"Stop favoring your right side, Karis." Valen sighed as he studied the young Ratonga. "Feint to the left, then strike. Your speed's your only asset right now, so use it. Always keep away from your opponent." Pushing back his unruly bangs, the half elf sighed again. In the few short days since Karis had arrived, the girl had made progress. The first day, she did not even know how to hold a sword. On this third day, she still lacked finesse, but she had taught her thin fingers to keep a grip on the sword and could keep herself from falling over when swinging the blade around. In spite of himself, Valen was impressed with her improvement.
The Tier'Dal, however, were not.
The female guards complained louder with each passing day. Though he did not care for what the dark elves said, he knew their taunts affected Karis, held her back from becoming even better. It did not matter how many times he told the Ratonga to ignore the venomous words from the guards, she always took their insults to heart. He had to remind her every night that so long as she had worth to Freeport she had worth on that island, that she was just as important as the haughty dark elves. He had looked forward to manipulating her dependence, teaching her out of it while he used it to mold her to his liking. The dark elves had caught on and learned to influence the girl with the same methods, however, and left the High Inquisitor with more headaches than he had predicted.
Karis frowned lightly as she caught sight of Valen's sour look. She could not guess that his scowl was directed to the absent Tier'Dal guards, and so gritted her teeth and tried to concentrate even harder on her task. Focusing her dark eyes onto the battered stick before her, the Ratonga stumbled and tried to find her footing. She had never been able to afford boots, and so had never been so separated from the ground. Her paw-like feet were used to digging into the dirt, not hard leather. It took her several moments to steady herself, then she lunged at the stick.
Twisting the sword and her body, Karis danced around her immobile enemy. Even so halted by the restrictive boots, she moved with a strange grace, though it did not yet extend to her blade. She had long ago honed her ability to control, to the smallest movement, the motions of her body; to move to an easy, elegant beat. Her strikes barely nicked the wood she fought, but the small marks multiplied, and Karis was never in one place for more than a moment.
Valen had managed to learn a little about her remarkable agility. Something about an ancient dance for an ancient Ratonga; the girl, compliant though she was with any other question, remained tight-lipped about this particular tradition. Training her left him no free time to pry, however, so he left the secret alone. Given enough time, he was sure he would learn about this strange dance, and that promise of clandestine information placated him.
"All right, Karis, that's enough." Valen straightened his robes and pushed back his hair once more. "It's time to break for a meal. Come here."
Ears twitching as she heard Valen's command, Karis gave one last nick to the inanimate opponent and sheathed her sword. She scampered over to the half-elf, immediately pulling off her boots. Valen shook his head with a sigh, but said nothing. He sat down, back against a large boulder, and raised his hands. The Ratonga scooted in closer, eyes bright as she watched Valen move his fingers in intricate motions. Though she had watched him summon their food several times now, she still looked on in awe as the air tingled and lunch appeared. Though a simple feat of moving the lunch he had laid out in his room to where they ate, Karis could not comprehend just how he twisted magic to his will.
With a nod, Valen handed the girl a chunk of bread while she reached out for cheese with her other hand. While she nibbled hungrily at the food, the half-elf leaned back and stretched. His sharp eyes never left her, even as he took large bites from the ruddy apple in his hand. He constantly observed the girl, having always been curious about the mysterious Ratonga. He was curious about everything, but he preferred first-hand experience to reading, and he doubted he would ever have a chance to so well study one of the strange, little, rat-like race. He had not yet determined if her abnormal reliance and dependency was the norm or her own behavior, but he had begun to understand their basic mindset. Karis even taught him a few words of Ratongan, though she had been reluctant about it. But for as much as he asked of her, she asked for nothing in return.
That was because Karis had a secret. Growing up with nothing, she never learned to want anything. The only thing she desired was praise and companionship. She never had enough to eat, but she always had someone to talk to and follow, to show her what she did right and what she did wrong. She had never learned to live without this guidance, though she had learned to go weeks with only tiny scraps of food. She never realized how emotionally and physically damaging this adaptation had been to her.
As Karis had finished half her piece of bread, there was a loud commotion heard closer to the barracks. Her rat-like ears twitched and Valen's head snapped up, and both looked immediately towards the sounds. The half-elf was up before Karis, barely casting her a glance as he began to run towards the noise. The girl, much more used to strange noises than having a full belly, stuffed the rest of the bread and cheese into her mouth and scampered after, chewing frantically at her food as she did.
By the time the two reached the barracks, any fighting that may have occurred had passed, and the Tier'Dal were regrouping, spatting angry curses to the air. Karis tilted her head in confusion as the strange language washed over her, but Valen frowned. He approached cautiously – he had long ago learned not to advance on an angered Tier'Dal – and remarked gruffly.
