A/N: Okay, here's the next chapter, finally. Sorry about the delay. Y'know,
school and all the usual excuses. Plus a website I'm working on. So anyway,
here, enjoy. I'm not sure how I feel about using Cristyn's point of view
yet. I gave it a try in this chapter, and if you guys don't like it (if it
interrupts the flow of the story and whatnot), then tell me. I don't know
when I'll get the next chapter up, but I will try to do it soon. Please
review! Oh, and a few notes to readers:
Elfie - romance is a definite possibility, but between who I have really
decided. I kinda have to wait for the characters to develop themselves more
Amarys - yes, horses should definitely have names, but I don't know if this
one is going to show up again in the story, so I didn't want to give it a
name and then have it appear only once.
Cristyn's POV
We stood uncomfortably in the hall. Or rather, I stood uncomfortably; Tegan's face remained unreadable, and her posture was relaxed. A headband cast a shadow over her eyes so I could not see them, though when she tilted her head to look at me, I could see a hard glint in them. For a moment, I wondered what color they were.
I shuffled my feet and looked at the floor. "Um." I began hesitantly. "I guess I should show you my rooms."
For a moment she didn't respond, then she gave a sharp nod. The breath I had been holding came out, and I turned and walked down the hall. I had to look back to check that Tegan was following; she walked like a cat, silent even in the tall boots she wore. It seemed to me as though each step were carefully planned. I felt awkward and clumsy in comparison.
As we walked I found myself pointing out things that we passed, trying to break the silence between us. But she remained unresponsive. The only thing that seemed to catch her interest was a display of swords on the wall. She stopped for a moment to run her finger along the edge of one, then shrugged and turned back to follow me again.
We soon arrived at my rooms. I was opening the door when Tegan suddenly turned to look down the hallway. She listened for a moment to something my untrained ears could not detect, and then a feral smile spread across her face. To my surprise, she spoke. "I can hear you, Bane. Stop trying to sneak up on me."
I was wondering exactly what was going on when an answering laugh sounded from down the hall. "Just trying to keep you on your toes, girl. Don't want your skills to. oh." He stopped as he saw me standing there. "Beg pardon, milady. I did not realize you were there." He bowed, causing the heat to rise to my face.
"Please, don't. I'm not offended." I held out a tentative hand. "My name is Cristyn. You are..?"
A grin spread across his face, surprising me. I had expected the same cold courtesy that I got from Tegan. He took my hand and clasped it firmly in both of his. "My name is Bane." He let go of my hand to unsling the bags that were thrown over his shoulder. "These are hers," he said, motioning at Tegan. I thought it odd that he did not use her name, as they obviously knew one another. But I shrugged it off and opened the door. As I stepped inside, I saw Tegan move to whisper something in Bane's ear. I could not see his reaction to it, however.
"Well," I began, "These are my rooms. I. I'm not sure where you'll be sleeping." I trailed off, hoping Tegan would have an answer.
With a shrug, she replied, "I'll be comfortable anywhere, though I would prefer my own room. Bane, just leave my stuff on the floor. You did take care of my horse, right?"
Bane grinned again and nodded. "Yes ma'am," he said, with a tinge of sarcasm in his tone. "Though if she tries to bite me like that again, she'll be taking care of herself." He rubbed his arm where a nasty bruise was beginning to show.
Tegan snorted at him. "Go on, get out of here. I don't want to hear your whining any more."
Saluting smartly, he turned on his heels and marched out of the room. At the door, he turned back and said, "The captain will come by at first light tomorrow to hear your report. Good luck to you, Tegan. May your knife remain sharp."
"May your sword never break," she replied, and a hint of a grin crossed her face.
I had watched their friendly banter with a bit of jealousy, and now as Tegan turned she caught my glance. Though her eyes were shaded, they bored into my own, and I looked away uncomfortably.
After a long moment of silence, Tegan spoke up. "Where will I be sleeping?"
It was the first time she had spoken a full sentence directly to me, and it startled me a little. "Well. um. my bedroom is through that door, but I don't have anywhere for you to sleep in there. If you are comfortable on a couch, I guess you can stay in here." I shrugged. "Those are the only two rooms I have."
"Really. I would have expected more from a princess."
Her stress on the last word turned it into an insult, and I cringed, but went on bravely, "I hate cleaning, and I don't like other people doing it for me. I don't spend much time in here anyway."
A shrug was all I got in response. "I'll sleep on the couch in here," she announced, and tossed her packs onto the floor next to it.
Niren's POV
I had decided that the girl was incompetent. She seemed unable to make any decisions for herself, and on top of that, every time I looked at her she would turn and look away as if I wasn't important; as if I was worth less than dirt to her, especially since she spent half the time looking at the dirt on the floor. I realized that I was going to have to be the one to make the decisions, and it irritated me. I was not hired to look after a child. I was only a guard.
