"There are so many trees here."
Daisya trudged along, staring sideways into the woods. His footsteps had begun to drag, after the first few kilometres. He was counting down the minutes until they reached the railway station.
"Really."
Kanda's sardonic tone was not missed as a constant foil to Daisya's wonderings, but Tiedoll had decided to let them go on for a few more weeks. Maybe they'd see eye to eye on something. Eventually. Perhaps.
"I was born on the Mediterranean, ya know. Nothing but rocks for miles. Trees were something you saw in books."
Kanda opened his mouth to retort, but paused oddly.
"…well, there are this many trees. And a lot more."
His tone was deprecating, but more irritated than contemptuous. Hardly an improvement, at any rate.
Silence reigned again for a few minutes, before falling victim to a coup headed by Kanda, of all people.
"The trees here are nice because they keep the paths sheltered."
Daisya nodded, falling back slightly to where Kanda was walking.
"Yeah. Back home the forests were all made of skinny trees, and there was nothing to protect you from the sun."
Kanda glanced up briefly at the darkening sky. Sun wouldn't be an issue for the next few hours.
"And what about the rain?"
"Oh," said Daisya with a hint of the odd pride everyone has for home, no matter how much they hate it, "It never rained. We could barely grow anything, which is why there were always so many people in the trade district."
"Hmm."
Marie quickened his pace slightly to bring himself in line with the two children.
"I remember, where I was born, there were mostly trees and mountains. They built castles up there; they said it was because it was so beautiful…"
General Tiedoll kept his pace steady at the head of the party, listening to Marie's attempt to continue the conversation. Maybe there was a hope of peace, if only in the odd conversation.
Kanda had added something inaudible, and when Daisya next spoke his words had the edge of a giggle in them.
The remaining hour or so seemed to go a bit more quickly.
…
The forest faded into grassland, and houses started appearing on the hills. By this time, the conversation had faded, but not before visiting the topics of tourists, sunshine, and the relative benefits of eating salad. Marie kept most of the conversations going, to Tiedoll's surprise, while Daisya talked a lot about each subject, saying nothing much all the while.
At long last, city crawled out to meet them, and the train station's wrought iron gates rose up in front of them. The next half an hour was mostly uneventful, marked only by Daisya's dancing too close to the edge of the platform, Tiedoll's advice to get off there, and Kanda's glare.
…
"How long's the train ride?" asked Daisya, sliding along the bench.
General Tiedoll stowed a briefcase in the overhead compartment, and sat down opposite his charge. The brief conversation while walking hadn't changed his mind about separating his students.
"It should be about five hours. The Order is quite isolated."
"You're telling me. It seemed even longer when we were going there."
Daisya turned to look out the window, then swung his head back around to look out the doorframe. Someone had made a noise.
Kanda walked in through the doorway, tightening the final knot in his hair tie.
"I don't remember the journey to the Order. It's probably not much," he said, sitting on the edge of the bench, next to Tiedoll.
"Seemed pretty long to me," Daisya added, but he left it there.
Heavier footsteps padded outside the compartment, and Marie appeared through the doorframe.
"I think that's the last of the luggage," he said, taking a place next to Daisya.
"Do you remember your journey to the Order?" asked Tiedoll, wanting to continue the conversation. Now that the four of them were seated and staying still — well, Daisya was staying in one place, at least — there was the chance that some peace might be reached.
Marie's eyes looked up unconsciously, as if reading from a mental cue card.
"I think it was when I was eleven," he said slowly, "I don't know what it looked like, obviously, but I do remember that it was a long way uphill."
The general chuckled. "Ah, yes, I do remember that from my first journey, and from every one after that. It's hard on the knees, isn't it?"
Daisya, for his part, nodded emphatically, choosing to stay silent for once.
In the few moments that followed, there was the sound of bustling outside the window, as the last few passengers boarded.
Tiedoll rested his hands on the table in the centre of the compartment.
"Well, we have plenty of time to kill, now. Perhaps a card game?"
Daisya shrugged.
"Maybe, but it'll get boring after half an hour, unless you know something more complicated than hearts."
Kanda nodded. He had already crossed his arms and slumped back on the bench, in the traditional position of the apathetic.
"I don't like to say it, but I agree with Daisya."
Marie shrugged. "It would still pass some time, depending on the game. General?"
Tiedoll's customary smile broadened, and he straightened his taped-up glasses.
"There's one I don't believe I've taught either of you yet. Have any of you heard of five hundred?"
The other three shook their heads.
"Okay. It'll take some time to learn, but the games can go on for a while, so it should keep us amused. All right. So, you play the game in partners with the person kitty-corner to you. That means I'm with Marie, and Kanda and Daisya are together…"
For a brief mental pause, Tiedoll debated the wisdom of switching partners, but decided that Daisya and Kanda were better off not facing one another.
"…and that also means that you have to play both your hand and your partner's hand. The first team that gets five hundred points wins."
About fifteen minutes later, after a detailed explanation and a practice trick, the game commenced. Four exorcists playing a card game require a far grander word than 'started'.
"Hmm."
Tiedoll looked at his cards. Jack of hearts, very good, a few low hearts, ace and king of spades, a few high-ish diamonds and the queen of clubs. Not bad, but nothing to bid on.
He cast a glance over at Marie, who was still running his fingers over the cards.
"Six diamonds."
The bid cycled clockwise to Daisya, who was staring at his own cards, but also sending the occasional look to Kanda, as if trying to communicate something.
"Pa-ass…"
He enunciated the word lightly.
Marie's turn.
"Seven diamonds."
His voice held a note of doubt; perhaps an indication that he was relying somewhat on Tiedoll's hand. The best part of five hundred was watching your opponents trying to communicate, and the most difficult part was attempting to communicate within your own team.
Kanda, for his part, was taking his time deciding.
Eventually, after glancing up at Daisya, he spoke.
"Seven hearts."
He sat back, and an uncharacteristic smile passed over his face.
"Pass."
It was probably best to let the kids have it this time, to let them learn. Also, if Marie's hand was nothing to write home about, there was a better chance of them losing compared to his chance at winning.
Now, Daisya's turn. Judging from the look on Kanda's face, he should probably go eight hearts.
At least, if Kanda was trying to encourage him. But Kanda's smile was a critically endangered species, and there was a certain glassiness to his eyes.
Perhaps a bit of reverse psychology?
"Pass."
Daisya sat back, and grinned.
Hmm. Now, he may have been perceptive, or he may have just been trying to annoy Kanda.
Against previous evidence, Tiedoll thought it could actually be the former.
"Pass."
Marie's final statement left the bid to Kanda, who quickly picked up the kitty, shuffled it into his hand, and discarded three cards.
Let the game begin.