, grew up in the city," again the other girl spoke softly.
"That's nice. I grew up in Legann. My family is the merchant family Gothlen, and we mostly buy and sell candles. We get them from all over the Inland Sea! The ones from Scanra burn the longest, but the ones from Carthak smell the best. I hear they have mages working on new scents. That's going to cost the House a pretty penny," Lyna rambled on, Jaelyn just starred at the friendly girl. "Oh, am I talking to much?" Lyna blushed.
"Just a wee bit," Jaelyn held her fingers apart just a bit. With that motion, Lyna grew even a darker pink.
"Aww isn't that cute, a new trainee is blushing. Better not let some of the squires see you, they'll be on you like a dog on meat," a passing trainee sneered. He was one of the older ones, and looked to be around 20. Lyna was up in an instant, her eyes dark eyes even darker with anger.
"Listen and listen good," Lyna's face was inches away from the other trainee's, "squires are just as good as the rest of us. So unless you feel that you need someone to give you a decent shiner, you'll leave me alone!" With that she blinked and looked away, her spell broken.
"Touchy, touchy," was all Lyna heard as she sat down and the others walked away.
"Wow," was all Jaelyn said.
"My godfather is a knight, and went through being a squire with no problems. He doesn't have any bastard children that I know of. I take it personally when someone insults pages, squires or knights. They are all of higher ranking too, but many riders don't seem to understand that. I just make them understand." Lyna shrugged and looked at the bowl of beef stew that sat in front of her.
"I hope it's not cold," she remarked and dug in.
****************************************
"Have a good time teaching the Riders?" Whispered a voice from the shadows. Kydd jumped, and turned to face a pale youth who was at least half a foot taller than him.
"Don't DO that!" He exclaimed, then sighed. "It was...painful. There was only one who knew how to use a bow."
The tall boy had dark, black hair which he wore long and tied back. He was fine boned, with eyes of a dark brown shade that all-in-all made him look quite handsome. He didn't have a Knight Master as of yet. In fact, Kydd was one of the only new squires that had one.
Raist chuckled, and ruffled the shorter boy's hair. "Your hair's getting long. I thought you hated long hair?"
Kydd brushed his friends hand away with annoyance and started back on his way. "Eh. I'll cut it eventually."
Raist followed the boy, grinning like a hyena. "A bunch of squire-less knights are coming back from border patrol within the week. I'll have a Knight Master before you can count to ten."
"1...2...3...4...5..." Kydd started, but got a whack from his friend.
"Hush, you," Raist said sternly, glaring.
With a chuckle, Kydd made his way into the mess hall and winced at the noise. He motioned for another friend to save him a seat while he served himself a bowl of a heavily seasoned vegetable soup, two rolls, and a few slices of meat. He hopped into his seat and poured himself a cup of a sweet, reddish drink that was available. Raist sat down in-between him and a Bahzir squire.
Kydd licked his lips before tearing into a roll. "Mmph. Dis iph gooh" He said, mouth full. The boys around him sighed and shook their heads. He swallowed and let out a sigh of contentment.
"You're going to choke if you keep eating like that," the Bahzir commented.
Kydd shot him a glare and took another mouthful. When he swallowed this, he replied, "I will not choke, Qazair."
Qazair ibn Zahaiq just shook his head.
"So," Kydd said between mouthfuls, "where is your Knight Master going to be assigned this year?"
Qazair brightened considerably. "My Lord is posted at Persopolas."
The boys around them nearly choked. Raist was the first to recover. "You're so lucky! With my luck, I'll be posted somewhere out in nowhere"
While Qazair grinned, Kydd smiled slyly when he swallowed another bit of food. "My Lord and I will be in the Grimhold Mountains, at fief Grimhold. Scanran raiders have been acting up, and the fort up there has been having some trouble protecting their isolated villages. The Rider trainees are also going there for the summer. We're gonna head up with them and a few other knights, and hang around Corus until it's time to go. There are already a few knights stationed up there."
Raist looked jealous. He eyes both of them, eating his food slowly and without interest. "I wonder when I shall get a Knight Master..."
A few other squire's echoed that statement. Kydd shrugged and finished the last of his meal. "Ahh...That was good." He stood, patting his stomach.
Raist grinned, still eating. "Are you up to going to the indoor practice courts for some archery practice?"
Kydd shook his head, locks of dirty blond hair getting into his face. He brushed them back in annoyance. "Nope. Can't. I have to go back to my quarters for a lesson with My Lord. I believe we're going to start examining maps of the Grimhold Mountains."
With a nod, Raist went back to his food. A dark skinned boy across from him piped in, "I'll go with you."
The taller boy smiled, looking up. "Ok, Manderell."
The archer-squire yawned, and stretched his arms like a cat. "Mmkies. I'm off. See you all in the morning."
He left to the sounds of farewells.
"You're not supposed to use your gift without permission," a cocky voice stated. Looking up, Lyna saw Eric, one of the boys in her group.
"Well, nah...until I'm told I can't, I will," Lyna shrugged, but the color of her gift slowly faded from sight.
"Okay," there was a lull in the conversation until Eric brought up archery.
Then Lyna was animated. She talked and talked about her brother had often taken her hunting when he had the chance to hunt himself. Lyna talked and talked about Port Legann, her home and the home of her mother's family, in the fief known as Harvest Valley.
"Where did you get the bow? It was pretty impressive," Eric remarked and whistled. Again Lyna shrugged.
"It was in its half state. It's great when it has its blades. When I finally mastered my weapon, lets just say none of the local ruffians wanted to be near me while I had it hand," she smirked, remembering some of the better memories of the past months.
