Private Tales Forge works.

[Thraah]

Thraah blushed, she remembered the last time she left Zeph alone. How she found her full of claws and dying.
A small shake of the head banished the memory.
Her next words were without her casual carelessness.
"You want to be alone?"
The words stung hard. She was brought back to the night if the dance, being dismissed so casually. All she wanted to do was help then too.
"Zeph..."
*CHUNK!* the axe found its mark.
"... okay."
Many people thought that Thraah was stupid, that she didn't pay that much attention to important things but she knew when to give someone space.
"I'll, be in my bunk. After I wash up."
Still holding her head, Thraah walked into the barracks.
She found a wash basin, mercifully there was water in a jug next to it. She began to wash her hands, face and head in total silence but for the sound of splashed water.

 

[Elias]

"Hiya, Fern," the veteran who Eli had mostly interacted with only in passing often disarmed the young Dreadlord with her quiet, gentle nature. He entertained himself by thinking all of the kindness had been stolen from Mars Pallatrix and put into Fern instead.​

​

Eli placed the ale on the table and glowered across at Davi. His grip tightens around the bottles until his knuckles turn white and his jaw muscles dance as he grits his teeth. An instant passed, the urge to smash both bottles over Davi's head subsided, and Eli snorted a chuckle.​

​

"That uncouth thing should be with the red-haired one now. Not my protege, by the way."​

​

No comment on the curtains. Eli had been entertaining the twins with his powers when he got carried away and set fire to the drapes. It left a terrible first impression with Sparrow, who he was still mending relations with. But, he was a good sport and graciously took any verbal jabs from his new squadmates on the matter.​

​

"And I hope you brought enough for everyone," Sam stepped out of the kitchen behind Davi with two side dishes in hand, "I think we're all here but Cookie tonight."

​

"Well..." his voice trails off. If he drank less than normal, perhaps there'd be enough for the others.​

​

"Actually, we won't be staying," a brown-haired man with a slight Cortosi accent followed Sam out of the kitchen. Bouncing out in his wake was a tall-ish, sun-kissed woman with a full head of golden hair like a lion's mane and eyes to match. He jabbed his thumb at the energetic girl. "Vivien and I have unpacking to do."​

​

"Sorry to steal him even though he just got back!" Her bright, wide smile betrayed the way she apologetically held her hands over her chest. Eli's gaze lingered for a moment and he wondered what such a fine woman was doing with a gloomy looking Knight.​

​

The man nudged Eli's shoulder with his hand, "Ei, cara." He held it up for Eli to take. The Dreadlord firmly clasped it. "I'm Route. Sol, right? Dreadlord?"​

​

"Right."​

​

"You use fire?"​

​

"Something like that."​

​

"Hm. Nice to meet you."​

​

"Yeah. Likewise."​

​

Route pat Eli's arm before letting go. He turned to gather his wife-to-be and the pair left with a final goodbye.​

​

Eli watched them go and then turned to join his comrades.​

​

"Smells good. Gods, I'm starving."​

 

[Davi]

The way Davi's lips curved into a lopsided smirk suggested he knew just how much his comment had got beneath the other Dreadlords skin. He gave no other reaction as he sat down and helped himself to one of the bottles to pour both himself and Sam a glass. Once done he offered it down to Fern who swapped it for the serving spoon she'd used to ladle herself a hearty helping of the paella. Instead of serving himself first however, he offered the spoon to Sam.

And waited for the moment she chose to inform the smug bastard that Thraah was, indeed, now Eli's problem.

 

[Samantha Black]

"Cya Route, Viv," Sam called after him, coolly watching Vivien's ass as she made her departure at his side, wondering something in a similar vein to Elias as she took her own seat next to Davi and across from Eli.

In the general routine of things as they had come to be over the many months now spent living together, Sam easily accepted the ale and spoon from Davi, serving herself a healthy portion of the paella and passing it back to him. She took the next bowl of sides passed over by Fern, some fresh greens from the woman's garden out behind their flat, and passed that on as well.

"Actually," their Lieutenant began, "that one is your protege," and her eyes flicked up to Eli. There was no smile on her face so he knew it was an order and not a joke - something she had to contend with between herself and her fellow Dreadlords. Switching between casual camaraderie and her position of superior rank had caused enough confusion and grief in the first few months.

Some noise as Mess and Meizer made their way into the dining area from the backyard where, presumably, they had been sharing a smoke.

"So long as you deem her worth the trouble, anyway. If she intends to stay in Vel Castere, she will report to you for training," a helping of the second side dish, some baked mushrooms stuffed with local freshwater crabmeat, "if she's not worth it, send her packing. I don't want her here if all she'll do is distract Caddel."

"What's this all about then?" Meizer grabbed up a bottle of ale with a look of happy appreciation and poured himself a glass.

