Talia stumbled down the stairs shaking her head in tolerant
annoyance. She couldn't remember being this tired since the last time she
was on border duty. She wanted nothing more than to just collapse back
into her bed and sleep the day away. But of course Elspeth urgently needed
to talk to her over breakfast. Talia smiled through a yawn. Elspeth was
certainly growing into a mature young woman. But occasionally she had
these moments where every little juvenile problem was blown into insane
proportions. But Talia knew how fragile Elspeth's ego was, and she also
knew how important it was that she treat Elspeth's problems with all the
respect Elspeth merited. So she would have to forgo her much needed sleep
for long enough to at least sit through porridge.
Talia's fingertips had just hit the cold wood of the door when a familiar wrenching feeling pulled on her gut. Her gaze automatically turned toward the courtyard. Casting one last longing glance toward the warmth of the dining hall and the simple prospect of reassuring Elspeth, she started the short walk toward the courtyard, and the much more difficult job of consoling whoever it was that was sending out mental distress signals this intense.
... ... ...
Skylar wrapped her arms tightly around her drawn up knees. Her eyes stared unfocused at an amorphous pile of graying snow on the ground. Echoes of voices she hadn't heard in weeks played in her head. Laughter...she remembered laughter. Her laughter was with those voices; her laughter was left in that world. She didn't belong here.
... ... ...
Talia's boots skidded in the slush as her eyes met the ultimate posture of distress. Skylar. Oh Star Eyed, how am I supposed to take care of this? She thought plaintively. Putting on a brave face she silently walked over to sit comfortingly next to the girl on the bench. Skylar didn't bother to look up, but Talia knew that her presence was acknowledged. Talia struggled to suppress panic as the regularly automatic knowledge of the most beneficial words to say eluded her. Still Skylar just stared at the ground with a chillingly devoid gaze. The birds stilled. Mice stopped skittering through the brush. Silence reigned and for the first time Talia realized that words aren't always the most powerful weapon. She smiled and stretched out her legs. She knew how to make life better for this lonely girl caught between worlds.
Talia's fingertips had just hit the cold wood of the door when a familiar wrenching feeling pulled on her gut. Her gaze automatically turned toward the courtyard. Casting one last longing glance toward the warmth of the dining hall and the simple prospect of reassuring Elspeth, she started the short walk toward the courtyard, and the much more difficult job of consoling whoever it was that was sending out mental distress signals this intense.
... ... ...
Skylar wrapped her arms tightly around her drawn up knees. Her eyes stared unfocused at an amorphous pile of graying snow on the ground. Echoes of voices she hadn't heard in weeks played in her head. Laughter...she remembered laughter. Her laughter was with those voices; her laughter was left in that world. She didn't belong here.
... ... ...
Talia's boots skidded in the slush as her eyes met the ultimate posture of distress. Skylar. Oh Star Eyed, how am I supposed to take care of this? She thought plaintively. Putting on a brave face she silently walked over to sit comfortingly next to the girl on the bench. Skylar didn't bother to look up, but Talia knew that her presence was acknowledged. Talia struggled to suppress panic as the regularly automatic knowledge of the most beneficial words to say eluded her. Still Skylar just stared at the ground with a chillingly devoid gaze. The birds stilled. Mice stopped skittering through the brush. Silence reigned and for the first time Talia realized that words aren't always the most powerful weapon. She smiled and stretched out her legs. She knew how to make life better for this lonely girl caught between worlds.