On the upside, it seemed this job would be well worth the extra pay. The castle was relatively quiet, and there were not many people walking the halls. The halls were wide and open, and provided few hiding places. It seemed that this assignment was going to be far more relaxing than staying in the barracks.
The girl was still standing there, looking at nothing in particular. I cleared my throat and she jumped. Struggling to hide the smirk on my face, I asked, "When is the evening meal?"
Again she would not look at me, and answered quietly, "In about an hour. But I am to show you the rest of the castle grounds first." She looked at me, and I nodded to myself.
I stepped to the door and opened it. "Then come, milady." I did not try to keep the sarcasm out of my voice as I spoke the title. The girl's face turned bright red, but she stepped through the doorway and led the way through the halls, hesitantly explaining things as we walked. I tuned her out mostly, though I did take notice when she pointed out the displays of weapons that we passed. They were mostly ceremonial pieces, but if the sharpness of the sword I had touched earlier was anything to go by, they would be functional in a fight. I absently rubbed the finger the sword had cut. It wasn't deep, but it had stung and bled a little. I also carefully noted every passageway and alcove we walked by. Unenthusiastic I might be, but no one could accuse me of being less than thorough.
Due to my training, I was always alert to every change in the surrounding environment; I was the first to hear the footsteps echoing in the large hall we were now in. The princess looked a little startled as a man walked up and swept an elegant bow to her.
"Milady," he purred smoothly, "how is your highness this fine day?" He lifted her limp hand and planted a soft kiss on it. He spared barely a passing glance for me as he continued talking, extolling the virtues of so beautiful a day (though of course it hardly compared to Her Highness) and wondering whether they might walk together for little out in the sunshine.
I stood back and watched with amusement that quickly turned to surprise. I had expected her to at least blush, if not look a little pleased at his compliments. But she accepted his praises gravely and sincerely, and politely turned down his offer of a walk. When he insisted, she smiled and gently informed him that in the interests of her own safety, she was showing her new companion around the palace, and wouldn't he like to greet her properly? Of course there was no way the man could refuse and remain polite, so he bowed slightly and introduced himself as Lord Brun, a visiting noble. I considered ignoring him, but a pleading look from the girl changed my mind, and I inclined my head in return and offered my own alias. He gave me a sharp look as I grinned indolently at him.
Smoothly, Cristyn stepped in and said, "If you will excuse us, we must continue our tour. Good day, my lord." We moved off, leaving him spluttering in our wake.
As soon as we were far enough away, Cristyn sighed in relief and shook her head. She started to say something, but looked at my carefully blank expression and closed her mouth again. We walked on in silence, each absorbed in our own thoughts.
Cristyn's POV
We stood uncomfortably in the hall. Or rather, I stood uncomfortably; Tegan's face remained unreadable, and her posture was relaxed. A headband cast a shadow over her eyes so I could not see them, though when she tilted her head to look at me, I could see a hard glint in them. For a moment, I wondered what color they were.
I shuffled my feet and looked at the floor. "Um." I began hesitantly. "I guess I should show you my rooms."
For a moment she didn't respond, then she gave a sharp nod. The breath I had been holding came out, and I turned and walked down the hall. I had to look back to check that Tegan was following; she walked like a cat, silent even in the tall boots she wore. It seemed to me as though each step were carefully planned. I felt awkward and clumsy in comparison.
As we walked I found myself pointing out things that we passed, trying to break the silence between us. But she remained unresponsive. The only thing that seemed to catch her interest was a display of swords on the wall. She stopped for a moment to run her finger along the edge of one, then shrugged and turned back to follow me again.
We soon arrived at my rooms. I was opening the door when Tegan suddenly turned to look down the hallway. She listened for a moment to something my untrained ears could not detect, and then a feral smile spread across her face. To my surprise, she spoke. "I can hear you, Bane. Stop trying to sneak up on me."
I was wondering exactly what was going on when an answering laugh sounded from down the hall. "Just trying to keep you on your toes, girl. Don't want your skills to. oh." He stopped as he saw me standing there. "Beg pardon, milady. I did not realize you were there." He bowed, causing the heat to rise to my face.
"Please, don't. I'm not offended." I held out a tentative hand. "My name is Cristyn. You are..?"
A grin spread across his face, surprising me. I had expected the same cold courtesy that I got from Tegan. He took my hand and clasped it firmly in both of his. "My name is Bane." He let go of my hand to unsling the bags that were thrown over his shoulder. "These are hers," he said, motioning at Tegan. I thought it odd that he did not use her name, as they obviously knew one another. But I shrugged it off and opened the door. As I stepped inside, I saw Tegan move to whisper something in Bane's ear. I could not see his reaction to it, however.