"A small group raids us and all you do is stand around and complain?"
The tallest elf turned an angry eye on Valen, towering over him to remind the man of the pecking order among the small band. "You were not around to assist, so I will not hear of any complaints from you or your raggedy ward," she snapped, casting a short glare to Karis. Her venomous gaze soon fixed itself on Valen once more. "They did not have the chance to take anything, but they are getting bolder. That is the only reason for concern. We were more than able to fight them back, even without your . . . special help."
With a scowl, the half-elf averted his gaze and accepted the retort. "I doubt, though," he said even as he looked past her shoulder, "that you will fare so well next time, Captain K'Raeligh. You need more than your mindless brute strength to beat back these people."
K'Raeligh slammed a heavy hand onto Valen's thin shoulder and pushed him back until he hit the wall near the door frame. She glared at him through narrowed eyes, but checked herself before she continued her assault. Dissent among such thin ranks was frowned upon, and she would bring no shame down upon her band for the sake of a worthless male half-breed. With a final rough squeeze, she let go and turned her back to the half-elf.
And met the sight of a small, angry Ratonga.
"Leaves Valen alones!" Karis shrieked. Already completely attached to the man, especially since she had lost her previous anchor of Nis, the child did not take well to others threatening the representation of her well-being. Though weaponless, as she had left her sword near her boots far outside, she seemed oblivious to the danger she was uselessly throwing herself into. "Is not nices to pushes others, means lady!"
Torn between further anger and disbelieving mirth, K'Raeligh did as any Tier'Dal might with two such emotions. She acted upon both. With a hearty laugh, she swept out a heavily-muscled arm to knock Karis to the rough floor. She knelt down beside her squirming opponent and pinned the Ratonga to the ground with only one rough hand, the other wrapping around her throat and applying pressure. "Life is not very nice, little girl," she said in an amused tone, even as she glared at the child. "And it is a good deal harder when you stick your neck out when you should not. I suggest you keep that in mind," she said as she slowly lifted her hand from the child's throat. "Next time I may not stay my hand."
Shaking and still prone on the ground, Karis only risked a small peek up at the Tier'Dal as she curled up tightly. Valen gave the captain a short glare, then strode forward, scooping the small Ratonga into his arms. He would have to get her back to training, make her forget the assault. He offered a curt bow to the Tier'Dal band, then turned to leave.
A flaming arrow whistled past his shoulder as he did.
Valen joined the chorus of startled yells as he clutched Karis closer and jumped away from the fire. K'Raeligh and her band immediately drew their swords, shouting out a jumble of war cries as they rushed outside. Valen watched, his frown deepening. He set Karis down.
"Let's go," he said, not waiting for a response as he pushed back the sleeves on his robe and walked outside. The Ratonga paused for a moment, her tail twitching, then followed the half-elf, hunched down as she scampered behind him. Before, she had only ever hid. She had never thought of confronting an attack to put an end to it.
As they approached, K'Raeligh scowled and turned. "They ran off already," she snapped, fist clenching about the hilt of her sword. She looked down to Karis. "You, runt. You pride yourself on your speed, right? Go prove your worth and follow them."
"Wait." Valen stepped in front of Karis, frowning. "She's not ready to do something like that. She's still training. She won't know what to do when she finds them."
K'Raeligh just smirked. "Well, she better learn fast on her feet, then." She pushed Valen aside and pulled the Ratonga forward, giving her a shake. "You had better hurry. You would not want to lose their trail. Just find where they are hiding and come back."
The closest Tier'Dal snickered. "Try not to get caught. They will probably make jerky out of you."
Valen pulled Karis aside, glaring at the dark elves. "She'll do her job better if you'll just stay out of it." He knelt down before the girl. "Just do as they say, all right? Get going fast, and you can follow them and stay hidden. Don't try anything stupid, just learn where they are. Got it?"
Karis could only stare up at Valen for a moment, still trying to understand the conversation that had just flown around her. Between being pulled each way and hearing a rush of words, she still felt confused. But at a nod from Valen, she bit her lip and stood straight.
"Okay. Karis go fasts and finds out for yous and tells fasts."
"Good. Get going now," Valen said, patting her on the shoulder and stepping back. "Fast as you can."
Karis had not even waited for Valen to finish speaking. His fingers only brushed her shoulder and she was off into the underbrush before she could hear the snickers of the Tier'Dal.
K'Raeligh turned away, laughing. "We will have one less rat to feed tonight."