"New pups in from the Academy for training," Sam replied, "getting their feet wet and their eyebrows singed."

 

[Elias]

Elias understood his place just fine. Sam was a trusted ally from the Academy and his dearest friend, and now she was also his commanding officer. He knew when he could treat her as the former and he knew when he had to respect the authority that came with her position. Eli took orders from Sam without problem, even when the orders were shit.​

​

There was a brief pause in Eli filling his plate as he absorbed the news. He stared a thousand miles through his meal, then blinked. It is what it is. Time spent lamenting was time wasted. He helped himself to another scoop of a side and passed it on.​

​

"Sure thing," Eli said. It was a slight consolation that he had the authority to send Thraah away if she wouldn't shape up. He wasn't so biased to ignore the immense potential there. She would have another chance with him. "We'll see how she manages."​

​

Elias was the last to fill his cup, and his first swig emptied about half of it. He caught Davi's eye across the table.​

​

"Why don't you lend me a hand, here?" he suggests, and obviously unaware that Caddel was assigned to Davi for physical training, tries to rope his squadmate into sharing some of the responsibility, "We'll join you on your morning runs." A glance at Ral, "We can take the redhead with us." Back to Davi. "And then you can join me in strength training and general sparring."​

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine did not feel guilty or bad for how she felt or acted with Thraah. Even when time went on and she finally found the dining hall for dinner, she sat beside Thraah. She did not apologise either, deeming it not necessary when her reaction had been warranted. She was not going to explain it to her friend either.

"Got your schedule yet?" She asked, pulling out her sheet that had been placed on her pillow at the barracks. It was just as the Lieutenant detailed, with the exception of the morning runs with Dreadlord Nevarro.

 

[Thraah]

"Nope."
There was no note, no nothing left for her.
Thraah pretended to not be concerned. She was also mad. Mad at Zeph for being mad at her. Mad at Bozo for provoking her. Mad at herself for being provoked. Mad at that stupid bird.
She resigned herself to kill it next she saw it. Just roast it the next time it was being nosey.
"You might get your wish *Zeph*."
She put a little harshness on the name as she looked down at her plate and picked food onto it. She couldn't help it. Being unwanted might be the worst feeling in the world as far as she was concerned.
"I don't think I'm long for here."
She dropped the pottage peas harder than necessary.
All her actions were a little too sharp, too hard. Tell tale little acts of violence she was just about able to contain.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine sat and stared as Thraah went about her tantrum. A glimmer of hope had her thinking that her wish had been heard, but a small amount of guilt wished to be brought to light for her friend, but if this was how she would act, then Zephyrine was right in her decision to not apologise.

"That's it. Outside." She swung her legs over the bench and left her schedule on the surface, only for her to round the table and slap a hand onto it and scrunch it into her grasp. Her tawny eyes burned with flaring anger as she stared Thraah down again. "You got a problem, we are settling this outside. Now."

And she did not wait to see if Thraah would grump her way behind herself as she stalked out the doors she had came in through.

She did not have a full day here without thinking and worrying over Thraah, what she had done, and whether her actions would reflect back onto her own standing here. Zephyrine was always going to be a lone wolf, even if she opened up to the idea of friends, she needed her space.

Zephyrine waited for Thraah some way's from the public eye, nearer to the residential buildings, or what looked like them. She had been studying the map of Vel Castere before deciding it was time to make peace, but... here they were.

 

[Thraah]

"Fine."
Thraah followed after briefly thinking about not. The idea of Zeph being pranked was cruelly appealing. Waiting for her as she finished dinner inside but she knew it would resolve nothing.
She walked in stiff motions of anger. The secluded space annoyed her.even more.
Privacy was practically Zeph's trademark but she had dared hope she was opening up to her.
Silly notions.
Despite being the one summoned she blurted her grievances only after a moment of tense and glaring silence.
"You should have told me you just didn't want me to come."
There was a literal host of other things Thraah was mad at but she started here. True she did invite herself but Zeph still should have told her.
It was also true that Zeph said something about not having to come and that Thraah might find it really boring and that there was no need.
Hindsight really frustrated her at times like this.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

"When have I ever asked for you to be around, Thraah?" Zephyrine stood feet away, arms crossed and face impassive despite the edge to her voice. "I never invited you. You invited yourself when you heard Proctor Urahil ask if I was excited to go."

She shook her head, and a cruel smile forced it's way to her facade. "When we had stopped at Vel Zrada, I said to you that I had wanted to do this alone. Do you remember what you answered with?"

And before Thraah could answer, Zephyrine steeled herself. Her eyes took on a sheen, the telltale hint of emotion. She would not cry, not here. And so she shoved past Thraah, muttering the answer lowly under her breath. "You told me 'too bad Zeph.'"

"Maybe you should go. Clearly you aren't wanted here." She called out, gritting her teeth to keep the hot tears from spilling.

