Deryn sharp looked around her. Took in the familiar environment. She had been here only once before in her life, when she was a wee lass of fifteen pretending to be a boy, but she remembered everything with perfect clarity… after all this was the place where her life had begun.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to meet Alek's gaze. "Brings back old memories doesn't it?" her husband asked kindly, his eyes glinting with warmth. She was about to answer when she heard someone calling her from behind.
"Dylan? I mean Deryn? Is that you?" a man in his early forties walked up to the two of them, grinning like a dummkopf.
Deryn Sharp would recognize that smile anywhere… she had looked at it for four barking years hadn't she?
"Newkirk you bumrag!" Deryn shouted happily. "Look at you!"
"Look at you! All pretty in a dress. " he said laughing, and then turned to greet the men.
"Hello Alek!" he said smiling. "Hullo Jaspert" he greeted them each with a strong shake of the hand. Years in the military had toughened him up, Deryn noted; he wasn't the ninny he used to be.
"So Deryn, what brings you here? Not another attempt at joining the military I hope?" he said, a twinkle in his eye.
"Of course not you ninny! I wouldn't come in skirts then would I?" she asked laughing. "My brother Jaspert's son is joining the military today." She said her eyes twinkling, as if enjoying a private joke.
"Oh" he said, surprised, "and you all all came to say goodbye?"
"Oh no" Alek said, laughing. We just came to see what was going to happen!"
Seeing Newkirk's confused face Deryn snorted.
"You see, his name is Dylan Sharp!"