"Well, I have to go Lyna, but I want you to know this: stay away from the squires. Many of them go through pretty girls like we go through arrows. Be careful. You're too nice to be hurt," he told the girl he had been sitting with.
She shrugged yet again, replying "I can handle myself." Lyna nodded to Eric and watched him leave.
Lyna was so wrapped up in her thoughts about the conversation that she had with Eric, she didn't notice a short girl with cropped black hair standing right in front of her."Um, hi," the girl said in a mousy voice. "Is anyone sitting here?"
Lyna looked up quickly, "Oh no, sit down if you want."
"Thank you. My name is Jaelyn," the girl's voice was so quiet, Lyna had to strain to hear it.
"Lyna. I'm from Port Legann...you?" Lyna cocked her head to the side.
"Corus, grew up in the city," again the other girl spoke softly.
"That's nice. I grew up in Legann. My family is the merchant family Gothlen, and we mostly buy and sell candles. We get them from all over the Inland Sea! The ones from Scanra burn the longest, but the ones from Carthak smell the best. I hear they have mages working on new scents. That's going to cost the House a pretty penny," Lyna rambled on, Jaelyn just starred at the friendly girl. "Oh, am I talking to much?" Lyna blushed.
"Just a wee bit," Jaelyn held her fingers apart just a bit. With that motion, Lyna grew even a darker pink.
"Aww isn't that cute, a new trainee is blushing. Better not let some of the squires see you, they'll be on you like a dog on meat," a passing trainee sneered. He was one of the older ones, and looked to be around 20. Lyna was up in an instant, her eyes dark eyes even darker with anger.
"Listen and listen good," Lyna's face was inches away from the other trainee's, "squires are just as good as the rest of us. So unless you feel that you need someone to give you a decent shiner, you'll leave me alone!" With that she blinked and looked away, her spell broken.
"Touchy, touchy," was all Lyna heard as she sat down and the others walked away.
"Wow," was all Jaelyn said.
"My godfather is a knight, and went through being a squire with no problems. He doesn't have any bastard children that I know of. I take it personally when someone insults pages, squires or knights. They are all of higher ranking too, but many riders don't seem to understand that. I just make them understand." Lyna shrugged and looked at the bowl of beef stew that sat in front of her.
"I hope it's not cold," she remarked and dug in.
****************************************
"Have a good time teaching the Riders?" Whispered a voice from the shadows. Kydd jumped, and turned to face a pale youth who was at least half a foot taller than him.
"Don't DO that!" He exclaimed, then sighed. "It was...painful. There was only one who knew how to use a bow."
The tall boy had dark, black hair which he wore long and tied back. He was fine boned, with eyes of a dark brown shade that all-in-all made him look quite handsome. He didn't have a Knight Master as of yet. In fact, Kydd was one of the only new squires that had one.
Raist chuckled, and ruffled the shorter boy's hair. "Your hair's getting long. I thought you hated long hair?"
Kydd brushed his friends hand away with annoyance and started back on his way. "Eh. I'll cut it eventually."
Raist followed the boy, grinning like a hyena. "A bunch of squire-less knights are coming back from border patrol within the week. I'll have a Knight Master before you can count to ten."
"1...2...3...4...5..." Kydd started, but got a whack from his friend.
"Hush, you," Raist said sternly, glaring.
With a chuckle, Kydd made his way into the mess hall and winced at the noise. He motioned for another friend to save him a seat while he served himself a bowl of a heavily seasoned vegetable soup, two rolls, and a few slices of meat. He hopped into his seat and poured himself a cup of a sweet, reddish drink that was available. Raist sat down in-between him and a Bahzir squire.
Kydd licked his lips before tearing into a roll. "Mmph. Dis iph gooh" He said, mouth full. The boys around him sighed and shook their heads. He swallowed and let out a sigh of contentment.
"You're going to choke if you keep eating like that," the Bahzir commented.
Kydd shot him a glare and took another mouthful. When he swallowed this, he replied, "I will not choke, Qazair."
Qazair ibn Zahaiq just shook his head.
"So," Kydd said between mouthfuls, "where is your Knight Master going to be assigned this year?"
Qazair brightened considerably. "My Lord is posted at Persopolas."
The boys around them nearly choked. Raist was the first to recover. "You're so lucky! With my luck, I'll be posted somewhere out in nowhere"
While Qazair grinned, Kydd smiled slyly when he swallowed another bit of food. "My Lord and I will be in the Grimhold Mountains, at fief Grimhold. Scanran raiders have been acting up, and the fort up there has been having some trouble protecting their isolated villages. The Rider trainees are also going there for the summer. We're gonna head up with them and a few other knights, and hang around Corus until it's time to go. There are already a few knights stationed up there."
Raist looked jealous. He eyes both of them, eating his food slowly and without interest. "I wonder when I shall get a Knight Master..."
A few other squire's echoed that statement. Kydd shrugged and finished the last of his meal. "Ahh...That was good." He stood, patting his stomach.
Raist grinned, still eating. "Are you up to going to the indoor practice courts for some archery practice?"
Kydd shook his head, locks of dirty blond hair getting into his face. He brushed them back in annoyance. "Nope. Can't. I have to go back to my quarters for a lesson with My Lord. I believe we're going to start examining maps of the Grimhold Mountains."
With a nod, Raist went back to his food. A dark skinned boy across from him piped in, "I'll go with you."
The taller boy smiled, looking up. "Ok, Manderell."
The archer-squire yawned, and stretched his arms like a cat. "Mmkies. I'm off. See you all in the morning."
He left to the sounds of farewells.