Thraah

 

[Thraah]

Where was a big dumb bird when you needed to set something on fire?
"I..."
She started after her.
"Damnit Zeph..."
It was always hard to think when she was mad. Words got garbled in her mind. She had to say something.
"The last time I left you to go alone you almost died."
Thraah had stopped. Stumbling upon possibly the real answer which had eluded her. It wasn't about friend time or some museum even. Zeph was going to be where she couldn't look out for her.
The concept had frightened her into action.
Into going to a place she did not want to be with people who wanted her around less than Urahil. Who was all too eager to watch her go, she was certain.
"If anything happened to you..."
In her mind Zeph was laying down, deep claws in her skin.
"I just wanted you to be safe."
She wasn't mad anymore. Her anger was just her own stubborn ass not wanting to admit she was frightened.

Zephyrine

 

[Zephyrine]

"I can look after myself."

 

[Thraah]

"Oh yeah? Well those scars say different!"

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine expelled the air from her lungs, tears unfallen as she stopped and turned to glare at Thraah.

"And I will recieve plenty more. Leave me alone, Thraah."

And she turned and stalked off, skipping the dining hall and to somewhere Thraah would not find her.

 

[Davi]

Davi's lips pressed into a thin line.

"I don't think your one requires any physical training. Manners, perhaps. Definitely anger management," he had no desires to ruin what had promised to be a rather quiet and easy job with the young apprentice forge worker. Especially when he had a feeling she was not too happy with her friend nearly blowing up the lawn.

"Sounds like she would benefit more from your special, undivided attention."

 

[Samantha Black]

"The redhead is Davi's pupil to manage," Sam interjected as she cut into her meal without any ceremony, "her training will remain separate until this additional Initiate proves her worth. Then, and only then, will she be allowed to join Initiate Caddel."

"It's not a matter of protocol," she went on to explain without looking up at either of them, "it's a matter of respect and discipline, something which she clearly lacks."

Sam did not suffer fools or disrespect, they both knew that. She had her own hands full in the mornings with training fresh soldiers from the Guard who had been hand chosen for the Knights, and then her own training with the Master Smiths at the forge. She didn't have time to deal with Initiates who lacked the discipline to learn from her.

 

[Elias]

Elias frowned at Davi. Well, he wasn't entirely wrong. But being around the shapeshifter more, he realized one thing about his squadmate: Davi was even more of a prick than himself.​

​

He could better accept the situation, shit as it was, now that everything was made certain. Still, it was truly awful and Elias hated it, and it was his wont to complain voice his complains over supper but he held his tongue. No good would come from crying about it, and nobody wanted to hear it.​

​

"Alright, then," Elias says, his tone an unconvincing one. He eats his first spoonful of Davi's rice dish and pauses a moment, frowning. "Hey, Wolf."​

​

The lordling's hard stare burns a hole through his comrade.​

​

"It's really good."​

---

The following morning

So long as he wasn't keeping Sam's company, Elias was generally among the first of their squad to retire in the evening. He was likewise the earliest riser of the bunch.​

​

The Dreadlord was up and about, fitting a light exercise into his morning before he set out for the barracks, where he waited however long outside for the hot-spirited Initiate to come out.​

 

[Thraah]

Thraah had not slept well.
She had been too hungry after being in no fit state to return to the mess. Vel Castere had some new gravity on its walls in several spots as she had spent most of the evening burning "Shit Town for Wankers" into the outer wall at intervals.
By the time she ducked patrols and got back everyone was asleep. So she climbed onto the bunk and lay there, nibbled her travels rations and waited for sleep or dawn, whichever would come first.
She woke as the first rays hit the world as she usually did no matter how much sleep she got or still wanted. Dragged herself to the floor, checked her kit while trying to not look at Zephyrine and put on her travelling cloak and hat.
If nobody wanted her here, she was going to leave.
So when she exited the barracks she stopped and looked at Elias. Her mind assumed only the most rational explanation. That Elias was here to take her away and that it was him because the others felt he could stop her if she kicked up a fuss.
"What? Are the others so afraid I'll break something they sent you to escort me to your precious gate?"
She huffed, adjusted her bag on her shoulder and began to walk in the direction of the stables while beginning to consider melting the gatehouse to slag as she left, just for badness.

Elias

 

[Zephyrine]

Zephyrine was out of her bed before Thraah rose from her little slumber. She had dressed appropriately for a run, perhaps a little chilly but the sun would provide warmth soon. The Initiate spotted Dreadlord Sol on her way to the predetermined meeting spot with Nevarro, giving him a quick and polite smile before moving on.

The previous night left her restless, disturbing her sleep but she was fully awake now.

It had been a long while since she kept up a run, but she remembered her stretches at least.