"Well," I began, "These are my rooms. I. I'm not sure where you'll be sleeping." I trailed off, hoping Tegan would have an answer.
With a shrug, she replied, "I'll be comfortable anywhere, though I would prefer my own room. Bane, just leave my stuff on the floor. You did take care of my horse, right?"
Bane grinned again and nodded. "Yes ma'am," he said, with a tinge of sarcasm in his tone. "Though if she tries to bite me like that again, she'll be taking care of herself." He rubbed his arm where a nasty bruise was beginning to show.
Tegan snorted at him. "Go on, get out of here. I don't want to hear your whining any more."
Saluting smartly, he turned on his heels and marched out of the room. At the door, he turned back and said, "The captain will come by at first light tomorrow to hear your report. Good luck to you, Tegan. May your knife remain sharp."
"May your sword never break," she replied, and a hint of a grin crossed her face.
I had watched their friendly banter with a bit of jealousy, and now as Tegan turned she caught my glance. Though her eyes were shaded, they bored into my own, and I looked away uncomfortably.
After a long moment of silence, Tegan spoke up. "Where will I be sleeping?"
It was the first time she had spoken a full sentence directly to me, and it startled me a little. "Well. um. my bedroom is through that door, but I don't have anywhere for you to sleep in there. If you are comfortable on a couch, I guess you can stay in here." I shrugged. "Those are the only two rooms I have."
"Really. I would have expected more from a princess."
Her stress on the last word turned it into an insult, and I cringed, but went on bravely, "I hate cleaning, and I don't like other people doing it for me. I don't spend much time in here anyway."
A shrug was all I got in response. "I'll sleep on the couch in here," she announced, and tossed her packs onto the floor next to it.
Niren's POV
I had decided that the girl was incompetent. She seemed unable to make any decisions for herself, and on top of that, every time I looked at her she would turn and look away as if I wasn't important; as if I was worth less than dirt to her, especially since she spent half the time looking at the dirt on the floor. I realized that I was going to have to be the one to make the decisions, and it irritated me. I was not hired to look after a child. I was only a guard.
On the upside, it seemed this job would be well worth the extra pay. The castle was relatively quiet, and there were not many people walking the halls. The halls were wide and open, and provided few hiding places. It seemed that this assignment was going to be far more relaxing than staying in the barracks.
The girl was still standing there, looking at nothing in particular. I cleared my throat and she jumped. Struggling to hide the smirk on my face, I asked, "When is the evening meal?"
Again she would not look at me, and answered quietly, "In about an hour. But I am to show you the rest of the castle grounds first." She looked at me, and I nodded to myself.
I stepped to the door and opened it. "Then come, milady." I did not try to keep the sarcasm out of my voice as I spoke the title. The girl's face turned bright red, but she stepped through the doorway and led the way through the halls, hesitantly explaining things as we walked. I tuned her out mostly, though I did take notice when she pointed out the displays of weapons that we passed. They were mostly ceremonial pieces, but if the sharpness of the sword I had touched earlier was anything to go by, they would be functional in a fight. I absently rubbed the finger the sword had cut. It wasn't deep, but it had stung and bled a little. I also carefully noted every passageway and alcove we walked by. Unenthusiastic I might be, but no one could accuse me of being less than thorough.
Due to my training, I was always alert to every change in the surrounding environment; I was the first to hear the footsteps echoing in the large hall we were now in. The princess looked a little startled as a man walked up and swept an elegant bow to her.
"Milady," he purred smoothly, "how is your highness this fine day?" He lifted her limp hand and planted a soft kiss on it. He spared barely a passing glance for me as he continued talking, extolling the virtues of so beautiful a day (though of course it hardly compared to Her Highness) and wondering whether they might walk together for little out in the sunshine.
I stood back and watched with amusement that quickly turned to surprise. I had expected her to at least blush, if not look a little pleased at his compliments. But she accepted his praises gravely and sincerely, and politely turned down his offer of a walk. When he insisted, she smiled and gently informed him that in the interests of her own safety, she was showing her new companion around the palace, and wouldn't he like to greet her properly? Of course there was no way the man could refuse and remain polite, so he bowed slightly and introduced himself as Lord Brun, a visiting noble. I considered ignoring him, but a pleading look from the girl changed my mind, and I inclined my head in return and offered my own alias. He gave me a sharp look as I grinned indolently at him.
Smoothly, Cristyn stepped in and said, "If you will excuse us, we must continue our tour. Good day, my lord." We moved off, leaving him spluttering in our wake.
As soon as we were far enough away, Cristyn sighed in relief and shook her head. She started to say something, but looked at my carefully blank expression and closed her mouth again. We walked on in silence, each absorbed in our own thoughts.