Perhaps she was here earlier than she thought, her gaze now looking around to see if she could spy her morning's mentor anywhere, but the fortress city held a quiet that told her no one was walking her way just yet. She remained seated, leaning forward to reach her toes and letting the stretch burn a little before she released and moved into the next.

 

[Davi]

"Ready?"

The voice came from over Zephyrine's shoulder in the direction of the gate through which, if she turned to see, Davi now strolled tugging on his shirt. Some habits were harder to break than others, and for Davi the habit of checking the surrounding area before any mission or errand stemmed from a deep rooted paranoia born from the darkness of the Academy. Given the list of fucked up habits he had inherited from his youth, it was one of the less problematic and so he had not bothered to address it. Being overly cautious was better than being dead.

"I've found an easier route for you to begin with," his eyes flickered over her form much as it had the day before, assessing, before his lips pressed into a disapproving thin line.

 

[Elias]

"No," he answered, hands clasped behind his back, "Just committing to memory what a burnout looks like."​

​

As Thraah made her way towards the stables, he followed several paces behind her. They walked in silence for a while. The stables came into view.​

​

"I just can't wrap my head around it. Caddel is here to improve. But, what exactly are you doing? Everyone here has a purpose. What's yours?"​

​

They arrived at the stables.​

​

"You've got no discipline. No respect. But do you know what, in my eyes, is your greatest offense? You're weak. You can leave, and be a quitter, too. Or you can be at the training yard in an hour. I don't care either way."​

​

Eli turned on his heel and calmly walked back up the road.​

 

[Thraah]

Wow, this jerk really did think she was stupid.
Funny thing was, for a moment during their walk to the stables Thraah actually contemplated the question of what her purpose was. She even felt she might have an answer for him but then he kept fucking talking. Called her weak.
Weak?
Like his spoiled ass would know strength if it crawled out of the dog eat dog gutter and bit him on the ass.
Probably never knew what it was to go hungry or wake up next to someone who was alive the night before but dead now because the water was bad or there just wasn't enough medicine to go around.
Yep, Thraah was absolutely positive that this fireproof weenus could only be such a walking ball of boredom and rules and higher than thou ass sentiment because privilege was all he was about.

Or you can be at the training yard in an hour. I don't care either way."

"Why so you can NOT fight me again?"
She mocked him and turned but he had already turned his back on her and was walking away as if she did not even exist.

So Thraah reacted in a very normal and reasonable way.

She picked up a rock, immolated it and threw it with all her Anir-ball trained accuracy right at the back of the jerks head.
"CUNT!"

Elias

 

[Zephyrine]

She had never been that bothered by the lack of dressing of some people, but she hated that her thoughts were of Thraah, no doubt her friend would have made some sort of comment about Dreadlord Nevarre's lack of shirt. Kress. She didn't want to think about her infuriating friend right now.

His disapproving assessment only made her frown, but she nodded nonetheless. "I take runs back at the Academy." She supplied him, hoping he wouldn't think she was that unfit. Zephyrine had asked for solitude, and even now she had been thrown into the classes and made friends, she will needed that time away from it all and be on her own to keep centered.

Zephyrine did not look like much, but she knew she was going to change somewhat in the next month with the training they were providing her. She stood straight, waiting for his next instruction.

Davi

 

[Elias]

The rock pelts Eli's head, just above his nape. It explodes in a small puff of flame that singes the loose strands of hair not kept up in his bun. The world spins and he takes a weak, wobbling step forward to catch himself from falling into the dirt. His knee buckles and he tries to take a second desperate step to maintain stability, but drops to a knee, holding the back of his throbbing head.​

​

By the Gods, were it not for his magic, she could have killed him!​

​

Eli's former mentor and loyal enforcer to House Sirl, Aura Ventress, always stressed that the deadliest strike was one you never saw coming. It was a teaching that the Warmasters of his family's now-disbanded private army also preached. A lesson he finally understood firsthand.​

​

His eyes burn with power and searing pain courses through his veins. His anger bests his patience and as Eli stands up on steady feet, he whirls to face Thraah with a mantle of white-hot celestial fire ferociously burning off of his skin. The tips of the flame wickedly flicker about.​

​

"You want a fight?" He booms. The crumbled, molten chunks at Eli's feet vibrate from the amplified force of his voice. "I'll give you a fight. Training ground. Now!"​

​

The flame extinguishes with his final word and he turns to storm off with purpose in his stride.​

 

[Thraah]

Thraah picked up another rock.
"You don't get it do you?"
She barked, too tired and hungry to truly think she cared much about anything at that moment.
"You don't get to tell me what to fucking..."
Something twinged inside her.
If Zeph saw her now, she knew she'd be feeling bad about it. This was what had gotten Zeph mad and she almost melted a building for what? This asshole?
Thraah dropped the rock and put her hands up.
"Yeah, I do."
She followed Elias and took her stuff with her. Tired and mad but very willing to go with this.

Elias